USA > Ohio > Lucas County > Toledo > Polk's Toledo City Directory (1858) > Part 3
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All this occurred immediately after Gen. Hull's march from Dayton to Detroit, and before the surrender of the latter place to the British. Gen. Hull's army was raised for the avowed purpose of protecting the frontier from Indian depredations- though with the expectation that war would be declared against
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Great Britain, in a short time. Our fellow-citizen Gen. John E. Hunt was one of Gen. Hull's military family, while on the march from Dayton to Detroit. The army was encamped sev- eral weeks at Urbana, awaiting the arrival of the 4th United States Regiment, then on its march from Vincennes to join them. This was a regiment composed of sailors and others who, by reason of the embargo, had been thrown out of em- ploy, and were selected, with special regard to their fitness for military service, by Col. Boyd, under whom they fought with great gallantry at Tippecanoe. Hull's troops were encamped upon a wooded knoll. They had sprung a beautiful arch of evergreens over the road, midway up the ascent into the en- campment, on which was inscribed in large letters, the words " Tippecanoe Glory." Under this arch the 4th Regiment marched into camp. Their appearance, with their bucket caps and cartridge boxes, every man in perfect drill, has been de- scribed as very imposing. They were under command of Lieu- tenant Colonel Miller.
The march from Urbana was long and tedious. The country for most of the distance, being entirely new, the troops were obliged to cut the road over which they travelled. It was a bright June morning when they emerged from the wilderness upon the bank of the Maumee, which they struck at the head of a large flat, about five miles above Perrysburg. There they encamped for a day and then marched down to the flat, below Miami, at which point the ladies, invalids, some of the stores, and the private papers of Gen. Hull were placed on board the little schooner Miami, which immediately sailed for Detroit.
The army resumed its march, and between Maumee and Riv- er Raisin received intelligence that war had been declared- too late, alas ! to recall the vessel which fell into the hands of the enemy at Malden. Vain of his army and proud of display- ing it, Gen. Hull remained a day at River Raisin, for no other purpose, apparently, than to give the inhabitants an opportunity of witnessing the evolutions of his soldiers. Between River
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Raisin and Huron River, many of the Indians, who were after- wards allied with the British, came up with the army and be- sought Gen. Hull to remove their women and children beyond the reach of danger, and to accept their services during the war. Tish-kwa-gwon, Otussa and Mesh-ke-ma were among the number. Prohibited by his orders from government, from employing Indians in the service, all that Gen. Hull could do, was to advise them to abstain from any participation in the conflict. The Indians argued the impossibility of neutrality, but Hull was pertinacious for its observance, and they left him filled with indignation at the cool reception he had given them. While encamped at Huron River, the army saw British armed vessels off the mouth of Detroit River, and other warlike prep- arations. Here they made their first preparations for an attack, which, at one time, during the night, they supposed had been commenced.
Gen. Hull marched with his army into Canada, but from some cause, never fully understood, but supposed by many to have been imbecility, remained for six weeks encamped at Sandwich, on any day of which period, he might have captured Malden and effected the military occupation of the Province. While there he sent out several expeditions against the enemy, and two to effect a union with Col. Brush who had arrived at River Raisin, with four or five hundred head of cattle for the use of the army. The last of these expeditions was under command of Col. Miller, who met the British and Indians at Monguagua and effected a passage through their ranks. Me- dor Coutture, Esq., of Monroe, says that previous to the arrival of Col. Brush at Raisin, he had enlisted as a private in the Cavalry under Capt. Richard Smith, and those who lived at River Raisin, were under the command of Cornet Isaac Lee. They performed no other service for some time after their or- ganization, than that of escorting the United States mail from Raisin to Detroit, but on the occasion of the battle of Mongua- gua, they marched to the scene of action and participated in
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the conflict, contributing in no small degree to the achievment of Miller's victory. After this was over, and with the mail under their escort, while on their return to Raisin, they fell into an ambush in the marsh at Brownstown. The Indians wounded Louis Jacob, but killed none. An instance of cool- ness is related of Achan Leboo, one of the French soldiers whose canteen was tapped by a bullet. "By George," said he, raising the vessel to his mouth " before they get my whiskey, I will drink it."
