USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Discovery and conquests of the Northwest, with the history of Chicago, Vol. I > Part 37
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58
* This paper was found at the battle of Bad Axe-it was a certificate of his good behavior, and attachment to the British. + In 1832.
# Slaughtered, being defenseless.
431
Black Hawk's Narration.
they had fulfilled their word to the Indians, I think they would have gone safe.
"On our arrival I found that the Indians had several prisoners. I advised them to treat them well. We continued our march and joined the British army below Detroit, and soon after had a fight. The Americans fought well and drove us with considerable loss. I was surprised at this, as I had been told* that the Ameri- cans could not fight.
"Our next movement was against a fortified place. I was stationed with my braves to prevent any person going to or coming from the fort. I found two men taking care of cattle, and took them prisoners. I would not kill them, but delivered them to the British war chief. Soon after, several boats came down the river full of American soldiers. They landed on the opposite side, took the British batteries, and pursued the sol- diers that had left them. They went too far without knowing the forces of the British, and were defeated. I hurried across the river, anxious for an opportunity to show the courage of my braves; but before we reached the ground all was over. The British+ had taken many prisoners, and the Indians were killing them. I imme- diately put a stop to it, as I never thought it brave, but cowardly, to kill an unarmed and helpless enemy.
" We remained here some time. I cannot detail what took place, as I was stationed with my braves in the woods. It appeared, however, that the British could not take this fort, ¿ for we were marched to another, some distance off. When we approached it, I found it a small stockade, § and concluded that there were not many men in it. The British war chief sent a flag; Colonel Dickson| carried it and returned. He said a young war chief| commanded, and would not give up without fighting. Dickson came to me and said: 'You will see to-morrow how easily we will take
* By the British.
t General Proctor.
# Fort Meigs.
¿ Fort Stephenson.
[He is mistaken in the name-Chambers and Mason carried the flag.
|| Lieutenant Croghan.
432
Black Hawk's Narration.
that fort.' I was of opinion that they would take it, but when the morning came I was disappointed. The British advanced, commenced an attack and fought like braves, but by braves in the fort were defeated, and a great number killed. The British army were making preparations to retreat. I was now tired of being with them, our success being bad; and having got no plunder, I determined on leaving them and returning to Rock Island, to see what had become of my wife and children, as I had not heard from them since I started. That night I took about twenty of my braves and left the British camp for home. We met no person on our journey until we reached the Illinois river."
The foregoing piece of history from Black Hawk is certified to by Antoine L. Claire, United States inter- preter, dated at the Indian agency, Rock Island, Octo- ber 16, 1832, as copied from Smith's Documentary History of Wisconsin, Vol. III. The remaining part of his statement refers to the Sac war of 1832, and will be noticed in its proper place.
The appearance of the British on the upper Missis- sippi, and their threatened invasion of southern Illinois, is verified by Black Hawk's statement, and without doubt, the fear of such a calamity was the chief incen- tive to Governor Edwards' attack on Peoria and the Indian towns adjacent. At that time the British had received no check in their victorious career, Michigan and Wisconsin both being in their possession, while the Indian tribes of the country were largely inclined to join their fortunes with them, as the best means by which to preserve their hunting grounds from the greed of their white neighbors. That Illinois was spared such an invasion was due to the activity with which the Americans were at the same time pushing the campaign against Detroit, under General Harrison, to oppose whom all the British forces and their Indian allies finally proved insufficient. *
The war soon began to rage on the Niagara border, as well as along the Detroit, and the death of General Brock, who was slain in battle there, was the severest
* See Reynolds' history of his own times, page 130.
433
British Misfortunes.
blow the British had yet received. General Proctor, who was opposed to General Harrison in the famous campaign of 1813, was deficient in those high and sol- dierly qualities which distinguished General Brock, who had done so much honor to English arms in the cam- paign of 1812, which had terminated in the surrender of General Hull. The tide was now turning, as will be seen in succeeding pages.
KIKAPOUS O
LAKE
--
MASKOUTENS
Fort La Salle
Land Carriage of Chekakon
O MASKOUTENS
O'ADNIATINONIS
Fort Crevecoeur
Oumaniek.
