Remarks on the Dedication of the Restored Fort Washington Monument

Home , Fort Washington (Ohio), Israel Ludlow, John Cleves Symmes, Northwest Territory

by ARTHUR G. KING, M. D.

On Memorial Day, May 30, 1963, in an impressive ceremony at the site, the restored Fort Washington Monument was dedicated. The original monument had stood at Third and Ludlow Streets since 1901, but was dismantled in the 1950's when the Third Street Distributor was constructed. The new monument contains a revised inscription and a corrected map; on the map of the old monument, the location of the Fort was in error. We take pride in the fact that our Society has been vitally instru- mental in the planning and completion of the new monument. Moreover,

HPSO Collection Unveiling of the Fort Washington Monument June 14, 1901 Dedication of the Restored Fort Washington Monument 203 the main address for the dedicatory ceremony was presented by Arthur G. King, M.D., the most knowledgeable authority on Fort Washington, who represented the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio. We take pleasure in presenting Dr. King's remarks. Memorial Day is a particularly appropriate time for the rededication of this monument to Fort Washington; first, to recall that Cin- cinnati is where it is because of Fort Washington; and second, in

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Courtesy Cincinnati Enquirer Dr. Arthur G. King delivering main address at dedication of restored Fort Washington Monument—May 30, 1963 204 The Bulletin

memory of the many members of its garrison who died in the Indian Wars defending our city in its infancy. In 1788 John Cleves Symmes envisioned the entire Ohio River front from the Little Miami to the Great Miami occupied by settlements, of which the most important would be North Bend, where he later set up his headquarters. But the Indians resented this inva- sion of their property and defended their hunting grounds by attack- ing the settlers. Symmes therefore called on the federal government for help, specifically troops and a fort at the junction of the Ohio River and the Great Miami. The request for troops was granted, but the site of the fort was left to the discretion of General Harmar, then at Marietta, the furthermost western point of American military power along the Ohio River, except for a small outpost at Louisville. The commander of the advance detail, a Captain David Strong, made a careful reconnaissance of Columbia, which had been settled by Benjamin Stites; Losantiville, settled by Israel Ludlow, Matthias Denman and Robert Patterson; the small collection of huts at South Bend (just west of Anderson's Ferry); and North Bend, which was to have been called "Symmes City." He recommended Losantiville for a number of reasons. The high bank, out of reach of the floods, was close enough to the river to control all traffic on it. It commanded the valley of the Licking River, which was the main route to the Kentucky settlements. The valleys of Mill Creek and Deer Creek afforded the easiest approach to the country north of the Ohio River. The site was more central than the others and could offer fast help to the villages and farms on both Miami Rivers through interior lines of communication. Major John Doughty, commanding the advance party, concurred in the recommendation. He recognized Cincinnati as the center of communication. It was the intersection of the main east-west travel route along the Ohio River, the main land route south into Central Kentucky, and the logical route north into the Northwest Territory, Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. Therefore, in the fall of 1789, he built Fort Washington. On December 29 General Josiah Harmar moved from Marietta to Losantiville with his 300 troops. The entire village turned out to watch the parade from Yeatman's Cove to the newly finished fort, and a ceremony was held on Third Street, in front of the main gate. The entire population consisted of 11 families and 24 single men, fewer than 75 people. On January 4, 1790, General Arthur St. Clair, the governor of the Northwest Territory, arrived and changed the name of Losantiville to Cincinnati. Later in the year he made it the capital of the Northwest Territory. Dedication of the Restored Fort Washington Monument 205

From Fort Washington Harmar moved his troops out in the first campaign against the Indians. His route was up Broadway to Court Street, where he crossed Deer Creek, and then up the east bank of Deer Creek, along Gilbert Avenue, Florence Avenue and Montgom- ery Road to Norwood. The campaign ended in a series of defeats and in the death of many Cincinnatians. In 1791 St. Clair left Fort Washington for the second campaign, which ended in an even worse defeat and massacre. His route was out the front gate of Fort Washington, west on Third Street to Central Avenue, to Colerain Avenue to Henry's Ford over Mill Creek, to Knowlton's Corners, and out Spring Grove Avenue. This was the so-called "Military Road" which went past Carthage, Lockland and between Spring- dale and Sharonville out to Hamilton. The final, and this time suc- cessful, campaign was undertaken by Mad Anthony Wayne, who left Fort Washington in 1793 because of the great smallpox epi- demic. He followed the same route as that of St. Clair out of the city to Hamilton, to Eaton, to Greenville, and then on to his victory at Fallen Timbers outside of Toledo. Doughty's vision of the role Cincinnati would play in the succeed- ing 150 years has materialized. The redevelopment of our water- front and the revivication of our city are now beginning, so that it is fitting that we pay our respect to Fort Washington, which made all this possible. But the rededication of this monument has another significance. In paying our respects to Fort Washington, it is polite, to say the least, to know exactly where it stood. The bronze map on the monument in its former location showed the Fort straddling Third Street. This was due to an error on the part of one of the greatest Cincinnatians of our early days, Dr. Daniel Drake, and the error was perpetuated by a glib acceptance of the infallibility of tradition. Had Daniel Drake been as good a military man as he was a doctor, writer, teacher, organizer and public- spirited citizen, he would have recognized that no officer as experi- enced as the Revolutionary War veterans who built the fort would have constructed it on a slope below the crest of the hill. When exca- vations in 1952 brought to light the powder magazine of Fort Wash- ington, several members of the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio did considerable research on the origins of the fort, under the direction of the late Virginius C. Hall. Our studies proved beyond question that Fort Washington stood just south of Fourth Street and entirely north of Third Street. The bronze map on this monument shows the correct location, 300 feet northeast of here. In rededicating this monument, therefore, we are paying tribute to the sagacity of the Revolutionary War officers who foresaw the 206 The Bulletin importance of Cincinnati; to the value of scholarly research into the history of our city; and finally, to the efforts of Cincinnatians to improve our city and carry on its tradition of progress which started with the rapid construction of Fort Washington.

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A LAWYER'S PORTRAIT "A painter, the other day, in a country town, made a great mistake in a characteristic, and it was discovered by a country farmer. It was the portrait of a lawyer — an attorney who from humble pretensions had made a good deal of money, and established thereby his pretensions, but somehow or other not very much enlarged his respectability. To his pretentions was added that of having his portrait put up in the par- lour as large as life. There it is, very flashy, and true; one hand in his breast and the other in his small clothes pocket. It is market day; the country clients are called in — opinions are passed (the family present),— and all complimentary,— such as 'Never saw such a likeness in the course of my born days; as like un as he can stare.' 'Well sure enough, there he is.' But at last there was one dissentient! 'Taint like — not very — no, 'taint,' said a heavy middle-aged farmer with a rather dry look, too, about the corners of his mouth. All eyes were upon him. 'Not like! How not like?' exclaimed one of the company, and who knew the attorney — 'say where it is not like?' 'Why don't you see,' said the man, 'he has got his hand in his breeches pocket. It would be as like again if he had it in some other body's pocket!' The family portrait was removed, especially, as after this, many came on purpose to see it; the attorney was lowered a peg or two, and the farmer obtained the reputation of a connoisseur as well as a wit." Charles Cist, Cincinnati Miscellany, v. II, p. 255-256.