Imagine a typical day at Duart

All that is left of Fort Duart is the mounds of earth heaped up to build this redoubt. The remains sit on private property and it is quiet and almost forgotten. If not for the historical marker, most persons would have no idea what they were looking at. A quiet path in the woods and a small clearing with the remains of the redoubt barely visible. Despite this, Fort Duart is the only remaining redoubt in existence.

However, during the movement of a British army under Forbes’s command, Duart must have been a beehive of activity. Duart was the first stop after ascending the mountains through Rhor’s gap. After a day of pushing men, horses, and supplies up the narrow, steep, and treacherous gap, Duart was a welcomed site.

Not far from Duart is a spring, and one can only imagine how many thirsty persons and animals on this convey stopped to get a refreshing drink of water. The fort also offered food for the animals and the troops. Near Duart were bake ovens set up to make bread and other foodstuffs. The fort also held some supplies including salted meat and other rations that troops could batch an evening meal out of. The horses were fed grass and leaves from the locust trees, which would nourish them as well.

There was a regular assigned small garrison of troops at Duart. No doubt, their guests for the evening had many stories to swap with them about the “bloody” trip up the gap. There is also little doubt that “bloody” was a gentle expression used. Many of the soldiers doubtless had other less complimentary or curse words to describe the trip. Since travel was so difficult and dangerous, there was little doubt injuries were treated and equipment repairs made at Duart as well. After pitching camp the traveling soldiers could eat, drink whiskey, swap stories, and get some well deserved sleep. Morning came early and the next leg of the journey to Edmund’s Swamp lay ahead.