USA > Indiana > Grant County > Centennial history of Grant County, Indiana, 1812 to 1912 : compiled from records of the Grant county historical society, archives of the county, data of personal interviews, and other authentic sources of local information > Part 5
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
fighting to retain the little homes they had made in the wilderness. Such was the situation that confronted General Harrison when he took charge of his little army in September. As he was to retake Detroit the garrison at Fort Wayne being on his route became of the utmost importance to him. He must retain that point as the first step to regain the fort that had been so ignominiously surrendered. Word was sent to the Fort Wayne garrison that Harrison would soon relieve them and they fought on. suffering hardships and under command of a drunken officer who finally became anfit for duty and was succeeded by a younger officer. The garrison was relieved on September 10, and thus the first step toward Detroit was saved to the Americans. At Fort Harrison the men led by Zachary Taylor, then a young lieuten- ant, drove the Indians from in front of the fort, but only after they had done much damage. General Hopkins was at Vincennes with 2.000 mounted volunteers. He was ordered north up the Wabash with the purpose of driving the Indians from that section and from eastern Illinois. but after four or five days' march the officers and men mu- tinied and they returned to Vincennes. Other expeditions were sent into Illinois, but found the Indians had gone to the northeast. After returning to Vincennes General Hopkins organized another force and marched north along the Wabash. They arrived at Fort Harrison on November 5, and later crossed to the east side of the river and invaded what is now Parke, Putnam and Montgomery counties. Find- ing the villages deserted, the men being poorly clad and winter com- ing on severe. the force returned to Vincennes without accomplish- ing anything. All this time General Harrison was continuing his efforts at organizing a force sufficient to meet the British and retake Detroit. Stores of provisions were sent forward to Fort Wayne and the upper reaches of the Maumee, which was the first step on the march northward. The Indians soon found this out and expeditions sent from the Miami towns on the Mississinewa attacked these wagon trains, killing the escort and destroying valable stores. Harrison was anx- ious to get on his way north, but could not go and leave the Frontier in its defenseless condition, besides he was leaving an enemy in his rear that was liable to do all kinds of damage while he was engaged elsewhere. The expeditions of General Hopkins and others on the Wabash had not been productive of any results and the Indians were becoming bolder with each unsuccessful expedition that was sent against them. Each day brought news to headquarters of some fresh outbreak on the part of the Indians, who used the region of the Mississinewa as their base of operations. Here winter stores were collected and they set ont on those marauding expeditions that resulted in many attacks on Harrison's wagon trains and the death of many peaceful settlers who knew of no harm about to befall them until they were awakened in the middle of the night to find their cabin in flames and hear the horrible yell of the Indian when engaged in battle. Something mist be done. On November 15, 1812, General Harrison in a letter to the secretary of war. says: 'I have received no information from General Hopkins, but there is no doubt of the complete failure of the mounted expedition under his command and that measures must be immediately taken to prevent the evils which will otherwise flow from it. As soon as the information reached me, I determined to direct an expedition against the Miami towns of the Mississinewa. The situation of this town as it regards my lines of operation, even if the hostility of the inhabitants was less equivocal, would render a measure of this kind highly proper; but from the circumstances of General Hopkins's fail- ure it has become indispensable. Relieved from the fears excited by the late invasion of their country, the Indians from the upper part of the Vol I -2
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
Illinois river and to the south of Lake Michigan will direct all their etfortis against Fort Wayne and the convoys which are to follow the track of the left wing of the army. Mississinewa will be their rendez- vous, where they will receive provisions and every assistance they may require for any hostile enterprise. From that place they can by their rinmers ascertain the period at which every convoy sets out from St. Mary's and with certainty intercept it previously to its arrival at the Miami rapids; but that place being broken up and the provisions de- stroyed there will be nothing to subsist any body of Indians nearer than the Pottawatomie towns upon the waters of the St. Joseph of Lake Michigan. The troops destined for the Mississinewa expedition are the dragoons belonging to my army, with the addition of perhaps of a single company of mounted volunteers. The dragons will amount to about 600 men, but the greater part of them are to be entirely relied upon. The expedition will be commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Campbell of the Nineteenth Infantry. He has no military experience, but is brave, sensible and judicious and will be ably seconded by the talents and experienis of Major Ball. I am confident that yon will not hear of any retrograde movement upon the part of this detachment, until the objeet upon which they are sent is accomplished.'
