Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I, Part 65

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn
Publication date: 1874
Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > Kentucky > Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I > Part 65

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Our country was then a second rate power. England and . France were the giant champions of the hostile principles, which warred with each other for twenty-five years, and the whole civi- lized world ranged themselves under one or the other of the hos- tile banners. England was the champion of the ancient institu- tions of Europe, which consisted of religion intimately inter- woven with aristocracy., . France attacked both, with a fury which strengthened each by the alliance of the other. Both united were far too strong for the most virtuous democracy which has ever yet existed; far less could they be overthrown by a democracy, trampling upon all freedom, and reveling in universal violence and plunder. He who understands mankind, will not wonder that the great mass of property and religion throughout the world, hated France, and sided with England; nor will he be surprised that the ardent passions which originally embraced the French cause, from gratitude and sympathy with freedom, should still cling to their first love, after the original character of the contest had gradually changed, and the milk-white lamb of 1789, struggling for life against despotism, had been transformed into the ten-horned monster of 1812, trampling under foot the liber- ties of the world.

Under this state of parties the war commenced. In Kentucky the federal party was so extremely weak, and the popular pas- sion for the war blazed with such fury, that scarcely any opposi- tion was perceptible. But in the New England States, where it predominated, it displayed itself with a strength and fervor, which seriously embarrassed the government, and has excited against the party generally, a degree of odium from which it will not easily recover.

The first events of the war, upon land, were such as might naturally be expected, from a nation essentially pacific, mercan- tile and agricultural. An invasion of Upper Canada by Hull, resulted in the surrender of his army, and the loss of the whole territory of Michigan. An attempt to invade Canada upon the Niagara frontier, resulted in a total failure, attended with some ... disgrace and an immense clamor. By the loss of Michigan, all American control over the numerous Indian tribes of the north- west, was lost, and they poured down, from the great lakes, upon ; our extended frontier, in great numbers.

The war spirit in Kentucky blazed forth with unprecedented vigor. Seven thousand volunteers at once offered their services to the government, and fifteen hundred were on the march for Detroit, when the intelligence of Hull's surrender induced them to halt. This disastrous news was received with a burst of indig- nant fury, which no other event has ever excited in Kentucky. The author of this sketch was then a child, and well recollects hearing the news discussed by a company of married ladies, who

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unanimously pronounced Hull a traitor, and with great vehem- ence declared that he ought to be gibbeted, or crucified-ordinary hanging being far too mild a punishment for so monstrous a traitor.

The military ardor of the men seemed rather increased than diminished by the disaster, and a call of the governor for fifteen hundred volunteers, to march against the Indian villages of northern Illinois, was answered by more than two thousand vol- unteers, who assembled at Louisville under General Hopkins, and marched into the Indian country, until their provisions be- came scarce, and their ardor had become cooled by the protracted fatigue and hardships to which they were exposed, when, without having encountered the enemy, they suddenly abandoned their general and returned home, in defiance of all remonstrances.

The residue of the Kentucky volunteers were placed under the orders of General Harrison, the governor of the Indiana territory, and since elected to the presidency. This gentleman had long been governor of Indiana, and in the preceding year had fought a bloody battle, at Tippecanoe, with the Indians, in which the brave and eloquent Daveiss had lost his life. The last act of Governor Scott's administration, was to confer upon him the rank of major general in the Kentucky militia, and shortly after the same rank was given him by the President, in the regular service, with the chief command in the north-west. The plan of the campaign, as laid at Washington city, was to assemble under this general, the militia of Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, with such regular troops as could be raised, to re- take Detroit, overawe the north-western tribes, and conquer Upper Canada.

