USA > Indiana > Allen County > Fort Wayne > History of Fort Wayne, from the earliest known accounts of this point, to the present period. Embracing an extended view of the aboriginal tribes of the Northwest, including, more especially, the Miamies with a sketch of the life of General Anthony Wyane; including also a lengthy biography of pioneer settlers of Fort Wayne. Also an account of the manufacturing, mercantile, and railroad interests of Fort Wayne and vicinity > Part 30
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Lieutenant Munday, with another part of the spies, presently hap- pened at the same place, and discovering some Indians, who still His. Late War in Western Country," page 135 to page 152.
DEFEAT OF PLAN TO MASSACRE FORTS WAYNE AND HARRISON. 231
remained there, formed his men and charged upon them, at the same time saluting them with their own yell. They fled precipi- tately, and Munday, on discovering their superior numbers, took advantage of their panic to retreat himself. Next'morning, the 27th, Captain Ballard, with the spies and Captain Garrard's troop of horse, accompanied by Major Woolfork, aid to the general, and some other volunteers, went forward to bury the dead: The In- dians were still in ambush; but Captain Ballard expecting it, ap- proached them in a different direction, so as to disconcert their plans. He attacked them with a brisk fire, and Captain Garrard immediately ordered a charge, on which they fled in every direc- tion, leaving trails of blood from their killed and wounded.
These Indians were the advance of an army destined to attack Fort Wayne, consisting of 200 regulars under Major Muir, with four pieces of artillery, and about 1000 Indians, commanded by Elliott. They had brought their baggage and artillery by water to old Fort Defiance, at the mouth of the Auglaize, where they had left their boats and were advancing up the south side of the Maumee towards Fort Wayne.
Upon the approach of Winchester, they threw their cannon into the river, together with their fixed ammunition, and retreated in great haste. Gen. Winchester did not pursue them.
And thus the original plan of the British authorities, at Detroit and Malden, to take the posts of Forts Wayne and Harrison, then to give them up to massacre, and to turn about 1500 Indians loose upon the frontier, to kill and lay waste, had now come to defeat.
1
CHAPTER XIX.
Again upon the march, 'mid seenes of renown- On, with heroic valor, to bloody Frenchtown, * * Where brave ALLEN fell.
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Situation of Fort Harrison-Thestratagem for its capture-The Indians, men, women, and children, gathered there in large mmnbers-They ask for food, and desire to . be admitted into the fort-One of the block-houses fired-The Indians open fire upon the fort-A critical moment-Two men, of the fort, scale the picketing-One of them killed, the other wounded-Retreat of the Indians-The garrison repaired -Captain Taylor prepares for a siege-Scarcity of food-A messenger succeeds in passing the Indian lines at night-Capt. Taylor breveted for his bravery-His force but 50 men-Force of the Indians large-The Indians exasperated at their defeat-They leave the locality of Fort Harrison for the " Pigeon-Roost settle- ment "-Two men killed when within two miles of the settlement-The settlenient surprised-The massaere-23 men, women, and children killed in a few minutes -A few only make their escape-The alarm given by those making their escape- A party reaches the scene of the massacre-The buildings burned, and the bodies mainly consumed by the flames-Burial, in one grave, of theremains-Trail of the Indians-Dangers and sufferings of the pioneers-Zebulon Collings' account- Regiments of Kentucky-Recruits of the regular army ordered to the frontier- Transportation of supplies -- report of General Harrison -- A movement against the British-Logan, the Shawanoe half-breed, sent to take observations-He and his party overpowered-Their retreat to the camp of Gen. Winchester-Logan sus. peeted of being in complietity with the enemy-Logan's feelings greatly wound- ed-He resolves to prove himself true-Logan and his attendants move again- " A prisoner or a scalp "-They meet a superior party-Stratagem of Logan-A detachment sent against the Indians on the Mississiniwa-A sharp encounter-Loss and flight of the Indians-Tecumseh in the region -- Return of the detachment -- Privations of the army-The government and people restless-Advance of Gen. Winchester-Movement of troops under Lewis and Allen upon Frenchtown -- The . British prepare for an attack -- Their advanee and attack-The Americans over- powered -- Terrible slaughter -Ferocity and barbarity of the Indians-Capture of Gen. Winchester-Bravery and death of Col. John Allen-Great valor of Majors Graves and Madison-Their refusal to surrender to Gen. Proctor -- Horrible slaughter of the wounded by the Indians-Many burned alive -- Movements of General Harrison for the relief of the sufferers at Frenchtown-Confinement of Gen. Winchester, Col. Lewis, and Major Madison at Quebec-Sad feeling of the country at the disaster of Frenchtown-Renewed efforts, and heavy reinforcements to the army of Harrison. -
WHILE the garrison here is on the look-out for the wily foe that had now begun to prowl about again, occasionally visiting the fort in the guise of friendship, and the north- western troops are engaged in active preparations for an advance on Detroit, the attention of the reader is turned again
233
DEFENSE OF FORT HARRISON.
