Battle Hardened and Bored: Fort Wayne's Officer Corps, 1815-1819
He married Anna Bishop, and had fifteen children with her.[2] His large family meant that Whistler was often in debt. As a captain at a frontier post that received only sporadic visits from the paymaster, the $40 a month that Whistler was entitled too was oftentimes late or even nonexistent. He even reported that one point he had been without pay for over two years.[3] Concerned about keeping his family comfortable even as times were tough, he reached out to his superiors to clarify what the government owed him:
“Please inform me if the officers pay & emoluments are the same as in the time of the War Establishment and if Commdg officers are entitled to double rations it is so long since I received pay, and the last time I was allowed the double rations, but since then I have been informed they were stopped but as I never received orders to that effect enduces me to make this request any alterations that has accured since the Peace establishment concerning this request “[4]
However, financial woes did not prevent Whistler from being an excellent host. Him and his family represented the ‘upper crust’ of American society in the area as the Fort’s commander. This meant that the Whistler’s were responsible for keeping visiting officials, travelers, and settlers content during their time at Fort Wayne. Laura Suttenfield, who arrived with her husband William in 1814, wrote in her diary about one particular evening in the Fort:
“Major Whistler had two German cooks and they prepared us dinner… Our dinner consisted of one fine turkey, a side of venison, boiled ham, vegetables in abundance, cranberries, and green currents. As for dessert, we had none… There were but three bottles of wine sent here from Cincinnati; but one was made use of. Then there were a few toasts, and, after three guns and music, they went into the fort and the ladies changed their dresses. Then Major Whistler called for the music, which consisted of one bass drum, two small ones, one fife, violin and flute.”[5]
In terms of strictly military matters, Whistler dealt with many of the same quality control issues over rations that his predecessors had, but he did boast a more experienced cadre of officers than previous commanders had at their disposals.[6] Lieutenant Daniel Curtis, who had been at the Fort for several years, was familiar with the area and had a proven track record. He and Whistler were frequently the only two officers present at the post until April of 1816. The Army’s transition from wartime to peacetime footing had left many officers discharged and others far away from their new postings, which meant the Curtis was reassigned and others came to take his place. Brevet Major Charles Larrabee, while frequently away on recruitment assignments, was another valuable leader. As Whistler was commander of the post, Larrabee served as a captain whenever at Fort Wayne. He had fought at Tippecanoe and the length of the War of 1812, losing his left arm at the Battle of Brownstown.[7] Charles Cass took the place of first lieutenant. His Army career involved several key treaty negotiations, oftentimes with his infamous brother Lewis Cass present as well. [8] Cyrus Taunders served as second lieutenant, but unfortunately few records survive regarding his career. John Trevelt was the post’s surgeon.[9] Whistler was all in all a by the book officer, which oftentimes created clashes with the Indian Agency and local citizens who had been use to the more lax approach taken by most military men on the frontier.
Whistler’s transfer to St. Louis in March of 1817 left Lieutenant Curtis in command for three months under the arrival of Brevet Major Josiah Vose in June of 1817. This was also the first transfer of soldiers from Fort Wayne further west, as the men of the 3rd Infantry Regiment (formerly the 1st Infantry that was renumbered by Congress after the end of the war), whose unit had been stationed at the Fort since 1794, were sent to St. Louis. Vose’s company of the 5th Infantry Regiment would be the final garrison of Fort Wayne.
Vose stood out from other post commanders because of his devout religious beliefs. Amidst the drunkard soldiers and unscrupulous merchants, Vose openly discussed Christianity in regular conversation. The enlisted men had to attend Sunday service led by Vose himself reading scripture. What the men thought of this is unfortunately not recorded.[10] Vose had under him Lieutenant James Clark and a Dr. Trevitt as the surgeon. The last return for Fort Wayne indicated that Vose was the only officer present, with the lieutenants and other captain assigned being absent on recruiting assignments. With five sergeants to help him with organizing the move out, Fort Wayne was decommissioned on April 19th, 1819.[11]
[1] The ‘Brevet’ prefix indicates that Whistler was serving in the capacity of a major, but was in reality only a captain (the rank below major). This practice was common in the Army’s early days, as officers were needed to run the countless forts across the nation but the government could not afford to pay them all at their full rates. Monthly Return of the Garrison of Fort Wayne, May, 1814, Returns from U.S. Military Posts: 1800-1916, National Archives roll 1400.
[2] Joseph Pennell and Elizabeth Robins Pennell, The Life of James McNeill Whistler, (United Kingdom: J.B. Lippincott, 1911), 3.
[3] Charles Poinsatte, Outpost in the Wilderness: Fort Wayne, 1706-1828 (Fort Wayne: Allen County - Fort Wayne Historical Society, 1976), 73.
[4] John Whistler to Captain W Betton, Brigade Inspecter, 4 November 1815.
[5] As quoted in Poinsatte, Outpost in the Wilderness: Fort Wayne, 1706-1828, 75.
[6] See letter from John Whistler to Adjutant Inspector General, 5 November 1815.
[7] Charles Larrabee, Thoughts on Peace and War, (United States: Press of Case, Tiffany and Burnham, 1845) 63.
[8] Poinsatte, Outpost in the Wilderness: Fort Wayne, 1706-1828, 80.
[9] Monthly Return of the Garrison of Fort Wayne, January, 1817, Returns from U.S. Military Posts: 1800-1916, National Archives roll 1400.
[10] Poinsatte, Outpost in the Wilderness: Fort Wayne, 1706-1828, 80.
[11] Poinsatte, Outpost in the Wilderness: Fort Wayne, 1706-1828, 81.
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