Fort Amanda - Below Ground Level (Blog #1)

 The first archaeological work, of any kind, ever done at the Fort Amanda site was performed in 2013 by a team from Ohio Valley Archaeology  Inc. (Columbus, Ohio) led by Dr. Jarrod Burks. While the scans did not specifically identify any major features, i.e., buildings, it did identify areas to concentrate on for any future work.  Thinking that any "future work" would probably never happen in my lifetime, little did I know at the time that, 5 years later, I would meet Greg Shipley, an amateur archaeologist from Logan County who, along with his team, may help answer many of the questions surrounding Fort Amanda that have been left unanswered for more than 211 years.  

                                                

  The "V" shaped figure remains a mystery.  It's not field tile because they are actually indentations in the ground.  Any thoughts send them to me at djohnson43@att.net

Fort Amanda Archaeology Begins

          I first met Greg Shipley, in 2018.  He along with his team "Wayne's Legion Research Group" happened to be doing archaeology work at Fort Loramie. We talked about his work there and I told him about mine at Fort Amanda.  I sent him all my field notes along with pictures of what I'd found at the site over the years.  

        In 2023, Greg contacted me and said he was interested in doing some premliminary test digs in the field adjacent to the monument area at Fort Amanda.  He approached the owner of the field, David Kreigel and asked for permission to scrape the dirt away to below below the plow zone in a specified area in his field .  David, who I might add, has the same passions for history and Fort Amanda as many of us, not only gave permission he provided the team with a bulldozer to scrape away the soil.   Greg and his team started work on Nov. 3 and found more artifacts in two days than I had in years.  

Blogging the Progress 

        I will be posting pictures of the teams findings along with Greg's notes on the team's finds.  If you're on Facebook and would like to see the level of professionalism demonstrated by Greg and his team at Fort Loramie, go to his FB Page  Greg Shipley and check it out. 

"Wayne's Legion Research Group"

 Members are Dan Rhodes, Daniel Bartleett, Doug Penhorwood, Brian Selfring, Greg Shipley, Ian McAtee, Mark Schulze, Dr. David Cox, Carl Stuard, 

Members not snown:  Chad Francis, Ken Sowards, W. B. Baughman, James Bartlett, Dan Kramer, Jim Fox and Tony Luthman, and Mark Schulze.

The Plan

Nov. 3 & 4, 2023

Shipley's notes

        Last Friday and Saturday, Nov 3rd & 4th,  Wayne's Legion Research Group conducted test excavations activity in the field west of the monument in a privately owned farm field property. After obtaining permission and support from the landowner (David Kreigel) and having studied research info and geophysical data supplied to me by David Johnson, the author of two published books about this War of 1812 Ohio fort site, we laid out an area where our group's Phase1 plans are to investigate eight connected 40'x40' grid units in the farm field that adjoins the western side of the state owned Fort Amanda park - which has never had any archaeological excavations conducted on the state's property, whatsoever. 

        As with how we conduct investigations in agriculturally disturbed farm fields, we metal detected and mapped in recovered materials: first, from the surface, then, in between each 3" horizontal layer of, already disturbed, farm field plow-zone that is dozed off. Each new surface was searched and metallic + visible non-metallic artifacts were recovered and mapped in on my data tracking. After the initial surface residue's back drag and three full shave processes, each 40'x40' unit's depths were to the bottom of old tillage layer and we began to, either, see nothing but natural soil strata or... the outlines of deeper disturbed features of the fort period. While much of the sub plow-zone strata was completely natural in appearance, we located five fire pit / trash pit features, which contained charred wood, ash, splintered animal bones (discarded remains of soldier's meals), and many fort related artifacts: musketballs, buck shots, gunflints, puddled lead and brass, forged iron nails, various button types (flat brass, tombac, and pewter), a hand made iron fork, harness buckles, etc. 

Thanks to David Kreigel for providing the bulldozer for the work.  It saved a lot of time, enery and blisters.

November 4, 2023

   

 Shipley's Notes

          A 1780 Spanish silver 1Reale coin was recovered, along with a trade silver bob ornament and cut pieces of Indian trade silver. Our GPS data, for each feature and our excavation units, allowed me to find those coordinates on Google Earth satellite imaging and apply the thumbtack points for the located fire pits (trash pits) on this post's images. Also, I photographed the artist's image of the expected layout of Ft Amanda (from Dave Johnson's book cover) and overlaid it on my Google Earth image to show proximity of the fort's location, to where we conducted our first four grid unit excavations. We'll complete the last four units of this Phase1 investigation, with our next site activity. We plan to gradually investigate the entire field area along the two sides that adjoins the park's perimeter. 

          All recovered materials are separated by unit and by the individual features they were recovered in. As I complete the cleaning, preservation, & cataloging processes, I'll be posting photos of the several hundred items that we've recovered, already. 

