Fort Depuy, sometimes referred to in contemporary documents as Depui's Fort, Dupui's Fort, and various other spellings, is a fortified homestead located in

Shawnee on Delaware Shawnee on Delaware is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community on the Delaware River, part of Smithfield Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, Smithfield Township in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situ ...

, a village in Smithfield Township. It was one of many forts in

Colonial Pennsylvania The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn, who received the land through a grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania was derived from ...

built in 1755 and 1756 during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

following a series of attacks on local communities by Native Americans in December 1755. The fort never saw military action and was garrisoned from early 1756 until February 1757. After this, the fort was used only intermittently until the garrison was withdrawn to participate in the

Forbes Expedition The Forbes Expedition was a British military campaign to capture Fort Duquesne, led by Brigadier-General John Forbes in 1758, during the French and Indian War. While advancing to the fort, the expedition built the Forbes Road. The Treaty of Eas ...

in May 1758. The fort was formally returned to the Depuy family in 1763.

History

The need for fortifications

At the beginning of the French and Indian War, Braddock's defeat at the

Battle of the Monongahela The Battle of the Monongahela (also known as the Battle of Braddock's Field and the Battle of the Wilderness) took place on July 9, 1755, at the beginning of the French and Indian War at Braddock's Field in present-day Braddock, Pennsylvania, ...

left Pennsylvania without a professional military force.

Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...

chiefs

Shingas Shingas (fl. 1740 – 1763) was a Lenape chief and warrior who participated in military activities in Ohio Country during the French and Indian War. Allied with the French, Shingas led numerous raids on Anglo-American settlements during the war, fo ...

and

Captain Jacobs Tewea, better known by his English name Captain Jacobs, (d. September 8, 1756) was a Lenape chief during the French and Indian War. Jacobs received his English name from a Pennsylvanian settler named Arthur Buchanan, who thought the chief resemble ...

launched dozens of

Shawnee The Shawnee ( ) are a Native American people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Their language, Shawnee, is an Algonquian language. Their precontact homeland was likely centered in southern Ohio. In the 17th century, they dispersed through Ohi ...

and

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

raids against British colonial settlements, killing and capturing hundreds of colonists and destroying settlements across western and central Pennsylvania.William Albert Hunter, "Victory at Kittanning", ''Pennsylvania History'', vol. 23, no. 3, July 1956; pp 376-407
/ref> In late 1755, Colonel John Armstrong wrote to Governor

Robert Hunter Morris Robert Hunter Morris ( – 27 January 1764), was a prominent governmental figure in Colonial Pennsylvania, serving as governor of Pennsylvania and Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. Early life and education Morris was born in ...

: "I am of the opinion that no other means of defense than a chain of

blockhouses A blockhouse is a small fortification, usually consisting of one or more rooms with loopholes, allowing its defenders to fire in various directions. It is usually an isolated fort in the form of a single building, serving as a defensive stro ...

along or near the south side of the

Kittatinny Mountains Kittatinny Mountain (Lenape: Kitahtëne) is a long ridge traversing primarily Sussex County in northwestern New Jersey, running in a northeast-southwest axis, a continuation across the Delaware Water Gap of Pennsylvania's Blue Mountain (also ...

from the Susquehanna to the temporary line, can secure the lives and property of the inhabitants of this country."Thomas Lynch Montgomery, ed. ''Report of the Commission to Locate the Site of the Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania,'' vol 1, Harrisburg, PA: W.S. Ray, state printer, 1916
/ref> In December 1755, a series of attacks on people in the area east of what is now Stroudsburg had terrified the population, who then demanded that the Pennsylvania government provide military protection. On 10 December, a war party of about 200 Native American warriors attacked the Hoeth family farm and killed Frederick Hoeth, his wife, and seven of their eight children.Hunter, William Albert. ''Forts on the Pennsylvania Frontier: 1753–1758,'' (Classic Reprint). Fb&c Limited, 2018.
/ref> The next day, warriors set fire to

Daniel Brodhead Brigadier General Daniel Brodhead (October 17, 1736 – November 15, 1809) was an Continental Army officer and politician who served in the American Revolutionary War. Early life Brodhead was born in Marbletown, Province of New York, the so ...

