Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 11

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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BUTLER COUNTY, OHIO.

paign is by immediately marching the army so far into the enemy's country that they may be afraid to return in such detachments as shall from time to time be entitled to claim their discharges.

Friday, October the 28th .- The morning and until twelve o'clock cloudy; residue fair with light northwest wind all day. We had a soldier killed and scalped this morning three miles from camp. He was hunting with another man, who received a shot in his body, but had strength enough to run half a mile and conceal himself in the bushes till night, when he joined the army, and, most prob- ably, will die of his wound. About ten thousand weight of flour was brought to camp this evening.

Saturday, October the 29th .- Fair weather and pleasant, with light northwest wind. The Chick- asaw Indians, with an officer and five privates, are gone out for a short war excursion. There appears some little discontent in the party, but resting principally with Piamingo and Colbert, the former of whom came out from his nation expressly to go to congress, and Colbert for hos- tility, and therefore, although Piamingo has al- tered his intention, yet the other insists he can not yield to him in the field. The division of them might put it out of their power to meet any war parties of Indians upon equal terms, and from this consideration the chief voluntarily follows Colbert as his leader. This man had latterly had one brother killed, and another wounded, by the Western Indians.

Sunday, October the 30th .- Strong south wind all last night and this day, with warm weather. A fatigue party with one hundred and thirty non- commissioned officers and privates were detached yesterday morning to open a road forward, under cover of two hundred militia. They were to work until three o'clock this day, and then return to the army. This has been the usual strength of our fatigues for this purpose, but they have here- tofore been covered by the piquets, and never pre- ceded the army more than three or four hours. The army was put in motion this morning at nine o'clock, and have marched seven miles over a level country, with oak, hickory, maple, buckeye and some beech, and have encamped upon a small run of poor water, near the commencement of a very brushy piece of land, eighty-one miles from Fort Washington. One spring and two or three runs of water, issuing from low land or stagnant marshes, and of bad quality, have laid in our route.

Monday, October the 31st .- A strong gale the last night from the west northwest, and brisk wind 6

from the same quarter, with fair weather, all day. The impossibility of getting forward with all the baggage of the army, and the expectation of flour, has determined the General to halt this day. Some military stores that were brought on to the last encampment from Fort Jefferson, together with baggage which the officers took the liberty of bringing up, delayed our last movement very much, and so overloaded the wagons and the few pack- horses of the troops that in many instances it was found necessary to discharge them in part upon the road, whereby some corps were deprived of their tents. Sixty of the militia have deserted in a body this day, and it has become probable that a considerable part (and perhaps the whole) of the residue may speedily follow. They murmur at the allowance of provisions, and complain that they are not sufficiently clothed for the service at this season. The First United States Regiment is detached upon this occasion; they are to move back beyond Fort Jefferson, and prevent our pro- visions which may be upon the way from being rifled by these deserters, and to apprehend them, if it be practicable. This movement may have a further good effect upon the militia that are in camp, and be the means of keeping them to their duty; but however necessary it may be, I have to regret that we are hereby deprived for a time of a corps of three hundred effective men (effect- ive, from the experience of the officers, and the op- portunities they have had for discipline) which must be estimated as the best in the service. Cap- tain Powers, of the levies, has been ordered in ad- vance today with fifty men, to reconnoitre the country.

Tuesday, November the 1st .- Cloudy and mod- erate weather, with light southerly winds all day. Thirty-two thousand weight of flour arrived in camp the last evening, under escort of Faulkner's company of riflemen. The army is ordered to halt this day to give the General time, I imagine, to make up despatches for the war office, as no other cause is obvious. It is very true that we have not the means of transporting all the tents and entrenching tools without dismounting some of the cavalry, but the same objections will re- main for the morrow. Forty return horses left the camp this afternoon for Fort Hamilton, under the escorte of a subaltern and fourteen men of the Second United States Regiment, who are to give them protection to within one day's march of the fort, and rejoin the army.

Wednesday, November the 2d .- Light west-

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erly wind, with cloudy, cold weather all day, and some small rain and snow from three to four o'clock P. M. The army in motion at nine this morning, and made a march of eight miles, which increases our whole distance from Fort Washing- ton to eighty-nine miles. The first five miles, and to a creek of almost still water or gently running to the east, is generally very low, level and wet land, with large oak, ash and hickory timber. The residue is also level and moist, and principally of beech timber. The whole distance must be rendered almost impassible in wet weather. Upon the left, but more particularly upon the right, are very extensive swamps. The old Indian path has been our guide through them, deviating from it, however, occasionally, from a half to a whole mile, in order to shorten the road, which has made our course about north thirty degrees west. The en- campment is on tolerably good ground, with a small limestone run of water and some bottom land in front, in two lines, east northeast and west southwest, and the artillery equally disposed in the centre of the first and second line. One of our small commands fell upon an Indian camp yesterday and took five horses with a gun and some peltry, but according to general practice, suffered all the Indians to escape them. We are informed that one of our hunters has lately been killed near Fort Hamilton.

Thursday, November the 3rd .- Light north- east wind last night and this day, with a small flight of snow, but not enough to cover the ground. The army has marched eight miles this day, and our distance from Fort Washington is ninety-seven miles by the line which the surveyor has run, the road not very materially deviating therefrom; its breadth is almost all the way sufficient for two carriages. In the first three miles of this morn- ing, we passed small, low prairies (extensive to the right and left) and wet, sunken grounds of woodland, timbered with oak, ash and hickory; the residue, of gentle, rising grounds, timbered principally with beech, but some oak and hickory; and small limestone runs, though not abounding with water at this time. Our encampment is on a very handsome piece of rising ground, with a stream of forty feet in front running to the west. The army in two lines, and four pieces of artillery in the centre of each; Faulkner's company of riflemen upon the right flank with one troop of horse also upon the left. The militia across the stream (which is supposed to be the St. Mary, emptying itself into the Miami of the Lakes) and

over a rich bottom of three hundred yards, upon a high extensive fine flat of open woods. Here are an immense number of old and new Indian camps, and it appears to have been a place of their gen- eral resort. About fifteen of them, horse and foot, quitted this ground near the time we arrived upon it, as was discovered by their tracks in the banks of the stream. Colonel Oldham, who has long been conversant with Indian affairs, supposes it a party of observation, and the first that has been about us since he joined the army; imagining all the others that have been noticed mere hunters.

Friday, November the 4th, 1791 .- Moderate northwest wind, serene atmosphere and unclouded sky; but the fortunes of this day have been as the cruelest tempest to the interests of the country and this army, and will blacken a full page in the future annals of America. The troops have all been defeated, and though it is impossible at this time to ascertain our loss, yet there can be no manner of doubt that more than one-half of the army are either killed or wounded. The whole amount of our private baggage, with the artillery, military stores, provisions and horses, have fallen into the hands of the enemy, and the shattered remains of our forces are coming into Fort Jef- ferson this evening, at seven o'clock, after the precipitate flight of twenty-nine miles since nine o'clock in the morning. The detail of this mis- fortune shall be made out as soon as I am fur- nished with returns from the different corps in ac- tion.

Saturday, November the 5th .- Fair weather and fresh northwest wind all day.

Upon a consultation last night with the field officers, the General thought proper to move the army at ten o'clock P. M. It appeared that Fort Jefferson was destitute of provision, that flour was near at hand and that there was no prospect of refreshing the troops but from that source. The garrison might be suddenly invested, and, of course, it became a matter of .the utmost conse- quence to throw in supplies as soon as possible. We moved about seven miles during that night, and were obliged to halt from the severe fatigues the troops had undergone. At daylight we re- sumed our march, and at eight o'clock we met a convoy of flour, and, soon after, a drove of cattle. Two rounds of the former, per man, was served out and the residue, about eighty-five hundred pounds, and the cattle, were immediately sent back for the garrison and wounded, under an es- corte of fifty men from the First Regiment. We

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BUTLER COUNTY, OHIO.

continued our march all day and for a couple of hours in the night, which brought the advance to within thirteen miles from Fort Hamilton, but the men are very much dispersed, and the disor- der consequent upon a defeat was perhaps never more conspicuous.

Sunday, November the 6th .- Fair weather and light southerly wind. Arrived at Fort Ham- ilton at nine o'clock this morning. The First Regiment got in generally by evening, and the lame and wounded of the army have been drop- ping in singly and by small parties all day. Some of them, and of the militia more particularly, are pushing on to Fort Washington, notwithstanding orders to the contrary. Indeed, very little atten- tion is paid by them to any regulation whatever. The officers appear to have lost almost the shadow of command, and there is scarcely a hope of re- ducing them to system and obedience short of the fort. Such are the effects of our ignominious flight-for so it must be deemed from the circum- stances along of the men's throwing away their arms after they quitted the field of action, and which was very general in every corps engaged.

Monday, November the 7th .- Fair weather and light southerly wind all day. The garrison at Fort Hamilton relieved this day by Captain Arm- strong and fifty men of the First United States Regiment. The wounded and stragglers of the army are still coming in, and probably will be for a number of days. At twelve o'clock the First Regiment, militia, and such of the other corps as have arrived, were put in motion for Fort Wash- ington, and marched twelve miles before night.

Tuesday, November the 8th .- Showery and calm before daylight and till noon; residue cloudy. In motion at daylight, and arrived at Fort Wash- ington at twelve o'clock. The troops were imme- diately encamped in its vicinity upon Deer creek, and every means possible used to make them com- fortable; but all the camp equipage being lost in the late action, they are destitute indeed of com- mon necessaries, even axes they have not. The officers finding houses to cover themselves, quit their men, and the consequences are very great disorder.

Wednesday, November the 9th .- Rainy morn- ing and until twelve o'clock; the residue fair, with moderate southwest wind. Every house in this town is filled with drunken soldiers and there seems one continued scene of confusion. The General's indisposition prevents much of his own attention to the army at this time; he has been

suffering under a most painful fit of the gout since the 23rd ultimo, and was not able to mount his horse on the morning of the action without assistance. But no efforts have been wanting to prevent abuses and disorder, as well as to afford comfort and convenience to the soldiers and to obtain hospitals and all proper provisions for the wounded, whose situation is truly distressing at this time.

Thursday, November 10th .- Heavy showers of rain with much thunder, before day; light and wet weather until nine o'clock; the residue of this day fair weather, with a strong west wind. A detach- ment of fifty men as an escorte to some provisions has marched for Fort Jefferson this day.

Friday, November the 11th .- Fair and cold weather, with moderate northwest wind. Major Zeigler, with upwards of one hundred men of the First United States Regiment, marched this day as a reinforcement to the escorte for Fort Jefferson. Piamingo, Colbert and the other Chick- asaws, with the white people mentioned to have gone out from our camp on the 29th ultimo, have returned with five scalps, having been twenty miles beyond the Miami towns on the road to Detroit. Here they fell in with an Indian, who, mistaking them for friends, gave so vaunting an account of the late unfortunate action and defeat, that before he had completed his narrative they shot him through the body. He told them that they had but seven hundred warriors engaged, and that his "own arm was quite weary with toma- hawking."

Saturday, November the 12th .- Cloudy, cold morning, with appearances of snow; the day fair, and moderate west wind.

Sunday. November the 13th .- Cloudy and moderate weather, with light southerly wind.

Monday, November the 14th .- Very heavy rain from three o'clock this morning and through the day, with strong south wind. Twenty more Chick- asaws have arrived under the Elder Colbert, who appears a clever, intelligent fellow, and had in- tended to have joined the army.

Tuesday, November the 15th .- Snow the latter part of last night and in small flights during the day, with moderate west wind and mild weather.

