Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 10

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others
Publication date: 1905
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1149

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Upon the 10th, General Butler and the quar- termaster general arrived, with Major Hart, three companies of the Second United States Regiment, and a company of riflemen, commanded by Cap- tain Faulkner.

Upon the 11th, two other companies of the Second United States Regiment, together with a detachment of artillery and five field pieces were put in motion to join the camp.

Upon the 18th, I accompanied General St. Clair to camp, and remained stationary with the army during the residue of the campaign. His frequent absences from the territory, to this period, by vesting the executive duties of the civil

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government in me, had made it necessary that my military services should in some degree be dis- pensed with.

From the 20th to the 27th, General St. Clair at Fort Washington, and the command of the army with Major Hamtranck. Large fatigue parties con- stantly at the works upon the Miami. About the last of September Captain Ford joined the army with five pieces of artillery.

From the 1st to the 9th of October, General St. Clair absent from the army, and the command with General Butler. Previous to the General's leaving camp, he was pleased to publish the order of march, battle and encampment.

Upon the morning of the 4th of October we beat the General. Some deficiencies of pack horses postponed the march till twelve o'clock, when the army was put in motion by two columns from their encampment at the prairie near Fort Hamil- ton, crossed the Miami (the fording of which at this time was not deep) and advanced three miles, opening two roads, about two hundred and fifty yards apart, as they marched; the pack horses and bullocks moving in the center interval of wood, and the artillery in the front, centre and rear of the columns.

Upon the 5th, General Butler so far changed the disposition prescribed by the commanding gen- eral as to advance the artillery by a single broad- cut road of twelve feet. Five pieces in front, and dressing with the heads of columns marching by single files about one hundred yards on right and left; the ammunition and baggage horses following immediately this artillery, and the five additional pieces bring up the rear, covered by the rear guards et cetera; the bullocks between the road and the columns. The woods were everywhere so compact as made the opening of a road extremely tedious. Bridges were frequently to be thrown over streams and ravines, and the infantry, though marching by single files, were necessitated to cut their way at every step. Our progress was conse- quently slow, and we made only a distance of - miles.

Upon the 6th, we advanced in the same order and gained - miles. >

The march of the 7th and succeeding days to the defeat and return of the army to Fort Wash- ington, with a description of the country we passed over and a particular account of the action upon the 4th of November, 1791, is entered in this diary.

Upon the 10th of October Colonel Oldham

joined the army with upwards of three hundred Kentucky militia. Upon paper, we now stood re- spectable in numbers; the accompanying report of the morning immediately preceding our defeat will show the effectives. The absence of the First Regiment and desertions from the militia has very much reduced us; with the residue there was too generally wanting the essential stamina of soldiers. Picked up and recruited from the off- scourings of large towns and cities; enervated by idleness, debaucheries and every species of vice, it was impossible they could have been made com- petent to the arduous duties of Indian warfare. An extraordinary aversion to service was also conspicuous amongst them and demonstrated by the most repeated desertions, in many instances to the very foe we were to combat. The late period at which they had been brought into the field left no leisure or opportunity to attempt to discipline them. They were, moreover, badly clothed, badly paid and badly fed.

Their ammunition, powder particularly, was, with sufficient reason, I apprehend, supposed to be of very inferior quality, although some experi- ments since the campaign have tended to confirm another opinion. That our magazines, however, contained some very bad powder, sent out for the use of the army, and that this powder, in a num- ber of instances, was served out, I am full well convinced. Captain Faulkner and Major Clarke have both made complaints to me upon this sub- ject, and Major Ferguson has very frequently rep- resented to me that the military stores and arms were sent on in most infamous order.

The various arrangements in the different de- partments resting with the commanding general almost altogether, he was worn down by the fa- tigues before the commencement of the cam- paign. Early in May he arrived at Fort Wash- ington, and before the army took the field was compelled to make three journeys into Kentucky. It was not until the 10th of September, as had been observed, that the quartermaster general joined the army; all his arduous duties were therefore with the General to that date. Great delinquencies continued with the contractor, even to the defeat of the army, and were beyond a doubt one amongst the many primary causes of that mis- fortune. To correct, remedy or avert, was the province of the General, and helped to accumulate his difficulties.

Friday, the 7th of October, 1791 .- Fair weather and strong southwest wind all day.

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BUTLER COUNTY, OHIO.

Moved at ten o'clock this morning and marched four and a half miles; thirty-seven and a half from Fort Washington by a direct course, but the necessity of deviation, to avoid fallen timber and for the advantage of ascending and descending hills, sometimes considerably lengthens the way. The country we have passed over this day has been rougher than in any of the preceding marches, but good wheat-land with much and vari- ous sized timber; many springs and small runs of water; lime and some sandstone.

Saturday, the 8th of October .- Fair and pleas- ant weather, with moderate southwest wind.

The army moved at ten o'clock, and made a march of six and three-fourths miles; distance .from Washington, forty-four and one-fourth miles. The country level or small irregularities only, and upland of good soil and well watered by small runs. A stream of twenty feet meanders in the line of march, which, of course, was several times crossed by. troops and upon the banks of which is very rich land. The flank guards fired unsuc- cessfully upon an Indian this day; the first we have seen upon our march.

Sunday, the 9th of October .- Fair and pleas- ant weather, with moderate southwest wind. The army moved at ten o'clock, distance four miles, over gently swelling lands with several small streams; good soil, and but little underbrush; timbered with large oak, hickory, ash, walnut, sugartree and a considerable proportion of beech, which seems indeed to abound in lands of every description in this country.

Monday, October 10th .- Fair weather and moderate southwest wind. Moved at eight o'clock this morning; our march eight miles, and fifty-six miles from Fort Washington. The country level, of good soil and open woods, composed of great variety of timber, with many small runs of water and two streams of fifteen feet, with some large sand stone. We passed an old Indian camp yes- terday and several today, and have observed some fresh tracks. Lieutenant-Colonel Oldham, from Kentucky, with nearly three hundred militia, joined the army.

Tuesday, the 11th of October .- Fair weather and light southwest wind. In motion this morn- ing at eight o'clock; distance, six and a quarter miles, and sixty-two -and a quarter from Fort Washington. The country rich, level and well watered, though not so plentifully as in the pre- ceding marches; the woods open and timber good.

This day, at one o'clock, we were halted by a swamp or sunken "prairie" in our front, which appears extensive to right and left. One mile in rear of this is a stream of six feet, gliding gently to the westward.

Wednesday, October 12th .- Fair weather and light north wind. Last evening and this morn- ing the country was reconnoitered to the right and left, down the swamp. Upon the left and west it was crossed by a single horseman and some foot, though with considerable difficulty, the horse sinking to his belly and the distance being between two and three hundred yards. A mile or two more westerly this party came into a large, well-beaten path, running north and south. Upon the right an old Indian path was discovered, through which the army marched, being put in motion at twelve o'clock. Our distance, five miles, and sixty-seven and a half from Fort Washington. The given course till this day has been north seventeen degrees west, but in the last five miles we have moved thirty degrees east of north, in order to clear the defile mentioned. The country has been of open woods and young timber, with several small runs from the swamp, upon which the soil is rich, but generally, our way being upon a gentle ridge, the quality of the land is inferior to any we have before passed over. We have dis- covered many Indian tracks this day, with old and new camps of warriors and hunters, and had almost surprised some of them. Our parties were near enough to shoot down a single Indian and seize upon his gun, although he was carried off or concealed near his camp, in which a considerable quantity of fresh peltry was found, and some blankets, and near it four or five horses were taken. Our encampment this evening is in a pretty bottom of good land, with a gentle stream of ten feet passing through it, and, from appear- ances, almost at the head of the swamp.

