USA > Ohio > Sketches and statistics of Cincinnati in 1859 > Part 9
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savages. David Gibson, one of the settlers, had been taken prisoner, and Thomas Larrison and William Crum chased at the peril of their lives into the fort or station, and the inhabitants hardly dared venture out after their cows, as they strayed off into the woods. Accordingly, General Harmar dispatched Lieut. Kings- bury with a party of thirteen soldiers, of which I was one, acting as Orderly-sergeant. A larger body was detached as an escort, to see us safe to the station. We all marched on foot and reached our post without accident or adventure. Our escort returned, with- out loss of time, to Fort Washington.
The settlement had been made, originally, by John Dunlap, who called it Colerain, after the town in Ireland, from which he came. He laid it out as a town, into lots, but at the time I refer to, had left the place. It appeared, afterward, that he had no title to the land, and eventually the settlers lost what they had bought. The settlement or station was, however, known by his name, although Colerain subsequently became, as it still remains, the name of the township in which the ground lies. The fort, or station, consisted of a few cabins, lying in a square of perhaps an acre or more. These had been built, for convenience sake, facing each other, and with the roofs, of course, sloping outward; the very reverse of what they should have been for efficient defence. The outer edges of these were so low, that it was not uncommon for the dogs, which had been shut out, to spring from adjacent stumps on to the roof, and thence, side-ways, into the inclosure. At the corners of the square, block-houses had been constructed, and pickets, very weak and insufficient for defence against a resolute and active enemy, filled up the intervening spaces inclosing the whole. There were . but eight or ten persons, besides the regulars, capable of bearing arms, and the entire number of the fort, exclusive of the soldiers, did not exceed thirty souls.
We reached our destination in the latter part of January, 1791. One of the first services at the station we were called on to per- form, was to chop down the trees immediately adjacent, which had been recently girdled, and which Lieut. Kingsbury judged would afford advantage to an enemy in his approaches. The underbrush had been already cleared out and burnt. These trees were cut down, chopped up, and intended to be rolled or carried into heaps and burned; so that we should have ample and open space to watch as well as oppose any attack that might be made. But the Indians
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did not give us the necessary time to carry our purpose into effect. This was our employment up to the beginning of February.
On Saturday evening, the 5th of that month, one Sloan, who, with his party, had been surveying the neighborhood, was attacked by what he called "a scattering party of Indians," who killed one of his men, took another prisoner, and wounded Sloan himself; who, with the remaining member of his party, sought to make his way to Fort Washington. But, wearied and faint with the loss of blood, and his wounds beginning to bleed afresh, he concluded to seek the nearer shelter to be afforded by our small stockade. He had no reason to apprehend the attack that was meditated upon it; and so secure was our little garrison, that on the next-Sunday- morning, Lieut. Kingsbury sent out four or five of our number to bury the dead man. In this feeling of perfect security, and with true soldierly hospitality, Kingsbury had yielded the narrow accom . modation of his own quarters to Sloan, and having none for him- self, passed the night in lively and jocose conversation with us, in our quarters. About the day-dawn on Monday, he went out, for a moment, and we immediately heard him clapping his hands and crying, " Indians! Indians!" We imagined this to be merely a ruse of our commander, to put us to the proof, since we supposed that the sentinel himself should have given the alarm. Whether that vigilant person was asleep, or not, at his post, I had forgotten to inquire, and am at present unable to say. Nevertheless, we sprang instantly to arms, without waiting, some of us, to put on our attire. 'For myself, I went out with nothing on but my shirt, and ran into the mill-house, a small building, in line with and not far from the block-house. This had no chinking or daubing. This motion of mine was prompted by curiosity entirely; for never having hitherto seen an Indian, I was most anxious to look upon the red man. To my unaccustomed vision, the whole face of the earth appeared, at first, to be covered with them, and their peculiar head- gearing of feathers and pigment, and the horrid jingling of the deer- hoofs and horns, tied around their knees, presented a spectacle of great interest, so much so as to make me forget, for the moment, that they were enemies and had invested us with a hostile intent. I perceived that they had surrounded our small fortress entirely on the land side, their flanks resting on the bank of the stream, on either side of us. Resting on my musket, I took a lengthened gaze at them, not for a moment thinking of firing at them. I had