Wednesday, November the 16th .- Overcast and calm all day. The last of Beddinger's battalion of levies discharged.

Thursday, November the 17th .- Calm, fair and warm weather all day. The whole country is just whitened by a small snow last night.

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Friday, November the 18th .- Fair weather and calm. Piamingo had his audience of leave from the General this day, and condoled with him upon the misfortunes of the campaign. He took occa- sion to observe that the armies of Britain had been formerly opposed to his nation and that the officers were at first distinguishable among the soldiery, as among our troops, by cocked hats, plumes, etc., and were soon killed-whereupon confusion ensued and the men fell easy victims of their prey. But grown wiser by experience, they dressed their forces all alike and became vic- torious. He recommended strongly to the General to fight the Indians in their own way from behind logs and trees, and be continually changing the ground in time of action. This is their manner and they seldom fire twice from under the same cover, but, as soon as they have discharged their pieces from behind one tree, shift themselves to another; so that it is almost impossible to find them out, or to know whither to direct your your fire.

Saturday, November the 19th .- Fair and pleasant weather, with light southwest wind. By intelligence from Fort Jefferson, we are informed that the first escorte with provisions had safely arrived, that the wounded and missing of the army had got in there in considerable numbers and had exhausted all the supplies that were for- warded upon the 5th, and the last of them reduced to the necessity of receiving horse-flesh and green hides for their support; but we know this state of affairs can not have existed long, as Major Zeigler must have arrived with ample stores before this time. Lieutenant Dennie, aide-de-camp to the General, was despatched this evening for Phila- delphia by way of the Ohio river, with the partic- ulars of the action and losses upon the 4th and the General himself proposes soon to follow.

A NARRATIVE OF THE UNFORTUNATE AFFAIR OF FRIDAY, WITH THE DISPOSITION OF THE ARMY, ETC.

Upon the Thursday evening of November the 3d, at four o'clock, the army, having marched eight miles, and ninety-seven from Fort Washington, and being by estimation about twenty miles from the Miami towns, were immediately encamped in two lines on a small rising ground descending gradu- ally in front to a stream of fifty feet, fordable at

Patterson's, Clarke's and Butler's battalions composed the first line, Patterson on the right, and four pieces of artillery upon the right of Butler.

The Second United States Regiment, with Gaither's and Beddinger's battalions, formed the rear line; Beddinger on the right (in a rear face) and four pieces of artillery upon the left of his battalion. One troop of horse, commanded by Captain Truman, and a company of riflemen, under Captain Faulkner, were encamped upon the right flank, and occupied a front of about seventy yards, which was the whole distance between the lines, the length of them being nearly four hundred, the rear somewhat more and the front line somewhat less. Snowden's troop of horse was on the left.

The encampment, very defensible against regu- lar troops, was found on experience to be feeble to an Indian attack. Descending, as has been ob- served, to the front, though in some places the stream was more than a hundred. yards distant, yet in others it approached within twenty-five.

He was directed to make two detachments that evening, and to send out three or four active, enter- prising officers, with twenty men each, by daylight the next morning, to explore the country and ac- quire information of the enemy. Although the Colonel seemed fully impressed with the necessity of these measures and was also soldier enough to pay implicit obedience to orders, yet his command was of a very different complexion, and there is no manner of doubt that upon any order disagreeable and repugnant to their caprice, they would have faced to the right about; and of this disposition we had the fullest testimony from Colonel Old- ham's evidence and the conduct of the men. Those detachments were never made, and the militia complaining of being too much fatigued for the purpose in the evening and the attack commenc- ing at an early hour in the morning-though not so soon but that they might have gone out and done us most essential service by discovering the movements of the enemy. For I was in their camp after the troops had been under arms and dismissed, and long enough to express my surprise to Colonel Oldham that these parties had not been sent out, and to receive assurance that they should instantly be attended to.

The militia were not enrolled for any of the common duties of camp, and the only services the usual purpose of reconnoitering, for which,

this time, and which is supposed to empty itself . demanded of them has been for small escortes and into the Miami of Lake Erie.

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being woodsmen, they seem better calculated than any other part of the army. But it was not often that they could be commanded, even in this way, though, except in this present instance, their re- fusal was always signifled and no opportunity given to perform such service by detail from the line.

Captain Stough of the levies, with a detach- ment of upwards of twenty men (volunteers), was ordered in advance during the evening, to come in by a detour upon the Indian path at the distance of a couple of miles, for the purpose of intercept- ing any small parties of Indians that might be returning from stealing our horses. For we were under the necessity of either turning them out to feed or suffering them to starve, and there was no doubt but that some of them must be taken away. This detachment soon found itself surrounded by the enemy, and, after exchanging a few shot, es- caped under cover of the night and returned to camp about twelve o'clock. But no report was made to headquarters, though the commanding officer assures me he waited on General Butler and Lieutenant-Colonel Gibson, and requested them to communicate that he had fallen in with very great number of Indians.

In the course of the night, about fifty shot were fired, principally by our own sentinels, some- times, no doubt, at the enemy, but oftener, prob- ably, without any object whatever. This, however. as it exceeded much our usual practice, induced the General, in addition to his orders for the men to be prepared at all times for immediate service, to direct that the troops should lay upon their arms with all their accoutrements on. And upon the morning of the 4th they were turned out some- what earlier than common, and continued upon the parade until objects could be distinctly seen at the distance of at least three hundred yards.

In the common order of duty the troops had been paraded every morning ten minutes before daylight, and continued under arms till near sun- rise, but for the purpose of collecting the horses which were to be sent back to Fort Jefferson for ammunition and stores, and to refresh the men who were to be put generally on duty in erecting some works of deposit at this place, they were dismissed at an earlier hour than usual. It was in this opportunity that I visited the militia camp and was informed that the parties to have been ordered out had been altogether neglected. Colonel Oldham mentioned to me the loss of all his own horses, and the apprehension that we must have suffered much in this way, but gave me no reason

to suppose that he had made any discoveries which might lead him to suppose the enemy were in force to fight us.

Immediately upon my return to headquarters, and about half an hour before sun-rising, the at- tack commenced upon the militia. Their position appeared to me (and I had reconnoitered it well) to have been a very defensible one. For four hun- dred yards in front the wood was open and af- forded no cover to the enemy; it could hardly be supposed an attempt would be made upon their rear, for in that case the Indians must have been exposed to two fires-a situation they extremely dread-and besides, the bottom land in that direc- tion, and which was just at the back of their tents, fell suddenly to near thirty feet, and men stepping off only a little distance from it must have put themselves under good cover. I regretted to the General upon the preceding evening that we could not occupy this ground, but the troops, much fa- tigued, had at that time got their camp, and it was too late to alter their disposition.

The firing of the enemy was preceded for about five minutes by the Indian yell, the first I ever heard; not terrible, as has been represented, but more resembling an infinitude of horse-bells suddenly opening to you than any other sound I could compare it to. The resistance of the militia deserves not the name of defence, but should be branded as the most ignominious flight. Except a very faint and feeble fire from their small guards, I can not learn that there was any opposition, or even the show of it. But dashing "helter skelter" into our camp, they threw the battalions, not then quite formed, into some confusion. And not con- ceiving even this a place of sufficient security, they broke through the second line, carrying with them a few men of Gaither's, and but for a fire they received from the enemy and which drove them back, there is no doubt but they would have been off. During the whole action their conduct was cowardly in the most shameful degree, a few instances to the contrary excepted.

Close upon the heels of the flying militia fol- lowed the Indians, who for a moment seemed as if determined to enter our camp with them; but the complexion of the troops, drawn up in tolerable order and with fixed bayonets, cooled their ardour a little, and they were fain to cover themselves behind logs and bushes at the distance of about seventy yards. From the very early attack upon the left of the front, and through the whole of the second line, there can be little doubt but that we were completely surrounded at the time of the

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Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 11

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