My thanks go out to Mr David Kriegel (property owner) for his full support and to Mr David Johnson (Ft Amanda researcher and author) for all of his shared research information. Both of these gentlemen were present and enjoyed getting to see the exposed fort period features, firsthand. Last of all, I have to thank all of my WLRG teammates and friends, who gave their time, labor, and travel expenses, freely, so that new information about another largely ignored Ohio historical site could be made public. Huzzah!

  

NOTE:  If you're wondering why the layout of the fort (dotted white lines) looks like it extends into the field northwest of the fort see my blog of July 2023 at Fort Amanda - 1812: July 2023 (fortamanda1812.blogspot.com)  

 

An Unexpected Treasure

Shipley's Notes

After Doug Penhorwood had finished dozing our Fort Amanda site excavation area back in and our group members had handworked everything, nice and level, we did some field surface metal detecting in areas I'll want to excavate, next year. One very good detector signal ended up being this 1780 Spanish silver 1Reale coin, which I dug from only six inches of depth in the disturbed plow-zone layer of this farm field. Both sides of this 243 year old coin exhibit scars from being churned around by agricultural tillage activities but it is always a thrill to find a coin, from Spain's colonial period, on an Ohio historical site. This is the first fort period coin to be recovered during our Wayne's Legion Research Group activities on this War of 1812 site but, hopefully, more will come to light, during future excavations, here.

 

         

   Shipley's  Notes

For me, this wonderful hand forged 2-tine fork is the most important artifact recovery made, during our two day test dig at the Fort Amanda site (War of 1812 era), last week. This eating utensil was found in one of the undisturbed (sub plow-zone) fire pit/ trash midden features that we located and excavated in the Kriegel farm field property that borders the Ft Amanda park. 

        I've completed the cleaning and preservation processes on this blacksmith made item, along with the acorns that I discovered were in the masses of ash and charred wood that I've been carefully going through and cleaning. The meat of one acorn is still in the half shell, even. A few English soft-paste china tea cup fragments and olive glass bottle shards were mixed into splintered animal bones, along with brass and tombac buttons, a cuff-link, a gunflint, musket and rifle balls, a buck shots, cut mold sprue caps, melted lead blobs, corroded iron nails, etc. Most fascinating discoveries related to the 1812~1814 occupation of the Ohio fort site, in Auglaize County, Ohio

Findings from Nov. 3 & 4

       The story continues

Fort Amanda's Builder & 1st African-American in Auglaize County

Lt. Col. Robert Pogue

The man credited with building Fort Amanda was Lt. Col. Robert Pogue of Mayslick, Kentucky. Before we go into too much detail about the forts construction, I think it’s important we first get to know a little about Robert Pogue.

Pogue's mother Ann Kennedy had married a man named Wilson who died shortly after the birth of their daughter. Shortly thereafter she married William Pogue; Roberts father. Robert was born near Holstein River, Virginia in 1766. In 1775, he and the family moved to Boonesborough, Kentucky where they spent the winter. The Pogue family is recognized as being among the first white settlers in the state of Kentucky and Robert Pogue’s mother is credited with bringing the first spinning wheel into the state.

The following year the family moved into Fort Harrod (Harrodsburg, Kentucky). While out hunting on Sept. 24, 1778, Pogue’s father was shot 3 times by Indians and died near Danville, Kentucky. Men in the party collected his watch and rifle and gave them to 12 year old Robert. The following Spring Roberts mother married a man named Joseph Lindsay, a commissary agent who ran a store at Fort Harrod. Lindsay supplied buffalo meat and venison for General Clark’s army who at the time was stationed at Louisville, Ky. When the Indians from the North invaded Kentucky 4 years later in 1782, Joseph Lindsay borrowed Robert's rifle and joined the army. He was killed at the Battle of Blue Licks and the rifle was lost. Roberts mother had been widowed a third time. Later that same year, young Robert, now 16 years old, volunteered as a soldier in Clark's army.

On June 20th, 1791, Robert married Jane Hopkins and together they eventually had 9 children; John Hopkins, William Lindsay, Edwin Philander, Amy, Hannah Amanda, Jane Isabella, Robert (died in infancy) Robert Cunningham and Ann Eliza. Three years later (1794), 28 years old, Robert, a quartermaster with a Kentucky militia unit joined General Anthony Wayne’s army and was at the battle of Fallen Timbers on August 20th. Robert's quartermaster skills were no doubt learned from his step-father, the commissary agent at Fort Harrod. It was those skills that19 years later probably made him first choice when he was called on to build what amounted to a large commissary and supply depot on the Auglaize River, a post he named Fort Amanda.  

