Fort Robinson (2)

 (1761-1762) - A British colonial fort first established by Virginia Militia Colonel Adam Stephen in 1761 near present day Kingsport, Sullivan County, Tennessee. Named Fort Robinson after John Robinson who was partners with Colonel William Byrd III and Colonel John Chriswell in the nearby lead mines. Abandoned in 1762.

History
One of several forts and blockhouses built by Virginia Militia troops under Colonel Adam Stephen in 1761 in their campaign to bring the hostile Cherokee to the peace table. The Cherokee had besieged and then slaughtered some of the Fort Loudoun garrison after they surrendered in the summer of 1860.

Colonel Stephen's troops cut a road from Virginia to the Long Island in the Holston River where they built Fort Robinson. This was the very first road built in Tennessee. The road was completed in September 1761 and troops assembled at Fort Robinson on the bank of the Holston River for the campaign.

The fort itself was a large bastioned fort with walls thick enough to stop a small cannonball. The gate was reportedly spiked with nails to prevent attackers from breaking through. Cannons were mounted in the bastions and the fort was said to also have a blockhouse. The garrison was initially composed of 600 Virginians but they were soon joined by 400 North Carolina troops.

In the face of this significant force, the hostile Cherokee came to the fort and asked for peace. The Fort Robinson Treaty was concluded and all of the troops save one company of Virginians returned to their homes. Some of this company remained until 1762, determined to settle in the area but the lands were a part of a land grant and the disappointed settlers departed.

The area remained largely unsettled until the conflict with the Cherokee broke out again in 1776 and Fort Patrick Henry was built on or nearby the old Fort.

Current Status
No remains, no markers. The fort site is reportedly a part of the Eastman Chemical manufacturing site. A marker for Fort Patrick Henry is located along TN 93.

See Also:
 * Fort Patrick Henry
 * Fort Loudoun
 * Fort Chiswell
 * Anglo-Cherokee War

Sources:
 * , page 744-745.

Links:
 * North American Forts - Fort Robinson


 * Waymarking - Fort Patrick Henry Marker