History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley, Part 46

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 728

USA > Ohio > Jefferson County > History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley > Part 46
USA > Ohio > Belmont County > History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley > Part 46

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Immediately on the close of the council the chiefs and war- riors arranged for two armies, one of six hundred to operate against Kentucky, the other of three hundred and fifty men to aet against North Western Virginia. Both were amply sup- plied with the munitions of war.

Towards the last of August the warriors which were to ope- rate against Kentucky, appeared before Bryant's Station, south of Licking river, under command of Simon Girty. The final discomfiture of this foree at Bryant's Station and the subse- quent disaster at Blue Liek, it is not proposed to narrate in de- tail here, but were brave and gallant struggles against largely superior numbers.

The other army, designed to operate against North Western Virginia, for a time delayed their purpose and did not set out on the march until subsequent to the Kentucky expedition. On the march the question arose as to what part of the country they should invade and so serious became their divisions that many warriors had coneluded to abandon the expedition and re- turn home, when messengers arrived with accounts of the suc- eesses of the army in Kentucky, which changed their deter- mination and they proceeded hastily towards Wheeling.

SIEGE OF FORT HENRY, SEPTEMBER 11TH, 1782.

About three o'clock on the afternoon of Wednesday, the 11th day of September, John Lynn, a celebrated spy of the border, who had been engaged in watching the paths northwest of the Ohio leading toward the settlement, discovered a large force of Indians, marching with great expedition for Wheeling. He hastened immediately to warn the inhabitants of the danger impending over them, swimming the river and reaching the village but a little while before the savage army made its ap- pearance. In the absence of a regular garrison the defence of the fort had been entrusted to the militia residing in or near the village and those of the inhabitants who sought security within its walls, under the direction of Col. Ebenezer Zane in command of the post.

Immediately despatching Capt. Boggs as an express mes- senger to warn the neighboring settlements and solieit relief and reinforcements for their slender garrison, Col. Zane directed the settlers to repair at once to the fort, the command of which was confided to his brother Col. Silas Zane.

Col. Ebenezer Zane retired into his own dwelling, which he had built for purposes of defence as well as for a residence. It stood at right angles with the fort, distant some sixty yards to the southeast, and was in structure a regular block-house, pierced with loop-holes for musketry. "It contained the mili- tary stores which had been furnished by the Government of Virginia, and the military authorities of the Department, and as it was admirably situated as an outpost from which to annoy the savages, in their onsets, he resolved on maintaining pos- session of it, as well as to aid in the defence of the fort, as for the preservation of the ammunition. Andrew Scott, George Greer, Mr. Zane, Molly Seott and Miss McColloch, were all who remained with him. The kitehen adjoining, was occupied by Sam, a negro belonging to Col. Zane, and Kate his wife."*

So short was the time which elapsed between the alarm by Lynn and the appearance of the Indians, that only those who were immediately present, were able to retire into the fort. Capt. Boggs informed Col. Marshall, at Washington, that he heard the firing before he was a mile and a half from the town on his mission for relief.

The hurry consequently, did not permit the bringing in of any of the neighboring inhabitants to augment the garrison, and when the attack began, there were not more than twenty effective men within its walls, to oppose the assaults of the be- sieging host.

Scarcely were the people of the village gathered within the fortress before the savages appeared. Finding, from the move- ments about the fort, that intelligenee of its approach had been

*Withers.

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received, and that a surprise or ambuscade was impossible, the army marched boldly and quickly forward. As they came in sight of the garrison, the red uniforms of the British soldiers were quickly discerned in the van, while amid the ranks of the dusky warriors who followed, and tossing to and fro in the evening breeze, was seen the proud and historic banner of Brit- ain, victorious on so many honorable fields of Continental Eu- rope, but now lending the sanction of its presence to the bar- barous and cruel warfare of the savage.

The besieging host numbered forty British soldiers, under the command of Capt. Pratt, and two hundred and sixty Indian warriors, commanded by George Girty. They quickly formed their lines of investment around the garrison, and, advancing their colors, made a demand for the surrender of the fort. This was promptly refused, and the refusal emphasized by the firing of several shots at their standard by order of Silas Zane.