Thursday, October 13th .- Light northerly wind and fair weather all day. Ice made in shal- low vessels one-twentieth of an inch thick last night. The army has advanced one mile this day, and are sixty-eight and a half from Fort Washing- ton. Encamped in two lines facing to the front and rear, the militia in the rear of the whole and the horse upon the flanks, covered by Faulkner's company of riflemen. The artillery disposed in the first and second line, in the intervals between the battalion, the whole occupying (from some unevenness in the ground) a length of more than

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one thousand yards. In the distance from our last encampment, we have passed a ridge of in- different soil. On this ground' we are to halt for some days, to erect a small fort of deposit.

Friday, the 14th of October .- Heavy rain for two hours before daylight; cloudy until ten o'clock, with moderate west wind; the residue fair and wind strong. Notwithstanding that the or- ders of the General are very pointed against firing. and a penalty of one hundred lashes is directed to be inflicted for the crime, the militia and the levies are every day guilty of it, and more particu- larly at the present encampment. Game, it is true, is very plenty and presents a strong temptation, but the consequences are extremely injurious to the service. and tend. amongst other improprieties, to destroy all order in the army. Two hundred men, properly officered, have been this day on duty in clearing the face of the ground for a fort. and laying the foundation. It is a square work. with one-hundred-and-fourteen-feet sides, with four small bastians; to be built of rough logs, laid horizontally, and the barracks and store rooms to compose the curtains. The situation is a pretty, rising ground, terminating in gentle and low de- scents to east and west, to a prairie. A continua- tion of swelling grounds to the north for a consid- erable distance, and a small prairie near, on the south, with a stream of eight feet in that direc- tion and a good spring at less than thirty yards distance.

The provision of tools for this work, Fort Hamilton on the Miami, and the great services for which they must be wanted, has been scanty in the extreme. Eighty axes only can be furnished by the quartermaster. and of these, thirteen are borrowed from the troops, who are but ill sup- plied for this season of the year. Besides the axes, are one saw and one frow. Of spades and mat- tocks we have sufficient.

Saturday. October the 15th .- Rain the latter part of last night and all this day, with moderate northeast wind. The fatigue party of two hundred men at work upon the fort, and to be continued till the business is completed. A detachment. ordered out to surprise an Indian camp discovered by one of the militia yesterday five miles distant. returned without being able to find it. Informa- tion received from Fort Washington this day of the arrival of twenty Chickasaw Indians there, upon their way to congress.

Sunday, October the 16th .- Rain all last night and until eleven o'clock this day, with northeast

wind; residue fair and mild, with moderate wind from the southwest.

Monday, October the 17th .- Rain the latter part of last night and this afternoon, with cloudy weather and moderate northwest wind all' day. The army was served with all the flour in the magazines this day, amounting to one day's rations only; and of liquor there is but sufficient for to- morrow's issue. With the best disciplined troops, the General would at this season have much to apprehend. The roads are becoming very bad, and forage almost exhausted. The resources of the contractor are so limited that we can not look forward to any considerable supply of rations. The militia discontented, and under no subordina- tion and the time of service for the levies very near expiring. Melancholy considerations, these, to the whole army; but distressing beyond meas- ure must they be to the commanding general, whose reputation is to be hazarded upon events extremely precarious. Two soldiers of .the artil- lery and one of the First United States Regiment were apprehended this afternoon, attempting to desert to the enemy.

Tuesday, October the 18th .- Rain almost all last night, with some hail; the morning cloudy, and faint sun at noon, with moderate northwest wind all day. A militia-man was shot through the thigh yesterday by an Indian, five miles from our camp, but was protected by a companion who advanced to his assistance, and after lying con- cealed all night in the bushes, he was this day brought in. Several Indians have been discovered in our vicinity, and five or six men are missing, but whether by desertion, or to the enemy, is un- certain. About six thousand weight of flour was brought to camp this evening, which, with two hundred and forty bullocks of three hundred weight each, is our whole stock of provisions; and the daily issues, including for women and retain- ers, amounts to nearly twenty-seven hundred ra- tions per diem.

Wednesday, October the 19th .- Moderate northerly wind and cloudy weather all day, except two hours of sun at noon. Provisions have be- come so scarce, and the means of transportation to our camp so uncertain, that the General has di- rected nearly three hundred baggage-horses, in addition to fifty of the contractor's, to Fort Hamilton, to bring on flour, and ordered that the officers and others entitled to extra rations shall be limited to a single one, and the troops are put to half allowance of bread.

