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 13
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 13
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124
St. Clair resigned his military command, and Gen. Anthony Wayne was appointed Commander-in-chief in April, 1792.
Such was the fearfully disastrous result of St. Clair's expedition, which finds no parallel, perhaps, save the defent of Braddock. It is enough to say the causes were adequate, and at the same time uncon- trollable. Let us see if Gen. St. Clair, the first governor of our own proud State, was the man to lose a field through cowardice or weakness :
48
HISTORY OF VANIWERT AND MERCER COUNTIES, OHIO.
Major-General Arthur St. Clair
was born in Edinburgh in the autumn of 1734, and, after graduating at the University of his native city, studied medicine. The inactive and monotonous life of a physician did not suit his ardent temperament, and, obtaining a lieutenant's commission, ho entered the army, and in 1755 arrived with Admiral Boscawen in Canada, where he served several years with distinguished credit, and was present with Gen. Wolfe in Septem- ber, 1759, in the battle on the Plains of Abraham. It was there that this heroic commander, Wolfe, purchased victory and conquest with his life.
1
Lieut. St. Clair was then made a captain, and after the peace of 1763 was appointed to the command of Port Ligonier. This fort was situ- ated on the east side of Loyalhanna Creek, in Ligonier Township. Bed- ford, but now Westmoreland, County, Pa., and was erected in 1757 by Gen. Forbes. Capt. St. Clair purchased a tract of land of Gov. Penn, and entered upon the business of farming, and turned his mathematical knowledge to advantage as a surveyor before the close of 1773.
On March 12, 1771, Capt. Arthur St. Clair was commissioned Pro- thonatory, Clerk of the Courts, Register and Recorder of Deeds for Bedford County, which had been erected into a county March 11, 1771 ; but when Westmoreland County was formed, on Feb. 26, 1773, he was appointed to the same office in Westmoreland County.
January 2, 1776, Arthur St. Clair was appointed Colonel of the 2d Battalion to be raised in Pennsylvania for the Continental service, as he had so thoroughly espoused the American cause.
.
When Col. St. Clair resided in Westmoreland County the greatest distress prevailed among the inhabitants, arising from two causes: 1st. The claim of Virginia to the land. 2d. From a threatened Indian war. In process of time the first cause was removed, by Virgini. and Penn- sylvania appointing commissioners to settle the boundaries of these two States. With regard to the Indian troubles Col. St. Clair met with the Six Nations and the Delawares in May, 1774, and said to them, as the representative of the colony, "that Pennsylvania is determined to main- tain the friendship existing between them, and recommended to the Indians to do no hunting on this side of the Ohio River, and by so do- ing the Pennsylvanians will keep the path open and keep bright that chain of friendship to which each of their forefathers held fast." But, on June 7, he changed his mind, for he assured Gov. Peun that the Six Nations and Delawares have too many secret meetings with the chiefs of the Shawnees, which is a bad omen. And in confirmation of his views he added that, on the 6th of this month, the Indians had killed and scalped one man, his wife, and three children, and that three more of their children were missing, which happened at Muddy Creek. now in Greene County, P'a. And on June 14, near Ten Mile Creek, in Washing- ton County, Pa., the captain of a company was killed by the Indians and a lieutenant wounded.
Col. St. Clair assures Gov. Penn that this state of affairs kept up until May, 1775, when the people of Westmoreland County resolved, in county meeting, to form an association, to arm and discipline themselves for every emergency, especially for the defence of American liberty.
On January 22, 1776, Col. St. Clair reported himself to Congress, in session in Philadelphia, and immediately received instructions to raise a regiment for service in Canada. In six weeks his ranks were filled, and on May 11, 1776, he was in the vicinity of Quebec to cover the retreat of the defeated forces under Gen. Arnold. He remained in the North acting and counselling with Gens. Sullivan, Wayne, and other officers.
On August 9, 1776, he was appointed a brigadier-general, and in the fall was ordered to join Gen. Washington, the Commander-in-Chief, in New Jersey, and participated in the events of Trenton and Princeton.
