The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-10-04
Fort drummer, the First Civilized Settle
ment in Vermont.

ment i'm Vermont.
In 1923 the General Court of Massachu-
sets Bay. seeking TO avoid surprise In
dian attacks upon her frontier towns,
authorized the erection and garrisoning
of blockhOuse at suitable site in the
territory then known as the grants and
comprising Vermont, New York, east of
Albany, and the northwestern part of
New Hampshire.
A position was chosen on the west shore
of the Connecticut river, three miles below
the junction of the West river with the
Connecticut. The place is now covered
with water set back from the dam at YER
non, but it is approximately 400 yards
west of the Fort Drummer marker on the
road from Brattleboro to Vernon.
Work was started in February of the
next year -Four carpenters, u soldiers
with narrow axes, and two teams We're
sent from Northampton to do the work.
Later they We're reinforced by a dozen
more soldiers and few friendly Indians.
The fort was laid out in nearly the
shape of a square, lao feet on side.
The walls were built of yellow pine which
grew in profusion. on the low fertile valley
| land. The logs We're laid up in the
manner of building log houses and inter
locked at the corners. The outer walls
We're about IS feet high. Lieut.. Gov. VIII
liam Drummer of Massachusetts from
"
vided for a palisade to be built about the
blockhOuse but this was never done
The houses were so arranged that the
wall of the fort formed the back wall of
each house. The roofs were built rising
from the front of the houses to meet the
wall at the back. The fronts and sides of
the houses We're SO arranged that they
could be rendered defensible should the
enemy effect an entrance to the fort.
The fort was ready for occupancy in
the summer of the same year and the first
garrison consisting of - men took possess
sion in June, 1924. Among these were
l. Indians and their sachem from a
friendly tribe The men were provided
with small arms and four "patteraroe -
mall Smooth-hore cannon used for throw
ing stones, scrap iron or lead slugs at the
enemy. An early authority on military
matters describes them as being terribly
effective at 300 PAGES Early accounts
tell us that the governor appointed Dan
lei Dwight of Northampton chaplain of
the fort and instructed him to teach the
savage Indians the true Christian relig
ion in his spare time. He also ordered 20
barrels of rum to be held at northampton
and given to the fort as it should be
needed. This shows us that the spirit
needs of the soldiers We're not neglected
at any rate.
The garrison did not have a very easy
time of it. 1t was divided into parties of
six to u men and employed in scouting
up the Connecticut and West rivers and
Otter creek The French and Indians did
not take kindly to the establishment of
fort in their territory and soon gave active
evidences of their diSpleasure. They way
laid the scouting parties and killed the
soldiers from ambush. Some of the sol
dierS got enough excitement and deserted
and the garrison dWindled to about 80.
In 1927 the war was ended and the
fort was turned into trading post 1t
seems to have been quite successful at
this lucrative business. The land about
/ it was cultivated and a,little settlement
grew up there. James kellogg was the
trading factor there.
! In 1744 hostilties with the French were
! eSumed and Massachusetts sent a garrison
to the fort and added two swivel guns and
two four-pounderS to the equipment.
After that period history tells us moth
ing definite about the fort. 1t Is supposed
that the equipment was taken TO North
ampton and that the structure rotted
away.