History of Monroe County, Michigan, Part 11

Author: Wing, Talcott Enoch, 1819-1890, ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: New York, Munsell & company
Number of Pages: 882

USA > Michigan > Monroe County > History of Monroe County, Michigan > Part 11

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

" Mr. St. Cosme has informed Judge Bacon, of Monroe, that he was in the road and saw Captain Hart shot ; that he fell from his horse instantly on being shot and died without a groan. Some years after, at the request of a

friend from Lexington then at Monroe for the purpose, the grave was opened and the lower jaw taken out, and the visitor carried it away with him."

DETROIT, 9th March, 1818. Major Charles Larned -

DEAR SIR: My best endeavors to procure from Lasselle or others, honorary notes of the circumstances attending the death of Captain Hart, were in vain ; they promised, but their neglect to perform compelled me to leave River Raisin without them. However, the following is the substance of the history they gave of it as far as I can recollect.

Yours very sincerely, P. LECUYER.

Captain Hart in the action of the 22d January, 1813, received a wound in his leg or ankle (they disagree), and among other wounded took refuge in Jerome's house. Whether before or after the general massacre (I did not learn or do not recollect) he chanced to fall in the hands of a Pottawatomie Indian who considered him his prisoner, and, as is reported, intended to take him to Malden; at all events, from the mild treatment Captain Hart received from this Indian, no doubt is entertained of his in- tention to save him. He caused Captain Hart to mount his own (Captain Hart's) horse, and, if I remember well, gave him his saddle bags, then beckoned the Captain to follow him up the river. When they arrived opposite old Campeau's the Indian stopped, and as he was going into the house, made signs to Captain Hart to proceed, which he did until he arrived opposite Mr. Lasselle's, and finding him within call, he most earnestly entreated him to rescue him from the barbarous hands of the savages ; to which Mr. Lasselle grievingly assured him " that it was not in his power to save him ; that, since the morning, five of the Delaware Indians had taken possession of his house and were constantly offering him insults and threatening to burn up his property, and in fact were using every means to find an apparently plausible cause to begin their hellish deeds; and should he attempt to shelter him, he (Captain Hart) not only would be exposed to more danger and undoubtedly the first victim, but afford a pre- text to these savages to destroy lives and prop- erty indiscriminately ; that, as it then appeared, the road being clear of Indians, the best and

HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

only way for him would be for him to proceed to his brother James, whose influence with the Indians, he had no doubt, would save him, and he would follow him thither if it was in his power to get rid of the Indians."

Captain Hart, then, with the deepest anguish and despair depicted in his face, turned away his head and rode on. Most unfortunately the next house above Lasselle's was full of Indians, the greatest part of whom were intoxicated, which circumstance, Lasselle says, he then was totally ignorant of; and as soon as Captain Hart came in sight of them, one leveled his rifle at him and shot him through the breast ; another ran, scalped him and sunk the head of his tomahawk into the back of his skull, as the hole, yet to be seen through that part, fully proves.

As the Indians had positively declared that whoever should dare to touch one of the bodies of these American dogs should share the same fate, Captain Hart's body, consequently, re- mained on the same spot nearly two days ; and at last, Messrs. Lacroix and Lasselle's humane feelings prevailing over all apprehensions of the consequences, they resolved to pay to his remains (as they expressed themselves) the last tribnte of their respect due his memory, and, after having in daytime reconnoitered a suit- able place for the purpose, they, aided by an - old man named Chovin, under the protection of the darkness of night, went and deposited his remains in a grave.

MONROE, March 29th, 1858.

Hon. R. Mc Clelland-

DEAR SIR: The accompanying statement of our friend Durocher I had intended giving to you personally and to have made some explana- tion, that you might not err in putting it in form.

Lest I might not see you on my way east, I enclose the paper with the request of the Judge, to which I add my own, that it be prepared for publication.

I will add that St. Cosme has informed me that he was in the road and near Captain Hart when shot; that he fell from his horse instantly on being shot without a word or a groan.

He says further, that some years after, at the request of some Lexington friend, then here for the purpose, the grave was opened and the

under jaw taken by said friend. I have the promise of our friend that he will commence a history of the settlement of this county.

Respectfully Yours, D. S. BACON.

