When this chapter starts in 1818 a "mountain man" named Cornelius Coot has just arrived at the restored Fort Drakeborough in order to do some trading with its British garrison. But before anyone is ready to start trading, the fort is attacked by an overwhelming Spanish force...


Illustration 2.1 - The attack on fort Drake Borough.

Battle of Fort Drakeborough


Illustration 2.2 - Cornelius Coot take over the fort.

Finding themselves attacked by an overwhelming force, the small British garrison at Fort Drakeborough quickly realized that they couldn't win the battle, but before they could flee the fort they had to properly surrender the fort to the Spaniards. When an attempt to do so failed, the British commander instead gave the deed of the entire fort and the ten-acre surrounding hill, to the visiting "mountain man" (Cornelius Coot). Afterwards the British managed to escape from the fort through a secret underground passage leading from the fort to a nearby river (most likely the Tulebug River).

The popcorn trick


Illustration 2.3 - Cornelius Coot scares the Spanish.

Immediately after Cornelius Coot's takeover of the fort, the attacking Spanish troops managed to break the gates open and enter the fort. Cornelius Coot however succeeded in his efforts to persuade them to join him for a meal, as a proper surrender-ceremony, before handing over the deed for the fort and the hill. He then gave the Spanish soldiers some maize and told them to heat it over a bonfire before eating it. As a consequence of the heating, the maize started to pop. The Spanish, who didn't know about popcorn, believed that they were attacked by an invisible enemy and thus fled the area as fast as they could. They never returned.

A new owner of Fort Drake Borough


Illustration 2.4 - The foundation of Duckburg.

With both the British and the Spanish fled from the area, the once poor "mountain man" found himself the owner of his own fort and a ten-acre hill. Later he also seems to have got most of the surrounding land in his possession.

The name Duckburg didn't appear until many years later, when Cornelius Coot decided to modernize the name of his fort. The first part of the old name Drake (which means a male duck) was changed to Duck, and the somewhat archaic borough was replaced with the more modern sounding burg, so that Drakeborough became Duckburg... When asked when the name was changed Don Rosa replied: "I recall that when I drew the flashback panel which had Cornelius saying he changed the name of the fort, I drew him old with glasses and wrinkles, even though the colorist may not have caught on. So I intended for the name change to happen many years after Cornelius gained ownership of the fort. But I don't know when."

Biography:

American "mountain man" (apparently) and trader who arrived in Fort Drake Borough just before Spanish troops tried to conquer it. During the battle the British forces gave the fort over to him so that they could escape without the risk of being sent back to the fort. By trickery with some popping maize he managed to scare the Spaniards so that they fled the fort as well.

While exploring his new fort and hill Cornelius Coot revealed the secrets of the fort, like the secret room with the lost library. There he found the box that contained the essence of the library - which he later handed over to his son Clinton Coot.

Ca. 1820 he and other local pioneers formed the Woodchuck Militia, to defend the small society of pioneers which had begun to rise in the area near the fort.

Many years later Coot decided to modernize the name of his fort so that Drakeborough became Duckburg...

There are yet not much known about Cornelius Coot's origin. Some people argue that the Cornelius-name could indicate a Dutch background. Even though he may have some Dutch ancestors, the Coots (according to Don Rosa) had already been in America for a long time at the time of Cornelius Coot. The first Coots in America probably came over on the Mayflower or to Jamestown. Don Rosa has once described the Coots as "melting-pot" American. He also says: "He was certainly not a city boy. I'm sure I pictured him being born in America. Maybe he did travel from east to west on his own (before wagon trains or trains) as a "mountain man" trapper and hunter, before taking up trading. At least he's dressed like a mountain man with the buckskins.".

The son Clinton Coot was born ca. 1830. According to Don Rosa, Cornelius Coot probably had an Indian squaw who he met during his days as a "mountain man". The French donaldist and Duck Family Tree Expert Gilles Maurice has even named her "Plucahontas".

According to Don Rosa Cornelius Coot established the store "Coot's Emporium" which was later handed over to his son Clinton Coot.

According to Don Rosa the Coots eventually got most of the land in the area in their possession.

Erection of statues of Cornelius Coot

To honour the memory of Cornelius Coot, a statue of him was erected in Duckburg in 1952 (Carl Barks: Statuesque Spendthrifts). However the richest citizen of the city (and in the world) $crooge McDuck didn't like that this statue was financed by the Maharaja of Howduyustan who were describing himself as the "richest man in the world", so he erected a bigger statue and thus started a competition with the Maharaja. The competition resulted in the erecting of several huge statues of Cornelius Coot and finally also of the Maharaja and $crooge themselves. The competition ended when the Maharaja went bankrupt.


The text on the pedestal says: "The friends of Cornelius Coot - chapter one - erected 1952".

In "His Majesty McDuck" Don Rosa shows that the huge statues which were erected by the $crooge and the Maharaja wasn't useless (anyway, not all of them). In the pedestal of this 20-30 stories tall statue, there is a library owned by a foundation called "The friends of Cornelius Coot". This inscription also says that this statue was erected in 1952.

Illustrations: