FORT FREDERICK (Near Big Pool, MD)

Library of Congress Photo

MD Historic Trust Description

Description: Built in 1756-57, Fort Frederick is a huge stone quadrangle with a bastion projecting from each corner. The curtain walls are three feet thick at the base, rise to a height of 17 1/2 feet, and are about 179 feet long. The throat of each corner bastion is about 41 feet wide, two faces are 31 feet long and the other two are each 89 feet in length. Bastion walls are 4 feet thick and each bastion was originally filled in with earth on its interior to within 4 1/2 feet of their height, so that cannon could be mounted there and infantry could also fire over the top of the bastion walls. Only the northwest bastion is now filled with earth in this manner, so restored to illustrate the original condition of the other 3 now empty bastions. The main gate, 10 1/2 feet wide, is located in the center of the south curtain. A short distance to the west, or left, of the gate is the hole that was knocked in the wall in 1861 so that a cannon could be utilized in the defense of the main gate. Inside, the stone foundations of three log barracks have been uncovered and stabilized. On the east and west sides stood two 2-story log barracks for the troops, each about 117 feet long and 18 feet wide and on the north wall, centered directly opposite the main gate, stood the third two-story log barracks, the officers' quarters, about 96 feet long and 28 feet deep. To the right of the officers' quarters, near the northeast bastion, is the reconstructed well. These barracks were designed for a garrison of 200 but could hold 400 men if needed. A very large portion of the fort's walls are still original. These sections have been stabilized and then the missing portions reconstructed to their original 17 1/2 foot heights over the original bases.

Significance: Fort Frederick is the largest and best-preserved architectural example in the Southern Colonies of an 18th century fortress erected for frontier defense against the Indians. Built in 1756-57 as a defense against French and Indian attack, Fort Frederick was also utilized as a military prison during the Revolutionary War and again garrisoned during the Civil War. The fort, however, was never actually attacked during its long history. After extensive archeological and historical research by the National Park Service, the original plans of the fort were located. In the 1930s the outside stone walls were restored and reconstructed to their original height and a part of the interior restored with the aid of the Civilian Conservation Corps. (Source)

Early Maryland Legislative Background

Wednesday Morning, 3d March, 1756. (Volume 52, Page 316)
The Order of the Day being read ;

In pursuance of the Resolve of Yesterday, the House Resolved into a Committee of the whole House, to consider the Ways and Means to raise a Sum of Money towards his Majesty's Service.
Mr Lloyd, Chairman of the Committee of the whole House, reported to M.r Speaker, That the Committee had proceeded to take into Consideration the Matter referred to them by the Honourable House, and came to the following Resolutions, and desired him to report the same to the house, viz.

- That there be a Fort constructed and four Block-Houses on the Western Frontier of this Province.
- That 200 Men be employed to Garrison the Fort and Block-Houses.
- Bounty of Three Pieces of Eight, or Twenty-two Shillings and Six Pence, paid to each Man that shall voluntarily offer, be accepted, and shall attend the Service. That the Sum of £11,000 be raised for the Purposes aforesaid, and for Such Expenses as may necessarily accrue thereon.

March 22, 1756 (Volume 52, Page 480)
An Act for granting a Supply of Forty Thousand Pounds for his Majesty's Service, and striking Thirty Four Thousand and Fifteen Pounds Six Shillings thereof, in Bills of Credit, and raising a Fund for sinking the same.

Whereas it is thought needful to raise large Supplies for his Majesty's Service, towards securing and protecting the Frontier of this Province, and engaging the Friendship and Assistance of the Southern Tribes of Indians, and for repelling and removing his Majesty's ambitious and perfidious Enemies from their unjust Encroachments on these his Dominions; we, the Representatives of the Freemen of the Province of Maryland, being desirous of demonstrating our unshaken Loyalty to our most gracious Sovereign, do pray that it may be enacted:

(Section of Act Relating to Construction of the Fort - Volume 52, Page 487)
And be it Enacted, That the said Sum of Forty Thousand Pounds be laid out and applied in Manner following, that is to say, in building and constructing one Fort, and any Number not exceeding four Block-Houses, on the Western Frontiers of this Province, accommodating and paying Workmen employed therein, in paying, arming and victualling, in Bounty-Money for enlisting, clothing common Soldiers, transporting and conveying any Number not exceeding Two Hundred Men (Officers included), that shall be kept in Garrison in the same, and all other Necessaries for the Support and Maintenance of the said Garrison, such Sum or Sums of Money as shall be necessary; not exceeding Eleven Thousand Pounds, including the Commissions of the Agents herein after appointed; and whereas it has been necessary, during this present Session of Assembly, for the immediate Defence of the Western Frontier of this Province, to draw out of the Loan-Office, the Sum of Seven Hundred and Fifty Pounds, by two different Ordinances ;

