History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan, Part 8

Author:
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Michigan > St Clair County > History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan > Part 8

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Thus did the State of Ohio triumph over her enemies. Thus did her patriotic sons sustain her dignity. Thus did her brave soldiers throw themselves in the imminent and deadly breach.

It is needless to say that Gov. Mason and Gen. Brown were surprised and chagrined. They had an ample force within reach to prevent the holding of a court, as courts are generally held, but they were unacquainted with Ohio legal practice, and did not look for midnight tribunals held in dark school-rooms or out- houses.

But little remains to be said in reference to the war. A volume might be written relating to the incidents of that bloodless struggle and the story of the pri- vations endured by the citizen soldiers,-privations which were relieved by raids on hen-coops, melon patches, and potato fields. The ludicrous incidents, the hair- breadth escapes, by field and flood, would be interesting to many, but space forbids more.

Ohio says: This fired the heart of the young Governor, Stevens T. Mason ; his loyalty and zeal would not brook such an insult. The militia at his disposal was called early into requisition early in the Spring of 1835. They were first put upon the trail of the commissioners, and actually routed them and took several of the party prisoners, on the line some ten miles east of Morenci. These they held for a few days, then discharged some on parole and others on bail, to answer in the dis- trict court.

But the end was not yet. A majority of those living on the disputed der- tory, in Monroe County, were late emigrants from Ohio and Pennsylvania, and they were thoroughly impressed with the importance to them of being . part of Ohio. The port of Toledo was just opening to the traffic of the lakes ; the States of Ohio and Indiana were ready to bring in the Wabash Canal, provided it could tap the

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lake on Ohio's soil ; and, besides, Ohio was already quite an old State, and would be able to develop the territory much quicker,-that in fact the territorial interest was all centred at Detroit, and Toledo, if it remained to Michigan, would only be a dependency paying tribute.

With these sentiments prevailing, the Governor of Ohio was induced to put in force the laws of the State. Proclamation was issued giving boundaries to towns and counties, and for the election of civil officers. The elections were held, officers were chosen, and they assumed their duties. The militia was organized and commenced drilling. In short, we had two active and efficient governments, each striving to excel, and, as may be naturally inferred, the relations between them were not of a very friendly character,-the one acting as informers to Gov. Mason, the other mostly engaged in procuring bail to be relieved from arrests, preferring to have their transgressions settled by the courts of the country to an open and violent conflict of arms.

The Governor's quick, impulsive nature would brook this double-entendre no longer. The General Government did not respond to his call. Ohio would not stop at his bidding. The subjects were disloyal and refractory in their every act. Therefore, it become him as Governor to put a quietus on the whole difficulty. Ac- cordingly, he called out the militia of the Territory, to the number of about 1,500 strong, early in the month of September, 1835, to prevent any further inroads upon the territory in dispute, and particularly to prevent the holding of circuit court in Lucas County, which had just been organized, with Toledo as the county seat, where the first session of the court was appointed to be held.

This call was responded to readily in many parts of the Territory, a very few perhaps from this county. They rendezvoused in Monroe County, and thence marched to Tremainsville, on the afternoon before the court was to convene, where they bivouacked for the night. They were here three miles out from the objective point, and much hard work was to be done in a very short time to meet the emergencies of the morrow, for an army was to be organized out of the mate- rial presented. Upon inspection it was found that some had muskets, others had clubs, but most had trusty rifles. These were assigned to companies and battalions, and in the morning marshaled for inspection by the commander-in-chief. They were by him pronounced "au fait" and ordered to march to the scene of the conflict.