"That General Harrison had had some idea of an expedition of this kind since early in September, even before he was placed in entire com- mand of the Army of the Northwest, there can be no doubt, but the exact place of destination it can be understood was not determined upon until after the failure of Hopkins's expedition and the juroads and attacks made by the Indians upon his convoys en route to Fort Wayne. September 2 we find Governor Meigs of Ohio issning the for- lowing call for volunteers:
VOLUNTEERS WANTED
" .Fellow Citizens of Ohio: At a moment like this, I appeal to your valor and patriotism. Major General Harrison will rendezvous a re spectable force of Kentucky volunteers at Dayton on the 15th instant for a short expedition. General Harrison desires to add to his troops any number of volunteers from the state of Ohio who will serve on the expedition of thirty days. All those who will embrace this favorable opportunity of distinguishing themselves under an able commander. and of rendering to the state of Ohio a valuable service will in their equipments and movements follow the directions of General Harrison hereunto subjoined.
.. . R. J. Meias, Governor of Ohio. " . Piqna, Sept. 2, 1812.'
"The call of General Harrison for volunteers was as follows:
VOLUNTEERS! TO ARMS! To ARMS!
". . Any number of volunteers, mounted and prepared for active serv- ice to continue twenty-five or thirty days, will be accepted to rendezvous at the town of Dayton, on the Great Miami, on the 15th instant. h is expected that the volunteers will provide themselves with salt pro- visions, and a proportion of bisenit : those who are unable to procure them will be furnished if possible. Those brave men who give their country their services on this occasion may be assured an opportunity of distinguishing themselves will be offered. I shall command the expedition in person, and the number of troops employed will be entirely adequate to the object proposed. I wish also to hire a number of substantial horses; fifty cents per day will be allowed for each horse which is provided with saddle and bridle. Those patriotic cit-
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
izens who are unable to afford their personal assistance will render essential service of their country by furnishing the horses, which must be delivered in Dayton on the 14th instant, to a person who will be authorized to receive and receipt for them.
".W. H. HARRISON.
" Headquarters, Piqua, Sept. 2, 1812.
" ' Such was the proclamation and such the call to arms issued by the men upon whom rested the responsibility of the safety of the great northwest territory in the War of 1812. By reason of the fact that the time specified in General Harrison's call was so short some have thought that the above calls related alone to the Mississinewa expedi- tion, while others have thought it was a general call to arms for the march to Detroit, and this is borne out by the statement that General Harrison would command in person. At the time of the relief of Fort Wayne Harrison's command amounted to over 3,500 men, and it will be seen from the above that the men called for were not to rendezvous until the 14th. Harrison may have meant to command this expedition in person, but other and more important matters may have engaged his attention and he decided by November 15, the date of his letter to the war department, to place the command in the hands of a man in whom he had the greatest confidence. After the relief of Fort Wayne, September 10, General Harrison returned to Franklinton, where he established his headquarters and it was from that point that Colonel Campbell set out on November 25 upon his expedition. He was in- structed by General Harrison to proceed by the Greenville ronte, thus avoiding the Delaware towns, which were under the protection of the government, all of whom were friendly to the Americans. The route taken by Colonel Campbell was by Springfield. Xenia Dayton, Eaton and Greenville. He had with him, it is thought, when h left Prank- luton, Captain Elliott's company of the Nineteenth Infantry, Major Ball's U. S. Dragoons. Capt. Jas. Butler's volunteer light infantry, known as the Pittsburg Blues, Captain Markley's troop of horse from Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and a small company of riffenwn from abont Greensburg, Pennsylvania. At Dayton he was joined by Simrall's regiment of Kentucky volunteers. Captain Harrard's troop of horse from Lexington, Kentucky, and Lieutenant Lee's detachment of Michigan militia. At Greenville cach man was given ten days' pro- visions, as much forage for their horses as was possible to carry and an axe which, as one account says, "were made of pot-metal and broke as soon as used in the Indian country."
