Where the First French Fort Stood in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
| WHERE THE FIRST FRENCH FORT STOOD IN FT. WAYNE, INDIANA FIRST CONSTRUCTED AS EARLY AS 1680
Bonne
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| On the 20th, the canoes were burned and the expedition departed overland for the post on the site of Fort Wayne, "each one carrying his provisions and baggage," writes Celeron, "except the officers, for whom I had procured horses and bearers." This strange expedition, as it approached the site of Fort Wayne was formed into four companies, each with an officer at the right and left. "On the 25th," says Celeron in his journal, "I arrived at M.de Raimond's who commands at Kiskakon, staying there only as long as it was necessary to buy provisions and canoes to convey me to Detroit. ' ' A more appreciable reference comes from the journal of the Reverend Father Jean de Bonnecamps. Describing first the march along the banks of the St. Mary's, wherein they "found large crabs in abundance," the priest's story continues with the account of the arrival here. He wrote : "The fort of the Miamis was in a very bad condition when we reached it. Most of the palisades were decayed and fallen into ruin. There were eight houses, or, to speak more correctly, eight miserable huts which only the desire of making money could render endurable. The French their number twenty-two; all of them, including the commandant, had the fever. Monsieur Raimond did not approve the situation of the fort and maintained that it should be placed on the bank of the St. Joseph a scant league from the present site. He wished to show me the spot, but the hindrances of our departure prevented me from going hither. All I could do for him was to trace the plan for his new fort. The latitude of the old one is 41 degrees, 29 minutes. This decaying fort stood on the right bank of the St. Mary's river in the bend of the stream a short distance north of the present Nickel Plate railroad bridges. |
