Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 9

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

USA > Ohio > Butler County > Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio > Part 9

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On the morning of October 4. 1791, the army was put in motion, and marched at eight o'clock, led by General Butler. They crossed the river at the ford opposite the lower part of Hamilton, and marched a mile and a half to Two Mile creek, and en- camped on the land since owned by William McClelland. General Butler thought fit to

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change the order of march laid down by General St. Clair so as to march the troops in one line, which required the opening of a road forty feet wide.

The next day, October 5th. they marched over the hill to Four Mile creek, and encamped in the bottom, where the Fearnot mill has since been built. October 6th the army marched to Seven Mile creek. and encamped on the east side of the creek, on lands since belonging to Robert Lytle, in the southeast corner of section 24, Mil- ford township. They gave those streams which they crossed names corresponding with the distance measured from Fort Ham- ilton to the place where they crossed them.

The army continued their march north, near the eastern line of what is now Mil- ford township. On the 8th General St. Clair came up with them. General Butler, the next morning. made an apology to General St. Clair for having changed the order of march and substituting another, giving his reasons for doing so. The reasons assigned did not appear satisfactory to General St. Clair.

But as it had been done, the army might continue to march in the same order for some days, but that as they advanced into the country, where the enemy was likely to be met with, the original order of march should be resumed.

On Friday, October 14th, having ad- vanced forty-four miles from Fort Hamil- ton and a proper place presented itself for another post, the army halted, and encamped in two lines, the artillery and cavalry being divided upon the flanks, and the riflemen without them at right angles.

They then began the creation of a new post, which was called Fort Jefferson. This

was in the present county of Darke, six miles south of Greenville.

The little army, on the 24th of October, according to the diary of an officer, was respectable in numbers-"upon paper"- but, adds he. "the absence of the First Regi- ment. and desertions from the militia, had very much reduced us."

.After placing garrisons in the fort the General continued his march. It was a forced one with him, for he was so afflicted with the gout that he could not walk, and had to be helped on and off his horse; but his only chance to keep his little army to- gether was to move on. The army had pro- ceeded six days after leaving Fort Jeffer- son, and were drawing near a part of the country where they were likely to meet with Indians, when. on the 30th of October, sixty of the militia deserted in a body, intending to supply themselves by plundering the con- voys of provisions which were coming for- ward in the rear. The First United States Regiment, under Major Hamtranck, was detached to march back beyond Fort Jeffer- son, apprehend these deserters, if possible, and at all events prevent the provisions that might be on the way from being rifled. The force thus detached consisted of three hun- dred of the best disciplined men in the service, with experienced officers. Thus re- duced to one thousand four hundred effect- ive rank and file. the army continued its march to a point about twenty-nine miles from Fort Jefferson, ninety-seven miles from Fort Washington, and fifteen miles south of the Miami villages, where it encamped ( No- vember 3d) on the rising ground with a stream forty feet wide in front, running westerly. This stream was mistaken by General St. Clair for the St. Mary, which

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empties itself into the Miami of the lakes; but it was, in fact, a tributary of the Wa- bash. The troops were encamped in two lines, the right wing composed of Butler, Clarke and Patterson battalions; com- manded by Major-General Butler (after whom Butler county was named), forming the first line; Patterson on the right, and four pieces of artillery on the right of But- ler. The left wing consisted of Gaither's and Beddinger's battalions; and the Second United States Regiment. commanded by Colonel Darke, formed the second line, with an interval of about seventy yards, which was all that the ground allowed. The length of the line was nearly four hundred yards; the rear somewhat more, and the front somewhat less. A' troop of horse, commanded by Captain Truman, and a company of riflemen under Captain Faulk- ner, were upon the right flank, and Snow- den's troop of horse upon the left. The militia were encamped beyond the stream about a quarter of a mile in the advance, on a high flat ; sentinels posted around the camp, about fifty paces distant from each other, formed the principal security. About half an hour before sunrise on the next morn- ing (November 4th), and just after the troops had been dismissed on parade, a hor- rible sound burst forth from the woods around the militia camp, resembling, says an officer, the jingling of an infinitude of horse-bells. It was the direful Indian yell, followed by the sharp report of the deadly rifles. The militia returned a feeble fire and then took flight, dashing helter-skelter into the other camp. The first line of Con- tinental troops, which was hastily forming, was thrown into disorder. The Indians were close upon the heels of the flying

militia, and would have entered the camp with them, but the sight of troops drawn up with fixed bayonets to receive them checked their ardor, and they threw them- selves behind logs and bushes at the distance of seventy yards, and immediately com- menced an attack upon the first line, which soon was extended to the second. The great weight of the attack was upon the center of each line, where the artillery was placed. The artillery, if not well served, was bravely fought; a quantity of canister and some rounds of shot were thrown in the direction whence the Indians fired. The artillerists themselves were exposed to a murderous fire, and every officer and more than two-thirds of the men were killed or wounded. Twice the Indians pushed into the camp, deliver- ing their fire and then rushing on with the tomahawk, but each time they were driven back. General Butler had been shot from his horse, and was sitting down to have his wound dressed, when a daring savage, dart- ing into the camp, tomahawked and scalped him. General St. Clair, unable to mount his horse, was borne about on a litter, and preserved his coolness in the midst of the peril and disaster. Great carnage was suf- fered from the enemy concealed in the woods; every shot seemed to take effect; all the officers of the Second Regiment were picked off excepting three. The contest had now endured for more than two hours and a half; half the army was killed, and the situation of the remainder was desperate. . There appeared to be no alternative but a retreat. "Having collected in one body the greatest part of the troops," writes one of the officers, "and such of the wounded as could possibly hobble along with us, we pushed out from the left of the rear line, sacrificing

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our artillery and baggage." Some of the of over one hundred and thirteen years ago. wounded officers were brought off on horses, It is as follows : but several of the disabled men had to be "On the 4th of November, at daybreak, I began preparing to return from the army to Fort Washington, and had got about half my luggage on my horse, when the firing commenced. The attack was made on the Kentucky militia. Almost instantaneously the small remnant of them that escaped broke through the line near us, and this line gave way. Followed by a tremendous fire from the savages, they passed me. I threw my horse's bridle over a stump and followed a short distance. when, finding that the troops had halted. I returned and brought my horse a little further. I was now between two fires and was compelled to leave my horse a second time, as the troops were giving away again. As I quitted the horse he was shot down. Not more than five minutes had elapsed when a soldier near me had his arm swinging with a wound. I asked him for his gun and ammunition, and I began firing. The fighting became more brisk near the rear of the west wing, and I hurried over there. Two officers were just ordering a charge. By this time I had fired away my ammunition and some of the bands of my musket had blown off. I picked up another. and a cartridge-box almost filled and pushed forward with about thirty others. The Indians ran to the right. where there was a small ravine filled with logs. By this time our artillery had been taken. left on the ground. The poor fellows charged their pieces before they were left; and the firing of musketry heard by the troops after they quitted the camp told that their unfortunate comrades were selling their lives dearly. It was a disorderly flight. The troops threw away arms, ammunition and accoutrements. The general was mounted on a pack-horse which could not be pricked out of a walk. By seven in the evening the fugitives reached Fort Jefferson, a distance of twenty-nine miles. The retreat was continued to Fort Washington, where the army arrived on the 8th at noon. In this disastrous battle the whole loss of regu- lar troops and levies amounted to five hun- dred and fifty killed, and two hundred wounded. Out of ninety-five commissioned officers who were on the field, thirty-one were slain, and twenty-four wounded. Of the three hundred and nineteen militia, Col- onel Oldham and three other officers were killed and five wounded: and of non-com- missioned officers and privates, thirty-eight were killed. and twenty-nine wounded. Fourteen artificers and ten pack-horsemen were also killed, and thirteen wounded. So that, according to Colonel Sargent's esti- mate, the whole loss amounted to six hun- dred and seventy-seven killed. including thirty women, and two hundred and seventy- one wounded.

VAN CLEVE'S ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE.

Benjamin Van Cleve. the eighteen-year- old soldier, who fled in bare feet through the snow and ice to Fort Hamilton, gives a thrilling account of this momentous battle

"Thirty or forty of our men were ly- ing around us with their scalps taken. Many of them were officers. It appeared that the Indians had not been in a hurry, for their hair was all skinned off.

"Daniel Bonham, a young man reared

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by my uncle and brought up. with me, re- ceived a shot through the hips and was un- able to walk. I procured a horse and got him on. My uncle, Captain Robert Bon- ham, had received a ball near his wrist that lodged near his elbow. The ground about us was literally covered with dead and dy- ing men. My uncle told me a retreat was ordered, and that I must take care of myself. Bonham insisted that he had a better chance of escaping than. I had and urged me to look to my own safety. I found the troops pressing to the right. I saw an officer whom I took to be Lieutenant Morgan, an aid to General Butler, with six or eight men, start on a run a little to the left of where I was. I immediately ran and fell in with him. In a short distance we were so sud- denly among the Indians, who were not ap- prised of our object, that they opened to us and ran to the right and left without firing. I think about two hundred of our men passed through them before they fired, ex- cept a chance shot.

"When we had proceeded about two miles most of those mounted had passed me. A boy had been thrown or fell off a horse and begged my assistance. I ran, pulling him along about two miles further, until I had become nearly exhausted. I made an ex- ertion and threw him on behind the two men. The Indians followed but about a half mile further. The boy was got in safely. My friend Bonham I did not see on the retreat, but understood he was thrown off about this place and lay on the left of the trail, where he was later found and buried.

the Indians were tomahawking the old and wounded men, and I stopped there to tie my pocket handkerchief around a man's wounded knee. I saw the Indians close in pursuit and I felt in despair. I threw the shoes off my feet and the coolness of the ground seemed to revive me. I thereupon made a dash and succeeded in getting away. By the time I had got to Stillwater, about eleven miles, I had gained the center of the flying troops.

"I fell in with Lieutenant Shaumburg. the only officer of artillery that got away unhurt, with Corporal Mott and a woman who was called 'Red-headed Nance.' The latter two were both crying, Mott was la- menting the loss of his wife and Nance that of an infant child. Shaumburg was nearly exhausted and hung on Mott's arm. I car- ried his fusee and accoutrements and led Nance, and in this way we arrived at Fort Jefferson a little after sunset.

"On the day before the defeat the ground was covered with snow. The flats were now filled with water, frozen over. I was worn out with fatigue, with my feet knocked to pieces. and splashing through the ice without shoes. In the morning we got to a camp of pack horsemen and among them I got a dough-boy or water dumpling and proceeded. We got within several miles of Fort Hamilton on this day, and arrived there soon on the morning of November 5th."

General St. Clair dispatched the news to President Washington, and the scene that followed its reception is thus described by Mr. Lear, the President's private secretary :

"When the remnant of the defeated army reached the banks of the Ohio St. Clair sent

"I took the cramp, violently, in my thighs and could scarcely walk until I got within one hundred yards of the rear, where his aid, Denny, to carry the news to Phila-

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delphia, at that time the national capital. The river was swollen, there were incessant snowstorms and ice formed heavily so that it took twenty days of toil and cold before Denny reached Wheeling and got horses. For ten days more he rode over the bad winter roads, reaching Philadelphia with the evil tidings on the evening of December 19th. It was thus six weeks after the de- feat of the army before the news was brought to the anxious Federal authorities.

"The young officer called first on the sec- retary of war, but as soon as the secretary realized the importance of the information he had it conveyed to the President. Wash- ington was at dinner with some guests, and was called from the table to listen to the tidings of ill fortune. He returned with unmoved face, and at the dinner and re- ception which followed he behaved with his usual stately courtesy to those whom he was entertaining, not so much as hinting at what he had heard. But when the last guest had gone his pent-up wrath broke forth in one of those fits of volcanic fury which some- times shattered his iron outward calm.

"Walking up and down the room, he burst out in wild regret for the rout and disaster, and bitter invective against St. Clair, reciting how in that very room he had wished the unfortunate commander suc- cess and honor, and had bidden him, above all things, beware of a surprise. 'He went off with that last solemn warning thrown into his ears,' spoke Washington, as he strode to and fro, 'and yet, to suffer that army to be cut to pieces, hacked. butchered, tomahawked by a surprise, the very thing I guarded him against! Oh, God! Oh, God! he's worse than a murderer! How can he answer for it to his country?' Then

calming himself by a mighty effort, 'General St. Clair shall have justice, he shall have full justice.' And St. Clair did receive full justice and mercy, too, from both Washing- ton and congress. For the sake of his cour- age and honorable character they held him guiltless of the disaster. for which his lack of capacity as a general was so largely ac- countable."

DIARY OF COLONEL WINTHROP SARGENT. ADJUTANT GENERAL OF ST. CLAIR'S

ARMY, 1791.

Many localities in. Butler county are in- delibly associated with the military move- ments of General Arthur St. Clair, and after him of General Anthony Wayne, in their warfare with the Indians who once roamed the valley of the Miamis in their native free- dom and resisted conquest and encroach- ment by the whites at every step. They fought for their firesides and their hunting grounds and their final subjection was marked by deeds of daring, heroism, peril and suffering to friend and foe alike. The Miami country was then a primitive wilder- ness and its submission to the domination of the whites involved the exercise of cunning against cunning, artifice against artifice, un- til the weaker yielded to the strong and the reign of the red man in the Miami valley was forever ended. When it is remembered that this great struggle began one hundred and thirteen years ago, when this country was comparatively in its infancy, when the great Northwest territory, of which the state of Ohio and afterward Butler county were made component parts, was undefined, un- bounded and practically ungoverned, the magnitude, the hazards and hardships under- gone and endured by the pioneers who, as

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advanced guards of civilization, settled the country, may in a manner be imagined.

But, however fancy may picture the times and characters who were then on the stage of action, the living testimony of one who was there, who took part in all of those history-making events and who preserved the chronicle of his experiences and handed the history down to his descendants of a later day, far outweighs and outmeasures the fancies of fiction with the outspoken facts.

One of the bravest soldiers in the army of General St. Clair was Colonel Winthrop Sargent, whose honor and courage was never questioned. He was an adjutant-gen- eral on the staff of General St. Clair, was St. Clair's confidante and had full access to all records relating to the line of march from time to time and the general movements of the army. He was with St. Clair from the time he left Ludlow Station on September 6, 1791. until his disastrous defeat on No- vember 4th, on the site of the old Fort Re- covery. He was with the army in its retreat. and through all the movements forward and to the repulse he kept a diary in which he recounted each day's events and the results attending. He noted down the condition of the weather from day to day. the character of the roads hewn out. the character and to- pography of the country. the location of the various encampments and the distances be- tween them, and he accurately fixed dates of events and occurrences which must be ac- cepted as absolutely true but which conflict, to some extent, with dates held to be true heretofore. The journal is of intense in- terest throughout and it is now published in this history for the first time. The original manuscript is in possession of Winthrop Sargent. of Philadelphia. a grandson of Col-

onel Winthrop Sargent, its author. Through the courtesy of Mr. Sargent. C. B. Gal- breath, state librarian of Ohio, has been given access to it and expects to issue it in full in booklet form in the near future. Through permission of Mr. Galbreath and his courtesy extended to Stephen D. Cone, of the editorial staff of the Centennial His- tory of Butler County, Ohio, it is embodied in the history and is as follows :

DIARY.

In this diary (principally intended as a record of meteorological observations) brief memoran; dums of public transactions in which the author has borne a part or been officially interested are frequently made, and on the 16th of June, being appointed adjutant general of the army operating against the Western Indians, the movements and casualties of the troops, with all immediately con- nected circumstances, were minutely detailed in their order to the close of the campaign, and af- forded proper documents for a narrative thereof. The unfortunate defeat upon the 4th of November, by involving the loss of all his papers, excepting some loose notes, has put it out of his power to take up even the march of the army with any degree of regularity at an earlier period than the 7th of October.

From memorandums of some of the officers, and a reference to the Acts of Congress, the fol- lowing succinct prefatory statement is made, to perpetuate a right understanding of. the com- mencement, progress and failure of the expedition under Major-General St. Clair, and as a necessary introduction to the writer's minute account of the action upon the 4th of November, 1791.

In addition to the First United States Regi- ment, which, by an act of congress of April 30, 1790, it was provided should consist of twelve hun- dred and sixteen non-commissioned officers and privates, a second, to consist of nine hundred and twelve, was granted by a law passed the 3d of March, 1791; authorizing at the same time the President to cause to be enlisted at his discretion any number of men not exceeding two thousand, under the denomination of levies, for the term of six months; and in case there should be a failure in obtaining the due complement for the First or

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Second Regiment, to make up the same either of levies or militia,-thus providing for an army of four thousand one hundred and twenty-eight non- commissioned officers, privates and musicians.

That a part of this force was destined for the Southern States there can be no doubt. Small garrisons were necessary for Venango, Fort Har- mar, Forts Washington, Knox and Steuben; and the posts necessary to preserve a communication upon our march from Fort Washington, it must have been intended should have been garrisoned from this army also. With the residue the General was to have marched to the site of the Miami towns and there established himself. There was no alternative his orders were positive.

It was not until the 3d of March, as has been observed, that the bill authorizing the raising a second regiment, levies, etc., passed into a law, and so unsuccessful was the recruiting service, and so many obstacles in the way of marching the men to the frontier, that upon the last of May (the time of my arrival at headquarters, Fort Washington) the whole effective strength was lit- tle more than one company and the garrisons at the posts before mentioned were small indeed.

By memorandums of Mr. Inspector Mentzees, it appears that upon June 13th, Captain Arm- strong's company of the First Regiment, and Cap- tain Kirkwood's of the Second, arrived at head- quarters.

Upon the 14th, Captain M-'s company, of the First Regiment.

Upon the 22d, Major Fike's battalion of levies from the territory southeast of the Ohio, not ex- ceeding two companies.

Upon the 27th, Major Gaither, with parts of his own Maryland battalion and Patterson's, of Jersey.

Upon the 1st of August, General Wilkinson marched from headquarters to the Indian towns with some Kentucky mounted volunteers. General Scott did the same thing before him, and the principal effects of both these expeditions were an enormous public expense.

August the 14th, such of the First and Second United States Regiments as had arrived, with Rhea's, Gaither's and Patterson's levies, encamped at Ludlow's Station, upon Mill creek, five miles advance of Cincinnati. This movement, it was ex- pected, by abstracting the men from the debauch- eries of the town, would preserve them in better health and condition for service and acquaint them in some degree with camp duties, of which officers

as well as men were generally very ignorant. Another advantage in advancing this little army was the opening a road towards the Miami and reconnoitering the proper position whereon to erect a fort of deposit.

Upon the 29th, Lieutenant-Colonel Darke ar- rived with Beddinger's battalion of Virginia levies, some detachments for the Maryland and Jersey levies, together with Beattie's and Doyle's com- panies of the First United States Regiment.

September 5th, Beddinger's battalion marched for Ludlow's Station. Up to this time, the imme- diate command in camp was with Major Ham- tranck, General St. Clair being either stationary at Fort Washington, or in Kentucky, upon the neces- sary arrangements for the campaign and to make up, if possible, the very great deficiencies of the regular and levy corps by volunteers or draughts from the militia. At this period, or on the 4th, Lieutenant-Colonel Darke assumed the command in camp.

Upon the 6th, Captain Bradford moved from Fort Washington with two pieces of field artillery. etc., and upon the same day the troops marched from Ludlow's Station for the Miami; the dis- tance, about eighteen miles; a road to be cut the whole way through considerable woods, and three days elapsed before their arrival. About the 10th the work, now called Fort Hamilton, was com- menced; but the troops were very indifferently supplied with tools.

Upon the 8th, Lieutenant-Colonel Gibson ar- rived with Butler's and Clark's battalions of Penn- sylvania levies. With these troops, as well as with Major Gaither, came a considerable number of pack horses and some intended for the dragoons. Hardships and inattention, during a long and ted- ious water-passage, had unfitted them for the ar- duous service to which they were devoted.

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Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 9

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