USA > Kentucky > Fayette County > Lexington > History of Lexington, Kentucky : its early annals and recent progress, including biographical sketches and personal reminiscences of the pioneer settlers, notices of prominent citizens, etc., etc. > Part 20
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#Observer and Reporter.
252
HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
[1812.
all their plunder, fell into his hands. The Indians of the neighboring towns had heard of General Hopkins crossing the Wabash, and seven hundred warriors marched to meet him, leaving one hundred and fifty in charge of the women and children, who were preparing to move off when Col- onel Russell arrived. He destroyed everything in the town which he could not bring away, and left it on the same evening.
Captain George Trotter's company (McDowell Cavalry) was in Campbell's expedition* against the Mississinawa towns at the head of the Wabash, and was in the heat of the action of the 18th of December, in which the Indians were defeated. Two members of the company, viz: Cor- poral Henry Riddle and Salem Piatt were killed, and Cap- tain Trotter, Sergeant Byrd Smith, and David Steel were wounded. When this company returned to Lexington after the expiration of its term of enlistment, it was given a public dinner.
Recruiting for the regular army was kept up in Lexing- ton during the entire war. A rope-walk which was on the " Woodlands' " property, and which ran parallel with the Richmond turnpike, was converted into a barracks,t and used by the regular soldiers until the close of the struggle. At this place, a deserter was shot and buried.
*Observer and Reporter.
+T. B. Megowan.
253
BATTLE OF FRENCHTOWN.
1813.]
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Battle of Frenchtown-The Raisin Massacre-Fate of Lexing- ton Volunteers : Hart, Graves, Edmonson, and others-The Pall of Grief-" Kentucky Squaw"-New Companies- Incomplete Rolls-Dudley's Defeat-Thrilling Incidents- Battle of the Thames-Great Rejoicing-Close of the Cam- paign in the Northwest.
THE year 1813 constitutes a tragic era in the history of Lexington, that will long be reverted to with mournful interest.
In the former chapter, we left the Kentucky troops on their weary march toward the seat of war. After under- going every kind of hardship, they finally reached the rapids of the Maumee where, broken down and disheart- ened, they camped by the frozen river in snow two feet deep. But soon the call of the suffering citizens of French- town (now Monroe), on the river Raisin, Michigan, roused the feelings of the troops into zeal and ardor, and a detach- ment of six hundred men, under Colonel Lewis, was sent to relieve them. Two marches brought the detachment in view of Raisin, and at last they were gratified with the object of their desire, the sight of an enemy in battle array. The skill of Colonel Lewis, and the bravery of the troops, brought to a successful termination the battle of the 18th January, 1813; and after contending with the enemy until the darkness of the night separated the combatants, the troops collected their wounded, and took up their position on the spot from which the enemy had been driven.
On the evening of the 20th, General Winchester arrived with two hundred regulars, and assumed command, but took none of the precautions which military foresight would have dictated, and at daylight, on the morning of
1
254
HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
[1813.
the 22d, while in an exposed position, the little army was suddenly attacked by two thousand British and Indians. The scenes that followed, we describe, in the language of an eye witness and participant :* "Upon the firing of the first gun, Major Graves immediately left his quarters, and ordered his men to stand to their arms. Very many bombs were discharged by the enemy, doing, however, very little execution, most of them bursting in the air, and the fight- ing became general along the line, the artillery of the enemy being directed mainly to the right of our lines, where Wells' command had no protection but a common rail fence, four or five rails high. Several of the Americans on that part of the line were killed, and their fence knocked down by the cannon balls, when General Winchester or- dered the right to fall back a few steps, and reform on the bank of the river, where they would have been protected from the enemy's guns. Unfortunately, however, that part of the line commenced retreating, and reaching Hull's old trace along the lane, on either side of which the grass was so high as to conceal the Indians. At this time, Colonel Lewis and Allen, with a view of rallying the retreating party, took one hundred men from the stockade, and en- deavored to arrest their flight. Very many were killed and wounded, and others made prisoners; among the former, Colonel Allen, Captains Simpson, Price, Edmonson, Mead, Dr. Irwin, Montgomery, Davis, McIlvain, and Patrick; and of the latter, General Winchester, Colonel Lewis, Major Overton, etc. The firing was still kept up by the enemy on those within the pickets, and returned with deadly effect. The Indians, after the retreat of the right wing, got around in the rear of the picketing, under the bank, and on the same side of the river, where the battle was raging, and killed and wounded several of our men.