's Plantation, and attacked and burned farms belonging to the Culvers, the McMichaels, and the Hartmanns.Amy Leiser,"Monroe County’s frontier forts: Fort Norris," Monroe County Historical Association, December 12, 2012
/ref> The Moravian mission at Dansbury was also destroyed. A number of settlers died when they were trapped inside burning buildings. Over 300 people fled to

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

and Easton. In an account of the attacks from the Union Iron Works in Jersey, dated 20 December, 78 people are listed killed and about 45 buildings destroyed.William Nelson et al., ''Archives of the State of New Jersey: Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, 1751-1755,'' first series, vol. XIX, Patterson NJ: The Press Printing & publishing Co., 1897
/ref> On 25 December, the Provincial Commissioners reported that "The Country all above this Town, for 50 Miles, is mostly evacuated and ruined, excepting only the Neighbourhood of the Dupuy's, five Families, which stand their Ground." In response to these attacks, the

Pennsylvania Legislature The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvani ...

placed

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

and

James Hamilton James Hamilton may refer to: Dukes *James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (1606–1649), heir to the throne of Scotland *James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton (1658–1712), Scottish nobleman *James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton (1703–1743), Sco ...

in charge to erect a chain of forts along the Blue Mountain in the

Minisink The Minisink or (more recently) Minisink Valley is a loosely defined geographic region of the Upper Delaware River valley in northwestern New Jersey (Sussex and Warren counties), northeastern Pennsylvania ( Pike and Monroe counties) and New York ...

region.Amy Leiser, "Benjamin Franklin and his tie to Monroe County’s frontier forts," Monroe County Historical Association, September 9, 2012
/ref>
/ref>

Origin of the name

The fort was the fortified homestead on the farm of Nicholas Depuy (1682-1762), a French

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

who arrived in 1727 and purchased 3,000 acres from the Minsi Indians, a

phratry In ancient Greece, a phratry (, derived from ) was a group containing citizens in some city-states. Their existence is known in most Ionian cities and in Athens and it is thought that they existed elsewhere as well. Almost nothing is known about th ...

of the

tribe. The purchase included fertile land along the northwest bank of the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

, as well as two large islands, Shawano and Manwalamink. Depuy built a log farmhouse on a bluff overlooking the river, in about 1734. This was replaced with a larger stone building in 1755.Amy Leiser, "Monroe County’s frontier forts: Fort DePue," Monroe County Historical Association, October 10 , 2012
/ref> Because of its elevated position near a river, overlooking the district below and the roads to Easton and

, colonial authorities felt that it would be "an admirable place of defence and refuge."

Construction

In 1755

proposed that the Depuy home, because of its strategic location along the

, be commandeered to serve as a fort."Depuy: The peaceful homestead that became a fort," ''Pocono Record'', October 14, 2012. Accessed March 4, 2014
/ref> Nicholas was living there with his son Samuel at the time and agreed to allow the troops to live in his home, although he insisted that they pay for rum and other supplies. Depuy was employed for a time as a commissary for the Pennsylvania provincial military. In December 1755, Captain John Trump and Captain Isaac Wayne were sent by the Provincial Commissioners to fortify the homestead. The stockade was intended to provide protection for local settlers during Native American attacks. They were soon joined by Captain Jacob Wetterholt, who arrived with a garrison of 26 men, and they constructed a

stockade A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls, made of logs placed side by side vertically, with the tops sharpened as a defensive wall. Etymology ''Stockade'' is derived from the French word ''estocade''. The French word was derived f ...

around the building, placing

swivel guns A swivel gun (or simply swivel) is a small cannon mounted on a swiveling stand or fork which allows a very wide arc of movement. Another type of firearm referred to as a swivel gun was an early flintlock combination gun with two barrels that ro ...

at each corner. On 22 January 1756, Samuel Depuy wrote to a friend in New Jersey about the decision to turn over his home to colonial authorities: :"I am left in a deplorable condition...To leave all to Savage Enemies is hard...Therefore I am now come to this Resolution, that if Your Province will send me a Number of Men, with sufficient Officers to Guard me, I will give them the use of my Plantation, or otherwise...let them build a Fort...The two Capts. Trump and Astin, of this Province, with fifty men each...let me have twenty men...They are building a Fort One Mile West of Brodhead's."

