Shelter from the Storm: History of Vance's Fort

As you travel the modern roads of today, and visit the cities, towns and villages dotting the hills and dales of upper Appalachia, it is hard to ever imagine the area as a vast wilderness laden with dangers lurking behind nearly every tree. This was an area forged by the sweat and blood of a unique breed of pioneer, those who could see the diamond in the rough of this land, knowing that when mined and polished it would bear the fruits of their labors for their families and the countless generations to follow. Moreover, in order to fire up their tireless forging of the wilderness the pioneers needed a hearth and smithy to commence the work, this is the story of that metaphorical place and man, and this is the history of Vance’s Fort.

In 1774, twenty four year old Joseph Vance made the daunting trek from Frederick County, Virginia across spine of the Appalachians to the western frontier. He followed the bloody trail that was cut into the wilderness by General Edward Braddock nearly twenty years before and came into the tiny outpost surrounding Fort Pitt. He then continued westward to an area of nearly uninhibited lands that his friend and fellow Virginian, George Washington, had told him laid nestled in the hills just east of the mighty Ohio River.

"Rich Flatts"
Cross Creek, Pennslvania (2011)

At the time this land was being claimed by both Virginia and Pennsylvania, and Joseph Vance made his land claim for the farm known as “Rich Flatts” in Augusta County, Virginia’s Land Office. Upon receiving his land grant, Joseph began to clear next to a spring creating the head of a small stream leading to Raccoon Creek.  Here Joseph erected a fortified blockhouse and planted a field of crops, as well as girdled a large amount of trees surrounding the area to quickly thin them out. Upon completion of this Joseph returned to Virginia and married his cousin Anne Vance, and returned to his new lands in the west.

However, while he was in Virginia, Joseph was convinced by his father, Major William Vance, and several other military minded men that Indian unrest called for more protection than a simple blockhouse, and if the strained bonds of affection between the colonies and Mother England were to sever war would break out. Furthermore, if war were to commence the British Empire would probably take a page out of their enemy’s book and align with the Indians to wage war on the western frontier. Thus with this knowledge, Joseph returned and began to erect a small fort surrounding his blockhouse. The fort was one of the strongest on the western frontier consisting of several cabins and blockhouses all surrounded by a stockade made of oak.

The Fire And Brimstone Patriot

In the late eighteenth century there was a new wave of ideals sweeping the British colonies in America. The citizens of these lands thought of themselves more as free Americans than as subjects to the crown, and this idea was only compounded with each new generation born upon these soils. These new idealist felt that they should govern themselves with laws and taxes that they felt fit and that they should have the freedom to practice the religion of their choosing. One of these idealists was a young Pennsylvanian by the name of John Herrington.



John Herrington
His only picture on his 100th Birthday



On January 1, 1759, John Herrington was born in Pennsylvania to John and Martha (Berkley) Herrington. John was born into a developing area still hostile with wild game and frequent Indian Raids. In 1763, during the closing days of the French and Indian War, the Herrington family fled from an Indian attack; however, both of John parents died in this attack leaving the four year old boy orphaned. John was raised by a couple in the community that was devoutly faithful and taught the word of the Lord to the young lad.

When the Revolution broke out John soon enlisted with Captain John Redman’s company attached to the 11^th Pennsylvania Regiment.  While in service John fought under General “Mad” Anthony Wayne in 1777 at the Battle of Brandywine, and again at the Battle of Paoli, where the regiment took heavy casualties.  Herrington spent the fateful winter of 1777-78 encamped at Valley Forge and saw his last engagement of the war at the Battle of Monmouth under Aaron Burr, before being mustered out of service.