History of Allen County, Indiana, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 15

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Kingman Brothers
Number of Pages: 366

USA > Indiana > Allen County > History of Allen County, Indiana, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 15

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).

The effect of such proceedings was to alarm the frontier settlers and cause tbem to prepare for the punisbment of the depredators, first protecting the settle- ments from the assaults of marauding parties of Indians who were known to infest the territory. With a view to making these preparations effeetual, on the 16th of April, 1812, Gov. Harrison directed tbe officers of the Territorial militia to put their forces " in the best possible state for active service," suggesting, also, " tbe expediency of erecting hlock-houses or pieketed forts, on the frontiers of Knox County, on the two branches of White River, eastward of Vmeennes, and in the eonnty of Harrison. Tbe propriety of erecting similar posts of defense on the frontiers of Clarke, Jefferson, Dearborn, Franklin and Wayne Counties, was to be determined by the disposition of the Delaware Indians." Inasmuch as the Delawares bad performed with punetuality and good faith all their obliga- tions with the United States, the exercise of forbearance toward them was reeoul- mended, no reason for doubting their fidelity having been manifested.

In the general orders before referred to, the following instructions were con- tained : " When mischief is done by the Indians, in any of the settlements, they must be pursued ; and the officer nearest to the spot (if the number of men under bis command is not inferior to the supposed number of the enemy) is to com- mence it aa soon as he can collect his men. If his foree should he too small, he is to send for aid to the next officer to him ; and in the mean time take a position capable of being defended, or watch the motions of the enemy, as circumstances may require. The pursuit must be condueted with vigor, and the offieer com- manding will be held responsible for making every exertion iu his power to over- take the enemy."

About the middle of May following, a great Indian council was held at a village on the Mississinewa River, at which the Wyandots, Chippewas, Ottawas, Pottawatomies, Delawares, Miamis, Eel Rivers, Weaa, Piankeshaws, Winncha- goea, Shawanoes and Kickapooa were represented. In this eouncil the situation

was generally diseussed, and a free interehange of opinion and purpose was indulged in. The current of expression was in favor of peace, Tecumseh, and a few others in his interest, only, dissenting. To the adverse propositions, the Delawares replied thus tartly : "We have not met at this place to listen to such words. The red people have been killing the whites. The just resentment of the latter is raised against the former. Our white hrothers are on their feet-their guns in their hands. There is no time to tell each other ' You have done this, and you have done that.' If there was, we could tell the Prophet that both red and white people have felt the bad effects of his counsel. Let us all join our hearts and hands together and proclaim peace through the land of the red people, and rely on the justice of our white hrethren."

The reply of the Miamiis was equally direct and to the point. They said, " We feel that we all appear to be inelined for peace; that we all see that it would be our immediate ruin to go to war with the white people. We, the Miamis, have not hurt our white brethren since the treaty of Greenville. We would be glad if all other nations present could say the same. We will eheer- fully join our brethren for peace, hut we will not join you for war against the white people. We hope our brethren, the Pottowatomies, Kickapoos and Winneba- goes, will keep their warriors in good order, and learn them to pay more respect to their women and children than they have done, by going and murdering the innocent white people."

The Kickapoos, also, were especially emphatie in their response, saying, " We have not two faces, and we despise those who have. The peace we have made with Gov. Harrison we will strictly adhere to, and trouble no person, and hope none will trouble us."

Tecumseh was not satisfied with the result of this conference, nor were the representations of the Pottawatomies, Winnebagoes, and Kickapoos true expres- sions of the sentiments entertained by these tribes toward the white people. Imme- diately the consequences of disaffection and discomfiture began to muanifest them- selves in the movements of the Indians. From the time of Tecumsehi's departure from Fort Wayne, a few days subsequent to the Mississinewa council, he had been restless and vindictive, exerting himself with great activity in inciting the Indians to acts of bostility toward the white people; and when war was declared by the United States against Great Britain, he allied himself to the cause of the latter, taking an active part with them.

Upon the formal declaration of war, Gen. Hull, in command of the North- western army, coneeived the idea of invading Canada, as a means calculated to give him an advantage in maintaining his defense of the frontier. With that idea in view, he stationed his army in British territory and issued a proclamation declaring to the Canadian people that " he cameto find enemies, not to makethem," to protect, not to injure them.

