Vincennes Township in Knox County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Murder

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 29, 2023

1. Murder Marker

Inscription.

In my last [letter] I informed you of Captain Posey having killed Lieutenant Jennings.… He said that Lieutenant Jennings had come into his room, that some altercation had taken placed between them, that he had insisted upon the Lieutenant fighting him and had offered him the choice of pistols, that he had put one of them into the lieutenant's hand and that the latter instantly seized him by the neck or breast, when he [the Captain] shot him. Upon being asked how he came to shoot him the second time, he said that he could not account for it, but supposed that Jennings had dropped his pistol and that he [Posey] had taken it up. Jennings received one ball in his right breast, which passed through his body, and the other behind the left shoulder, which ranged along his back and came out at the right shoulder. His clothes both behind and before were burned with the powder. – Governor William Henry Harrison to Secretary of War, William Eustis, July 2, 1811.

Frontier posts were fertile soil for real or imagined affronts. This was an era when a gentleman's honor was easily offended. In this case, a long-standing disagreement existed between the commander of Fort Knox. Captain Thornton Posey, and his second-in-command, Lieutenant Jesse Jennings.

After the shooting, Captain Posey left Fort Knox and

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rode south to Louisville, where he turned himself in to authorities. He was never brought to trial. During the War of 1812 he reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel and was honorably discharged in 1815.

Erected by Vincennes State Historic Sites, Division of State Museum and Historic Sites, Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is July 2, 1811.

Location. 38° 43.519′ N, 87° 30.352′ W. Marker is near Vincennes, Indiana, in Knox County. It is in Vincennes Township. Marker can be reached from North Old Fort Knox Road, 0.1 miles south of Lower Fort Knox Road, on the left when traveling south. Marker is in Fort Knox II-Vincennes State Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3090 N Old Fort Knox Rd, Vincennes IN 47591, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Soldiers Buried at Fort Knox II (a few steps from this marker); Desertion (a few steps from this marker); Taylor Takes Command (a few steps from this marker); An Army Wife at Fort Knox II (within shouting distance of this marker); Battle of Tippecanoe (within shouting distance of this marker); The End of Fort Knox II

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 29, 2023

2. Murder Marker

Featured marker in far background, by wooden posts.

(within shouting distance of this marker); Death on the Frontier (within shouting distance of this marker); Rally to the Flag (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vincennes.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 20, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 19, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 76 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 19, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.