The Indians immediately opened fire upon the fort and rush- ed forward to the assault with great impetuosity. They were met by a brisk and well directed fire from the garrison and house, which soon drove them back in confusion. Rallying their hosts, they again rushed forward and were again repulsed.

Both the fort and the house were well supplied with arms, and the great exertions of the women, in molding bullets, load- ing guns and handing them to the men, enabled them to fire so rapidly, yet effectively, as to supply in some measure their lack in numbers and cause the savages to recoil from every charge. The fort had also a small cannon, mounted as a swivel gun, which was a very efficient aid in repelling their attacks. The enemy, it is said, at first took it to be a wooden dummy intended to deceive them into keeping a respectful distance, but when the swivel sent its messengers of death so swiftly into their ranks they were confounded and dismayed. At the very first shot Capt. Pratt called to his men to stand clear, say- ing he had heard cannon before, and this was no make-believe affair.

The fire from the house of Col. Zane had also been very gall- ing. It occupied just the position to afford the greatest service to the beleaguered garrison, as, at every attempt to assault or storm the fort, the enemy were met with a hot enfilading fire which was peculiarly destructive and demoralizing to the as- sailants.

Taught prudence by the severe reception they met with in the assault, the savages retired back toward the base of the hill, where, under the protection of the forest, they maintained a constant fire upon the fort until darkness intervened, when it ceased, and the garrison was left for a short time undis- turbed.

So severely, however, had they suffered from the fire poured upon them from Col. Zane's house that they determined to seize the opportunity of the darkness to set it afire and destroy it. "For this purpose, when all was quietness and silence, a savage with a firebrand in his hand, crawling to the kitchen, and raising himself from the ground, waving the torch to and fro to rekindle its flame, and about to apply it to the building, re- ceived a shot which forced him to let fall the engine of destruc- tion and hobble howling away. The vigilance of Sam had detected him in time to thwart his purpose."

Little repose had the anxious garrison that night. Aside from the constant vigilance necessary to prevent any attempt of the cunning savages to scale or undermine the pickets and penetrate the enclosure, they were called upon actively to resist their impetuous attacks through the night, made doubly diffi- cult by the surrounding darkness.

Their fear of the cannon and the severe reception they met with at the hands of the little garrison and the few men sta- tioned in Col. Zane's house, in their first onslaught, made the leaders chary of again risking a direct assault in daytime. About twelve o'clock at night, however, under cover of the thick darkness, they made a furious assault on the pickets to capture the place by storm. Swarming up to the gates, and filling the night with their fearful and hideous yells, they rushed hard upon the pallisades, expecting, through the breach, to massacre the brave and gallant defenders of the fortress. But their purpose failed of success. The pickets resisted the attempt to break them down, and the rapid and well-directed fire from the garrison and house caused them to beat a speedy retreat before they were able to batter the walls of the stockade. Two other attempts were made to effect an entrance by storm during the night, the gallant defenders keeping to their guns, and the noble women discharging all the duties of soldiers with the spirit and alacrity of true heroines the whole night through.

When daylight returned the savages were still found sur-

rounding the fort, and although they delayed a renewal of their attacks it was evident that they had not yet given up their at- tempts for its reduction. Indeed it was apparent that they were engaged in some preparations on which they placed great hopes.

About eight o'clock a man was observed stealing towards the fort, when a woman named House scized a gun and wounded him severely. He proved to be a negro seeking to desert from the enemy, and being near the gate his cries and entreaties in- duced his admission, although he was strictly guarded lest he might prove to be a spy. He gave full information of the force of the enemy and their intentions so far as known.

When the firing of the preceding day had subsided a small boat proceeding from Fort Pitt to the Falls of the Ohio with cannon balls for the use of the troops there, put to shore at Wheeling. It does not appear, but is most likely that the boat. was stopped in her progress by a fire from the Indian pickets who were set to watch and cut off any attempts to succor or rein- force the garrison, and the person in charge of her naturally sought to effect his landing where he could seek safety in the fortress.

