USA > Kentucky > The history of Kentucky : from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 16
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About sixty of the wounded volunteers, and
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HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
among them several of the principal officers, had obtained permission of Proctor to remain at Frenchtown, and a promise was given that a sufficient guard should be furnished for their pro- tection, until they could be carried to Malden the next day upon sleds. No guard, however, was left, and the Indians, re-entering the town, tomahawked Major Graves and Captains Hart and Hickman, together with a number of others. After plundering the rest of the wounded of their clothing, and of every article of value, they consummated this act of fiendish barbarity by setting fire to two houses filled with helpless and mutilated men, and burning them to the ground.
As soon as tidings of the massacre on the shores of the river Raisin reached General Har- rison at Sandusky, he despatched Doctor Ket- chum to Malden with a flag, and a sum of money, to provide for the wants of the sick and wounded prisoners.
In defiance of the humane nature of his mis- sion, and the credentials which he bore, the doc- tor was robbed of the specie intrusted to his care, grossly maltreated, taken first to Malden, and after suffering confinement in Quebec, and several other Canadian forts, for a considerable length of time, at length succeeded in obtaining his liberation.
The terrible loss inflicted upon Kentucky by
1 277
FORT MEIGS.
the captivity or wanton murder of so many of her bravest citizens, instead of depressing the spirit of her people, roused them to the highest pitch of excitement. Four regiments of volun- teers immediately tendered their services, and were formed into a brigade, the command of which was given to General Clay. ~ Governor Shelby, who had succeeded Scott as chief magis- trate of the state, was requested by the legislature to take the field in person.
In the mean while, Harrison was lying at the rapids, where he had built Fort Meigs, a strong picketed work, with block-houses at the angles, similar in many respects to the old border sta- tions. As the time of the troops he had with him was nearly expired, a part of the Kentucky volunteers pushed forward by forced marches to reinforce him, and on the 12th of April reached Fort Meigs. The tardy movements of Proctor enabled Harrison to strengthen his system of defences as well as the means at his command would permit.
Toward the close of the month, the British gunboats ascended the Maumee River, and dis- embarking their troops and siege artillery, pre- pared to assault the fort both from above and below.
Harrison had at this time in garrison about twelve hundred troops, including regulars and volunteers, and General Clay with an equal num-
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HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
ber, consisting of the main body of Kentucky volunteers, was marching to his relief.
On the 1st of May, the British batteries open- ed upon the fort with a heavy fire. Owing to the scarcity of cannon-balls, it was responded to but feebly on the part of the Americans, whose main supply of twelve-pounders was derived from the balls thrown into the enclosure by the enemy.
Three days subsequent to the commencement of the siege, General Clay reached Fort Defiance. Two several attempts were immediately made to inform Harrison of the approach of the brigade. The first, which was undertaken with great gal- lantry by Captain Leslie Combs, returned with- out accomplishing the object of the mission. Lieutenant Trimble was, however, more success- ful.
Clay was immediately ordered by Harrison, through Captain Hamilton, to land a detachment of eight hundred men upon the northern shore of the river, storm the batteries opposite to the fort, spike the cannon, and after destroying the carriages to re-embark at once and join the gar- rison at Fort Meigs. The remainder of the bri- gade was to force their way through the hordes of outlying Indians, and form a junction with the garrison as speedily as possible.
The command of the detachment which was ordered to storm the batteries was given to
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COLONEL DUDLEY.
Colonel Dudley, and if the orders of Harrison had been perfectly understood, the task would have been found of easy accomplishment, and the danger to the men but very slight, inasmuch as the main force of the British lay two miles below the batteries, while their Indian allies were on the other side of the river.
Not fully comprehending the precise directions which had been sent, Colonel Dudley landed his troops on the other side of the river, carried the batteries with ease, spiked the cannon, and de- stroyed the carriages; but instead of imme- ยท diately taking to his boats and crossing over to Fort Meigs, finding himself assaulted by a small force of Canadians and Indians, he turned to fight them, and when they were put to flight, suffered his men to follow in pursuit.