in the direction of the Wabash and Fort Harrison. Capt. Zachary Taylor was in command of this fort at this period. Sratagem, to the time of the siege here, had well-nigh assumed an epidemical form with the different tribes. It was an ancient artifice. It had often been resorted to as a means of success, and seldom failed in its operations, if cautiously engineered. Occasionally, however, a Gladwyn, a Harrison, or a Johnson was met by the Indians, in their purposes and plans, and then, after a desperate effort, they usually came to defeat.
On the 3d of September, a body of Winnebagoes and Kickapoos, men, women, and children, had gathered about Fort Harrison, and desired, as on many similar occasions, at other points, to be admit- ted into the fort, with the pretense of holding a council-insisting, also, that they were greatly in need of food.
Two men having been killed on the 2d, Capt. Taylor at once sus- pected their designs, and giving them something to eat, refused to admit them. But this did not suffice. They continued to loiter about the fort, still insisting upon their friendship. On the night of the 4th, their designs were made fully manifest. Setting fire to one of the block-houses, a large number of warriors, who had been con- cealed near by, now opened a brisk fire upon the fort, which was readily returned by the garrison. Several desperate charges were made by the Indians, in which an effort was made to fire the fort in several places, and then to enter by the breach ; but they were bravely repulsed and entirely defeated at every side. "So critical and alarming was the situation of the garrison," says M'Afee, " that two of the men jumped over the picketing, preferring the chance of escape through the ranks of the enemy, to the prospect of being burnt or massacred in the fort; one of whom was killed, and the other retreated back to the walls of the fort after being wounded, and concealed himself behind some old barrels till the next morn- ing, when the Indians retreated, though still hovering about within view of the fort for seven or eight days afterwards."
The garrison was now repaired and strengthened, and Captain Taylor prepared himself for a regular siege. The destruction of the block-house, in which were stored the provisions of the fort, was severely felt, as it exposed the men to the rigors of hunger in the lack of food. During the siege but three men had been killed, and about that number wounded. A small amount of corn, raised near the fort, was their only reliance for food for several days; while an effort to dispatch a messenger to Vincennes seemed out of the question, until, at length, a messenger sneceeded in passing the Indian encampment at night.
For his valiant conduct in defending the fort, Captain Taylor re- ceived much praise, and was therefor soon after breveted a major. His force in the garrison did not exceed fifty men, many of whom were sick. The force of the enemy was quite large, comprising
234
HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
about all the Indians that could, at that time, be collected in that part of the country.
Greatly perplexed and exasperated at their failure, a large part of the Indians engaged against Fort Harrison, now soon started for a little settlement, known as " the Pigeon Roost settlement," at the fork of White river, in what is now Scott county, in this State. This settlement was founded in 1809 ; embraced an opening of about one square mile, and was about five miles distant from any other set- tlement. When within about two miles of the settlement, the In- dians discovered two men of the same, who were hunting bee trees. These were killed, and then moving forward to the settlement, they surprised and massacred, in a few moments, twenty-three men, wo- men, and children, a few only succeeding in making their escape. " The children," says M'Afee, " had their brains knocked out against trees," etc.
A large party now soon collected, and repaired to the scene of the massacre, where the bodies, many of them partially consumed in the flames of the ruined buildings, were collected together, and buried in one grave.
Many of the Indians engaged in this massacre, were Shawanoes, and their trail was followed for several miles, in the direction of the Delaware towns, at the head of White river, but without success.