It was the province of Gen. Hull, as such commander, to notify the garri- sons in his jurisdiction that war had been declared by the United States against Great Britain. This notice, which purported to have issued on the 5th of July, from some unexplained eause, did not reach many of those points proper to he informed of the condition of affairs. Because of this failure, they were not pre- pared for defensive operations, especially since the British and Indians in-con- junction were realy to take advantage of these conditions. An immediate con- sequence of this failure was the surrender of the post at Mackinae on the 17th of July, to a largely superior force, less thao one week after the issue of his proc- lamation to the people of Canada, nearly two weeks having elapsed after notiee should have been received at the garrison. However, the posts at Detroit, Mich- ilimackanac, Fort Wayne and Chicago, had been notified ol' the fact, and the com- manding offieers at these points were ordered to plaee their garrisons "in the best possible state of defense " without delay, and to unake a return to Brigade Major Jessup, at Detroit, of the quantity of provisions the contractors bad on hand at their respective posts ; the number of officers and wien, ordnance and military stores of every kind, and the public property of all kinds "-yet the commandant at Fort Dearborn had not been thus notified until the last of July, nearly a month after the information should have been received. About the same time, feeling that he had been less vigilant than duty demanded, he sent a uiessenger to Fort Wayne with instructions to the officer in command, to send immediate relief to the garrison at Chicago. The same messenger also brought a request from Gen. Hull to Maj. Stickney, Indian Agent at Fort Wayne, to see that all the information and assist- anee at his disposal be forwarded to Capt. Heald, then surrounded by a large body of Indians operating under the instructions of Teeumseb.

Accordingly, Maj. Stickney, with as much despatch as possible, sent Capt. Wells, his suh-agent, a brother-in-law of Little Turtle and thoroughly versed in Indian strategy from a lifelong intercourse with them, with a small force to aid the beleaguered garrison. In the mean time, however, on the 9th of August, Capt. Heald received orders from Gen. Hull to evacuate the post at Chicago and move to Detroit. Three days later, Capt. Wells, with thirty picked and trusty warriors, fully equipped, arrived at Fort Dearborn (Chicago), when he was informed by Capt. Ileald of the condition of affairs, and that, after receiving the order of Gen. Hull, he had a conference with the Indians of the neighborhood and agreed upon terms of evacuation. These terms, among other things, embraced an agreement " to deliver up to the Indians the fort with all its contents, except sonie ammunition and provisions necessary for their march," in consideration for which he was to be permitted to pass unmo- lested. Capt. Wells thought such an arrangement ill advised, for the reason that the ammunition and whisky especially were dangerous elements to place at the disposal of a horde of treacherous savages, who, when under the influence of the whisky, which they were sure to become, would not for a moment regard the terms of the agreement entered into. The truth of this opinion soon became mani- fest, when the Indians, being made acquainted with the faet of the presence of fire-water among the articles obtainable by a ready disregard of their agreement, determined at once to attack the garrison. Capt. Wells, being cognizant of their

HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA.

movements, took in the situation at a glance. He was not mistaken, for informa- tion had even then been communicated to Mr. Kinzie of the proceedings and intentions of the Pottawatomies engaged as an escort for them.

The troops under the command of Capt. Heald consisted of fifty-four regu- lars and twelve militia. These, on the morning of the 15th of August, marched out from the fort to the tune of the " Dead March," as if some invisible force had impelled them to chant their own funeral dirge. Capt. Wells, too, as if conseious of his impending fate, marched in front at the head of his little hand of faithful warriors with his face blackened.

After passing outside the walls of the fort, the garrison, with Capt. Wells' hand and the escort of Pottawatomies, took up the line of marchi along the mar- gin of the lake, in the direction of Fort Wayne. When the sand hills separating the prairie and lake had been reached, the escort, consisting of some five hundred Pottawatomies, instead of pursuing the regular route, kept along the plain to the right of the sand ridge, and had thus zuarched something more than a mile and a half, when Capt. Wells, having in the mean time watched these movements closely, and satisfied himself fully as to their purpose, and that an attack was conten- plated, he communicated the result of his observations to the men, and directed a charge upon the assailants. At this period a volley was fired from behind the sand hills. The troops were then hastily formed into line, and charged rapidly up the hank. " A veteran of some seventy years was the first to fall. Capt. Wells soon fell, pierced with many halls, and, in the words of one of the party, (Mrs. Kinzie), 'Pee-so-tum * *

* held dangling in his hand a scalp,

which, hy the black rihhon around the queue, I recognized as that of Capt. Wells.' Their leader now being killed, the Miamis fled; one of their chiefs, however, before leaving the seene of disaster, riding up to the Pottawatomies, and exclaim- ing to them in pretty strong terms: 'You have deccived the Americans and us. You have doue a had action, and (brandishing his tomahawk), I will he the first to head a party of Americans to return and punish your treachery ;' and then galloped away over the prairie in pursuit of his companions, who were rapidly making their way hack toward Fort Wayne."