"It is believed that the entire number of killed and wounded within the pickets did not exceed one dozen, and the writer doubts very much whether, if the reinforcements had not come, those who fought the first battle, although their
#Rev. T. P. Dudley.
255
THE RAISIN MASSACRE.
1813.]
number had been depleted by sixty-five, would not have held their ground, at least until reinforcements could have come to their relief. Indeed, it was very evident the British very much feared a reinforcement, from their hurry in removing the prisoners they had taken, from the south to the west of the battle ground, and in the direction of Fort Malden, from which they sent a flag, accompanied by Dr. Overton, aid to General Winchester, demanding the surrender of the detachment, informing them they had Generals Winchester and Lewis, and in the event of refusal to surrender, would not restrain their Indians. Major Graves being wounded, Major Madison was now left in command, who, when the sum- mons to surrender came, repaired to the room in which Major Graves and several other wounded officers were, to consult with them as to the propriety of surrendering. It is proper here to state that our ammunition was nearly ex- hausted. It was finally determined to surrender, requiring of the enemy a solemn pledge for the security of the wounded. If this was not unhesitatingly given, they determined to fight it out. But O, the scene which now took place ! The mortification at the thought of surrendering the Spar- tan band who had fought like heroes, the tears shed, the wringing of hands, the swelling of hearts-indeed, the scene beggars description. Life seemed valueless. Our Madison replied to the summons, in substance, 'We will not surrender without a guaranty for the safety of the wounded, and the return of side-arms to the officers.' (We did not intend to be dishonored.) The British officer haughtily responded : 'Do you, sir, claim the right to dic- tate what terms I am to offer?' Major Madison replied : ' No, but I intend to be understood as regards the only terms on which we will agree to surrender.' , Captain Will- iam Elliott, who had charge of the Indians, it was agreed, should be left with some men, whom, it was said, would afford ample protection until carryalls could be brought from Malden to transport the prisoners there, but the sequel proved they were a faithless, cowardly set. The British were in quite a hurry, as were their Indian allies, to leave after the surrender. Pretty soon Captain Elliott came into
.
256
HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
[1813.
the room where Major Graves, Captain Hickman, Captain Hart, and the writer of this (all wounded) were quartered. He recognized Captain Hart, with whom he had been a room-mate, at Hart's father's, in Lexington, Kentucky. Hart introduced him to the other officers, and, after a short conversation, in which he (Elliott) seemed quite restless and a good deal agitated, (he, I apprehend, could have readily told why,) as he could not have forgotten the humil- iation he had contracted in deceiving Hart's family pecu- niarily. He proposed borrowing a horse, saddle, and bridle, for the purpose of going immediately to Malden, and hur- rying on sleighs to remove the wounded. Thence assuring Captain Hart especially of the hospitality of his house, and begging us not to feel uneasy ; that we were in no danger; that he would leave three interpreters, who would be an ample protection to us, he obtained Major Graves' horse, saddle, and bridle, and left, which was the last we saw of Captain Elliott. We shall presently see how Elliott's pledges were fulfilled. On the next morning, the morning of the massacre, between daybreak and sunrise, the Indians were seen approaching the houses sheltering the wounded. The house in which Major Graves, Captains Hart and Hick- man and the writer were, had been occupied as a tavern. The Indians went into the cellar and rolled out many bar- rels, forced in their heads, and began drinking and yelling. Pretty soon they came crowding into the room where we were, and in which there was a bureau, two beds, a chair or two and perhaps a small table. They forced the drawers of the bureau, which were filled with towels, table cloths, shirts, pillow-slips, etc. About this time Major Graves and Captain Hart left the room. The Indians took the bed- clothing, ripped open the bed-tick, threw out the feathers, and apportioned the ticks to themselves. They took the overcoat, close-bodied coat, hat, and shoes from the writer. When they turned to leave the room, just as he turned, the Indians tomahawked Captain Hickman in less than six feet from me. I went out on to a porch, next the street, when I heard voices in a room at a short distance; went into the room where Captain Hart was engaged in conversation
257
THE RAISIN MASSACRE.
