Fort Detroit

Fort Detroit (1701-1826) - Established 23 Jul 1701 as Fort Ponchartrain du Detroit by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac as a French fort and trading post, later renamed as Fort Detroit. Also known as Fort Lernoult and Fort Shelby.

Plan of Fort Detroit 1763

Early History

Built by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701 to prevent the British from moving west and to monopolize the fur trade in the region. Originally constructed as a 200' square palisade with 12' walls and towers at each corner. It was rebuilt, enlarged and relocated several times.

In April 1712, a force of about 1,000 Fox, Sac and Mascouten Indians besieged the French garrison at Fort Detroit. The attacking Indians were then caught between the French in the fort and their Indian allies outside the fort. The attacking Indians fled to present day Windmill Point, where they surrendered and were massacred in what is known as the Fox Indian Massacre. This incident signaled the beginning of the first Fox Indian War (1712-1716). In 1716, Fox Chief Pemaussa was captured, ending the war.

French & Indian War (1754-1763)

Fort Detroit remained in French hands through most of the French & Indian War until it was occupied by the British on 29 Nov 1760. Fort Detroit was the last major French fort to fall as the British gained control of North America. The 1763 Treaty of Paris ended the war, confirmed British control and defined the boundaries.

Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

In 1778 Capt. Richard B. Lernoult constructed a new fort a few hundred yards to the south of the original. It was named Fort Lernoult on 3 October 1779.

During the American Revolutionary War the fort was used by the British to arm and support Indian raiding parties who attacked American settlements well down into what is now Kentucky. Prisoners captured by these raiding parties were often march long distances under terrible condition to reach Fort Detroit. This practice continued until well after the end of the revolution and it was not until 1783 that all prisoners were released from Fort Detroit.

Soloman Litton and his family were captured at John Martin's Station near Paris, Kentucky, on 26 Jun 1870 and marched 300 miles to Fort Detroit. He was separated from his family, sold as a slave to an Indian named Big Fish and kept at Shawnee Town near Fort Detroit. The Litton family were all released from Fort Detroit on 18 Jul 1783 by order of British General Haldermand. The family then walked back to Kentucky by way of New York City.

The 1783 Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War but did not completely settle the boundary issues between Britain and the United States. The 1793 Jay Treaty settled the issues and the fort and the surrounding settlement were surrendered to the Americans on 11 Jul 1796, 13 years after the Treaty of Paris ended the war.

It is thought that only Fort Lernoult survived the 1805 fire which destroyed Detroit, and that no parts of the original Fort Detroit remained after this time. Fort Lernoult was renamed Fort Detroit in 1805, then renamed Fort Shelby in 1813.

Current Status

Unknown.

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Location: In Detroit, Michigan, south of Jefferson St. between Griswold St. and Shelby St. Maps & Images Lat: 42.3273 Long: -83.04559 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: '

Sources:

• Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 417-418

Links:

• Wikipedia - Fort Detroit
• North American Forts - Fort Detroit

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