SECTION OF MOLL'S MAP OF 1720.
It will be seen from the above map that the whole Indian population around Chicago had been changed between 1720 and 1812, the date of the Chicago massacre.
CHAPTER XIX.
General Harrison Appointed to the Command of the Northwestern Army-Ten Thousand Men Raised to Reclaim Detroit and Invade Canada-A Wilderness of Mud Interposes between the Combatants-General Winchester Reaches the Rapids of the Maumee-Ad- vances to Frenchtown, on the River Raisin-Battle of the River Raisin, Ending in Defeat, Capitulation and Treacherous Slaughter of War Prisoners-Fort Meigs Built at the Rapids-General Proctor Advances against the Place-Desperate Attack and Successful Defense of the Post-The British Retreat and Attack Fort Stephenson-The Masked Six-pounder and Its Fatal Effects-Rout of the British-The War Trans- ferred to Canada-The American War Fleet Sails from Erie-The Naval Battle-The American Army in Canada-Battle of the Thames-Tecumseh Slain- Michigan Reclaimed -- Peace.
The last campaign was now at hand, which was sub- stantially to complete the conquest of the northwest from the Indians, who up to this time had not entirely relinquished the hope that they could establish a per- manent boundary between themselves and the whites, which should stop farther encroachments on their terri- tory. This had been the early hope of Tecumseh, in which fatal dream he was at least not disheartened in his confidential councils with the British. In him were centered the last hopes of the Indians; and he may be set down as the last of that illustrious line of chiefs whose eloquence and commanding power and inflexible resolution have challenged admiration, not only from.
(434)
435
Advance to the Maumee Rapids.
the world, but from the foes against whom they fought. Under him the red man was still powerful, though tainted with the vices of civilization, without being ele- vated by its virtues.
On the part of the white settlers all eyes were turned toward General Harrison, whose star had risen the year before on the field of Tippecanoe, and under pressure of an intelligent popular will he was appointed com- mander-in-chief of the northwestern army on the 17th of September.
This news reached him on the 24th, while at Piqua, on his way to relieve Fort Wayne, at the head of 2, 000 Kentucky volunteers, as told in the foregoing chapter. At his disposal were placed 10,000 men, composed of volunteers from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana, together with a regiment from the regular army. The full quota had been raised, and in Ken- tucky the backwoods men, brimming over with patriot- ism, came forward in such numbers that many had to be refused admittance into the service after the ranks were full. The instructions to General Harrison were first to provide protection to the frontier, after which Detroit was to be taken, Michigan reclaimed from British rule, and lastly Canada was to be invaded. This was an undertaking of no small magnitude; but western blood was up, and nothing short of its fulfill- ment would satisfy the frontierers.
The only posts that the Americans held on the entire chain of the lakes were Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland and Sandusky, any one of which was ever liable to a hos- tile visitation from the English fleet on the lakes. The volunteers were impatient to come to battle with the British, but ere this could be brought about, a broad wilderness had to be traversed, whose spongy soil was an almost bottomless pool of mud in the low grounds, and whose unbridged streams, with their alluvial mar- gins, were a treacherous path for the ponderous ma- chinery of war. To overcome these obstacles, Harri- son immediately set himself to work. The rapids of the Maumee were the strategic point to be made the
436
Difficulties of the March.
base of his movements, and he gave orders to the dif- ferent army corps to proceed to this place.
Of these there were three detachments, one to march by way of Upper Sandusky, another by Urbana and a third by the way of the Auglaize river. Each of these divisions had struggled through the oozy savan- nas with which the forest abounded, as fast as their zeal and muscle could carry them; but so slow was their progress that it was not till the Ioth of January, 1813, that the rapids were reached by the advance corps, led by General Winchester, while General Harri- son himself was still at Upper Sandusky, with the right wing of the army, and General Tupper, of whom Mc- Afee, the contemporary historian, speaks very dispar- agingly, was at Fort McArthur with the center.