May 14, 1756 (Volume 52, Page 281)
We Submit to your Consideration the following Propositions hoping and as it is not yet too late that if all or any of the Propositions meet with your approbation you will not be averse to such a Correction of the Bill as might Render it more perfect and make it Answer better than it may do in its present form the good Ends for which it was designed and framed:

1st - Tho a Fort on the North Mountain will be very proper and necessary yet such a Fort alone Garrisoned with only 200 Men will not effectually Secure and protect the Inhabitants because the North Mountain is so near the Settlements on Conococheage that parties of Indians may easily pass the Fort come down destroy the Inhabitants and retire again beyond the Fort in a few hours without being observed or before an alarm can be given: but if beside such Fort another Strong one was to be raised on the Eminence at the Conflux of the North and South Branches of Potowmack and a Block house or small Fort between that and the North Mountain and a Body of three hundred men Supported to Garrison them and Patrol or Range on the frontiers it would be very difficult for the Enemy to make any Incursions and destroy the Inhabitants without being discovered by such Patroling or Ranging Parties, and in Case they should Venture down yet as soon as they should do any Mischief an Alarm would be given and detachments from the Western Forts timely apprized thereof and ordered to dispose of themselves in the best manner to cut of the Enemys retreat most of the three hundred men would be ready to Join and Act in Conjunction with the Troops of the Neighbouring Colonies on Occasion or would be able of themselves to March into the Enemys Country and Annoy them in their Towns or hunting grounds and as the Constructing or Garrisoning such Forts to the Westward of the North Mountain would also Contribute much to the Safety of the Neighbouring Provinces and is no more than is necessary to be done before any Expedition be undertaken or carried on to the Westward the expense thereof might be defrayed out of the Sum proposed to be granted for his Majesty's Service and which the Bill directs to be paid to the Commander in Chief that is or may be appointed to carry on such Expedition. A Fort at the Mouth of the South Branch would Secure a large Tract of Adjacent fine Pasture Land the Advantages of which to Troops employed on an Expedition to the Westward are too obvious to mention it would also Serve as a Place of Arms and Magazine for the Forces that may be engaged in such Service it being almost as far up as Potowmack is Navigable for small Craft and Fort Cumberland being very improper for such purposes on Account of its Situation which will always prevent its being a place of Strength or even made Tenable and moreover by our building such Forts and keeping up such a Number of men for them the Inhabitants who live and have fine Settlements beyond the North Mountain would be encouraged to remain on their respective Plantations instead of deserting them as they must otherwise do and be reduced from affluent or easy Circumstances to a State of dependance or want.

September 10, 1756 (Volume 52, Page 617)
Fort Frederick September the 10th 1756.
Sir,
Yours of the 6th Capt. Dagworthy has received and thro' his Illness Requested me to acquaint you, that the Return of Ammunition was by mistake Omitted but is Since Inclosed and Sent Express by the post, the Gorges of the Bastions, will be Inclosed with the utmost Expedition the Curtain Lines is carry'd on as follows, the North West with Timber Seven feet and an half high, the North East with Timber Six feet high, the South west with Stone one half Seven and an half feet high the other part four and an half feet high, the South East five feet high to the Gate, and half way from the Gate Eastward the Same heighth. As to the Information's of Some Indians coming into the Fort is Groundless, believe there was some about us by two Tracts that were seen, the Capt. desires you'll be so good as let him know who Reported the Information of the Indians coming into the Fort.

Have this Day Engaged Some more Carpenters and expect some Masons from Lancaster on Monday next, and is now about getting the Stockades have about thirty thousand Bricks Moulded, which is all at present from your.
Most Obedient Humble Servant
Alex Beall

the South East Curtain is now carried to the End the Timbers are ready for the Officers Barracks. Sept. 24th on Motion That an Address be prepared and Sent to his Excellency in answer to his Message of this day.

Sept. 14, 1756 (Volume 52, Page 654)
Two Thousand Four Hundred Pounds, out of the said Sum of Twenty-five Thousand Pounds, be applied towards Compleating the Fort, now Erecting on the Frontier, called Fort-Frederick, and for the Payment and Subsistence of the Men already raised to Garrison the said Fort.

September 21, 1756 (Volume 52, Preface 32)
In reply to the inquiry of the Lower House as to the status of the new fortifications recently authorized by the Assembly, the Governor sent a message dated September 25th, submitted plans of Fort Frederick, and communicated a letter from Capt. Alexander Beall giving details of its construction; and the Governor estimated that the fort which was to be constructed on the North Mountain would cost at least £5,000. He reported that he had ordered one hundred of the Prince George's County militia under Col. Joseph Belt and one hundred Baltimore County militia under Col. John Hall and Capt. Tobias Stansbury to be sent to Frederick County as rangers for the defence of the Conococheague settlements, and added that the Prince George's men were all volunteers, but that it was necessary to draft some of the Baltimore County men as they were unwilling to leave their homes because of fear for the safety of their own county. The Lower House thereupon resolved, September 8th, that £2400 be used towards completing Fort Frederick and maintaining the garrison; and on September 29th, that one hundred additional men be sent to garrison Fort Frederick, and on the 3Oth, that one hundred other rangers be enlisted to replace the two hundred Prince George's and Baltimore County men when their terms of enlistment should expire.