The secretary of war evidently regarded this as a simple and easy undertaking, and the autumn and winter of 1812-13 was spent in ill-digested, awkward and unsuccessful efforts to carry out this plan. The face of the country presented obstacles to the march of an army, with the necessary baggage and supplies, which seem to have been totally overlooked by the secretary. The country to be traversed was little better than a wilderness of swamps and marshes, which, in the rainy season, were almost impassable. The command of the lake, so essential to a well digested plan, was entirely overlooked, and was in the posses- sion of the enemy. Volunteers were furnished in great numbers and muskets in abundance, but the commissariat's and quarter- master's departments were in a state of total anarchy. The men were full of courage, and ardently desired to fight; the govern- ment was sincerely anxious to furnish them with what was ne- cessary ; but every department was raw, inexperienced, and inef- ficient. Delays, disappointments, and blunders without number occurred. The ardor of the volunteers expended itself in inglo- rious struggles with hunger, disease, and intolerable hardships and privations, and one of the finest of the Kentucky regiments. commanded by the brave and unfortunate Allen, was with much

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difficulty restrained from disbanding and returning home. The money expended in miserable and abortive efforts to drag pro- visions and ammunition through a marshy wilderness of nearly two hundred miles, would have nearly equipped a fleet sufficient to maintain the command of the lake, and the sums wasted in the quartermaster's department, would nearly have furnished transports for a sufficient force to have seized Malden. But the secretary had planned the campaign as if this swampy wilder- ness was a high and healthy region, traversed thickly by the best turnpike roads, and acted as if totally ignorant that such a body of water as lake Erie was in existence.

After a series of plans hastily conceived, partially executed, and then as hastily abandoned, after forced marches undertaken through horrible roads, without adequate object, and terminating in nothing, sometimes upon half rations, and a part of the time upon no rations at all, the army at length found itself about the Ist of January, with the left wing at fort Defiance under General Winchester, and the right at Upper Sandusky under Harrison. The left wing was composed almost entirely of Kentucky volun- teers, and the right of militia from Ohio, Pennsylvania and Vir- ginia. The immediate object was to advance to the Rapids, and thence to make a march upon Detroit. The left wing took the lead, and the Kentuckians, with Wells' regiment of regulars, reached the Rapids on the 10th. Here they halted, and by order were to wait the arrival of Harrison.

On the 14th, however, they received intelligence that two com- panies of Canadian militia and about two hundred Indians were at Frenchtown on the river Raisin, within striking distance, and instantly a burning thirst for battle, seized both officers and sol- diers. Frenchtown was about thirty-eight miles from the Rapids, and only eighteen miles from the British garrison of Malden. The lake was frozen hard, and the march over the ice from Mal- den could be made in a few hours. The British could in a few hours throw two thousand men upon Frenchtown, and no sup- port was nearer than Upper Sandusky, at least five days march distant. Yet a detachment of nine hundred and ninety Ken- tucky militia, was thrust forward, within the very jaws of the British garrison, to strike at this detachment of Indians and Canadians. Colonel Lewis commanded the detachment, and un- der him were Colonel Allen, Majors Graves and Madison. A forced march within less than two days brought them in view of the enemy, whom they attacked with the greatest bravery; Major Reynolds commanded the British, and made a spirited defence, from the picketed enclosures and houses near the village, but was driven from all his defences, under a continual charge, for more than two miles, with some loss.

This battle was fought on the 18th January. Prompt intelligence of the action was sent to General Winchester, on the night after the battle, which reached him on the morning of the 19th. On that evening he commenced his march with a reinforcement of two

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hundred and fifty regulars under Colonel Wells, leaving three hun- dred men to guard the camp. On the evening of the 20th he reached Frenchtown, and found Colonel Lewis still in possession of the town, and encamped within a large picketed enclosure, which afforded an excellent protection against musketry, but none against artillery. There was room within the enclosure to the left of Colonel Lewis, for the whole of the regulars ; but Winchester encamped in open ground on the right, having his right flank within musket shot of some detached houses and enclosures which were not occupied. On the 21st all remained quiet, and the gen- eral determined on the following day, to throw up some works for the protection of the regulars, declining to avail himself of the picketing on the left of Lewis, from an absurd regard to mili- tary etiquette, which entitled regulars to the post of honor on the right.

On the evening of the 21st, he learned that a large force was at Malden, apparently preparing for a march,-yet he sottishly slighted the intelligence, and on that evening gave permission to Colonel Wells to return to the Rapids, and fixed his own head- quarters nearly a mile from the camp, at the house of Colonel Navarre. The night was intensely cold, and no picket was posted in advance, upon the road by which the enemy might be expected. At day-light on the morning of the 22d the camp was suddenly attacked by about two thousand British and Indians, in two divisions. The British regulars under Proctor advanced against the picketing with a rapid and firm step, and under a heavy fire of cannon and musketry, and were received by the Kentuckians, with a torrent of fire, which did vast execution. Thirty of the British regulars fell dead within musket shot of the lines, and three times that number of wounded were borne to the rear. The survivors retreated in great disorder, and contented themselves with a heavy cannonade from six field pieces, against the picketing.

