Life with Joseph at Fort Harmar

Joseph Buell, Marietta pioneer, future General of the Militia, businessman, and legislator, had a rough start at Fort Harmar: He was court-martialed. He sold liquor “without permission” when he traded a pint of liquor to buy some catfish. Fortuntately, he was acquitted. Joseph Buell was born in Killingsley CT in 1763. He arrived as a sergeant in the First American Regiment at Fort Harmar in May, 1786. His journal gives us a view of life at the fort. Quotes are from his journal unless noted otherwise.

Fort Harmar’s creation was a team effort: Congress authorized it, General Butler picked the location, Colonel Josiah Harmar (the fort was named for him) ordered its construction, Major John Doughty designed it, and soldiers built it. The Fort was built in 1785 on the west bank of the Muskingum River at the Ohio River. It had a pentagonal shape and occupied about 3/4 acre. Congress planned to sell land in eastern Ohio to new settlers and was having the land surveyed. The soldiers’ mission was to protect surveyors and settlers from Indian attacks and remove squatters living on land they didn’t own.

Initial plan for Fort Harmar, CA 1785, from University of Michigan, James McHenry Collection 

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Life at Fort Harmar was not easy. Soldiers endured primitive conditions, harsh discipline, boredom, illness, food shortages, and the constant threat of Indian attacks. Yet Joseph Buell seemed to enjoy his duty. He made friends and tolerated the hardships better than most. Likewise, Ebenezer Denny observed wistfully when he stopped at a mostly deserted Fort Harmar on April 14, 1790, “(It was) a place where I had spent….. the last two years with much satisfaction.”

Drunkenness was a constant problem. Soldiers received a daily ration of a gill (“Jill” - about 4 ounces) of liquor. Imagine that today. On a sunny May Day 1786 soldiers were given extra liquor and allowed to get “damned drunk.” On July 4th there was cannon fire and “we had liberty to drink and get drunk..” During a gloomy January stretch, they kept their spirits up by pouring spirits down, “we made ourselves pretty merry….” Buell’s St. Patrick’s Day entry is amusing: “The sons of St. Patrick kept….(the) usual custom - by getting drunk & fighting & breeding a riot etc.” Two weeks later Gregg “died in a fit of drunkenness…Soldiers have got the Devil in them - a drinking.” After that soldiers were forbidden to buy liquor from others. Joseph Buell enjoyed his spirits but exercised restraint not typical of the average soldier. When his fellow sergeants became drunk and disorderly on New Year’s Day 1787, Buell reported, “I did not think it proper to join this club (and stayed) at my own quarters.”

Painting of Fort Harmar based on early sketch by Joseph Gilman CA 1790. 

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There were six desertions during that first summer at Fort Harmar; more later on. Buell delayed reporting Corporal Weed’s desertion because he was “a very good fellow” -  a friend of Buell’s - who could have been shot if caught. Alford, Dustin, Fox were allowed to go fishing one sunny day. They didn’t return. A week later they sheepishly dragged themselves back and were given 100 lashes. 

Discipline was strict. Even petty offenses warranted confinement, whippings, or worse. “French received 25 lashes for insulting a Corporal.” “Houghmier was given 25 lashes for picking up an apron in the street.” “Brady was whipped 100 lashes for taking a coat out his serg’ts room.” Deserters could be shot on the spot without a trial. Major John Wyllys did just that, killing three deserters at Fort McIntosh. He was arrested at Fort Harmar for those killings but was exonerated and returned to the Fort. Shockley deserted and when apprehended was ordered to “run the gauntlet” 11 times. Running the gauntlet required the perpetrator to run or walk  through two rows of soldiers who struck the person with sticks, whips, or other weapons. It was a severe penalty, but at least he was still alive.

Disease took a toll. Engeham died in May; “the first due to sickness.” A month later Bamerd died.  When a death occurred all soldiers in the Fort marched with the coffin to the burial place led by an honor guard with fife and drums. Music was somber marching to the burial site, but returning they played a “jolly tune.” Question for further research: where was the burial ground for Fort Harmar?

Period drawing of Fort Harmar by Joseph Gilman CA 1790, courtesy Marietta College. 

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Accompanying surveyors was rough and dangerous duty. One company from the Fort returned from a surveying trip in November; “they had a tedious cold time of it. Some were without shoes and their feet badly frozen.”  

In June of 1789, seven soldiers accompanied John Mathews and James Backus on a surveying trip. Weather was hot; swarms of gnats and mosquitoes pestered them. Backus’s journal of the trip reported “bad hills,” storms, heavy rain, a balky compass - “plagued my soul out.” By July, Mathews’ group noticed signs of Indians. They saw moccasin tracks. Horses disappeared. Sentries were posted all through the nights. One morning well past sunrise, the group relaxed around a camp fire thinking the Indian threat had passed. They were not fully dressed. Suddenly shots rang out. Two of the soldiers and Mathews’ trusted assistant Patchen died instantly. 

