The Forts of Fort Wayne: Twenty-Five Years of Army Occupation at the Three Rivers Main Menu Why Fort Wayne Matters The Goals of this Project A New Century and a New Fort The Second Fort, 1800-1815 Statehood Sentry The Third Fort, 1815-1819 A Fort Reborn Preserving the Past for the Next Generation

Fortifying the Rivers

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One might expect a story about Fort Wayne to start with the Fort’s namesake himself: Anthony Wayne. However, Wayne was only present at the confluence for around a month time as he supervised the construction of the new fort, arriving September 18th and departing October 27th, 1794. This section addresses Wayne's critical decisions in constructing the new fort.

Wayne decided on a regular fortification instead of the more common picketed forts that could be found across the frontier. A regular fortification meant the Fort could withstand small arms and artillery (picketed defenses could only stop small arms fire). These decisions were made with the threat of a British attack in mind, as the strategic importance of the confluence was well known to all parties.[1]
Construction started on September 19th, 1794, after the site had been selected by the Legion’s chief engineer, Major Henry Burbeck, the day before. The Fort’s foundations were around 1500 feet southwest of the actual confluence to utilize higher ground that provided greater visibility and better flood protection. The Fort was near the modern-day intersection of Berry and Clay Street in downtown Fort Wayne.[2] Burbeck was qualified for the task, having served in the army since 1775 in the artillery and engineers. Burbeck would go on to design countless other forts across the country and supervise the first domestic cannon production until his honorable discharge in 1815.[3]
For Fort Wayne, Burbeck chose a 272 feet square surrounded by a sixteen-foot ditch and cannon emplacements on each of the four corners. The shape of the Fort was fairly standard practice by this time, meaning that all four sides left no blind spots for attackers to take cover from the Fort’s guns. The design utilized locally available materials, including timber and simple dirt. However, the work was difficult, particularly under the rainy conditions and supply shortages that plagued the troops.[4] 
 
[1] Walter Font, A Garrison at Miami Town: Fort Wayne, October 1794 - June 1795 (Fort Wayne: Allen County - Fort Wayne Historical Society, 1994), 2-4.
[2] Font, A Garrison at Miami Town: Fort Wayne, October 1794 - June 1795, 4-7.
[3] Bert J. Griswold, Taylor, Samuel R. Taylor. The Pictorial History of Fort Wayne, Indiana: A Review of Two Centuries of Occupation of the Region about the Head of the Maumee River (United States: Robert O. Law Company, 1917), 159.
[4] Font, A Garrison at Miami Town: Fort Wayne, October 1794 - June 1795, 5-7.

This page has paths:

  1. Why Fort Wayne Matters Cory Balkenbusch

Contents of this path:

  1. Officering the Unruly: Fort Wayne's Officer Corps from 1794-1800
  2. Drunk and Disorderly: The Enlisted Men, 1794-1800
  3. A Settlement under the Fort's Shadow: Euro-American Civilians in the Area, 1794-1800
  4. Unwelcome Neighbors: Kiihkayonki and the new Fort, 1794-1800

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