September 24, 1756 (Volume 52, Page 610)
To his Excellency Horatio Sharpe, Esq; Governor and Commander in Chief in and over the Province of Maryland.
The humble Address of the House of Delegates.
May it please your Excellency,
As we find by Examination of the Accounts of the Agents, appointed, by an Act of Assembly, entitled, An Act for granting a Supply of Forty Thousand Pounds for his Majesty's Service, and striking Thirty-four Thousand and Fifteen Pounds Six Shillings thereof in Bills of Credit, and raising a Fund for sinking the same, that a very considerable Part of the Eleven Thousand Pounds, by that Act appropriated to the Building and Erecting One Fort, and any Number, not exceeding Four Block-Houses, on the Western Frontiers of this Province, &c. has been already expended; and as we understand your Excellency has been pleased to undertake the Direction of the Building and Constructing thereof, we humbly request you will be pleased to inform us in what Forwardness that Fort and those Block-Houses are, and what are the Dimensions of them :

And that your Excellency will now be pleased to communicate to us whatever you think necessary to be recommended to our Consideration at this Meeting, particularly relative to the Defence and Security of our Western Frontier, that we may proceed with all possible Dispatch in Framing a Bill now before us, for his Majesty's Service in general, and that important End in particular.

September 24, 1756 (Volume 52, Page 613)
To Fort Frederick, Nineteen new fire Lock, Bayonets, Cartouch boxes and Slings fifteen new Carbines, five old Ditto, twelve Carbine bayonets, nine Slings, fifteen Case of Pistols, one box of flints, eight half Barrels of Gunpowder, Six hundred and Sixteen weight of Musket Ball, two hundred and fifty five pounds of Swan Shot Two hundred Sixty eight pounds of Carbine ball, four bright hilted Small Swords, Sixty eight pounds of Swan Shot,
To Fort Frederick, Thirty new Muskets, thirty Buff Slings, thirty Cartouch boxes Ten old long Muskets ten Bayonets, Ten Cartouch boxes, twenty Carbine Buckets, one Drum,
To Fort Frederick one Chest of Bar Lead, weight Six Hundred and fifty Seven pounds, two bags of Musket Ball weight one Hundred and forty one pounds, and four half Barrells of Gunpowder.

September 25, 1756 (Volume 52, Page 615)
The Governor communicated to M.r Speaker the following Message, viz.

Gentlemen of the Lower House of Assembly,
In Compliance with your Request, I send you a Plan of Fort-Frederick, and a Letter from Capt. Beall, whence you may learn what are the Dimensions of that Fort, and what Forwardness it is in. There are several Block Houses or Stoccado Forts built on and near the North-Mountain, particularly on the Plantations of Evan Shelby, Issac Baker, Alien Killough, and Thomas Mills: They were raised before I went to the Frontiers; neither can I give you the Dimensions or a particular Description of them. I apprehend such a Fort as I have directed to be constructed on the North-Mountain, will not be compleated for less than £5000. From the Agents Accounts you may learn how much has been already expended thereon, and the Plan and Letter abovementioned will shew you what Work remains yet to be executed. By the Agents Accounts you will, I presume, also find, that I have drawn on them for a Sum of Money towards defraying the Expense of the Troops that were, with your Approbation, raised and supported for the Protection of the Frontier Inhabitants last Spring, while you were Framing a Bill for his Majesty's Service, and making Provision for their better Security: Some Muster-Rolls and Accounts herewith sent, will shew you how that Money has been expended [see Appendix, pages 674-5].

December 15, 1757 (Volume 55, Page 359)
Near the Sum of £6000 has been expended in purchasing the Ground belonging to and constructing Fort Frederick; and tho' we have not any exact Information what Sum may still be wanting to compleat it, (if ever it shall be thought proper to be done) yet we are afraid the Sum requisite for that Purpose, must be considerable, and we are apprehensive that Fort is so large, that in Case of an Attack, it cannot be defended without a Number of Men larger than this Province can support, purely to maintain a Fortification. We have raised and supported on our Frontier, at a vast Expense, a Number of Men considerably more than sufficient, we humbly apprehend, for our Immediate Defence and Security, had they done the Duty to which they were destined by Law; and yet our Militia has been great Part of the Time out on that Service.

* * * * * * *

Nov. 1790 Session (Volume 204, Page 538)
RESOLVED, That the governor and council be and they are hereby empowered to appoint an agent to sell and convey the right of this state to one hundred acres of land at Fort Frederick, in Washington county, for specie, payable in three equal annual payments, and the money arising from the said sale be and is hereby appropriated as a further fund, in the hands of the treasurer of the western shore, to discharge the orders of the president and commissioners aforesaid, in the proportion and for the use aforesaid.