More than 200 years ago, the United States stood on the threshold of war with France. The threat was so serious former President George Washington came out of retirement to lead the army and recruited Alexander Hamilton as his second in command.

Fifteen hundred U.S. troops - nearly half of the entire military - moved to a campsite on the Ohio River in present-day Pulaski County, Illinois, in deep Southern Illinois. For eighteen months, the soldiers drilled and prepared for war against France, while also experiencing disease and a fatal tornado. Eventually, the threat of war cleared, and the troops returned to other posts.

Today, the site of the former military base known as Cantonment Wilkinson is a well-plowed farm field. Generations of residents knew of the story, but aside from a few articles, nothing more was done to study the site.

In 2005, archaeologists with Southern Illinois University Carbondale launched an investigation. At first, the effort yielded little more than brick fragments and tiny pieces of glass and ceramic. Videographer Richard Kuenneke captured the moment when archaeologist Mark Wagner located the first artifact confirming the site’s military history. The single event “caught on tape” was the needed proof that led to a state-funded excavation of Cantonment Wilkinson.

Archaeologist Mark Wagner, Associated Professor and Director of SIU’s Center for Archaeological Investigations, published an article in the Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology. Access is restricted, sorry to say, but maybe you know someone who could download the article for you.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/1...

ADDITIONAL READING ABOUT MILITARY SITE ARCHAEOLOGY:

Interesting titles, but plan to “dig deep” into your wallet.

The Historical Archaeology of Military Sites: Method and Topic
By Clarence Raymond Geier, Lawrence E. Babits, Douglas Dowell Scott, and David G. Orr
https://amzn.to/3EV2UA2

Multivocal Archaeologies of the Pacific War, 1941-45: Collaboration, Reconciliation, and Renewal
By Ben Raffield, Yu Hirasawa, and Neil Price
https://amzn.to/46ifGEq

BOOKS ABOUT THE QUASI-WAR:

The First War of the United States: The Quasi-War with France 1798-1801
By William J. Phalen 2018
https://amzn.to/48oM6yZ

The Quasi-War. The Politics and Diplomacy of the Undeclared War with France, 1797-1801
By Alexander DeConde 1966
https://amzn.to/48tw0UI

Richard Kuenneke is a media producer living in southern Illinois. His company, DeepRoar Content, helps businesses, non-profits, and individuals use video to reach audiences for just about any purpose. For more information, visit deeproarcontent.com

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