1813.]
with the interpreter. He asked: 'What do the Indians intend to do with us?' The reply was: 'They intend to kill you.' Hart rejoined : 'Ask liberty of them for me to make a speech to them before they kill us.' The inter- preters replied : 'They can't understand.' 'But,' said Hart, 'you can interpret for me.' The interpreters replied : ' If we undertook to interpret for you, they will as soon kill us as you.' It was said, and I suppose truly, that Cap- tain Hart subsequently contracted with an Indian warrior to take him to Amherstburg, giving him six hundred dol- lars. The brave placed him on a horse and started. After going a short distance, they met another company of In- dians, when the one having charge of Hart spoke of his receiving the six hundred dollars to take Hart to Malden. The other Indians insisted on sharing the money, which was refused, when some altercation took place, result- ing in the shooting of Hart off the horse by the Indian who received the money. A few minutes after leaving the room where I had met Hart and the interpreters, and while standing in the snow eighteen inches deep, the Indians brought Captain Hickman out on the porch, stripped of clothing, except a flannel shirt, and tossed him out on the snow within a few feet of him, after which he breathed once or twice and expired. While still standing in the yard, without coat, hat, or shoes, Major Graves approached me in charge of an Indian, and asked if I had been taken. I answered, no. He proposed that I should go along with the Indian who had taken him. I replied: 'No; if you are safe, I am satisfied.' He passed on, and I never saw him afterward."
The author of the above narrative was finally ransomed by a generous British officer, who gave his Indian captor an old pack-horse and a keg of whisky to release him.
Another witness* of the cowardly massacre at Raisin gives the following experience, which particularly concerns the volunteers directly from Lexington. He says :
"On the morning of the 23d, shortly after light, six or
#G. M. Bower, American State Papers-12.
258
HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
F1813.
eight Indians came to the house of Jean Baptiste Jereaume, where I was in company with Major Graves, Captains Hart and Hickman, Dr. Todd, and fifteen or twenty volunteers. They did not molest anything, or person, on their first ap- proach, but kept sauntering about until there was a large number collected, at which time they commenced plundering the houses of the inhabitants, and killing the wounded prisoners. The Indian who claimed me as his property, commanded me to hold his horse, which was about twenty paces from the house. Shortly after going to the house, I saw them knock down Captain Hickman at the door, to- gether with several others. Supposing a general massacre had commenced, I made an effort to get to a house about a hundred yards distant, which contained a number of wounded; but on my reaching the house, to my great mor- tification, found it surrounded by Indians, which precluded the possibility of my giving notice to the unfortunate vic- tims of savage barbarity. An Indian chief, of the Tawa tribe, of the name of McCarty, gave me possession of his horse and blanket, telling me, by signs, to lead the horse to the house which I had just before left. The Indian that first took me by this time came up and manifested a hos- tile disposition toward me, by raising his tomahawk as if to give me the fatal blow, which was prevented by my very good friend McCarty. On my reaching the house which I had first started from, I saw the Indians take off several prisoners, which I afterward saw in the road, in a most man- gled condition, and entirely stripped of their clothing.
"Messrs. Charles Bradford, Charles Searls, Turner, and Ebenezer Blythe, of Hart's company, were collected around a carryall, which contained articles taken by the Indians from the citizens. We had all been placed there by our re- spective captors, except Blythe, who came where we were entreating an Indian to convey him to Malden, promising to give him forty or fifty dollars, and whilst in the act of pleading for mercy, an Indian, more savage than the other, stepped up behind, tomahawked, stripped, and scalped him. The next that attracted my attention was the houses on fire that contained several wounded, whom I knew were not able
259
FATE OF LEXINGTON VOLUNTEERS.
1813.]
to get out. After the houses were nearly consumed, we re- ceived marching orders, and, after arriving at Sandy creek, the Indians called a halt, and commenced cooking. After preparing and eating a little sweetened gruel, Messrs. Brad- ford, Searls, Turner, and myself received some, and were eating, when an Indian came up, and proposed exchanging his moccasins for Mr. Searls' shoes, which he readily com- plied with. They then exchanged hats, after which the Indian inquired how many men Harrison had with him, and, at the same time, calling Searls a Washington or Mad- ison, then raised his tomahawk and struck him on the shoulder, which cut into the cavity of the body. Searls then caught hold of the tomahawk, and appeared to resist, and upon my telling him his fate was inevitable, he closed his eyes and received the savage blow, which terminated his existence. I was near enough to him to receive the brains and blood, after the fatal blow, on my blanket. A short time after the death of Searls, I saw three others share a similar fate. We then set out for Brownstown, which place we reached about twelve or one o'clock at night. After being exposed to several hours incessant rain in reach- ing that place, we were put into the council-house, the floor of which was partly covered with water, at which place we remained until next morning, when we again received marching orders for their village on the river Rouge, which place we made that day, where I was kept six days, then taken to Detroit and sold."