. The time lost in this desultory skirmish en- abled Proctor to bring up a large body of his troops from the camp below, surround the Ken- tuckians, who were dispersed in the woods, and cut off their retreat to their boats. The Indians also, under Tecumseh, crossing over from the op- posite shore in large numbers, swelled the force of the enemy to such an overwhelming extent, that of the eight hundred Kentuckians forming the detachment under Dudley, six hundred and fifty were either killed or taken prisoners.
The latter were taken down the river and hud- dled together in a ruined fort, under a guard so
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HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
utterly inefficient for their protection, that the Indians were suffered to make their way among the prisoners, and shoot, tomahawk, and scalp them at their pleasure.
All this while, Proctor and other British offi- cers stood at a distance, within view of the mas- sacre, without attempting to control the bloody excesses of the savages.
Fortunately for those who yet survived this onslaught, Tecumseh galloped up at full speed, sprang from his horse, and dashing into the midst. of his bloodthirsty warriors, interposed his own person between them and the victims they had devoted to destruction. When their safety was accomplished, he sought out Proctor, and indig- nantly demanded why he had not put a stop to the massacre ? -
" Sir," said Proctor, " your Indians cannot be commanded." "Begone !" replied the chief con- temptuously, " you are not fit to command. Go and put on petticoats."
Almost simultaneously with this cruel slaugh- ter, a detachment of Kentuckians sallied out from Fort Meigs, in company with a party of regulars, and attacked a battery on the southern shore of the river. It was a spirited and brilliant little affair and conducted with great courage, but with a corresponding loss of men.
Well aware that the garrison had been rein- forced, entertaining no hope of its speedy cap-
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BRITISH ADVANTAGES.
ture, and becoming alarmed at the capture of Fort George by General Dearborn, Proctor abandoned the siege on the 9th of May, and re- tired with his forces toward Malden.
CHAPTER XXII.
Great advantages possessed by the British-Perry ordered to build vessels on the shore of Lake Erie-Extraordinary ac- tivity and despatch-Proctor assaults Fort Stephenson --- Croghan's noble defence-Perry's victory on Lake Erie -- Harrison advances into Canada-Proctor retreats toward the Moravian towns-Battle of the Thames-Surrender of the regulars and flight of Proctor-Desperate conflict with the Indians-Colonel Johnson severely wounded-Tecumsch killed-The British forces under Packenham threaten New Orleans-Vanguard of the enemy bivouac on the Missis- sippi-Night attack by Jackson and Coffee, supported by the schooner Caroline-Arrival of Packenham-His tardy move- ments-Activity of Jackson-Kentucky reinforcement ar- rives-Battle of the 8th of January-Terrible slaughter of the enemy-Death of Packenham-Retreat of the enemy.
HITHERTO the war on the frontiers of Canada had been peculiarly disastrous to the American arms. One cause of this was, undoubtedly, the entire control which the enemy possessed over the navigation of Lake Erie. It gave the British general the important advantage of landing his troops with ease upon any point along the shores of the lake, and of moving his provisions and material of war with equal ease and absence of 24*
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HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
fatigue ; and if discomfited, it enabled him to re- tire into Canada without fear of being pursued.
The Americans, on the other hand, were com- pelled to bring their reinforcements and supplies through nearly two hundred miles of a wild and difficult country, and to occupy isolated posts, where even small losses were of consequence, and large ones required months of energetic activity to repair.
To counteract the superiority which the enemy had acquired by holding undisputed command of the lake, a number of small vessels were ordered to be built upon the shores of the lake, the su- perintendence and equipment of which were in- trusted to Lieutenant Perry, who was also autho- rized to assume command of the fleet as soon as it was ready for service. So rapidly were the orders from the navy department prosecuted, and so efficient were the officers and men detach- ed upon this service, that two brigs and seven smaller vessels, of which the timber was growing in the forest in the month of June, 1813, were built and ready for a cruise by the 1st of August following ; and three days afterward, Perry set sail in search of the enemy.
In the midst of these naval preparations, Proc- tor, who had remained at Malden until his force was reorganized, made a second attempt to cap- ture Fort Meigs ; but being foiled in his object he drew off his troops, and with his Indian auxi-
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FORT STEPHENSON.
liaries sailed for Fort Stephenson, a small pick- eted stockade built at Upper Sandusky the year previous.
