USA > Ohio > The Ohio country between the years 1783 and 1815 : including military operations that twice saved to the United States the country west of the Alleghany Mountains after the revolutionary war > Part 14
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Sandusky (now Fremont, Ohio) and nine miles below Fort Ball, on the site of the present Tiffin; and at this Seneca town he built Fort Seneca during the middle and latter part of July, 1813.
On July 20th, General Proctor, with an army estimated to number at least five thousand, ar- rived at the mouth of the Maumee River for his second threatened investment of Fort Meigs twelve miles above; and the next morning a picket guard of a corporal and ten soldiers about three hundred yards from Fort Meigs were sur- prised by Savages, and all but three were killed or captured. The number of Savages now with the British was evidently greater than they had ever before marshalled; and it was probably one of the greatest collections of such warriors ever assembled in America for war-the number being variously estimated at from two to four thousand. M'Afee records the number of warriors as about two thousand and five hundred, and the number of Aborigines fed each day by the British at this time from Malden (now Amherstburg) as seven thousand, including the women and children. It was also reported that there were with the regulars and militia from Malden, one thousand British regulars from Niagara. Undoubtedly efforts had been put forth to gather sufficient
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force, in their estimation, to crush the United States barriers between them and the liberty of the country west of the Allegheny Moun- tains. The Savage allies of the British were numerously investing Fort Meigs. They suc- ceeded in capturing some horses and oxen, but their shots were not effective on the garrison, while meeting losses themselves.
Soon after midnight, Lieutenant Montjoy with twenty United States troops arrived at the fort from the Portage River blockhouse, having es- caped the Savages with the loss of one man.
General Clay had sent Captain McCune of the Ohio militia to inform General Harrison of the approach of the enemy. This messenger was returned to the fort to report that reinforcements would soon be forthcoming; and Harrison again suggested renewed caution to guard against being surprised.
Lieutenant-Colonel George Paul, with his United States Infantry, and Colonel Ball, with his dragoons, together numbering four hundred and fifty, were ordered forward; also Brigadier- Generals McArthur and Cass (who had recently been promoted) with their Ohio troops. Five hundred additional United States troops were approaching from Fort Massac under Colonel
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Theodore Dye Owings (Owens?). These, with the one hundred and forty regulars who were building Fort Seneca, and those at Forts Stephen- son and Meigs, would have been a sufficient num- ber, perhaps, for the defence of these posts, had the distant commands been near.
General Clay presented a bold front. On July 23d, he sent Captain McCune with the report that about eight hundred Savages were passing up the opposite (left) bank of the Maumee, possi- bly to attack Fort Winchester. Harrison be- lieved, correctly, that this movement was only a feint, but, after a council with his staff, scouts were sent out; and McCune was sent back to the fort with this information, and with further precautionary suggestions regarding the wily enemy. The sequel proved the wisdom of the Commander-in-Chief.
Accompanied by James Doolan, a French- Irish Canadian, McCune arrived near Fort Meigs about daybreak, they having lost their way in the night. At the edge of the fort's clearing they were beset by Savages, who were also on horseback, and they were pursued several miles up the river; but here, again, the prowess of the American backwoodsmen outwitted the Savages. They arrived in the fort safely, to report that
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no more troops could be spared until further arrival from those distant, when Harrison would march to the support of the fort if necessary.
The evening of July 24th, Colonel Gaines with two hundred soldiers made, from Fort Meigs, a detour of the edge of the woods, to reconnoitre the enemy and any batteries they might be con- structing. A stronger detachment from the Brit- ish encampment was started to intercept the return of the Americans, but it did not arrive in time for an engagement. The British moved their main force to the right bank of the river on the 25th, but did not approach within good range of the fort's cannon.
