USA > Ohio > Auglaize County > Wapakoneta > History of Auglaize County, Ohio : with the Indian history of Wapakoneta, and the first settlement of the county > Part 3
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" Camp sixty-eight miles from Fort Recovery, 7th August, 1794 .- This day passed the upper town on the Auglaize, which the Indians evacuated some time ago. I expect to see one of these new towns where, I am told, there are all sorts of vege- tables, which will be very acceptable to the troops. We have had no appearance of Indians to-day.
" Camp Grand Auglaize, 8 August, 1794 .- Proceeded on our march to this place at 5 o'clock this morning and arrived here at the confluence of the Miami and Auglaize Rivers at half-past 10, being 77 miles from Fort Recovery. This place far excels in beauty any in the western country, and believed equalled by none in the Atlantic States. Here are vegetables of every kind, in abundance, and we have marched four or five miles in cornfields down the Auglaize, and there is not less than one thousand acres of corn round the town. The land in general is of the fair nature. The country appears well adapted to the employment of industrious people, who cannot avoid living in as great luxury as in any other place throughout the States. Nature having lent a most bountiful hand in the arrangement of the position that a man can send the produce to market in his own boat. The land level and river navigable not more than sixty miles from the lake."
This is as much of the journal as it is necessary to cite, to show the route of Wayne marching from Fort Greenville to Fort Defiance. I shall now quote so much of it as shows the route of Wayne after the great battle and after the erection of the fort at Fort Wayne.
" Camp Miami villages (Fort Wayne), 27th October, 1794. -Agreeable to general orders of this day, we will march for Greenville to-morrow morning at 8 o'clock.
La Plaise
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
" Camp nine miles from Fort Wayne, 28th October, 1794 .- The legion took up the line of march at 9 o'clock and arrived here without anything particular occurring.
" Camp 21 miles from Fort Wayne, 29th October, 1794 .- The troops proceeded on their march at sunrise and arrived on this ground at half-past three. Our way was through rich and well-timbered land. Weather cold and much like rain.
"Camp southwest side of St. Marys River, 30th October, 1794 .- The legion proceeded on their march at 7 o'clock and arrived here at sunset. Continual heavy rain all day.
"Camp Girty's Town (St. Marys), 31st October. - The troops took up their line of march at sunrise and arrived there three hours after night, through heavy rain.
" Greenville, 2d November, 1794 .- This evening the legion arrived here, where they marched from on 28th July, 1794. We were saluted with twenty-four rounds from a six-pounder. Our absence from this ground amounted to three months and six days, and so ends the expedition of General Wayne's campaign."
To any one who travelled through and knew this country forty years ago, this journal is so natural, so lifelike, and so true to the real conditions of the route, waters, and soil, that it carries the evidence of truthfulness upon its very face. First, the accuracy of the description of the country from Recovery to Big Beaver, the bridging of Beaver about four miles below Celina. This bridge has been well known to early settlers, and some few of the logs along the north of the creek are still to be seen, where they have been preserved by the water. The description of Shanes' Prairie is perfect. The fort was built in section 24, Dublin township, on the land now owned by Joseph Palmer, about one-half mile up the run from the Mercer and Van Wert road. The site is all overgrown now, but the traces are still to be seen. It was called Fort Adams, in honor of the Vice-President, and is a locality now, and always, known by that name. An axe bearing the stamp "U. S.," almost eaten up with rust, was found by Jared Kelsey while fishing in the river. It had been used evidently in cutting timber for this stockade and dropped there. Precisely where the Legion struck the Auglaize River cannot be ascertained. It appears from the journal that they marched twenty-three miles from Fort Adams through a flat and waterless country, which we suppose to be Van Wert and perhaps the S. E. cor- ner of Paulding. At the end of about twenty-one miles from Fort Adams they were within six miles of one of their towns on the Auglaize, supposed to be the upper Delaware Town, but the country was "exceedingly fine." This was probably
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the lands near the Auglaize, commencing abont thirty-three miles this side of Defiance, which must have been near where Fort Jennings stood. It will also be seen that Gen. Wayne marched back over "Harmar's road," the present Fort Wayne road. The camp on the southwest side of the St. Marys River is Shanes' Crossings. The camp at Girty's Town is St. Marys. The march thence to Greenville was rapid, only occupying two days, and by what route is now wholly uncertain. It is proba- ble that he followed up Harmar's road to Loramie, and thence by one of his own roads, which he states he cut toward the foot of the rapids to Greenville.
