Fort at Number 4 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort at Number 4 |
|
|---|---|
The Fort at No. 4 Open-Air Museum
|
|
| Location | Charlestown, New Hampshire |
| Built | 1744 (original) 1960 (recreation) |
|
N.H. State Register of Historic Places
|
|
| Designated | July 2020 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
The Fort at Number 4 was a very important fort built in the middle of the 1700s. It was a stockade (a fence made of strong wooden posts) that protected a British settlement called Plantation Number 4. This was the northernmost British town along the Connecticut River in what was then the Province of New Hampshire. Today, this area is the town of Charlestown, New Hampshire.
The original fort was built in 1744. A new version of the fort was built in 1960. This new fort is now an open-air museum. It helps people learn about life in the 1700s. In July 2020, the Fort at Number 4 was added to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places.
Contents
History of the Fort
Plantation Number 4 was one of several towns started between 1735 and 1736. It was part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. This town was quite far from other British settlements. The closest one was Fort Dummer, over 30 miles away.
Settlers began to arrive in the town around 1740. Brothers Stephen, Samuel, and David Farnsworth were among the first. By 1743, about 10 families lived in Number 4.
The fort itself was built in 1744. The people of the town decided to move some of their homes. They wanted to create a strong, protected area. The "fort" was a rectangle of six houses. These houses were connected by lean-tos, which are small buildings attached to a larger one.
The south end of the fort had a two-story building. It had a large hall on the second floor. A guard tower was attached to it. The only entrance to the fort was under this large hall. A small stable was on one side of the gate. A guard house was on the other side. Three sides of the fort were surrounded by a stockade. This wooden fence also protected a well on the southwest side.
King George's War Attacks
In 1744, a war called King George's War began. During this time, French forces and their Native allies attacked many farms and buildings in the area. Some settlers were killed in small fights. Others were captured and taken to Canada to be held for ransom.
By the fall of 1746, most settler families left the fort. A small group of men stayed until February 1747. The fort was later taken over again in March 1747. Captain Phineas Stevens and 30 militia men arrived to defend it.
On April 7, 1747, the fort was attacked. French soldiers and Abenaki warriors led by Ensign Joseph Boucher de Niverville surrounded it.
The attack lasted for three days. The French and Native forces then decided to return to Canada. They did not want to risk a direct attack on the fort. This stopped them from raiding other settlements further south and east.
Stories about the attack grew over time. Some reports claimed the attacking force was over 500 strong. Later, some said it was more than 700. However, French records show there were closer to 50 individuals.
Commodore Charles Knowles, a high-ranking naval officer, was very impressed by Captain Stevens' defense. He gave Stevens a very fancy sword. After this, the town was renamed Charlestown. This was done to honor Sir Charles Knowles, 1st Baronet.
French and Indian War Times
Just before the French and Indian War began, a Native raid happened in August 1754. During this raid, Susanna Willard Johnson and her family were captured. Most of them were later sold. After Susanna Johnson was freed many years later, she wrote a popular book about her difficult experience.
During the last of the four French and Indian Wars, many soldiers stayed at the Fort at Number 4. Their job was to protect the frontier. These soldiers included Colonel Nathan Whiting's Regiment from Connecticut. Colonel John Goffe's New Hampshire Provincial Regiment was also there.
In 1759, Robert Rogers and his Rangers returned from a raid. They had attacked St. Francis, Quebec. Rogers sought help at Fort at Number 4 for his hungry Rangers. They were at Fort Wentworth, far up the Connecticut River.
At that time, General Jeffery Amherst ordered a road to be built. This road would connect the fort to another fort. This new fort was Fort Crown Point, located on Lake Champlain in New York. Captain John Stark and a company of Rangers, along with Colonel Goffe's Regiment, built this road. It was called the Crown Point Military Road.
The road was about 77.5 miles long. Many blockhouses (small forts) were built along its path. These blockhouses protected supplies and travelers. They went through the wilderness that later became Vermont. After the French were defeated in 1761, and the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763, the fort was not needed as much.
American Revolutionary War Role
In 1777, John Stark was a brigadier general. He gathered about 1,500 New Hampshire Militia soldiers at the fort. They were on their way to the Battle of Bennington. After the American Revolutionary War, the fort slowly fell apart.
The Fort Today: A Museum
The Fort at Number 4 was rebuilt in 1960. It is now an open-air museum in Charlestown, New Hampshire. Charlestown became an official town in 1783. The museum shows what the fort looked like during King George's War.
A group of historians and people who love history work at the museum. They dress up as settlers and town militia members. They show visitors what life was like back then. Most summers, the fort hosts special events. These events include reenactments of the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War.
See also
- New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 2: Fort at No. 4
- New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 117: General John Stark's expedition to Bennington - August 1777
