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Life at Fort Loudon

© Jim Buckenmyer

Day to day life at Fort Loudon took on many facets. First and foremost it was a military post. Shortly before completion of the fort Captain Raymond DeMere turned command over to his brother, Captain Paul DeMere. The soldiers under his command were required to look and act like British regulars. This meant that there were constant drill, guard duty, and ceremony. Drill could be very rigorous, and went on despite heat, cold, or deep mud on the parade ground. Of course it was very difficult to keep those pretty red uniforms in order.

The uniforms caused hardships of their own. The men wore long, heavy, woolen coats over a full suit of clothing no matter what the weather, needless to say prickly heat was just one of the problems. There were leather, buttons and brass to keep polished. Hats had to be blocked 'just so', and clothing kept clean and orderly.

The war with France continued. There were constant rumors of imminent attacks on the fort and the Cherokee towns. The Cherokee and British cooperated in several actions of mutual support. When the Savannah tribe threatened the village of Tellico, the British sent an officer and 33 regulars to aid in a successful preemptive attack. The British asked for 500 Cherokee to assist in the attack on Fort Duquense with General John Forbes. The Cherokee sent more than asked, and every village was represented.

Living conditions were poor. The barracks and officers quarters were sided with unchinked clapboard. The clapboard did little to break the wind and did even less to hold the heat in. Quarters were also crowded. Even though most of the provincials were sent home there was still little room. The men slept, cooked, ate, and lived in the confined spaces that were the barracks.

Food supplies were another constant concern. Little food could be brought over the mountains due to distance and the difficulty of the terrain. At one point the quartermaster was able to arrange shipment of food. This consisted of eighty-two cattle, one hundred twenty-three hogs and 3000 pounds of flour. While this may seem a goodly quantity to us, it was to last them only ninety days. To supplement their diet the men farmed plots of corn on the seven hundred acres ceded to the fort. They also would trade with the local Cherokee villages for food. Potable water was less of a concern as they had dug a well inside the compound and were situated near the confluence of two large rivers.

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