February 19, 1777, he was appointed a major-general, and ordered to report himself to Gen. Schuyler, then in charge of the northern depart- ment, and under whose direction, on June 12, he assumed the command of Ticonderoga. For good and sufficient reasons (as the sequel to the case shows) he evacuated Ticonderoga, and through jealousy he was suspended to await his trial before a court-martial. He, however, re- mained with the army, and was with Washington September 11, 1777, at Brandywine, and was employed with Gen. Hamilton to settle a gene- ral cartel with the British commissioner at Amboy, March 9, 1750.
In October, 1778, the court-martial investigated the charges made against Gen. St. Clair, and decided that " Maj .- Gen. Arthur St. Clair ix acquitted with the highest honor of' the charges exhibited against him,"
which was approved by Congress without a dissenting voice, thereby justly viudieating the character of a valiant and magnanimous officer and restoring him to his rightful position.
In 1781 he was ordered to take charge of West Point, and afterwards joined Washington at Yorktown before Lord Cornwallis's surrender. On December 27, 1781, he was sent with six regiments to reinforce the Southern army and report himself to Gen. Greene, and in 1752 he re- turned to his family.
Ilis course as a military officer through the Revolution had been use- ful and honorable, and on October 20, 1783, he was elected censor with F. A. Muhlenberg, and was returned to Congress by the Legislature of Pennsylvania in 178€, and was elected speaker soon after he took his seat in that body.
On the 11th day of July, 1788, he was appointed by Congress the first Governor of the Northwestern Territory, and upon the organization of the Federal Government he was reappointed to the same office of Governor by Washington, and hold it until within a few weeks of the territorial administration in the winter of 1802-03 when he was removed by Jef- ferson.
August 18, 1790, Gov. St. Clair made a requisition for five hundred men agreeably to an act of Congress. September 29, 1721, Gov. St. Clair asked for troops from Pennsylvania to act with the United States troops against the Indians.
In 1791, and while he was Governor of the Northwestern Territory, he suffered his memorable defeat by the Western Indians. With fourteen hundred men he encamped near the Miami villages on Novem- ber 3, 1791. The next morning, an hour before sunrise, the army was attacked, and in a few minutes surrounded by savages. The militia. . who were in advance, received the first fire and fled precipitately through the main body, throwing them into confusion, from which they did not entirely recover during the action, and at length they broke and fled in disorder. The attack lasted about four hours. The loss in this battle and in the retreat was thirty-eight officers and five hundred and ninety- three men killed and twenty-one officers and two hundred and forty-two men wounded.
The House of Representatives inquired by a committee into the causes of this disastrous result, and after a patient investigation made a report, which was honorable to Gen. St. Clair's reputation as a veteran soldier and conciliatory to his feelings, as he was in feeble health, but behaved with singular coolness and bravery.
After his removal from the office of Governor in 1802 Gen. St. Clair returned once more to the Ligonier Valley. Fourteen years of fatigue. privation, and danger had left him bereft of his property which remained to him at the close of the Revolution. The State of Pennsylvania, from considerations of personal respect and gratitude for his past services, settled on him an annuity of three hundred dollars, and this was soon after raised to six hundred and fifty dollars, which secured to him s comfortable subsistence for the brief remainder of his life.
In the beautiful cemetery incorporated by the name of St. Clair Ceme- tery Association of Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pa., at which place he died, as also his wife, the Brethren of Greensburg Lodge No. 64 of Free and Accepted Masons, erected a monument to the memory of Gen. St. Clair, which speaks in fraternal language of this great and good patriot.
On the South Face.
THE
EARTHLY REMAINS OF MAJOR-GENERAL
ARTHUR ST. CLAIR ARE DEPOSITED BENEATH THIS HUMBLE MONUMENT WHICH IS ERECTED TO SUPPLY THE PLACE OF A NOBLER ONE " DUE FROM HIS COUNTRY. He died August 31, 1818, In the 84th year of his age.
49
HISTORY OF VAN WERT AND MERCER COUNTIES, OHIO.
On the North Side. THIS STONE 18 ERECTED
OVER THE BONES OF THEIR DEPARTED BROTHER BY THE MEMBERS OF THE MASONIC SOCIETY
RESIDENT IN THIS VICINITY.
General Wayne's Expedition.
