The Palisade Volume 6 Issue 2 - Historic Fort Wayne, Inc.

A Word from the President:July, how did we get here so fast? It’s Mike’s Car Wash time again! Contact TomGrant at tom@lcpagroup.com after August 1st if you need car wash coupons to sellor even if you want to buy some for yourself. Remember we get half of theproceeds from the sales and the customer gets a discount if they upgrade from astandard wash.A new fund raiser is going on right now. Present a coupon and Applebee’s is goingto donate 15% of your bill on July 17th to the Fort. The coupons can be found onour web site and on our Facebook page but are only valid at restaurants in the Ft.Wayne area. We all know you love Applebee’sTable of ContentsFacilities Committee Report 2Who’s Who 2Upcoming Events 2All’s NOT quiet on theWestern Front 3Vendors Wanted 6Volunteer Profile 6Spring at the Old Fort 7A Taste of the Past 8Access Fort Wayne 9News and Notes 102014 Event Schedule 10Upcoming Fundraisers 11and it’s a great reason to eat out that evening, so go and print a coupon.Plus, you get a discount coupon for your next visit! (for more informationon both fundraisers, see page 11.)We have worked hard to raise the funds for the new roofs but are still alittle short. Grants have been applied for and we have been both pleasedand disappointed with the outcome. If any of you personally knowanyone who has any influence with a foundation, please let us know. Wehave found that a personal touch is the best way to achieve successwhen applying for grant money.I hope you’ve all had the opportunity to visit the Fort this summer andsee the new roofs and visit the updated Mercantile. If not, then head ourway for one of our events! See you there!Norm Gable, Historic Fort Wayne, Inc. Board President1“The 180-mile trektook two weeks, a featmany militaryhistorians consider tobe greater than Patton’srelief of Bastogne inWWII.”All’s NOT quiet on theWestern FrontPg 3-5

Facilities Committee2013 has already been a banner year for Fortmaintenance and restoration!As all of you who have been down to thefort this spring know, the big news is the totalre-roofing of the fort's principle buildings. Thebarracks, hospital, commandant's and jr.officers’ quarters, wood shed, and both blockhouses have been redone with even thicker3/4 inch cedar shakes. In addition, thechimney flashing (the copper metal aroundthe base) is in the process of being redone.Donors and volunteers like you, toonumerous to mention, are responsible forraising the funds to pay the expert roofers atMinzer Roofing. A special huzza must go outto Tom Grant, our treasurer, for his tirelessefforts securing the money for this project,and we do need to raise more to finish!Another milestone is the balconies being replanked.The good folks at EvergreenRemodeling volunteered their time and skillto make this a reality.We've also restrung the flag pole, with theassistance of an anonymous donor with a90ft high lift. I personally hope we won'thave to do that again anytime soon! A 5thspeaker has also been installed in the fortitself, for better sound on the parade ground.As many of you know, the Fort is always awork in progress; chinking between the logs,filling cracks, fixing doors, etc. It willalways require upkeep. We're looking ahead,however, and there are exciting projects yetto come. Re-roofing the mercantile buildingalong with adding a roofed porch will be avast improvement for the store that is rapidlyexpanding, and heating the modern buildingfor this upcoming winter will make us evenmore all-season.I hope everyone takes a moment to celebrateour momentum as an organization. Thingsare getting done: the Old Fort is being savedone project at a time!Your humble servant,Sean2Upcoming EventsJuly 13 & 14Revolutionary War - The Western Front:Sat. 10:00 am - 7:00 pm, Sun. 10:00 am - 4:00 pmAugust 24 & 25Fort Miamies: 1754 - 1763Sat. 10:00 am - 7:00 pm, Sun. 10:00 am - 4:00 pmSeptember 8Be a Tourist in Your Own HometownSun. noon - 5:00 pmOctober 19Lantern ToursSat. 6:30 pm - 10:00 pmOctober 26 & 27Camp Allen Muster: 1861 - 1865Sat. 10:00 am - 7:00 pm, Sun. 10:00 am - 4:00 pmWho’s WhoBoard Members: Norm Gable, PresidentBob Jones, Vice PresidentTom Grant, TreasurerMembers: Josh Grubaugh, Andi Hahn, SeanO’Brien, Stuart SmithEvents Planning: Kathryn GrubaughSchool Demos: Bob JonesSafety Committee: Stuart SmithFacilities Committee: Sean O’BrienFinance Committee: Tom GrantMercantile: Andi HahnPR/Marketing: Kathleen O’ConnellFort Historian: Keith LaymanVolunteers:Joyce JohnsonTours: Katie PaetzLoaner Clothes Closet: Sara Gable, SoulettaSmithSend your comments/questions toinfo@oldfortwayne.org . Your message will besent to the appropriate contact person.2