Jack Brady (before mentioned) also captured Whitemore Knaggs, the old Pottawatomie agent, and father of George and James Knaggs, of the Raisin valley. Some time before the war Knaggs had cansed Jack to be flogged for some offense, and now supposed as a matter of course he would be slain, but Jack re-assured him with promises of safety. Before they ar- rived at the camp they were met by a band of Pottawatomies who with upraised tomahawks rushed toward Knaggs. Jack stepped between them and his prisoner, told them they must kill him before they killed Knaggs, and saved him from massacre.

This same Jack Brady, a few days before the massacre of the Raisin, in conversation with Harry Hunt, of Detroit, said that if oc- casion ever offered he would be kind to the Yankees and bring any that might fall into his hands to Detroit without injury. This promise he so far fulfilled as to drag from the buildings at the time of the massacre, a large Kentuckian by the name of John Green, who had been wounded in the engagement. Wrapping him carefully in his blanket he laid him in the bot- tom of his carryall and started on a trot for De- troit. The next morning Hunt saw Jack drive up in front of the town, and with one or two friends went out to see him.

" Well, Jack," he enquired, "have you brought us some venison to-day ?"

" Yes, Harry Hunt," replied the Indian, throwing bis blanket off the captive, "good Yankee venison."

" There, Harry Hunt," be continued, as soon as discovered that the prisoner was one of the Raisin captives, " I told you. Jack Brady can- not lie."

Mr. Hunt purchased the liberty of Green, took him to his house and afterwards restored him to his friends, who supposed he was slain. Soon after he enlisted under Harrison to avenge the death of his comrades.

On the retreat of the Indians from the en- gagement of the 18th, some of them entered

AFFIDAVITS CONCERNING THE MASSACRE.

the cabin of Achan Labo, an old Frenchman living npon Sandy Creek. They killed Labo and his son-in-law, John Soleau. Two children, Alexis and Genevieve, crept between the beds, where they remained all night without dis- covery, and by running barefooted the next day a mile or more over frozen ground, escaped with their lives.

The lives of the French inhabitants, in con- sideration of former kindness to the Indians, were generally spared, and they exerted them - selves in behalf of the suffering captives and saved some from untimely graves. After the battle of the 22d the Indians came into the house of Colonel Francis Navarre, and accord- ing to statements of Mrs. Navarre piled up the bloody scalps they had just cut from the heads of these brave Kentuckians, upon her table against the wall, making a high heap, of which she could not reach the top. This incident was confirmed by the statement of the nephew of Colonel Navarre, who at the time of the battle of the Raisin was young. He had taken refuge with others in the house of his uncle, and was an eye witness of many of the bloody scenes of the battle, and said he did not feel frightened until he saw the burning buildings on the morning of the 22d; then he feared their turn might come next.

The following incident will show how the Indians were paid by the British for their hor- rid work at the battle of the Raisin. Squa-ga- na-ba, an old chief of the Ottawas, died in 1868, and a medal was found hanging on his neck which he had worn fifty-four years, and which was presented to him in 1814 by the British Gov- ernment for the part he had taken in killing and scalping the Americans at the River Raisin massacre.

On the 2d of February, 1813, one of the United States Judges, Augustus B. Woodward, of Detroit, wrote to General Proctor, the Brit- ish commander, stating the barbarities of which the Indians had been guilty after the battle and capitulation of the Raisin. He charges that the American prisoners were tomahawked by the savages, some of them shot, some burned, and that the buildings of many of the settlers had been destroyed by fire. General Proctor requested him to substantiate his statements by proofs, and Judge Woodward presented for his consideration the following affidavits :

TERRITORY OF MICHIGAN, District of Detroit, SS.

Personally appeared before me, the under- signed, one of the Justices of the Peace in the District of Detroit, Joseph Robert, an inhabit- ant on the River Aux Raisins, who being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists, deposes and says that on the next day after the battle on the River Raisin, a short time after sunrise, he saw the Indians kill the American prisoners" with their tomahawks, and they also shot ser- eral ; that the Indians set the houses in which the prisoners were on fire, and that in going out the prisoners were massacred as aforesaid, i. e., three men shot - the others were killed in their houses and burned with them. The Indians burned first the house of Jean Baptiste Jereaume, and afterwards that of Gabriel God- froy, jr. The deponent has been informed that there were about fifty prisoners in the two houses. The deponent has seen dead bodies on the highway which the hogs were tearing and eating. He also says that Baptiste Couture (father of Medard Couture) was killed near deponent's house on the day of the second bat - tle, a little after sunrise. The Indians have often threatened to burn deponent's house and barn if he did not march against the Ameri- cans. JOSEPH ROBERT.

