USA > Ohio > Biographical and historical memoirs of the early pioneer settlers of Ohio, with narratives of incidents and occurrences in 1775 > Part 20
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On the table lands, between the Kennebec and Chaudiere, there was considerable flat land, very wet and miry, the men sinking six or eight inches deep at every step. Dead river is described by Arnold as a fine, deep stream, with a current hardly perceptible, between the falls and ripples. Two or three log-huts were built on the way for the accom- modation of the sick men, ten or twelve in number. Al- though they were constantly wet, and the labors of the march excessive, yet very few of them fell sick. No doubt the excitement and novelty of their pursuits in this wild, desolate region, gave a stimulus to their minds, which
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rendered them in a manner insensible to bodily ailment. The moose-deer were quite plenty here, and numbers were killed by Morgan's riflemen.
The weather, to the middle of October, was very fine, which aided the army in its progress very much. On this river a few Indians were found at their fall hunt, and one of them, named Evans, was sent by the commander with a letter to his friends in Quebec, notifying them of his ap- proach, of which the enemy had yet no suspicion. This Indian betrayed his trust, delivering the letter to a British officer. By the 20th of the month heavy rains set in, and raised the river so high as greatly to impede their progress. On the 24th they were thirty miles from Chaudiere, with a stock of provisions only sufficient for fifteen days. From this point he sent back all the sick and feeble men. About this period a party of twenty men were sent forward to clear the four mile portage from the head of Dead river over to Chaudiere, and make it easier to pass by the army. It lies across a mountain or high hill. Over this elevation Mor- gan's men carried all their bateaux; while the other troops took only one for each company, for the transport of their baggage. Provisions they had none, or only five pounds of flour to each man, which was baked into cakes in the ashes of their camp-fires.
The distance to Quebec from this portage, was one hun- dred miles. The Chaudiere, or Boiling Cauldron, as named by the French, was too rapid and full of falls for naviga- tion, and nearly all the boats were stove and sunk in the first day's voyage, to the great peril of the men and loss of baggage. The first night passed on the Chaudiere, being the 31st of October, there fell four inches of snow, so that the men in their bivouac were covered with it, when they awoke in the morning. (Henry.) From this time food became more and more scarce. Previous to this, the rear
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division had advanced fifty miles up Dead river, where Enos overtook Col. Green's men, entirely out of provisions. Ar- nold had gone forth to seek an interview with the French inhabitants, and get them to furnish supplies for his men. Under these disheartening circumstances, it was concluded by the officers that Col. Enos' men should deliver all their provisions but rations for three days, to Col. Green's di- vision, and return back to the settlements, as they must certainly starve if all went forward. Those who returned suf- fered much from want of food; but those who went on, far more. Several died on the way, from starvation and fatigue, while others barely preserved life, by eating leather, bones, bark of trees, and soup made of the flesh of their dogs. Had not the commander gone on in advance, and purchased provisions of the French, who were very friendly, and got them to carry them up the river to meet the troops, many more would have died.
In a letter to Gen. Schuyler, dated 8th of November, at . St. Marie, two and a half leagues, from Point Levi, he says, "I was not then apprised, or indeed apprehensive of one- half the difficulties we had to encounter-of which I cannot at present give you a particular detail-can only say, we have hauled our bateaux up over falls, up rapid streams, over carrying places, and marched through morasses, thick woods, and over mountains, about three hundred and twenty miles ; many of which we had to pass several times to bring over our baggage. These difficulties the soldiers have, with the greatest fortitude, surmounted; and about two-thirds of the detachment are happily arrived here, and within two days' march, most of them in good health and high spirits. The other part, with Col. Enos, returned from Dead river, con- trary to my expectation, he having orders to send back only the sick, and those that could not be furnished with provi- sions. The Chaudiere was amazingly rapid and rocky for
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about twenty miles, where we had the misfortune to stave three of our bateaux and lose their provisions, &c., but happily no lives. I then divided the little stock left, and proceeded on with the two remaining boats and six men, and very fortunately reached the French inhabitants the 30th of October, at night, who received us in the most hos- pitable manner, and sent off early the next morning a sup- ply of fresh provisions, flour, &c., to the detachment." This timely aid, which saved many lives and encouraged the men to proceed, reached them on the 3d of November.
