Fort Stephenson (Fremont, Ohio)
Fremont · Ohio · War of 1812
History & Significance
Originally constructed in late spring 1812 as a stockade and blockhouse on the west bank of the Sandusky River near a trading post about fifteen miles upstream from Sandusky Bay, the initial fort was abandoned and burned after Detroit fell in August 1812. In 1813, Captain Eleazar Wood of the Army Corps of Engineers supervised its reconstruction, expanding the stockade with two additional blockhouses and a 10-foot palisade atop an earth embankment.
The rebuilt fort served as both a supply depot and staging area while protecting Harrison's supply lines further upriver. Major George Croghan assumed command on July 15, 1813, with a garrison of seven officers and 160 men, mostly from the 17th Infantry.
On August 1, Major General Henry Procter with 500 British soldiers and a few hundred Indigenous allies began a siege, but over two days the severely outnumbered garrison repelled all attacks using musket fire and a single cannon dubbed "Old Betsy." A breach attempt on August 2 resulted in 96 British casualties, after which Procter withdrew to Upper Canada.
Harrison praised Croghan, who was celebrated as a national hero, brevetted to lieutenant colonel, gifted an elegant sword, and in 1835 awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. In 1873, a $50,000 bequest by Sardis Birchard enabled Fremont to acquire the fort's land, and a library was erected on the site, opening in 1878. A commemorative granite boulder with bronze tablet was placed in 1903 by the Colonel George Croghan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, with a more detailed marker added in 1972.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- War of 1812 defensive fortification with period earthworks and stockade reconstruction
- Historic cannon 'Old Betsy' used in 1813 British siege repulse
- Exhibits on Major George Croghan's command and garrison defense tactics
- Monuments honoring Ohio's military heritage and regional War of 1812 operations
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Stephenson
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Stephenson
- https://www.dar.org/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/fort-stephenson
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=18093
- https://aspace.ohiohistory.org/subjects/24883
- https://www.birchard.org/content/battle-fort-stephenson