The grief in Lexington and Fayette county, occasioned by the Frenchtown defeat, and the cold-blooded massacre after it, was as intense as it was widely spread. The em- blems of sorrow and affliction were soon seen on every hand. The churches and newspapers were clothed in mourning, and, amid the tolling of bells, the relatives and friends of the murdered soldiers walked sadly in a funeral procession to church, when the sorrow of a whole community was poured out, and prayers were offered for strength to bear the great affliction.
Captain John Edmonson, who fell in the battle of French-
260
HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
[1813.
town, was a native of Washington county, Virginia,* but had settled early in Fayette county, Kentucky, where he had resided for many years before his death. His company of riflemen was connected with Colonel Allen's regiment. Edmonson county, Kentucky, was named in his honor.
Major Benjamin Graves, one of the victims of the "mas- sacre," after the battle of Frenchtown, was also a Virginian, but had emigrated to Fayette county, Kentucky, when quite young .; He was an amiable, shrewd, and intelligent man, and represented the county several years in the legislature. He was one of the first to volunteer in 1812, and was ap- pointed major in Colonel Lewis' regiment, and proved himself a cool, vigilant, and gallant officer. Graves county, Kentucky, bears his name.
Captain Nathaniel G. T. Hart, whose tragic fate we have recorded, and in whose honor Hart county, Kentucky, was named, was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, but was brought to Lexington, Kentucky, when a little child .¿ He studied law, and practiced in Lexington, but abandoned the pro- fession for mercantile pursuits. In 1812, at the age of twenty-seven, he was commanding the celebrated "Lexing- ton Light Infantry" company, and he and the company en- listed as soon as war was declared. Henry Clay and James Brown both married sisters of Captain Hart.
An amusing incident, || too good to be lost, occurred during this tragic period. An adventurous and exceedingly useful female, born in Fayette, went out with one of the Lexington companies in the capacity of a washerwoman, shared the captivity at Raisin, and marched with the prisoners to Malden, which was crowded with Indians, among whom were a number of squaws. The appearance of the washer- woman at once caught their attention, especially as she bore on her back a large blanket, well filled with her baggage. One of the squaws came up to her, and demanded the bundle, which she very promptly refused to give up, but the squaw seized it, and a struggle for its possession at once drew a crowd of warriors around them, who formed a circle
*Collins.
+Id. įId. |Gen. J. A. McCalla.
261
NEW COMPANIES.
1813.]
to see fair play, and enjoy the sport. The pulling operation not being sufficient, the female soldier determined to show her Kentucky play, and attacked her with her fists, and, pulled her hair with vigor, until at last her antagonist gave up the attempt, and left her in possession of her bundle. With laughter and huzzas for the "Kentucky squaw," the warriors declared she should not be disturbed again, and she marched off in triumph to join her fellow prisoners. The "Kentucky squaw" remained at Malden about six months, making money by her skill and industry, and then marched back to Lexington in regular infantry style, on foot, and lived for many years to enjoy the fame of her brilliant victory over her rash and badly taken-in foe.
The following names, in addition to those already given, of soldiers killed and wounded, have fortunately been pre- served. They belonged to Captain Hart's company. Killed-Alex. Crawford, Wm. Davis, Sam'l Elder, Thos. King, Wm. Lewis, Peter Mesner, Jas. Riley, Stephen Smith, Geo. Shindlebower, B. Stephens, Armstrong Stew- art, Thos. Fant. Wounded-Chas. Bradford, Thos. Cham- berlain, John Beckly, Edward Elder, James Higgins, S. B. Todd.
The butchery at Raisin excited a storm of the intensest indignation and excitement throughout Kentucky, which was the greatest sufferer by it. There was a general rush to avenge the slaughter of the gallant men who had fallen, and the tender of troops was largely in excess of the de- mand. Lexington resounded with the notes of the bugle and the beating of drums. Five companies of volunteers were rapidly organized in the city and county, and camp- fires blazed on every hand. The companies formed were commanded by Captains Archie Morrison, John C. Mor- rison, David Todd, Stewart W. Megowan, and M. Flour- noy, and belonged to the regiment of Colonels Dudley and Boswell. The following is a fragment of the roll of Cap- tain Archie Morrison's company, viz : Thomas Christian, A. F. Eastin, George Eave, Elijah Smith, Larkin Webster, John Webster, and Thomas Webster.