In all these privations and hardships, Maj. Meigs bore a conspicuous part, suffering equally with his men. Several females, wives of the soldiers, bore the fatigues of this dreary march, wading through bogs and ponds of water coated with ice. (Henry.) Aaron Burr was a volunteer in this heroic, but calamitous expedition. On the 14th of November, in a letter to Gen. Montgomery, he says he crossed the St. Law- rence with about five hundred and fifty men, between the hours of nine at night and four in the morning, without being discovered until they were nearly all over. This was effected in twenty birch-bark canoes, although the river was guarded by two vessels of war. About one hundred and twenty-five more men subsequently crossed, increasing his little army to six hundred and seventy-five. Nearly three hundred had returned with Col. Enos, leaving one hundred and twenty- five as the number lost and left on the way by sickness and death, as the troops at Fort Western amounted to eleven hundred men.
With this small force of resolute soldiers, he immediately invested the walls of Quebec, hoping by cutting off the sup- plies to force them to capitulate. One of the officers from his camp wrote as follows: "The difficulties that our de- tachment underwent in the woods are beyond description. For forty days I waded in the water, more or less; my feet
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constantly wet, except nights ; the most of the time freezing weather. We were at an allowance of half a pint of flour a man for a fortnight, and half that time no meat; passing through morasses, cedar swamps and drowned lands, wading creeks and rivers at the same time. The number that we lost was small, not exceeding three or four, and these with hunger."
The result of the attack on the city is well known. Maj. Meigs, with his battalion, was attached to that portion of the army which penetrated within the town, where, with Morgan, Dearborn, and others, he was taken prisoner. "The pris- oners within the city were kindly treated by Gov. Carlton. He sent out Maj. Meigs for their clothes and baggage, al- lowed them to be supplied with money and other conven- iencies by their friends; and after they were released, they bore a unanimous testimony to the humanity and good usage of the British commander." (Spark's Life of Arnold.)
During the long and dreary winter which followed their captivity, Mr. Meigs did all he could to alleviate the suffer- ings of the men, which arose more from the lack of warm clothing than of food. To relieve their necessities, he, with Col. Christopher Green, advanced money to the amount of two hundred dollars. This was justly chargeable to the American Congress, but was not repaid until three years after the cessation of hostilities, or nearly ten from the time of advancement, when we find on their journals the follow- ing resolution :
"September 28th, 1785; on the memorial of R. J. Meigs and Job Green, son and heir of Christopher Green, deceased.
Resolved, That the Board of Treasury take order for paying to R. J. Meigs, late a colonel in the service of the United States, and to the legal representative of Christopher Green, deceased, late a colonel in said service, the sum of two hundred dollars, the same having been expended for
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the use and comfort of the unfortunate prisoners in Quebec, in the year 1776."
In the course of this year he was duly exchanged, and re- turned home; soon after which he received from Congress the commission of colonel, and was authorized to raise a regiment of choice men, which was afterward known in Connecticut as the Leather Cap Regiment. "Col. Meigs, having enlisted a part of his regiment, marched to New Haven, to carry into execution a plan projected for the sur- prisal of a party of the enemy at Sagg harbor, on Long Island, where a large amount of stores and forage had been collected for the army in New York."
The following account of this transaction is from Mar- shall's Life of Washington: "Gen. Parsons intrusted the execution of this plan to Col. Meigs, a very gallant officer, who had accompanied Arnold in his memorable march to Quebec, and had been taken prisoner in the unsuccessful attempt made on that place by Montgomery. He embarked with about two hundred and thirty men, on board thirteen whale-boats, and proceeded along the coast to Guilford, from whence he was to cross the sound. Here he was de- tained some time by high winds and a rough sea; but on the 23d of May, about one o'clock in the afternoon, he re- embarked one hundred and seventy of his detachment, and proceeded, under convoy of two armed sloops, across the sound to the north division of the island, near Southold. The east end of Long Island is deeply intersected by a bay, on the north side of which had been a small foraging party, against which the expedition was in part directed; but they had marched to New York two days before. Here, how- ever, information was received that the stores had not been removed from Sagg harbor, which lies in the northern divis- ion of the island, and that a small guard still remained there for their defense. The boats were immediately conveyed
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across the land, a distance of about fifteen miles, into the bay, where the troops re-embarked, and crossing the bay, landed within four miles of Sagg harbor, at two o'clock in the morning; which place they completely surprised, and carried with fixed bayonets. At the same time, a division of the detachment secured the armed schooner and the ves- sels, with the forage which had been collected for the supply of the army at New York. These brigs and sloops, twelve in number, were set on fire and entirely consumed. Six of the enemy were killed, and ninety taken prisoners. A very few escaped under cover of the night. Col. Meigs returned to Guilford with his prisoners, having thus completely ef- fected the object of the expedition, without the loss of a single man, and having moved with such uncommon celerity as to have transported his men by land and water ninety miles in twenty-five hours.