Sworn and subscribed before me the 4th of February, 1813. PETER AUDRIAN, Justice of the Peace.

TERRITORY OF MICHIGAN, District of Detroit, SS.

Personally appeared before me, the under- signed, one of the Justices of the Peace in the District of Detroit, Antoine Boulard, of the River Aux Raisins, who, being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists, deposes and says that ou the next day after the last battle on the River Aux Raisins, he saw the Indians kill the Secre- tary of the American General, who was on the horse of the Indian who had taken him pris- oner. He fell on one side and an Indian came up and finished him with a sabre, scalped him and carried away his clothes. The body re- mained two days on the highway before the door of the deponent, and was partly eaten up by the hogs. Afterward the deponent, to- gether with Francois Lasselle, Hubert Lacroix, Charles Chovin and Louis Lajoy, took up the remains at dusk and carried them into a field

HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

near the woods where the hogs did not go. They dare not bury them for fear of being sur- prised by the Indians. his ANTOINE X BOULARD. mark

Sworn and subscribed in my presence this 5th day of February, 1813.

DETROIT, February 5, 1813.

I certify that the bodies of the Americans killed at the battle of La Riviere Aux Raisins on the 22d of January last remained unburied, and that I have seen hogs and dogs eating them, who seemed to be rendered mad by so profuse a diet of Christian flesh. The inhabit- ants did not dare to bury the dead on account of the Indians. The French inhabitants have been threatened by the Indians if they did not take up arms and march against the Ameri- cans. ALEXIS LABADIE.

TERRITORY OF MICHIGAN,

County of Monroe, SS.

Be it remembered, that personally appeared before me, James J. Godfroy, a Justice of the Peace in and for said county of Monroe, in said Territory, Francis Gandon, who, being duly sworn. deposeth and says that at the commence- ment of the last war with Great Britain he lived at Sandy Creek, about three miles from River Raisin, on the road leading from said river to Detroit, and that on the 21st or 22d day of August, 1813, or one or two days after the burning of the stockade and block-house and the plundering and destruction of Colonel John Anderson's property, four chiefs, two Ottawas and two Delawares, came to my house and told me that they were going to the River Raisin to cut off the two hands and pull out the tongue of said Anderson, so that he could not write or talk to the Big Knives (a name they have for the Americans). I told a young man who lived with me to go as fast as possi- ble and give said Anderson notice, and I gave the Indians some refreshments to detain them. They took out their large knife and stuck it in the floor, saying " That is to cut off his hands." They hated me heartily, and called me a dog and a " Big Knife," etc., as I had light colored hair.

From that time to the 22d of January, 1813; I was much troubled with the Indians going to and from the River Raisin to Detroit, so that I had to move my family to Detroit, and I would return as often as possible to save my

grain to keep my family from starving. On the 18th of January Colonel Lewis came to River Raisin and drove the British and In- dians from that place, and on passing this place, they shot two citizens, Eatane Labo and John Bt. Soleau, and the only reason for doing it they said the young men asked them if they were running away from the Big Knives. On the 22d of January they took possession of my house, with a number of prisoners. One they roasted by the fire, then made holes in the floor, and he was the whole day dying, as I was told by one of my neighbers, Alexis Gee, who saw him often through the day, and his cries could be heard a mile; but he dare not say anything or even speak to him, as it would be certain death. When I came home in the evening to see my house he was lying on the door-step, one side black. I cannot describe my feelings on this mournful occasion, but on the 23d was still more gloomy. The poor wounded men on the battle ground were all butchered or burned alive in the houses of Messrs. Godfroy, Lacroix, McDougall, Jerome and Couture, and the families of River Raisin, Otter Creek and this place running in every direction - some to Detroit, some to Sandusky, in sleighs, or horseback and afoot, leaving their property behind. The British had pro- vided a number of sleighs on the 22d to take their wounded to Malden, and these poor peo- ple had to go on foot and carry their children on their backs, and many who were in afflu- ence the day before were beggars now. I, with the others, went to Detroit, and when the Indians left my house, they put fire to it and it was consumed, as I was informed by Captain Joseph Jabian, who saw it burning ; and after the arrival of General Harrison at Detroit with the army, I returned to my farm and found honse and barn and fruit trees destroyed, and my wife would not agree to live there any more on account of the dead bodies she had seen there where the house stood - there were three or four skeletons which were burned. I was to exchange my farm at a great loss for a piece up the creek. I am now 60 years of age. I was a volunteer in the service of the United States under the command of Captain Hubert Lacroix, in consequence of which the Indians treated me harshly, saying I was a dog. They took from me fourteen horses and most all my hogs, cattle and sheep. They killed one ox

