Cantonment Wilkinson Site

{{more citations needed|date=October 2020}}

{{more citations needed|date=October 2020}}

'''Cantonment Wilkinson''' is located on the banks of the [[Ohio River]] in present-day [[Pulaski County, Illinois|Pulaski County]], Illinois. Cantonment Wilkinson served as a short-term U.S. Army camp established on New Year's day 1801. It was occupied for 18 months from 1801-1802 by over 1,000 soldiers and their dependents. At its peak, Cantonment Wilkinson was one of the largest military bases in the country housing over 1,500 soldiers before it was abandoned in 1802.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Wagner|first=Mark J.|date=January 2012|title=Officer Country: Clothing and Personal Items From Cantonment Wilkinson (11PU282) in Southern Illinois|url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1179/mca.2012.009|journal=Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology|language=en|volume=37|issue=2|pages=175–202|doi=10.1179/mca.2012.009|s2cid=113346521|issn=0146-1109|doi-access=free}}</ref> After the U.S. Army abandoned the site, the vacant buildings were occupied by Cherokee Indians and Euro-American squatters.

'''Cantonment Wilkinson''' is located on the banks of the [[Ohio River]] in present-day [[Pulaski County, Illinois|Pulaski County]], Illinois. Cantonment Wilkinson served as a short-term U.S. Army camp established on New Year's day 1801. Occupied for approximately 18 months, from 1801 to 1802, the camp housed over 1,000 soldiers and their dependents. At its peak, Cantonment Wilkinson was among the largest military installations in the country, accommodating more than 1,500 soldiers before its abandonment in 1802.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Wagner|first=Mark J.|date=January 2012|title=Officer Country: Clothing and Personal Items From Cantonment Wilkinson (11PU282) in Southern Illinois|url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1179/mca.2012.009|journal=Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology|language=en|volume=37|issue=2|pages=175–202|doi=10.1179/mca.2012.009|s2cid=113346521|issn=0146-1109|doi-access=free}}</ref> Following the U.S. Army's departure, the site was subsequently occupied by Cherokee Indians and Euro-American squatters.

Cantonment Wilkinson was excavated by [[Southern Illinois University Carbondale|SIUC]] archaeologists in 2003-2005 where they recovered a large artifact assemblage associated with the U.S. frontier army. Artifacts recovered ranged from military uniform buttons, ceramics, glassware, and more.<ref name=":0" /> The assemblage provided insightful information on the U.S. Army during the transitional period between the [[American Revolution]] and [[War of 1812]].

Cantonment Wilkinson was excavated by [[Southern Illinois University Carbondale|SIUC]] archaeologists in 2003-2005 where they recovered a large artifact assemblage associated with the U.S. frontier army. Artifacts recovered ranged from military uniform buttons, ceramics, glassware, and more.<ref name=":0" /> The assemblage provided insightful information on the U.S. Army during the transitional period between the [[American Revolution]] and [[War of 1812]].