The garrison at this place consisted of one hundred and sixty men. They were commanded by Major Croghan of Kentucky, at that time a young man whose age did not exceed twenty-one years. The whole artillery of the fort was a single six-pounder.
Believing the place to be utterly untenable, Harrison directed Croghan to abandon it, and retreat upon the main army. Fearful that his note would fall into the hands of the Indians, Croghan sent an answer in return " that he was determined to defend the place at all hazards." He was immediately put under arrest for disobe- dience of orders ; but on an explanation taking place, was reinstated in his command, with the understanding that he was to evacuate the post and repair to head-quarters in the event of the British approaching in force.
No time, however, was given him to do so. On the 13th of July, the fort was invested by Proc- tor, at the head of five hundred regular troops, and seven or eight hundred Indians. As soon as he had completely cut off the retreat of the garrison, he demanded an immediate surrender.
After consulting with his companions, Crog- han returned the following spirited answer : " When the fort shall be taken there will be none
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HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
left to massacre, and it will not be given up while a man is able to fight."
The enemy immediately commenced a fire upon the fort from six field-pieces, and kept it up at intervals during the night. Under cover of the darkness, they succeeded in planting three of their cannon within a short distance of the pick- ets. After working their guns with great vigour during the whole of the next morning, without making any sensible impression upon the garri- son, they changed their mode of attack, and con- centrated the whole fire from their six-pounders upon the northwest angle of the fort. Foresee- ing that the intention of Proctor was to carry the place by storm, as soon as a practicable breach could be effected, the defenders immediately strengthened the works on that side with bags of flour and sand. Loading their only field- piece with slugs and grape, they concealed it in the bastion covering the point to be assailed, and waited calmly the approach of the enemy. Shrouded entirely from view by the smoke of their artillery, five hundred British regulars ad- vanced to within twenty paces of the lines. A steady fire of musketry from the garrison pro- ducing some confusion, Colonel Short sprang over the outer works into the ditch, and called upon his men to follow. Immediately they did so, the six-pounder from the bastion opened upon them, succeeded by a fire of musketry.
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GALLANT DEFENCE.
Their leader and twenty men fell dead at this discharge, and an equal number were wounded. They were retreating in the utmost disorder when the officer next in command succeeded in rallying them, and again they rushed to the at- tack. A second discharge of the field-piece, fol- lowed by a plunging fire of musketry, poured destruction upon their ranks. Utterly panic- stricken, they immediately broke into scattered parties, and fled to the surrounding woods, with a loss of one hundred and fifty men in killed and wounded. The loss of the garrison was but seven men, only one of whom was killed.
After this terrible repulse, Proctor hastily withdrew to his boats, and returned in bitter mortification to Malden.
The gallant defence of Fort Stephenson was but the prelude to that long succession of vic- tories, both on land and water, by which, after a series of disasters, the honour of the American arms was at length most amply vindicated.
Perry's victory on Lake Erie took place on the 10th of September following. It was at once splendid in its results, and momentous in its consequences. After a desperate and well-fought battle, which lasted three hours, every vessel of the British squadron was captured. The American ascendency on the lakes was hence- forth complete, and Canada laid open to inva- sion.
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HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
The disasters attending previous attempts, ren- dered the subjugation of the British northwestern territory a matter of national pride. It was im- mediately resolved upon. Harrison, who still remained at Fort Meigs, had been reinforced by four thousand volunteers from Kentucky, under the command of Governor Shelby.
The aids of the latter were, General John Adair and John J. Crittenden. Colonel Richard M. Johnson, subsequently Vice President of the United States, was also present at this time, in command of a regiment of mounted riflemen.
Proctor still held possession of Detroit and Mackinaw; but as soon as Harrison commenced crossing the lake, with the view of operating upon his rear, he precipitately abandoned all his former positions, and after destroying the fort at Malden, retreated, inland, toward the Mora- vian towns. He was deserted almost immediately by the greater part of his Indian auxiliaries ; Tecumseh, and the warriors subject to his control, alone remaining faithful.