Proctor and Tecumseh had formulated an in- genious strategic plan for the capture of Fort Meigs at night, with little destruction of life to their commands. The British secreted themselves in the deep ravine near the fort to the eastward. Tecumseh, with a large number of Savages, opened a brisk sham battle along the road to Lower Sandusky, as near the fort as practicable, to make it appear to the garrison that they were attacking an American force coming to reinforce the fort. This ruse was for the purpose of draw- ing part of the garrison from the fort, to allow the British, as with Colonel Dudley's command,
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to cut off their return, and leave them to be sur- rounded and massacred by the horde of Savages, while the British would enter the gates under cover of the darkness, take the garrison by sur- prise, and thus capture the fort. Many soldiers of the garrison desired to sally forth and succor their supposed hard-pressed comrades, but the firmness of General Clay, supported by the memory of repeated cautionings of his Commander-in- Chief, prevailed. Rain, and several discharges of cannon in the fort, soon put a stop to the sham battle.1
Remembering their past experience in the spring, and noting that the fort was in better condition to withstand their attack than for- merly, the British departed from Fort Meigs, July 27th, without further effort to mislead or capture it; having been in its vicinity about thirty hours.
1 See account of this ruse by the British Major Richardson in the London New Monthly Magazine for December, 1826.
CHAPTER XXII
ANOTHER SIGNAL REPULSE OF THE ALLIED ENEMY
British Surround and Attack Fort Stephenson-They are Brilliantly Repulsed by Captain Croghan-They again Retreat to Fort Malden.
A FTER retreating from Fort Meigs the second time, a good part of the British force sailed around through Lake Erie, through Sandusky Bay, and up Sandusky River, to Fort Stephen- son, expecting to find it an easy prey. Upon their arrival they found it already invested by their allies, the Savages, who had marched across from Fort Meigs.
Here was another illustration of the good grasp of the general situation, and of the excellent judgment displayed by General Harrison. He did not expect, nor fear, that the enemy would expend much more effort for the capture of Fort Meigs, but he did expect them to direct their energies to his defences of the right wing which
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possessed large stores, and were not so strongly fortified.
Their investment of Fort Stephenson the first and second days of August, and their repulse by that garrison of but one hundred and sixty men with but one small cannon, under command of the brilliant, young (about twenty-one years of age), courageous, and most patriotic Captain (afterwards Major) George Croghan, nephew of General William Clark, is one of the most re- markable events in the War of 1812. It was preposterous to presume that such small garrison in such weak fortification could withstand such a large, well-equipped, and experienced investing force; hence General Harrison had ordered young Croghan to burn the small amount of stores with the fort and take the garrison to Fort Seneca if the enemy approached. But Captain Croghan was surrounded by Savages before the British appeared, and he, and his garrison, preferred to die at their posts, if die they must, rather than be massacred by the Savages in an effort to escape. This determination, and their alertness, with good judgment in taking advantage of every opportunity, led to one of the most brilliant victories of American arms, with the loss of but one man killed and seven slightly wounded, while
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inflicting a loss on the enemy of one hundred and twenty.
Late in the afternoon of August Ist, the British gunboats and troops came through Sandusky Bay and up Sandusky River to within sight of Fort Stephenson. They had made sure against retreat of the garrison, and to intercet rein- forcements. Captain Croghan was summoned to surrender, but he replied that he and the garri- son were determined to defend the fort. After some parleying by the British, with efforts to intimidate, their cannon and howitzers for twenty-four hours threw balls and shells; with little effect, however, until they concentrated on the northwest angle of the fort, evidently to form a breach for assault. The effect of their shot was here guarded against to some extent by bags of sand and sacks of flour being piled against the stockade. The single six-pounder cannon in the fort was fired only at long intervals on account of the scanty supply of ammunition.
Toward the evening of August 2d an assailing party of the British advanced in the direction expected, and to command which the only cannon had been placed, masked, and doubly charged with slugs and grape-shot. At an opportune moment, when the first column of the enemy had
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advanced into the ditch within ten or fifteen paces of the six-pounder, the masked port was opened and the cannon discharged with dire effect. The second column, that advanced to take the place of their fallen comrades, soon met great loss and confusion from the small arms of the garrison, which completed the disastrous work of the defence in this quarter. The remnant of the assailing columns retreated precipitately and in confusion. Two hundred grenadiers, who were to assail the south side of the fort, did not attain their position until later. They were so warmly opposed by the small arms of the garrison that they soon withdrew.