In the meantime, the Indians and Canadians attacked Wells' regiment, encamped in the open ground, with savage yells, and a slaughtering fire, from the cover of the houses, and enclosures which flanked them. After a brief action of only a few minutes, this regiment gave way in total confusion. Winchester came up from his distant quarters in time to witness the flight of this regiment, and strove to rally it within cover of the picketing oc- cupied by the Kentuckians; but the panic was so complete that no order could be heard, and these unhappy men fled through a deep snow along the road by which they had advanced from the Rapids, thirty-six hours before. They were pursued by four times their number of Indians, and an indiscriminate and almost total butchery ensued. Colonels Allen and Lewis left the picketing, and exerted themselves bravely, to rally and re-form the fugi- tives, but Allen was killed and Lewis taken, as was also the com- mander-in-chief. Many Kentuckians of every grade united in the effort to rally the fugitives, and bring them within the shelter

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of the picketing, among whom were Woolfolk, Simpson and Meade, all of whom were killed. Scarcely a man of the fugi- tives escaped death or captivity, and not a Kentuckian who had sallied from the picketing, returned. While this dreadful butchery was enacted within sight and hearing of both armies, the Kentuckians, now commanded by Majors Madison and Graves, remained within their enclosure, and for four hours kept the enemy at bay. During this time six field pieces played upon them incessantly, from various positions, and at length their am- munition was reduced to a single keg of cartridges. Proctor then summoned them, through General Winchester, to surrender, offering honorable conditions, and ample protection to the wounded. After considerable parley, the terms were accepted, and the whole detachment became prisoners of war. The con- ditions were faithfully kept, so far as the officers and men, who were unhurt, was concerned, but inhumanly violated with regard to the wounded. These were left in Frenchtown, without a guard, as had been stipulated, under the care of the American surgeons, attended by a single British officer and a few interpreters. A number of drunken Indians entered the town on the morning after the battle, and the helpless wounded were murdered with circumstances of shocking barbarity. The wounded officers, Major Graves, Captains Hart and Hickman, were tomahawked, and two houses crowded with wounded officers and men, were set on fire, and consumed, with their helpless inmates. This dreadful crime is chargeable to the gross negligence, if not wilful connivance of Proctor, and is an indelible stain upon the honor of the British arms.

The brave and veteran Shelby had succeeded Scott as governor of Kentucky, and upon the intelligence of the dreadful disaster at Raisin, was authorized, and requested by the legislature of Ken- tucky, to take the field in person, at the head of the reinforce- ments which volunteered their services in profusion, to supply the places of their countrymen who had fallen, or been led into cap- tivity. Four regiments instantly tendered their services, com- manded by the colonels, Dudley, Boswell, Cox and Caldwell; the whole forming a strong brigade under General Clay.

A portion of this force was pushed forward by forced marches to reinforce Harrison, who was now nearly destitute of troops (their time of service having expired), and was lying at the Rapids, exposed to a coup de main, from the enemy who lay within striking distance at Malden, and might by a little activity, repeat the terrible blow of the Raisin, upon the banks of the Maumee. The war had not lasted six months, there was but one regular British regiment in Upper Canada, and the United States had already lost the whole territory of Michigan, and instead of taking the offensive, was occupying a weak defensive position, within her own territory, the enemy being strongest upon the point of operations, and having complete command of the lake.

Harrison employed himself during the winter in fortifying his

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position below the Rapids, which was called camp Meigs, in honor of Governor Meigs, of Ohio. It consisted of an area of about seven acres, enclosed by strong pickets, deeply sunk in the ground, and with block houses at the angles. It could not resist regular approaches, or heavy artillery, but was available against light artillery and sudden attacks, and enabled him to await the arrival of reinforcements. Proctor gave him ample time to re- ceive reinforcements and strengthen himself by fortifications, making no movement of consequence until late in April, although able at any time to throw a superior force upon his adversary.