Gen. Dearborn having entered into an armistice at the lower end of the Lake, Gen. Brock hastened with his army to Detroit. Gen. Hull re-crossed the river, when he heard of his approach, and garrisoned Fort Detroit. Brock demanded a surrender, which was declined, and bombardment and cannonading com- menced. Gen. Hunt says, that balls and bombs came against the Fort with great regularity, but there were no indications of a surrender until a thirty-two pound shot came, which struck ' Lieut. Hanks, Major Sibley and Dr. Reynolds, killing them in- stantly and severely wounding Dr. Blood. At the time this occurred Gen. Hunt was standing near the unfortunate men, and where he could also see the effect which their loss produced upon Gen. Hull. He says, that he saw the old man's lips trem- ble, and the tobacco juice ran from his mouth upon his bosom. When the next shot came he ran up the white flag.
Peter Navarre joined Hull's army on the Maumee, went to Detroit, and then returned to Raisin, where he enlisted in Col. Anderson's Regiment. He was at Raisin when the British Captain, Elliott, accompanied by a Frenchman and a Wyandot, came with a flag, to inform Col. Brush, and the troops at Rai- sin, that they were included in the surrender of Hull. Lieuten- ant Coutture, officer of the day, blindfolded Elliott and led him into the Guard House. Upon learning his errand, Brush in- dignantly refused to comply with the terms of the surrender, and gave orders to Coutture to place Elliott under arrest. He was locked in the Guard House. Brush hastily packed up the
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property in the Fort and retreated, taking with him the cattle, he had brought, leaving orders for the release of Elliott the next morning, which were obeyed. Elliott was very angry and sent immediately to Tecumseh, who at the head of a band of Indians came to Raisin for the purpose of pursuing Brush, but finding it too late, he abandoned the enterprise in disgust. Navarre and his four brothers acknowledged the terms of the surrender, and were permitted to depart on parole.
Some weeks previous to the surrender of Detroit, a large force of hostile Indians, by a simultaneous movement, had in- vested Forts Wayne and Harrison, and held them in siege. Our late esteemed fellow-citizen, Major B. F. Stickney, had been appointed Indian Agent by President Madison, and was at Fort Wayne during the siege. Having accidentally learned, before the siege was commenced, that the Indians were pre- paring for it, he dispatched a messenger to Cincinnati with the request that relief should be sent to the forts as soon as possi- ble. Gen. Harrison had just been appointed by the State of Kentucky to the command of her troops, and set out upon the march as soon as he had received Stickney's message. In the meantime the Indians established lines of guard around Fort Wayne, and opened upon it an incessant fire of small arms. For the purpose of inducing the people in the fort to believe that they were provided with cannon, they scooped out logs and fastened them together, so as to form rude wooden guns, which they charged with powder and fired, making a great deal of noise, and raising a great deal of dust, without effecting their object. There were less than one hundred people in the fort, and from six to eight hundred Indians surrounding it. It was a small, frail stockade, which could not have withstood the at- tack of regular troops six hours. The danger of a capture was very imminent, and daily growing more so as the siege pro- gressed. Uncertain as to the success of the messenger who was sent to Cincinnati, the little garrison kept vigilant watch of the enemy, and used no more ammunition than was neces-
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sary to keep the Indians away from the pickets, while they awaited not without uncertainty, but yet without fear the event of the siege. Gen. Harrison, anxious to relieve the suspense which he felt must affect the inmates of the besieged garrison, and also to inspire them with fresh courage, selected from his troops a young officer, whom he charged with the difficult and dangerous service of penetrating the wilderness to the fort, and running the Indian line of guard to the sally port. The person selected was Major William Oliver. He was accompanied by four Shawanese. After a march of sixty miles they came near the outposts of the enemy. Oliver was in Indian costume. It was broad mid-day. Warily did they examine every pass and scan every thicket until they came within sight of the pickets. Then the time for timidity had passed, and all seemed to de- pend upon the strength and activity of the legs. They broke into a fleet run-all feeling that it was to be a race for life. They reached the fort, without being discovered, and Oliver re- mained there until the siege was brought to a close. His assur- ance that aid was near, renewed the zeal with which the inmates of the fort engaged in its defence. Gen. Harrison's army ar- rived on the 10th of September. The Indians fled at its ap- proach, filling the wilderness around with their whoops and yells.
