USA > Ohio > Mercer County > History of Van Wert and Mercer counties, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 12
USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > History of Van Wert and Mercer counties, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 12
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INDIAN WARS.
In 1789, after the Fort Harmar treaty, the Indians assumed a hostile attitude and annoyed the infant settlements near the mouth of the Mus- kingum and between the Miamis. Nine persons were killed within the bounds of the Symmes Purchase. The settlers became alarmed, and Major Stiles, of Pennsylvania, with twenty-five brave men, commenced the erection of block-houses in each of the settlements of this region. At the same time Major Doughty with one hundred and forty men from Fort Harmar commenced building Fort Washington, nine miles below the mouth of the Little Miami, and within the present city limits of Cincinnati. This spot was chosen because it commanded the mouth of .
the Licking River, which penetrated Kentucky and gave the Indians facilities for penetrating the heart of that country by crossing the Ohio at the Licking mouth and then pursuing their way up the latter. There was a road called " The Old War Path," extending from the British gar- rison at Detroit to the Maumee, thence up that river, and finally across to the "Miamis of the Ohio." All the Indian paths from Lake Erie led to this old " war path," and as it crossed into Kentucky at the month of the Licking, that point was commanded by the erection of Fort Washington. The spring of 1787 foreboded evil to the white settle- ments of the Northwest. Early in the summer a great meeting of Indian deputies from the Shawnees, Delawares, Cherokees, Wyandots, Tawas, Pottawatomies, and other tribes from the lake region, held a grand coun- ril of war at old Chillicothe. The council was largely influenced by the notorious and infamous Girty and McKee, who inflamed to frenzy and madness the too susceptible savage minds.
Colonel Todd's Defeat.
On the 15th August, 1781, the Indians had made an attack upon Bry- ant's Station, a post five miles from Lexington. About five hundred Indians and whites encompassed the place, but the post having received reinforcements from Lexington, they were compelled to retire and were pursued by Colonels Todd and Trige. Daniel Boone and Major Harland. with one hundred and sixty men. The men were anxious for an engage- went, but Boone endeavored to dissuade them until they could be rein- forced. Contrary to his prudent advice they pursued the Indians, came up with them at a bend in Licking River beyond the Blue Licks, where the Americans were attacked by an overpowering force. Sixty-seven of the Americans were killed, among the number being the three principal #ffvers and a son of Daniel Boone.
General Clarke.
The Indians soon afterwards were signally punished. General Clarke, at the head of a thousand men, rendezvousing at Fort Washington, where Cincinnati now stands, invaded the Indian territory. At the approach of so formidable an army the Indians fled, leaving their towns to be destroyed. Daniel Boone thus describes the march of their army : " We continued our pursuit through five towns on the Miami River-Old Chil- licothe, Pecaway, New Chillicothe, Willis' towns, and Chillicothe-burnt them all to ashes, entirely destroyed their corn and other fruits, and everywhere spread a scene of desolation in the country."
The American Revolution having terminated, and England and Ame- rica at peace, the Indians began and continued to molest the border inhabitants of the colonies, and the government having failed to produce peace by means of conferences with these Indian tribes, resolved to humble them by force of arms.
General Harmar's Defeat.
In September, 1790, General Josiah Harmar marched into the Indian territories at the head of nearly fifteen hundred men for the purpose of destroying the Indian settlements on the Scioto and Wabash rivers. To accomplish this, he crossed the Ohio River and following the old Indian war path visited the Indian villages on the head-waters of the Little Miami. From those towns he struck across the woods on to the Great Miami, where Piqua now is, and marching forward when he came to where Loramie's Station was since located, three Indians were discovered early in the morning viewing his encampment. These were followed by some mounted men, one Indian was taken prisoner, but the other two escaped.
The next morning the army crossed St. Mary's River and Col. Hardin and Major Paul beat up for volunteers to go to the Indian town ahead, supposed to be about forty miles distant. Six hundred volunteers marched forward under these officers in advance of the main army, and arrived as the Indian village on the second day. The Indians had mostly fled on their approach, burnt their wigwams, and exchanged a few shots. This detachment remained in the Indian town four days before Gen. Harmar came up with his baggage, having had to cut a road along which his teams and wagons could travel. Gen. Harmar tarried one week after his arrival in the deserted town.