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Thursday, October 20th .- The morning pleas- those unable to march are ordered to remain as a garrison to the work. The army to hold itself in readiness to march at the shortest notice. ant, with sunshine; strong northeast wind and cloudy during the day; moderate and northwest wind in the evening, clouds dispersing and appear- Sunday, October the 23d .- Fair weather and light northwest wind. The fort, which, in com- pliment to the secretary of state, has been called Jefferson, being almost completed, Captain Shalor, ance of fine weather. No appearance of Indians for a day or two last past near our camp and some of the soldiers who were supposed to have been taken by them are come in, after having been . with nearly ninety men (invalids), took posses- lost in the woods. Discontentment and murmur- ing prevails in the militia camp at being put to half-allowance of four, notwithstanding they are served with beef for the deficiency, and they talk loudly of returning home. Upon an order for an . escorte to some provisions from Fort Hamilton this day, the commanding officer assured the Gen- eral that his men could not be depended on, for they would indisputably all desert, and Captain Faulkner's company of riflemen was put upon this duty, although their services are essential in camp. The militia has never been enrolled in the general roster for duty, because it has been deemed inex- pedient, and, indeed, they have rendered no serv- ice whatever; but produce, by their example and general conduct, much disorder and irregularity amongst the soldiery.

Friday, October the 21st .- Fair weather and moderate northerly wind till noon; residue cloudy, with a small flight of snow and strong wind. The troops have this morning been served with one quarter of a ration of flour for the morrow and the whole stock is now expended. Dependence upon the contractor, even while the army halts, has become precarious indeed, and the General has ordered the quartermaster to Fort Washington for the purpose of ascertaining precisely the ultimate resources. In case the contractor should find himself inadequate to our supplies, Mr. Hodgedon is directed to make every exertion, either jointly with him, or independently, to effect the desired purpose. Ice made last night in small vessels around our tent half an inch in thickness. By a single observation of Major Ferguson the latitude of the fort erecting here is found to be forty de- grees, four minutes and twenty-two seconds.

Fair weather and moderate northwest wind all this Saturday, the 22d of October, and sixteen thousand pounds of flour has been brought to camp in the course of the day under an escorte of sixty militia, which augments the corps to up- wards of three hundred and forty only, as a dozen men deserted from them last night. The fatigue for the fort has been reduced to sixty men this day, and one captain, one subaltern, the sick and

sion of it this morning. Two pieces of artillery are to be left for the defence of the place, and the army, being now without horses, is under the ne- cessity of depositing all its baggage; the military and ordnance stores must also for the present re- main here; and tents, with entrenching tools, only carried forward. These will be transported in four-ox teams, which, upon all occasions, we have found very useful; indeed, they seem better, for a thousand obvious reasons, than packhorses to at- tend the movements of a large army. A few horses, indeed, for pushing forward light pieces of artillery, may be necessary, but the great bur- den of transportation I am more than ever per- suaded, from attentive observation, should rest upon oxen. The General has been under the ne- cessity of executing three soldiers today; one of them for shooting a brother soldier and threaten- ing the life of an officer, and two for desertion. These last mentioned seem rather unfortunate than extremely criminal, though it appears that their intention was to have robbed their officers and have gone to the enemy, by the information of a third person, whose general character has been extremely infamous, and who is believed by the immediate officers of the condemned to have been the author of the plan. Yet he made oath to a court martial that he was seduced by them into it, and escaped with his life, being sentenced to receive one hundred lashes at five different times. The General's humanity is well known, but deser- tions have become so prevalent as to be very alarming, and examples (in terrorem) are neces- sary. It seems indeed to be the opinion of some officers of experience that pardon to deserters un- der any circumstances encourages very much the crime and is a mistaken clemency, producing, in a course of service, more capital punishments than would probably be necessary if the troops were once assured that death must be the inevitable consequence of abandoning their colours.