The Congress of the United States apprehending that late failures to negotiate and misfortunes in arms would be supplemented by hostilities against the settlements, a bill was introduced in the House of Repre- sentatives, providing for three additional regiments of infantry and a squadron of cavalry, to be raised for a term of three years unless sooner discharged. By this bill the military force was fixed at five thousand men. In April, 1792, General Anthony Wayne was appointed com- mander-in-chief, vice General St. Clair, resigned. While preparations were making for a vigorous campaign, measures of a pacific character were undertaken to end the war. Two envoys were sent into the Indian country with conciliatory offers, but the agents were murdered, and no alternative remained save a resort to arms. General Wayne was in com- mand, a Revolutionary major-general, ranking high. He was "the right man in the right place." In June, 1792, he moved forward to Pitts- burgh, and proceeded at once to organize his army. Washington's instructions were: "Train and discipline the men for the service they are meant for, and do not spare powder and lead, so the men be made marksmen." In December following the forces were put in camp twenty miles below Pittsburgh, on the west side of the Ohio, since called ""Le- gionville," in honor of the army, which was called The Legion. Here. some time was devoted to thorough drill. The army finally moved out: the commander determined to chastise the Indians in a summary manner. The march was directed into the heart of the Indian country of the Miami of the lakes, now the Maumee. He passed the winter of 1793-4 not far from the scene of St. Clair's defeat, where he built a stockade which was named Fort Recovery. Passing the winter with head-quar- ters and general camp at Greenville, he in the spring pushed northward with vigor and dispatch. This march has been much discussed, and many opinions, differing widely, have been entertained. This, we think, has arisen largely from Wayne's own studied concealment of his route. In one of his dispatches he says, he cut one road toward the Miami Town (now Fort Wayne), and one toward the foot of the rapids near Maumee, in order to mislead and deceive the Indians, as he intended to follow neither road, but to push his way between them. When march- ing, he cut his road as he went, day by day-so that he fell into the Maumee country almost without warning to the Indians.
Before us lies the journal of that march from Greenville down to the Maumee, of the battle, the building of Forts Adams, Defiance, and Wayne, and of the return march to Greenville in November, 1794. This journal was kept by Lieutenant Boyer, and its accuracy vouched for by George Ilill, who joined Wayne's army at Pittsburgh and continued therein until discharged at Detroit . in April, 1798. We here insert so much of the journal as bears upon the subject in hand ;-
Fort Greenville-where we were employed in erecting huts, and re- mained until the 28th of July, 1794.
Camp at Stillwater, July 28, 1794 .- Agreeable to the general order of yesterday, the legion took up their line of march at eight o'clock, and encamped at half past three on the banks of Stillwater, twelve miles from Greenville. The weather extremely warm-water very bad. Nothing occurred worth noticing.
C'amp one mile in advance of Fort Recovery, July 29, 1794 .- At five o'clock left the camp-arrived on this ground at one o'clock, being fifteen miles. Nothing took place worth reciting.
I am now informed that tracks were perceived on our right flank-sup- Jured to be runners from the Oglaize.
Camp Beaver Swamp, eleven miles in advance of Fort Recovery, July 20, 1794 .- This morning the legion took up the line of march, and ar- Fived here at three o'clock. The road was to cut, as will be the case on "very new route we take in this country. The weather still warm-no water except in ponds, which nothing but excessive thirst would induce 7
us to drink. The mosquitos are very troublesome, and larger than I ever saw. The most of this country is covered with beech, the land of a wet soil intermixed with rich traets, but no running water to be found.
A bridge to be built over this swamp to-morrow, which prevents the march of the legion till the day after. We are informed there is no water for twelve miles.
July 31, 1794 .- Commenced building the bridge, being seventy yards in length, which will require infinite labor; it will be five feet deep, with loose mud and water.
One hundred pioneers set out this morning, strongly escorted, to cut a road to the St. Marys River, twelve miles. I expect the bridge will be completed so as to march carly in the morning.
Camp St. Marys River, August 1, 1794 .- Proceeded on our way before sunrise, and arrived at this place at three o'clock, being twelve miles as aforesaid. Our encampment is on the largest and most beautiful prairie I ever beheld, the land rich and well timbered; the water plenty but very bad-the river is from forty-five to fifty yards wide, in which I bathed. I am told there is plenty of fish in it.
August 2, 1794 .- The legion detained here for the purpose of erecting a garrison, which will take up three days. This day one of the deputy quartermasters was taken up by the Indians. Our spies discovered where four of the enemy had retreated precipitately with a horse, and supposed to be the party the above person had been taken by. It is hoped he will not give accurate information of our strength.