He proved to be a man named Daniel Sullivan, and was suc- cessful in reaching the fortress and gaining admission into it, although the savages gave him a hard chase and wounded him severely in the foot. The boat of course fell into the hands of the enemy and they determined at once to use the balls to destroy the fortress. Accordingly they procured a hol- low log, suiting the ball as near as possible, and bound it closely and heavily with chains obtained from the blacksmith's shop in the village, wedging it tightly, and fancied they had a cannon which would deal death and destruction upon their foes. This they loaded heavily and pointing it at the fort, ap- plied the match. A fearful explosion followed, but instead of destroying their enemies as expected, it was only the occasion of disaster to themselves. Their cannon had burst-pieces flew in every direction-several were killed, many wounded and all dismayed by the event.

" Recovering from the shock, and furious with rage and dis- appointment, they returned to the charge, pressing up to the assault with the madness of despair. But they were received with a fire so constant and deadly that they were again forced to retire, and, as it proved, most opportuncly for the garrison.

When Lynn gave the alarm that an Indian army was ap- proaching, the fort having been for some time unoccupied by a garrison, and Col. Zane's house being used as a magazine, those who had retired into the fortress had to take with them a sup- ply of ammunition for its defenee. The supply of powder, deemed ample at the time, by reason of the long continuance of the savages, and the repeated endeavors made by them to storin the fort, was now almost entirely exhausted, a few loads only remaining. In this emergency, it became necessary to re- plenish their stock from the abundance of that article in Col. Zane's house.

During the continuance of the last assault, apprized of its in- security and aware of the danger which would inevitably ensue, should the savages, after being again driven back, return to the assault before a fresh supply could be obtained, it was pro- posed that one of their fleetest men should endeavor to reach the house, obtain a keg and return with it to the fort. It was an enterprise full of danger, but many of the chivalric spirits then pent up within the fortress, were willing to encounter them all.

Among those who volunteered to go on this enterprise, was Elizabeth, the younger sister of Col. Zane. She was then young, active and athletic ; with precipitancy to dare danger and fortitude to sustain her in the midst of it. Disdaining to weigh the hazard of her own life against the risk of that of others, when told that a man would encounter less danger by reason of his greater fleetness, she replied : "And should he fall, his loss will be more severely felt. You have not one man to spare ; a woman will not be missed in the defence of the fort." Her services were accepted. Divesting herself of some of her garments, as tending to impede her progress, she stood prepared for the hazardous adventure; and when the gate was opened she bounded forth with the buoyancy of hope, and in the confi- dence of success. Wrapt in amazement the Indians beheld her spring forward, and only exclaiming, " a squaw, a squaw," no attempt was made to interrupt her progress. Arrived at the door she proclaimed her embassy. Col. Zane fastened a table- cloth around her waist, and emptying into it a keg of powder, again she ventured forth. The Indians were no longer passive. Ball after ball passed whizzing and innocuous by. She reached the gate and entered the fort in safety. This heroine had but

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recently returned from Philadelphia, where she had received her education, and was totally unused to such scenes as werc daily exhibited on the frontier."*

" The pages of history may furnish a parallel to the noble exploit of Elizabeth Zane, but an instance of greater self-devo- tion is not to be found anywhere."+

"Another instance of heroic daring deserves to be recorded here. When intelligence of the investiture of Wheeling by the savages reached Shepherd fort, a party was immediately detached from it to try and gain admission into the besieged fortress, and aid in its defence. Upon arriving in view, it was found that the attempt would be hopeless and unavailing ; and the detachment consequently proposed to return. Francis Duke, son-in-law to Col. Shepherd, was unwilling to turn his back upon a people straightened as he knew the besieged must be, and declared his intention of endeavoring to reach the fort, that he might contribute to its defence. It was useless to dis- suade him from the attempt ; he knew its danger, but he also knew their weakness, and putting spurs to his horse rode briskly forward, calling aloud, "open the gate, open the gate." He was seen from the fort, and the gate was loosed for his ad- mission; but he did not live to reach it. Pierced by the bullets of the savages, he fell, to the regret of all."

He perished untimely, but with a noble daring which de- served a better fate. Let his name be forever preserved in the annals of the border as one of the choice and heroic spirits who yielded their lives in its defence.