Leaving a detachment under General McAr- thur to garrison Detroit, Harrison, accompanied by Perry and Cass as volunteer aids, lost no time in pushing forward in pursuit of Proctor. The force under his command, with the exception of one hundred and twenty regulars, consisted almost wholly of Kentucky volunteers. It num-
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DISPOSITIONS FOR BATTLE.
bered, including friendly Indians, about three thousand five hundred men.
On the 5th of October, after three days' severe marching, the enemy were discovered on the banks of the Thames, drawn up in order of bat- tle. The regulars under Proctor occupied a nar- row strip of bottom land, covered with beech trees, their left, strengthened by their artillery, resting on the river, and their right protected by a swamp. The Indians under Tecumseh were ju- diciously posted between two swamps still farther to the right. The number of regulars was proba- bly five hundred, and of Indians from one thou- sand to fifteen hundred.
The five brigades of Kentucky volunteers, each averaging five hundred men, were disposed by Harrison in the following manner : Three bri- gades, commanded respectively by Generals Trot- ter, King, and Chiles, forming the first division under Major-general Henry, were drawn up in three parallel lines, opposite to the British regu- lars. The two remaining brigades, commanded by Generals Allen and Caldwell, composed a second division under Major-general Desha, and were formed on the left of, and at right-angles to the first division, for the purpose of confront- ing the Indians between the swamps. The regu- lars occupied a contracted space between the road and the river, waiting an opportunity to carry the British artillery by storm.
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HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
The mounted men under Colonel Johnson, were originally formed in two battalions, also facing the Indians; but when it was discovered that the British regulars were deployed as skirmish- ers, with intervals of four or five feet between the files, one battalion of the cavalry was detached to charge the latter, while the other, commanded by Colonel Johnson in person, was directed to remain at its post, and advance upon the savages as soon as the signal was given. Shortly after- ward the Americans moved forward, and as soon as they did so, the enemy opened their fire. The cavalry detached against the regulars charged instantly, and after recoiling for a moment, broke through the line of skirmishers, formed in their rear, poured upon them a destructive fire, and were preparing for a second charge, when the British officers, finding themselves unable to rally their troops, already panic-stricken and utterly disorganized, ordered them to throw down their arms and surrender themselves prisoners of war.
General Proctor did not stay to witness the capture. As soon as he saw the effect resulting from the one terrible charge of the American cavalry, he galloped from the field, and escaped pursuit by the fleetness of his horse.
The charge made by Colonel Johnson upon the Indians, from the nature of the soil and the peculiar mode of savage warfare, was not suc- cessful. The cavalry were therefore dismounted
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VICTORY OF THE THAMES.
and directed to fight the enemy after the old border fashion. Even after the surrender of the British regulars, Tecumseh and his warriors con- tinued the fight, but, being hard pressed, they determined to precipitate themselves upon De- sha's brigade, and force a passage through. While the ranks were staggering under the effects of this concentrated fire, a regiment of volunteers under the venerable Shelby advanced and drove the Indians back to their coverts. Colonel John- son now placed himself at the head of a small detachment, and led them against a party of In- dians, who were gathered around Tecumseh. The combat here was fierce in the extreme, and John- son was borne from the field desperately wounded. About the same time Tecumseh fell, and the In- dians, dismayed by the loss of their leader, and pressed on every side by an overwhelming force, scattered in all directions ..
The victory of the Thames put an end to the war in the northwest. It continued, however, to rage with great violence, during the two fol- lowing years, on the eastern and southern borders of the United States; but the people of Kentucky were not again engaged in active military duty, until they formed a portion of the force under General Jackson at the battle of New Orleans.
Early in December, 1814, sixty sail of British vessels appeared off the east coast of the Missis- sippi, bearing from eight to ten thousand veteran
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HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
soldiers, commanded by Sir Edward Packenham, an officer who had already distinguished himself in the peninsular war. On the 14th the flotilla of American gunboats, despatched to watch the motions of the enemy, were attacked during a calm and compelled to surrender.
On the 22d, the British vanguard, composed of three thousand men under General Keane, after capturing the small force of Americans posted at the mouth of Bayou Bienvenu, passed up the channel without opposition, and by two o'clock reached the bank of the Mississippi, where they bivouacked for the night.