August 3, 1794 .- An accident took place this day by a tree falling on the commander-in-chief and nearly putting an end to his existence; we expected to be detained here some time in consequence of it, but fortu- nately he is not so much hurt as to prevent him from riding at a slow pace.
No appearance of the enemy to-day, and think they are preparing for a warm attack. The weather very hot and dry, without any appearance of rain.
Camp thirty-one miles in advance of Fort Recovery, August 4, 1794. -The aforesaid garrison being completed, Lieutenant Underhill, with one hundred men, left to protect it; departed at six o'clock and arrived here at three o'clock, being ten miles. The land we marched through is rich and well timbered, but the water scarce and bad; obliged to dig holes in boggy places and let it settle.
Camp forty-four miles in advance of Fort Recovery, August 5, 1704. -We arrived at this place at four o'clock, nothing particular occurring. The land and water as above described-had some rain to-day.
Camp fifty-six miles from Fort Recovery, August 6, 1794 .- Encamped on this ground at two o'clock. In the course of our march perecived the track of twenty Indians. I am informed we are within six miles of one of their towns on the Oglaize River, supposed to be the upper Delaware town. If so I expect to eat green corn to-morrow.
Our march this day has been through an exceedingly fine country, but the water still bad-the day cooler than heretofore.
Camp surty eight miles from Fort Recovery, August 7, 1794 .- This day passed the upper town on the Oglaize, which the Indians evacuated some time ago. I expected to see one of their new towns, where I am told there are all sorts of vegetables, which will be very acceptable to the troops. We have had no appearance of Indians to-day.
Camp Grand Ogluize, August 8, 1794 .- Proceeded on our march to this place at five o'clock this morning, and arrived here at the confluence of the Miami and Oglaize Rivers at half past ten, being seventy-seven 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 Oglaize, and there is not less than one thousand acres of corn round the town. The land in general of the fir nature.
This country appears well adapted for the enjoyment 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.
The British have built a large garrison about fifty miles from the place,
50
HISTORY OF VAN WERT AND MERCER COUNTIES, OHIO.
and our spies inform us that the enemy are encamped about two miles above it on the river.
Grand Oglaize, August 9, 1794 .- We remain here. The commander- in-chief has ordered a garrison to be erected at the confluence of the Miami and Oglaize Rivers, which was begun this morning, and will take up some time; by this means the troops will be much refreshed, as well as the horses and cattle, the latter being much wearied and in need of a recess of labor. No appearance of an enemy.
Grand Oglaize, August 10, 1794 .-- The troops in good spirits. No interruption from or account of the enemy. We have plenty of vegeta- bles. One of our militia officers wounded by his own sentinel by mis- take.
Grand Oglaize, August 11, 1794 .- Nothing occurs to prevent the com- pletion of our work.
[Here were a few leaves lost out of the manuscript.]
Took up their line of march, and at one arrived on this ground with- out any occurrence. . Our camp is situated in sight of Suaketown, on the Miami of the Lake. Vegetables in abundance.
Camp nineteen miles from Oglaize, August 16, 1794 .- Our march this day was through a bushy ground, and the road generally bad. Miller (the flag) returned this day from the enemy with information from the tribes, that if the commander-in-chief wouldl remain at Grand Oglaize ten days they would let him know whether they would be for peace or war.
Camp thirty-one miles from Camp Oglaize, August 17, 1794 .- This day a small party of the enemy's spies fell in with ours; both parties being for discoveries, they retreated, at which time the enemy fired and wounded one of our horses, Our camp, head of the Rapids.
Camp forty-one miles from Grand Oglaize, August 18, 1794 .- The legion arrived on this ground, nothing particular taking place. Five of our spies were sent out at three o'clock; they fell in, with an advanced body of the enemy, and obliged to retreat; but May, one of our spics, fell under the enemy's hold. What his fate may be must be left to future success. V
1
Camp Deposit, August 19, 1794 .- The legion still continued in en- campment, and are throwing up works to secure and deposit the heavy baggage of the troops, so that the men may be light for action, provided the enemy have presumption to favor us with an interview, which if they should think proper to do, the troops are in such high spirits that we will make an easy victory of them.
