FORT STANWIX History, Historic Furnishing, and Historic Structure Reports

This furnishing study is the last of several studies undertaken in order to reconstruct Fort Stanwix. Its illustrious predecessors consist of "The Construction and Military History of Fort Stanwix" (1969), by John F. Luzader; Historic Structure Report: Fort Stanwix, Architectural Data Section (1973) by Orville W. Carroll; and "Casemates and Cannonballs: Archeological Investigations at Fort Stanwix, 1758-1781" (1973), NPS typescript by Lee Hanson and Dick Ping Hsu.

The scope of this study focuses upon the siege and repulse of Barry St. Leger's British forces in August 1777, the major theme of the interpretive program. In addition, its attention focuses primarily on those areas of the fort scheduled by the interpretative prospectus for complete or partial furnishing. These areas consist of the parade ground, bastions, southwest and northwest bomb-proofs, bakehouse, guardhouse, headquarters, east barracks, and north, southeast, and west casemates.

This study is limited by a dearth of sources containing data on furnishings directly associated with Fort Stanwix. Where this scarcity has occurred, I have sought those sources that contain data on furnishings of other military posts of the period, particularly those in New York State. These sources proved of inestimable value. Archeological studies of Fort Stanwix and of other military posts of the period also proved to be valuable, although the basis for conclusions for a study of this nature must ultimately rest with the historical record. Obviously, because this study relys on much documentation not directly associated with the fort, many conclusions must necessarily be conjectural.

In preparing this study, I have first sought to identify furnishings that did, or might have, belonged to Fort Stanwix during the siege. These are treated in Chapters I through VI. In Chapter VII, I have brought all these furnishings together in an attempt to describe the appearance of those areas scheduled to be furnished.

For the sake of continuity and to avoid any confusion in the text, I have retained the name of Fort Stanwix throughout, even when sources have referred to the alternate name of Fort Schuyler.

My thanks go to many persons who have helped to make this study possible, but I wish especially to express my appreciation to Messrs. Luzader, Carroll, Hanson, and Hsu. Their knowledge, background, and long association with Fort Stanwix have produced scholarly studies and research without which the author would have been at a serious disadvantage. I would also like to thank the staffs of the following organizations for the assistance they gave me in seeking out possible sources: the New York Public Library, the New York Historical Society, the New York State Library, the William L. Clements Library of the University of Michigan, the American Antiquarian Society, the Sterling Memorial Library of Yale University, the New Haven Colony Historical Society, the National Archives, the Connecticut Historical Society, the United States Military Academy, and the Queens Borough Public Library in Jamaica, New York. Finally, a word of thanks goes to the many individuals, too numerous to mention here, who were so kind as to answer my many queries.

Louis Torres