A corporal, luckily sheltered from the gunfire by a tree, ran. He hid behind a log and watched while Indians explored the camp. He was surprised as their aggressive behavior changed to amusement when they discovered a compass. They laughed and gestured as the compass point moved. John Mathews escaped by outrunning the Indians. He was only partially dressed and wore no shoes. Soon his his feet and legs were painfully bloodied. Eventually the survivors reached the Ohio River and were rescued.

Troops were also charged with removing squatters living on land they didn’t own west and north of the Ohio River. Most left peacefully. In a few cases, soldiers allowed families to harvest their crops before evicting them. Levi Munsell reported a confrontation with squatters near present day Steubenville, Ohio, in 1787.  About 30 hunters were ordered to abandon their cabins. They refused. About 100 soldiers were sent to burn them out. The hunters lined up on the river bank with rifles, appearing to resist leaving. Soldiers confronted them and told them to retrieve valuables - quickly. They complied, and soon their cabins and crops were burned.

There were periods of recreation. Buell liked working in the gardens near the fort. He went to Marietta and viewed the “curiosities of the mountains,” probably referring to the earthworks (Indian mounds). In April of 1787, the weather was “warm and pleasant;” he was grateful to be out and active. A short time later, he and “all the sergeants” visited Isaac Williams who had recently moved his family to present-day Williamstown. The group enjoyed their company and “passed the day very happy.” May Day 1788 was celebrated “in the usual custom.” He added “We live pretty peaceable and happy” other than not receiving their pay on time.

Indians were a constant preoccupation - ranging from friendly curiosity to a deadly threat. Congress had sought peace with Indians, hoping to stem violence between Indians and whites in the Ohio Valley. A treaty was negotiated and signed at Fort Harmar in January, 1789. Despite elaborate efforts and good intentions, it accomplished little.  

Some Indians stayed near the Fort, trading with soldiers and entertaining with their ceremonial dancing. Joseph Buell and Fitch were amused themselves one evening watching the Indians “carry on.” Once the Indians gave a demonstration war dance inside the Fort stockade. 

One sultry August day, Captain Heart observed Indians across the Ohio River on the Virginia side. The crack of a musket echoed in the valley. He saw an Indian shoot a soldier hunting there and saw him fall down. A armed party from the Fort rushed over. They found one man target shooting and another napping on the ground. There were no Indians. 

One Indian episode was troubling for Joseph Buell. He sent one of his cooks to Kerr’s Island to get some milk. The man did not return. Buell fretted. A search party found only the man’s hat and some Indian clothing. They heard later that he had been killed and scalped. 

A friendly Indian named Captain Lunice warned in September, 1786, that Indians planned to attack the Fort Harmar. They immediately prepared for an attack by clearing brush and crops outside the fort to eliminate a potential hiding area. Soldiers were placed on full alert daily from daybreak to an hour past sunrise. There was no attack, but soldiers were on edge for months, contributing to low morale. Buell wrote: “We are out of provisions and expect the Indians every day to attack the Fort.” 

There were women at Fort Harmar. Apparently some were wives; others were employed as maids, cooks, or nurses. Buell refers to them on two occasions as “our virtuous women.” Some may not have been so virtuous. Twice Buell reports that wives had affairs with other soldiers. One of those wives…”got the Devil in her….(and) began to abuse her husband and break all her furniture” in a rage. She also “gave some insolence to Sarg’t Preatt who confined her in the guard house.” She was ordered to leave the Fort on the next boat. 

On another occasion, two soldiers came in and began to abuse “our virtuous women.” Buell removed them by force. In May 1788, a social gathering took place at Hamilton Kerr’s place on today’s Buckley’s Island. Buell and Munsell “stayed at home” because  “(it) did not seem fit to keep company with so many of our Virtuous camp women who (were there).” Why? Buell did not say.

On April 7, 1788, Buell reports: “Gen’l Putnam arrived here at this place with 50 men, who came to settle on the other side Muskingum (River) the most of them were artificiers (skilled craftsmen). They began with great spirit & there is great prospect of its being a flourishing place in a short time.” Joseph Buell himself joined that “flourishing place” (Marietta) in 1790 to operate a tavern with his friend and fellow soldier Levi Munsell. 

Soldiers at Fort Harmar helped stabilize conditions on the Ohio Valley frontier, paving the way for a settlement of Marietta and Ohio.

