It is certain, that one or more
cows were kept by the garrison of Fort Shirley, perhaps on account of
Mrs. Norton and her children, for there was a cleared field around the
fort, and an old cow-bell half eaten up by rust was found not long ago
near its site, which site, it must be remembered, was several miles from
any habitation of men at any time in the last century.
After an existence of one hundred and forty-one years, the old well of
Fort Shirley, which was undoubtedly within the block-house and probably
in one corner of the enclosure away from the "parade," is able to tell
pretty thoroughly to this day the story of its own construction. Four
forest staddles about six inches in diameter, one for each comer of the
well, were set upright on the ground, and then ash planks rived from a
log about five feet long were pinned or spiked on the outside of these
staddles, beginning at the bottom; and this frame being placed on the
ground where the well was to be, the earth was thrown out over the
sides, and so the well was gradually sunk to the required depth, the
plank-siding being added gradually as the shaft was lowered.
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