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been here but a few minutes, before one of the men, McVickar, came also into the mill-house. The Indians perceiving him, fired at and wounded him in the arm. Until that moment, I suppose, I had remained unseen by them; but now I began to receive some of their attention. A musket-ball, which came through the inter- stices of the logs, and whistling over my head, striking and upset- ting a bowl of corn from a shelf above me, made me think it not expedient to remain longer there, even to satiate my curiosity. I made my way back to the block-house, and put on the remainder of my clothes. As soon as this was done, cach man was disposed, by the commander, to the best advantage. My station was at the corner of one of the pickets, quite near the southeast corner of the. block-house, at a port-hole, where, for all that day and the ensuing night, without being once relieved, I was to watch our enemy, and do him all the harm in my power. By the time I had taken my position, the Indians mostly had made the shelter of the logs we had left lying for them, and now commenced a parley. Abner Hunt, the member of Sloan's party, who had been taken prisoner on Saturday, with his arms pinioned behind him, was placed on a log, three or four rods from the pickets, while Simon Girty, who held the cord by which he was bound, lay sheltered behind the log. Kingsbury was mounted on a stump, and leaned on or over the pickets, not more than ten feet from the port-hole where I was stationed, and I was thus cognizant of all that passed between them. It is not necessary to detail all this. Enough, that no promise of quarter could be drawn from the assailing party, at least nothing definite, and therefore nothing that could for a mo- ment suggest to the commander, or a single individual of the be- sieged, the idea of surrender. It was indicated, in the course of the parley, that Simon Girty was in command, that his brother George was also present, along with Blue Jacket, and some other chiefs, that they had present some five hundred Indians, and that some three hundred more were in the neighborhood, and that scouts were out and guarding all the way between us and Fort Washington, cutting off all hope of communication or relief from that quarter. The parley continued, I suppose, for two hours, at least. Each man of our little garrison had been ordered to fire, when he could take aim. And in execution of this order, every Indian, who, during the parley, incautiously left the shelter he had taken, was made to repent it. I know that during that period I
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discharged my musket five or six times, and I recollect that we were cautioned not to waste ammunition, inasmuch as we had only twenty-four rounds per man in the fort. Girty complained of this mode of holding a treaty, when Kingsbury, with a big oath, and in a loud voice, swore he would punish the first man that fired a gun, but immediately added to us in a tall whisper, " Kill the rascals, if - you can!" At the conclusion he told Girty that if they were five hundred devils, he would never surrender to them, and jumped down from his position. A tremendous volley of musketry from our foe immediately involved us all in smoke. This sport con- tinued till late in the afternoon, when they informed us, by Hunt, that they were only drawing off for awhile for refreshment, but that by the time the moon went down, they would return and put every one to the tomahawk. We continued at our posts awaiting the event. The only refreshment we had during the whole time of the siege, was a few handfuls of parched corn, which the girls, Sarah Hahn and her sister, Salome Hahn, Rebecca Crum, and another, by name Birket, brought round to us from time to time. We had not even a drop of water, none being in the fort, and access to the river being deemed hazardous in the presence of so numerous a foe. The moon went down about half an hour to an hour after sunset, and our assailants were as good as their word, at least in returning to the onset. They gave us several rounds of musketry, then setting fire to the brushwood we had so carefully provided, when they possessed themselves of firebrands, which, to the num- ber, I suppose, of more than five hundred, they projected, by means of their bows, into our stockade, and upon the roofs of our build- ings, intending to set them on fire. This mode of attack continued to be used until midnight, without success, when they drew off to a short distance to execute upon their prisoner, Hunt, the ven- geance that at parley they had denounced against him in the event of our failing to surrender. The scene of this horrid cruelty was between the fort and the artificial embankment, still to be seen, but which was then covered by the primeval forest trees. Here they stripped him naked, pinioning his outstretched hands and feet to the earth, kindling a fire on his naked abdomen, and thus, in lingering tortures they allowed him to dic. His screams of agony were ringing in our ears during the remainder of the night, be- coming gradually weaker and weaker till toward daylight, when they ceased.
