USA > Ohio > Ohio in four wars, a military history > Part 3
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Realizing this situation, while the siege was on, Governor Meigs called out the full strength
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of the Ohio militia and led them in person to relieve Fort Meigs. He had proceeded as far as Lower Sandusky, when he met General Har- rison on his way to Cincinnati, who informed him of the raising of the siege and the retreat of Proctor and Tecumseh. General Harrison dismissed the militia in the following compli- mentary order issued from his headquarters at Franklinton, May 16, 1813:
"The Commanding General has observed, with the warmest gratitude, the astonishing exertions which have been made by His Excel- lency Governor Meigs, and the generals and other militia officers of this State, in collecting and equipping a body of troops for the relief of Camp Meigs. But the efforts of these men would have been unavailing had they not been seconded by the patriotic ardor of every descrip- tion of citizens, which has induced them to leave their homes, at a most critical season of the year, regardless of every consideration, but that of rendering service to their country. The General found the road from Lower Sandusky to this place literally covered with men, and among them many who shared in the toils and dangers of the Revolutionary War, and on whom, of course, there existed no legal claims for military services. The General has every reason to believe
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that similar efforts have been made in Kentucky. He offers to all those brave men from both States his sincere acknowledgment, and is happy to inform them that there is at present no necessity for their longer continuance in the field. The enemy has fled with precipitation from Camp Meigs, and that fort is in much better situation to resist an attack than when the last siege was commenced."
This order disbanding the militia created great dissatisfaction in Ohio. There was an intense feeling against the British, and a general desire among the people to participate in the war. It was therefore a great disappointment when Harrison dismissed the troops. His compli- mentary references in his order did not satisfy the public. General Harrison's policy was the result of the direct orders of the Secretary of War, who, in a confidential letter forbade the calling out of any more militia until Lake Erie was free from British domination. This letter also stopped all further efforts toward recover- ing Detroit. These orders were confidential and secret, and General Harrison had to obey them, and at the same time receive without explana- tion, the bitter opposition and criticism to which they gave rise.
General Harrison needing: more troops, and
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with the orders of the Secretary of War for- bidding the use of the militia, proceeded to Cin- cinnati and thence to the Newport Barracks, in Kentucky, hoping to secure regular troops. Here he found the Twenty fourth Regiment of the United States which he ordered to Franklin- ton.
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CHAPTER II THE WAR OF 1812 ( CONCLUDED)
W ITH the abandonment of the siege of Fort Meigs there was a cessation of hostilities on both sides for several months. General Harrison in the meantime was giving much consideration to the organization of his troops, and also to the question of the attitude of certain Indians in the war. His experience in his campaigns had taught him much on this last problem. He saw that a most dangerous element in the conflict was the Indian allies of the British. He was aware that Tecumseh was endeavoring to draw to his support the Ohio Indians as well as certain tribes in Indiana and Illinois. It had been the policy of the United States not to employ friendly Indians in its service. There was an exception made in the case of James Logan, Tecumseh's nephew, whose heroic death was recorded in the last chapter. General Harri- son's advice to the Indians was to remain neutral - "keep hands off.". This, in their native innocence, they could not understand, especially
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those who were friendly to the Americans, when they saw the British helped by their own friendly allies. Knowing that some of the tribes were friendly to the Americans, and that others were treacherously representing themselves to be so, General Harrison called a council of the leading chiefs to find out just where they stood and what they would do in the emergency.
This council was held at Franklinton, now a part of Columbus, June 21, 1813. It was one of the most important events of this period, and through it General Harrison found what Indians could be depended upon. The Wyandots, Dela- wares, Shawnees, and Senecas were represented by fifty of their chiefs and head men. The most influential chief present was Tarhe (the Crane) who was Chief Sachem of the Wyan- dots. He had long been a mighty man with his people. As far back as 1789 at Marietta he was chief of his tribe. He was a man of fine charac- ter and had the respect of both the white man and the Indian. He held his influence over his people as long as he lived. All his efforts were for peace, and he was one of the leading spirits in securing the Indian support to the Treaty of Greenville. At this council Tarhe was the spokesman by common consent of all the tribes there represented. He was of fine physique,
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and although at this time about seventy-two years of age, he possessed remarkable vigor both in body and mind. It was of him and his tribe that General Harrison, in his official report to the Secretary of War ( March 22, 1914), said : "The Wyandots, of Sandusky, have adhered to us throughout the war. Their chief, the Crane, is a venerable, intelligent and upright man." In this report he also referred to the Shawnee Chieftains, Black Hoof, Wolf, and Lewis, thus: "They are attached to us from principles as well as interest; they are all honest men."