During the night, which was now come, Gen- eral Proctor sent Savages to gather the wounded and dead, which they did with those without the range of the garrison's muskets in the darkness. About daylight the British and their savage allies departed from the river and bay, leaving a small vessel containing clothing and military stores, their retreat being hastened by reports of rallying Americans from Fort Seneca.
The garrison supplied the wounded enemy with water, at first in pails let down outside the stockade, and later through an opening made under two stockade timbers, through which the
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wounded were singly taken within the enclosure and well cared for. The British left behind of their dead, three officers and twenty-five privates; and of their wounded, twenty-six who were taken prisoners.
Scouts were sent early in the morning down the river and bay; but no enemy was discovered other than a few straggling British soldiers who were surprised and captured by the Wyandot Aborigine scouts, recently admitted to the Amer- ican army, who quickly delivered them at head- quarters. These prisoners evidently expected to be massacred like the American prisoners cap- tured by the British allies; and their trepidation and anxiety produced much merriment among their captors, who enjoyed the recollection of it for a long time.
General Proctor sent his army surgeon, Banner, to Fort Stephenson to inquire after his wounded soldiers. This messenger was treated courteously and given every opportunity for personal exam- ination; which was in great contrast to the treat- ment by the British of Surgeon McKeehan of the Ohio militia, who was sent by General Harrison to Amherstburg, January 31, 1813, to inquire after the wounded of General Winchester's army, following the sad defeat and massacre at the river
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Raisin. After receiving much discourteous treat- ment, Surgeon McKeehan was arrested by order cf Proctor and sent to a dungeon at Montreal.
Harrison was informed that many of the Sav- ages with the British were discouraged and dis- satisfied with the war after their failures at Fort Meigs and their repulse at Fort Stephenson. He therefore sent to them at Brownstown, below Detroit, some of his most confidential Wyandot chiefs, to confer with Chief Walk-in-the-Water, and the Wyandot warriors under him, for the purpose of spreading the disaffection toward the British, and to secure their neutrality. Such were the alertness and discipline of the British, however, that Colonel McKee and Captain Elliott were at once notified of the visit and were present to prevent or neutralize the proposition. There- upon the British renewed their work among the Aborigines, extending it to the neutrals by the headwaters of the Auglaize River, the St. Marys, and the Miami to the southward.
The signal success of Captain Croghan at Fort Stephenson ended the invasion of Ohio by the British. General Harrison renewed his efforts to carry the war into the enemy's country; and these efforts soon resulted in driving the British from western Ontario.
CHAPTER XXIII
THE ENTIRE FORCE OF THE BRITISH ON LAKE ERIE CAPTURED
Renewed Efforts for Squadron of Armed Vessels Successful --- Oliver H. Perry Builder and Commander-His Diffi- culties-He Sails for the Enemy-Communicates with Harrison-Meets and Captures All of the British Squad- ron-Perry's Despatches after the Battle-The Killed and Wounded-Description of Squadrons.
T "HE early suggestions of General Hull for a United States fleet or squadron of armed vessels on Lake Erie were reported upon favor- ably, and, in the spring of 1812, Commodore Stewart took action for this purpose. There was, however, but little result from this effort. In September, 1812, Lieutenant Jesse D. Elliott was sent to Black Rock, now part of the city of Buffalo, for the purpose of building such vessels.
On October 8th two armed vessels, the Detroit and Caledonia, arrived from the British at De- troit, and anchored under the guns of Fort Erie,
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across the Niagara River from, and a little above Black Rock. Lieutenant Elliott planned their capture at night, and, with the aid of Lieutenant- Colonel (afterward General) Winfield Scott, he succeeded, after a series of remarkable experiences and narrow escapes. The Detroit was partly built by General Hull, and went to the British with his surrender of the fort at Detroit; and her first name, Adams, was changed by her captors. The British rallied in such force, and so per- sistently, from Fort Erie to her relief against Lieutenant Elliott's attack and capture, that the Americans burned her on the Niagara River to prevent her recapture. They were more suc- cessful in getting the Caledonia away from the British. Little was accomplished on new vessels, however.