Shortly after this brilliant affair, Congress passed the fol- lowing resolution :
" July 25th, 1777 - Resolved, That Congress have a just sense of the merit of Lieut. Col. Meigs, and the officers and men under his command, who distinguished their pru- dence, activity, enterprise, and valor, in the late expedition to Long Island, and that an elegant sword be provided by the commissary-general of military stores, and presented to Lieut. Col. Meigs." (Jour. Congress.)
Col. Meigs continued to sustain an active part in all the privations and sufferings of the American army, during the period of 1778 and 1779; and in the latter year was en- gaged in one of the most brilliant events in the course of the war-the capture of Stony Point. In this heroic adven- ture, Col. Meigs acted a conspicuous part, his regiment be- ing attached to the right column of the attacking forces.
The following description of the locality, and events con- nected therewith, is from Marshall's Life of Washington:
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"Some miles below West Point, about the termination of the Highlands, is King's ferry, where the great road between the middle and eastern states crosses the North river. The ferry is completely commanded by the two opposite points of land; the one on the west side, which is a rough elevated piece of ground, is denominated Stony Point; and the other on the east side, which is a flat neck of land, project- ing far into the water, is called Verplank's Point. The command of this ferry was important to either army : to the British, as it gave them the control of an extensive dis- trict of country in which to forage, and also the advantage of a strong post, which communicated with New York by water : to the Americans it was important, as it afforded a ready and safe intercourse with the stations on both sides of the river, and the loss of it would oblige them to seek a longer and higher route, through a rough and broken coun- try. The last of May, Sir Henry Clinton, strengthened by a large body of British troops from Virginia, under Gen. Vaughan, embarked his army from New York, on the river, and on the 31st landed a numerous division on the east side of the Hudson, eight miles below Verplank's Point, while the remainder landed on the west side, three miles below Stony Point. The works at this place being unfinished, were abandoned. The British, under Gen. Patterson, im- mediately took possession, and erecting a battery of heavy cannon and mortars, were ready next morning to open a fire on Fort Fayette at Verplank's Point. The river between the two points is about one thousand yards in width. The troops landed below, invested it by land, and some galleys stationed above, prevented the escape of the American gar- rison by water. Capt. Armstrong being unable to defend himself against this superior force, surrendered the post. They immediately proceeded to fortify their acquisitions, and especially Stony Point, in the strongest manner. When
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fully completed, Sir H. Clinton left strong garrisons in each, and returned to New York. The importance of these posts to the Americans, induced Gen. Washington to attempt their recovery. He also wished to achieve some important action to stimulate the courage of the army, and arouse the dormant energies of the country, sinking under a long course of disaster, from the depredations of the British in Connecticut. After carefully reconnoitering these posts, and getting all the information possible, he was satisfied they could only be taken by surprise. His first plan was to at- tack both posts simultaneously ; but as such operations are very difficult of attainment, he decided to turn all his atten- tion to the attack of Stony Point. As the capture of this, from its elevated position, would give it command over the fort at Verplank's Point. To Gen. Wayne, the commander of the American light infantry, was intrusted the conduct of the enterprise. Twelve o'clock on the night of the 15th of July, was chosen for the assault. Stony Point is a com- manding hill, projecting far into the Hudson, which washes three-fourths of its base; the remaining fourth is, in a great measure, covered by a deep marsh, over which there is only one crossing place; but at its junction with the river is a sandy beach passable at low-tide. On the summit of this hill was erected the fort, furnished with an abundance of heavy ordinance. Several breast-works and strong batteries were advanced in front of the principal works; and about half way down the hill were two rows of abatis. The bat- teries commanded the beach and the crossing place of the marsh, and could rake and enfilade any column approaching the fort from either of those points. Several vessels of war were also stationed in the river, so as to command the ground at the foot of the hill. The fort was garrisoned by six hundred men, under Lieut. Col. Johnson. At noon of the day preceding the night of attack, the light infantry