There is a valuable relic of newspaper enter. prise of that day left in the only account pre- served of this council. It was printed in The Freeman's Chronicle of June 25, 1813. This paper was a weekly, published at Franklinton by James Gardiner, who was owner, editor and re- porter. His description written by himself as - a spectator and reporter is as follows:
"On Monday last, General Harrison held a council in this place with the chiefs of the Dela- ware, Shawnee, Wyandot and Sencca tribes of Indians, to the amount of about fifty. In the General's talk, he observed that he had been in- duced to call them together from certain cir- cumstances having come to his knowledge which led him to suspect the fidelity of some of the
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tribes, who had manifested signs of a disposition to join the enemy in case they had succeeded in capturing Fort Meigs. That a crisis had arrived which demanded that all the tribes, who had hitherto remained neutral, should take a decided stand, either for us or against us. That the President wished no false friends, and that it- was only in adversity that real friends could be distinguished. That the proposal of General Proctor to exchange the Kentucky prisoners for the friendly tribes within the borders, indicated that he had been given to understand that those tribes were willing to raise the tomahawk against us. And that in order to give the United States a guarantee of their good dispositions, the friendly tribes should either move, with their families, into the settlements, or their warriors should accompany him in the ensuing campaign, and fight for the United States. To this pro- posal the chiefs and warriors present unani- mously agreed - and observed that they had long been anxious for an opportunity to fight for the Americans.
"We cannot recall the precise remarks that were made by the chiefs who spoke, but Tarhe (the Crane), who is the principal chief of the Wyandots and the oldest Indian in the western wilds, appeared to represent the whole assembly,
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and professed, in the name of the friendly tribes, the most indissoluble attachment for the Ameri- can government, and a determination to adhere to the Treaty of Greenville.
"The General promised to let the several tribes know when he should want their services; and further cautioned them that all who went with him must conform to his mode of warfare; not to kill or injure old men, women, children nor prisoners. That, by this means, we should be able to ascertain whether the British tell the truth when they say that they are not able to prevent Indians from such acts of horrible cruelty, for if Indians under him (General Har- rison) would obey his commands, and refrain from acts of barbarism, it would be very evident that the hostile Indians could be as easily restrained by their commanders. The General then informed the chiefs of the agreement made by Proctor to deliver him to Tecumseh in case the British succeeded in taking Fort Meigs; and promised them that if he should be successful, he would deliver Proctor into their hands, on condition, that they should do him no other harm than to put a petticoat on him, 'for,' said he, 'none but a coward or a squaw would kill a prisoner.'
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"The council broke up in the afternoon; and the Indians departed next day for their respec- tive towns."
From the date of this council a spirit of safety and confidence spread throughout Ohio. The apprehension and fear that was prevalent among the pioneers in the northwest was allayed. Although General Harrison did not see the necessity of calling these four tribes to take part in the war, many of the Indians individually, of their own free will, accompanied him in his campaigns. Tarhe, with a number of his war- riors, marched with General Harrison on foot to Canada, and was present at the battle of the Thames where the noted Tecumseh was killed.
When General Harrison was at Franklinton, he received word from General Clay, whom he had left in command at Fort Meigs, that the British were preparing with a very large force to renew their operations against that place. The Twenty-fourth United States Regulars was at this time on its march to Lower Sandusky, and General Harrison on receiving news of the movements against Fort Meigs set off with all possible speed and overtook the regiment below that town. With three hundred picked men from this body, he made a forced march to Fort Meigs. He found there everything in a satis-
(From a painting by John W. Jarvis.) PERRY ORDERING THE FIRST FIRING AT THE BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE
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factory condition, the place well fortified and the proposed attack not materialized.
The apprehension of a siege at this time was caused by reports which General Clay had re- ceived from a Frenchman, and a private of Colonel Dudley's regiment, who had arrived at . Fort Meigs on June 20 from Detroit. The private had been a prisoner of the Indians. They stated that the British expected to renew the attack on the fort and were to commence a march at about the time they arrived. The Indians were to furnish four thousand warriors and the British one thousand regulars from Niagara. They reported that the Canadian militia had been disbanded as incapable of good service. It was on these statements that Gen- eral Clay immediately dispatched the informa- tion of the expected renewal of the siege to Gen- eral Harrison at Franklinton.
On June 20, however, contrary to hope and expectation, the enemy appeared for a second siege of Fort Meigs. They were discovered ascending the Maumee, and a reconnoitering party reported that a large body of British and Indians were encamped below the old British Fort Miami on the other side of the river. The next day saw Fort Meigs surrounded by five thousand men under Proctor and Tecumseh.
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That night, General Clay sent word to General Harrison, who immediately called upon General McArthur of the Ohio militia for all the force available, and upon Governor Meigs for further cilistments. But it was not Proctor's purpose to make more than a demonstration before Fort Meigs; on July 28 he embarked his troops and sailed down the Maumee toward Lake Erie.
It soon became apparent to General Harrison from the movements of the enemy that the real point of attack was Fort Stephenson and not Fort Meigs. This fort was located at Lower Sandusky where Fremont now stands. It had been a garrison and stockade since General Wayne's treaty. It was just about large enough for two hundred men. At this time it was occupied by a force under the command of Major George Croghan, a young Kentuckian in his twenty-second year. He was born at Locust Grove, Kentucky, November 15,, 1791; his mother was a sister of George Rogers Clark, and his father, William Croghan, was born in Ireland in 1752; he was a major of the Virginia line, and fought with bravery at Brandywine, Monmouth and Germantown, as well as endured the privations of Valley Forge. So it can be seen that the fighting qualities which he de- veloped were natural and racial. He was a
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young man of education and breeding, and grad- uated from William and Mary College with the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
Associated with Major Croghan were Captain Hunter, Lieutenants Johnson and Baylor, and Ensigns Shipp and Duncan of the Seventeenth Regiment, Lieutenant Anthony of the Twenty- fourth, and Meeks of the Seventh; these, with one hundred and sixty privates, constituted the entire force of the garrison.
General Harrison's headquarters werc at Fort Seneca, nine miles above Fort Stephenson on the Sandusky River. Here he had six hundred men. He was looking for an attack from the enemy, and concluded that Fort Seneca was the point for his operations. He had examined Fort Stephenson in company with Major Croghan, and was of the opinion that it could not be de- fended against heavy artillery. It consisted of three blockhouses and a picketed inclosure ranging from fourteen to sixteen feet in height, outside of which was a ditch eight feet in width and depth. A six-pound cannon composed the entire ordnance of the fort. When he parted with Croghan to go to Fort Seneca, he said: "Should the British troops approach you in force with cannon, and you can discover them in time
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to effect a retreat, you will do so immediately, . destroying all the public stores."
. It was dusk of July 29, when a messenger arrived at. Fort Seneca with word that Proctor and Tecumseh had abandoned the siege of Fort Meigs and were on their way up the Sandusky River to attack either Fort Seneca or Fort Stephenson. General Harrison hastily called a council of war consisting of Generals McArthur, Cass and other officers. The result of their deliberations was the unanimous opinion that Fort Stephenson was untenable and should be abandoned. General Harrison immediately sent Major Croghan the following order: "Sir, Im- mediately on receiving this letter, you will aban- don Fort Stephenson, set fire to it, and repair with your command this night to headquarters. Cross the river and come up on the opposite side. If you should deem and find it impracticable to make good your march to this place take the road to Huron and pursue it with the utmost circum- spection and despatch."
The bearers of this message to the young officer lost their way, and did not arrive at Fort Stephenson until nearly noon of the next day, when they found the situation such that with- drawal and retreat were impossible. The country surrounding the little garrison was
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swarming with British and Indians. Major Croghan therefore answered General Harrison as follows: "Sir, I have just received yours of yesterday, 10 o'clock P. M., ordering me to destroy this place, and make good my retreat, which was received too late to be carried into execution. We have determined to maintain this place, and by heavens we can."