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At about daybreak, the Indians returned to the fort, and renewed their volleys of musketry. A little after sunrise, there was afforded to us the only relief we had hitherto experienced. It was merely a change of our stations. Those who, up to this time, were in the open air, were allowed to change places with those in the block- house, to resume our watchful vigilance at port-holes under its shelter, and near the remains of a decaying fire, which served to warm somewhat our chilled limbs. Into this block-house, the largest building within the stockade, were gathered besides, all the non-combatants of the garrison, numbering, women and children, and all, perhaps twenty-five or thirty. Taking my station at my port-hole here, I soon discovered an Indian standing sheltered by a small tree, who, at nearly the same time, saw that I had discov- ered and was watching him. He made use of various artifices, hoping to draw my fire and escape, but I was wary and attentive to him, and determined not to be balked. He honored me with five or six shots, without success. While my attention was thus en- gaged by my man, Lieut. Kingsbury also entered the block-house. He was immediately assailed by the cries and screams of the women and children, and by the anxious inquiry, "What shall we do ?- is there no hope?" His response was, as I recollect, "Ladies, we must all suffer and die together. I know of no means of relief !" He began to state, in further explanation, that he had tried all his men, and tempted them with the offer of a pecuniary reward, to go to Ft. Washington to give the alarm and bring relief; but all in vain, as none would go. This declaration excited my attention, and, as one of the small garrison, I knew that I had not before heard of the matter, and I therefore immediately subjoined, " Why, Mr. Kingsbury, you have not tried me!" "True," said he, "I had forgotten you; will you go?" he eagerly inquired. " If you will, I will give you two half joes." "Not a cent, sir!" was my response; and the only condition I made was, that he should pa- rade the rest of the garrison in front of the block-house, to see me either safely cross the river, or be killed or wounded in attempting it, as fortune or providence would order it. To this he immedi- ately assented, and went to make a verbal correction, and to change the date of the letter he had already prepared to dispatch.
I suppose I was prompted to make the offer of myself, at the moment, for this forlorn hope, as it were, by the cries of the women and children I had just heard. However, I had no
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preparation to make, and the men were drawn up, and I was ready.
This was probably between seven and ten o'clock, in the morn- ing. The canoe was drawn up on the beach, so as to require some little assistance readily to get it off. I do not recollect who ren- dered me this assistance, which was to be done by being somewhat exposed to the fire of the besiegers, but Mr. Hahn assures me now that it was himself, then a boy of fourteen years, and his father, who gave me their aid for this purpose. . But at length I was in the boat, alone, using my most active exertions in setting myself, by means of a pole, across the stream. I had need to be in a hurry, for I was in presence of five hundred hostile Indians, who were honoring me with their attention in the shape of a leaden shower of bullets, some of which whistled by me and spent their force in the water, and some struck and shattered, in a small measure, my frail " dug out," though, happily, none touched or injured my per- son. I reached the opposite shore, where I waited long enough to draw the canoe partly on the beach, when I seized my musket and put myself, as soon as possible, under the shelter of the underwood, and took my course down stream. I had been told that about two miles below the station there was a ripple, where I could easily re- cross, but if I missed that -- since I could not swim-I should be obliged to make my way to Symmes' Station, at the mouth of the river, where I would be as far away from Fort Washington as at Colerain.
When I had gone, as I supposed, about two miles, I sat down and took a wary and cautious reconnaissance, in every direction, to see, if I might, some of the scouts that Girty told us were occupy- ing the country between us and Fort Washington. After satisfying myself that there were none near me, I stripped myself and at- tempted to wade the river. I found the water at neck deep, and growing deeper still, when I was obliged to desist. I made a like attempt at two other places, but with similar success, in the cold water, filled as the river was with mush-ice, when I concluded that I had no alternative but to go to Symmes'. But, luckily, about two hundred yards from the place where I made my last abortive at- tempt to wade, I discovered the ripple, and was enabled to cross where the water was not more than knee deep. Without further obstruction, or being intercepted by Indians, I reached Fort Wash- ington about four o'clock, in the afternoon, where my Captain,
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Truman, accompanied me to General Harmar's quarters, and I delivered my letters. Captain Truman responded to the General's questions, who I was and to what company I belonged, with pride, as his, and that I was the youngest soldier in the army. An exor- bitant dram of brandy, which Captain T. forced me to take, and a hearty meal, for which I had an appetite whetted by a long fast, as well as great exertion, having refreshed me, the General again sent for me, and inquired if I would return with the party to be sent to the relief of the station? I assented, on condition of being permitted to go mounted. This appeared reasonable, and was promised me, But since reinforcements were wanted, of a few militia from Columbia, I was permitted to take a night's rest.
Early in the morning, on a good horse, I accompanied the body, under the command of Colonel Strong, which reached Colerain between one and two o'clock, in the afternoon. We found that Girty and the Indians were in full retreat, having raised the siege some hour or two before. Colonel Strong pursued them two or three miles up the river, and came up with them, just as the last raft of the Indians were crossing the stream. As it was impossi- ble to continue the further pursuit, they escaped.
The remains of the unfortunate Hunt, shockingly mangled and charred, had been, meanwhile, buried by the garrison.
Colonel Strong had been ordered to bring me back, with him, to Cincinnati, but in consequence of Lieutenant Kingsbury's remon- strances, I was allowed to remain for a few days, when our whole party was relieved and marched into Fort Washington. About all the promotion I received in the army, was shortly conceded to me, in being made Sergeant of our company.
Soon after this, Captain Truman's company was detached to gar- rison Fort Hamilton, under Captain Armstrong. But during the year, Truman was put in command of a company of Light Horse, and he took me with him as his Orderly. Our duties among the various outposts of our northwestern territory were pretty severe. When in that same year, General St. Clair marched out to chastise the Indians, our company of Light Horse composed part of the forces under his command. On the luckless day of St. Clair's de- feat. I was present. On the evening previous, although I lay down to sleep with the rest of the force, I was from the, to me, unmis- takable noise of the Indians in our vicinity, unable to compose myself to rest. My acquaintance, during my brief tour of duty at
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Dunlap's Station, with the wonderful imitation, by the Indians, of the cries of wild beasts and wild fowl, had made me more wary than others. But perhaps my apprehensions were still more ex- cited by a small amount of knowledge and experience I had gained on the day's march. A soldier, who had stepped aside for a mo- ment, had been shot and killed, and I was detached, with a small party, to reconnoitre in that direction. I was astonished and alarmed by the evidence I saw, by their trail in the grass, of the immediate proximity of a very large force of the enemy. When, therefore, in the evening, at our encampment, Captain Truman ordered me to have the horses of our company hoppled and put out into the prairie, I ventured to remonstrate, and told him if we did so, we should not have an animal left in the morning. Fortu- nately he heeded my remonstrance, and each man was ordered, instead, to cut sufficient grass for his horse, and tie him up near our encampment. The wisdom of this procedure was proved by the experience of Captain Snowden's company, on the left wing, who put out their horses, and consequently lost-them all.
About an hour before day, while the soldiers were still slumber- ing, I perceived from the unusual yell of imitation of bears and wolves, and wild turkeys, that the Indians were in motion, and I conjectured that the attack was imminent. I therefore roused our company, on my own responsibility, and had our horses saddled and bridled, and ordered the men to mount. I then led Captain Truman's horse into the lines, and arousing him from his tent, ex- plained to him my apprehensions. Doubting my information, he nevertheless told me, in answer, to have the troop mounted. "It is already done, sir." "Go and bring my horse." "It is already here, sir." He dressed himself, and coming out, mounted his horse and rode toward the tent of General St. Clair, telling me, meanwhile, to return to the troop and await him. Before his re- turn, and in a very short period, the whole camp was aroused by the attack which was already made by the Indians on the militia in front, who came running into the camp in great disorder. We soon perceived that our encampment was entirely surrounded. As a rose, the enemy boat a retreat. . Our company, which was seventy- two strong, made at this moment a charge. The tramp of that number of horse made a very considerable noise; but pereciving an unaccountable degree of quiet to supervene upon this clatter, I turned my head to seek an explanation of the phenomenon, when 9
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I could see no one but the Captain and myself: it seemed that we were entirely cut off. At all events, only thirteen men had escaped with their lives, as we discovered on our return into the lines. Seeing ourselves thus alone, I said to the Captain, "What is the use of continuing this charge alone?" This induced him to turn his head to examine the state of affairs in the rear. In doing so, he received a wound from a rifle ball in the left wrist, and as he was wheeling his horse, another struck him in the hips. Perceiving him to reel in his saddle, I seized his horse's reins in my left hand, and putting my right arm round his waist, I thus brought him back within the lines. Just as we were entering these, a third ball cut off the two middle fingers of his left hand. The only attention paid to me, was to cut away the plume from my helmet, and riddle my small clothes. As we entered the camp, I perceived some twenty or thirty of our horses without their riders, but all bridled and sad- dled, had run into the camp, and were congregated under an oak tree near the lines.
