Fort Venango was a small British fort built in 1760 near the site of present Franklin, Pennsylvania. The fort replaced Fort Machault, a French fort burned by the French in 1759 after they left the area near the end of the French and Indian War. On June 16, 1763, during Pontiac's Rebellion, the fort was captured by Seneca/Mingo warriors. The 12 to 15 soldiers of the fort were killed outright, except for the commander, Lieutenant Francis Gordon, who was forced to write a letter detailing the Indians' grievances against the British. He was then slowly tortured and roasted to death at the stake, and the fort was burnt to the ground.