All’s NOT Quiet on the Western FrontBy Kip LytleThe majority of studies of the American Revolution focus on the battles that occurred in the Atlanticcoastal areas. Our July event pays homage to the struggle on the frontier in the Illinois Territory,particularly, the campaign of George Rogers Clark. The defining event of Clark’s career was thecapture of Fort Sackville near Vincennes in 1779 but the whole idea started two years before with theseeds planted nearly a decade earlier.The region between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River, north of Florida and southof the Great Lakes, was awarded to Britain after the Seven Years War. In order to keep peace withthe Natives, the British agreed that they would not allow white settlers into this region. While singlefamilies ignored this agreement by settling in the area, Daniel Boone and his brother, Squire, violatedit wholesale by bringing 200 settlers through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky in the early 1770’s.This angered the Natives who petitioned the British for a resolution. Just as the matter was beingaddressed, revolution broke out on the east coast and Britain’s soldiers in the region were siphonedoff to go fight in the east. But, the festering resentment left the Natives willing partners with theBritish as the conflict escalated on the Western Front.The Night Attack on Fort Sackville, February 23, 1779(Edward Mason, 1895)The third year of the war saw both sidesdeveloping strategies for continuing the conflict byopening up a second front in the west. In 1777,the British adopted a “divide and conquer”strategy. The first step was to have General JohnBurgoyne lead a force south from Canada alongthe Hudson River to cut New England off from therest of the colonies. At the same time, GovernorHenry Hamilton was ordered to incite the nativesand use the available British troops to attack thesettlements in the western territories in an effort todraw American troops away from the east coast.He did this by offering a bounty for Americanscalps (male or female, adult or child) earning himthe nickname “Harry the Hair-buyer”.Catching wind of Hamilton’s plan, then-Major Clark developed his own plan to defend the settlersand create enough havoc that the British would have to draw forces away from the east to engagethis new threat. Since Kentucky was a county of Virginia, Clark took his idea to Virginia’s Governor,Patrick Henry. Henry liked the idea and commissioned Clark as a Lieutenant Colonel of the VirginiaMilitia and gave him authority to recruit seven companies of fifty men each. Clark started bycommissioning Joseph Bowman, Leonard Helm, William Harrod, and William B. Smith as officers andsent them out to recruit for the Illinois Regiment. All officers and men were to assemble at OldRedstone Fort near present day Brownsville, PA in the spring of 1778.Like most military units, Clark never was able to recruit to full manning for a variety of reasons,including competition with the Continental Army, animosity between Pennsylvanians and Virginiansover a border dispute, and greater fear of the imminent threat from the Cherokees in the southeastrather than the tribes in the distant northwest. By May, only 150 men had been enlisted when theregiment departed, by boat, down the Monongahela River to the Ohio River and stopped at the33

many military historians consider to be greater than Patton’s relief of Bastogne in WWII. The Americansentered the town on the evening of February 23 rd . The villagers gladly replaced the Americans’ wetgunpowder.Using the terrain to hide his actual manpower, Clark split his force into small squads and ordered hismen to surround Fort Sackville and give the impression that they were 2000 men instead of 200.While one squad dug a trench 200 yards from the main gate, the rest maintained a slow but steadymusket fire on the fort. Those with rifles were told to take advantage of the open canon ports andshoot members of the gun crews when able.On the morning of February 24 th , Clark sent a demand for surrender to the fort; it was rejected and thefiring commenced for another two hours. As a sign of good faith, Hamilton sent Captain Helm, hisprisoner, out to Clark to ask for terms. Clark demanded unconditional surrender within 30 minutes orhe would storm the fort. Helm returned, within the time frame, with a counter-offer of a three-daytruce. Clark rejected this too, but did agree to meet at the village church for face-to-face negotiations.When they met, Clark’s bluff had worked. Though the sides were roughly even, Hamilton thought theywere outnumbered 10:1, and capitulated. The British marched out of the fort at 10:00 am the nextmorning and headed for Detroit. Hamilton, seven of his officers, and eighteen others were sent toWilliamsburg, VA as prisoners of war. Hamilton would later stand trial for war crimes for his practice ofscalp buying.More information about Clark and the Illinois Campaign can be found in Clark’s memoirs which havebeen published several times under different titles. One of the most recent is Col. George Rogers Clark'sSketch of his Campaign in the Illinois in 1778-9, published in New York by Arno Press in 1971. Anedition that standardizes Clark's erratic spelling and grammar for easier reading is The Conquest of theIllinois, edited by Milo M. Quaife in 1920 but reprinted by the Southern Illinois University Press in2001. James A. James edited a two volume version titled George Rogers Clark Papers in 1912 and 1926.Color and Honor GuardFrom the Old FortJuly 4that the sold outFort Wayne Tincaps gameFollow us on Facebook for up-todateevent news and happenings!5www.facebook.com/HistoricFortWayne5

Christmas at the Fort:Vendor Opportunity…Vendors WantedWe’re looking for ‘sutler-style’ vendors (dressed in periodattire) to sell their artisan wares (period items) at our 3 rd annual“Holly Trolley – Christmas at the Fort” event hosted Saturday,November 30, 2013. We’ll be open to the public from 11am –5pm.If you’re interesting in participating, please contact Laura Gablethrough email – info@oldfortwayne.org or by phone – (260)578-0378.Volunteer Profile:Meet Souletta SmithHi there! My name is Souletta (pronounced soul-eeta) Smith,I've been married for almost 4 years to Stuart Smith, memberof the Historic Fort Wayne Board and Lt. of the 13thPennsylvania Regiment of Foote that is based here in FortWayne. I currently work as an ER RN at Lutheran Hospital inFort Wayne. Stuart's mom and dad have kept my husbandinvolved with reenacting/living history his entire life and heintroduced me to it about 5 years ago when we started dating.Even though I had never heard of reenacting outside of themovie "Sweet Home Alabama," it has definitely come naturallyto me just out of love of history and all that can be learnedfrom interacting with the other reenactors that I have come tocall my extended family.I love to reenact/study the Revolutionary War. I tend to be my regiment's cook (everything tastesbetter cooked over an open fire) as well as seamstress (most of our troops wear something I'vemade, from trousers to regimentals). (see page 8 for some of Souletta’s favorite recipes.) I love toresearch women's clothing and have made all of my own (except for my shoes, and that I will do intime too, I hope).I am very excited that this year Sara Gable and I have been given the task of heading up the Fort's"Clothing Closet," which will provide any volunteers with an easy way to look the part as theybecome a part of history. There's just something about putting on 18th century clothing and beingsurrounded by an outfitted fort that makes history really come alive! Along with providing for ourcontinuously growing regiment, I hope to assist our Fort to grow into an amazing experience thatthe entire city cannot live without.When I am not getting my adrenaline fix working in the ER or watching amazing battles play outwith the 13th Regiment, I tend to be sewing, reading, or snuggling up with my husband and our dogand cat.66

Spring at the Old FortApril: EMMAApril:13th PennsylvaniaDrillMay:Education DayMay: Muster on the St. Mary’sMay:Three RiversPrimitive SkillsGatheringJune: Siege ofFort WayneMay:Turn the Town Pink7June: Tin Caps7

