Nashvillians are generally familiar with Fort Nashboro, a replica of which stands on First Avenue North in downtown Nashville. Less familiar is Fort Loudoun, built by the British in 1756 on the Tellico River near its confluence with the Tennessee.
Because officials in the British Colony of South Carolina felt threatened by actions of the French in the Mississippi Valley, they sent an independent company of South Carolina militia to the Overhill Cherokee country to build and garrison the fort. They hoped it would accomplish two purposes. One was that it would ally the Overhill Cherokee with the British in their fight against the French and second it would foster a continuation of trade between the Overhill Cherokee and the South Carolinians. The Overhill Cherokee had been petitioning the Governor of the South Carolina colony to build the fort, thinking it would protect them from the Lower Cherokees in Georgia who coveted their land.
Fort Loudoun was built but things didn’t work out as the South Carolinians hoped. In 1760, disenchanted Cherokees besieged the fort, causing provisions to nearly reach the vanishing point. For an entire month, the South Carolinians had “no other subsistence but the flesh of lean horses and dogs and a small supply of … beans some friendly [Native Americans] procured for them by stealth.” On Aug. 7, Captain Raymond Demere agreed to a surrender of the fort and garrison on five conditions:
That the Garrison marched out with their arms and drums, each soldier having as much powder and balls as their officers felt necessary.
That the Garrison be permitted to march for Virginia or Fort Prince George as the commanding officer may think appropriate and that they be accompanied by a number of Native Americans to hunt for provisions while on the march.
That such soldiers who are lame or disabled by sickness be received in the Indian towns and kindly treated until they recover and then returned to Fort Prince George.
That the Native Americans provide the Garrison with as many horses as they can conveniently furnish, to be paid by the officers.
That the Fort, Great Guns, Powder, balls and spare arms be delivered to the Native Americans on the day appointed for the march.
The Native Americans agreed on the surrender terms and, on the day appointed, the whites — men, women and children — moved out and proceeded for 15 miles when they camped. On Aug.10, many Native Americans surrounded the camp. The white men, enfeebled by near starvation, were incapable of resistance. Four officers, 23 privates, and at least three women were killed. The Garrison’s commander, Captain Demere, was made to dance around for some time, after which they chopped off his arm, then the other and then his legs. He had already been scalped. After removing the big guns from Fort Loudoun, the Cherokees burned it. In 1762, Lt. Henry Timberlake visited the site and found the fort to be in ashes.
A replica of Fort Loudoun at Fort Loudoun State Historic Site stands surrounded by Fort Loudoun Lake and the Tennessee River. Fort Loudoun is the state’s only French and Indian War park.