In the mean time the Indians were collecting from all quarters. Every party sent out from the army was waylaid and defeated. A party under Col. Hardin fell in an ambuscade, and twenty-three out of thirty men were killed in the skirmish. Gen. Harmar finally concluidel to return to Fort Washington, aud actually marched eight miles on his return when he received information that the enemy had taken possession of their town as soon as he had left it. He then ordered Col. Hardin to return and attack the enemy, who with his soliliers returned, attacked, and drove the Indians before him until they had crossed the Maumee in their front and St. Marys on their left. Col. Hardin had marched down the St. Marys on its northern bank to its junction with the St. Josephs. Here Capt. William Crawford, who commanded the Pennsylvania Vol- unteers, crossed the Maumee and attacked the Indians, who lay on the north bank of the St. Josephs, and drove them up that river several miles and returned triumphantly to where Fort Wayne now stands.
Col. Hardin with his men crossed the St. Marys and followed the Indians up the St. Josephs on the south side of that river, but, marching carelessly along on the low lands adjoining the river, he permitted the Indians to take possession of the high grounds south of him, by which means he was defeated with great loss, considering his small command. In these different engagements Gen. Harmar lost one hundred and eighty men from the time of his leaving Covington until his return to Fort Washington. Historians all agree that although Harmar boasted of a victory, yet in common parlance it is called Hirmar's defeat.
Thus, instead of humbling the savages by producing desolation over their fine land, Harmar, in two battles near the present site of Fort, Wayne, Indiana, was defeated with disastrous loss, and abandoned the expedition. In May of the following year General Scott, of Kentucky, with eight hundred men penetrated the Wabash country alnost to the site of the present town of La Fayette, Indiana, and destroyed many
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HISTORY OF VAN WERT AND MERCER COUNTIES, OHIO.
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villages. At this time, and while the whole western border was in a ferment of anxiety, Congress again considered the matter, and devised new methods which would require the construction of fortifications at different points across the very heart of the Indian country. Such measures bore the stamp of boldness, but this quality recommended itself by its fruits wherever already tested in Indian warfare. It was, therefore, self-suggestive in the principle that "nothing succeeds like success," and so met with favor at the hands of Congress. It was already perceived by some that the Indians must be mnet by the exhibi- tion of their own favorite methods, although military officers were loth to substitute Indian methods for European tactics. It was this failure on the part of so many generals to understand and live up to the true methods of Indian warfare, to which we may attribute many reverses, several desperate defeats, and a few horrible massaeres. Men who had been trained in military tactics in Europe, and fought through the Revo- lutionary war, proved incompetent when pitted against the savages. Neither do we hold them altogether responsible; certainly to the earlier commanders we attach no responsibility. They fought a foe who recog- nized no rules of civilized warfare ; a foe often practically invisible while an army was destroying.
It was not cowardice nor disloyalty on the part of officers or privates, which allowed a savage enemy to glut its vengeance in borrid glee : it was simply ignorance of the Indian mode of warfare, and the failure to employ the same bold and strategic methods to which the many successes of the Indians must be attributed.
St. Clair's Expedition.
With something of experience, attended by some force of its proper lessons, Congress resolved upon the measures recited, and in September, 1791, two thousand troops were gathered at Fort Washington, and . marched northward, under the immediate command of Gen. Butler, accompanied by Gen. St. Clair as chief in command. They proceeded about twenty miles from Fort Washington, where they halted and erected Fort Hamilton, on the Miami River.