The massacre of Chicago and the surrender of Detroit ex- posed the entire frontier to the enemy, except so much of it as was protected by Forts Wayne and Harrison, both of which had almost miraculously escaped the investments to which they had been subjected. The enemy were not slow to avail them- selves of their supposed advantages. News that Fort Wayne had been relieved did not reach Detroit before Hull's surren- der, and as a consequence, the first act of Gen. Brock was to detach from his troops and Indians, six hundred of each, to re- inforce the besiegers of Fort Wayne. Manor says that the first intimation of Hull's surrender was given to the French settlers at the foot of the rapids, by a party of sixty or seventy Dela-
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wares, who arrived there in advance of the main body of the army, on the march to Fort Wayne. He says that he, with some of his neighbors, was standing in front of Beaugrand's store at Maumee, when the Indians came out of the woods- that they drew up in line, and each put his gun to his shoulder and aimed, as if to fire, at the little group of settlers. Beau- grand came out and waved a white handkerchief. They dropped their muskets and approached the store, on a run. They re- mained but a few minutes. An hour after their departure, about one hundred British soldiers and as many Pottawatamies and Wyandotts came up. Their first enquiry was for guides. Manor, from prudential motives, was seized with sudden and severe lameness. It would not do. The officer in command pressed him into service as a guide, and lame as he seemed, he was compelled to conduct this company to the head of the rap- ids. Here his lameness increased so much, that it disqualified him for further travel, and his persecutors dismissed him. He set out on his return home. When about half way, he met a band of Pottawatamies, who took him prisoner, and demanded where he was going. He told them he had been ordered back to procure forage for the cattle and horses. They let him go. At the foot of Presque Isle Hill, he met Col. Elliott, the officer in command of the detachment, and the remainder of the troops and Indians composing it. Elliott examined him closely, and on learning that he had been employed as a guide, and had been discharged for lameness and incompetency, he bestowed upon him a curse or two, and permitted him to go on his way rejoicing. He proceeded to Beaugrand's. Finding that the country was getting too hot for him, and sympathizing with the American cause, he left the rapids to join his family, which had previously removed to the dwelling of Robert Navarre at the mouth of the river. At Swan Creek, he came suddenly upon two British vessels. The officer in command, not satisfied with his account of himself, took him prisoner, and confined him un- der hatches. He staid there until Beaugrand could be informed 4
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of his condition, and upon his representation that Manor was a tory, he was released, and joined his family without further impediment.
Before Gen. Harrison left Fort Wayne, he was joined by Brigadier Gen. Winchester of the regular service. He took command of the regulars, and a sufficient number of volunteers to make up an army of 1700, and marched down the Maumee. Near Defiance he discovered the advance guard of the British army, which had proceeded thus far on their march to reinforce the Indians. Peter Navarre had accompanied the British as a guide on this expedition. At Turkey Foot he found an oppor- tunity to leave them, and hastening on in advance, to inform the beleaguered garrison, had met and apprised Winchester of their approach, some hours before they came in sight, and then returned to the British. Winchester arranged his lines, so as to make a great show of numbers, and when the British beheld them approaching, with the apparent determination to engage in instant conflict, they beat a hurried retreat without stoppa- ges until they reached Malden. Gen. Winchester remained with his army at Defiance, and built the stockade fort known as Camp Winchester.
The left wing of the army soon marched from Camp Winches- ter, ten miles below Defiance, to Camp No. 3, where they re- mained nearly three months. The sufferings of the soldiers from sickness, cold and starvation during this period were hor- rible, upwards of three hundred were daily upon the sick list. Typhus fever, in its most malignant form, daily swept five or six into the grave. Many were so destitute of shoes and cloth- ing, that they would have frozen on any march from their quarters. Provisions soon began to disappear. The men were allowed but half rations. At length the flour gave out entire- ly, and poor beef, and the roots of hickory saplings roasted, became the only means of subsistence. The other wing of the army was encamped at Upper Sandusky, more than one hun- dred miles distant, and only accessible by a march through the
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pathless wilderness. Gen. Winchester had received orders from Gen. Harrison, to advance to the foot of the rapids as soon as he had accumulated twenty days' provisions, and com- mence building huts there, to induce the enemy to believe he was going into winter quarters. This march was commenced on the 30th December.