A Mr. Zebulun Collings, who resided about six miles from the Pigeon-Roost settlement, thus relates the dangers and vicissitudes under which he proscuted his farm labors, and lived from day to day during much of those early times, which will doubtless also serve as an example of the hardships and dangers of most of the pioneers of those early days. Says he: "The manner in which I used to work, in those perilous times, was as follows: On all oc- casions I carried my rifle, tomahawk, and butcher-knife, with a loaded pistol in my belt. When I went to plow, I laid my gun on the plowed ground, and stuck up a stick by it, for a mark, so that I could get it quick in case it was wanted. I had two good dogs. I took one into the house, leaving the other out. The one outside was expected to give the alarm, which would cause the one inside to bark, by which I would be awakened, having my arms always loaded. I kept my horses in a stable, elose to the house, having a port-hole, so that I could shoot to the stable door. During two years I never went from home with any certainty of returning-not know- ing the minute I might receive a ball from an unknown hand; but in the midst of all these dangers, that God who never sleeps nor slumbers, has kept me."
The regiments of Colonels Wilcox, Miller, and Barbour, of the Kentucky militia, were now on their march to Vincennes, but they did not arrive in time to meet the Indians at Fort Harrison. Col. Russell being advised of its critical situation, collected some com- panies of rangers and Indiana militia, and, by forced marches, ar- rived there on the 13th, to the great joy of the garrison, who were
235
TRANSPORTATION OF SUPPLIES.
in a starving condition. Several wagons with provisions were now ordered up to the fort, under an escort of 13 men, commanded by lieutenant Fairbanks, of the regulars. After Colonel Russell had met and passed this party on his return, they were surprised and literally cut to pieces by the Indians, two or three only escaping. Major M'Gary, with a battalion of Colonel Barbour's regiment, was at the same time on his way with provisions for the garrison; and being reinforced with some companies of Russell's rangers, they arrived in safety at the fort, having buried the mangled remains of the regulars on their way. In the Illinois and Missouri Territories, depredations had also been committed by the Indians. Governor Edwards, of the Illinois Territory, had been very attentive to these matters. He had sent spies into the Indian country, by whom he had ascertained, that they were greatly elated with their success and the prospect of driving the white people over the Ohio river, and were determined to carry on a desperate war against the fron- tiers in the month of September. To meet the emergency, he had called, under authority from the war department, on the governor of Kentucky for a regiment of men; and Colonel Barbour's regi- ment had been ordered by Governor Shelby to march to Kaskas- kia; but General Gibson, the acting governor of Indiana, ordered it to Vincennes when Fort Harrison was in danger, conceiving that he was authorized to take such a step, as the lieutenant of Governor Harrison, who was commander-in-chief of all the forces in those Territories. Governor Edwards, though deprived of this aid, made vigorous exertions to defend his settlement. He embodied a portion of the militia, which he held in readiness to act whenever danger might present. Several companies of rangers were also encamped on the Mississippi, above St. Louis, and on the Illinois river. These troops served to keep the savages in check in those regions .*
General Harrison continued his headquarters at Franklinton and Delaware, for the most part employing himself in the superintend- ence of supplies, and early in October he ordered " all the recruits of the regular army in the western States to be marched to the frontiers.
For several months the army was now chiefly engaged in the transportation of supplies over the different routes they had, or were sooner or later to, march. In this relation many difficulties arose, which were most fully set forth by General Harrison at the time, in his report to the President and war department. On the . 22d of October, he said: "I am not able to fix any period for the advance of the troops to Detroit. It is pretty evident, that it can- not be done, on proper principle, until the frost shall become so se- vere as to enable us to use the rivers and the margin of the lake, for the transportation of the baggage on the ice. To get supplies forward, through a swampy wilderness of near two hundred miles, in wagons or on packhorses, which are to carry their own provis- * M'Afee.
236
HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
ions, is absolutely impossible." The object, said he, "can be ac- complished by using the margin of the lake as above mentioned, if the troops are provided with warm clothing, and the winter is such as it commonly is in this elimate." "No species of supplies are calculated on being found in the Michigan Territory. The farms upon the river Raisin, which might have afforded a quantity of forage, are nearly all broken up and destroyed. This article, then, as well as the provisions for the men, is to be taken from this State -a circumstance which must at once put to rest every idea for a land conveyance at this season-since it would require at least two wagons with forage, for each one that is loaded with provisions and other articles."