On the 12th of April, the advanced guard of the Kentucky reinforcement reached camp Meigs, and on the 26th of that month the British flotilla, having on board battering cannon, and abundant supplies for a siege, appeared upon the lake at the mouth of Maumee river. Shortly afterwards his gun boats as- cended the river to within two miles of the fort, the cannon were disembarked, and batteries were thrown up, both above and below the fort. A vast force of Indians, under the celebrated Tecumseh, attended the British army, and cut off communication with the interior. A heavy fire was opened from the British bat- teries on the 1st of May, which was returned at intervals from the fort, their supply of cannon balls being very limited, and their twelve pounders being principally supplied with balls from the enemy.

On the 4th of May, General Clay, with the residue of the Ken- tucky brigade, had reached fort Defiance. The present General Leslie Combs, of Lexington, then a captain, gallantly volunteered to carry to the garrison the news of Clay's approach, and at the head of five men, attempted to descend the river in a canoe, for that purpose. But the swarms of Indians who infested the woods defeated the attempt, and after the loss of nearly all his men, he was compelled to return. Lieutenant David Trimble had better success, and Harrison was informed that Clay's brigade was de- scending the river from fort Defiance to his aid, and would proba- bly arrive on the 5th at daylight. General Harrison then sent orders to Clay by captain Hamilton, who ascended the river in a canoe, to land eight hundred men upon the northern shore, oppo- site the fort, to carry the British batteries, there placed, to spike the cannon and destroy the carriages, after which they were im- mediately to regain their boats and cross over to the fort. The residue of the brigade was ordered to land upon the southern shore, and fight their way through the Indians to the fort.

Nothing was more easy than the execution of these orders, had the troops been well drilled, and had the object of Harrison, which was simply to silence the batteries, been distinctly under- stood by the officers. The batteries were slightly guarded, the mass of British infantry was in the camp two miles below, and the Indian force was on the opposite side of the river. Had the order been given to a captain and one hundred regulars, it would probably have been successfully executed. Clay received the

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order from Hamilton, and directed him to communicate it ic Colonel Dudley, who was charged with its execution. Dudley received the order, and landed with the troops in the first twelve boats, upon the northern shore as directed. He does not seem to have thoroughly understood the object of Harrison, and he never communicated to his subordinates the precise nature of his orders. The great mass knew nothing more, than they were to fight an enemy on the northern shore, and were totally ignorant that when the cannon were spiked and the carriages destroyed, their object was accomplished. They accordingly rushed upon the batteries, which were abandoned in disorder by the artillerymen, and the real object of the expedition was in a moment accom- plished. A small force of Indians and Canadians, however, showed themselves upon the skirts of the wood, and opened a straggling fire, which was eagerly returned by the Kentuckians, and the retreating enemy was hotly followed up, in considerable disorder, for nearly two miles. The detachment was dispersed in small parties, no general command was retained over it, and no one seems to have understood, that they were expected to retreat rapidly to their boats as soon as the cannon were spiked. The consequences were such as might have been predicted. Proctor came up with a British force and intercepted their retreat, the In- dians crossed over in great numbers and reinforced the retreat- ing party, which had decoyed the Kentuckians into the woods, and the whole detachment, with the exception of about one hundred and fifty men, was killed or taken. The prisoners were taken within the walls of the old British fort, below, under a very slender guard, and while huddled together in this place, the Indians amused themselves in shooting them down and scalping them. This cruel sport continued for some time, until it was in- terrupted by the arrival of Tecumseh at full gallop, who instantly and with great indignation, put a stop to the massacre. A sortie was made about the same time from the fort, against a battery on the southern shore of the river, in which a company of Ken- tucky militia brilliantly distinguished themselves, but sustained great loss.

