Fort Saint Joseph was a

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

established on land granted to the Jesuits by King Louis XIV; it was located on what is now the south side of the present-day town of

Niles, Michigan Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near the Indiana border city of South Bend. In 2010, the population was 11,600 according to the 2010 census. It is the larger, by population, of the two principal cit ...

. Père

Claude-Jean Allouez Claude Jean Allouez (June 6, 1622 – August 28, 1689) was a Jesuit missionary and French explorer of North America. He established a number of missions among the indigenous people living near Lake Superior. Biography Allouez was born in Saint ...

established the ''Mission de Saint-Joseph'' in the 1680s. Allouez ministered to the local Native Americans, who were primarily Odawa and

Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

. The French built the fort in 1691 as a trading post on the lower Saint Joseph River. It was located where one branch of the Old Sauk Trail, a major east-west Native American trail, and the north-south Grand River Trail meet; together the combined trail

ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

s the river. The fort was a significant stronghold of the fur trade at the southern end of Lake Michigan. Prior to the French and Indian War (the North American front of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (175 ...

in Europe), the post had a French garrison of 10 soldiers, a commandant, blacksmith, Catholic priest, interpreter, and 15 additional households. Following their victory in the war, the British took over the fort and maintained it for the fur trade. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, they used it to supply their American Indian allies against the rebellious Continentals. The Spanish raided the fort in 1781 and briefly claimed it and the St. Joseph River as their territory. The British maintained the fort until after the United States victory in the Northwest Indian War and the signing of

Jay's Treaty The Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, Between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America, commonly known as the Jay Treaty, and also as Jay's Treaty, was a 1794 treaty between the United States and Great Britain that averted ...

in 1795. This settled the northern border. After the British abandoned the fort, it fell into ruin and was overtaken by forest. The fort site was not rediscovered until 1998. An archeology excavation has been underway since 2002. Among the rare artifacts discovered is an intact Jesuit religious medallion from the 1730s, one of only two found in North America. In December 2010, the team revealed a foundation wall and corner posts of one of the original buildings. The site is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

and is a state-registered site as well.

French and Indian War

During the

Battle of Jumonville Glen The Battle of Jumonville Glen, also known as the Jumonville affair, was the opening battle of the French and Indian War, fought on May 28, 1754, near present-day Hopwood and Uniontown in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. A company of provincial ...

, considered the first battle of the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

in North America,

Joseph Coulon de Jumonville Joseph Coulon de Villiers, Sieur de Jumonville (September 8, 1718 – May 28, 1754) was a French Canadian military officer. His defeat and killing at the Battle of Jumonville Glen by forces led by George Washington was one of the sparks that ignit ...

was killed by Native Americans. He was the son of Nicolas-Antoine Coulon de Villiers and the half-brother of Captain

Louis Coulon de Villiers Louis Coulon, Sieur de Villiers (17 August 1710 – 2 November 1757) was a French military officer who served during the French and Indian War. Perhaps his greatest claim to fame is the fact that he is the only military opponent to force Geor ...

, who was stationed at Fort St. Joseph and vowed revenge for his brother's death. After

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

defeated France in the

, the French transferred the fort to British forces, who occupied it in October 1761.

Pontiac's War

On May 25, 1763, during

Pontiac's War Pontiac's War (also known as Pontiac's Conspiracy or Pontiac's Rebellion) was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of Native Americans dissatisfied with British rule in the Great Lakes region following the French and Indian War (1754–176 ...

, the fort, manned by 14 soldiers from the

60th Regiment of Foot 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

, was captured by Potawatomi warriors. They killed most of the garrison outright, and took the commander, Ensign Francis Schlosser, captive along with three other soldiers. The Potawatomi took them to

Fort Detroit Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Detroit (1701–1796) was a fort established on the north bank of the Detroit River by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and the Italian Alphonse de Tonty in 1701. In the 18th century, Fre ...

to be ransomed as prisoners of war, as was common practice for high-ranking military personnel. After the conflict, the British maintained the fort as a trading post, but did not garrison it again until 1779, during the American Revolutionary War.

American Revolutionary War

Raid of 1780

During the

, pro-British traders used Fort St. Joseph to equip the

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

, Potawatomi, and other British-allied Native Americans. In 1780, a Patriot force from Cahokia, Illinois, led by Jean-Baptiste Hamelin and

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

Thomas Brady, raided the fort, plundering its content and capturing several traders.

Detroit Militia Detroit ( , ; , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the Canada–United States border, United States–Canada border, and the County seat, seat of gov ...

officer Antoine Dagneaux de Quindre, an officer in British service, led forces after the raiding party; he overtook and defeated them near the Petit Fort.

