Fort Daniel is
situated on the highest part of Hog Mountain in northeastern Gwinnett
County, about about 3600 feet northeast of the head of the Appalachee
River (aka south fork of the Oconee river). This point is the
south end of the
boundary allotted
to the Cherokees for their hunting grounds, between the said Indians and
the citizens of the United States
as described in the 1785 Treaty of Hopewell. The line served as the
western boundary first of Franklin County and then Franklin and Jackson
counties (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. 1814 Carey map showing
1785 treaty line as western boundary for Franklin and Jackson counties.
The head of the Appalachee or south fork of the Oconee as it was
mistakenly called, was cited again in the 1790 Treaty of New York and
the 1796 Treaty of Coleraine, and served for a time as the western end
of the treaty line separating the Creeks from U.S. territory (see Figure
2)
Figure 2.
Portion of map from, Indian Land Cessions in the United States, by
Charles C. Royce Bureau of American Ethnology, 18th Annual
Report 1896-1897 (1899)
Plate
CXXII. f Map shows superimposed location of Fort Daniel at head of Appalachee River
and related treaty boundaries running northeast and southeast (green).
The 1785 line was first run by by Colonel Benjamin Hawkins in 1798
but had to be re-run in 1804 due to problems with settlers ending up on
the wrong side of the line.
The line was thereafter known as, “the
Hawkins Line" (See in Figure 2, "Wofford's Tract;"
and
http://ngeorgia.com/ang/Wofford's_Tract.
Cunningham's
survey sketch maps for the 1819 survey, completed at the
time of the creation of Gwinnett County, shows that the fort site would
have been located less than 1200 feet south of the Hawkins line and,
being on a high place, would have overlooked the head of the Appalachee
(see Figure 3). In fact, they would have been able to see Stone
Mountain. The actual end of the line at the head of the
Appalachee is about 3600 feet west of the fort on the south side
of Hog Mountain Road (Hwy 124) depicted by a dotted line.
Early fortified sites along the frontier played an
important role in Georgia’s history as settlement of new territories
invariably led to conflict between the settlers and the indigenous
peoples.
There is a 1793 map in the GA archives that shows some 18
forts and stations located along the 1785 frontier (see below).
The portion that would include Hog Mountain and the Appalachee River is
missing, but the accompanying
|
letter which lists
all the forts does not include one at Hog Mountain (see Figure 4, and
the letter that goes with this map, document
TCC799 in,
Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842, Digital Library of
Georgia).
Figure
3. Cuningham's 1819 surveyor's sketch. End of (corrected) Hawkins line in upper figure at "Apalachy" and
fort's relative location as indicated in red rectangle. Note the north
arrow.
Figure 4 1792 map of forts and stations
along the Georgia frontier.
In a letter dated October 21, 1813, Major General Allen Daniel,
Commander of the 4th Division of the Georgia Militia, via
his Aid Decamp, John D. Terrell, sent a
letter to Brigadier General Frederick Beall, commander of the 2nd
Brigade of the Georgia Militia, covering two topics: the first was that
all regular militiamen serving in the 2nd Brigade of the 4th
Division, be mustered by their proper officers once in every month,
by companies, at their respective Regimental mustergrounds and that each
man will furnish himself with a knapsack, blanket, arms and equipments
untill [sic] arms & equipment can be furnished them by government and
hold themselves in readiness to take the field at a moments warning.
The second part of the letter specifically addressed the situation at
Hog Mountain. While ordering Beall to “forthwith order out thirty of
the militia of his Brigade to relieve those now stationed (by his order)
at the hog mountain” and to set up a system for rotation every 10
days, based on information that Daniel had received that “the fort at
the hog mountain is not only formed of old, dry and insufficient
timbers, but is also badly constructed, consequently easily destroyed by
fire and inadequate for defence.”
The orders from Gen. Daniel were quite specific: Beall, along with Major
John D.Terrell, was to supervise the construction of, “a new fort at
or near the place whereon the present fort stands which shall be
sufficient for the reception of two hundred men, out of substancial
[sic] timbers with port holes compleatly [sic] cut at proper hight
[sic], with platforms so as to raise the port holes at such hight [sic]
that the enemy will be prevented from any advantage therefrom. The
stockading will be at least then or eleven feet above ground & well let
into the Earth three feet, all the houses which may be built within the
fort, will be built with slanting roofs to drip in and to the centre of
the fort, so that in case fire should be [?] on them from without it may
be extinguished without danger. The walls of no house within the fort
shall exceed the hight [sic] of the stockading, except block house.
When the work is completed, the letter continues,” the militia which
may be in Service at the present fort will take possession of the new
one.”
