USA > Ohio > Historical collections of Ohio, containing a collection of the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, etc., relating to its general and local history : with descriptions of its counties, principal towns, and villages > Part 77
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In the course of the afternoon, sled tracks were discovered on the ice, going in the direc- tion of Malden. These were presumed to have been made by two Frenchmen, who left Sandusky the day before the corps of Langham. They had then stated they were going to the river Huron, which was in an opposite direction : the officers now felt assured they were inimical to their designs, and were on their way to give the British notice of their intentions. Moreover, to the north of the island on which they were, the ice was weak, and the lake appeared to be broken up to the north.
* MSS. journal of Joseph H. Larwill.
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It being the intended route to go by the western Sister island, to elude the spies of the enemy, the guides gave it as their opinion that it was totally impossible to go to Malden ; that the river Detroit and the lake from the middle Sister were doubtless broken up, and that there was a possibility of getting as far north as the middle Sister ; but as the distance from that to Detroit river, 18 miles, had to be performed after night, they could not attempt going, being fully satisfied that they could not arrive at the point of destination, and as the weather was and had been soft, that, should a southerly wind blow up, the lake would in- evitably break up, and they might be caught on it or one of the islands. They then affirmed they had gone as far as they thought it either safe or prudent, and would not take the re- sponsibility on them any farther. Capt. Langham called the guides and officers together. He stated that he had been instructed to go no farther than the guides thought safe, asked the opinion of the officers, who unanimously decided that it was improper to proceed, and that they should return.
The weather having slighly improved, although still unfavorable, a second council was called of the officers and guides, but with the same result. The captain then called the men and gave the opinion of their superiors, and presented the importance of the expedi- tion to the government should they succeed ; on the other hand, he represented that they might be lost on the lake by the breaking up of the ice, without rendering any service to their country, who would thus be deprived of the choice troops of the army. The soldiers, on thus being called for their opinion, expressed themselves as ready to go wherever their officers would lead ; at the same time, said they should abide by the decision of their superiors, whose judgment was better than their own.
The party returned by the way of Presque Isle, at which point they met Gen. Harrison with a body of troops. From thence they proceeded to Fort Meigs in safety. In the course of their journey back, they found the lake open near the western Sister island .*
On the 9th of March, the day being very fine, several of the men went down as far as the old British fort. Some of them discovered a party of Indians, and gave the alarm. The latter fired at them, and one man, while running, was shot through the left skirt of his coat. Luckily a hymn-book which he carried there received the ball, which was buried in its leaves. The men escaped safely into the fort ; but Lieut. Walker, who was out hunting wild fowl, was killed. His body was found the next day and brought into the fort, where his grave is to be seen at the present day.
Harrison had determined, if possible, to regain Detroit, and in a measure atone for the disasters of the war in this quarter ; but the weather had proved unfavorable for the trans- portation to Fort Meigs of a sufficient body of troops for such an object. His force there was diminished, soon after his arrival, by the expiration of the term of service of a part of those at the rapids, and nothing more was left for him but to remain on the defensive. Satisfied that, in his weakened condition, the enemy would make a descent from Malden upon the fort as soon as the ice broke up in the lake, he left in March for the interior, to hasten on all the troops he could raise to its defence. On the 12th of April he returned at the head of a detachment of troops, and applied himself with great assiduity to com- pleting the defences.
About this time a Canadian Frenchman, with about a dozen of his own countrymen, all volunteers, had a desperate boat fight with an equal number of Indians in the river, near the north side of the large island below the fort, and defeated them. The whites were all either killed or wounded, except the captain and two of his men. As they were returning to the fort, they saw a solitary Indian, the sole survivor of his party, rise up in one of their two canoes and paddle to the shore.
[Explanations .- a, grand battery, commanded by Capt. Daniel Cushing ; b, mortar battery ; e, i, o, minor batteries ; g, battery com- manded at the 2d siege by Col. (now Gen.) Gaines ; c, magazines. The black squares on the lines of the fort represent the position of the block-houses. The dotted lines show the traverses, or walls of earth, thrown up. The longest, the grand traverse, had a base of 20 feet, was 12 in height, and about 900 in length. The traverses running lengthwise of the fort, were raised as a protection against the batteries on the opposite side of the river, and those running
* The foregoing narrative of this enterprize is from the Mss. journal of Joseph H. Larwill, who was a lieutenant in the party.
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crosswise, were to defend them from the British batteries on this side. The British batteries on the north side of the river, were named as follows : a, queen's ; b, sailors ; d, king's, and c, mortar. The fort
Col. Dudley's,
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Ground
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British Batteries
P
RIVER
MAUMEE
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MP
MEIGS
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India
Upper Sandusky Road.
Lower Sandusky Ro
Hill
British Batteries
Fort Meigs and its Environs .*
stood upon high ground, on the margin of a bank, elevated about 60 feet above the Maumee. The surface is nearly level, and is covered by a green sward. The outline of the fort is now well defined, and the grand traverse yet rises six or eight feet from the surrounding ground. The work originally covered about 10 acres, but was re- duced in area between the two sieges, to accommodate a smaller number of troops. Just above, a large number of sunken graves in dicate the locality of the soldiers' burying-ground. The graves of Lieut. Walker and Lieut. M'Cullough-the last of whom was shot while conversing with General Harrison-are within the fort. The first is surmounted by a small stone, with an inscription-the last is enclosed by a fence. (See page 328.) To understand the position of Fort Meigs, with reference to the British fort and surrounding country, see map on page 319.]
* From the survey of Lieut. Joseph H. Larwill, made between the two sieges, July 19th, 1813.
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" On the breaking up of the ice in Lake Erie, General Proctor, with all his disposable force, consisting of regulars and Canadian militia from Malden, and a large body of Indians under their celebrated chief, Tecumseh, amounting in the whole to two thousand men, laid siege to Fort Meigs. To encourage the Indians, he had promised them an easy conquest, and assured them that General Harrison should be delivered up to Tecumseh. On the 26th of April, the British columns appeared on the opposite bank of the river, and established their principal batteries on a commanding eminence opposite the fort. On the 27th, the Indians crossed the river, and established themselves in the rear of the American lines. The garrison, not having completed their wells, had no water except what they obtained from the river, under a constant firing of the enemy. On the first, second, and third of May, their batteries kept up an incessant shower of balls and shells upon the fort. On the night of the third, the British erected a gun and mortar battery on the left bank of the river, within two hundred and fifty yards of the American lines. The Indians climbed the trees in the neighborhood of the fort, and poured in a galling fire upon the garrison. In this situation General Harrison received a summons from Proctor for a surrender of the garri- son, greatly magnifying his means of annoyance ; this was answered by a prompt refusal, assuring the British general that if he obtained possession of the fort, it would not be by capitulation .* Apprehensive of such an attack, General Harrison had made the governors of Kentucky and Ohio minutely acquainted with his situation, and stated to them the ne- cessity of reinforcements for the relief of Fort Meigs. His requisitions had been zealously anticipated, and General Clay was at this moment descending the Miami with twelve hun- dred Kentuckians for his relief.
" At twelve o'clock in the night of the fourth, an officert arrived from General Clay, with the welcome intelligence of his approach, stating that he was just above the rapids, and could reach him in two hours, and requesting his orders. Harrison determined on a general sally, and directed Clay to land eight hundred men on the right bank, take possession of the British batteries, spike their cannon, immediately return to their boats, and cross over to the American fort. The remainder of Clay's force were ordered to land on the left bank, and fight their way to the fort, while sorties were to be made from the garrison in aid of these operations Captain Hamilton was directed to proceed up the river in a periauger, land a subaltern on the left bank, who should be a pilot to conduct Gen. Clay to the fort ; and then cross over and station his periauger at the place designated for the other division to land. General Clay, having received these orders, descended the river in order of battle in solid columns, each officer taking position according to his rank. Col. Dudley, being
*" The conversation which took place between General Harrison and Major Chambers, of the British army, was, as nearly as can be recollected, as follows :-
" Major Chambers .- General Proctor has directed me to demand the surrender of this post. He wishes to spare the effusion of blood.
" General Harrison .- The demand under present circumstances, is a most extraordinary one. As General Proctor did not send me a summons to surrender on his first arrival, I had supposed that he believed me determined to do my duty. His present message indi- cates an opinion of me that I am at a loss to account for.
" Major Chambers .- General Proctor could never think of saying anything to wound your feelings, sir. The character of General Harrison, as an officer, is well known. Gen. Proctor's force is very respectable, and there is with him a larger body of Indians than has ever before been embodied.
" General Harrison .- I believe I have a very correct idea of General Proctor's force ; it is not such as to create the least apprehension for the result of the contest, whatever shape he may be pleased hereafter to give to it. Assure the general, however, that he will never have this post surrendered to him upon any terms. Should it fall into his hands, it will be in a manner calculated to do him more honor, and to give him larger claims upon the gratitude of his government, than any capitulation could possibly do."
t This messenger was Capt. William Oliver, now of Cincinnati, then a young man, noted for his heroic bravery, He had previously been sent from the fort at a time when it was surrounded by Indians, through the wilderness, with instructions to General Clay. His return to the fort was extremely dangerous. Capt. Leslie Coombs, now of Lexington, Ky., had been sent by Col. Dudley to communicate with Harrison. He approached the fort, and when within about a mile, was attacked by the Indians, and after a gallant resistance was foiled in his object and obliged to retreat with the loss of nearly all of his companions. Oliver managed to get into the fort through the cover of the darkness of the night, by which he eluded the vigilance of Tecumseh and his Indians, who were very watchful and had closely invested it .- H. H.
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the eldest in command, lcd the van, and was ordered to take the men in the twelve front boats, and execute General Harrison's orders on the right bank. He effected his landing at the place designated, without difficulty. General Clay kept close along the left bank until he came opposite the place of Col. Dudley's landing, but not finding the subaltern there, he attempted to cross over and join Col. Dudley ; this was prevented by the violence of the current on the rapids, and he again attempted to land on the left bank, and effected it with only fifty men amid a brisk fire from the enemy on shore, and made his way to the fort, receiving their fire until within the protection of its guns. The other boats under the command of Col. Boswell, were driven further down the current, and landed on the right to join Col. Dudley. Here they were ordered to re-embark, land on the left bank, and proceed to the fort. In the mean time two sorties were made from the garrison, one on the left, in aid of Col. Boswell, by which the Canadian militia and Indians were defeated, and he enabled to reach the fort in safety, and one on the right against the British batteries, which was also successful."*
" Col. Dudley, with his detachment of eight hundred Kentucky militia, completely suc- ceeded in driving the British from their batteries, and spiking the cannon. Having accom- plished this object, his orders were peremptory to return immediately to his boats and cross over to the fort ; but the blind confidence which generally attends militia when successful, proved their ruin. Although repeatedly ordered by Col. Dudley, and warned of their dan- ger, and called upon from the fort to leave the ground ; and although there was abundant time for that purpose, before the British reinforcements arrived ; yet they commenced a pursuit of the Indians, and suffered themselves to be drawn into an ambuscade by some feint skirmishing, while the British troops and large bodies of Indians were brought up, and intercepted their return to the river.t Elated with their first success, they considered
.
*" The troops in this attack on the British battery were commanded by Col. John Miller, of the 19th United States regiment, and consisted of about 250 of the 17th and 19th Reg- iments, 100 twelve-month volunteers, and Capt. Seebre's company of Kentucky militia. They were drawn up in a ravine under the east curtain of the fort, out of reach of the enemy's fire ; but to approach the batteries it was necessary, after having ascended from the ravine, to pass a plain of 200 yards in width, in the woods beyond, which were the batteries protected by a company of grenadiers, and another of light infantry, upwards of 200 strong. These troops were flanked on the right by two or three companies of Cana- dian militia, and on the left by a large body of Indians under Tecumseh. After passing along the ranks and encouraging the men to do their duty, the general placed himself upon the battery of the right rear angle, to witness the contest. The troops advanced with loaded, but trailed arms. They had scarcely reached the summit of the hill, when they received the fire of the British infantry. It did them little harm; but the Indians being placed in position, and taking sight or aim, did great execution. They had met advanced more than fifty yards on the plain before it became necessary to halt and close the ranks. This was done with as much order by word of command from the officers as if they had been on parade. The charge was then made, and the enemy fled with so much precipita- tion that although many were killed none were taken. The general, from his position on the battery, seeing the direction that a part of them had taken, dispatched Major Todd with the reserve of about fifty regulars, who quickly returned with two officers and forty- three non-commissioned officers and privates. In this action the volunteers and militia suffered less than the regulars, because from their position the latter were much sooner un- masked by the hill, and received the first fire of all the enemy. It was impossible that troops could have behaved better than they did upon this sortie."
t After Dudley had spiked the batteries which had but few defenders, some of his men loitered about the banks and filled the air with cheers. Harrison, and a group of officers who were anxiously watching them from the grand battery (a,) with a presentiment of the horrible fate that awaited them, earnestly beckoned them to return. Supposing they were returning their cheers, they reiterated their shouts of triumph. Harrison seeing this, ex- claimed in tones of anguish, "they are lost ! they are lost !- can I never get men to obey my orders ?" He then offered a reward of a thousand dollars to any man who would cross the river and apprize Col. Dudley of his danger. This was undertaken by an officer. Upon arriving at the beach he attempted to launch a large perogue which was drawn up there, but before this could be effected, and he with the assistance of some men could reach the middle of the river, the enemy had already arrived in force from below.
This defeat of Dudley was occasioned by the impetuous valor of his men. In one of the general orders after the 5th of May, Harrison takes occasion to warn his men against that rash bravery which he says "is characteristic of the Kentucky troops, and if persisted in is as fatal in its results as cowardice." %
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the victory as already gained, and pursued the enemy nearly two miles into the woods and swamps, where they were suddenly caught in a defile and surrounded by double their num- bers. Finding themselves in this situation, consternation prevailed ; their line became broken and disordered, and huddled together in unresisting crowds, they were obliged to surrender to the mercy of the savages. Fortunately for these unhappy victims of their own rashness, General Tecumseh commanded at this ambuscade and had imbibed since his appointment more humane feelings than his brother Proctor. After the surrender and all resistance had ceased, the Indians, finding five hundred prisoners at their mercy, began the work of massacre with the most savage delight. Tecumseh sternly forbade it, and buried his tomahawk in the head of one of his chiefs who refused obedience. This order accompanied with this decisive manner of enforcing it, put an end to the massacre. Of eight hundred men only one hundred and fifty escaped. The residue were slain or made prisoners. Colonel Dudley was severely wounded in the action, and afterwards toma- hawked and scalped.
" Proctor, seeing no prospect of taking the fort, and finding his Indians fast leaving him, raised the siege on the 9th of May, and returned with precipitation to Malden Tecumseh and a considerable portion of the Indians remained in service ; but large numbers left it in disgust, and were ready to join the Americans. On the left bank, in the several sorties of the 5th of May, and during the siege, the American loss was eighty-one killed and one hundred and eighty-nine wounded."
When the enemy raised the siege, they gave a parting salute, which killed 10 or 12, and wounded double that number. "However," says one who was present, " we were glad enough to see them off on any terms. The next morning found us something more tranquil ; we could leave the ditches, and walk about with something more of an air of freedom than we had done for the last 14 days ; and here I wish I could present to the reader a picture of the condition we found ourselves in, when the withdrawal of the enemy gave us time to look at each other's outward appearance. The scarcity of water had put the washing of our hands and faces, much less our linen, out of the question. Many had scarcely any clothing left, and that which they wore was so begrimmed and torn by our residence in the ditch and other means, that we presented the appearance of so many scarecrows."
The British force under Proctor, during the siege, amounted, as nearly as could be ascertained, to 3200 men, of whom 600 were British regulars, 800 Canadian militia, and 1800 Indians. Those under Harrison, including the troops who arrived on the morning of the 5th, under Gen. Clay, were about 1200. The number of his men fit for duty, was, perhaps, less than 1100.
We give below an extract from an article on the siege of Fort Meigs, by Rev. A. M. Lorraine, originally published in the Ladies' Repository, for March, 1845.
One afternoon, as numbers were gathered together on the "parade," two strangers, finely mounted, appeared on the western bank of the river, and seemed to be taking a very calm and deliberate survey of our works. It was a strange thing to see travellers in that wild country, and we commonly held such to be enemies, until they proved themselves to be friends. So one of our batteries was cleared forthwith, and the gentlemen were saluted with a shot that tore up the earth about them, and put them to a hasty flight. If that ball had struck its mark, much bloodshed might have been prevented ; for we learned subse- quently that our illustrious visitors were Proctor and Tecumseh. The garrison was imme- diately employed in cutting deep traverses through the fort, taking down the tents and preparing for a siege. The work accomplished in a few hours, under the excitement of the occasion, was prodigious. The grand traverse being completed, each mess was ordered to excavate, under the embankment, suitable lodgings, as substitutes for our tents. Those
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rooms were shot proof and bomb proof, except in the event of a shell falling in the traverse and at the mouth of a cave.
The above works were scarcely completed before it was discovered that the enemy, under cover of night, had constructed batteries on a commanding hill north of the river. There their artillery men were posted; but the principal part of their army occupied the old English fort below. Their Indian allies appeared to have a roving commission, for they beset us on every side. The cannonading commenced in good earnest on both sides. It was, however, more constant on the British side, because they had a more extensive mark to batter. We had nothing to fire at but their batteries, but they were coolly and deliberately attended to ; and it was believed that more than one of their guns were dis- mounted during the siege. One of our militia men took his station on the embankment, and gratuitously forewarned us of every shot. In this he became so skillful, that he could, in almost every case, predict the destination of the ball. As soon as the smoke issued from the muzzle of the gun, he would cry out " shot," or " bomb," as the case might be. Some- times he would exclaim, " block-house No. 1," or "look out, main battery ;" " now for the meat-house ;" " good-by, if you will pass." In spite of all the expostulations of his friends, he maintained his post. One day there came a shot that seemed to defy all his calcula- tions. He stood silent-motionless-perplexed. In the same instant he was swept into eternity. Poor man! he should have considered, that when there was no obliquity in the issue of the smoke, either to the right or left, above or below, the fatal messenger would travel in the direct line of his vision. He reminded me of the peasant, in the siege of Jeru- salem, who cried out, " woe to the city ! woe to the temple ! woe to myself!" On the most active day of the investment, there were as many as five hundred cannon balls and bombs* thrown at our fort. Meantime, the Indians, climbing up into the trees, fired incessantly upon us. Such was their distance, that many of their balls barely reached us, and fell harm- less to the ground. Occasionally they inflicted dangerous and even fatal wounds. The number killed in the fort was small, considering the profusion of powder and ball expended on us. About eighty were slain, many wounded, and several had to suffer the amputation of limbs. The most dangerous duty which we performed within the precincts of the fort. was in covering the magazine. Previous to this, the powder had been deposited in wagons, and these stationed in the traverse. Here there was no security against bombs; it was therefore thought to be prudent to remove the powder into a small block-house, and cover it with earth. The enemy, judging our designs from our movements, now directed all their shot to this point. Many of their balls were red-hot. Wherever they struck, they raised a cloud of smoke, and made a frightful hissing. An officer, passing our quarters, said, " boys, who will volunteer to cover the magazine ?" Fool-like, away several of us went. As soon as we reached the spot, there came a ball and took off one man's head. The spades and dirt flew faster than any of us had before witnessed. In the midst of our job, a bomb- shell fell on the roof, and lodging on one of the braces it spun round for a moment. Every soldier fell prostrate on his face, and with breathless horror awaited the vast explosion which
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