After a desperate conflict the troops were compelled to surrender, only to he subjected to the barharous inflictions of the tomahawk and scalping knife at the hands of the treacherous savages. The result of this massacre was twenty-six regulars killed with all the militia, two women and twelve children. Twenty-eight only were taken prisoners. One of the incidents related hy Maj. Stickney, is characteristie of Indian warfare : " As the character of Capt. Wells was unequaled for bravery, after his death, his head was severed from his hody, and the Indians took out his heart, cooked it, and divided it among themselves in very small pieces. They religiously believed that each one who are of it would therehy heeome as hrave as he from whom it was taken."

Thus far, the plan of Tecumseh had heen a success, the result at Chicago heing in full accord with his desire to obtain. revenge for the ill success of his recent efforts in behalf of an Indian confederacy. While it is true that many of the tribes from whom he had expected support were disposed to withhold their allegiance, his bold activity in the development of his schemes brought about him a class of warriors wholly unscrupulous iu the execution of his orders. Such of them as were induced. from motives of friendship toward the United States, to refuse an alliance with him, were threatened with extermination hy his deluded followers. Seeing, however, that his influence was growing less effective, his scheme for an alliance with the British now commanded his attention and con- trolled all his energies. Possessing an excellent memory, and heing so well acquainted with the situation of every important position in the whole Northwest, his services soon became essentially valuable as an auxiliary in the British army.

Having attached himself to the army of Great Britain, he was often called upon hy the officers in command to impart such information as the occasion required. His connection with the British naturally induced many of his former followers to unite their energies with his in inflicting on his enemies the penalty of his perturbed ambition. At this time, the siege of Fort Wayne and the mas- sacre of the garrison seemed be a part of the plan most claiming precedence in execution. With this motive uppermost, he set ahout the work methodically, and, as a means to that end, he secured the co-operation of the Pottawatomies, Ottawas and a portion of the Miamis, participants in the hutchery at Fort Dear- born. The leading spirits of these several bands, in the interest of the British, were to he the chief executors of this important enterprise. For this purpose, they were assembled in council hy British emissaries, at their respective villages on the St. Joseph's and on Lake Michigan. The result of this council was a well matured determination to simultaneously attack Fort Wayne and Fort Harrison, aid being promised by the British agents engaged in the movement. The plan in detail was that, in case the Indians would besiege these forts and prevent their evacuation by the garrisons occupying them, they should be joined, in one moon, hy a large force from Malden and Detroit, with artillery, sufficient to demolish the works, thus opening the way for an indiscriminate slaughter of the garrison at the hands of these accomplisbed operators with the tomahawk and sealping- knife.

This was late in the month of August, 1812, after the massacre at Chicago, and hut a few days remained before the plan for the demolition of Fort Wayne was to he put in execution. All was activity among those charged with the momentous trust, but the activity was of a character not likely to excite suspi- eion, except to those familiar with the diplomacy of Indian warfare. Their schemes, nevertheless, beeame gradually apparent as their movements were less reserved There were, too, members of some of the eonfederated trihes not in full accord with the proposed plan of operations. As the details of the plan hegan to develop, there were ohservers skilled in the interpretation of them who had interests in common with the white people.

" At this time, there was an Indian trader residing near Fort Wayne, of French extraetiou, by the name of Antoine Bondie. He was about fifty years

of age, and had lived among the Indians from the time he was twelve years old. He was an extraordinary character. At one time, he would appear to he hrave and generous, at another, meanly selfish. He was recognized hy the Miamis as one of their tribe-married one of their squaws and conformed to their hahits and mode of life. The hostile Pottawatomies, desirous of saving him from the destruction which they contemplated for the garrison, sent Metea, chief of their tribe, to inforin him of their intentions and his danger. Metea went to his cahin in the night, and, under an injunction of great secrecy, informed him of all that had transpired in relation to the contemplated siege of the two forts. He offered to come for Boudie and his family hefore the siege was commenced, with a suffi- cient number of paek-horses to remove them and their nuovahle property to a place of safety. Boudie did not decline the offer."