We also append an incomplete list of unclassified soldiers,
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HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
[1813.
who served in the war, but in what years and in whose companies is not known. The list embraces :
Ashton Garrett, Thos. H. Barlow, Allen Baker, Thos. Barr, Robert Burns, Daniel Brink, Enoch Bryan, Landen Carter, Wm. Clark, Horace Coleman, William Chinn, Lewis Castleman, W. R. Combs, Enoch Ducker, J. R. Dunlap, A. S. Drake, John Darnaby, Joseph Edger, Peter Ealeman, Asa Farra, John Figg, John Figg, Jr., John Graves, Thos. C. Graves, J. G. Goodin, John Gess, William Gray, Abram Hicks, Jabez Jones, John Keiser, Jeremiah Kirtley, Adam Lake, William Lewis, Jacob Markley, Robert Masterson, James Masterson, Peter Metcalf, James Megowan, C. C. Moore, C. S. Moore, S. Moore, T. R. Moore, Thos. McIlvaine, Charles Postlethwaite, Hugh Paine, Francis Ratcliffe, Fielding Roach, James Sheely, Samuel Smith, George Simpson, George Stipp, John Stere, John Todd, Jacob Varble, Abram Ware, Joshua Webb, Benjamin Wood, George Wheeler, George Yeiser, George Yates.
The Kentucky volunteers were hurried to the relief of Harrison, and succeeded in cutting their way through the British and Indians to Fort Meigs. But the soldiers of Lexington and Fayette seemed ever destined to reach vic- tory only after repeated baptisms of blood. Another dis- aster awaited them.
On the 5th of May, General Harrison sent Captain Hamilton with an order to Colonel Dudley to land eight hundred men on the northern shore of the Maumee, oppo- site Fort Meigs, destroy the British batteries there, and then immediately return.
Dudley succeeded perfectly in capturing the batteries, but instead of instantly returning to his boats, suffered his men to waste their time, and skirmished with the Indians until Proctor was enabled to cut them off from their only chance of retreat. They were surrounded, taken by sur- prise, defeated, and then came another repetition of the Raisin massacre, in which Colonel Dudley, as already re- lated in a former chapter, was barbarously mangled and murdered, and only one hundred and fifty of his men es-
263
DUDLEY'S DEFEAT.
1813]
caped captivity or death. We insert for preservation the following comprehensive account of the disaster by one who was engaged in it :*
" When Colonel Dudley attacked the batteries of the enemy, opposite Fort Meigs, on the 5th of May, 1813, he advanced in three columns. The right, led by himself, carried them without the loss of a man. The middle was the reserve. The left, headed by Major Shelby, formed at right angles on the river, to protect from below. This ar- rangement was scarcely made before the spies under my command (about thirty in number, including seven friendly Indians), who flanked at some hundred yards distance in the woods, were attacked by part of the Indian force of the enemy. Unacquainted with the views of Colonel Dud- ley, they knew not but that it was their duty to fight. For near fifteen minutes, with the loss of several killed and wounded, they maintained an unequal conflict. In this time, Colonel Dudley having effected his object, and fear- ing their fate, had advanced to their relief with the right column. The enemy retreated. Our troops, impelled more by incautious valor and a desire for military distin- guishment than prudence, pursued. He then stood firm for a short time on his right, and gave way on his left, which threw our lines with its back toward the river, so that every step we alvanced carried us farther from under the protection of our fort. Whenever we halted, so did the Indians, and renewed their fire-we charged on them. They again retreated. In this way, with the loss of from thirty to fifty killed on our side, and a number wounded, was the battle fought for upward of three hours. How much the enemy suffered during this time, 't was impossible to ascertain from the circumstance of their bearing off their dead. Soon after the commencement of the engage- ment, we were forced to bring our whole force into action. The enemy was, during this time, receiving large reinforce- ments from the other side of the river, which enabled him now nearly to surround us. Our troops were generally
*Capt. Leslie Combs' Report to Gen. Green Clay.
264
HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
[1813.
much exhausted, owing to the swampiness of the ground over which they had fought, and many of them with their guns wet, or without ammunition. In this situation, the enemy in much force, fresh to the battle, pressed with a most destructive cross-fire on our left. It gave way. Con- scious of his advantage, with a desperate effort he advanced on the remainder. These, disheartened and confused, were ordered to retreat to the batteries. Unfortunately, this retreat soon turned to flight, which all the efforts of the officers could neither prevent nor stop.
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