Monday, October the 24th .- Calm and cloudy, with mild weather; some small rain towards the evening. The army moved this morning at nine o'clock, marching by the Indian path nearly a

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north course over rich, level grounds of fine young white oak, walnut, hickory and ash timber, with some sandstone, and encamped (after a march of five and a half miles, and seventy-four from Fort Washington ) upon high ground with open woods at the bank of a handsome stream of forty feet running east, and which, it is supposed, discharges itself into the Great Miami below Tawintwa. We have passed no water in this day's march, though there is no doubt but we might have found it in a short distance either to the right or left. Many new and old camps have been observed near our route and they are very plenty about this en- campment. The ashes at some of them were warm upon our arrival, and we are probably now upon the last hunting grounds of the Indians. The army is disposed of in two lines, with the artillery and cavalry upon the right and left, and the militia in the rear and towards the left flank of the army, about half a mile distant, near a considerable wet prairie.

Tuesday, October the 25th .- Rain almost all the last night and small showers until four P. M. with light and variable wind; the residue fair, and moderate wind from the northwest. A detach- ment of fifty men from the militia with the deputy surveyor have marched this morning to explore the country for twenty miles to the northwest, and a party of twenty as an escorte for two days to some return horses, on their way to Fort Hamil- ton. The army halts from the impossibility of be- ing supplied with beef or flour for any forward movement at present. By despatches received this day it appears that no magazines are established at Fort Hamilton, and that our horses sent back must proceed of course to Cincinnati, and even there supplies are precarious. So that any further operations have become doubtful. Small delays alone will render it impracticable for the General to advance, as the time of service for some of the levies is nearly up, and their example of going off, if followed by the militia, will render our force contemptible indeed.

- Wednesday, October the 26th .- Damp, cloudy day and light northwest wind. The militia were moved across the creek this day upon a pretty defensible piece of ground, half a mile in advance. The country to the northwest for nineteen miles has been found.by the deputy surveyor to be prin- cipally upland, timbered with young white oak and hickory. A large beaten path, running north and south, was crossed by him about ten miles from camp and his party had nearly surprised a camp

of five Indians in that distance, the rear of whom were fired upon but escaped into a small swamp and made off, leaving their blankets and some peltry behind them. Parties of observation have been twelve miles upon an east course, and found the stream upon which we are encamped fully eighty feet wide; in about three miles it makes a sudden turn to the northwest, but in a short distance flows in an opposite direction. One of the militia is sup- posed to have fallen into the hands of the savages the last evening, as he was observed by two of his companions who were out hunting to be pur- sued by them.

Thursday, October the 27th .- Cloudy, and light north wind, with damp weather all day. The twenty Chickasaw Indians mentioned to have been at Fort Washington arrived in camp this day. Piamingo, who is now their king, with Colbert and some other character of distinction, are among the number. These people have the most invet- erate animosity to all the Indian tribes northwest of the Ohio, but most particularly to the Kicka- poos, and have been at war with the whole of them from time immemorial. We have with us also one of the Cubashe Indians, who was upon a visit to his friends in captivity with us, and who offered his services to the General. I have been expecting that this poor fellow, who is indisposed, would be under some dreadful apprehensions from these guests, as every species of cruelty is mu- tually practiced by their nations, but he has de- meaned himself like a man upon the occasion, and they have politely condescended to take him by the hand, as our friend. This is the day of issuing provisions to the troops and the contrac- tor has it not in his power to serve them with more than a single ration of flour, but we expect such a supply on the morrow as will enable us to move forward for a few marches. Beyond that, our prospects are gloomy; no magazines estab- lished, and even an uncertainty of a supply at Fort Washington, with the difficulties of trans- portation every day increasing by the season and to become still greater, as we add to our distance, may make events fatal to the whole army. But the General is compelled to move on, as the only chance of continuing our little army. Thirteen men of the Virginia troops have insisted upon their discharges this day; almost the whole bat- talion will speedily follow their example, and in a short time the period of enlistments with the other battalions will begin to expire. So that the only prospect of effecting the purpose of the cam-

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Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 10

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1149

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others
Publication date: 1905
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1149