The most important events, of a military character, that had transpired, up to the 22d of November, were a somewhat success- ful, though perilous movement upon a party of British and Indians at the Rapids, by a small body of troops under General Tupper, wherein the former were mainly put to flight, but after the retreat of the British and many of the Indians,-a few of Tupper's men having unthoughtedly given chase to a number of hogs for a dis- tance of half a mile from the main body,-four of them were killed by the Indians. The British and Indians now fell back upon the river Raisin.
Soon after this movement, Capt. James Logan, the faithful Shaw- anoe chief, mentioned in a previous chapter, in connection with the army in its efforts to succor the fort here, in the early part of September, by orders from General Harrison, had proceeded with a small number of his tribe, to make observations in the direction of the Rapids. Having met and been closely pursued by a supe- rior force, when near that point, he and his men were obliged to disperse and retreat; and Logan, with but two of his comrades- Capt. John and Bright-Horn-succeeded in reaching the camp of Gen. Winchester, where he faithfully recounted what had occurred. There were some persons in the camp, however, who suspected him of having been in complicity with the enemy, and so intimated, greatly to the displeasure and mortification of Logan, who at once determined to refute the charge by a still further manifestation of his fidelity to the American cause.
Accordingly, on the 22d of November, accompanied by Capt. John and Bright-Horn, he started a second time in the direction of the Rapids, resolved to bring in a prisoner or a scalp. Having proceeded down the north side of the Maumee, about ten miles, . they met with a British officer, the eldest son of Col. Elliott, and five Indians. Four of them being on horseback, and too strong for then, and having no chance of escape, Logan at once determined to pass them under the pretense of friendship and a desire to com- municate to the British certain information. With this determina- tion, they confidently advanced to the party, one of whom proved to be Winnemac, the Pottawattamie chief, with whom the reader
237
DEATH OF LOGAN, THE SHAWANOE GUIDE AND SPY.
is already familiar, who unfortunately knew Logan well, and was fully aware of his regard for and adherance to the Ameriean cause. But, nevertheless, Logan persisted in his first course, telling them he was on his way to communicate with the British. After a con- versation of some time with them, they moved toward the British lines, whereupon Winnemac and his companions turned and fol- lowed them, desiring to accompany them thither. As they trav- eled on together, says M'Afee, Winnemac and his party closely watched the others, and when they had proceeded about eight miles, he proposed to the British officer to seize and tie them. The officer replied that they were completely in his power ; that if they attempted to run, they could be shot; or failing in that, the horses could easily run them down. This consultation was overheard by Logan; he had previously intended to go on peaceably till night, and then make his escape; but he now formed the bold design of extricating himself by a combat with double his number.
Having signified his resolution to his men, he commenced the at- tack by shooting down Winnemac, himself. The action lasted till they had fired three rounds apiece, during which time, Logan and his brave companions drove the enemy some distance, and separa- ted them from their horses. By the first fire, both Winnemae and Elliott fell; by the second a young Ottawa chief lost his life ; and another of the enemy was mortally wounded about the conclusion of the combat, at which time Logan hintself, as he was stooping down, received a ball just below the breast bone; it ranged down- wards and lodged under the skin on his back. In the mean time, Bright-Horn was also wounded, by a ball which passed through his thigh. As soon as Logan was shot, he ordered a retreat ; himself and Bright-Horn, wounded as they were, jumped on the horses of the enemy and rode to Winchester's camp, a distance of twenty miles in five hours. Captain John, after taking the scalp of the Ottawa chief, also retreated in safety and arrived at the camp next morning.
Logan had now resened his character, as a brave and faithful soldier, from the obloquy which had unjustly been thrown upon him. But he preserved his honor at the expense of the next best gift of . Heaven-his life. His wound proved mortal. He lived two days in agony, which he bore with uncommon fortitude, and died with the utmost composure and resignation. "More firmness and consummate bravery has seldom appeared on the military theatre," said Winchester, in his letter to the commanding general. "He was buried with all the honors due to his rank, and with sor- row as sincerely and generally displayed, as I ever witnessed," said Major Hardin, in a letter to Governor Shelby. Ilis physiog- nomy was formed on the best model, and exhibited the strongest marks of courage, intelligence, good humor and sincerity. It was said by the Indians, that the British had offered one hundred and fifty dollars for his scalp. He had been very serviceable to our
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HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
cause by acting as a guide and spy. He had gone with General Hull to Detroit, and with the first Kentucky troops, who marched to the relief of Fort Wayne.