It has been asked, why are there no traces of Wayne's march through the forests ? We answer, his roads were cut as they marched, and we suppose only so much of the timber taken out as would let his wagons pass. They were not intended as per- manent military roads.
We have spoken of Wayne's march out, and his return to Greenville. It was all in every way characteristic of him. He knew what kind of an enemy he had to encounter, and how to do it. They had shown in the two battles at Fort Recovery, courage, secrecy, and skill. He fought them with their own weapons, hence they called him "the black snake," alluding to slipping through the wilderness without giving any notice or alarm; they called him " Mad Anthony," because, after he com- menced his march, he would listen to no delays, and drove like a madman through everything, straight to their headquarters ; and they called him "the Wind," because he came unseen, and "they heard the sound thereof, but could not tell whence he cometh or whither he goeth." He marched very rapidly back to Greenville, to avoid surprise, and to still keep up in the minds of the Indians their awful impression of his swift and irresistible character.
He waited at Greenville for the Indians to make peace. " Little Turtle" and the warlike Shawnees came in slowly. The Shawnee's had more to lose than any of the tribes. They had occupied all southern Ohio-the Scioto, the Great Miami, and Mad River-beautiful land, and had been driven back, and were likely to lose what remained to them. The treaty was made and the famous " Greenville Treaty line" was established, and in all this was shown Wayne's sagacity. By that treaty he secured by cession of the Indians certain "pieces of land ; among many others, are one six miles square at or near Lora- mie's store, one piece two miles square at the head of the navigable water or landing on the St. Marys River, near Girty's Town (St. Marys), one piece six miles square at the head of the navigable waters of the Auglaize River, one
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
piece at the confluence of the Auglaize and Miami, six miles square (Defiance), one piece where Fort Wayne now stands, six miles square." These were called "posts." IIe had already built a fort at Wayne, one at Defiance, one at the St. Marys, Fort Adams, and one at Recovery. The fort at St. Marys was built afterwards, as was also the one at Lora- mie. Upon these "pieces of land" which he had caused them to cede to the United States, the Indian title to all the lands south of the Greenville Treaty line was thus forever extin- guished. Slowly and unwillingly "Little Turtle" and "Blue Jacket," of the Shawnees, came in, but to his infinite honor, it must be said of Little Turtle, that to the last hour of his life he proved faithful to our cause, and to the treaty stipulations.
It may not be an unpleasant digression to speak of "Little Turtle." He was the master spirit of the allied or confederate Indians. The capital or headquarters was " the Miami Towns," now Fort Wayne. He commanded at that place in 1790, when he defeated Harmar. He commanded at the assault upon Fort Recovery, in 1794. At the negotiations which led to the Treaty at Greenville, he had the double task of controlling the con- federate chiefs and matching Gen. Wayne. He finally sub- mitted to the surrender of the Miami Towns (Fort Wayne) to the United States. This was his home. From that hour, he never lifted the tomahawk against us-was a reliable friend during the war of 1812. The government erected buildings for him on the Miami Lands west of Wayne, and when our cavalry were sent out to destroy the Towns there, they were directed to carefully respect the home of Little Turtle. He died at Fort Wayne after the close of those Indian wars, and was buried with the honors of war on the battle-field where he had met and defeated Gen. Harmar.
Col. John Johnston of Piqua (for so many years Indian Agent) says, that "he was half Mohican and half Miami-that he was the gentleman of his race." "He last appeared in the treaty of Fort Wayne, in 1793. His successor was Richard- ville, who was known to us." He was head chief of the Miamis from the death of Little Turtle until his death in 1841.
Gen. Wayne owed much of his success to the extraordinary courage, skill, and faithfulness of the remarkable force of scouts and spies which he had organized. Among them were famous names. McLean, Capt. Wells, Henry Miller; but chief of these was Capt. Wells, who had been taken prisoner by the Indians when young, had been among them-had married the sister of Little Turtle, and was accounted by them the bravest of them. He was present at the defeat of Harmar, of St. Clair, and afterward, under an impulse to stand with his
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own people, he left the Miamis and joined Gen. Wayne's army. He commanded at Fort Wayne during the war of 1812, and fell in a desperate encounter with 500 Pottawatomies, in that war, in marching with a small force of whites and his favorite Miamis to the relief of Fort Dearborn (Chicago).