This reply greatly displeased the Command- ing General, and he ordered Croghan to appear before him to answer for his disobedience. Major Croghan obeyed the summons of his superior officer, and explained that he had written so strongly with a view that possibly it might fall into the hands of the enemy; he also demonstrated that under present conditions evacuation meant destruction to his garrison and its men. General Harrison at once per- ceived the sound military discretion of the young officer, and sent him back to defend Fort Stephen- son. On the first day of August, 1813, at four o'clock in the afternoon, the enemy, with General Proctor in command, appeared, coming up the Sandusky River.
The force of the British amounted to twelve hundred men, of whom seven hundred were Indians. After Proctor had disposed his troops so as to render it impossible for the garrison to
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escape, he sent a flag of truce by Colonel Elliott and Major Chambers demanding the surrender of the fort, with the usual threat of Indian butchery and massacre. Major Croghan, after consultation with his men, replied that "when the garrison surrendered there would be none left to massacre, as it would not be given up while there was a man able to fight." Major Croghan's comrades were all young men like himself. They possessed unbounded patriotism and nerve, and like him, they were willing to die in defense of their flag rather than to sur- render to a band of savages under an inhuman white leader, who had, up to this time, violated every rule of war and civilization in the treat- ment of his captives. The laconic and Spartan reply of Croghan maddened Proctor, and he opened fire from his five pounders and howitzer. This firing was kept up all night, but with little effect on the stockade. Major Croghan re- sponded from his single gun, rapidly moving it from one point to another in firing, so as to make it appear that he was not limited to a soli- tary ordnance.
The next morning found the flag still floating over the brave band within the fort. In the night, the enemy had so arranged his guns that three sixes had been planted within two hundred
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and fifty yards of the fort. Again all through the day, the roaring of the British artillery was kept up. Towards the afternoon it became evident that Proctor was preparing for an at- tack. The objective point of his firing all day was the northwest angle of the fort. Major Croghan saw this, and with bags of sand and flour he strengthened his weakened point. He further concealed his lone gun at this assailable quarter, and loaded it heavily with slugs and grape shot. Here it rested for a terrible utter- ance.
Now the attack commenced. It was about five o'clock in the hot August afternoon when the two columns of British, five hundred strong, advanced toward what they believed the vulner- able portion of the stockade. While this party was marching toward the fort, another column of two hundred grenadiers started for the southern side of the stockade. This attack was feigned and was for the purpose of drawing the attention of the besieged from the real point to be assailed.
All the while, the gunners in the fort kept their single cannon trained on the storming party. Tramp, tramp came the advancing British column through the dense smoke of their artillery, which was constantly playing upon the
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fort, and it was only when they were within twenty paces of the ditch that they could be seen by the besieged. They were met by a rainfall of rifle bullets from the cool aims of Croghan's Kentuckians, and for a moment only were they thrown into confusion. But they were British regulars who had seen continental service under Wellington in the Peninsular campaigns of Spain and Portugal, and while shocked, they were not daunted. Rallied by their commander, Colonel Short, they leaped the ditch and started to storm the stockade. "Give the damned Yankees no quarter," cried the Colonel as he gallantly led his command.
Then the single cannon spoke with terrific effect. A shower of slugs and grape scattered death right and left, and when the smoke had risen, the commanding officer and twenty-four men were killed and twenty-six wounded.
The broken columns were formed anew by the officer who succeeded Colonel Shortt, and the new commander, exasperated at meeting such opposition from striplings, rushed to the onset with increased fury and gallantry; again Croghan's six pounder played upon them with terrible success, sending forth death and destruc- tion as before. Repulsed, stunned and panic- stricken, the British troops, in spite of the efforts
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of their officers, fled to the woods for shelter. Their Indian allies followed them. Afterward, all retreated to their boats sullen and satisfied at the bravery of an enemy that was scarcely one- eighth their own number. At three o'clock in the morning of August 3, 1813, Proctor, re- pulsed for the second time on the soil of Ohio, sailed down the Sandusky River, leaving his military stores and his dead to the Americans.
In this defense, as brilliant an incident as there is recorded in the annals of American arms, Major Croghan's loss was one killed and seven wounded. The British and Indians lost one hundred and fifty in killed and wounded, more than one-third of whom were killed.
