British under Cornwallis, on November 20, 1776. Warned just in time, he hastily evacuated the fort and retreated with Washington across New Jersey, leaving behind all his provisions and military stores.
FORT LO′GAN. A United States military post, established in 1887, and comprising a reservation of 640 acres, three miles from Denver, Colo. There are quarters and stables for a squadron of cavalry.
FORT McALL′ISTER, a strong earthwork, erected by the Confederates during the Civil War on Genesis Point, on the right bank of the Great Ogeechee River, six miles from Ossabaw Sound, and 12 miles south of Savannah, Ga. Early in 1863 Admiral Du Pont, wishing to give the recently constructed monitors a preliminary trial before using them against Fort Sumter (q.v.), ordered the Montauk (Commander J. L. Worden), assisted by the gunboats Seneca, Wissahickon, Dawn, and Williams, to attack Fort McAllister. Bombardments occurred, without serious damage either to the fleet or the fort, on January 27th and February 28th, the Confederate privateer Nashville, which had grounded near the fort, being destroyed on the latter day. On March 30th an eight-hour attack, with little effect, was made by the monitors Passaic, Patapsco, and Nahant, under Commander Drayton. Finally, on December 13, 1864, the fort was assaulted and captured by General Hazen's division of General Sherman's army. This was the concluding operation of Sherman's march to the sea, and led to the surrender of Savannah several days later. Consult: Ammen, The Atlantic Coast (New York, 1883); Johnson and Buel (editors), Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, vol. iv. (New York, 1887); and Sherman, Memoirs, vol. ii. (New York, 1875).
FORT McHEN′RY. A United States military post, established in 1794. It occupies a reservation of 35 acres, on Whetstone Point, Patapsco River, Md. The post-office and telegraph station are Baltimore, Md., from the centre of which city it is distant three miles. Its site was first occupied for military purposes in 1775. In 1794 it was established as a permanent fortification, and was named after James McHenry, one of Washington's private secretaries during the Revolution, and Secretary of War, 1798. In September, 1814, it successfully withstood a bombardment by the British fleet under Admiral Cockburn. It was this attack which suggested to Francis S. Key his famous ode, “The Star Spangled Banner.” During the Civil War the fort was used as a rendezvous and military prison. In 1902 there was an artillery garrison of four companies. Forts Armistead and Carroll are subposts.
FORT MA′CON. A fort commanding Beaufort Harbor, N. C., taken by Federal land and naval forces on April 26, 1862.
FORT McPHER′SON. A United States military post, established in 1867 as McPherson Barracks, and now located on a reservation of 236 acres, acquired by the United States Government in 1886, and situated four miles south of Atlanta, Ga. There are post-office and telegraph stations at the post. There are quarters for four companies of infantry.
FORT MADISON. A city and the county-seat of Lee County, Iowa, 18 miles southwest of Burlington; on the Mississippi River, and on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fé and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroads (Map: Iowa, F 4). It is the seat of the State penitentiary, and has the Catermole Memorial Library, and several public parks. A fine railroad and wagon bridge crosses the river at this point. There are pork-packing houses, shops of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fé Railroad, foundries and machine-shops, flour and saw mills, farm-implement works, wrapping-paper mills, car-wheel works, and manufactures of automobiles, buttons, boots and shoes, chairs, boxes, tools, etc. Fort Madison was settled in 1832, on the site of a fort dating from 1808, and was incorporated as a town in 1836. The government is administered by a mayor, elected every two years, and a unicameral council. Population, in 1890, 7901; in 1900, 9278.
FORT MEADE. A United States military post, established in 1878, and occupying a reservation of 7842 acres, in Meade County, near Sturgis, S. D., on the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad. There are quarters for 25 officers and 500 men, and stables for 600 horses. It was improved and modernized in 1902.
FORT MEIGS, mĕgz. A former fort at the Maumee Rapids, in northwestern Ohio, famous for its defense by the Americans against the English and Indians during the War of 1812. General Harrison had established his advanced post here after the ‘Massacre of the River Raisin’ (see Frenchtown), and on May 1, 1813, the British General Proctor, at the head of more than 2200 men (including about 1500 Indians under Tecumseh), began an attack, which lasted, with little intermission, until the 5th. On this day an American reinforcement of about 1100 men, under Gen. Green Clay, arrived, and a battle, or series of battles, ensued, without decisive result. Proctor, however, seeing the hopelessness of further attack, and being considerably weakened by Indian defections, withdrew from the vicinity of the fort on the 9th. Consult: Dawson, Battles of the United States (New York, 1858); and Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812 (New York, 1868).
FORT MER′CER. An abandoned fort at Red Bank, N. J., on the Delaware River, which during the Revolutionary War formed one of the defenses of the city of Philadelphia. Immediately after occupying Philadelphia, in 1777, Sir William Howe (q.v.) perceived the necessity of securing Forts Mercer and Mifflin, in order to open communication by water with New York, and thus prevent the forcing of his army into a state of siege. Late in October, accordingly, a force of about 2500 picked men, mostly Hessians, under Colonel Donop, was sent against Fort Mercer, and a supporting fleet was ordered up the river. On the 22d the Hessians attacked with vigor, but were fiercely beaten back by the small American garrison, numbering 300, under Col. Christopher Greene, and were finally forced to withdraw. After the capture of Fort Mifflin (q.v.), Fort Mercer was abandoned (November 20th) by the Americans, and soon afterwards was destroyed by the British. Consult: Dawson, Battles of the United States (New York, 1858); and