In the meantime, Manor, finding his family safe, planned a little expedition on his own account which partook largely of the romance that had thus far attended him through the war. He had several friends among the French residing at River Raisin, whom he was desirous of removing to the mouth of Maumee. Accordingly on the night of the 18th January, with his eldest son for company, he started for Frenchtown, on a rude sled drawn by a pony. The night was clear and beauti- ful, the weather extremely cold, and the ice of the lake covered with a heavy incrusted snow. He approached Frenchtown in a few hours, and hearing the sound of musketry, left his horse with his boy and hastened to the scene of action. It was the brilliant attack and victory of Major Lewis. Manor sent some female friends, with his son, back to Navarres, and remained himself to share the fortune of the American army, now advan- cing to reinforce Major Lewis. The history of the bloody massacre of the Raisin has never been correctly published. Medor Coutture and Peter Navarre, both eye witnesses and actors, unite in the correctness of the following details, taken from their own mouths.
After Navarre and his four brothers left the Raisin on pa- role, they returned to the mouth of the Maumee, and when Colonels Lewis and Allen advanced to Presque Isle, from Camp No. 3, and were importuned to march to the relief of the set- tlers at Frenchtown, they were employed as their guides. Coutture, also on parole, remained at Frenchtown. Lewis and Allen marched with their troops on the ice from Presque Isle to the site of the old dock on River Raisin, near Monroe. The British and Indians were on the north bank of the river,
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encamped upon grounds on which the dwelling of Coutture's parents stood. They had a six-pounder which they discharged repeatedly without effect. The Americans charged upon them, and drove them from their position, and continued the battle from about three o'clock until dark. They were left in posses- sion of the field. This was the 18th day of January. Next day, Col. Wells, with a battalion of two hundred men, arrived, and encamped on the Reaume farm, some distance from the camp of Lewis and Allen. Gen. Winchester, accompanied by his aid, Capt. Wolverton, arrived on the 20th, and established his head quarters at the house of Col. Francis Navarre, a mile distant from either of the camps, and on the opposite side of the river. He visited the camp of Lewis and Allen on the 20th, and at that time was introduced to the family of Mr. Coutture, senior, after which he returned to his quarters at Col. Navarre's.
On the morning of the 21st, Peter Navarre and his four brothers, by Winchester's request, went on a scouting expedi- tion towards the mouth of Detroit River. They saw on the ice, at a great distance, a solitary man approaching them on a run. He proved to be Joseph Bordeau, since the father-in-law of Peter Navarre, who was making his escape from Malden, where he had been held as a prisoner.
" My lad," said he, addressing Peter, "the Americans will be attacked by the whole British army to-night. I know it."
The brothers conducted Bordeau to Winchester, and he told him the same. A Frenchman, who proved to have been in the British interest, by the name of Jocko Lasalle, stood by, and lulled the fears of the unsuspecting General, by asserting in the most positive language, that it must be a mistake. Win- chester dismissed the scouts with a laugh, but made no prepa- ration to meet the threatened danger. Another scout came in during the afternoon, with intelligence confirmatory of that given by Bordeau, but Winchester remained incredulous.
In the evening, Coutture accompanied Adjutant McCalley on a visit to Dr. Austin, Surgeon of the 2d Regiment, who was
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sick of consumption. They remained with him until about nine o'clock, when Coutture suggested they had better return, as they were without the countersign. McCalley replied that he had it. It was a dim starlight night. On their return to camp, they passed a man walking hastily. Coutture enquired, "What is the matter ? You are in a hurry."
" Yes," he replied. "It is time to be in a hurry."
" Why so ?" rejoined Coutture.
" The British and Indians, in full force, are at Stony Creek, only four miles distant."
This man, whose name was John La Bresh, fled. McCalley and Coutture went on to the camp. In the parlor of the house were seated Colonels Lewis, Allen, Major Madison and others engaged in conversation. Coutture leaned upon the chair of Major Garrard.
" Medor," enquired the Major, " what news do you bring ?"
"Very bad news, Major," replied Coutture. "The British and Indians, in full force, are within four miles of us."