Again advancing about forty-two miles, they built Fort Jefferson. Leaving here late in October, they were apprised of Indian scouts hov- ering upon their flank. At length the army halted, and eneamped on a tributary of the Upper Wabash, near the Indiana line, and about a hun- dred miles north of Fort Washington. Thus far the plans of the expe- dition had been successfully carried out, and weary by reason of the toilsome march, the soldiers embraced an early hour of test, unsuspicious of imminent danger. During the night the sentinely kept up an almost steady fire upon individual Indians; but these were believed to be mere prowlers, and their appearance seems to have given rise to no partieniar uneasiness. Before sunrise, however, of November 4, 1791, while break- fast was preparing in camp, the horrid yells of the savages fell like a death-knell upon the little army, as the savages fell upon the camp with terrible fury. The troops sprang to their feet, seizing their arms, and made a gallant defence, but the slaughter was too great to be withstood. When it was known Gen. Butler and most of his officers were slain, a panie ensued, and the smitten, bewildered army fled in wild confusion. Gen. St. Clair, tortured with gout, had three horses killed under him, but finally escaped on a pack horse. That evening Adjutant-General Winthrop Sargent wrote these words in his diary : " The troops have all been defeated, and though it is impossible at this time to ascertain our loss, yet there can be no manner of doubt that more than half the army are either killed or wounded." Among the fugitives were more than one hundred feminine camp followers -- the wives of the soldiers. One of these was so fleet of foot that she outran the flying remnant of the army. With her long red hair streaming behind her, she became the oriflamme which the sobliers followed in their flight to Fort Washington. This defeat spread dismay over the frontier settlement, and that dismay found a counterpart in the indignation breathed against Gen. St. Clair by the whole nation. President Washington could not bide his wrath and indignation, for he remembered his last words to St. Clair were: " Beware of a surprise." A surprise, suicidal to an army, was too much to hear without revealing his deep emotion, and for a few minutes ho was swayed by a tempest of anger, and paced the room in a rage.
" It was awful," wrote Mr. Lear, his private secretary, who was pre- sent ; " more than once he threw his hands up as he hurled imprecations upon St. Clair. 'O God! O God!' he exclaimed, 'he is worse than a murderer ! How can he answer for it to his country? The blood of the slain is upon him ; the curses of widows and orphans ; the curse of Hea- ven.'" When his wrath subsided, "This must not go beyond this room," he said, and in a low tone-as if speaking to himself alone-he continued, " St. Clair shall have justice; I will hear him without preju- dice ; he shall have full justice."
Afterward, when the veteran soldier, bowed with age, and carrying a burden of public obloquy-which was more wearing than his previous illustrious burden of military honors-approached his old commander, Washington took his hand and received him warmly. "Poor off St. Clair," said Curtis, who was present, " hobbled up to his chief, seized the offered hand in both of his, and gave vent to his feelings in copious sobs and tears." He lost a battle, but he kept a heart, and he who could fight as bravely for his country and weep as freely over her defeat, de- serves better of his countrymen than their obloquy and contempt. Who was General St. Clair? Perhaps an answer to this question will do him that justice which we demand for every man, remembering that many sterling virtues may make amends, not for a solitary vice, but for a sol- itary misfortune. We will see.
Let us look to the details attending this defeat. Further along we will find it not amiss to speak of the life of Gen. Arthur St. Clair, a man whose talents, courage, and sacrifices during the Revolutionary struggle and subsequent misfortunes are strangely blended. A strong prejudice has fenced him about since the disastrous defeat at Recovery. Other pages of this volume will show him, not without a military reputation to which clustered glory and renown. In this, his last campaign, he had been exhorted to levy troops, and be urgent. No money to pay troops was furnished. Everything went on slowly and badly; tents, pack-saddles, kettles, everything was deficient in quantity or number. For instance. of 1675 stand of arms designed for the use of the militia, scarcely any were in order, and with two travelling forges furnished-there were no anvils. No time for drill or practice, the troops were massed September 17, 1791, and the march began through the wilderness October 24th. St. Clair was sick, provisions scarce, roads were heavy, and militia-men deserting as high as sixty in a day. When the army reached the Wa- bash ( Recovery), it numbered only 1400 men. Such was the condition and number of the troops to be opposed to a superior force of Indians, flushed with success, and at home in the forest. In addition to these causes, it must be added that between St. Clair and Butler existed an alienation which was the growth of years. Again, St. Clair had no accurate information of either the country or the enemy. He really supposed he was on the head waters of the St. Mary's River. The men fought well, and were the victims of cireinstances rather than coward- ice. There was no cowardice; the only cowardice ever attending that exploit is that of the critic, who charges it home upon the brave men who suddenly found themselves in " the jaws of death ; in the mouth of hell !" True, the consternation became so complete that the men threw away their arms, and fled from the field, but this was only after fighting was useless; only after the flower of the army had fallen; only after bayonet charges, as gallant as ever made by man. This battle was so intimately connected with our local history, that we feel impelled to present a minute description after the foregoing explanation and general account. Let us follow St. Clair closely, step by step, and detail the movements of that battle which, culminating in a crowning defeat, was attended by crowning valor. The Indians were emboldened by previous successes, and kept the whole frontier in a state of alarm. It was then the Congressional measures already alluded to were taken. Arthur St. Clair, under the authority of the art of Congress of 1791, and who had been appointed Major-General and Commander-in-chief, was empowered to treat with the Indian tribes, and to be a military as well as civil gos. ernor of the territory. He was appointed to the command of the me xt expedition against the Indians, to destroy their villages on the Miami, and expel them from that country. The army consisted of about two thousand men, who marched for Fort Washington, on September IT, 1721, and cut a road through the wilderness to where Hamilton, the county seat of Butter, now stands, on the southeast bank of the Great
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HISTORY OF VAN WERT AND MERCER COUNTIES, OIIIO.