By this morning's order, the legion is to march at five o'clock.
. Camp in sight of a British garrison, on the Miamis of the Lake, August 20, 1794, one hundred and fifty miles from Greenville .- This day the legion, after depositing every kind of baggage, took up the line of march at seven o'clock, and continued their route down the margin of the river, without making any discovery, until cleven o'clock, when the front guard, which was composed of mounted volunteers, were fired on by the enemy. The guard retreated in the utmost confusion through the front guard of the regulars, commanded by Captain Cook and Lieu- tenant Steele, who, in spite of their utmost exertion, made a retreat. These fell in with the left of Captain Howell Lewis's company of light infantry and threw that part of the men into confusion, which Captain Lewis observing, he ordered the left of his company to retreat about forty yards, where he formed them and joined the right, which had stood their ground. They continued in this position until they were joined by part of Captain Springer's battalion of riflemen, which was nearly fifteen minutes after the firing commeneed, who drove the enemy that had attempted to flank us on the right. Nearly at the same time, the right column came up, and the charge was sounded-the enemy gave way and fired scattering shots as they run off.
About the time the right column came up, a heavy firing took place on the left, which lasted but a short time, the enemy giving way in all quarters, which left us in possession of their dead to the number of forty. Our loss was thirty killed and one hundred wounded. Among the for- mer we have to lament the loss of Captain Campbell of the dragoons, and Lieutenant Henry B. Fowles of the 4th sublegion ; and of the latter, Captains Prior of the first, Slough of the fourth, and Van Rensselaer of the dragoons, also Lieutenant Campbell Smith of the fourth sublegion. The whole loss of the enemy cannot at present be ascertaincd, but it is
more than probable it must have been considerable, for we pursued them with rapidity for nearly two miles, As to the number of the enemy en- gaged in this action, opinions are so various, that I am at a loss to know what to say; the most general opinion is one thousand five hundred, one-third of which are supposed to be Canadians; I am led to believe this number is not over the mark. After the troops had taken some refresliment, the legion continued their route down the river, and en- camped in sight of the British garrison. One Canadian fell into our hands, whom we loaded with irons.
Camp Foot of the Rapids, August 21, 1794. - We are now lying within half a mile of the British garrison. A flag came to the commander-in- chief, the purport of which was that he, the commanding officer of the British fort, was surprised to see an American army so far advanced in this country; and why they had the assurance to encamp under the mouths of his Majesty's cannons! The commander-in-chief answered, that the affair of yesterday might well inform him why this army way encamped in its present position, and had the flying savages taken shelter under the walls of the fort, his Majesty's cannon should not have protected them.
Camp Foot of the Rapids, August 22, 1794 .- We have destroyed all the property within one hundred yards of the garrison. The volunteers were sent down eight miles below the fort, and have destroyed and burnt all the possessions belonging to the Canadians and savages. The com- mander-in-chief led his light infantry within pistol-shot of the garrison, to find out the strength and situation of the place, and in hopes of bring- ing a shot from our inveterate but silent enemies. They were too cow- ardly to come up to our expectations, and all we got by insulting the colors of Britain was a flag, the amount of which was, that the command- . ing officer of the fort felt himself as a soldier much injured, by seeing his Majesty's colors insulted, and if such conduct was continued, he would be under the necessity of making a proper resentment; upon which the commander-in-chief demanded the post, it being the right of the United States, which was refused. A small party of dragoons were sent over the river to burn and destroy all the houses, corn, etc., that were under cover of the fort, which was effected.
Camp Deposit, August 23, 1794 .- Having burned and destroyed .
everything contiguous to the fort without any opposition, the legion took up its line of march, and in the evening encamped on this ground, being the same they marched from the 20th. It may be proper to remark that we have heard nothing from the savages, or their allies the Canadians, since the action. The honors of war have been paid to the remains of those brave fellows who fell on the 20th, by a discharge of three rounds from sixteen pieces of ordnance, charged with sheils. The ceremony was performed with the greatest solemnity.
Camp Thirty-two Mile Tree, august 24, 1794 .- The wounded being well provided for with carriages, etc., the legion took up the line of march, and halted in their old camp about two o'clock in the evening without any accident. In this day's march we destroyed all the corn and burnt all the houses we met with, which were very considerable.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.