On the following morning, Boudie, with Charles Peltier, a French iuter- preter, visited the agent, Maj. Stickney, at an early hour, and quietly disclosed the whole plot, enjoining the agent to strictest secrecy as to his informants. In doubt whether the import of these disclosures was what it appeared to be, he was at a loss, for a time, to know how hest to apply the information most advanta- geously. Some doubt had been expressed touching the veracity of his informants, hy the commanding officer at the fort, Capt. Rhea, whose hahits of intoxication were such as to disqualify him as a safe adviser. Under the circumstances, having duly considered the situation, he acted upon his own judgment in the premises, and at once dispatched messengers to Gov. Harrison and Gov. Meigs, and another to the Commandant at Fort Harrison, informing him of the contemplated siege. Active preparations for defense were at once commenced, and not a moment too soon, for scarcely had the messengers left when the Indians had drawn their guard lines around the fort to eut off all means of communica- tion.

Shortly after the messengers had heen dispatched to Gov. Harrison, request- ing the presence of an additional military force such as the critical condition of affairs demanded, and it was uncertain as to the time when those re-enforcements might reasonably he expected, much anxiety was manifested in reference to the possible contingencies in the premises. Their anxiety was occasioned in part hy the drunkenness and incapacity of Capt. Rhea, who had command of the garri- son. Hence it was desirable that some information he obtained from the troops detailed for the relief of the fort.

STEPHEN JOHNSTON KILLED.

With this state of feeling paramount, "on the night of August 28, 1812, * * Stephen Johnston, with Peter Oliver and John Mangen, left the fort, going out on the east side, next the Maumee River, and then passing up on the table land, a short distance south of what is now known as the Hanna homestead, near the corner of Lewes and Francis streets, was shot dead and scalped hy Pottawatomic Indians. His two companions escaped unhurt into the fort. The command of the fort, was at that time under Capt. Rhca, whose habits were intemperate, and Mr. Johnston, having no confidence in his integrity, started in company with Oliver and Mangen to urge forward the military then supposed, or perhaps known, to he on the way to the relief of the fort. It was in this character, and not as an express sent by Capt. Rhea, that he left the fort, as stated by McAfee. The fact of the Captain's subsequent arrest hy Gen. Ilarri- sou, shows that Johnston had good grounds for the course he took, however disastrous to himself."*

Mr. Johnston, for some time previously, had heen employed in the minnage- ment in the United States factory store, erected near the fort, designel to supply the Indians with agricultural implements and other necessaries. He was the brother of Col. John Johnston, Indian Agent at Fort Wayne from 1809 to 1812, who employed him as chief elerk, and placed him in charge of the Government property. A few days previous to his death, in a letter addressed to his wife, hearing date August 24, 1812, he says : " We bave ahout four hundred Indians here. Their intentions are very suspicious. I have moved all the public goods into the garrison, so that I am now unincumbered hy the business, and if it was not for Mr. Stickney's illness, and having to attend to his department, I would leave the place for the present, as the trading establishment is at an end for the time heing." At this time, Maj. Stiekney had heen in charge of the agency hut a short time, having heen the suceessor of Col. Johnston, and was just recovering from a severe illness, to which Stephen refers in the extract from his letter ahove cited.

Gov. Harrison, having been informed of the perilous situation of the garri- son, hesieged by a large hody of hostile Indians, was preparing, as rapidly as pos- sihle, to send forward re-enforcements for its relief. The progress made by him is thus stated by Capt. McAfee, in his " History of the Late War in the Western Country," published at Frankfort, Ky., in 1816 :

" On the 1st of September they (the Kentucky troops under Gen. Harri- son) arrived at Dayton, and on the 3d, at Piqua, eighty miles from Cincinnati, *% and only three miles from the outside settlements." *

The General, having now ascertained that Fort Wayne was invaded by the neighhor- ing Indians, detached Col. Allen's regiment, with ten companies frou Lewes' and one from Scott's regiment, with orders to make forecd mareles for its relief. A regiment of 700 mounted men, under Col. Adams, had also advanced with the same view as far as Shane's crossing of the St. Mary's. This corps was composed of citizens of Ohio, of all ages and conditions, who had, unsolicited hy the Gov- ernment, volunteered for the protection of the frontier and the relief of Fort Wayne.