Miami River, twenty miles within the limits of Ohio, and erected Fort Hamilton. Having completed this fort, and garrisoned it, he marched twenty miles northward, and erected Fort St. Clair; and marching twenty miles or more farther, due north, he established another military post, and called it Fort Jefferson. It is six miles south of the present town of Greenville, Darke County. Having garrisoned this post on October 24, 1791, his force was reduced to less than two thousand men, with whom he marched in the direction of the Indian villages, his object being to destroy those towns. His march was slow, over a wet country, covered with a dense forest, which had to be cleared for his baggage wagons and artillery trains. Besides this difficulty, the Indians hov- ered about his army, and skirmishes frequently took place; and, in ad- dition thereto, desertions took place daily ; at one time sixty men deserted in a body, and returned on their way to Cincinnati. Major Hamtramck was despatched with a sufficient force to bring back these deserters. By this time the main army was only fourteen hundred strong, which pressed to where Fort Recovery was afterwards erected, within the limits of Mercer County.
Here, on the head waters of the Wabash River, among a number of small erecks, on November 3, 1791, Gen. St. Clair encamped with his remaining troops. The right wing of the army, under the command of Gen. Butler, lay in front of a creek twelve yards wide, and this force formned the first line. The second line, seventy yards behind the first, was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel William Darke. There were two rows of fires between these lines, and the ground was covered with snow. The right flank was supposed to be protected by a small creek, with high steep banks, and a small body of troops. The left flank was covered by a body of cavalry and by pickets. The militia crossed the creek and advanced about eighty rods in front of the main army, and encamped in two lines, and had two rows of logs on fire. When this crossing was effected, a few Indians appeared, who precipitately fled on the approach of the militia.
At this place Gen. St. Clair intended to have thrown up a breastwork as soon as Col. Hamtramck returned with the baggage, while the main body of the army pressed forward to the Indian towns on the Maumee, leaving thebaggage here under his care.
About half an hour after daylight of the morning of December 4, 1791, immediately after the militia were dismissed from parade and roll call, they were attacked by the enemy with the utmost fury. The militia fled in an instant, and came running into the regulars' camp, spreading ter- ror and confusion about. They rushed quite through Gen. Butler's line, and were hardly stopped by the second line of regulars. The officers exerted themselves to the utmost to restore order. The Indians pressed close upon the very heels of the flying militia, and instantly engaged Gen. Butler's command with great intrepidity and fury. The action forthwith became warm, and the enemy passing round the first line within fifteen minutes after the first attack, the whole army was sur- rounded by the Indians.
The artillery was posted in the centre of each wing, which the enemy attacked with the greatest violence, mowing down the artillerists in great numbers. Firing from the ground, and from every tree, they were only seen when flying from covert to covert. At length they boldly marched up to the very mouth of the cannon, and fought with the daring courage of men whose trade is war, and who are impelled to vigorous exertions by all the motives which operate on the savage mind. It was soon per- vived that, while our soldiers were falling every moment before the bullets of the enemy, yet hidden as that enemy was, the fire of the troops hevl little effect. It was then resolved that Lieutenant-Colonel Darke should charge the enemy with the bayonet, at the head of the second line, which he commanded. The charge was made by nearly all the line with the utmost fury, and with so much effect that the Indians were chiven about thirty rods; but no sooner had Col. Darke returned to his J'-ition than the Indians were there also ; this was owing to a want of nfl-men to press the advantage which Col. Darke had obtained by driv- mzoff the enemy.
