This is a timeline of the of Eli Clemson, who was in command of the military garrison at Fort Osage from 1808 to 1813.

Born: Pennsylvania, 1776. Salisbury Township, Lancaster County. Born at his Grandfather’s stone home built in 1735.

Religion: Protestant Episcopalian, St. Johns Church, Lancaster County, PA.

Father: James Clemson 4th, Joined Pennsylvania Militia during the Revolutionary War.

Grandfather: Judge James Clemson 3rd, Delegate to the Continental Convention, PA voted for revolution.

Mother: Mary Brady (Eli’s middle name was his mothers maiden name)

1799: 1 March - Commissioned at age of twenty-three by President John Adams, second Lt. 1st US Infantry

1800: 30 April - Promoted 1st Lieutenant.

1800: Stationed at Detroit

1802: 16 March - Military peace establishment, troop reduction, Clemson classified as “Officer of the 1st Class, so esteemed from a superiority of genius & military proficiency”

1804: Assistant Military Agent, Fort Detroit

1805: 23 December - Escorted Arikara chief to Washington City, personally delivered to President Jefferson mineral samples from Missouri River sent by General James Wilkinson.

1806-1807: Recruited his company from New York to Pennsylvania.

1807: 4 March - promoted to Captain

1807: 20 December - Received appointment from Territorial Governor Meriwether Lewis to office of Justice of the Peace for township of St. Ferdinand, District of St. Louis.

1808 (August 10): Departed with boats from Belle Fontaine, waited for G. Sibley at St. Charles for two days, he was late, before finally departing for Fire Prairie Creek.

1808: 3 September - Went up the river three miles, and chose the location which would become Fort Osage. William Clark arrived the next day.

1808: Appointed Assistant Military Agent for Fort Osage

1808: 10 November - Names the new post on the Missouri “Fort Osage” to honor the Osage Indian nation.

1809: Appointed by Governor Lewis to serve as inspector general and muster in Territorial Militia returning the Mandan chief.

1809: Member of the American Military Philosophical Society, dues $25 a year. Only one of three men west of the Mississippi River to belong to this learned society, others Governor M. Lewis and Doctor John H. Robinson.

1810: Court of Inquiry finds Clemson not guilty and issues orders to remove the former Sutler John H. Robinson off the military reservation of Fort Osage.

1811: Wednesday, April 10, Married Anna Marie Oliver, age 17, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

1811: 8 August - Clemson, new wife & mother in law returns to Fort Osage.

1813: 20 January - Promoted to Major

1813: March - Departs Fort Osage to join General Howard’s command as Inspector General.

1813 (June): Returns to Fort Osage, commands Evacuation Fort Osage to Belle Fontaine due to the War with England.

1813: September – October - Peoria Indian War

1813: Fort Clemson on Louter Island, built by Missouri Rangers named for Major Eli B. Clemson

1813: December - Meets with Secretary of War John Armstrong at Washington City, urges him to send the 1st Infantry to Canada.

1814: 16 March - Promoted to Lt. Colonel, 16th Infantry.

1815: June - Honorably dismissed during army reduction in force after the War of 1812 had ended.

1816-1819: Commissioned as Colonel, Assistant Commissary of issues. Resigned in 1 December 1819.

1817: 27 September - Served as second in Charles Lucas duel with Senator Benton

1818: Director of the Bank of St. Louis

1821-1829: County Commissioner, St. Clair County

1826: Stagecoach contractor, Shawnee town to St. Louis

1830: Operated mail and stage service from Carlye Illinois

1832: Mrs. Anna Marie Clemson died from Cholera.

1836: Married Esther Riddle, widow of Captain Riddle. Had twins, Aaron Burr Clemson and Theodosia Burr Clemson.

1837: 21 July - Co-founder of the town of Caledonia, Illinois

1843: 7 August - Won election as County Clerk, Pulaski County, Illinois

1845: 24 May - Won election as County Recorder, Pulaski County, Illinois

1846: 25 June - Died Olmsted, Illinois

This information was compiled by Fort Osage Volunteer David Bennett.