On the whole, the 5th of May was disastrous to the American army. The movement on the northern bank was too critical and delicate to be performed by a corps of undisciplined volunteers, unless under the most precise instructions, thoroughly under- stood, by officers and men. The force was far too great for the object contemplated, which might have been accomplished by one fourth of the number, and was too small to defend itself against a force which was within forty minutes' march of the batteries, and was sure to be aroused, if there was the least delay. The news of the capture of fort George by General Dearborn, how ever, alarmed Proctor, and the little effect produced by his fire, together with the large force which had reinforced Harrison, induced him to abandon the siege, and return to Malden. The force under Proctor, including Indians, was probably 3200 men.

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Harrison's force exclusive of Clay's reinforcement was about 1200, and including Clay's brigade about 2500 rank and file fit for duty.

Colonel Richard M. Johnson, then a member of Congress, had early in the spring, raised a regiment of mounted gunmen, who now joined General Harrison, and were engaged during the early part of the summer in distant, harassing, and fruitless expedi- tions against the Indian villages of the north-west. Proctor re- mained quiet at Malden, organizing an Indian force for a second invasion of Ohio. Harrison remained at Upper Sandusky, busily engaged in preparing for decisive operations in the fall.

The secretary had now practically learned the importance of commanding lake Erie. Lieutenant Perry of the navy, had been detached, from the squadron under command of Chauncey on lake Ontario, to superintend the equipment of a fleet on lake Erie, and take the command of it when ready for service. The plan of the present campaign, was sensible and military. It was simply to obtain command of the lake, and by means of - a cheap and rapid water communication, to pour a superior force upon Upper Canada, and finish the war in the north-west by a single blow. All depended upon the result of the naval battle, to be fought with ships, which in June, existed in the shape of green timber growing upon the shore of lake Erie. Money however was lavishly, and now wisely expended, and under the active exertions of Perry, two brigs of twenty guns each, and seven smaller vessels, by the middle of summer began to assume the appearance of a fleet. All difficulties both of building and launching, were successfully overcome, and by the close of sum- mer, Perry was ready to engage the enemy.

In the meantime Harrison had called upon the veteran Shelby, for a force not exceeding two thousand infantry. The governor instantly issued a proclamation, inviting volunteers to meet him at Newport, and announcing that he would lead them in person against the enemy. Four thousand mounted volunteers res- ponded to the call, who after some hesitation were accepted by Harrison, and proceeded without delay to the scene of operations.

In the meantime a second feeble and abortive effort was made by Proctor to take camp Meigs, which failed disgracefully, after vast expense had been incurred in collecting stores and Indian auxiliaries, and the result of which displayed that imbecility had passed over to the enemy, and that energy and wisdom were beginning to prevail in the American conduct of affairs. Having failed to make any impression upon camp Meigs, Proctor at- tempted to carry fort Stephenson, a small picketed stockade, gar- risoned by Colonel Croghan of Kentucky with one hundred and fifty men, and so totally indefensible that Harrison had ordered Croghan to evacuate it, and rejoin the main army. It was com- pletely invested, however, before these orders could be obeyed, and successfully resisted the attack of fifteen hundred men. Only one assault was attempted, which was bravely repulsed with a slaughter which induced Proctor hastily to decamp and return to

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Malden, after one of the feeblest and most disgraceful expedi- tions, which has ever disgraced the British arms.

The crisis of the campaign had now arrived, and on the morn- ing of the 10th of September, the flotilla of lieutenant Perry en- gaged the British fleet under captain Barclay, a British officer of great experience, who had fought under Nelson at Trafalgar. The number of men in the respective squadrons was nearly equal; the British vessels carried sixty-three guns, and the American fifty-four; the British had six vessels, and the American nine. But seven of the American vessels were mere gun boats, carrying most of them only one gun, and none of them more than three, while the remaining two, named the Lawrence and Niagara, carried twenty guns each. A great proportion of the British armament consisted of long guns, while the two American brigs were armed almost exclusively with carronades. If the British official report is to be trusted, however, the weight of metal in a close action would be immensely in favor of the American fleet, as most of their guns were thirty-two and twenty-four pounders, - while the great majority of the British guns, were nine, six and four pounders, and only a few as high as twenty-four and eighteen. A detachment of one hundred and fifty of the Ken- tucky volunteers served on board of Perry's fleet as marines, and upon this new element acquitted themselves with the greatest bravery.

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Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I, Part 65

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn Publication date: 1874 Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn
Publication date: 1874
Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452