In the local history, nothing occurred until the war of 1812. These "Posts," as they were called-Recovery, Loramie, St. Marys and Adams-were kept up until about 1817, when "the Treaty at the Fort of the Rapids" was agreed upon. In the war of 1812, St. Marys had a conspicuous part. Gen. Harri- son, in September, 1812, had his headquarters here for some time. This was one of the points at which he was to collect troops for an advance to Detroit and Malden. The base line of his operations was one drawn from Upper Sandusky along the "southerly side of the swampy district of St. Marys." Gen. Harrison had about 3000 troops collected here, and Col. Richard M. Johnson, of famous memory, joined him here with about 300 mounted men. Col. Jennings, who commanded one of the regiments, had been detached to ereet a fort interme- diate between St. Marys and Defiance. This was built on the Auglaize, and called "Fort Jennings."
Gen. Harrison, 11th February, 1813, speaks of garrisoning the forts upon the waters of the Auglaize and St. Marys. He had his headquarters at St. Marys, and his block-house stood exactly where Chris. Buehler's brick dwelling-house now stands, just back of the banking house. The logs of this house were finally used by Capt. Elliott for fire-wood.
Capt. Collins, who commanded a company of riflemen from Butler County, cut and opened a wagon way along the old army trace from Loramie to St. Marys. This company was stationed here during the winter of 1813. He gives an amus- ing and characteristic account of the election of Richard M. Johnson, as colonel of his regiment. He says: "The troops were drawn up on parade in a solid column. There was a gentleman of good appearance in front, facing the column, engaged in delivering a speech to the soldiers. After Capt. Collins had taken a position where he could see and hear, he recognized in the orator, Richard M. Johnson, a lawyer, whom he had formerly seen in Kentucky, and who he understood was a member of Congress from that State. The regiment was about to elect a colonel, and he was a candidate for that office. In the course of his remarks he observed, if they should elect him as their commander, he would in all times of danger, take a position where he would be most likely to receive the first fire of the enemy. He literally and most gallantly afterwards redeemed this pledge at the battle of the Thames." He was
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elected. It was while at St. Marys that General Harrison re- ceived his commission as a Major General in the regular army of the United States; having before that term been acting under a commission from Gov. Scott, of Kentucky, of all his forces in the field. This company of Capt. Collins did good service in opening roads and making water-craft to transport supplies down the St. Marys River. While here Col. Johnson was ordered to destroy an Indian town on the north side of the wet prairie-now the Reservoir. This was what has since been called "Old Town," which was where Judge Holt's farm is now. This town belonged to the Shawnees, and was totally destroyed by him, and never reoccupied.
From St. Marys, Gen. Harrison, with the main body of his forces, moved over to the Auglaize, down to Fort Jennings, and afterwards to Defiance.
On Sept. 30, 1813, the companies of Captains Roper, Clarke, and Bacon were ordered to elect a major and form a battalion, which should unite and form a regiment with the company of Johnson, and elect a colonel. Roper was elected major, and Johnson colonel, while Captain Arnold succeeded Johnson as major, and Lieutenant Ellison succeeded Arnold as captain. This regiment, now in command of Col. Richard M. Johnson, with the Ohio regiment of Col. Findley, formed a brigade which was placed in command of Brigadier-General Tupper, of Ohio. This brigade was to advance up the St. Josephs, toward Detroit ; but about noon of the day on which the or- ganization was effected, an express from Gen. Winchester brought intelligence of his encounter with Indians, and that near Detroit he found British troops, with artillery, acting in concert with the Indians. A few minutes later an express arrived from Gov. Meigs, with a letter from Gen. Kelso, who was in command of a detachment of Pennsylvania troops on Lake Erie. This letter stated that, on Sept. 16, 2000 Indians, with some regulars and militia, and two pieces of artillery, left Malden, to attack Ft. Wayne. On receipt of these despatches, orders were issued for a forced march, and three days' provi- sions ; large quantities of ammunition and other necessaries were issued, so that, in three hours, the whole force at St. Marys was in motion to join Winchester, who was believed to have met the allied forces of Upper Canada. On October 1 a heavy rain fell, rendering the road heavy, and almost impas- sable. The horsemen held the flanks until the infantry halted for dinner, when the cavalry pushed to the front, and the same evening passed the camp of Col. Jennings. The rain continued all night, the weather was unseasonably cold, and the lack of tents rendered the position of the troops very uncomfortable.
