Three Rivers
Hudson~Mohawk~Schoharie
History From America's Most Famous Valleys

The Story of Old Fort Plain and the Middle Mohawk Valley
by Nelson Greene
O'Connor Brothers Publishers, Fort Plain, NY 1915

CHAPTER IX.
1776-The Building of Fort Plain- Other Forts Near Here.

At the close of the French war there were, in the valley, army fortifications at Fort Stanwix (now Rome, erected 1758), at Fort Herkimer (1756) and at Fort Hunter (1711), besides other fortified places such as Fort Johnson. Early In 1776 Col. Elias Dayton was sent to repair Fort Stanwix and he probably had supervision over the repairs to Fort Herkimer and the erection of Port Plain and Fort Dayton at Herkimer, which bears his name.

The site of Fort Plain, on the rise just west of the present cemetery, at the extreme western end of the village limits, has already been noted. Simms says it was constructed mainly by farmers. Its form was an irregular quadrangle with earth and log bastions or block houses and embrasures at opposite corners a strong block house within in the center and also barracks. Cannon in the block-houses could command the fort on all sides. It enclosed from a third to a half acre of ground but when settlers began to be killed and burned out, the survivors came here in such numbers that the space was found too small for the public needs. Three or four comfortable huts were accordingly made along the verge of the hill. The adjacent spring furnished water and supplies were probably stored in the center block-house. There were two large apple trees within the fort inclosure. Its entrance was on the south-easterly side toward a road leading up to the ravine on that side to it. Leasing says it had block- houses In each corner; Simms says they were in opposite corners of the quadrangle.

The plateau on which it stood is of penninsular form and, across the neck or isthmus, a breastwork was thrown up. The tort extended along the south-eastern brow of this hill and the blockhouse was about one hundred yards northwest on the edge of the northern slope of the hill. There is a tradition that nearby settlers aided in the erection of this defense. The boss carpenter, John Dederick, was allowed to name the fort. It is stated that he named it Fort Plain on account of its plain or fine view of open country and because from here operations of an enemy could be so plainly detected. It is said to have been not so named because the fortification was situated on a diminutive plain, as it was.

There is a possibility that it might have been named thus because, from this height looking over the trees which lined the near-by Otsquago, an unbroken view of the treeless flats, stretching four miles away to Canajoharie, was obtained. This was in strong contrast to the densely wooded slopes and heights stretching away to entire circle of the horizon around the fort. The outlook at that day must have been superb with the big woods cleared in spots only near the river and the heights covered by the great trees of the virgin forest. The Metropolitan Museum in New York houses a painting by Wyant called "The Mohawk Valley." It is a considerable canvas, showing the river before the coming of the white man and is impressive in its wooded hills and its treeless flat lands with the Mohawk winding through them. It suggests strongly what might have been the view at one time from Fort Plain. However we will accept the Simms statement that the fort received its name on account of the fine, open, plain or unobstructed view.

An acquaintance with the other regular military posts of the time seems to show that of them all it was the best located for defense. Fort Plain was the first Revolutionary fortification and the most important within the Canajoharie-Palatine districts. Fort Canajoharie at Danube was a stockade erected during the French war to protect the Mohawks but did not figure in the conflict for Independence.

Who commanded first at Fort Plain is not known and it probably was not regularly garrisoned until 1777. It formed a key for communication with and protection of the Schoharie, Cherry Valley and Unadilla settlements and was the chief protection of the Canajoharie and Palatine districts. About 1780-1 it became the headquarters of the officer commanding this and the several military posts in this vicinity. Col. Marinus Willett was its commander for several seasons and he is believed to have been here constantly about 1781-2. He occupied the eastern one of the huts situated on the side hill below the pickets a rod or two from the spring. Col. Clyde was in command here in 1783. The block- house, which will be noted later, was built to still further strengthen the defenses here in the tall of 1780 and the spring of 1781, and was merely a part of the fortifications here and not a separate post. Fort Plain must have been considered of formidable strength for it never was attacked directly by the considerable forces of the enemy who operated in this section at different times. The land on which the post stood was part of the Lipe farm.

Five smaller fortifications were in the vicinity of Fort Plain. Commencing westerly Fort Windecker, Fort Willett, Fort Plank and Fort Clyde were only two or three miles apart, the first three being nearly on a north and south line, curving easterly to embrace the last fort named, and being in something like a half circle around Fort Plain on Its western side. During the latter part of the war this line of forts, with the regular army post toward the center, made this section one of the best defended on the Tryon county frontier, and one historian says enabled the surviving to furnish most of the bread for the district. Fort Paris, at Stone Arabia, was the fifth fortification immediately about the central defense of Fort Plain.

Fort Windecker, built in 1777, was a palisaded small enclosure surrounding the dwelling of Johannes Windecker. It was nearly eight miles west of north from the latter upon the river road. It had the usual signal gun and probably contained a small blockhouse This place, like similar posts, had at least one sentinel on duty at night, who was posted usually outside the pickets at this place.

Fort Willett was a palisaded inclosure on the highest ground in the Dutchtown section and was situated over four miles from Fort Plain on land now owned by William Zimmerman. This stockade was completed in the spring of 1781 and had ample room for huts for all the adjacent families. It had the blockhouse corners and an alarm gun. As it was isolated from any dwelling, it had a good sized oven, the ruins of which remained for many years. The timber for its pickets was cut on adjoining farms and was drawn together by the owners of them. Like other palisades, the pickets were the trunks of straight trees of different kinds, of about a foot thickness through the butt, and cut long enough to be sunk three or four feet in the ground and to rise above it about a dozen or more. On the completion of this defense. Col. Willett rode out with a squad of his men from Fort Plain to see it. He was much pleased with the condition of things and said "You have a nice little fort here; what do you call it?" "It has no name yet; won't you give it one?" was the answer. Col. Willett replied, "Well, this is one of the nicest little forts on the frontier, and you may call it after me, if you please." A cheer went up at this, so the name of Willett became connected with the town in which he lived and fought for several years. The old south shore turnpike running through the Greenbush section of Fort Plain village is named Willett street after this very capable Revolutionary commander. At the end of the war each family who had contributed pickets for the building- of Fort Willett drew home their share and the fortification was demolished in the same manner as the many others when their use for purposes of defense had ceased.