* On the evening of the 4th, Gen. Harrison received * further intelligenee that a British and Indian force had left Maldeu on the 18th of August, to join the Indians already at the siege, having previously learned that

. W. H. Jones, In Fort Wayne Sentinel.

HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA.

Gen. Winchester had been ordered by the War Department to take command of the Northwestern army. Gen. IIarrison had intended to resign the command to him at l'iqua, and had written to him to come on to that place ; "but, on learning the critical situation of Fort Wayne, he determined not to wait for Winehester, but to retain the command until he had relieved the fort.

" Early the next day, the 5th of September, he paraded the remainder of the troops and delivered them a speech, in which he stated that Fort Wayne was in imminent danger, and that it was absolutely necessary to make forced marches in order to relieve it. * *

* The troops were detained till the 6th for want of flints. On that day they marched, leaving the greater part of their clothes and baggage at Piqua, and overtook Col. Allen's regiment early on the Sth at St. Mary's River, where it had been halted by express from the General, to build hlock- houses. *

* Maj. R. M. Johnson arrived on the evening of the same day with a corps of mounted volunteers. The army was now about two thousand strong. While the troops were at Piqua, Mr. Johnston, the Indian Agent, at the request of Gen. Harrison, procured some Shawanon Indians to go down to the Auglaize to the site of old Fort Defiance, to examine whether any British force had passed up to the siege of Fort Wayne. A Shawanon half-blood, by the name of Logan, who had received his name from having been taken prisoner when a boy by Gen. Logan in an excursion from Kentucky, had also been sent by the Agent to learn the situation of the Fort. He was an Indian of great merit, and a chief warrior of his tribe," * * and " was much attached to Gen. Harrison."

Diverging, for a time, from the general narrative of Capt. MeAfee, the fol- lowing account, giving more in detail the incidents connected with the mission of Logan and his companions, is given instead. About this time, at the fort, intense anxiety was visible in every countenance. A return messenger from Gov. Harri- son had not yet arrived to inform the inmates of the fort whether the express had reached him and what were the prospects of relief. The information before received and not contradicted, that the besieging foree was to be augmented by the additions of the British and Indian foree from Malden, under the eireum. stanees, was not calculated to allay the excitement, but, indeed, to heighten it. At that moment, away to the eastward, the forms of four Indians and a white man, horsemen, riding at full speed, eame suddenly in view. As they approached the fort, an Indian yell of triumph burst upon their ears-but it was not the triumphant yell of the besiegers that was to sound the death-knell of the beleag- uered garrison. They were an advance express, sent out to learn the true situ- ation of the besieged, and to inform them that relief was rapidly approaching. These messengers were none other than young William Oliver and the brave Logan, with his faithful Shawanon guard, who had, in defiance of the five hun- dred fieree Indian warriors who surrounded tbe fort, forced a passage through their ranks and reached the garrison in safety.

" Having pursued their course with much eare until within some twenty-four miles of the fort, a eouneil was called to consider the expediency of a further advance, when it was concluded best for all to remain behind except Oliver, Logan and the other Indian attendants. On the following morning, with their horses, they continued their way, 'with the common wariness of Indians, and without any remarkable oeeurrence until they eame within some four miles of the fort. Oliver had determined to enter fort in broad daylight.'" A critical examination of the surroundings was then made, to determine, if possible, what movement had taken place, and how the Indians were located. Logan's observant eye soon disenvered that the enemy was concealed along the road to intereept and eut off any re-en- forcements that might attempt to reach the tort. Under the circumstances, it was determined to leave the main road, and, cautiously erossing the Maumee River, tie their horses in a thicket and make a reconnaisanee on foot to learn the true state of affairs. Following out this plan, they satisfied themselves fully and returned to their horses and remounted. Then they struek the main road again. and, putting whip to their horses, they started at full speed for the fort, which they reached safely. It was an opportune moment, for, just at that period, the watchful Indian guards had relaxed their vigilance-the only time for days when sneh a movement could have been similarly executed.

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.

History of Allen County, Indiana, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 15

Author: Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Kingman Brothers Number of Pages: 366

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Kingman Brothers
Number of Pages: 366