Fort Stoddard
Fort Stoddard
Fort Stoddart, as established by United States troops in July, 1799, has also been named, with its stockade and bastion. As this was for some years a government post, held by the United States troops, and became a port of entry where the Court of Admiralty was held, it was of course a strong point. In 1804 Captain Schuyler of New York was commander here, with eighty men, Edmund P. Gaines was Lieutenant, and Lieutenant Reuben Chamberlain was paymaster. At Fort Stoddart duties were exacted on imports and exports. Four miles west of Fort Stoddart was Mount Vernon.
Fort Stoddert, also known as Fort Stoddard, was a stockade fort in the Mississippi Territory, in what is today Alabama. It was a Federal post erected at Mount Vernon Landing soon after the Spanish vacated the northern portion of West Florida. The fort was located at the western end of the Federal Road from Fort Wilkinson in Georgia.Aaron Burr was held here in 1807 after his arrest for treason. At one time (pre Civil War) the site was reserved as a subpost of Mount Vernon Arsenal. Also spelled Stodderd in some sources. The name of the town was later altered from the original spelling.
Located on the west bank of the Mobile River, Mobile County, Alabama, four miles due east of Mount Vernon, Alabama and 30 miles north of Mobile Alabama. Established by United States troops in July of 1799. This was a Stockade and bastion type. Port of entry into the United States where the Court of Admiralty was held. In 1804 Captain Schuyler of New York was commander of the post of eighty men, Lt. Edmund P. Gaines, Lt. Reuben Chamberlain paymaster. Duties were exacted on imports and exports, (In 1807 Natchez, Mississippi planters paid for Kentucky flour at $4.00 a barrel, the same flour brought through Spanish Mobile, and brought up the river to Ft. Stoddart cost the Tombigbee planters sixteen dollars a barrel.
During the Creek Indian War General Ferdinand L. Claiborne posted his Mississippi Militia to the fort and distributed troops to the many settler forts in the area. He moved his headquarters in 1814 and Fort Stoddard was abandoned.
Aaron Burr was held at Fort Stoddert in 1807 after his arrest for treason. At one time (pre Civil War) the site was reserved as a subpost of Mount Vernon Arsenal. Also spelled Stodderd in some sources.
A marker and interpretive panels are in and around the town of Mount Vernon in Mobile County, Alabama. The marker itself is located in the northeast corner of the intersection of the Old Military Road and Old U.S. 43. A series of six interpretive panels are strung out along the Old Military Road as it travels east from new U.S. Hwy 43 and then travels north parallel to the Mobile River. The last panel, #6, deals directly with Fort Stoddert but does not identify the exact location.
Lat: 31.08593 Long: -87.97898
Sources:
- Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 16
- USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 169330
Additional Information:
The Historical Marker Database