General Harrison had urged the building of vessels sufficient to cope with the increasing British squadron. This work was seriously under- taken in the spring of 1813 under the direction of Commodore Isaac Chauncey. This officer settled upon Master-Commander Oliver Hazard Perry, of Newport, Rhode Island, to produce the desired squadron. Erie, Pennsylvania, the his- toric Presque Isle, had been selected as the place of rendezvous, and Commander Perry arrived
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there for the work March 27, 1813. The work, already well begun, now progressed rapidly.
The British Fort George, by the Niagara River, was captured on May 27th, Perry there acting an important part. The Niagara frontier now being free from the enemy, five small vessels (the Caledonia, the small brig captured at Fort Erie, three schooners named the Somers, Tigress, and Ohio, that had been purchased, and a sloop, the Trippe) were thus liberated from service on the upper Niagara River, and were taken by Perry to his rendezvous at Erie, barely evading on the way the British squadron that was looking for them.
Many obstacles and delays attended Commander Perry's efforts; and when his boats were ready (they being, in addition to those previously named, the Lawrence, flagship, and Niagara, both twenty-gun brigs, and the schooners Scorpion, Porcupine, and Ariel, which was clipper-modelled) there were only men enough at hand to officer and man one of the brigs, despite the Commander's importunities for men sufficient to enable him to proceed against the enemy. While in this pre- dicament Perry was annoyed-almost taunted- by letters from the Naval Department and from General Harrison, urging him to proceed against
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the enemy; also by the British squadron remain- ing in sight of his Erie harbor, threatening to attack him. A few men came straggling in, "a motley set, blacks, soldiers, and boys," and there was much sickness among them.
The second movement of the British against Fort Meigs, described on preceding pages, oc- curred at this time, and the British vessels moved from the offing to the west end of Lake Erie in support of it.
Master-Commander Perry's force increased, by volunteers of frontiersmen and soldiers, until at the close of July it numbered about three hun- dred. On August Ist, it was decided to get his ten vessels from Erie harbor into the Lake, but, owing to the shallow water on the bar, five days elapsed before his largest vessels, when empty, were floated across by great efforts, and buoying with "camels."1
Immediately after the vessels were in deep water, with their armament and stores placed, some of the British vessels appeared to the west- ward on their return. The Ariel and Scorpion
1 Large scows filled with water and placed one on each side of the vessel. Upright timbers from the scows support horizontal ones through, and against, the upper parts of the forward and after portholes of the vessel, then the water is pumped from the scows to buoy the vessel.
C
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were sent forward, and, upon their exchanging a few shots, the British Captain, Robert H. Bar- clay, turned his vessels around and retreated to Amherstburg.
The sailing and manœuvering qualities of Perry's squadron were then tried, and the mixed crews of amateur, inexperienced seamen were given some much-needed practice and discipline. On August 9th, Captain Jesse D. Elliott joined Com- mander Perry at Erie, with about one hundred officers and men of some experience, and he was given command of the Niagara.
The squadron left Erie on the 12th of August, 1813, and sailed toward the western part of Lake Erie. On the 15th, anchors were cast in a pleas- ant island harbor, that was soon to be christened by this naval force as Put-in-Bay, and have an honored record in American history.
Communications with General Harrison had been continued, and on the 16th of August Perry sailed toward the south shore, and, when off the mouth of Portage River on the 17th, he fired the signal guns agreed upon as notice to the General of his approach. Direct communications were established; and on the 19th, Generals Harrison, Cass, and McArthur, escorted by a company from the 28th Regiment United States Infantry, under
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Colonel Owings (Owens?) of Kentucky, and John- son's regiment of cavalry, together with all the seamen that could readily be found among the troops, and twenty landsmen volunteers, under Lieutenant Coburn of Payne's company, started to visit Perry on board the flagship Lawrence. These mixed crews were the best that could be secured to bring the number near to that necessary to man the different vessels.
They sailed on the 20th, to Put-in-Bay, to examine the island as a prospective station for the army in its advance against Amherstburg and Fort Malden.
Commander Perry kept under observation the British vessels, now all in the Detroit River, but unfavorable winds and much disability among his men, many of whom were prostrated with re- mittent fever, which serious disease he was also experiencing, prevented his attacking them. On the 3Ist, Harrison reinforced the naval squadron with thirty-six more men. On September Ist, Perry again moved to a point within sight of the enemy's squadron, but it was arranged under cover of the strong shore batteries, and would not answer his challenge.
