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This weekend, we celebrate Memorial Day. It is a day off for many of us and most will celebrate with picnics, time with family, community concerts and the opening of our area pools. But more than those things, it is a holiday to remember those who have given their lives to our nation. It seems that every year since I started writing these columns, I write about the importance of Memorial Day, but I believe it is a topic that is worth a revisit.
Since the very beginning of our history in this community we, as a people, have always participated in our nation's conflicts. From the very first soldiers who came to man Fort Steuben in October of 1786, there always have been risks to being in the service. Just after the American Revolution, the government had a hard time encouraging folks to join the army. Most of the 150 soldiers at Fort Steuben were teenagers. Most could not read or write. One of the biggest reasons these young men joined the army in that time was for regular meals, clothing and a roof over their head.
There were never any casualties at Fort Steuben that we know of, and there were no outright attacks on the fort while it was in operation. We do know, however, that while the soldiers were out on patrol, they did have run-ins with Native American groups. It was a hard life for these men. Most of the officers at Fort Steuben were veterans of the American Revolution and had seen action in their careers. While at Fort Steuben, the soldiers were cold, somewhat hungry and probably bored. The regular enlisted men were paid $4 a month, although there wasn't much to buy out in the Northwest Territory at this time.
The clothing that the soldiers had was worn out by the time the fort was resupplied in February of 1787. The men actually had to share shoes as there were only 33 pairs among the enlisted men. Any food that the soldiers had needed to be brought in from Fort Pitt at what is today Pittsburgh. Before November of 1786, the river was the main highway through the area, but early in the winter the river was frozen and any travel on it was impossible. The soldiers were not permitted to hunt for themselves -- they had a finite amount of gun powder and lead ammunition.
The officers of the fort hired a gentleman from across the river in Holliday's Cove to hunt when the need would arise. This fellow was Col. Swearingen, who was the officer in charge of Fort Holliday. The soldiers at the fort did have some cattle that they brought in with them from Pittsburgh which helped with some provisions as well. One thing the men did not lack at Fort Steuben was whiskey. The men were granted a ration of whiskey as they were for their food.
The officers at the fort had a different experience when it came to provisions. They were permitted to buy things from outside the fort from farmers across the river in Virginia. Although that side also was pretty rustic, there were settlements that had existed over there for at least 10 years prior to the soldiers arriving at the fort. The 1st American regiment, although their main duty was to protect the surveyors who were working to open the Northwest Territory, also were tasked with removing any illegal squatters from the Ohio side of the river, sometimes going so far as burning these folks out of their houses if they refused to go willingly.
The men who were at Fort Steuben moved on from the fort when the survey was complete in May of 1787. Many of the young men were later involved with the Battle of the Wabash, better known as St. Clair's Defeat, in November of 1791 when the First American Regiment, along with local militia of around 1,000 men under Arthur St. Clair, faced a Native American force of more than 1,000 warriors under Little Turtle of the Miami tribe, Blue Jacket of the Shawnee and Buckongahelas of the Delawares. This battle was an outright disaster for the American forces. Reports stated that of 52 officers engaged, 39 were killed and seven were wounded. The soldier casualty rate was 97 percent, with more than 832 Americans killed or wounded.
Because of the small size of our forces at that time, more than a quarter of the entire U.S. Army was destroyed at that one single event. I am sure that a lot of our soldiers who were stationed at Fort Steuben were part of that defeat.
One can learn all about life for our earliest soldiers at Historic Fort Steuben's Fort Festival, which will return to Steubenville on June 3-4. You can learn about life on the frontier during the time the soldiers were there. There will be reenactors, a tomahawk toss, local author Alan Fitzpatrick, period music, crafters and food vendors. The Professional Land Surveyors of Ohio will be on hand to explain how the Northwest Territory was measured out in those days and archaeologists from the Franciscan University of Steubenville will be there to explain the ongoing efforts to find the traces of the fort in the archaeological record. Admission to the event is $7 for adults, $3 for youth 6-12 and under 6 free. Family rates are available. The fort will be open June 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Above all this weekend, keep in mind the many brave men and women who gave their lives for our country. Our freedoms we enjoy today are a direct result of these sacrifices, from our earliest soldiers fighting on the frontier to our current servicemen overseas. Our freedom is never free.
(Zuros is the Hancock County administrator.)