Fort Knox II

Fort Knox II
Today the author discusses another historic site near Vincennes, Indiana, Indiana’s oldest town, Fort Knox II.
From the Book
Southwest Indiana Day Trips

Transcript:

Fort Knox II
Greetings, today I will talk about another historic site near Vincennes, Indiana, Indiana’s oldest town, Fort Knox II.

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Vincennes was the site of five forts during the colonial, revolutionary and post-revolutionary periods of United States history. The French built a fort, Fort Vincennes, in 1731-1732. The French held Vincennes until the end of the French and Indian War. The French surrendered the fort and most of their North American possession at the conclusion of the war, in 1764. The British commander, Lieutenant John Ramsey, rebuilt the fort. He renamed it Fort Sackville to honor the British Battle of Minden hero, George Germain, Lord Sackville. Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark took Fort Sackville during a frigid mid-winter campaign in 1779. He renamed it Fort Patrick Henry. The old fort fell into disuse. The United States built a new fort a short distance from the ruins of Fort Patrick Henry in 1787 and named it Fort Knox. Friction developed between the fort’s garrison and the town’s populace and Indiana Territory governor petitioned the Federal Government to build a new fort. Construction completed on this fort in 1803. The new fort was three miles north of the city of Vincennes. Known as Fort Knox II, the fort had an excellent view of the river. Governor Harrison used the fort to gather the military force he would use against the Amerindian leader Tecumseh. After the Battle of Tippecanoe, the native tribes were no longer a threat. However, the War of 1812 had broken out and Vincennes was vulnerable to attack by the British. So, the American troops disassembled the fort, floated it downstream and reassembled it on the site of the former Fort Knox I. On February 10, the Army abandoned Fort Knox II and moved the garrison to Fort Harrison at Terre Haute.
The original site of Fort Knox II three miles north of Vincennes is now an Indiana State Historic Site. The fort’s location is outlined with posts and there is a short trail with interpretive signs.

Fort Knox II is about ten minutes north of Vincennes on Old Fort Knox Road. This Indiana State Historic Site is located on a back road in an out of the way location. However, there are signs leading the way and it is not difficult to find. The fort has not been restored. However, State personnel have outlined the known perimeter of the palisade walls with wooden posts and, by archeological excavation, found many of the forts features. A series of bronze plaques tells the history of Fort Knox II from its construction to its dismantlement. Soldiers disassembled the fort to reassemble it in Vincennes, building Fort Knox III in the process. It will take about forty-five minutes to read all the plaques and ponder what went on here in this now quiet and restful spot.

Address
Fort Knox II
3090 N. Old Fort Knox Road
Vincennes, Indiana 47591

The episode is based upon my book, Southwest Indiana Road Trips, available on the web site, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com. The book is the first book in the 9 volume Road Trip Indiana Series. The books include all the historical markers, as of 2022, in Indiana with the text and back story. The books also include a nearly complete listing of virtually every tourism destination in the state. The destinations include parks, museums, drive in theaters, bowling alleys, wineries and much, much more. I encourage you to visit the web site and subscribe to it.
You can find my books locally at the Walnut Street Variety Shop in Batesville, Indiana.
I hope you enjoyed this podcast and thank you for listening.