In entering the city they actually marched by the door where the court " of which they were in search " was in full operation, without knowing it. They had expected to find it guarded by an army that would be worthy of their steel. But where ? oh, where could they be ? They certainly could not be in Toledo, for the great army of our noble commander-in-chief covered the whole city and some of its

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suburbs. There could be but one conclusion. . They had of course hied them- selves to the spot whence they came, and must be now on their way through the defiles of the black swamp.A council of war was held ; the surroundings looked dark; they had come for blood and without it there could be no remission, the enemy having ignobly fled the field. The usages of war would therefore make their way clear, and reprisals would be in order. If they would not let the issue be decided by force of arms, they could expect nothing less, and must abide by these rules which had been recognized by all nations from time immemorial. In this strait, it did not take our brave commander long to decide. His forces were soon marshaled. formed in two battalions, the one ordered to make reprisals on the cellars and larders of the inhabitants, the others to move upon the magazines and commissary of the enemy, that a wag had informed them were stored in a barn owned by Platt Card, known as one of the moving spirits in the rebellion, and who was then under bonds to answer for what he had heretofore done in in- citing it.

This last work was not to be trusted to raw recruits, or committed to an in- ferior officer ; it was virtually the conquering of an army, and then who knew how strongly it was guarded within, or what might be the dangers of an approach. That the work might be quick and effectual it was decided that our brave commander should lead the fray.

In reconnoitering the premises, all was still; yet there were certain holes in the walls, reminding them of the port-holes in ancient forts, and in which they fancied they saw grim messengers of death staring them boldly in the face. This could be endured no longer; the order was quickly given and a broad-side was poured into the pine siding of the barn,-a thud, a groan, followed by a few thumps, and all was still as death. Approaches were made stealthily and cautiously until they reached the door, which obeyed the mandate of the hand and readily swung on its hinges. To the surprise of our noble commander and his comrades in arms, they found they had captured a very fine horse, as the warm blood flowing from many bullet-holes attested. They had come for blood as a sacrifice to sprinkle the altar of their loyalty and devotion to their country, and who at this late day will deny that they found it ?

Returning to headquarters it was found that the other battalion had made a very successful raid, especially in the line of Major Stickney's wine-cellar, and from some others, that gave a more exhilarating beverage, sufficient was obtained with which to soften and wash down the hard army biscuit, of which it may be inferred their knapsacks contained an ample supply. Night approaching, each drew his cloak around him and gave himself to pleasant dreams over the experiences and es- capes of the last twelve hours.

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On the following morning an order was issued from the Governor disbanding the forces, allowing each to find his way home as best he could. Thus ended the great Toledo war, and all strife on the disputed tract.

Looking at this question at a later day, when all had become calm and serene, we can discover little occasion for either party to get up and shake themselves like young lions. It was a matter that belonged entirely to Congress. If they had been so imprudent as to let Ohio in her boundaries embrace territory to which she had no claim, it was her duty, and justice required her to correct the error. That it was an error on the part of the National Legislature to allow Ohio to assume the functions and duties of a State, merely from her enabling act, without submitting her constitution for inspection and approval, none will doubt. That the Territorial officers were hasty and inconsiderate in their action, assuming responsibilities that did not belong to them, few question. That the final adjustment of the whole ques- tion between the parties has resulted to the benefit of each, and especially to Mich- igan, all cheerfully admit.

In this war many of the old settlers of Macomb participated. Fortunately, the old soldiers of the young State lost little or no blood, and all were permitted to re- turn to their homes in peace.

THE PATRIOT WAR.

It will be remembered by the pioneers of Michigan, and not only by them, but by all others, of that time along the frontier line between the United States and Canada, that during the Winter of 1837-38, occurred what was known as the " Patriotic War." The object of this war was understood to be a revolution that should separate the British possessions of Canada from the mother country that they might erect themselves into sovereign and independent States.

In consequence of the financial crash and hard times then prevailing there were many adventurous, reckless and idle persons in the States who took part with the Patriots. The anxiety that grew out of our Revolutionary war and the war of 1812, toward the British, may have slumbered, but was not forgotten, and it took but little to awaken that old feeling. It was revived along the whole length of the frontier, and was not confined to our side only ; it was fully reciprocated by our loyal neighbors. At that time, as it may be now, there were many half-pay English military officers who would have hailed a war between the United States and Eng- land as a God-send to them; for in that event they would be restored to active service on full pay and stand their chances for promotion. The hostile feeling had reached such a degree of intensity that General Scott was ordered to the frontier with troops. The steamer Carolina, that was supposed to be in the service of the Patriots, was captured in the Niagara River by the British forces, and sent over the falls and it was supposed with part of the crew on board. The Patriots had at that

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time a considerable force on Navy Island. A rocket brigade was stationed at Windsor. Occasional musket shots were fired from Windsor into Detroit, and a correspondence was opened between the authorities on each side with a view to stop this recklessness. The late Adjutant-General John E. Schwartz conducted the correspondence on the part of Michigan. He read it to the writer of this paper. About this time, I visited Detroit, stopping at the National Hotel, as the Russell House was then called, and before I had time to warm myself I met Col. Smith, then a member of the Legislature, from Monroe County, who invited me into the back parlor, where I met Gov. Mason, who ordered me back to Ann Arbor to raise a company of militia and report to Col. Smith who was then under orders from the Governor to march down the Detroit river and break up the encampment of Patriots in the neighborhood of Gibraltar, a small village near the mouth of the river, and drive them away. I had also an order, addressed to the late Col. Slin- gerland, to muster his (the 5th) regiment from which to recruit my company by volunteers, if possible, or by draft. The Colonel issued his orders and did his duty, but so strong was the sympathy in favor of the Patriots and against the English, that not over thirty men out of about 600 composing the regiment obeyed the Colonel's order. Of course I was obliged to report my inability to report the com- pany ordered. My recollection is that Colonel Smith made a similar report and the encampment remained undisturbed. Gen. Ed. Clark states, that "the leaders of the Patriots had organized a secret society known as Hunters, with lodges in every village along the frontier. They had their secret signs, grips and pass-words, and were sworn to secrecy. A large proportion of the able-bodied men were Hunters, that is, members of hunters' lodges. I mention these facts to show the state of public feeling with regard to the Patriot war and the reason that Gov. Mason could not furnish the necessary force to march on the Patriot encamp- ment and disperse the force there encamped. Before the close of navigation an expedition was organized by Brigadier General Theller, of the Patriot service, for the purpose of capturing Fort Malden. He embarked in the sloop Ann, and when she arrived off the fort was fired into and her rigging so cut up that she became unmanageable and drifted ashore. The General and Colonel Dodge and the crew were taken prisoners. That Winter a landing of a Patriot force was made on the Canada shore above Windsor, and a battle fought which proved disastrous to the invaders. Another battle was fought at Point au Pelee, where the Patriots were victors. From these facts it can be seen that the magazine was ready and needed but a spark to explode it-that is, to involve the country in war.

When these events were taking place, but before the fight at Point au Pelee, General Sutherland, of the Patriot army, made his appearance at Ann Arbor in full uniform and posted hand-bills notifying the public that he would address them at

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the court-house on the subject of the Patriot war. The court-room was filled and the General was listened to with respect and attention. Before the meeting dis- persed a committee was appointed to wait on the General at his quarters, to confer with him. The writer was one of that committee. The committee called on the General that evening at his room, and spent an hour or two with him. From Ann Arbor he went to Manchester to address the good people of that village. His ob- ject was to get men and means to carry on the war. A short time afterward I received a package of papers from the General. Among them were enlistment rolls and a long letter. He wished me to join the Patriot army and raise a battalion of men for the Patriot service, but ostensibly as volunteer militia, hold elections for commissioned officers as directed by the militia laws of Michigan, and apply to Gov. Mason for commissions. He said that as I was a personal and political friend of the Governor there would be no difficulty in getting the commissions. This accomplished, I was to put myself and battalion under the orders of the General, and as soon as the Detroit River was frozen over so as to make a passage safe, he would give me an order for arms, ammunitions, blankets, etc., and he would direct when and where the invasion should take place. I confess to a complete surprise-more, I was astonished. We were almost entire strangers to each other ; we had never met except at Ann Arbor, and then only for an hour or two, and knew nothing of each other's antecedents. During the visit of the committee at the General's room I endeavored to draw him into a conversation upon military subjects, tactics, his- tory, etc., but he evaded it, and I formed a small opinion of his military capacity or knowledge. And when he divulged to me, an almost entire stranger, his plan of operations, I lost confidence in him as a military leader. ' I remembered of reading an anecdote of Washington who was asked by an intimate friend and true Whig what his plan of campaign was. Washington asked, " Can you keep a secret ?" " Yes, General." "So can I," was the response. When the legislative committee visited General Jackson and demanded of him his plan for the defense of New Orleans, he raised a lock of hair from his head and said, "Gentleman, if I supposed this lock of hair knew what was passing in my brain on that subject, I would cut it off and burn it."