" .Leaving Greenville on the morning of the 14th of December the force marched west and soon crossed the line between Ohio and Indiana south of where the city of Union City now is located. Marching west and a little to the north, it is thought that they crossed the Mississinewa river somewhere between Albany and Wheeling in Delaware county, getting on to the north bank of the river. The first two days Colonel Campbell and his men marched forty miles, camping cach night and preparing against attack by the Indians by throwing up slight en- trenchments. . It had been cold when the expedition left Greenville, but on the 16th it grew much colder and the men suffered severely. It was decided to not form an encampment that night, but to push on and surprise a village that they had reason to think was a few miles ahead of them. That day and night they marched forty miles, and on the morning of the 17th attacked an Indian village just north of what is now known as Coner's mill, in this county, killing eight warriors and taking forty-eight prisoners, eight of whom were men, the others being women and children. Leaving the infantry to guard the pris- oners and burn the town. Colonel Campbell with the dragoons pushed
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
down the river and burned three villages which he found vacant, the alarm having undoubtedly been given by those to escaped from the first engagement in the early morning. Returrang to the place of the first town destroyed in the early morning the force encamped for the night, but extraordinary care was taken against surprise and the troops carefully disposed. On the morning of the 18th about 1 o'clock while a council of war was being held, the Indians attacked the camp and for over an hour a fierce battle raged ending in the com- plete defeat of the attacking Indians. At the conclusion of the ca gagement Colonel Campbell wrote a hurried report which he sent by conrier to General Harrison asking for reinforcements, and then upon the advice of his officers began on the return trip, having accomplished the object of the expedition, destroying four villages and inch pro- visions. He was told that Terumsch was a short distance down the river with several hundred warriors, and being short of provisions and the men suffering from the severe cold, decided that it was best for him to return to Greenville. Then began a march that for suffering and for the privations endured by the men composing it had no equal in the War of 1812. Campbell's force when he left Greenville was composed of about 590 men. Many were suffering and hardly able to walk when the attack was made on the first village. Eight had been killed and forty-eight wounded. seventeen of whom had to be carried in litters, making the progress of the entire force necessarily slow. Provisions ran short and the weather continued cold. Many were hardly able to walk. It is not hard to imagine the vain looks east by these hardy pioneers as they trapped through the snow and saw their provisions gradually give out until finally they had nothing and some of the men had been for three days without a bite to cat. About forty miles from Greenville they were met by Major Adams with ninety-five men and a store of provisions which came in the nick of time. The men who had volunteered to carry back to Greenville the news of the battle and to ask for assistance performed their duty as only pioneers of the early days ean. They covered the distance of over eighty miles in twenty-two hours, stopping only twice for a few minutes to feed their horses. Additional supplies were forwarded under Colonel Holt and the expedition reached Greenville safely. The exact time of the arrival of the expedition at Greenville is not known to the writer, but it is thought to be on the 23d. The suffering experienced by the troops from the severe weather is shown by the report of the morning of the 24th, the muuber of men rendered unfit for duty by reason of being frostbitten were as follows: In Major Ball's squadron, 107; in t'ol- onel Simrall's regiment, 138; and of infantrymen and riffemen, 58, a total rendered unfit for military duty of 303, over 52 per cent of the entire force that started on the return trip.
" 'The following is the report of Colonel Campbell to General Harri- son and the report of General Harrison to the war department report- ing on the Mississinewa expedition, also the report of Colonel Camp- bell sent just after the battle:
" Camp on the Mississinewa, Two Miles Above Silver Heels Village. " 'December 12 (should be 18), 1812.
" 'Dear General: After a fatiguing march of three days and one night from Greenville, I arrived with the detachment under my com- mand at a town on the Mississinewa thought by the spies to be Silver Heels, but which proved to be a town settled by a mixture of Dela- ware and Miami Indians.
" 'About 8 o'clock on the morning of the 17th a charge was made upon the town, when many fled over the river, others surrendered; those who fled made resistance after crossing by firing across the
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
river. Thirty-seven prisoners were taken whom I shall bring with me. including men, women and children ; seven warriors were killed. After disposing of the prisoners, I marched a detachment down the river and burned three villages, without resistance. } then returned and encamped on the ground where stood the first village attacked. This morning abont daylight, or a little before, my camp was attacked by a party of Indians (the number unknown, but supposed to be between two and three hundred) on my right hne, occupied by Major Ball's squadron, who gallantly resisted them for about three-fourths of an hour, when the Indians retreated, after being most gallantly charged by Captain Trotter at the head of his troop of cavalry. In the action of this morning we have eight killed and about thirty-tive or forty wounded. Not having yet obtained a report, I am unable to state the number exactly. The Indians have lost about forty killed, from the discoveries now made; the spies are out at present ascertaining the number. I have sent to Greenville for a reinforcement, and send you this hasty dispatch. A detailed report shall be hereafter made known to you noticing particularly those companies and individuals who have distinguished themselves signally.
