User:Gahistorybuff/sandbox

Fort Fidius a Federal fort on the Oconee River 2 miles below the mouth of Fishing Creek. Fort Fidius replaced a federal fort (Fort Massachusetts) at The Rock Landing site at the head of navigation of the Oconee that had been constructed in 1789. Federaltown had grown up around Rock landing, but due to deaths from illness and attacks, a garrison attached to Federaltown was moved to Fort Fidius after its construction in 1793. At Federaltown the Fort was Fort Massachusetts and this is the fort that the illness and attacks happened at, they most likely fell ill from malaria. “Because of a sickness at Rock Landing the garrison was moved in April 1793 to a new stockade known as Fort Fidius,” James Bonner wrote in his 1978 book “Milledgeville: Georgia’s Antebellum Capital.” Bonner’s book tells the tale of life in frontier times and how it sometimes seemed as if a fight between Indians and area soldiers was inevitable.

For instance, after Major Daniel Adams launched a surprise attack on a group of Indians along the west bank of the Oconee, 30 of them sought shelter inside Fort Fidius.

“The Georgians now demanded of Maj. Brooke Roberts, commander of the fort, that he surrender all the refugees,” Bonner wrote. “Roberts arranged for the Indians to escape from the fort and to cross the river to safety.”

Increasing incidents involving Indians caused Roberts to alert his superiors in May 10, 1794, that the Indian war had actually began, according to Bonner.

“He requested the immediate strengthening of Fort Fidius, which he characterized as ‘totally defenceless.’ Its effective military strength at this time was about 70 men. The fort’s water supply came from springs some 300 yards away and could easily be cut off by attackers. Thus he believed that the fort was vulnerable at all times, and in such a condition it could afford no protection,” the book states.

Though the full-scale Indian war did not occur, Fort Wilkinson, established in 1797, eventually supplanted Fort Fidius.

The federal garrison of the time abandoned Fort Fidius shortly after the construction of Wilkinson was completed.

The Georgia Historical Society put up a marker it reads: “Old Fort Fidius

1793-1797

The first settlement in this section was made up of four frame houses, a dozen or more cabins and a fort. It was called Federaltown. Many of the soldiers died so a new fort was built several miles up the river and names Fort Fidius. It was located 2 miles below this point. In 1794 Commander Roberts complained to the Secretary of War that he had only 69 able-bodied men to face 10,000 Indians. In 1797 the U.S. Government replaced Fort Fidius with Fort Wilkinson on the west side of the river on Indian lands.”

This marker says Old Fort Fidius which is Fort Massachusetts at The Rock Landing.

The Rock Landing Marker reads: The Rock Landing

Five miles south of this point is the Rock Landing at the head of navigation on the Oconee River and at the junction of old Indian trading paths leading westward. In 1789 President Washington sent Gen. Benjamin Lincoln here to treat with Chief Alexander McGillivray and 2000 Creek warriors and settle the Georgia-Creek controversy over cession of the trans-Ogeechee lands. Here also was the official residence of James Seagrove, appointed the first U.S. Indian agent to the Creeks in September 1791. He distributed in 1792 from this point $13,000 worth of government food to Creeks suffering from crop failure.”