Fort Wayne in modern Fort Wayne, Indiana, was established by Captain Jean François Hamtramck under orders from General "Mad" Anthony Wayne as part of the campaign against the Indians of the area. It was named after General Wayne, who was victorious at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Wayne may have chosen the name himself—the fort was dedicated the day after he left it. The fort was officially occupied by the army on October 21, 1794. The fort was a basic stockade with few buildings, and was located near the present intersection of Berry and Clay streets.
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Fort Wayne was the successor of several previous military outposts at the location. Jean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes built the first fortified trading post on the site in 1704.[1]
Fort Miami, originally called Fort St. Philippe or Fort des Miamis, was built in 1715 at Kekionga, a large Miami village founded where the St. Joseph River and St. Marys River merge to form the Maumee River. The Miami refused to abandon their village and move farther West, away from British traders,[2] so Governor Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil authorized Jean Baptiste Bissot to build a strong fort to protect the trade routes of New France.
The original fort served as a successful trading post until 1747, when English-allied Huron warriors under Chief Nicholas found it undermanned—the commandant, Ensign Douville, and most of the soldiers were away at Fort Detroit. The fort was sacked and burned to the ground.[3]
In Summer 1749, a force of French and Indians under Captain Pierre Blainville rebuilt the fort. This second fort survived the French and Indian War, but it was attacked in 1752, and two soldiers from the French garrison were caught outside the fort and killed.[4] In November 1760, at the close of the French and Indian War, the French garrison formally surrendered Fort Miami to Ensign Holmes of the Kingdom of Great Britain.[4] The British soon lost control of the fort in 1763, during Pontiac's Rebellion, and the fort was destroyed by the Indians.
The British refortified the town, and the trading post again became successful. It was sacked in 1780 by a force under Augustin de La Balme, a French cavalry officer who came to the new United States of America to assist with the American Revolutionary War. The force raided the stores, but was soon destroyed by Miami Chief Little Turtle, and the goods were returned.[5] The coalition at Kekionga remained true to their British allies even after the area was ceded to the United States at the close of the war. It therefore became a target of American armies, leading to several noteworthy Indian victories now known as the Northwest Indian War. One such battle, Hardin's Defeat (1790), occurred within sight of the fort. The Northwest Indian War ended with the Battle of Fallen Timbers, where General Anthony Wayne finally achieved an American victory.
Wayne's Legion arrived at Kekionga on 17 September 1794, and Wayne personally selected the site for the new U.S. fort.[6] Wayne wanted a strong fort built, capable of withstanding not only an Indian uprising, but a possible attack by the British from Fort Detroit. The fort was finished by 17 October, and was capable of withstanding 24-pound cannons.[7] It was named Fort Wayne and placed under command of Major Jean François Hamtramck, who had been commandant of Fort Knox in Vincennes. The fort was officially dedicated 22 October[7] (the fourth anniversary of Harmar's Defeat), and the day is considered the founding of the modern city of Fort Wayne.[5]
The garrison at Fort Wayne normally consisted of about 100 men and their families.[8] In 1796, the garrison was ordered to march down the Maumee River to counteract a British demonstration. The force received the transfer of Fort Maumee from the British before Colonel Hamtramck was transferred to Fort Detroit - later the site of another Fort Wayne, and near the future town of Hamtramck, Michigan. Colonel David Strong, a veteran of the American Revolution and Wayne's Legion, succeeded him as commandant of Fort Wayne for two years,[9] before transferring commands with Colonel Hamtramck in 1798.
Colonel Thomas Hunt—a veteran of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, and Wayne's Legion—took command of the fort on 16 May 1798,[10] and built a substantial new fort several hundred yards north of the original, near the modern city's Old Fort Park. The new fort contained multiple guard houses and Indian "factories" (trading posts). The first fort was demolished about 1800.
During the War of 1812, Fort Dearborn (in present Chicago) was evacuated and the residents tried to reach Fort Wayne, but were massacred before they arrived. Fort Wayne was next besieged by the Indian forces of Tecumseh during the Siege of Fort Wayne.[11] Captain James Rhea was in charge of the fort and considered surrendering the fort, but his two lieutenants relieved him of duty. General William Henry Harrison arrived on September 12, 1812 (which coincidentally was his birthday) and broke the siege. Captain Rhea was formally relieved of duty and one of the lieutenants, named Ostrander, was given official command of the fort.
After the war, a town began growing around the fort. A third fort was built in 1816 by Major John Whistler. The fort was officially abandoned on April 19, 1819, and its contents shipped to Fort Detroit.
| Colonel John Hamtramck | 1794–1796 | Took command of Fort Lernoult with First American Regiment |
| Colonel David Strong | 1796–1798 | Transferred with Second American Regiment to Fort Lernoult |
| Colonel John Hamtramck | 1798 | Transferred back to Fort Lernoult. His son, John Francis Hamtramck, was born in Fort Wayne during this year, and is sometimes considered the first U.S. citizen born in Fort Wayne.[10] |
| Colonel Thomas Hunt | 1798–1802 | Built new fort in 1800 |
| Captain Thomas Pasteur | 1802 | Former commandant of Fort Knox and Fort Massac. |
| Colonel Henry Burbeck | 1803 | |
| Major Zebulon Pike | 1803 | Father of explorer.[12] |
| Captain John Whipple | 1803–1807 | In command during Quaker Agriculture missions to the Miami.[12] |
| Captain Nathan Heald | 1807–1810 | Married Rebeckah Wells, niece of William Wells. Transferred to Fort Dearborn (Illinois) |
| Captain James Rhea | 1810–1812 | Commander during the Siege of Fort Wayne |
| Lieutenant Ostrander | 1812 | Relieved Capt. Rhea of command during the Siege of Fort Wayne
Later arrested by Capt Moore, and died 13 July 1813, while in captivity.[13] |
| Captain Hugh Moore | 1812–1813 | |
| Major Joseph Jenkinson | 1813[14] | Assumed command after commanding flotilla of supply boats to Fort Wayne.[15] |
| Major John Whistler | 1814–1817 | Was a British soldier at the Battles of Saratoga. Had been with Wayne's legion and helped build original Fort Wayne. Also built first Fort Dearborn, where he served as the first commandant.[14] Built third Fort Wayne in 1815.[16] Transferred to St. Louis. |
| Lieutenant Daniel Curtis | 1817 | Was at Siege of Fort Wayne. Served 3 months as temporary commandant.[17] |
| Major Josiah N. Vose | 1817–1819 | Last commandant of Fort Wayne. Garrison abandoned fort 19 April 1819.[18] |