Note 412 — Chapter VII · NINE YEARS OF GARRISON LIFE
Reading edition
Wilson, Chicago from 1803 to 1812.
[413] The original is in the files of the War Department at Washington. Because of its historical value the verbal description which accompanies the drawing is reproduced here:
INDEX ANNEXED TO THE DRAUGHT OF FORT DEARBORN &C.
No. 1 Block Houses 2 Port Holes for Cannon 3 Loop Holes for small arms 4 Magazine 5 Inward Row of pickets 6 Outward Row of pickets 7 Main Gate 8 Wicket Gate 9 Guard House 10 Comm'g Officers Barracks 11 Officers Barracks 12 Soldiers Barracks 13 Contractors Store 14 Hospital Store 15 Asst. Military Agt. Store 16 Small Houses in the garrison 17 Agents House 18 Factors House 19 Interpreters House 20 Armerers Shop 21 Merchants Shop 22 Bake House 23 House in Factors Dept. 24 Stables 25 River Cheykago 26 Banks of said River 27 Wharf of said River 28 Low ground between said bank & River. 29 Beach between Sd. River and Lake. 30 John Kinzie Esq. House on the opisite side River 31 Oather Dwelling Houses on opisite side River 32 Old Grist Mill Worked by Horses { N. 33 Covered Way to procure Water } Omited in their places { N. 34 Gutters to carry off the Water }
Note. the Barracks are two storeys high with shingled Roofs and Galliaries fronting the parade. The measurement of the Garrison including the Block Houses And Barrick are laid down at' twenty feet to the Inch the Cupolas are not yet built on the Block Houses as laid down. The Dwelling houses mentioned in the Indian Department are laid down at forty feet to the Inch, the oather houses without any Regular rule. The River is not regularly surveyed but still gives a strong Idea of Its Courses it is about six miles in length, except in high water, at which time there is no portage to the Illinois River.
The distances from the defirant places to the Garrison as mentioned with Red Ink on & red lines, are accurately measured, but not laid down by a scale. The woodland on the reserve Lyes on the north, & west, sides of the Garrison except a small strip of woods about one mile in length and two hundred yards in breadth. Lying on the bank of the river south west of the Garrison. Along the Margin of Said Woods, is good medow and supplyes the Garrison with hay. On the North and west sides of the Garrison there has been a quantity of underwood and shruby Bushes such as prickly Ash &c. they are now cut down and cleared off, all within one Fourth of a Mile of the Garrison.
On the south and southwest sides of the Garrison is a large parraria on which stands The aforesaid strip of woods as laid down in the Draught, and the distance from the Garrison three fourths of a Mile. On the East side is the Lake. There has been A picket fence on the Opisite side of the river, northwest of the Garrison as laid Down, this fence might serve as a Barrier against the Garrison as the pickets were five feet in length, sufficient in thickness to prevent a Musket Ball from doing execution to an Enemy lying behind them. I thought it proper for the safety of the Garrison to have them taken up and replaced with a common rail fence. At this time the Garrison (except the Houses on the Opisite side of the river being somewhat in the way) is perfectly secure from any ambuscade or Barrier.
The Branch that emptys into the Cheykag is considerably the longest, and has the greatest current. The parraria on the south and southwest as already mentioned is of great extent.
Fort Dearborn 20.th Feb.y 1808. J. Whistler Capt.