"' anticipate another attack before I reach Greenville, but rest assured, my dear general, that they shall be warmly received. I have a detachment composed of the bravesi fellows, both officers and soldiers. in the world. Our return will be commenced this morning. Among our killed I have to deplore the loss of our brave Captain Pierce. Lienten- ant Waltz of Captain Markle's troop of cavalry is also mortally wounded Their gallant vonduet shall be noticed hereafter. Yours with greatest respect and esteem.
".JNO. B. CAMPBELL .. ".Lt. Col. 19th Reg. IL. S. Inf.
" .To General W. Il. Harrison, " 'Commanding N. W. Army.'
.Headquarters. Franklinton,
"January 3. 1813. .. . Six: I have the honor to enclose herewith the official report of Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, of his expedition to the Mississineway towns of the 25th ult .. and Ist inst. I am entirely satisfied with the colonel's conduct, and beg leave to recommend him, with Major Ball and the rest of the officers and soldiers of the detachment who were fortunate enough to have an opportunity of distinguishing themselves, to the notice of the president. I will venture to predict that Colonel Campbell's future career will support the character he has obtained in the commencement of his military service. Major Ball, my friend and associate in General Wayne's army, would do honor to any serv- ice. Lieutenant Colonel Simral deserved great credit for the excel- lent discipline of his regiment, which equals that of any other regiment of light dragoons on the continent. The character of Major MeDowell has long been established in Kentucky. for intrepidity. At an age when most men retire to the enjoyment of case, this hardy veteran so- lirits every post of difficulty, fatigue and danger with the ardor of a youthful warrior. The conduct of the other officers is so particularly described by Colonel Campbell that it is unnecessary for me to repeat them. Knowing each individual. I heartily accord in the sentiments he had expressed of their merits. There is, however, a circumstance which Colonel Campbell neglected to mention, that is so honorable to the young hero now no more, as well as to the army, that we can not pass it over. Major MeDowell, Captain Trotter and Captain Hite have all informed me that Lieutenant Waltz, of Captain Markle's troop of vol-
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
unteer dragoons, like the gallant Spencer, could not be brought to leave his post after having received two wounds, one of which shattered his arm. In this situation he was moving his horse to make a charge when a ball passed through his head.
" ' In short, sir, the whole detachment have redeemed a solemn pledge given to me at the moment of their departure that they would obey their officers and support the character of American soldiers.
"'l have the honor to be, Yours, etc.,
.WM. HENRY HARRISON.
" . Hon. James Monroe,
"'Acting Secretary of War.'
( INCLOSURE.) ".Fort Greenville, Dec. 25th, 1812.
". H left this place on my march ont, on the 14th, with 600 rank and file, which number was redneed on my march by the return of some who became sick. My first order of march was in five columns, Colonel Simrat's regiment in two on the left, the infantry in one ou the en ter, and Major Ball's squadron in two on the right. There were also strong front, rear, and flank guards, who marched at a distance from the columns of from two to four hundred yards. as the ground would permit.