I have described the feeling along the dividing line between the States and Canada. I remember that Sutherland said that one of his principal objects was to involve the two countries in war with each other. Doing this he would attain the height of his ambition. I believe there would have been but little difficulty in raising the number of men to fill the four companies required, and it seemed plain to me, that after receiving our commissions, and before the ink of the Governor's signa- ture was fairly dry on them, Sutherland would have ordered a forward movement at a place where we would have been met by an overwhelming force and been compelled

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to surrender. I could come to no other conclusion than that Sutherland was false to the cause he pretended to espouse. If we had been taken prisoners, of course we would have claimed the treatment of prisoners of war. This may have been ac- corded to us in consideration of our commissions and we not have been hanged as Cunningham, Linn, Lount and others were. If the invasion had taken place, that might have been regarded by our Canadian neighbors as a commencement of hos- tilities on the part of the United States, and as a sufficient justification for the Rocket Brigade to open on Detroit and burn it. At that time there were no troops there except the Brady Guards, an excellent company of volunteer militia of less than 100 men. What the consequences would have been if Sutherland's order had been obeyed others may infer. I remembered that Sutherland told me that he had called meetings and made speeches through Oakland County as he had in Washte- naw. My duty seemed plain and simple, and I lost no time in going to Detroit with this package of papers. I found the Governor in his office in the old capitol, and as soon as we were left alone I told him my errand and laid the papers before him. He read them attentively and arose from his chair and walked the office for some minutes without uttering a word. It was plain to be seen that a storm was brewing. At length it burst out in language more forcible than polite, too forcible for me to repeat in this paper. My impression was that if Sutherland had been present he would have felt the weight of the Governor's arm. A more angry man I have sel- dom seen. After the engagement at Point au Pelee occurred, Sutherland, under the pretense of joining the victorious patriots at the Point, attempted to pass Fort Malden with a horse and cutter on the ice and was captured by some of the garrison of the fort which he probably intended to be, and with Theller and Col. Dodge was held as a prisoner until the Spring opened, when the three were taken to Quebec and con- fined in a cell in one of the fortresses there. Theller and Dodge made their escape from the prison, and, after returning, Theller told me that on their journey down, which was by private conveyance (there were no railroads then), he and Dodge were confined in jails nights, but Sutherland was entertained at hotels. On reaching their prison, the three were shut up in the same cell for awhile, but so strong were their impressions that Sutherland was in British pay and a traitor to the Patriot cause that they laid plans to get rid of him. They believed him a spy on them ; they found him a coward and so worked upon his fears until he was removed. Af- ter Theller and Dodge had the cell to themselves, they applied themselves to work and effected their escape and returned to Michigan. The Canadian struggle for national independence was unsuccessful.

Another expedition was planned at Detroit for the capture of Fort Malden, and was to sail from that city under the command of a general from Cleveland. It had been ascertained that the garrison was lodged in the Queen's warehouse at the

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foot of the wharf, and the officers quartered at hotels in the village of Amherst- burg, and that at night there was but a small force on guard at the fort. Three steamboats were to be employed, and when they arrived off the fort one boat was to lay across the head of the wharf, and the other two, one on each side ; one party should march directly to the fort and take it; the second should capture the gar- rison in the warehouse ; and the third should capture the officers. This was to be done in the night. And however feasible the plan was, it was hinted that the General lacked the nerve to undertake it. It was like the cause, a failure. After the escape of Theller and Dodge, Sutherland was set at liberty, without trial and without punishment.