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
The footmen were halted at Ft. Jennings; but Gen. Harrison, on Oct. 2, met another express from General Winchester, with intelligence of the retreat of the enemy. On receipt of this message, the General ordered Col. Barbee to return with his regiment to St. Marys, and Col. Pogue to cut a road from Ft. Jennings to Defiance. This disappointment of the troops to meet the enemy, caused dissatisfaction ; and even the General was displeased to find the first despatches of an exaggerated character. He however pushed on, and reached Winchester's camp the same evening. The troops came up the next morning, and advanced to the mouth of the Auglaize, where they went into camp. At Winchester's camp scarcity of supplies had pro- duced suffering and discontent. To allay this, both Harrison and Hardin addressed the soldiers in very affecting terms. The former assured them that ample supplies lay at St. Marys, that a road was opening to that point, and that in the evening he expected a large quantity of provisions ; and, in conclusion, he said, " If you, fellow-soldiers from Kentucky, so famed for pat- riotism, refuse to bear the hardships incident to war, and to defend the rights of your insulted country, where shall I look for men to go with me ?"
These assurances and appeals restored harmony in the camp. Harrison now selected a site for a new fort on the Auglaize, close by the ruins of the old one. A fatigue party of 250 men was placed in command of Major Joseph Robb, who was de- tailed to cut timber for the new buildings. General Winches- ter now moved from the Miami, and encamped about a mile above the mouth of the Auglaize. General Harrison and Col. Johnson, with his original regiment, returned to St. Marys, when the companies of Johnson, Ward, and Ellison were hon- orably discharged on Oct. 7.
Col. Pogue's regiment had orders, after cutting the way to Defiance, to return to the Ottawa towns on the Auglaize, twelve miles from St. Marys, and there erect a fort. On Oct. 4, General Harrison ordered General Tupper to proceed with his mounted men the next morning down the Miami to the Rapids, or farther, if necessary, to disperse any bands of the enemy who were reported to be rioting on the corn of the set- tlers, who had fled to other settlements for safety. He was then to return by Defiance to St. Marys.
Accordingly, eight days' rations were issued, but Tupper feigned the need of more ammunition than he had received, and this General Winchester could not supply. In the morn- ing the order was unheeded, and at noon a party of Indians appeared on the opposite bank of the river, and fired upon three men, one of whom they killed, and then filed. They were
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
pursued by several different bands of the troops, one of which, with Capt. Young, overtook them, but finding them about fifty strong, fired upon them, and retreated to the camp. In the morning, Logan, with six other Indians, was sent out to recon- noitre, and Col. Simrall organized a strong party to renew the pursuit; but at this time Winchester ordered Tupper to commence his expedition toward the Rapids, by a pursuit of these Indians. Again the General was not ready, as he was awaiting the return of the spies sent out in the morning to ascertain the trail of the enemy. These spies returned in the evening, and reported the Indians fifty in number, ten miles down the river. Again Tupper was urged to move ; but again he was unwilling, and asserted his desire to go by the Ottawa towns instead of by Defiance. The same day the terms of about 300 mounted riflemen expired, and disgusted with the conduct of the General, they refused to remain in the service. Discontent now manifested itself, as the Kentuckians did not wish to move with Tupper, unless accompanied by some of Winchester's field officers.
Col. Allen Trimble then tendered his services, and was ac- cepted; but the General proceeded by way of the Auglaize to the Ottawa towns, as he had desired. Here he professed to expect reinforcements. His troops were now disheartened, and all but 200 refused to move in the direction of the Rapids, and the command therefore retired to Urbana, where those troops who were obedient were honorably discharged. Tupper was ordered arrested by Harrison on charges preferred by Winchester, but when the officer went to make the arrest, he found Tupper had gone on an expedition of his own towards the Rapids; and as there was no officer in his brigade capable of succeeding him in command, it was deemed prudent to stay the proceed- ings for a time. Tupper afterward demanded a court of in- quiry at Ft. Meigs, but as no competent witnesses were present, he had to be acquitted.