Command and garrison

Major William Parsons visited the fort on 12 June 1756 and reported: "Samuel Dupui has a large commodious Stockado Fort round his House with 4 Swivels, one at each Corner; but the Fort is much exposed to a high Hill on the Land Side." The fort also served as a commissary base for the other forts in the area. On 24 June 1756,

Commissary General A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop. In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...

James Young visited the fort and reported: "Came to Saml Depues, Musterd that Part of Captn Weatherholts Compy that are Stationd here, a Lt. and 26 men all regularly Inlisted for 6 Months as are the rest of his Compy. Round Depue's house is a Large but very Slight, and ill Contriv'd Staccade with a Sweevle Gun Mounted on Each Corner." Captain Wetterholt and most of the garrison were transferred to

Fort Hamilton Fort Hamilton is a United States Army installation in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. It is one of several posts that are part of the region which ...

in September, and in November the captain's younger brother, Lieutenant Jacob Wetterholt, returned with a garrison of 18 men. They were sent back to Fort Hamilton in early February, 1757. The fort was garrisoned only occasionally during the rest of that year, until February, 1758 when a garrison of 23 men under the command of Ensign James Hughes was reported. On 2 March 1758, the fort was inspected by Colonel

James Burd James Burd (March 10, 1725 – October 5, 1793) was a colonial American soldier in the French and Indian War, during which he played an important role in fortifying the Pennsylvania frontier. Early life Born in Ormiston, near Edinburgh, Scotland, ...

, who wrote: "This is a very fine Plantation, Situate upon the River Delaware...There is a pretty good Stockade here & 4 Sweevells mounted & good accommodation for soldiers. Reviewed this Garrison and found here 22 good men." On 8 May 1758, Deputy Governor William Denny ordered the garrison to march to Bethlehem in preparation for the

. The fort was briefly reoccupied in 1760 and again at the start of the

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

in 1763, and later that year it was returned to the family, and to its function as a farm.

Modern site

In 1785, Samuel Depuy built the stone house that stands on the site today, near the site of his father's original home. He named the house "Manwalamink", after the nearby island. In 1898, the Depuy family sold the home to

Charles Campbell Worthington Charles Campbell Worthington, or C.C. Worthington, (January 1854 – October 1944) was an American industrialist whose efforts were in part responsible for the foundation of the Professional Golfers Association. He invented the first commercially ...

, a New York businessman who built the Inn and Gatehouse. The site of the original stockade is slightly southwest, and no signs remain.

The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort is a resort in the village of Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania, Shawnee on Delaware, located in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The hotel is a Spanish Colonial Revival architec ...

is located on the site of Depuy's farm.

Memorialization

A historical marker commemorating Nicholas Depuy was placed in Smithfield Township in 1947 by the

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, responsible for the collection, conservation, and interpretation of Pennsylvania's heritage. The commission cares for hist ...

. It is on River Road near DePuy Drive.J. J. Prats, "Nicholas DePuy," Historical Marker Database, November 13, 2005
/ref>

References

{{Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War

Depuy DePuy Synthes () is a franchise of orthopaedic and neurosurgery companies. Acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 1998, its companies form part of the Johnson & Johnson MedTech business segment. DePuy develops and markets products under the Codman, De ...

Benjamin Franklin History of Monroe County, Pennsylvania Military installations established in 1756 1756 establishments in Pennsylvania Pre-statehood history of Pennsylvania British forts in the United States Buildings and structures in Monroe County, Pennsylvania Government buildings completed in 1756 Fortified houses