Evening star., 1933-06-25

LID fOrL FTe0er1ck St&nOS On tic
banks Of the Potomac, Is miles
west Of Hagerstown, Md, the best
preserved of q famous chain Of
forts, which in pre-Revolutionary
War days stretched from Ticon-
deraeo on the north through Southern Virginia
Save for few breaks in the stone walls It
looks today much as 1t must have looked to
the frontiersmen who took their women and
children there for protection from Indian at
tacks ITS years ago.
About the middle Of the eighteenth century
the outposts Of English civilization in America
lay along the eastern slopes Of the Allegheny
Mountains The pioneers found themselves
most uncomfortable, for the French from their
base at Fort Duquesne and the Indians made
periodic raids on whatever settlements they
tried to establish. Massacres were frequent,
but even more usual was the practice OF the
Indians Of driving the whites out OF their
dwellings by setting fire to them. The Mary
land Gazette, an early Annapolis paper. said
in IT'S that many persons In Frederick
County have been murdered 1t Is necessary
to arm and fortify, for the Indians and the
French are making raids within 100 miles OF
Annapolis"
After Braddock's defeat in 1755 Gov Horatio
Sharpe of Maryland left Annapolis for the
Frederick country and, gathering recruits as
he went personally supervised the building
of number Of block houses. However, the
wooden block houses were Of no more avail
which could be burned, and after struggle
with the Maryland Legislature over the neces-
sity Of constructing some more expensive
Notifications Of stone, he persuaded that body
in May 1855, to give him 5000 pounds part
Of which was for new fortress on North
Mountain.
Gov. Sharpe's correspondence during that
year gave a graphic description Of the problems
which confronted his people. He said: I am
preparing to set of for the frontier to put this
province in the best position OF defense that
the bill will permit me- and construct strong
fort on North Mountain. I have been some
weeks at this place with $50 men, constructing
a fort and block houses for the protection Of
the frontier. My presence here will, I ap-
prehend be absolutely necessary till the work
Is pretty far advanced. all our men being raw
and undisciplined and all our ofdcers ignorant
of everything that relates to Notifications or
places Of defense. While was at Fort Frederick
Col Washington paid me q visit and informed
me that he also was raising strong fort at
Winchester We already have 200 men near
and about Fort Frederick under Col. John
Dagworthy. Since I left Fort Frederick we
have received advice that q party Of French
and Indians have reduced and burned Fort
Granville. on the Juniata, 20 miles from
Susquehanna. My people see the expediency
Of my building Fort Frederick Of stone"
The fort was made sufficiently large to con-
tain about one and half acres OF ground
within us walls. II was Du1t In the Iorm Oh
a square, with its corner bastions each guarded
by cannon. The walls, made Of sandstone
held together with clay were IT feet high.
feet thick at the top and feet thick at
the base. The entrance was in the south side.
toward the river, and the heavy gates 1t Is
recorded, were hung with hinges. which
weighed ~ pounds each. Within the shelter
Of the walls a number of wooden buildings
were erected to house the headquarters Of the
commanding officers and the women and chill
dren who were forced to take refuge there from
time to time The buildings have disappeared,
but stones mark their former location.
The old well has been recently restored and
is provided with . rope which winds around
a stout log and brings up the brimming bucket
as the handle Is turned number Of cherry
and apple trees cast their shade around the
we'll and the supposition is that they are de-
scendants of the fruit trees planted by frontiers