Just as I was putting my Captain under charge of a surgeon, orders came by an Aide-de-camp for a mounted Orderly to be sent to the commanding General. As I was the only mounted Orderly on the field, I was immediately dispatched and made my way to the presence of Gen. St. Clair. I was now directed to bear his orders from one part of the camp to another. While in the execution of this duty, I saw Colonel Darke and his horse both fall. I rode up to him and inquired if he was wounded? He replied that he had received a wound in the thigh, and that his horse was killed. I im- mediately dismounted, and assisted him into my saddle, and led him into the lines. I then ran to where I had seen the horses congregated, and mounted another. The order of which I now became the bearer, was that all should retreat to the centre; but as, in repeating this order, I was obliged to raise my voice, I found that the troops had anticipated my presence and retreated; so that, when at length I made my way through the smoke, I found myself alone and exposed, which made me hasten my retreat to the centre, and, as in duty bound, to the very presence of General St. Clair. I there heard Darke remonstrating with the General for bringing us all together thus to be shot down like a flock of partridges. Darke soon after exclaimed, " My brave fellows, follow me : we'll charge to the road, and make our escape!" No sooner said than
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done. The whole army took to their heels, and the best man was the one who proved the swiftest.
I do not narrate many interesting incidents of the retreat. We made our way-I was with Captain Truman most of the time-to Fort Jefferson, where we arrived about the dusk of evening. Finding here no prospect of subsistence, we were forced to cen- tinue, after a brief delay, our way to Fort Hamilton. Capt. Tru- man, Licut. Suydam, and myself, each mounted, set forth together and in advance of the rest. But at what we supposed some ten miles distant from Fort Hamilton, my horse gave out, and I turned him loose, hoping to make better speed on foot. Captain Truman promised to have a horse sent out after me from the fort. But as I found out, the next day, his own horse gave out, and Lieut. Suy- dam hastened on and sent the horse which had, at first, been des- tined for me, to bring in the wounded Truman. After pushing on till nearly given out myself, I betook myself to a log, a little way aside from the road, and soon fell into a sound sleep. On awaken- ing in the morning, I discovered I had been aroused by the drums of the fort, which I joyfully found was close at hand. As I reached the opposite bank of the river, I descried my Captain, walking up and down, anxiously looking for me. He soon caused me to be ferried across, and, sending me to his quarters, he told me, after my long fast, fatigue, and exposure, to be rhoderate and prudent in the use of the refreshments I should find there. It was a saddle of venison, ready roasted, to which I was disposed to do ample jus- tice, even to the prejudice of my health, had he not soon came in and compelled me to moderate, for a while, my appetite. In due time, and under his counsel, I made a hearty mcal, almost the first food I had tasted for forty-eight hours.
Even at Fort Hamilton provisions were scarce; so much so that no rations could be drawn, and consequently from this place we were compelled to continue our retreat to Fort Washington. For this post, with about half a dozen men under my command, I started, after breakfast. We reached that evening a place, about six miles from Cincinnati, called Ludlow's Station, which we found bad been deserted by the inhabitants, although the houses were already in the possession of some officers of our retreating army. Here, supperless, we fired a log heap, and lay down to take our rest. As other squads came in, other log heaps were fired, so that presently the whole scene was somewhat animated. Lying near
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