In the fall of 1812, according to an article in the 1873
Weekly Gwinnett Herald, Lieutenant George R. Gilmer and others at Hog
Mountain built a road from the Hog Mountain fort to the Indian town of
Standing Peachtree to build another fort there. (James Flanigan’s
History of Gwinnett County says this took place in October of 1813,
citing Gilmer’s “Georgians” as the source). The road is still known as
“(old) Peachtree Road.”
Until Daniel’s letter came to light during preliminary research for the
archaeological investigation, the fact that there were two forts at Hog
Mountain had not been recognized. One of the questions now being asked
is whether Beall et al, built Fort Daniel de
novo or simply re-built the existing fort. If entirely new, where
was the original “fort at Hog Mountain” located, and when was it
built? The presence of wrought nails and
early cut nails at the site suggests they were at the same location, but
additional archival research is being done to confirm this or give
another interpretation. |
General Daniel's Orders to Build the 1813 Fort Original Text: Telamon Cuyler Collection, University of Georgia; Transcription: Shannon Coffey, GHS
Divisional Orders Madison County
21st Nov October 1813
Allen Daniel Major General commanding the fourth Division of the Georgia Militia deems it expedient at this momentary crisis that some portion of the militia under his command should be held in constant readiness for actual service. The brigade commanded by Brigadier Genl Beall having been [?] classed It is ordered that the first class in said Brigade, be mustered by their proper officers once in every month, by companies, at their respective Regimental mustergrounds and that each man will furnish himself with a knapsack, blanket, arms and equipments (untill [sic]arms & equipment can be furnished them by government) and hold themselves in readiness to take the field at a moments warning.
The Major Genl (having received communications from his Excellency the Governor [David B. Mitchell 1809-1813] of the 10th instant, wherein he is authorized to take such measures as he may deem expedient for the security of the frontier settlement in virtue of which authority reallizing [sic] the defenceless situation of our frontiersand the duties which he owes his country) deems it expedient to order – that Brigadier General Beall forthwithorder out thirty of the militia of his Brigade to relieve those now stationed (by his order) at the hog mountain in Jackson County, when the term of their service shall expire, and that those now orderd out, shall be relieved by others in succession, and in like manner to be detached in every ten days, untill [sic] further orders.
The Major Genl having also received information on which he relies that the fort at the hog mountain is not only formed of old, dry and insufficient timbers, but is also badly constructed, consequently easily destroyed by fire and inadequate for defence. With this view, He concieves [sic] (in event of an attact [sic] by the enemy) the fort would become instrumental to the destruction of its defenders, rather than a place of security. At this eventfull [sic] crisis a substancial [sic] fort must be all important.
It is therefore orderd that Brigdr Genl Beall without delay cause to be detached such a number of the militia ofhis Brigade as is his judgement may be conceived sufficient to
build a new [looks like "mud"] fort at or near the place whereon the present fort stands which shall be sufficient for the reception of two hundred men,
out of substancial [sic] timbers with port holes compleatly [sic] cut at proper hight [sic], with platforms so as to raise the port holes at such hight [sic] that the enemy will be prevented from any advantage therefrom.
The stockading will be at least then or eleven feet above ground & well let into the Earth three feet,
all the
houses
which may be built within the fort, will be built with slanting roofs to drip in and to the centre of the fort, so that in case fire should be [?] on them from without it may be extinguished without danger.
The walls of no house within the fort shall exceed the hight [sic] of the stockading, except block house.
Brigadier Genl Beall and Major John D. Terrell are charged with the superintendance [sic], construction & completion of this work, and whenever the fort is finished, the militia which may be in Service at the present fort will take possession of the new one.
The Major General, by the communications aforesaid from His Excellency the Governor has desired authorities, to employ spies to range on our frontiers. In conformity thereto, it is orderd that six spies be employd men of [?] courage & veracity, whose duty it shall be vigilantly to range on the Indian land bordering our own frontier two & two together subject to the controul [sic] of General Beall who in Co-opperation [sic] with Major John D. Terrell are charged with the employment of those spies provided Col. Russel Jones has not respected that service pursuant to the orders of the Governor.
The Major Genl from the Executive communications aforesaid has desired adequate authorities for the purchase of ammunitions sufficient for the militia hereby called into actual service and who are to be stationed at the Hog mountain, there being none here to be procurd. Should it be within your power to secure a reasonable quantity of powder & lead for the object expressed you will please do so for which His Excellency promises payment.
The Major Genl Presents his respects to the militia & citizens of Jackson County and feels confident they will cheerfully supply [?] and afford their aid in compleating [sic] the fort.
By the Major Generals Command
John D. Terrell
Aid DeCamp
Brigadier Genl Frederick Beall
Divisional Orders
21st October 1813 |