A Taste of the PastBy Souletta SmithMy most loved reenacting memories start with the campfire and the comfort food cooked over it.Once we have the fire established and breakfast sizzling, it means the weekend has officially started,old friendships rekindled, and stories of past events begin.Now, it should be known that the everyday Revolutionary war soldier did notcarry around a kit of cast iron skillets, dutch ovens, kettles, and a spit to set it allupon. Most of the soldier’s cooking would be done by broiling on sticks over thefire or boiled in a lightweight tin cooking pot that could be easily carried. This tinpot does limit the soldier to what he can make, and the soldiers’ diet was alreadylimited to hard breads, heavily salted meat, and foraged vegetables. However it isalways a pleasure to make tasty treats while at our reenactments. Here are a few ofmy favorites. Enjoy!For camp life:Old Virginia Ash CakeAdd a teaspoonful of salt to quart of sifted corn meal. Make up with boiling water and knead well.Make into round, flat cakes. Sweep a clean place on the hottest part of the hearth (or a stone closethat has been in the fire a long while). Put the cake on it and cover it with hot wood ashes.Wash and wipe it dry before eating it. Sometimes a cabbage leaf is placed under it, and one over it,before baking, in which case it need not be washed.-Housekeeping in Old Virginia, printed in 1879And from the homestead:Yorkshire PuddingBeat three eggs very light, add one and a half cups of sweet milk (or one cup of milk and a half cupof chicken stock) and three Tablespoons of melted butter. Beat in one and a half cups of sifted flour.If you do not bake under the meat in a dripping pan, pour it into a well greased shallow baking dishand bake in a hot oven.-The Williamsburg Art of Cookery (Mr. Farley’s Recipe, 1787)Williamsburg Beef Steak & Ham PyeTake one pound of nice steaks and pound well with flour. Brown them in your skillet in a little lard.Pour hot water over them and season your gravy well with salt & pepper. Arrange the steaks in a dishwith one half pound of sliced boiled ham, pour gravy over, put on a lid of pastry and bake aboutforty minutes.-The Williamsburg Art of Cookery (Mrs. Randolph’s Recipe, 1831)Puffs with Forcemeat of VegetablesCombine in a bowl: one pound of veal or beef with one cup each of green beans, asparagus,mushrooms, onion, parsley, all coarsely chopped. Season this with salt and pepper and fry in baconfat. Return mix to bowl, add 1 cup of bread crumbs, allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Add amixture of an egg yolk and ½ cup cream to the meat and vegetable mix.Continued next page88

Access Fort WayneDid you miss one of our events and wish you could have seen all thathappened?Or, maybe you want a chance to relive all the fun and share it withfamily and friends.No Problem!Access Fort Wayne (Comcast 55 & 57 and Frontier 25 & 27) has been showing programs which weretaped at several of our recent weekend events. Our own Bob Jones has been working with them tovideo tape happenings at the Fort. Thus far, you can see highlights from the 2012 Siege andChristmas at the Fort, and 2013 Nouvelle Annee. Other events from this spring are currently inproduction and will air later this summer. We’ll post the air dates on the Fort’s Facebook pagewhen the time comes.And, even better - these programs are also available on YouTube (with a little help from CodyCampbell) at:http://www.youtube.com/user/HistoricFortWayneOur plan is to continue taping future events, with the hope that we’ll eventually have a monthlyprogram on the Public Access Station. In addition to broadcasting reenactments, Bob says he’d liketo “feature personalities and characters involved in living history, both military and civilian, settlerand native, video clips, and stills of what is happening at the Fort each month.”Want to know more, or get involved with this unique way of reaching out to our community andsharing all that’s going on at the Old Fort? Talk with Bob Jones! He’ll fill you in on all the plans.Continued from previous pageRoll out puff pastry doughuntil about 1/8” thick, cutinto 6” squares, and spoonmeat and veggie mix ontomiddle of each pastry square.Brush edges with egg wash,fold square over the meatmix to form triangle, crimpedges closed.In a kettle, preheat lard to 350 degrees (F) and add pasties, 3or 4 at a time, fry for 15-20 minutes, or until crust is goldenbrown. Drain on sheets of paper or on a cloth.-Savoring the Past, Kevin CarterApple TansyTake three pippins (apples), sliced them round in thin slices,and fry them with butter; then beat four eggs, with sixspoonfuls of cream, a little rose-water, nutmeg, and sugar, andstir them together, and pour it over the Apples: Let it fry alittle, and turn it with a Pye-plate. Garnish with lemon andsugar strew’d over it.-Mrs. E. Smith’s Compleat Housewife, Williamsburg, 17429Sign up to receive our quarterlye-newsletterThe Old FortPalisadeSend yourrequest to:publications@oldfortwayne.orgDeadline for submissions to the FallPalisade will be October 1, 2013.9