HARRISON AT FORT MEIGS.

and left the meat to rot, and further this depo- nent saith not.

(Signed)

FRANCIS X. GANDON.

Sworn and subscribed before me this 25th day of November, 1834. J. J. GODFROY, Justice of the Peace.

Judge Woodward also forwarded to General Proctor affidavits concerning the frequent rob- beries committed by the Indians npon the set- tlers; but the communications seem to have been attended with the usual results of such correspondence-a number of polite letters and no action tending to stop the outrages.

As heretofore stated, General Harrison was at Sandusky when Winchester arrived at the Rapids on the Manmee River. On the night of the 16th of January, 1813, General Harrison received information of the movements of General Winchester. General Harrison hast- ened to Lower Sandusky, and on the morning of the 18th sent a battalion of troops to sup- port General Winchester. On the morning of the 19th of Jannary he forwarded additional troops to the Rapids of Manmee, where he with the troops arrived on the morning of the 20th. The whole body from this point moved for- ward to strengthen Winchester, but, meeting the survivors of the massacre of the River Raisin and being informed of the disaster, re- turned to the Rapids of the Maumee. Here a council of war was held, resulting in a determi- nation to retreat farther in order to prevent being cut off from the stores and artillery on their way from Sandusky, and to Portage River, there to await the guns and re-enforcements, which were daily expected but which were detained by rains until the 30th of January. On the first of February, 1813, he again ad- vanced to the Rapids of Maumee, where he took up a new and stronger position, to which point he ordered all the troops as rapidly as possible to gather. He then hoped before the middle of February to advance on Malden, but the continued rain and warm weather rendered the roads nearly impassable, his troops were unable to join him, and the prospects of ad- vancing on the ice frustrated. The winter campaign against Malden was then abandoned, as the campaign the previous fall had been be- fore.

The military measures thus far for the recov- ery of the Northwest had proved a failure.

The Americans had been defeated in nearly every instance, and hundreds had fallen under the Indian tomahawk. It was the reverse with Tecumseh and his warriors; they had been conquerors, and had proved invaluable as Brit- ish allies.

With the opening of spring the British at . tempted the conquest of General Harrison's position on the Maumee. The General. appre- hending their measures, urged forward re-en- forcements, which were, however, delayed by the spring freshets and impassable roads. On the 28th of April the British forces began the investment of Harrison's camp, and by the first of the following month had completed their batteries. In the mean time the Americans had constructed an embankment twelve feet high, behind which the garrison withdrew as soon as the gunners of the British commenced firing. Against this defensive wall the British wasted their energies and ammunition for five days. With this ineffectual effort, the British general, having failed to accomplish anything, and ap- prehensive of re-enforcements to the Ameri- can ranks, determined to retreat, and on the 9th of May returned with his forces to Malden. On the 18th of July General Proctor made a second attempt on Fort Meigs, and with his soldiers and savages again surrounded it, but finding the Americans prepared for them ac. complished nothing.

Unsuccessful at this point, he moved on with his forces to Sandusky, the principal stores of General Harrison being at that point. Major Croghan commanded at Fort Stephenson, now Lower Sandusky. This point was illy prepared for a defense against heavy cannon, and it being known that General Proctor was approaching with artillery, General Harrison held a council with his officers and determined to abandon it. Before this could be done the appearance before the fort of General Proctor, on the 31st of July, 1813, made it impracticable. The garrison consisted of 150 soldiers, with but one field piece; while the investing force, including Tecumseh and his warriors, was over 3,300 strong, with six pieces of artillery. General Proctor at onee demanded a surrender, with the assurance that if his demands were not complied with a general massacre would follow. To this the daring young officer but twenty-one years of age replied, saying "the Indians would have none to massacre if the British

HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

conquered, for every man of his garrison would die at his post." Proctor at once opened fire upon the northeast angle of the fort. Cro- ghan, believing the British intended to make a breach at this point, concentrated his whole efforts there. He at once strengthened this point by bags of sand and flour, placed his six- ponnder in position to rake the point threatened, and then having charged his infant battery with slugs and hidden from the enemy, awaited the attack for twenty-four hours. The firing continued upon the north west corner, then under cover of smoke and darkness a column of 350 men approached unseen within twenty paces of the wall; the ditch was gained and in a moment filled with men ; then the six-pounder, only thirty feet distant and so directed as to sweep the ditch, was unmasked and fired, kill- ing at once twenty-seven of the assailants and creating a general panic. The column retired, and the little fort, with the loss of one man, was saved. The next morning the British and their allies, fearing the approach of re-enforce- ments under General Harrison, were gone, leaving in their haste guns, stores and clothing.

The War Department in October, 1812, had urged upon the Government the importance of obtaining command of the lakes by preparing . a fleet for that purpose at Erie. Appropria- tions were made, and on the 4th of the follow- ing August (1813) Commodore Perry suc- ceeded in getting his fleet over the bar into deep water.

At this time active preparations were being made for concentrating all the land forces pre- paratory to an attack on Malden. Kentucky sent her best men in great numbers under Gov- ernor Shelby and Colonel Richard M. Johnson. On the 20th of September, 1813, the forces of General Harrison at Port Clinton were trans- ported by the fleet to Put in-Bay Island, on the 24th reached Middle Sister Island, and on the 27th arrived at Malden, to find it ruined, de- serted and wasted. The news of Perry's victory and the advance of Harrison's army disheart- ened Colonel Proctor, who with his army of regulars and Indians-with army stores of every description, evacuated the place and hurried with all convenient speed to the valley of the River Thames. On the 28th the last of the British army left Detroit, arriving at Wind- sor, opposite Detroit, with the last of the guns, ammunition and stores. On the 29th Colonel

McArthur took possession of Detroit and Mich- igan Territory.

On the 25th of September Colonel Richard M. Johnson, who was with his regiment of Kentucky cavalry at Fort Meigs, received or- ders from General Harrison to march imme- diately to the River Raisin and hasten to Mal- den, where he expected the fleet would land the army the next day. Johnson's regiment hurried on to Frenchtown, remained nearly one day occupied in burying the remains of the brave Kentuckians that were the previous winter massacred, and on the following day marched into Detroit, and were received by the whole population, who turned out en masse to welcome 1,100 cavalry as they thundered by, under the command of Governor Shelby and Colonel Richard M. Johnson. The 1st of Oc- tober following, Colonel Johnson with his army crossed to Sandwich, and General Harrison and General Shelby with 3,500 troops left Detroit in pursuit of the British army. Commodore Perry with his fleet sailed up the river, and when he arrived fifteen miles up the Thames River disembarked and joined the land forces in pursuit of Colonel Proctor, who was with all haste making his way to the heart of Canada by the valley of the Thames.

The brilliant victory at Lower Sandusky substantially closed the military movements in Northwestern Ohio, and attention was next directed toward Erie, and Perry's preparations for naval operations. It so happened that that commander, on the very day of Croghan's vic- tory (August 2d) had completed the equipment of his fleet at Erie, but, owing to a lack of water, he did not cross the bar in the harbor until the 4th, when he set sail in search of the enemy. Not finding them, he returned on the Sth to Erie, to take in re-enforcements. August 12th he again left, and anchored in Sandusky Bay on the 15th, whence he soon departed in quest of the enemy. Cruising off Malden, but not finding the object of his search, he retired to Put-in-Bay. His fleet consisted of the Brig Lawrence (the flag ship), of 20 guns; the Niagara, of 20: the Caledonia, of 3; the Schooner Ariel, of 4; the Sloop Trippe, and Schooners Tigress and Porcupine, of 1 gun each-nine vessels with 54 guns and two swivels. The British had six vessels, but they were superior in size, with a greater number of guns.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Monroe County, Michigan, Part 11

Author: Wing, Talcott Enoch, 1819-1890, ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: New York, Munsell & company Number of Pages: 882

Author: Wing, Talcott Enoch, 1819-1890, ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: New York, Munsell & company
Number of Pages: 882