Fort Plank was established in 1776 and was situated two and a half miles west of Fort Plain and one and a quarter miles in a direct line southerly from the Mohawk. Here then lived Frederick Plank, a whig, whose house was palisaded in a square enclosure with block-house corners. From its nearness to the settlements at Dutchtown and Geissenberg it served as a safe retreat for a score or two of families. Capt. Joseph House, a militia officer living with Plank, usually commanded in the absence of field officers. More or less troops were kept at this station through the war.

Fort Clyde was established In 1777 to protect the Freysbush settlers. It bore the name of Col. Samuel Clyde of Cherry Valley, who doubtless superintended its construction. This was not a palisaded dwelling but a fort by itself, like that at Fort Plain and Fort Willett. It was an enclosure large enough to hold huts for the accommodation of refugees and a strong block- house in the center. A signal gun was mounted as at all such posts. It was about three miles south of Fort Plain and topped a slightly knoll on what was the old Gen. George H. Nellis farm. It is believed Col. Clyde exercised a sort of paternal supervision over this fort, where part of a company of rangers or drafted militia was Stationed.

In the Palatine district similarly adjacent to Fort Plain stood Fort Paris. It was three or four miles to the northeast of Fort Plain and stood upon the summit of ground half a mile to the north of the Stone Arabia churches. It was a palisade enclosing Strong block-houses and was of a size to accommodate a garrison of 200 or 300 men. The fort was commenced in December, 1776, and completed in the Spring of 1777.

This was an important post and was usually manned by a company or two of rangers. Col. Klock and Lieut.-Col. Wagner had much to do with its immediate command. In the fall and winter of 1779 It became the headquarters of Col. Frederick Visscher, who commanded this and its adjacent military posts, including- Fort Plain. This headquarters was changed to Fort Plain in 1780-1, probably with the advent of Col. Willett to command the American forces in the valley. Fort Paris was named after Col. Isaac Paris. The post was ordered built by the Tryon County Committee of Safety, Dec. 19, 1776, and was largely erected by Capt. Christian Getman's company of rangers "under the sole direction and command of Isaac Paris, Esq.," to quote the language of the committee. It was located on what is now the Shull farm and was built of solid hewn timber and was two stories high with the upper story projecting over the lower on all sides. After it was taken down, early in the nineteenth century, its timbers were used in building structures now in existence in that section.

Besides these more important posts around Fort Plain there were numerous stockaded dwellings called forts generally named from the families who owned them. A small stockaded stone dwelling named Fort Keyser was located about a mile south of Stone Arabia.

In the present village of Canajoharie on the east side of the creek stood the stockaded stone dwelling of Philip Van Alstine. A mile or two southwest of this on the Mapletown road and a mile from the creek stood Fort Ehle. Lieut. Cornelius Van Evera and Ensign John Van Evera were on duty in and around this fort.

In the eastern part of the town of St. Johnsville stood "Fort House," named after its builder, although it was the home of Christian Klock. The house of Jacob Zimmerman was also stockaded. Both of these stockades repulsed repeated attacks of the enemy. Fort Hill, which was situated on an eminence in the western part of the town of St. Johnsville, was erected during the French war. It was repaired and used during the Revolution.

Thus before a blow had been struck, the settlers of Tryon county had realized the gravity of the situation and were prepared for defense.

After his unsuccessful attempt to arrest Sir John Johnson in May, in the summer of 1776, Col. Dayton was sent by Gen. Schuyler to look after the defenses in the Mohawk valley. He started the reconstruction of Fort Stanwix (Schuyler), which work was not entirely completed when invested by the enemy in the following year. Col. Dayton is supposed to have had official supervision of the renovation of Fort Herkimer and of the construction of Fort Dayton, which bears his name, at the site of Herkimer. It is reasonable to suppose that he supervised the erection of Fort Plain at the same time. Elias Dayton was born In Elizabethtown, New Jersey, in 1736. He joined the Colonial army during the French and Indian war. He was a member of the corps called "Jersey Blues," raised in 1759 by Edward Hart, the father of John Hart, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. With that corps Dayton fought under Wolfe at Quebec. He was one of the Committee of Safety at Elizabethtown at the beginning of the Revolution. In February, 1778, congress appointed him colonel of a New Jersey regiment, and in 1782 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. He was in several of the principal battles of the Revolution and had three horses shot under him-one at Germantown, one at Springfield and one at Crosswick Bridge. He was the first president of the Society of the Cincinnati of New Jersey, and, during the life of Washington, enjoyed the warm personal friendship of the national leader. He died at Elizabethtown in 1807, aged 72 years.

Three forts were erected in the Schoharie valley in the fall of 1777, the central being the first one built. It was known during the Revolution as the Middle Fort and, Simms says, "stood on the farm long owned by Ralph Manning, about half a mile east of north from the present Middleburgh railroad station." It was built by soldiers and citizens, the farmers drawing the material together and the soldiers doing a great part of the building. The Upper Fort was situated five miles west of south from the Middle Fort. It was begun in the fall of 1777 and completed the following summer. The Lower Fort, situated six miles north of the Middle Fort. The stone church, still standing one mile north of the court house, was enclosed within the palisades of this fortification.