The following is copied from Dawson's Life of Har- rison :
"The roads were bad beyond description; none but those who have actually seen the state of the country seem ever to have formed a correct estimate of the difficulties to be encountered. The road from Lora- mie's block house to Ste. Mary's, and thence to Defi- ance, was one continuous swamp, knee deep on the pack horses and up to the hubs of the wagon. It was found impossible in some instances to get even the ·empty wagons along, and many were left in the mire, the wagoners being glad to get off with the horses alive. Sometimes the quartermaster, taking advantage of a temporary freeze, would send off a convoy, which would be swamped by a thaw ere it reached its destination. These natural difficulties were also increased by a great deficiency of funds and inadequacy of the other resources which were requisite in the quartermaster's depart- ment. The only persons who could be procured to act as pack horse drivers were generally the most worth- less creatures in society, who took care neither of the horses nor the goods with which they were intrusted. The horses were, of course, soon broken down, and many of the packs lost. The teams hired to haul were also commonly valued so high on coming into the service
437
Battle of the River Raisin.
that the owners were willing to drive them to death with a view to get the price. In addition to this, no bills of lading were used or accounts kept with the wag- oners. Of course each one had an opportunity to plunder the public without much risk of detection."
Shortly after the arrival of General Winchester at the rapids, messengers came to him from Frenchtown on the River Raisin, imploring his protection from the British and Indians, who had taken possession of the place soon after the surrender of General Hull at De- troit.
The request was granted, and on the 17th 550 men were sent on this mission, under command of Colonel Lewis, supported by 110 more under command of Colo- nel Allen. They reached the place the next day, at- tacked the British and drove them out. As soon after- ward appeared, this advance was hazardous in the extreme, Malden, the headquarters of General Proctor, who had recently been appointed as commander of the British troops, being only eighteen miles distant, from which place a superior force could be brought against the post in a few hours. Notwithstanding this, Gen- eral Winchester unwisely determined to maintain the position, and reinforced the place with 250 more men from the rapids, accompanying them in person. As might be supposed, the British were no idle spectators of the situation, and stealthily marched against the place on the night of the 21st with a heavy force. The next morning General Winchester beheld with surprise the batteries of the enemy erected within com- manding distance of his camp.
An obstinate battle immediately ensued, which is best described by Dawson, in his Life of Harrison, as follows: "The American army in this affair lost up- wards of 290 in killed, massacred and missing. Only thirty-three escaped to the rapids. The British took 547 prisoners and the Indians about forty-five. . The loss of the enemy, as the Americans had no chance to ascertain it, was, of course, never known to the public. From the best information that could be obtained, it is be- lieved to have been, in killed and wounded, between
438
American Prisoners Paroled.
300 and 400. The Indians suffered greatly, and the Forty-first regiment was very much cut up .* Their whole force in battle was about 2, 000-one-half regulars and Canadians, commanded by Colonels Proctor and St. George; the other composed of Indians, commanded by Round Head and Walk-in-the-Water-Tecumseh was not there; he was still on the Wabash collecting the warriors in that quarter." The prisoners were transported to Amherstburg, where they were crowded into a muddy wood yard without shelter. A heavy rain fell upon them the succeeding night, which greatly increased their suffering in that inclement season, es- pecially as they were thinly clad and without blankets. Here they remained till the 26th, when they were marched, in two divisions, through upper Canada to Fort George, on the Niagara, where they were paroled and returned home by the way of Erie and Pittsburg, and thence down the Ohio river.
The conditions of their parole were that they were not to bear arms against his majesty or his allies during the present war until exchanged. On the reception of these terms, some of the inquisitive Kentuckians asked who were his majesty's allies. The question was de- signed as a rebuke to the British, for accepting an alli- ance with the Indians. The reply was that: "His majesty's allies were well known."+ Besides the pris- oners thus paroled were the forty-five taken by the Indians, a few of whom were massacred, but most of them held for ransom at Detroit. ¿
Soon after this General Proctor issued a proclama- tion, requiring the citizens of Michigan to take the oath of allegiance to his majesty or leave the state. §
As stated in a previous chapter, after the massacre at Chicago, the Kinzie family were sent to Detroit,
* The large number of Americans killed was the result of the merci- less slaughter by the Indians immediately after some retreating frag- ments of the army had surrendered to them.
t Dawson's Life of Harrison, page 357.
į Dawson; Wabun.
