Massac County, Illinois - Chapter 3: Fort Massac, 1900

FORT MASSAC is situated in Massac county, [llinois, on the Oliio river fa,r above the highest tlood at a point where that river bends from its previous course and turns northwest, and where the land projects to the Southeast. It was built by the French government in the latter part of the seventeenth century - more than two huuj0 dred years ago. It became one of the chain of forts, beginning at Fort Du Quesne, built subsequently and intended to be used in defense of the claim of the French government to that part of our country once known as the Northwest Territory, and it was for many years occupied by Frencli soldiers. During the short period that Spain owned the French claim to the Northwest Territory, Fort Massac was occupied by Spanish soldiers, and many Spanish coins have been found in the ground in and around the Fort, notably one coin of the reign of Charles the Fifth. There is a tradition that there was a Spanish Fort a few rods East of Fort Massac; but that is probably not true, though there is a tradition and th6^re are still remaining evidences of a subterranean house at the point indicated. The Spanish government during its possession of Fort Massac had an American Secret Agent (we would now call him a Detective) named Daniel Flannery, whose grand-nephew, of the same name, lived many years and died in Massac county. From the

Massac Daniel Flaunery, part of the Spanish traditions concerning Fort Massac wei'e obtained by the writer. The Spanish government very carefully and specifically recognized the services of their agent, Daniel Flannery, in connection v?ith their possession of Fort Massac, and besides paying him a compensation in money, granted to him the right to locate a quantity of land equal to an area of four leagues in length and a third of a league in width anywhere in the Spanish possessions, not within one mile of Fort Massac. When Spain relinquished to France all her r-ights in the country afterwards known as the Louisiana Territory and the Northwest Territory, she specially protected the grant of land to her agent Daniel Flannery, and in the relinquishment of the French claim to the Northwest Territory to Great Britain after the conquest of Canada, this same grant of land is protected by treaty stipulation. The facts stated in reference to the Daniel Flannery land grant may be found in the third volume of American state papers. Twelve hundred acres of the Flannery grant are located in Alexander county, Illinois, between Thebes and Santa Fe; and the first ejectment suit ever brought by the writer was to recover the Alexander county portion of the Flannery Spanish grant, and by means of certified government records, in addition to oral testimony, a perfect title was established in the heirs at law of Daniel Flannery, the Spanish detective, a.nd some of the history of Fort Massac was learned during the investigation of the Flannery title.

When the land in South Illinois was surveyed and offered for sale, the land around Fort Massac was reserved from sale; and from 1808 to 1839 fractional section 12 in township 16 south of range 4 east (on which section Fort Massac stands) was held and known as a government reservation, to be used for some national purpose. In the year 1838 a commission of army officers, including Surgeon General Lawson of the United States regular army, and a civil engineer, was appointed by the secretary of war in pursuance of an act of Congress, to visit the West and select a place for a Western armory. They visited Nashville, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Louisville, Eock Island and many other points. They then visited Fort Massac, and remained there several days in June, 1838. They made a topographical survey of the country vi^ithin a mile of the Fort and of the river bank for half a mile above and below the Fort; and took the statements of all the neighboring inhabitants as to knowledge of facts and traditions concerning the height of the river, and concerning the fort itself. The writer obtained the above facts concerning the United States Commission from the late J. H. G. ^^'ilcox, and from Aaron B. Brown, and his wife, and from the family of General John M. Robinson, (then United States Senator from Illinois) and who accompanied the Commission to Fort Massac. Mr. A. B. Brown and wife were the mother and father and Mr. Wilcox was tJie uncle of Mr. Joseph Brown, now a worthy citizen of Metropolis. The father of Mrs. Brown owned the Metropolis Ferry ninety years ago, and owned the land on which part of Metropolis is built, and Mrs. Brown remembered when the Fort was occupied by United States soldiers and heard her father tell all the details connected with the soldiers who rendezvoused at Fort Massac during the period when danger was anticipated from the Burr conspiracy. Mrs. Brown's father lived in the Fort after the soldiers were withdrawn and Fort Massac ceased to be a military post.

After the Commission returned to Washington they reported in favor of Fort Massac as the best site in the ^^'est for a national armory. And in that report they say substantially that Fort Massac, from its environments and topography gives promise of being the healthiest point which they visited in the West.

Subsequently the Western Armory was located at Rock Island, and the fractional section twelve on which Fort Massac is situated, was offered for sale as other government laud and was entered by John M. Robinson and a patent therefor was issued to him and others by the United States, which patent is recorded in the Recorder's office of Massac county, and the title to the Fort as to all the lands in that section 12 is deraigned from him.

at Fort Massac, and rested several days on his way to the capture of Kaskaskia, and there at Fort Massac the flag of the New Union of the Colonies was first unfurled within the territory now constituting the state of Illinois. These facts concerning the expedition of General Clark are matters of history; but were detailed by Mrs. Brown as told to her by her father.

The earth works of Fort Massac are well preserved, and very much resemble the remaining earth works near New Orleans, known as the "Spanish Fort." The gravelled sentry walk may also be traced.

French - Fort Massac, built by the French under M. Massac in November, 1758, when driven down the Ohio from Fort Du Quesne by General Forbes, has been a central figure in a number of intrigues against the government. Chief among these was that of Genet, the French minister, who came to the United States as a representative of his government in 1793, when England and France were at war. Because President ^'\'ashington, a federalist, would not openly aid the French, Genet secretly aided in the organization of anti-Federalist clubs to enlist men and raise supi^lies in an effort to wrest the Mississippi valley from Spain. Alluring offers of French commissions, pensions, titles and vast territorial interests, involving the free navigation of the Mississippi river, controlled by the Spanish were made, especially to Kentuckians who naturally criticised the \Yashingtonian government because they believed France was our great friend. Even General George Rogers Clark accepted a major general's commission, and when the forces began to leave the state Governor Shelby refused to prohibit them, replying to the secretary of state In substance that they were "friends" and "brethren," while Washington was an "enemy" and a "tyrant."'

This sentiment was so general in Kentucky that President Washington ordered General Wayne to occupy Port Massac with his artillery and arrest the rash expedition down the "Rivers." A great mass meeting was called at Lexington, 1794, which adopted violent resolutions of secession from the national government, but were nullified by the instant withdrawal of Genet and disavowal of his acts by his government.

Spanish - About 1787 to 1791, the Spanish government intrigued with General Wilkinson, Sebastian, Innis and prominent Kentuckiaus to secede from the East, and establish an "Independent government." The pay was to be |200,000.00, twenty cannon and munitions of war, supplied by his majesty, the Pope. Fort Massac was to be siezed and become the center of operations against all Western posts. Be it said to the credit of Innis and Nicholas they refused. It was proved in the Kentucky legislature later that Sebastian annually drew a pension of |2,000 from Spain, a traitor to his country. The plot failed.

Burr's Conspiracy - Aaron Burr, vice-president, brilliant lawyer, and murderer of Hamilton, conspired in 1806 and sought to aid the Spanish, who were advancing against Gen. Wilkinson, once commandant of the Western forces at Fort Massac. Burr induced Blannerhasset to join him. Blannerhassett's Island is in the Ohio. Kentucky and Tennessee became the field of his operations. He visited Fort Massac, and hoped to be able to either divide the nation, invade Mexico, or form an aesthetic colony on the Washita river. General Wilkinson entered into the conspiracy, either as a detective or a traitor to Burr and reported the plot to President Jefferson and aided in the wholesale arrests which followed. Henry Clay defended Burr, who was acquitted. Wilkinson was later tried for treason and acquitted. Burr died in a hovel, fit penalty to traitors.