Major Croghan and his gallant command at once received the praise of the whole country. In General Harrison's official report of this affair he said: "It will not be among the least of General Proctor's mortifications to find that he has been baffled by a youth who has just passed his twenty-first year. He is, however, a hero worthy of his gallant uncle, George R. Clark." The other officers likewise were specially complimented by General Harrison. They also received the thanks of Congress. Major Croghan was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and was awarded a gold
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medal by Congress. Not the least of the honors showered upon him was that of the patriotic ladies of Chillicothe, who on August 13, pre- sented him with an elegant sword and the follow- ing signed address:
SIR: In consequence of the gallant defense which, under Divine Providence, was effected by you and the troops under your command, of Fort Stephenson, at Lower Sandusky, on the evening of the 2d inst., the ladies of the town of Chillicothe, whose names are undersigned, impressed with a high sense of your merits as a soldier and a gentleman, and with great confidence in your patriotism and valor, present you with a sword.
MARY FINLEY
CATHARINE HOUGH
ANN CREIGHTON
MARTHA SCOTT
MARY STERRET
NANCY WADDLE
ELIZA CREIGHTON -
MARY A. SOUTHWARD
ELEANOR LAMB
RICHAMAR IRWIN
ELIZA CARLISLE
SUSAN D. WHEATON of Washington City
JUDITH DELANO MARGARET MILLER
MARGARET MCLANBURG ELIZABETH MARTIN
LAVINA FULTON REBECCA M. OFR
JANE MCCOY
ANN M. DUNN
CATHARINE FULLERTON
CHARLOTTE JAMES ELEANOR BUCHANAN
SUSAN WAKE
MARGARET KEYS
DEBORAH FERREE
ESTHER DOOLITTLE
FRANCES BRUSH
MARGARET MCFARLAND
JANE M. EVANS
MARY CURTIS
ELEANOR WORTHINGTON
JANE HEYLIN
MARY P. BROWN
NANCY KERR
SALLY MCLEAN
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NANCY MCARTHUR
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To this Major Croghan responded:
Ladies of Chillicothe: - I have received the sword which you have been pleased to present to me as a tes- timonial of your approbation of my conduct on the 2d instant. A man of distinction so flattering and unex- pected has excited feelings which I cannot repress. Yet, while I return you thanks for the unmerited gift you have thus bestowed, I feel well aware that my good for- tune (which was bought by the activity of the brave soldiers under my command) has raised in you expecta- tions from future efforts, which must, I fear, be sooner or later disappointed. Still I pledge myself (even though fortune should not again be propitious) that my exertions shall be such as never to cause you in the least to regret the honors you have been pleased to confer on your 'youthful soldier.'
The attack on Fort Stephenson, like the siege of Fort Meigs, aroused the patriotism of Ohio, and Governor Meigs again called out the entire militia of the State. At least ten thousand men were under arms ready to march. Again Gen- eral Harrison ordered the dismissal of all but two regiments. This created much feeling against him, and he was criticised freely for this and also for his failure to march from Fort Seneca to the relief of Croghan. But the latter came to his commander's defense in a long let- ter, and public confidence was again restored.
Although the rout of Proctor by Major
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Croghan destroyed all prospect of British in- vasion of Ohio, and ended active military land service within its boundaries, Lake Erie was still in the possession of the enemy, and remained so until Perry's famous victory.
Oliver H. Perry, a young sea captain from Newport, Rhode Island, first conceived the idea of disputing the English supremacy to the inland seas. He was the son of Christopher R. Perry, a distinguished naval officer of the Revolution, and was born at South Kingston, Rhode Island, August 23, 1785. His training from boyhood was on the sea, and as a midshipman he cruised in the West Indies on the "Adams," "Constella- tion," "Constitution," and "Essex." He served twice in the Tripolitan War. He was in com- mand of the Newport flotilla of gunboats, wait- ing for the war of 1812, and at this time gave prolonged study to the science and art of gun- nery. So that when the war broke out there was no better ordnance officer in the American Navy. It was his judgment that Lake Erie was the place where Great Britain could be struck the severest blow. He knew that if a Canadian invasion was ever attempted, it could be effected only after the defeat of the British naval forces upon Lake Erie. Accordingly he tendered his services to Commodore Chauncy, and at his own
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