News and NotesHave you visited theMercantile recently?We’ve added anumber of new items,i n c l u d i n g t h e s estunning mugs.Next event,stop by and check out all the new goodies!The Old Fort Palisade is published quarterly. Thearticles for each issue are geared toward one of themajor time periods represented by our events:January: French & Indian WarApril: War of 1812July: Revolutionary WarOctober: Civil WarWe are looking for articles for future issues. If youhave a historically pertinent subject you’d like towrite about or that you would like to see featured,let us know at publications@oldfortwayne.orgRaffleThe raffle is back for a second year! Karen andNancy have some interesting items available,including a Fort Wayne game, a handmadebroom, a print of the Blockhouse, a woolshawl and a candle holder from theBlacksmith. Tickets are $1 each, or 6 for $5,and they're available at the bake sale tableduring events. The winner for each item willbe chosen at September’s “Be a Tourist inYour Own Hometown” event.Last year’s raffle raised over $500 which wasused to purchase equipment for the breakroom and the mercantile. Thanks to Nancyand Karen for coordinating the raffle againthis year.Ghost HuntingAs we look ahead to the fall, we oftenhave groups interested in holding ‘ghosthunting’ excursions at the Fort. Of course,there’s always our Lantern Tours, as part ofFort Wayne’s Fright Night (Saturday,October 19). But, we still have frequentinquiries from groups interested in asmaller, private experience.10In response, the Board has set the followingfee schedule for the Ghost Hunters in thecrowd:The cost will be $50 per person with a$250 total minimum. This will cover 5hours in the Fort. If groups wish accessto the Fort for the entire night, the feewill be higher.Scheduling requests should be directed toNorm Gable, president of the Historic FortWayne Board. Approval is dependentupon the availability of an authorized Fortvolunteer to be present for the duration ofthe group’s stay, as well as for set up andclean up.10

Fort FundraiserWednesday, July 17Enjoy a dinner out at theFort Wayne Applebee’s restaurantsandhelp supportThe Old FortPrint and clip this couponThe coupon is also available on our Facebook page,so share it with friends!Mike’s Car WashMany of you are aware that every August we sell Mike's Express Carwash tickets for $8 each (theirnormal price) and Mike's donates 1/2 to us ($4 per wash)! Last year we sold 968!!!This year, I challenge my fellow history lovers to help sell 1250 tickets which would earn the fortabout $5,000!! If you sold some last year, won't you consider selling at least 10 more than last year?And if you didn't sell any, please consider selling at least 10? At a minimum, won't you considerbuying a few for yourself??!! We all have a car that occasionally needs a bath, so why not buy a fewfor yourself and help the fort at the same time!The wash tickets will be available starting August 1st and you can get them from Tom Grant. Or, I willeven bring some to you personally! We should also have some available at the August 24 & 25 FortMiamies event. If anyone pays by check, it should be made payable to Historic Fort Wayne Inc.Thanks again for all you do and let's get those tickets sold!Your humble historian,Keith LaymanHistoric Fort Wayne, Inc.1201 Spy Run Ave. Fort Wayne, INPhone: (260) 437-2836www.oldfortwayne.orgwww.facebook.com/HistoricFortWayneThe Old Fort Palisadevolume 6, issue 211Published quarterlyThe Old Fort Palisade is a publication of Historic Fort Wayne, a501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, which is solely responsiblefor the content herein. All information, articles and pictures arethe exclusive property of the submitter and are only used withtheir express permission.11