Captain Logan, it will be remembered, had been taken prisoner by General Logan, of Kentucky, in the year 1786, when he was a youth. Before the treaty of Greenville, he had distinguished him- self as a warrior, though still very young. His mother was a sister to the celebrated Tecumseh and the Prophet. He stated, that, in the summer preceding his death, he had talked one whole night with Tecumseh, and endeavored to persuade him to remain at peace, while Tecumseh, on the contrary, endeavored to engage him in the war on the side of the British. His wife, when she was young, had also been taken prisoner by Colonel Hardin, in 1789, and had re- mained in the family till the treaty of Greenville. In the army he had formed an attachment for Major Hardin, the son of the colonel, and son-in-law of General Logan, and now requested him to see that the money due for his services was faithfully paid to his family. He also requested, that his family might be removed immediately to Kentucky, and his children educated and brought up in the man- ner of the white people. He observed that he had killed a great chief; that the hostile Indians knew where his family lived, and that when he was gone, a few base fellows might creep up and de- stroy them.
Major Hardin having promised to do everything in his power to have the wishes of his friend fulfilled, immediately obtained per- mission from the general to proceed with Logan's little corps of In- dians to the village of Wapoghconata, where his family resided. When they came near the village, the scalp of the Ottawa chief was tied to a pole, to be carried in triumph to the council house ; and Captain John, when they came in sight of the town, ordered the guns of the party to be fired in quick succession, on account of the death of Logan. A council of the chiefs were presently held, in which, after consulting two or three days, they decided against send- ing the family of their departed hero to Kentucky. They appeared however to be fully sensible of the loss they had sustained, and were sincerely grieved for his death.
About the time that Tupper's expedition to the Rapids was in exe- cution, General Harrison determined to send an expedition of horsemen against the Miamies, assembled in the towns on the Mis- sissiniwa river, a branch of the Wabash. A deputation of chiefs from those Indians met General Harrison at St. Mary's, early in October, and sucd for peace-they agreed to abide by the decision of the President, and in the meantime to send in five chiefs to be held as hostages. The President replied to the communication of the general on this subject, that, as the disposition of the several tribes would be known best by himself, he must treat them as their conduct and the public interest might, in his judgment, require. The hostages were never sent in, and further information of their in-
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239
MOVEMENTS ON THE MISSISSINIWA.
tended hostility was obtained. "At the time of their peace mission, they were alarmed by the successful movements which had been made against other tribes from Fort Wayne, and by the formidable expedition which was penetrating their country under General Hopkins. But the failure of that expedition was soon afterwards known to them, and they determined to continue hostile. A white man by the name of William Connor, who had resided many years with the Delawares, and had a wife among them, but who was firmly attached to the American cause in this war, was sent to the towns to watch the movements of the Miamies. He visited the vil- lages on the Mississiniwa river, and was present at several of their councils. The question of war with the United States and union with the British was warmly debated, and there was much division among the chiefs, but the war party at last prevailed. The pres- ence and intrigues of Tecumseh, and afterwards the retreat of Gen- eral Hopkins, rendered them nearly unanimous for war.
To avert the evils of their hostility, was the object of the expedi- tion against Mississiniwa. Said Harrison: "The situation of this town, as it regards one line of operations, even if the hostility of the inhabitants was less equivocal, would render a measure of this kind highly proper; but from the circumstance of General Hop- kin's failure, it becomes indispensable. Relieved from the fears excited by the invasion of their country, the Indians from the upper part of the Illinois river, and to the south of Lake Michigan, will direct all their efforts against Fort Wayne and the convoys which are to follow the left wing of the army. Mississiniwa will be their rendezvous, where they will receive provisions and every assistance they may require for any hostile enterprise. From that place they can, by their runners, ascertain the period at which every convoy may set out from St. Mary's, and with certainty intercept it on its way to the Miami (Maumee) Rapids. But that place being broken up, and the provisions destroyed, there will be nothing to subsist any body of Indians, nearer than the Potawatamie towns on the waters of the St. Josephs of the Lake."
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