¿ Against this, Judge Woodard, of Detroit, remonstrated, averring that it was contrary to the law of nations; that a subject cannot transfer his allegiance in time of war, without incurring the penalty of treason.
439
Harrison Retreats to Portage River.
where they were living as paroled prisoners at the time of the River Raisin horror. The house occupied by them was their old mansion on the corner of Jefferson and Wayne streets. *
The calamitous result of this affair well nigh frus- trated the plan of General Harrison to maintain his position at the rapids, and on his arrival at the place the next day after the battle its few survivors came in with such alarming news that he, after holding a coun- cil of war, thought it prudent to retreat as far as Por- tage river, which he did the day following, after destroying the provisions and burning the block house. Here, being reinforced on the Ist of February, he again
* It had been a stipulation of General Hull at the surrender of De- troit, that the inhabitants of that place should be permitted to remain undisturbed in their homes. Accordingly, the family of Mr. Kinzie took up their quarters with their friends, in the old mansion, which many will recollect as standing on the northeast corner of Jefferson avenue and Wayne street.
The feelings of indignation and sympathy were constantly aroused in the hearts of the citizens during the winter that ensued. They were almost daily called upon to witness the cruelties practiced upon the American prisoners brought in by their Indian captors. Those who could scarcely drag their wounded, bleeding feet over the frozen ground were compelled to dance for the amusement of the savages, and the exhibitions sometimes took place before the Government House, the residence of Colonel McKee. Some of the British officers looked on from their windows at these heart rending performances; for the honor of humanity, we will hope such instances were rare.
Everything that could be made available among the effects of the citizens was offered, to ransom their countrymen from the hands of these inhuman beings. The prisoners brought in from the River Raisin-those unfortunate men who were permitted, after their sur- render to General Proctor, to be tortured and murdered by inches, by his savage allies, excited the sympathies and called for the action of the whole community. Private houses were turned into hospitals, and every one was forward to get possession of as many as possible of the survivors. To effect this, even the articles of their apparel were bar- tered by the ladies of Detroit, as they watched from their doors or win- dows the miserable victims carried about for sale.
In the dwelling of Mr. Kinzie, one large room was devoted to the reception of the sufferers. Few of them survived. Among those spoken of as objects of the deepest interest were two young gentle- men of Kentucky, both severely wounded, and their wounds aggravated to a mortal degree by subsequent ill usage and hardships. Their solici- tude for each other, and their exhibition in various ways of the most tender fraternal affection, created an impression never to be forgotten.
The last bargain made was by black Jim and one of the children, who had permission to redeem a negro servant of the gallant Colonel Allen, with an old white horse, the only available article that remained among their possessions.
A brother of Colonel Allen afterward came to Detroit, and the. negro preferred returning to servitude, rather than remaining a stranger in a strange land .-- Wabun, Page 249.
440
Fort Meigs Built.
advanced to the rapids, and determined to make a stand against the audacious enemy.
A fort was built, which was named Fort Meigs, in honor of the governor of Ohio. It was situated on the east bank of the Maumee, opposite the battle ground where General Wayne, eighteen years before, had overwhelmed the Indians with defeat under the very guns of the English, who at that time had a fort on this historic ground, on the north side of the river just below the present site of Fort Meigs.
Harrison was now in a critical position. Of the 10,000 men which had been raised for his service, many were lingering on the way under the duress of a mud blockade; some were posted at points where a force was necessary to overawe the Indians, and not a few had been wasted with the malarious diseases of the country, whose immense valleys had not yet been dis- infected by the smoke of the pioneer. The British, by means of their vessels on the lake, could quickly bring to the front all the supplies they wanted for the cam- paign, while the Americans had to transport their camp supplies over 100 miles of quagmire, and the same difficulties that had beset the path of General Hull* now threatened General Harrison. The most he could hope was to defend Fort Meigs and Sandusky till rein- forced with sufficient numbers to pursue the original plan of the campaign by advancing on Detroit. Well knowing that General Proctor was better prepared to take the offensive than himself, and rightly judging that he would do so, General Harrison made the earth de- fenses of Fort Meigs as perfect as military skill could make them, and awaited their approach.