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commenced their march from Sandy beach, distant fourteen miles from Stony Point, and passing over an exceeding rugged and mountainous country, arrived about eight o'clock P. M., at Steel's spring, one and a half miles from the fort, where the dispositions for the assault were made. It was intended to attack the works on the right and left flanks at the same instant. The regiments of Febiger and Meigs, with Maj. Hull's detachment, formed the right column; and Butler's regiment, with the companies under Maj. Mur- free, formed the left; one hundred and fifty volunteers led by Lieut. Col. Fleary and Maj. Posey, constituted the van of the right; and one hundred under Maj. Stewart, composed the van of the left. At half past eleven, the two columns moved on to the charge, the van of each with unloaded muskets and fixed bayonets. They were each preceded by a forlorn hope of twenty men, commanded by Lieuts. Gibbons and Knox, whose duty it was to remove the abatis and other obstructions, to open a passage for the columns which fol- lowed close in the rear. Proper measures having been taken to prevent notice of their approach, the Americans reached the marsh undiscovered. Here some unexpected difficulties arose, and the assault did not commence until twenty minutes after twelve. Both columns then rushed forward under a tremendous fire of musketry and grape shot; surmounting every obstacle, they entered the works at the point of the bayonet, without discharging a single piece, and obtained complete possession of the fort. The humanity of the con- querors was not less conspicuous, nor less honorable, than their bravery ; not a single individual suffered after resist- ance ceased. All the troops displayed the greatest courage, and all distinguished themselves whose situation enabled them to do so. Out of the forlorn hope, led by Lieut. Gib- bons, seventeen were killed or wounded. The loss of the Americans was not in proportion to the apparent danger,
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and amounted to only about one hundred in killed and wounded. That of the British was one hundred and thirty- one, of whom sixty-three were killed. It was intended to make an attack on Verplank's as soon as Gen. Wayne got posses- sion of Stony Point, but from some mistake that plan failed. Gen. Washington examined the position of Stony Point, and thought it not advisable to maintain it, as it would re- quire at least fifteen hundred men to garrison it, more than he could spare from the army without weakening his means of defense in the Highlands. It was, therefore, reluctantly abandoned. Sir H. Clinton directly took it in possession and fortified it stronger than before.
The success of this enterprise infused new courage into the country, and revived the drooping spirits of the Ameri- can people. It was a proof that the bravery and enterprise of their soldiers was fully equal to that of their enemies, a fact which the British always stoutly denied, but were now obliged to confess. Col. Meigs shared largely in the honors and dangers of the assault, mounting the breast-work at the head of his men, and with his hand clasped in theirs, assisted many to gain the top of this formidable obstruction, who, with fixed bayonets, leaped down into the fort amidst their enemies. Every man engaged in it, through life, was noticed by his countrymen as one of the heroes of Stony Point.
From this period to the close of the war, he continued to serve his country with fidelity, and at the close shared in the honors and blessings of civil liberty, so dearly bought with the blood and toil of his countrymen. After the war he still lived at Middletown.
On the formation of the Ohio Company, in which many soldiers of the Revolution engaged, he was appointed one of their surveyors, and in the spring of the year 1788 he landed at Marietta, and entered on the duties of his office.