THE MEXICAN WAR.

There are few records extant of the action of Michigan troops in the Mexican war. That many went there and fought well, are points conceded ; but their names and country of nativity are hidden away in United States archives where it is almost impossible to find them.

The soldiers of this State deserve much of the credit of the memorable achieve- ments of Co. K, Third Dragoons, and Co.'s A, E and G of the U. S. Infantry. The former two of these companies, recruited in this State, were reduced to one-third their original number.

In May, 1846, our Governor was notified by the War Department of the United States to enroll a regiment of volunteers, to be held in readiness for service whenever demanded. At this summons, thirteen independent volunteer companies, eleven of infantry and two of cavalry, at once fell into line. Of the infantry, four companies were from Detroit, bearing the honored names of Montgomery, Lafay- ette, Scott, and Brady upon their banners. Of the remainder Monroe tendered two, Lenawee County three, St. Clair, Berrien and Hillsdale each one, and Wayne County an additional company. Of these alone the veteran Bradys were accepted and ordered into service.

In addition to these, ten companies, making the First Regiment of Michigan Volunteers, springing from various parts of the State, but embodying to a great degree the material of which the first volunteers was formed, were not called for until October following. This regiment was soon in readiness and proceeded to the seat of war.

THE WAR OF 1861-65.

As soon as the President called for troops to suppress the Rebellion in April, 1861, the loyal people of the Peninsular State promptly responded and furnished the quota assigned. Austin Blair, a man peculiarly fitted for the place during the emergency, was Governor, and John Robertson, Adjutant-General. The people of Michigan have ever since been proud of the record of these two men during the

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war, but this does not exclude the honor due all the humble soldiery who obediently exposed their lives in defense of the common country. Michigan has her full share of the buried dead in obscure and forgotten places all over the South as well as in decent cemeteries throughout the North. It was Michigan men that captured Jeff Davis, namely : the 4th Cavalry, under Col. B. F. Pritchard ; and it was Michigan men that materially aided in the successful capture of Wilkes Booth, the assassin of the martyred Lincoln.

The census of this State for 1860 showed a population of 751,110. The num- ber of able-bodied men capable of military service was estimated in official documents of that date at 110,000. At the same time the financial embarrassment of the State was somewhat serious, and the annual tax of $226,250 was deemed a grievous burden. But such was the patriotism of the people that by December 23, 1862, an aggregate' of 45,569 had gone to battle, besides 1,400 who had gone into other States and re- cruited. By the end of the war Michigan had sent to the front 90,747, or more than four-fifths the estimated number of able-bodied men at the beginning! The military history of the county deals very fully with this subject.

CHAPTER VI.

POLITICAL HISTORY.

Previous to the formation of the Northwestern Territory, the country within its bounds was claimed by several of the Eastern States, on the ground that it was within the limits indicated by their charters from the English Crown. In answer to the wishes of the Government and people, these States in a patriotic spirit sur- rendered their claims to this extensive territory, that it might constitute a common fund to aid in the payment of the national debt. To prepare the way for this ces- sion, a law had been passed in October, 1780, that the territory so to be ceded should be disposed of for the common benefit of the whole Union ; that the States erected therein should be of suitable extent, not less than 100 nor more than 150 miles square ; and that any expenses that might be incurred in recovering the posts then in the hands of the British should be reimbursed. New York released her claims to Congress, March 1, 1781 ; Virginia, March 1, 1784 ; Massachusetts, April 19, 1785, and Connecticut, September 4, 1786.

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History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan, Part 8

Author: Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co. Number of Pages: 818

Author:
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co.
Number of Pages: 818