Spanish Expedition of 1781

After the defeat of Hamelin's party, two

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

chiefs, ''El Heturnò'' and ''Naquiguen'', traveled to

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

-held

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

; they arrived on 26 December 1780, to report the failed raid. They asked for assistance to raid the fort again. Don Francisco Cruzat, Commandant of St. Louis, dispatched the militia Captain Don Eugenio Pouré with 60 volunteers and Native allies. The force also included Ensign Charles Tayon and the interpreter Louis Chevalier. The Spanish and Native force travelled via the Illinois River and Kankakee River to modern Dunns Bridge, Indiana. There they turned northeast and marched overland to Fort St. Joseph. Before the Spanish and their allies attacked the fort, they promised the Potawatomi half the bounty if they would remain neutral. Captain Pouré took Fort St. Joseph by surprise on 12 February 1781 by racing across the frozen river and taking the fort before the defenders, who consisted solely of a ''Canadien'' trader named Duquier and several of his employees, could go to arms. He had the Spanish colors raised and claimed Fort St. Joseph and the St. Joseph River for Spain. His troops plundered the fort for one day, distributing the goods among natives before departing. Lt. Dagneau de Quindre arrived the next day, but was unable to persuade his native allies to pursue the raiders. The Spanish returned to St. Louis on 6 March without incident. Pouré delivered the British flag to Cruzat. Some historians have described the attack as Spanish retaliation for the attack on St. Louis in the previous year. When Cruzat wrote about it to Governor Gálvez, he justified the raid as needing to appear strong to his Native allies, and to forestall British actions in the region. Although Cruzat treated the raid as an act of Indian affairs, the looting and destruction of goods held at Fort St. Joseph also dissuaded a second British attack into Spanish territory.

Jay's Treaty

The British finally abandoned the fort after the United States victory in the Northwest Indian War and the signing of

in 1795. The fort gradually fell into ruin and was overgrown. Based on its Fort St. Joseph expedition, Spain claimed lands east of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

, but this was not recognized by the United States. With the signing of

Pinckney's Treaty Pinckney's Treaty, also known as the Treaty of San Lorenzo or the Treaty of Madrid, was signed on October 27, 1795 by the United States and Spain. It defined the border between the United States and Spanish Florida, and guaranteed the United S ...

(1795) with the US, Spain gave up any claim of land east of the Mississippi.Skaggs, 209 Because of the long dispute over the land, the diplomats

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

and

John Jay John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, patriot, diplomat, abolitionist, signatory of the Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served as the second governor of New York and the f ...

considered the Spanish campaign at Fort St. Joseph to have been little more than a ploy to claim the Northwest Territory. Franklin warned they want to "shut us up within the Appalachian Mountains."

Rediscovery to present

Pothunters in the late 1800s recovered hundreds of artifacts from the fort site, which are now displayed in the Fort St. Joseph Museum in Niles. They include "trade silver, musket parts, glass beads, buttons, gunflints, knife blades, and door hinges." The specific location of the 15-acre fort site was forgotten, and part of it is likely underwater since a dam downriver raised the water level. The site was not rediscovered until an archeological survey in 1998.Lou Mumford, "Fort St. Joseph believed located"
''South Bend Tribune,'' November 6, 1998 Support the Fort, a local interest group founded in 1992, has helped sponsor a major archeological excavation on site, which began in 2002. The team from

Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...

(WMU) has conducted a public archeology program as the project has developed. A total of 10,000 visitors have attended the annual two-day field school. WMU's related activities have included workshops for graduate students and volunteers, three week-long training programs for middle school and high school teachers, and community outreach, including biweekly lectures at the library. The seasonal excavations have uncovered rare artifacts, such as a 1730s Jesuit religious medallion, one of only two found in North America. In December 2010 the team made a critical find of a foundation wall and two wooden posts of one of the buildings, helping establish its scale. "Critical find at Fort St. Joseph"
''Archeology News Network'', source ''Niles Daily Star'', 5 December 2010, accessed 11 August 2011 Support the Fort has arranged related annual living history exhibits and re-enactments, featuring elements of Potowatomi, French, British and American life at the fort and in the region. In the future, they intend to construct a replica of the fort. It will include space to interpret the artifacts found through controlled excavation. This was the only fort in Michigan to have been under the flags of four nations: France, Great Britain, Spain, and the United States. It was always a multicultural site, a meeting and trading place for the ethnic Europeans with the

Potowatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a me ...

, Ottawa and

nations. It was sometimes the scene for formal marriages among the ethnicities.Nassaney, 29

References

Sources

* *
Nassaney, Dr. Michael S., Dr. Jose Antonio Brandao, Dr. William M. Cremins, and Brock A. Giordano, ''et al.'', "Archeological Evidence of Economic Activities at an Eighteenth-Century Frontier Outpost in the Western Great Lakes"
''Historical Archeology'', 2007. 41(4):3-19, reproduced in part at Support The Fort Website * *

External links

{{Commons category, Fort St. Joseph (Niles, Michigan)
"Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project"
Official Website, Western Michigan University *
Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project blog

(City of Niles)
SupportTheFort.net
dedicated to Fort St. Joseph research, reenactment, and education.
Support the Fort!
(Michigan Archaeological Society)
Pre-1835 Chicago History

Daniel McCoy, ''Old Fort St. Joseph; or, Michigan under four flags''
Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., 1907 St. Joseph St. Joseph (Niles) French-American culture in Michigan St. Joseph Michigan in the American Revolution Pontiac's War Michigan State Historic Sites Niles, Michigan Buildings and structures in Berrien County, Michigan Archaeological sites in Michigan St. Joseph 1691 establishments in New France National Register of Historic Places in Berrien County, Michigan