Preliminary Examination of Archaeological Remains from Fort Johnson and Cantonment Davis

Two War of 1812–Era Military Posts at the Des Moines Rapids of the Mississippi River

Bibliographic Data

ID11205342
AuthorsDavid J Nolan (0000-0002-9114-7002, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, corresponding author), Robert N Hickson (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Steven R Kuehn (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Mark C Branstner (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
Year2012
Volume37
Issue2
Pages257-298
Publication date2012-01-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMidcontinental Journal of Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0146-1109 • E-ISSN: 2327-4271
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1179/mca.2012.013
OpenAlexW827060538
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited14

In September 1814, Brevet Major Zachary Taylor established Fort Johnson on the eastern bluffs of the Mississippi to assert American control over the mouth of the Des Moines River and points northward. Completed in a matter of weeks, the fort and its works were razed in late October of the same year when the troops ran out of provisions and retreated downriver to the St. Louis area. The following October, a temporary winter camp called Cantonment Davis was established near the fort ruins as a staging ground for building Fort Edwards, a subsequent military trading post. This article presents highlights from the archaeological search for the fort/cantonment location and recent excavations undertaken at the site, with a special focus on the armaments-related assemblage

Archaeology · Assemblage (archaeology · Excavation · American History and Culture · Archaeology and Natural History · Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies · History

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