Wayne's Legion Research Group
On Nov. 4, 2023, a volunteer group called "Wayne's Legion Research Group", led by Greg Shipley, uncovered a 1780 Spanish silver 1 Reale coin, in the farmed field west of the Fort Amanda monument. It is the first fort period coin found at the Fort Amanda site. This raised 2 very important questions. First of all, why there be an old Spanish coin found at Fort Amanda and secondly, what would that coin have been worth in 1812?
The coin is a 1 reale and in 1780 was worth one half a quarter or 12.5 cents. 8 reals equaled 1 us dollar.
Another Way for a soldier to lose pay while on duty; die!
Privte Charles Murry, a soldier stationed at FortAmanda died on June 1, 1813, His pay record (below) shows that his last pay was for service from April 5, 1813 to June 4, 1813 was to be $16.00 but because he died 3 days before the end of the pay period, his pay was docked 77 cents.
During the war it was customary for soldiers to send some of their pay home to their families. In fact, in May 1813, Schillinger's journal entry tells us that he was going home on leave and that Pvt. James Bailey gave him $10 to deliver to his (Bailey's) wife and Sgt. Bradbury gave him $15 to leave at his house and his (Bradbury's) wife would stop by and pick it up.
If someone dropped it, why couldn't they find it?
Consider this, most of the trees surrounding Fort Amanda would have been cut down to build the stockade walls and structures within the fort. Tall grasses, bushes and shrubs that could conceal an enemy would also have also been removed giving sentries in the blockhouses a clear view of anyone approaching the fort. With most of the obstructions removed one would think it would have been easy to spot a coin on the surface. Maybe it's my frugal nature but, if I had lost half a days pay I'd probably still be looking for it.
Wait! What if the coin wasn't lost by a Ft. Amanda soldier?
Good point. We know hundreds of soldiers and contractors passed through the area during the war, however they did not camp at the fort. Soldiers going north camped on the northside of Deep Cut Road in an areas Ensign Schillinger referred to as the "commons."
What if the coin wasn't lost in 1812, but was lost years earlier?
While yes, it's possible a soldier stationed at Fort Amanda during the war could have lost the coin and yes, it's possible one of a number of soldiers and contrctors who passed by the fort during war could have lost it, but what if the coin wasn't lost during the war at all. What if someone carrying the coin passed through the area years prior to 1812 and for whatever reason lost the coin?
Possible Scenarios
Scenario 1: A soldier stationed at Fort Amanda dropped the coin.
Scenario 2: A soldier passing through the area dropped the coin and simply wasn't aware of it.
Scenario 3: What if the coin was lost by a civilian or an Indian passing through the area years before or even an IndianFort Amanda was built?
An Intriguing Possibility
What if the coin wasn' lost after all. What if the coin was in the possession of a man who was killed on the spot years before Fort Amanda was built?
In my next blog I will present details of an actual event that took place in 1794 that very well could support the above scenario.