As Harrison was returning from Defiance to St. Marys, he was informed by a Ft. Wayne express that Indians were col- lecting at that place. On his arrival at St. Marys, he found a corps of 500 mounted volunteers who had come to join the ex- pedition to Detroit. They were in command of Col. Allen Trimble, and were ordered to Ft. Wayne, with instructions to proceed from that post against the White Pigeon villages about sixty miles distant, on the St. Josephs. On his arrival at the fort, about half his men refused to go further; but with part of his force he proceeded, and destroyed two villages. The Indians who were sent from Ft. Wayne to bring in the 4
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Miami chiefs from the Mississinewa to council, were now at St. Marys, with a number of those chiefs.
They were ready to deny their hostility ; but finding the General too well informed to be deceived, they begged the merey of the government, and left five of their number, selected by General Harrison, to be held as hostages at Piqua, until the action of the President could be learned. The troops of Winchester were now employed several weeks in completing the new fort, which they named for the commander, and in making canoes along the Miami. The regiment of Col. Bar- bee completed the fort at St. Marys, and named it Fort Bar- bee. Col. Pogue, with his regiment, built the fort at the Ottawa towns, on the Auglaize, twelve miles from St. Marys, and named it Ft. Amanda, in honor of his wife. The regiment of Col. Jennings completed the fort, which the troops named for the Colonel. These regiments were at the same time employed in constructing boats and canoes, and in escorting provision trains between the posts. These were some of the exertions and movements made in our territory in preparation for the main expedition contemplated against Malden.
The fort was situated near the west bank of the Auglaize River, with abont an acre of land. The pickets were from ten to twelve feet high, and sunk two or three feet in the ground. There were four block-houses, one at each corner; the second story projected over the pickets three or four feet, and was pierced with port-holes, from which the soldiers conld defend the fort in case of attack. The first story was occupied by soldiers and company officers as sleeping rooms. The block- house in the southeast corner was the largest, and used mainly as officers' quarters.
There was also a large cabin in the centre of the fort, which was used as a storehouse for supplies for the army, as the sol- diers wintered all one winter, if not two, at this point. Again, the old fort was used as one of the first post-offices in Allen County, as well as the first place of preaching.
Fort Amanda served as an intermediate storehouse and point of concentration between St. Marys, Urbana, and Upper San- dusky on the one side, and Fort Wayne and Defiance on the other. Here a cemetery was established for the interment of the Nation's dead during the occupation of the fort. This cemetery was continued in use by the whites after the settle- ment, and is still a monument to that army. As conflicting reports are still current as to the number of soldiers here in- terred, an effort has been made to obtain information through all channels yielding a promise of data.
In this direction an application was made to the War De-
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
partment through Hon. J. A. Garfieldl, with the result por- trayed in the subjoined letter :-
WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, WASHINGTON, April 26, 1880.
Hon. J. A. GARFIELD, M.C.
House of Representatives.
SIR: I have the honor to return herewith the letter of your correspondent, Mr. Sutton, referred to this office by your in- dorsement of the 19th instant, and to inform you that there is no record in this office of " Fort Amanda, Ohio," or its gar- rison.
The records of the "War of 1812" do not show the place of burial in any case, and nothing relating to the subject of Mr. Sutton's inquiry can be found in the records of this office, which for 1813 and 1814 are incomplete, having been partially destroyed by the British forces in 1814.
I have the honor to be, sir, Very respectfully Your obedient servant, E. D. TOWNSEND, Adjutant-General.
St. Marys thus became a source of supplies; but in Nov. the roads became so deep and heavy, that it was impossible to convey provisions. About Dec. 1, Major Bodley, quartermas- ter of the Kentucky troops, made an effort to transport 200 barrels of flour down the St. Marys, to the left wing below De- fiance. Abont twenty perogues and canoes were laden, and placed under command of Capt. Jordou and Lient. Cardwell, with about twenty men. In about a week they reached Shane's Crossing, having moved about 100 miles by water, while the distance by land was scarcely more than 20 miles. Here the freeze of one night left them ice-bound, and Lient. Cardwell returned through ice and swamp to Fort Barbee, to report the situation. Major Bodley returned with him to the provisions and offered extra reward to those who would cut the ice, and push forward. This was tried, but proved impracticable, as two days' labor only advanced the boats abont a mile. The project was now abandoned, and the boats left under guard. About the middle of the month a thaw occurred, which enabled them to reach near Fort Wayne, where they were again frozen in. The voyage was then abandoned, sleds constructed, and the flour transported to the fort by land. In the mean time much suffering had been occasioned to the army of General Winchester, as they were without flour from the " 10thi to the 22(1.77
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