Fort Meigs
Encyclopedia
Fort Meigs was a fortification along the Maumee River
in Ohio
during the War of 1812
. It is named in honor of Ohio
governor Return J. Meigs, Jr.
, for his support in providing General William Henry Harrison
with militia and supplies for the line of forts along the Old Northwest frontier.
. The climate was harsh, and the landscape unforgiving. A U.S. sentry froze to death during his two hours of guard duty. When completed, the fort was the largest wooden walled fortification in North America
.
On May 1, 1813, British allied forces, under General Henry Proctor and Chief Tecumseh
, laid siege
to the fort. Colonel Dudley tried to lead a party outside of the fort, but they were eliminated by the Native Allies. The Shawnee, Lenape and other warriors attacked wood-gathering parties sent out from the fort. Harrison held out against the British by using the long and broad hills made inside the fort known as "traverses." these absorbed many of the incoming British shells. They provided shelters for sleeping quarters for American personnel. Once damp weather befell these dwellings, several soldiers no longer wished to live in the soggy quarters and resigned themselves to sleeping in canvas Army tents. Proctor raised the siege on May 9, 1813.
Having mobilized the garrison into an army, Harrison left General Green Clay
in command of the fort. He held the fort against a second attempted siege by the British two months later. Once the British had retreated from the area for good, General Harrison ordered the fort dismantled.
In the twentieth century, Ohio directed construction of a replica of the fort, as part of its preservation and interpretation of the site. It is a National Historic Landmark
.
, Ohio
. The 65-acre (263,000 m²) park includes a full-size replica of the 1813 fort. Located at the corner of a nearby cemetery are the remains of the original artillery positions laid by the British for use during the siege.
The Visitor Center's museum exhibits include frontier Ohio and early Native Americans, the history of the War of 1812 and the fort's role in the war, artifacts found at Fort Meigs, and military life. Outside, visitors can tour the reconstructed blockhouses and stockade.
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. It is named in honor of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
governor Return J. Meigs, Jr.
Return J. Meigs, Jr.
Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr. was a Democratic-Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the fourth Governor of Ohio, fifth United States Postmaster General, and as a U.S. Senator.-Biography:...
, for his support in providing General William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
with militia and supplies for the line of forts along the Old Northwest frontier.
History
Construction of the fort started in February of 1813 by soldiers under the command of General William Henry Harrison in present-day Perrysburg, OhioPerrysburg, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,945 people, 6,592 households, and 4,561 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,899.2 people per square mile . There were 6,964 housing units at an average density of 780.5 per square mile...
. The climate was harsh, and the landscape unforgiving. A U.S. sentry froze to death during his two hours of guard duty. When completed, the fort was the largest wooden walled fortification in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
On May 1, 1813, British allied forces, under General Henry Proctor and Chief Tecumseh
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy which opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
, laid siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
to the fort. Colonel Dudley tried to lead a party outside of the fort, but they were eliminated by the Native Allies. The Shawnee, Lenape and other warriors attacked wood-gathering parties sent out from the fort. Harrison held out against the British by using the long and broad hills made inside the fort known as "traverses." these absorbed many of the incoming British shells. They provided shelters for sleeping quarters for American personnel. Once damp weather befell these dwellings, several soldiers no longer wished to live in the soggy quarters and resigned themselves to sleeping in canvas Army tents. Proctor raised the siege on May 9, 1813.
Having mobilized the garrison into an army, Harrison left General Green Clay
Green Clay
Green Clay was a United States politician and a soldier in both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812....
in command of the fort. He held the fort against a second attempted siege by the British two months later. Once the British had retreated from the area for good, General Harrison ordered the fort dismantled.
In the twentieth century, Ohio directed construction of a replica of the fort, as part of its preservation and interpretation of the site. It is a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
Memorial
Today, Fort Meigs is the site of an Ohio State Memorial in PerrysburgPerrysburg, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,945 people, 6,592 households, and 4,561 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,899.2 people per square mile . There were 6,964 housing units at an average density of 780.5 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The 65-acre (263,000 m²) park includes a full-size replica of the 1813 fort. Located at the corner of a nearby cemetery are the remains of the original artillery positions laid by the British for use during the siege.
The Visitor Center's museum exhibits include frontier Ohio and early Native Americans, the history of the War of 1812 and the fort's role in the war, artifacts found at Fort Meigs, and military life. Outside, visitors can tour the reconstructed blockhouses and stockade.
Re-enactments
Several re-enactments take place at Fort Meigs each year. They include:- First Siege, a battle re-enactment portraying the events of the siege of Fort MeigsSiege of Fort MeigsThe Siege of Fort Meigs took place during the War of 1812, in northwestern Ohio. A small British army with support from Indians attempted to capture the recently-constructed fort to forestall an American offensive against Detroit, which the British had captured the previous year...
in May 1813, complete with American and British infantry and artillery. This event is held on Memorial Day weekend and is followed on Monday by a ceremony commemorating the fallen soldiers.
- Muster on the Maumee, a "timeline event" held at the fort on Father's Day weekend, includes military re-enactors from ancient Roman soldiers to the modern-era soldier.
- Independence Day, a re-enactment portraying the events on the Fourth of July in 1813. It includes toasts and an 18-gun salute.
- Drums Along the Maumee, an event bringing together historically accurate drum and fife corps from around the country.
- Garrison Ghost Walk, an event held on the last two weekends in October; a re-enactor guides visitors through the dark fort to tell ghost stories.