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"A government for the Northwestern Territory had been prepared by an ordinance of Congress, in 1787. Gov. St. Clair and the judges of the territory had not arrived. The emigrants were without civil laws or civil authority. Col. Meigs drew up a concise system of regulations, which were considered by the emigrants as the rule of conduct and preservation, until the proper authorities should arrive. To give these regulations publicity, a large oak, standing near the confluence of the rivers, was selected, from which the bark was cut off, of sufficient space to attach the sheet on which the regulations were written; and they were ben- eficially adhered to until the civil authorities arrived in July. This venerable oak was to the emigrants more useful, and as frequently consulted, as the oracle of ancient Delphos, by its votaries."* Soon after the arrival of Gov. St. Clair, he was appointed a justice of the peace, and one of the judges of the Court of Quarter Sessions. He was also commissioned as the clerk of this court, and prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas. The first session of the latter was held on Tuesday, the 2d of September, 1788. This being the earliest court ever assembled in the North- western Territory, it was honored with all the ceremony due to so important an occasion. A procession was formed at the Point, composed of the inhabitants, with the United States officers from Fort Harmer, who escorted the judges of the Court of Common Pleas, with the governor and su- preme judges of the territory, to the hall in the northwest block-house of Campus Martius, distant about half a mile. The procession was headed by the sheriff, Col. E. Sproat, a. man six feet and four inches high, and large in proportion, with a drawn sword in his right hand, and wand of office in the left; the whole making quite an imposing appearance,
* Obituary notice of Col. Meigs, by his son, the postmaster-general. 18
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and exciting the admiration of the friendly savages, a num- ber of whom were loitering about the new city. When all were assembled within the hall, the services of the day were opened with prayer by the Rev. Manasseh Cutler, one of the directors of the Ohio Company. : The court was then organized by reading the commissions of the judges, the clerk and the sheriff, after which the latter opened it for business, by proclamation. The duties of clerk were exe- cuted by Col. Meigs, with accuracy and fidelity, for a num- ber of years.
In 1789, he was engaged a part of the summer in survey- ing the meanders of the Ohio river, from the Muskingum down to the mouth of the Big Sandy, which was supposed to be near the line of the western boundary of the purchase. While on this trip by water, in a large flatboat, then in use for traveling up as well as down stream, the Indians made an attack on John Matthews, who was surveying the west- ern range of townships, and killed seven men of his com- pany. He fled to Col. Meigs, who received him on board, and crossed over the Ohio river. A little below Twelve Pole creek he erected a small block-house, for the security of his men, until another party of surveyors, under Mr. Backus, could come in. This they did in a day or two; and having completed his survey of the river, they all returned to Marietta. During the period of the Indian war, the la- bors of the surveyors were suspended: and for several years he suffered all the privations and dangers of that distressing time.
" During the treaty with the Indians at Greenville, in 1795, Col. Meigs was appointed a commissary of the clothing de- partment; issuing the goods furnished to the Indians as well as the troops. Here he exercised his benevolent feelings in behalf of the whites who were prisoners with the Indians, to see that all were delivered up, as stipulated in one of the
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articles. Amongst those who were known to have been captured, was Joseph Kelly, a lad taken from Belville, Va., in 1791, and whose widowed mother now lived in Marietta, her husband being killed at the same time. In the autumn of 1795, the Indians had brought in and given up all their prisoners ; yet no account could be had of young Kelly, and it was quite uncertain whether he was dead or alive, as no news had ever been received of him since his captivity. But as the Indians seldom or never put boys to death, after they were prisoners, it was probable he was yet living, and kept back by some family who had become greatly attached to him. Although nearly all hope had ceased of his recov- ery, yet Mr. Meigs continued to inquire of every new In- dian face he saw at the store. At length two Indians said they knew of two white boys on the heads of the Auglaise river, who were kept back by their owners. Hoping that one of these boys might be the widow's son, he immediately applied to Gen. Wayne for a messenger to be sent for them. One of these Indians, as a guide, and a white man were sent out. Joseph had been adopted into the family of an old warrior, named Mishalena, who had lost five sons in the wars with the whites, and had now no child left but a daughter ; and yet he adopted this boy, the son of his mor- tal enemies, as his own, and ever treated him as such. What a lesson for the professors of Christianity ! Mr. Kelly says that the old warrior was one of the most kind and be- nevolent men that he ever met with in his life, as well as of a noble and commanding appearance. He was now too old for war, but in great favor with the tribe, as one of their most able counselors. His adopted mother's name was Patepsa. She never accepted him with the hearty good- will and affection of Mishalena, but always gave him plenty to eat, when she had it. Joseph was only six years old when adopted, but was now eleven. He parted with his
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