The British had been building at Amherstburg a vessel, the Detroit, larger than any of those
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under Perry's command. At the time of her completion, provisions had become scarce at Amherstburg, and, on Friday the 10th of Septem- ber, the British squadron was obliged to move eastward for supplies. The vessels were early sighted by the Americans, who decided to give battle, and prepared accordingly. Perry hoisted on his flagship, the Lawrence, his battle-flag bearing the dying command of Captain Lawrence in the contest of the Chesapeake with the Shannon, "Don't Give up the Ship."
The battle was begun by a long-range gun of the Detroit, the missile falling short of its mark. Perry reserved his fire for short range. His flagship was the target for most of the enemy's shot, and the results to the brig and crew were widespread and direful. All of her guns became dismounted or useless, and only fourteen unhurt men remained, and only nine of these were seamen. The room below, to which the wounded had been taken, was above the water line and the enemy's shot frequently passed through it, continuing the work of destruction of life as well as of vessel.
Being unable to do more in the Lawrence, Perry ordered a boat lowered while putting on his full uniform, and, giving the Lawrence in charge of
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Lieutenant Yarnell, with discretionary powers, he, with his small brother and four oarsmen, entered the boat and passed to the Niagara. He persisted in standing most of the fifteen minutes required to make the transit, and was the target of many British guns, large and small.
Taking command of the Niagara, Perry sent Lieutenant Elliott in a small boat to bring into close action the more distant vessels, and, raising the Commodore pennant, he changed the course of his present flagship and broke through the British line, pouring at short range, with disastrous effect, the full force of the guns right and left into the disconcerted enemy. The other American vessels followed their leader, and, in eight minutes after the Niagara passed through the line, the four principal British vessels surrendered. The other two, the Chippewa and Little Belt, attempted to escape, but the Scorpion and Trippe, giving chase, soon brought them back to American possession.
Lieutenant Yarnell lowered the colors of the Lawrence soon after the departure of Perry, and the fire of the British was thereafter directed elsewhere. They were too busy in protecting themselves, however, to take charge of the wreck.
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Immediately after the surrender of the British, were written with a firm hand those model de- spatches which have been familiar to all students of history; the first to General William H. Harri- son, viz .:
"SIR: We have met the enemy and they are ours: Two Ships, two Brigs, one Schooner, and one Sloop. " Yours with great respect and esteem,
"O. H. PERRY."
"U. S. BRIG Niagara, OFF THE WESTERN SISTER [ISLAND]
"Head of Lake Erie, September 10, 1813, 4 P.M. " SIR:
"It has pleased the Almighty to give to the arms of the United States a signal victory over their enemies on this lake. The British squadron, consisting of two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop, have this moment surrendered to the force under my command after a sharp conflict.
"I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully,
" Your obedient servant,
"O. H. PERRY.
"Honorable WILLIAM JONES,
"Secretary of the Navy."
Commander Perry decided to receive the formal surrender of the British officers on board the disabled Lawrence, which he did, they wending their way between the dead Americans whose
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bodies yet remained on the deck. The British commander, Captain Barclay, was wounded and unable to be present.
At twilight, the non-commissioned dead, of friend and foe, enveloped in shrouds, with cannon balls at their feet, were dropped one by one into the lake, after the reading of the burial service of the Episcopal Church. This sad service being completed, the vessels slowly made their way to that beautiful bay which has since been known as Put-in-Bay; and the dead officers were buried on the land which received the name Put-in-Bay Island. The losses were: American, twenty- seven killed and ninety-six wounded, of whom twenty-two killed and sixty-one wounded were aboard the Lawrence; British, forty-one killed and ninety-four wounded.
There are varying reports regarding the rela- tive strength of the contending squadrons. The British had six vessels carrying sixty-three car- riage guns, one on pivot, two swivels, and four howitzers. The Americans had nine vessels with fifty-four carriage guns and two swivels. The British squadron had thirty-five long guns and the American fifteen, which explains the advantage of the former in the early part of the action. In close action the weight of metal was favorable
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to the Americans. The British crews possessed far more naval experience than the American.1
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