Preserving HistoryReenacting the 13thWe are an informally connected group of friends from ages 18-20 or so to early 50’s or so. Which is convenient, because the original 13th was composed of men of the same ages. It appears that men of a fairly wide variety of ethnicities composed the 13th. We do have some women who interpret events with 13th Virginia. They accurately portray women who were formally attached to the 13th Virginia. Actually, 5 women and several Delaware Indians were assigned to Fort Laurens in 1778-1779. So, we are able to accurately and respectfully incorporate interactions and skill sets that many different humans
had at Fort Laurens in 1778-1779. |
What We Do
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Fort Laurens was built in November, 1778 at Delaware request. Laurens was to serve as a “firebase” on the major route from Fort Pitt & Wheeling to Detroit. Laurens controlled a major ford and camp site along the Muskingum River. The fort was about 20 miles away from several Delaware Towns. The stockade included barracks and warehouses for a garrison of up to 200. Five women and 171 men of the 13th Virginia & 8th Pennsylvania spent the winter of 1778-1779 in garrison in addition to 4 Delaware & Delaware Moravian Warriors who were posted within the fort on 14-day rotations.
Cattle, hogs and corn were to be purchased from the Delaware Towns with additional supplies arriving from Fort Pitt by packhorse or possibly from Wheeling by canoe or batteau. |