Ft. Allison

Prior histories of Lawrence County state that Russellville began in 1809. The town of Russellville itself didn’t exist until 1835 but there were settlers living in the area earlier than 1807. The Johnson deed that confirmed the settlement name was Little Village, noted that a settler by the name of William Hogue was already living on the land in 1807. 

History continues by saying that about 1809 or 1810 or shortly after, came William Hogue who immigrated from Kentucky with one son, Jeremiah. Hogue settled on the NW1/4 of section 28 T5R10 and subsequently moved to a point opposite Terre Haute, where he died.  However, the newly found deed confirms that Wm Hogue was here earlier than 1809.

The Allison Genealogy, as written in the 175th anniversary book of Lawrence County states that Samuel Allison, his wife Phebe, their nine children and some grandchildren moved to the county in 1809. After arriving in New Jersey as a child from Scotland, Samuel moved to the Carolinas after the Revolution, and later to Kentucky before settling near Little Village. Samuel, his two sons, Frederick and Ezra, and his brother Jonathan all filed land grants in the area.  Legend has it that Samuel was a great hunter, often killing as many as fifteen deer in a day to provide for the needs of his extended family. In addition to clearing their land, Ezra was a grain miller. Concerned for their families during the Indian uprising and War of 1812, the men constructed Fort Allison for safety.   

A stockade or picket fort was started in 1811 and completed in the spring of 1812, on Samuel Allison's property, now within the northern corporate limits of Russellville, called Fort Allison. The construction of this defensive arrangement was similar to that at St. Francisville according to the Tri-County History published in 1883. That fort was described as consisting of an “enclosure formed by placing large stakes or pickets in the earth side by side. The enclosure was twelve or fourteen feet high, and similar to a city wall; for within were a number of log dwellings, for the use of the families that sought protection there.  In two of the corners of the stockade were watch houses, projecting beyond the enclosure, at the sides and at some distance above the ground, so as to command a view of the enemy that might be approaching. At night the heavy oaken doors were swung to and barred, the guards took their places in the watch-houses.” 

The personal diary of Esau Johnson who moved to Lawrence County in 1811 describes a similar style fort built about 6 miles west of Fort Allison on the prairie.  The men cut logs and built four blockhouses in a 6- rod square. Pickets were set from one house to another to make an enclosed square. Then they built a pound to keep the horses in at night.  Using good stout logs or poles they put a long chain around each panel and a board down in each corner with a 2-inch auger to pin the poles together so they could only be taken down by cutting them. 

Since Mr. Johnson’s father had ridden to Ft Allison to get eight men to help put up the family’s log home, researchers believe the fort was probably modeled after the one at Fort Allison. Seven of the men who assisted with the house raising were John Allison, Richard Allison, William Mills, Peter Kuykendale, Adam Lackey, James Bryant and Caleb Anderson.

Besides the Allisons and those mentioned above, the families of Thomas Mills, William Stockwell, McBane, William Hogue, Daniel and Henry Kuykendall, and the free African -American families of Anderson, Morris, Cole, and Tann used the fort for protection during these dangerous times.

According to Byron Lewis, local historian, the most danger lay in traveling between the forts or doing chores near them.  William Stockwell and Mr. Anderson, a free black, were shot and killed, the former returning from Fort La Motte in Crawford County, the latter somewhere in the neighborhood of Fort Allison. Legend has it that the wife of Anderson wanted a cannon mounted on Dubois Hill, (now known as Robeson Hills) “to deal out indiscriminate slaughter among the Indians.”

Another incident often reported by early historians concerns a Ranger Patrol. "During this same period a party of thirteen Rangers, one rainy day, were passing from Fort LaMotte to Fort Allison and when within a half a mile of the latter, were fired upon by a number of Indians.  They suffered no bodily harm or inconvenience, save that of the strange circumstance that the handkerchiefs they were wearing about their necks were in two cases, shot away.  The party on leaving Fort LaMotte, discharged their guns, as a precaution against wet priming, and when fired upon were unable to return the attack."

Yet another story is told of Austin Tann, who was “returning from Small's Mill on the Embarras with a sack of meal and was pursued by a band of Indians on ponies. He was riding a large horse and took refuge in the marsh, southwest of Russellville. His pursuers were unable to follow him with their ponies, and he escaped with the loss of only his grist."

  Miss Rebecca Fyffe related that Indians surrounded Fort Allison and fired on it.  Then to draw their fire the men in the fort fixed up a gourd with a hat on it and slowly raised it above the pickets.  The Indians discovering the ruse refused to fire. The women taunted the Indians by calling out "Fire, you yellow Sunny Bees."

In 1812 with Indian troubles escalating in the area, mounted Rangers were stationed at Vincennes under Col. Russell.  The inhabitants of the forts looked to these troops when there was trouble.  A letter survives dated September 9, 1812, from Ft Allison and signed by Thomas Mills, Samuel Allison, Thos. Highsmith, Henry Kuykendall, Peter Kuykendall, Joseph Wilks, James Robertson, Thomas Fyffe and E H Allison requesting assistance.

To General Gibson

              Situation precarious as upper fort was broke up and has shook "likely to fall except it get a brace" pray that your excellency grant us the men that were stationed for our relief.

The fort was rebuilt in 1830’s for protection during Black Hawk War by Russell brothers.  They called it Fort Russell.

  Some early land owners in Russell Twp

Note: George Rogers Clark owned 279 acres in Russell Township, T4NR10W.