The Indians still maintained the siege by keeping up a con- tinual fire the whole day, with scarcely an intermission. Whenever a tree, or log, or bush could shelter a savage within gunshot of the fort, they were to be found firing at every aper- ture likely to conceal a foe. They seemed to have a special spite at the elevated tower called the sentry box, and directed frequent shots towards it. Elizabeth Zane, who occupied one of these boxes with her brother Jonathan, and a man named Sal- ter, to load their rifles, frequently told in subsequent years how she would have to stop in her work, to pull out the splinters torn off the white oak logs by the bullets of the savages, and driven into the fle sh.

About ten o'clock that night, the enemy made another fierce attempt to carry the works by storm, but it was of no avail. They were driven back in a bloody repulse, by the sharp firing of the garrison and the few brave men in Col. Zane's house. It was their last effort, and despairing of success, they determin- ed to raise the siege. Leaving one hundred men to scour and lay waste the country, the remainder of the army, on the morn- ing of the 13th, retreated across the Ohio and encamped at the Indian spring, five miles from the river. Their loss in the va- rious assaults upon the fort and in the siege could not be as- certained, but was doubtless very considerable. Of the garrison none were killed and but two wounded-the heroic Francis Duke being the only white man killed during the siege belonging to the county. It is impossible to over estimate the brave and gallant manner in which the defense was conducted. The men and women who stood to their posts for nearly two days and nights with scarcely an intermission, fighting against fearful odds, and the skill of British officers and soldiers, combined with the cunning and impetuosity of the savages, deserve the highest encomiums. When it is considered that the siege was the most prolonged, and the besieging hosts the largest and most formidable which attacked the North Western frontier during the revolution, the steady manner in which they were constantly driven back in bloody repulse by such a feeble force, should excite the greatest admiration.

Where every one did their part so nobly it might seem in- vidious to specially designate those who contributed most prominently to this happy result, though some early writers do not hesitate to say that "to the caution and good conduct of those few brave individuals who occupied Col. Zane's house, its preservation is mainly attributed."

This siege was in reality the last battle of the revolution, and it is certain that the last shot fired by a British soldier in that war was fired at old Fort Henry in Wheeling.

The next day (14th) after ascertaining their losses, Col. Zane immediately sent an express with his report of the military operations at the siege, which is herewith appended.

COL. ZANE'S MILITARY REPORT OF THE SIEGE TO GEN. IRVINE.

WHEELING, 14th September, 1782.

"SIR: On the evening of the 11th instant a body of the enemy appeared in sight of our garison. They immediately

*Withers-Appendix A. tMcKiernan.

formed their lines around the garrison, paraded British colors, and demanded the fort to be surrendered, which was refused. About twelve o'clock at night they rushed hard on the pickets, in order to storm, but were repulsed. They made two other at- tempts to storm, before day, to no purpose.

About eight o'clock next morning, there came a negro from them to us, and informed us that their force consisted of a British Captain and forty regular soldiers, and two hundred and sixty Indians. The enemy kept a continual fire the whole day. About ten o'clock at night they made a fourth attempt to storm, to no better purpose than the former. The enemy continued around the garrison till the morning of the 13th in- stant, when they disappeared. Our loss is none. Daniel Sul- livan, who arrived here in the first of the action is wounded in the foot.

I believe they have driven the greatest part of our stock away and might, I think, be soon overtaken.

I am, with due respect, your obedient servant,

EBENEZER ZANE.

To WILLIAM IRVINE, Brigadier General, Commanding West- ern Department, Fort Pitt.

In this connection the following letters from the Lieutenant of Washington county, giving the commanding General the intelligence of the attack received by express from Wheeling, are here inserted.

LETTER FROM JAMES MARSHALL, LIEUTENANT OF WASHINGTON

CO., PA., TO GENERAL IRVINE.

THURSDAY, September 12, 1782.

DEAR SIR: "By an express this moment arrived from Wheel- ing, I have received the following intelligence, namely: That a large trail, by supposition about two hundred Indians, was dis- covered yesterday about three o'clock near to that place. Capt. Boggs, who brought the account, says that when he had left the fort about one mile and a half he heard the swivel at Wheel- ing fired and one rifle. He further says that Ebenezer McCul- loch, front Van Meter's fort, on his way to Wheeling, got within one half a mile of the place shortly after Boggs left it, where he was alarmed by hearing a heavy and constant fire about the fort, and makes no doubt the fort was then attacked. * * * *

* I am, etc.,

"JAMES MARSHALL.

