Fort Venango

Fort Venango
Near Franklin, Pennsylvania, United States
Fort Venango
Former location of the Fort Venango in Pennsylvania
Coordinates 41°23′22″N 79°49′20″W / 41.38932°N 79.82217°WCoordinates: 41°23′22″N 79°49′20″W / 41.38932°N 79.82217°W
Type Fort
Site information
Controlled by United Kingdom
Site history
Built 1760
In use 1760-1763
Materials Wood
Battles/wars Pontiac's Rebellion
Designated October 10, 1972

Fort Venango was a small British fort built in 1760 near the site of present Franklin, Pennsylvania. The fort replaced Fort Machault, a French fort burned by the French in 1759 after they left the area near the end of the French and Indian War. On June 16, 1763, during Pontiac's Rebellion, the fort was captured by Seneca/Mingo warriors. The 12 to 15 soldiers of the fort were killed outright, except for the commander, Lieutenant Francis Gordon, who was forced to write a letter detailing the Indians' grievances against the British. He was then slowly tortured and roasted to death at the stake, and the fort was burnt to the ground.

The fort was named after the nearby Delaware/Munsee Indian village, Venango.

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