At this time, Major-general Andrew Jackson, the commander-in-chief of the American army, was encamped two miles below the city of New Or- leans, with seven hundred regular troops and three thousand militia, undisciplined and indifferent- ly armed. Notwithstanding the disadvantages against which he would have to contend in risk- ing a battle with regulars inured to victory, and fresh from a triumphant campaign signalized by the final downfall of Napoleon, Jackson deter- mined at once to attack them. '
Ordering the American armed schooner Caro- line to drop down the river and co-operate with the land forces, he marched with twenty-five hundred men against the enemy.
The British troops were encamped close to the Mississippi, with their right resting on a wood
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JACKSON'S OPERATIONS.
and their left on the river. A strong detach- ment under General Coffee was ordered to turn their right and attack them in the rear, while the main body, under Jackson in person, assailed them in front and on their left. The firing from the Caroline was to be the signal of attack.
Darkness had already set in when the Caroline floated down the river, cast anchor abreast of the enemy's encampment, and directed by the light of the watch-fires, poured suddenly, and with immense destruction, a raking fire upon the troops, who were crowded thickly together on the level plain. Confused by this unexpected attack, for they had been totally unsuspicious of the character of the vessel, it was some time before subordination was restored, and in the mean while, the guns of the Caroline, loaded with grape and musket-balls, swept the encampment with a rapid succession of broadsides.
While the firing from the Caroline was being answered by volleys of musketry and by congreve rockets thrown from the mortar battery, the en- campment was furiously attacked in front and rear by the land forces under Jackson and Cof- fee.
The camp-fires were immediately extinguished, and the darkness being rendered more intense by a heavy fog, the British commander was unable to oppose the coolness and science of his veteran troops to the impetuous irregularity of
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HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
the American militia. After a desperate strug- gle and much confusion on both sides, the American and British troops mutually withdrew from the contest; the British resting on their arms until daylight, and the Americans remain- ing on the field of battle till four o'clock the fol- lowing morning, when they retired to a position two miles closer the city, where the swamp and the Mississippi approached nearest each other. The British loss in this night attack was esti- mated, in killed, wounded, and missing, at four hundred men. That of the Americans was two hundred and thirteen.
The enemy remaining inactive during the next four days, Jackson employed his force in fortify- ing his position. After deepening the shallow ditch which extended across his front from the Mississippi on the right hand, to the swamp on the left ; he formed a rampart along the line with bales of cotton brought from New Orleans, and covered it with earth.
The Caroline being soon after destroyed with hot shot by the enemy, Sir Edward Packenham brought up another detachment of his forces on the 24th, formed a junction with his vanguard, and on the 28th made an attack upon the Ameri- can line with rockets and bombs, but after seven hours of ineffectual firing fell back to his camp.
No sooner had Packenham retired, than, find- ing from a demonstration made by Lieutenant-
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MILITARY OPERATIONS.
colonel Rennie that the left of the American line could be turned by the British in force, Jackson immediately set about strengthening that portion of his defences by prolonging the breast- work farther into the swamp.
The extreme caution evinced by Packenham in all his movements had already been of singu- lar service to the American general. Taking advantage of the delay, he proceeded, with almost incredible labour and activity, to render his po- sition still more formidable.
On the 1st of January, 1815, Packenham made another attempt to batter down the American breastwork, by a heavy cannonade from batte- ries constructed only a short distance from the lines. His guns were quickly silenced by the fire of the American artillery. An attempt made at the same time to turn the American left was also completely repulsed.
On the 4th, Jackson was reinforced by two thousand five hundred Kentuckians under Gene- ral Adair; and on the 6th the British general was joined by the remainder of his force, amount- ing to four thousand men.
On the morning of the 8th of January, Pack- enham-instead of advancing with the boats at his command by the right bank of the river, where the impediments were few, and by which he might have completely avoided the formidable works which Jackson had by this time rendered
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:
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HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
almost impregnable-detached Colonel Thornton with fourteen hundred men to assail General Morgan on the opposite shore, while the main body moved in three columns on the left bank to the attack of Jackson's line.
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