The officers started to their feet simultaneously, and Gar- rard said : "Then we must prepare to meet them; " and, in company with several others, he went out and stationed the picket guard around the camp.
McCalley, Ensign Baker, and Major William O. Butler slept crosswise on one bed that night. A little before daylight, Cout- ture kicked the drummer, who was lying beside the fire-place, and told him to beat the reveille. While he was playing the tune called "Three Camps," the British opened their fire with all their artillery, consisting of six field pieces and mortars. Navarre and his brothers had taken possession of an old horse- mill a short distance from the camp, where they contrived to do good service with their rifles, during the engagement.
The luckless commander, aroused by the firing, strove to join his army, from which he was separated by the river and nearly a mile of distance. Mounting Col. Navarre's horse, he rode, heedlessly, in what he supposed to be the direction of the camp,
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but had not gone far before he fell into the hands of Jack Brandy, an Indian belonging to Round Head's band, by whom, after being divested of nearly all his clothing, he was conduc- ted, in a half frozen condition, to Proctor. Proctor persua- ded Jack to surrender the General to him and restore his clothing. Until the capture of Gen. Winchester, the Ameri- cans had maintained a successful defence. At one time, Proc- tor had ordered the firing to cease, with a view to suspend hostilities, but with Winchester for a prisoner, he dictated his own terms of capitulation. Winchester sent his aid, with per- emptory orders, to Major Madison, the officer left in command, to surrender, which were as peremptorily declined. He then went to Madison, in charge of an Indian, and told him, that his own life and the safety of the army depended upon his prompt and unconditional surrender. Madison again declined, but finally agreed to do so, upon condition that all private property should be respected ; that sleds should be provided next morning to remove the sick and wounded to Malden ; that in the meantime they should be protected by a guard, and that their side-arms should be restored to them on their arrival at Malden, to which Proctor agreed. The heaviest loss of our army in the battle fell upon the battalion of Col. Wells, which, in attempting to join Col. Lewis' troops, got into confusion and lost two hundred men, who were cut to pieces. Had they encamped with Col. Lewis, instead of occupying the Reaume farm, upon their arrival, the American arms would probably have been victorious.
Peter Navarre and his brothers, still in possession of the old horse-mill, now that the army had surrendered, found them- selves in the dilemma of prisoners who had violated their parole.
" What shall we do ?" enquired Robert, clasping his throat significantly. "If we are captured, we shall be hung."
"Let's run," replied Peter. "Better die by a bullet than a rope." And suiting the action to the word, the brothers showed
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their enemies a clean pair of heels. With Indians in hot pur- suit, and balls whistling around them like hail, they meandered through the marsh grass, and ran far out upon the lake, and effected their escape. Before evening they went to Presque Isle, and during the night, Robert, the elder brother, returned stealthily, to the scene of battle.
Medor Coutture, with two Frenchman by the names of Bri- neau and Beaugrand, and Dr. Bower and Hunter, was left in charge of the Hospital, a house near by, belonging to John Jerome. There were forty-five wounded in the house :- among others, Major Madison and Capt. Hart, a brother-in-law of Hon. Henry Clay. Looking in the direction of Malden, next morning, Coutture saw, instead of the promised sleds, about three hundred Indians approaching.
" Capt. Hart," said he, entering the apartment of the wound- ed officer, " we are all gone. The Indians are coming instead of the sleds."
Soon after, the work of massacre commenced in earnest. The savages tomahawked, scalped and plundered the wounded without mercy, and thus perished some of the most brilliant young men of Kentucky. Before life had fairly left the man- gled bodies of the unfortunate victims, the buildings were fired, and the dead and dying were consumed together. Coutture and Doctor Bower were stripped and tied by a band of Chippe- was, and stood near the blazing ruins, in momentary expecta- tion of death. An old Ottawa Chief, by the name of Wau-gon, who had been a friend of Coutture before the war, was reeling with drunkenness in the road near by. Coutture beckoned to him. He came to him, recognized him, and comprehending the horrors of his condition, put his finger in his mouth and gave a shrill whistle. Immediately, several Indians came running to the spot.
" Take care of him," said Wau-gon, pointing to Coutture. "Give him his clothes. He is my son. His father lies dead in the yard, and I am now his father. Don't harm him." He
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