* Says General Harrison, in his report to the war department, a few weeks previous to this time: "If there were not some important po- litical reason urging the recovery of Michigan territory and the capture of Malden as soon as those objects can possibly be effected, and that to accomplish them a few weeks sooner, expense was to be disregarded, I should not hesitate to say, that if a small proportion of the sums which will be expended in the quartermaster's department in the active prosecution of the campaign during the winter was devoted to obtain- ing the command of Lake Erie, the wishes of the government, in their utmost extent, could be accomplished without difficulty," in the months of April and May .- Dawson, Page 333.
441
Fort Meigs Besieged.
The winter passed with but little freezing weather, and a boundless sea of mud interposed between Fort Meigs and its expected reinforcements, till General Proctor and Tecumseh appeared before the place with 3,000 British and Indian troops. It was now the 26th of April, and an active summer campaign was at hand, for which General Harrison was by no means prepared. The tenants of Fort Meigs now beheld the enemy planting their batteries upon the high bank on the op-
Col. Dudleys,
4 .. .
------
----
---
R
....
-
RIVE
MAUMEE
-
AM.P.
MEIGS
-
ge
Indian Hi
Upper Sandusky Rood
Lower Sandusky Roa
British Batteries
FORT MEIGS.
posite side of the river, which were soon to vomit forth a tempest of hot shot and shells into Fort Meigs.
While these preparations were being made on the part of the British, their red allies under Tecumseh crossed the river and took a position in the rear of the fort among the forest trees. To encourage them, Gen- eral Proctor had promised an easy victory over the Americans to Tecumseh. It was said with doubtful
British Batteries
442
Proctor Demands a Surrender.
authority that he promised to deliver to Tecumseh General Harrison's person, as war prisoner, as soon as Fort Meigs should be taken. A furious fire was now opened upon the fort from the British batteries by day and night, while the Indians climbed the tall forest trees and kept up a fire of small arms against the gar- rison. To protect themselves from the bursting shells which were constantly exploding inside the fort, the soldiers dug burrows in the ground and crept into them when a shell fell near by, remaining till it had exploded, from which circumstance the Indians said they fought like ground hogs. Day after day the attack was kept up with unremitting fury, the fire of the defenders all the while responding.
On the 3d of May, after three days of unusually heavy firing, General Proctor sent a flag of truce to General Harrison, demanding the surrender of the place. Major Chambers was its bearer, and, when in- troduced to General Harrison, the following words passed between them:
"MAJOR CHAMBERS: General Proctor has directed me to demand the surrender of this post. He wishes to spare the effusion of blood.
" GENERAL HARRISON: The demand under the present circumstances is a most extraordinary one. As Gen- eral Proctor did not send me a summons to surrender on his first arrival, I had supposed that he believed me determined to do my duty. His present message indi- cates an opinion of. me that I am at a loss to account for.
"MAJOR CHAMBERS: General Proctor could never think of saying anything to wound your feelings, sir. The character of General Harrison as an officer is well known. General Proctor's force is very respectable, and there is with him a larger body of Indians than has ever before been embodied.
" GENERAL HARRISON: I believe I have a correct idea of General Proctor's force; it is not such as to create the least apprehension for the result of the contest, whatever shape he may be pleased hereafter to give to it. Assure the general, however, that he will never
443
Daring Exploit of Oliver.
have this post surrendered to him upon any terms. Should it fall into his hands, it will be in a manner cal- culated to do him more honor and to give him larger claims upon the gratitude of his government than any capitulation could possibly do."
The messenger then returned to the British camp, and the attack began again with increased fury.
At the opening of the siege, General Harrison had sent messengers for the purpose of hurrying forward reinforcements, and in response to them, General Green Clay, at the head of 1, 200 Kentucky and Ohio volunteers, were now within three hours' march of Fort Meigs, on the banks of the Maumee, just above the rapids; but the danger of an ambuscade was so immi- nent that he durst not advance another step till he had communicated with General Harrison. Who dared undertake such a dangerous mission? The first man who volunteered to do this was Capt. Leslie Combs, of Kentucky. At the head of a few picked men, he crept within a mile of the fort, when he was discovered by the enemy, and nearly all of his party were killed, Combs himself narrowly escaping the fate of. his daring com- panions.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.