"GEN'L IRVINE,

"Fort Pitt."

LETTER FROM JAMES MARSHALL, LIEUTENANT OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA., TO GENERAL IRVINE.

"SUNDAY MORNING, September 15, 1782.

"DEAR SIR: You may depend upon it as matter of fact that a large party of Indians are now in our county. Last night I saw two deserters who made their escape from Wheeling in time of the action, and they say the enemy consists of two hundred and thirty-eight Indians and forty rangers, the latter commanded by a British officer; that they attacked Whceling fort on Wednesday night, and continued the attack until Thursday night, at which time the deserters left them. That fort, they say, was the principal object of the enemy; but it appears, both from their account and the enemy's advancing into the country, that they have despaired of taking it. * 0% * *

* * Excuse haste; from,

Sir, your most obedient humble servant,

"JAMES MARSHALL.

"GEN'L IRVINE, "Fort Pitt."

APPENDIX A.

THE POWDER EXPLOIT.

The narrative of this incident given in the text was the un- questioned and accepted history of that event, for the period of sixty-seven years immediately following. It was currently re- lated in the society and neighborhood where the occurrence transpired, by different persons claiming to have been eye wit- nesses; was carly and widely published in newspapers and

*These letters are found in the " Washington-Irvine " collection. The original manu- script is in the hands of O. W. Butterfield, Esq., to whom we are indebted for a copy and other important favors.

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local histories during the lifetime, and with the knowledge of many of the actors in the siege, and without contradiction or question so far as any record appears, but with universal credit; and it remains to-day in the family traditions of most of those who are known to have been present in the fort at the time, as the only correct account. In 1849, however, Mrs. Lydia Cruger, then a venerable woman of 84 years, made a statement, giving a different version of this incident and naming another person as the heroine. As Mrs. Cruger's statement was unsupported by any corroborative evidence whatever, was made many years after every one who had personal knowledge of the event was dead, and when she herself was in extreme old age, it can, of course effect nothing. But in order that our readers may be put in possession of such data as still remains, and form their own judgment in the premises, we append below all the infor- mation we have been able to gather about it.

Several of the documents having a bearing on this matter, have never before been published. They have been secured by us from the military papers of Brig. Gen'l Irvine, then (1782) in command of the Western Department, after an earnest and protracted effort to procure everything reliable, which could throw light upon the subject. Others of our documents are ta- ken from an article published in the Wheeling Daily Intelli- gencer, by Mr. W. C. Brockunier.

DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE.

1. The letter of Col. Ebenezer Zane to Gen'l Irvine, July 22d, 1782, published on page 125, wherein he makes application for powder for the fort, and undertakes to become personally responsible for it, that none of it should be used except what was "burnt at the enemy," which would imply that he took it into his own keeping.

2. The letter of Col. Zanc to Gen'l Irvine, Sept. 14th, 1782, page 127, giving his report of the siege, showing at that date he still remained in command of the fort.

3d. The letter of Col. Marshall, Lieut. of Washington County, to Gen'l Irvine, dated Sept. 12th, 1782, mentions the arrival of Capt. Boggs as "Express Messenger" from Wheeling, and that he heard the guns before he was a mile and a half out of town.

THE EARLIEST NARRATIVES OF THE EVENT

it will be obvious to all minds, if published in the life time of the actors in the event, and in their vicinity, possess opportu- nities of presenting a correct narrative, which subsequent ac- counts do not have. Their sources of information are more ample, the events are fresher in their memory, and opportu- nities for correction, or criticism, or protest by interested par- ties, are such as must secure a very great degree of accuracy. Several of these accounts filling the prescribed conditions we append below. The first in order is the

ACCOUNT FROM THE CALDWELLS IN 1797.

In 1797, Meshack Browning then employed by Mr. John Caldwell, of Wheeling, received from him and his daughter Nancy, accounts of various incidents in the Indian wars about Wheeling, some of which he subsequently published in a nar- rative of his own adventures. As he left Wheeling in 1798, and, living in the mountain wilderness, the rest of his life, never saw any published accounts of these events, his relation of them, derived from eye-witnesses within a very few years of their occurrence, have a special value.

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History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley, Part 46

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 728

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 728