". From the flank guards I ordered small parties occasionally to ex- amine the country to the right and left, and report to me whether they had made any discoveries. My encampments were in a square form, covering ground sufficient to embrace the horses within the first line of tires, without being crowded. I had a second line of fires made around the camp at the distance of sixty yards, outside of which, and opposite to each angle of the camp, a redoubt was constructed, in which the guards were placed. The want of axes prevented me from mak- ing the outer fires and constructing the redoubts as well as I wished. I had one-third of the men on guard every night, and formed a cham of sentinels around the camp so close that the enemy could not possi- bly penetrate without being discovered. At daylight each morning I sent out parties to patrol it at a considerable distance from camp. I found it necessary in a day or two to vary my order of march, and directed the infantry and riffemen to march in two columns, one on each side of the road. The pack horses and baggage, as also the de- tachment staff, in the road between them. Major Ball's squadron in four columns, on the right, and Colonel Simral's regiment in four on the left. The fank columns served as guards. In this way I found I marched with more case. I then dispensed with the taps of the drum and sound of the trumpet, which in my first order of march was her essary. I further ordered that if an attack was made on the march and in front, the troops would immediately form in order of battle by filing upon the left and dressing by the front of the columnms; if on either Hank, the flank column would fare outwards and make re- sistance until reinforced; it in the rear, the rear guard would face to the right-about and make resistance, whilst the other columns would file up, and. wheeling to the right-about, form in succession on the left in line, the officers leading columns taking especial care to march al sufficient distance from each other, to form in line in open order, dress- ing by the center. If the attack was made in camp, the troop would immediately form in the rear of their fires, which would be extin guished as soon as possible, by throwing it out in front. I ordered the guards, if attacked, to stand their ground as long as possible, and then retreat through the angle of the camp nearest them, then form, defend
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
the angle if attacked, if not, to wait for orders. These formed my dis. posable force. The weather, though cold, and the snow deep, was, however, well calculated to favor our enterprise, and I determined to make forced marches to avoid, if possible, a discovery. On the march I occasionally formed in the order of battle to accustom the troops to it. They formed with the utmost celerity and in good order. The first two days 1 marched forty miles; the third day I pushed the troops as much as they could bear, marched the whole night, although excessively cold, stopping twice to refresh and warm. This day and night wo marched forty miles. Early in the morning of the 17th I reached. undiscovered, an Indian town on the Mississinewa, inhabited by a mixture of Delawares and Miamis. The troops rushed into the town, killed right warriors and took forty-two prisoners, eight of whom were warriors. the residne women and children. Iordered the town to be immediately burnt. a house or two excepted, in which I confined the prisoners; and I ordered the cattle and other stock to be shot. I then left the infantry to guard the prisoners. and with Simral's and Ball's dragoons advanced to some Miami villages a few miles lower down the Mississinewa, but Found them evacuated by all but a sick squaw, whom we left in her house. I burnt on this excursion three considerable villages, took several horses, and killed a great many cattle, and re- turned to the town I first burnt, where I had left the prisoners, and encamped. My camp was in the usual form, but covered more ground than common. The infantry and riffemen were on the line, Captain Elliott's company on the right, Butler's in the center, and Alexander's on the left. Major Ball's squadron occupied the right and one-half of the rear line. Between Ball's right and Simral's loft there was an interval which had not been filled up, owing to the miusual extent of the ground the camp embraced. it having been laid off in my absence of the lower towns. I now began to deliberate on our future move. ments, whether to go on further enenmbered with prisoners, the men much fatigued, and a great many severely frostbitten, horses suffer- ing from want of forage, which was very partially relieved by the seanty supply of corn obtained in the towns. or return. I determined to convene the field officers and captains of the detachment to con- sult, and then to take such a course as my own judgment might ap- prove. At four in the morning of the eighth. I ordered to he beaten the reveille, and the officers convened at my fire a short time after- wards. Whilst we were in council, and about an hour before day. my camp was most furiously attacked by a large party of Indians, preceded by and accompanied with a most hideous yell. This inmedi- ately broke up the council and every man ran to his post. The attack commeneed upon that angle of the camp formed by the left of Cap tain Hopkins's troop and the right of Captain Garrard, but in a few seconds became general from the extremes of the right to the left of Ball's squadron. The enemy holdly advanced to within a few yards of the lines and seemed determined to rush in. The guards posted at the different redoubts returned into camp and dispersed among their several companies, this leaving me without a disposable force. Cap tain Smith of the Kentucky light dragoons, who commanded at one of the redoubts, in a handsome and military maner, kept his position until ordered in to fill up the interval in the rear line between the reg- imert and squadron. The redoubt at which Captain Pierer commanded was first attacked. The captain maintained his position until it was 100 late to get within the lines. He received two balls through his body and was tomahawked. He died bravely, and much lamented. The enemy then took possession of Captain Pierer's redoubt, and poured in a tremendous fire upon the angle, to the right and left of which
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