The initial proposal for a fortification on the mouth of the Ohio was made by Virginia governor Patrick Henry in 1777, in a letter to the Spanish governor of Louisiana, Bernardo de Galvez. He proposed a fortification to protect trade and supplies between Virginia and Spanish Louisiana from British interference. Henry would also propose this idea to George Rogers Clark, who saw it as a fortification for frontier protection and conquest of British Indian allies.
The initial plan for a defensive stronghold on the Ohio River's mouth was proposed by Patrick Henry in 1777, in a letter to Bernardo de Galvez. He envisioned this installation to shield trade and supply routes between Virginia and Spanish Louisiana from British aggression. This concept would later be discussed with George Rogers Clark, who viewed it as a defensive measure for border security and the conquest of British Native American allies.