Instantly after this charge, Gen. Butler was severly wounded; the night wing was broken ; the artillerists were nearly all killed ; the guns ".Ir taken by the enemy, and the camp was seized by the savages. Gen. Butler, though his leg was broken by a ball, mounted his horse aud bravely led his battalion to the charge. Col. Darke aud Major
Clarke also charged the enemy, drove them out of the camp, and re- stored the guns. But while the Indians were pressed with the bayonet at one point, they kept up their continual fire from every other point, with fatal effect. Every charge, when made, drove the enemy back at the point where it was made, but no general effect was produced. Instead of keep- ing their ranks and fighting, the troops huddled together in crowds about the fires, and were shot down without resistance. The officers did their duty bravely, and were shot down in great numbers by the enemy, who took too sure and fatal aim.
At this time Gen. St. Clair was so worn down by fatigue and disease, that he was not able to mount or dismount his horse without assistance.
All that now remained to be done was to save the army by retiring from the field. St. Clair ordered Col. Darke with the second regiment, to drive the enemy from the path by which the army had advanced, and Col. Clarke to cover the rear of the army. These orders were obeyed. and a most disorderly flight commenced, which continued for about four miles, It was now ten o'clock in the forenoon. All this time the car- nage was dreadful. Our soldiers finally threw away their arms, and fled for their lives ; many were killed in the fight, tomahawked and scalped; many were made captives, and burnt at the stake.
After glutting their savage vengeance by killing many of our men in the pursuit, and having taken as many prisoners as they could well man- age, the savages returned to the battle ground and glutted their ven- geance on the living, the dying, and the dead.
The troops fled to Fort Jefferson, a distance of thirty miles or more. Thirty-eight commissioned officers were killed on the ground; six hun- dred non-commissioned officers and privates were killed or missing; twenty-one commissioned officers were wounded, many of whom died of their wounds; two hundred and forty-two non-commissioned officers and privates were wounded, many of whom also died. The Indians lost but few of their men, and, from the different accounts, not above fifty. We close the account of this disastrous defeat by stating that the first line of the second regiment, as encamped, was commanded by Gens. Richard Butler, Patterson, and Clarke. The second' line by Cols. Gar- ther, Bedinger, and Darke. Of the first line, all the officers were either killed or wounded except three, and of the artillerists, all were killed except four privates.
To perpetuate the names of the officers who participated in the sad disaster of November 4, 1791, we give a list, many of whom had been in the dangers and glory of the war of the Revolution. They fell nobly doing their duty in their country's cause; they rest from their labors in honor, and deserve the gratitude of every American.
Of the regulars, the following officers were killed: Gen. Richard Bat- ler, Ferguson, Bradford, Spear, Ford, Morgan, Bines, Butts, Hart, Kirk- wood, MeCrea, Thompson, Phelan, Warren, Balshe, Newman, Kelso, MeMickle, Purdy, Anderson, Lukens, Burgess, Crawford, Moorehead, Cribbs, Smith, Piatt, Van Swearingen, Tipton, MeMatth, Reeves, Dovle. Brooke, Greyton, Cummings, and Beatty ; also, Drs. Chase and Beatty.
Wounded officers of the regulars: Col. George Gibson, Major Thos. Butler, and Cols. Sawyer and Darke ; also, Captains Price, Darke. Bu- chanan, Lysle, Coyd, Trueman, Malartie, Cobb, and Wilson, and En- sign Purdy. Of the militia killed, were Oldham, Lemon, Briggs, and Montgomery ; wounded, Captains Madison and Thomas; Lieutenants Stagner, Owens, Walters, and Gano.
The fugitives arrived at Fort Jefferson about sunset, and continued their march that night at ten o'clock. The ground was covered with snow. They marched to Fort Washington by way of Fort Hamilton. A large number of the sentinels of Fort Jefferson, after hearing of the defeat, deserted and fled.
In the army, at the commencement of the action, were two hundred and fifty women, of whom fifty-six were killed in the battle, and the re- mainder were made prisoners, except a small number who reached Fort Washington.
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