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How Fort Necessity was builtFort Necessity is not a typical military fort. It is small and simple, even for a wilderness fort. It consists a small storage shed in the center of a round stockade. The stockade is 53 feet in diameter. Earthworks were constructed outside the stockade. Why so small?
When George Washington arrived at the Great Meadows in May, he intended to set up a camp from which to base his operations while waiting for additional militia and British regulars. After encountering and dispatching the French party led by Jumonville, Washington returned to the Great Meadows and fortified his position by building a stockade and earthworks around his storehouse. When he built the fort there were only 160 men with Washington. During the battle, there were 400 British at Fort Necessity. The original fort was destroyed by the French force that defeated Washington at the Battle of the Great Meadows on July 3, 1754. How Fort Necessity was rebuiltArchaeological ExplorationsFor a long time, only low ridges and shallow depressions marked the site of the fort. These depressions were thought to mark the perimeter of the stockade wall. The ridges did not form a complete enclosure. It was thought some of the ridges had washed away in floods. For over a century experts had debated whether Fort Necessity was triangular or diamond shaped.
In 1901 a careful study of the site revealed that the ridges formed a
diamond shape.
When Fort Necessity was established as a National Battlefield in 1931, archaeology was conducted to determine the location of the stockade. The archaeological investigation in 1931 provided the basis for reconstructing the fort on the original site in 1932. Some fragments of stockade posts were unearthed near the depressions. This made some people more sure that the ridges and depressions were the remnants of the fort stockade. As a result, the 1932 reconstruction was a large diamond shaped stockade. This reconstruction was seriously flawed but was interpreted to the public as correct. In 1952 and 1953 the Archaeologists looking for evidence of a triangular fort and entrenchments found something surprising. The fort was neither a diamond or a triangle, but a circle. These explorations revealed the true size, shape and location of Fort Necessity, providing the basis for the accurate reconstruction visitors see today. Reconstructing Fort NecessityHow to build Fort Necessity for that class project
StorehouseNo one knows exactly what the storehouse looked like. According to one account it was 14 feet square. It was probably made of logs with a slanted roof. It may have been covered with animal hides, tree bark, or both. Will you use leather or bark for the roof of your storehouse?StockadeThe stockade was built of logs split lengthwise. The logs were white oak, which splits easily. The men were too tired, sick and rushed to carry full logs. Smaller unsplit logs were used to fill in cracks between the larger logs. Some of the smaller logs may have been short and used for gun rests. You can use popsicle sticks or split twigs in half to make your stockade.EarthworksThe earthworks were an important part of Fort Necessity. Washington's men defended the fort from the earthworks surrounding it. They dug ditches and put the dirt they dug up on the side away from the fort. They stood in the ditches and use the long walls of dirt for protection. What will you use to build earthworks for your model? There are also two streams that join in the meadow. Some of the soldiers fought from the streams, hiding below the banks.
The MeadowA meadow is a low level grassland near a stream. Washington chose the Great Meadows for his camp because it was open and had water available. It would be easier to see the enemy coming through the meadow than through the forest. The ground in this meadow was very wet. When it rained during the battle, the trenches and streams filled with mud and water, making almost impossible for the soldiers to use their flintlock muskets.The Forest and HillsUnfortunately for George Washington, the Great Meadows was not big enough. The area all around was forested. In some places, the trees were close enough to the fort that the French and Indians could hide behind them and still hit the fort with musket balls.creditsThe illustrations used on this page come from New Light on Washington's Fort Necessity by J.C. Harrington.
http://www.nps.gov/archive/fone/fort.htm
Last updated: Monday, 24-Nov-2003 10:47:20 Eastern Standard Time |