I am working on a simple timeline for Butts Hill Fort that might go into signage sometime. There are a lot of dates I have firmly determined, but I am stumped on an origin date and credit to which side first began to construct fortifications.

I am not a military historian, but John Robertson is. He credits the British with the first fortification in December of 1776. One reason I have believed that the American militia had to have created some fortifications is notations on the Huntington Library’s map of North Portsmouth. The note reads “made in 1776.” The British did not invade Aquidneck Island until December 8th, 1776. They would have had to work quickly in the cold winter to construct a battery that quickly.

Robertson believes that when the British arrived they found only two American fortifications and they were by the ferries.

Our best resource on British activities in Occupied Portsmouth is the diary of Frederick Mackenzie. Unfortunately Mackenzie was away from the island for the beginning months of 1777, but we have his accounts of December 1776. His account of troop distribution on December 17th doesn’t show any troops stationed at “Windmill Hill” (Americans called it Butts Hill). Those mentioned were “At Bristol ferry house,” (which would have been close to the Commons area today) detached to a house at the point (probably Common Fence Point), Town Pond, at the Neck and at the road to Howland’s Bridge.

Mackenzie diary on December 30 mentions that the British took over a fort that had been constructed by the American up the hill at Bristol Ferry. The notation here specifically mentions that they Rebels built this fortification in 1775. His diaries mention the hard frosts the British encountered so I imagined that digging for battery building would have been hard to accomplish.

After a being away in New York, Mackenzie mentions “Windmill Hill” June 3, 1777.

” A Picquet of one of the Regiments on Windmill, is ordered to reiRnforce the advance posts every evening ’til further orders.” What happened from January until June is missing in the diary.

D.K. Abbass writes that the American Militia had a fortification on the hill. I have tried to find confirmations when I research the Rhode Island Militia. Although Portsmouth did have an active militia, I can’t find mentions of specific use of the hill. I have looked at locations of signal beacons. Butts Hill would be the perfect place to put a beacon. I know there were reports of a beacon in Portsmouth, but I cannot find a specific mention of the Butts Hill site.

Readers – help me write the origin line.

1776 Americans

1776 British

1777 British

I am aware that as we research and find other sources, there might be a change in how we write an origin of the fort. But for now….I have to put something down.