Liquor on the Frontier

Survival was a basic goal of early settlers in Marietta and the Ohio country. The area was a wilderness. Priorities were food, shelter, protection from the elements, eking out a living wage, and....alcohol. Yes, booze in colonial times was considered a basic necessity.

Alcohol was an integral part of life in early America, a fact omitted from our conventional history lessons. You probably did not know that George Washington enjoyed his spirits; his war time expense account for liquor from September 1775 to June 1776 exceeded $6,000, and he was a major distiller of whiskey at Mount Vernon. Or that John Adams started the day with a hard cider eye opener. And that Thomas Jefferson was a wine connoisseur who with guests consumed 1,203 bottles of wine at his Monticello estate in just over two years. 

Attitudes towards alcohol were liberal then by today's standards. There were no prohibitions on the purchase, consumption, or production of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol was part of the diet and tradition from England. Spirits were believed to have health benefits, be safer than often unsanitary water, and be a welcome morale booster in often difficult life situations. 

In the 1790s it was estimated that the average American over fifteen years old each year drank 34 gallons of beer and cider, 5 gallons of distilled spirits, and 1 gallon of wine. All that is reported to be the equivalent of 7 ounces of distilled liquor a day. Even children drank “small beer” with a low alcohol content. But people were not partying and tipsy all the time. Author Corin Hirsch points out that "life expectancy was lower then and life was pretty hard so you can’t judge anyone.”

Scholars of "spiritual" history point out fascinating aspects of drinking and attitudes about it, sometimes in amusing terms:

• "...most of the founding fathers were buzzed, if not flat-out hammered, when they formulated the ideals....for their new country."  Ethan De Siefe, 2014.
• "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants to see us happy." Ben Franklin.
•  “Americans drank beer, and cider with breakfast; rum and wine with dinner; claret, ratafias, creams, punches and other concoctions in the evening.” Robinson, 2001, as quoted in Tom Jewett's 2007 article.
•  “Alcohol lubricated such social events as christenings, weddings, funerals, trails, and election-day gatherings, where aspiring candidates tempted voters with free drinks. Craftsmen drank at work, as did hired hands in the fields, shoppers in stores, sailors at sea and soldiers in camp. Then, as now, college students enjoyed malted beverages, which explains why Harvard had its own brewery. In 1639, when the school did not supply sufficient beer, President Nathaniel Eaton lost his job.” Henry Howe, Historical Collections of Ohio Vol II, 1908.

Alcohol was also a staple of life in early Marietta and the Northwest Territory:

• Liquor rations for the soldiers at Fort Harmar included a gill (4 ounces) of rum daily. Surveyors in the initial group hired by the Ohio Company had a similar ration. Imagine having a job that provides 4 ounces of booze each day.  Nice benefit, eh?
• Drunkenness was the leading offense of the day - both at Fort Harmar and in the general public. Punishment at Fort Harmar was 100 or more lashes. In Marietta, there was a fine of "5 dimes for the first offense and $1.00 for each offense thereafter."
• Peach brandy was reportedly made from peaches grown at Fort Harmar and elsewhere. Campus Martius Historian Bill Reynolds observed with a grin that “peaches were not just grown for eating, you know.”
• Portable liquor cabinets from that period are on display at Campus Martius Museum, one belonging to Rufus Putnam, another to Israel Putnam, Rufus' half brother. It held several bottles in a small wooden box that could be easily transported. These were fairly common during that time.
• Joseph Buell, a soldier at Fort Harmar, kept a journal which records incidents of liquor consumption.
• July 4, 1786, "The great day of independence was commemorated by the discharge of 13 guns, after which the soldiers were served with extra rations of liquor and allowed to get as drunk as they pleased." 
• May 1, 1786: May Day is celebrated with a maypole, dancing, "curious antics, drinking, carousing, and firing guns." 
• December 3, 1786: provisions were delivered including 20 kegs of flour and 10 kegs of whiskey.
• September 9, 1787. A group of Indians visited the fort and entertained the locals - and themselves. On this day they..."danced in the hot sun, drinking whisky at the same time, until they were as drunk as they could be and stand on their feet."
• Colonel John May also kept a journal of his time in Marietta. 
• Tuesday, May 6, 1788: Near Simmrill's Ferry, Pennsylvania, on his way to Marietta, he procured 4 barrels of finest flour and a barrel (30 gallons) of "whisky." The contents were placed on a ferry, which nearly sank under the weight.
• May 27, 1788. He reported dining with General Josiah Harmar. The elegant dinner included beef, boiled fish, bear-steaks, roast venison, etc.,.and "wine and grog." Even on the frontier, high ranking military officers ate and drank well.
• June 8, 1788. Another fabulous dinner with Generals Harmar, Putnam, and Varnum plus others. Libations included spirits, excellent wine, brandy, and beer.
• The first July 4th celebration at Marietta was quite an event, including a sumptuous feast, an oration by Judge Varnum, and a 14 gun salute. There was celebratory drinking, too, with "a bowl of punch, also wine, grog, etc." May reported that the celebration continued until past midnight after which they "went home and to bed, and slept sound until morning." During the event there were toasts - many toasts. No one, it seems, was left out. They drank to:

1. United States
2. Congress
3. His Most King of Majesty The King of France
4. The United Netherlands
5. The Friendly Powers Throughout the World
6. The New Federal Constitution
7. George Washington and the Society of Cincinnati
8. His Excellency Governor St. Clair and the Western Territory
9. The Memory of Heroes
10. Patriots
11. Captain Pipes and a Successful Treaty
12. Amiable Partners of our Lives
13. All Mankind

Our early ancestors drank a wide variety of beverages - some conventional, others quite unusual - in content and name. Here are some of the more conventional ones:

• Beer and cider - these were easy to make using apples for cider and grains for beer.
• Rum - a staple of the colonies.  In 1770, there were 140 Rum stills in the northeastern colonies producing 4.8 Million gallons of rum.
• Grog – generally, any drink mixed with water. Originally it was water mixed with rum and lime or lemon juice. The concoction was introduced into the Royal Navy in 1740 by Vice Admiral Edward Vernon, who was nicknamed “Old Grog” after the Grogham cloth coat he wore.
• Shrub – a fruit liqueur made with rum or brandy mixed with sugar and juice or rinds of citrus fruits.
• Wine was always popular but more expensive and mostly imported from Europe.
• Whiskey became more popular in the late 1700's as molasses used for rum became more expensive.

Then there are the mixed drinks, many quite unknown to us today. The quirky names are as interesting as the recipes:

• Stone Fence. A bracing blend of rum and cider. Ethan Allen and the legendary Green Mountain Boys are reported to have imbibed this for liquid courage before raiding Fort Ticonderoga. 
• Flip. A blend of beer, rum, molasses, and eggs or cream mixed in a pitcher and whipped into a froth by plunging a hot fire poker (called a flip dog) into the mixture.
• Syllabub. A mix of wine, cream, and lemon topped with whipped egg whites. Eggs and cream were supposed to make the drink more nutritious. Really, that was the belief.
• Rattleskull is named after the English slang for a chatty person, and probably for its effect on the drinker. It is a potent blend of 3-4 oz of a rum/brandy mix poured into a pint of stout porter (an ale) tarted up with lime and topped with nutmeg. One colonial drink expert says this "bad-ass drink is a dangerously smooth and stultifying concoction."
• Calibogus. A mix of dark rum and spruce beer (beer made with the needles or new shoots of a spruce tree). Since spruce shoots have vitamin C, the drink was popular among sailors to ward off scurvy from lack of vitamin C in their diet at sea.
• Sangaree was a mix of madeira or port wine with lemon juice, sugar, and nutmeg. It was the precursor to the more modern Sangria.

Alcoholic beverages were part of the culture, though some spoke out against the social and health damage from excessive drinking. Few listened. Benjamin Rush was a Philadelphia physician who studied mental illness. He wrote a fascinating paper titled Inquiry into the Effects of Ardent Spirits Upon the Human Body and Mind, published in 1785. He presciently classified alcoholism as a disease and addiction. His work would influence the temperance movement which eventually reduced alcohol consumption. But that would be decades in the future. Meanwhile drinking remained America's favorite pastime.

Sources:

Jewett, Tom, “Spirits of Our Forefathers,” 2002, http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/2002_summer_fall/forefathers.htm

Burns, Eric, The Spirits of America: A Social History of Alcohol, 2004, Temple University Press.

Howe, Henry, Historical Collections of Ohio Vol II, 1908

Hirsch, Corin, “5 Colonial-Era Drinks You Should Know, 2014, http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2014/04/colonial-era-drinks-cocktails-rum-flip-stonefence-syllabub-rattleskull.html

Crews, Ed, “Drinking in Colonial America,” 2007, Colonial Williamsburg Publications, http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/holiday07/drink.cfm

Hildreth, Samuel, Pioneer History, Being an Account of the First Examinations of the Ohio Valley and the Early Settlement of the Northwest Territory, 1848, W. Derby & Company (Cincinnati)

De Seife, Ethan, Forgotten Drinks of Colonial New England by Corin Hirsch, 2014, http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/forgotten-drinks-of-colonial-new-england-by-corin-hirsch/Content?oid=2344349