 | BASTION OF MY FREEDOM COLONIAL CANAJOHARIE, NEW YORK |  |
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| Only a few places in American Lore are as steeped in history as is Fort Plank. This relatively forgotten fortress hosted, in its short lifetime, over fifteen different military regiments from the States of New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Its Commissisary dispensed thousands of rations to the troops. It served as an intelligence hub on the eastern terminus of the Oneida Trail. It guarded the Otsquago Valley gateway to the Susquehanna and Unadilla Valleys. And, it was the focus of an August 2, 1780, attack which led to one of the Mid-Atlantic Region's three greatest massacres. Fort Plank, as we know it, was born out of the labors of local soldiers of Palatine descent under the command of Captains Abraham Coapman and Jacob Diefendorf of the Canajoharie District Regiment of Tryon County Militia, in the spring and summer of 1778. Contemporary records show that the fort's site had been used extensively in the past as a place of encampment that was protected by an "old blockhouse". These same sources demonstrate that the fort consisted of at least one redoubt, a guardhouse, abalties, and two blockhouses. The headquarters of Tryon County's First Regiment of Militia was located within its walls from its birth until as late as 1782, with either Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Clyde or Major Abraham Coapman commonly in command. From December of 1778 until May of 1779, it served as the home of the Fourth New York Regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Pierre Regnier De Rousi. After the devastating raids of 1780, it became the home of scores of misplaced individuals. Within four short weeks of the August 2, 1780, "Fort Plank Massacre", the fortress' name was changed to "Fort Plain" by common usage, the name by which we now the area today. In 1786, the family of Henrich Eckler left Fort Plank for their former home at the Osquake, marking the end of a short, but remarkable life. She know lies hidden beneath the fruits of nature on what we locals call "Sand Hill", one and one half miles west of the mouth of the Otsquago Creek on the northern side of New York State Route 5S. In the 1980's, the loss of the memories of Fort Plank led a then young man from rural Nebraska, whose ancestors had died defending the fortress on August 2nd, 1780, to attempt to preserve the Fort's place in history. Despite this gentleman's excuses of being not only an untrained historian, but a novice author, he was eventually led to tell the stories of her gallant inhabitants in "The Bloodied Mohawk: The American Revolution in the Words of Fort Plank's Defenders and Other Mohawk Valley Partisans". This web-site is dedicated to the memories of the men and women of Fort Plank. Thus, researchers will hopefully find herein resources which will help them to understand the importance of this fortress and its role in establishing what has become the United States. On the behalf of the Partisans of the Mohawk Valley, I thank you for visiting their web site, and ask that you occasionally remember their sacrifices, as we owe them our freedom. Sincerely, Their Most Humble and Obedient Servant, |