Now That's a Mouthful

It was during this time; Robert's mother married a 4th time, and this time to a man named McGintey. She lived out her life at Fort Harrod and is buried in the cemetery near the fort. Her full name at her death was Ann Kennedy (Wilson Pogue Lindsay McGinty). She had lost 2 husbands to disease and 2 husbands killed by Indians.

              

Making Preparations for War

By 1812, 46 year old Robert Pogue had become a very successful farmer, at one time owning as much as 90,000 acres of land on which he grew tobacco and other crops. The family homestead was located a few miles east of the town of Mayslick, Kentucky. He was a well respected businessman in the community and an active member of the Presbyterian Church where he served as a Deacon. He and his wife Jane Hopkins Pogue were living at the time on a large farm near the village of Mayslick, along with their seven children; four sons and three daughters ranging in age from 4 to 20.

As stated in the previous posting, the War of 1812 had gotten off to a very bad start and with the planned invasion of Canada abandoned, and with a fear of enemy incursions into Ohio and Kentucky, the frontier, especially in Ohio was on high alert. The call went out to the governors of Ohio and Kentucky for troops and sometime in early August, Pogue got his orders to assemble his regiment.

The Pogue household immediately began making arrangements for his absence. It was decided that their oldest son, 20 year old John would accompany his father while Pogue’s wife Jane, with the help of their 14 year old son Edwin, would manage the day to day operation of the family farm. Their eldest daughter, 11 year old Amanda would watch over the younger children; 9 year old Jane, 6 years old Robert and 4 year old Ann.

Finally by the third week of August and after weeks of preparations, Pogue’s command was ready to advance. He, his son John and servant David mounted their horses and started

The First Black Man in Auglaize County

Officers at the time were authorized to have a personal servant so Pogue selected David, a family slave to accompany him. Whether David volunteered or “was volunteered,” we will never know. What we do know is that Pogue did have an "expense account" and was reimbursed for David’s services (22 cents a day). Not a bad wage considering the average soldiers pay was about 33 cents a day.
****************************************************
Robert Pogue Lt. Col. Comm.
4th Regiment Ky. Vol. Militia
For: The pay of David, a private servant not of the line or militia from the 27th day of August, 1812 to the 18th March 1813, being 6 months and twenty three days at $6.66 per month. ($44.90).
I certify on honor that the above account is accurate and just, and that I employed and kept in service, a servant not of the line of the army or militia for the term above charged, and that I didn’t during the time herein charge, keep or employ as a waiter or servant any soldier from the line of the army or militia
Robert Pogue, Comm. 4th Rgt. Ky M. Vol.

Flemingsburg Kentucky, August 24, 1813. Received of Lt. George Botts pay muster to the 4th regiment Ky. Vol. Militia forty four dollars ninety cents in full payment of the above account for the services of my private servant Davey. Having signed triplicates.
Robert Pogue. 

Anecdotal evidence suggests he is buried along with other family slaves in the Pogue family plot.

The Rendezvous

Finally after weeks of preparations Pogue and his command of 753 troops of the 4th Kentucky Mounted Militia regiment began their trek toward Newport, Ky. Pogue’s regiment consisted of eleven companies made up of thirty-five officers, 763 men, and ten Waggoner’s. The total number of men in Pogue’s 4th regiment varied throughout the war as men died, were killed, deserted, became too ill to serve, or men whose family hardships demanded they be excused from duty. The regiment along with Barbee’s and Jennings arrived in Newport on August 24, where they first heard the news of Hulls surrender at Detroit.

Pogue's Command	Officers	Men
Lt. Col. Pogue, Robert (Staff)	2	9
Capt. Simon R. Baker	3	41
Capt. Joseph Belt	3	75
Capt. William Brown	3	80
Capt.  Clemmons	3	59
Capt. John Dowden	3	98
Capt. Washington Kennedy	3	63
Capt. John McKee	3	79
Capt. George Matthews*	3	56
Capt. Whitehead	3	37
Capt. McGuire	3	57
Capt. Thompson Ward*	3	64
Waggoner’s (teamsters)		10
Totals (officers & men)	35	728
Totals – All  (as of 9/18/1812)	763

On August 27^th, the Kentuckians crossed the Ohio River and entered Cincinnati.

Walking Across the Ohio River

Crossing the Ohio River from Newport, Kentucky to Cincinnati was not a difficult task in 1812 as the water at that point was less than a foot deep most of the year. In fact at certain times of the year a man could actually walk from Newport to Cincinnati, or if he was on horseback he could easily make the trip without getting has trousers wet. Once across the river Pogue’s men set up camp near the courthouse where they remained a few days while final arrangements with contractors, etc were made to insure a reliable supply chain as they advanced north.

Note: The courthouse in 1812 was located at the southeast corner of 5th and Main sts. near Fountain Square in Cincinnati.