History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 28

Author: Crumrine, Boyd, 1838-1916; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Hungerford, Austin N
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : H.L. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1216

USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 28

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It was the wish of Col. Crawford to make a vigor- ous attack on the Indians at daylight on the morning of the 5th, but he was prevented from doing so by the fact that the care of his sick' and wounded was very embarrassing, requiring the services of a number of men, and so reducing the strength of his fighting force. It was determined, however, to make the best preparations possible under the circumstances, and to attack with every available man in the following night. The Indians had commenced firing early in the morning, and their fire was answered by the whites; but it was merely a skirmish at long range and in no sense a battle. It was kept up during the greater part of the day, but little harm was done, only four of Crawford's men being wounded, and none killed. Col. Crawford, as we have seen, was not pre- pared for a close conflict, but he, as well as his officers and men, felt confident of their ability to defeat the enemy when the proper time should come, attributing the apparent unwillingness of the Indians to come to close quarters to their having been badly crippled in the fight of the 4th. But the fact was that the sav- ages were content with making a show of fight suffi- cient to hold their white enemies at bay while wait- ing for the arrival of their reinforcements, which they knew were approaching and near at hand.

The day wore on. The red warriors kept up their desultory firing, and the white skirmishers replied, while their comrades were busily and confidently

1 Butterfield relates the following incident concerning Francis Dun- levy, one of the volunteers in the expedition, whose home at that time was on Chartiers Creek, in what is now Peters township, Washington County, viz. : " Francis Dunlevy, who belonged to Captain Craig Ritchie's company, had during the fight been engaged with an Indian of huge proportions. The latter, as evening approached, crept carefully and

3 The British force from Detroit, including Butler's Rangers, had ar- rived on the evening of the 4th at a point only six miles north of the battle-ground, and there encamped for the night. The Indians knew cautiously towards Dunlevy through the top of a tree lately blown | of this, and as they had also begun to receive reinforcements by small parties of Shawanese, they knew that they had only to hold Crawford's posed he threw his tomahawk, but missed his aim and then escaped. ' force at bay until all their succors should arrive, when victory would be

down, which was full of leaves, when getting near enough as he sup- This Indian was afterwards recognized by Dunlevy as he believed in ' Big Captain Johnny,' who, in the war of 1812, was with the friendly Shawanese at Wapakoueta."

2 " The battle of Sandusky was fought in and around the grove since well known as " Battle Island,' in what is now Crane township, Wyan- dot County, three miles north and half a mile east of the court-house in Upper Sandusky. The spot has always been readily identified by reason of the scars upon the trunks of the trees, made by the hatchets of the Indians in getting out the bullets after the action. But the 'island' may Dow be said to have disappeared. Cultivated fields mark the site where the contest took place. Occasionally an interesting relic is turned up by the plow-share. to be preserved by the curious as a memeuto of the battle."-Butterfield.

certain. Col. Crawford was entirely ignorant of the proximity of any body of white troops, though he had no doubt that Indian reinforce- ments were on their way. Had he known all the facts his feeling of confidence must have been changed to the most gloomy forebodings of disaster.

4 A considerable number of his men had been made sick by the great fatigue and excessive heat of the previous day, and by the very bad water which they had been compelled to drink, the only water which could be found in the vicinity of the battle-ground being a stagnant pool which had formed under the roots of a tree which had been blown over. Maj. Rose, in his report to Gen. Irvine, said, " We were so much encom- bered with our wounded and sick that the whole day was spent in their care and in preparing for a general attack the next night."

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making preparations for the intended night assault ; but it was a delusive and fatal confidence. Suddenly, at a little past noon, an excited scout brought word to Col. Crawford that a body of white horsemen were approaching from the north. This was most alarming intelligence, but it was true. The British detachment from Detroit-Butler's Rangers-had arrived, and were then forming a junction with the Wyandot forces.1 But this was not all. Almost simultaneously with the arrival of the British horsemen, a large body of Shaw- anese warriors appeared in the south, in full view from Col. Crawford's position, and joined the Delawares.

In this state of affairs the idea of an attack on the Indian camp could no longer be entertained. The commandant at once called a council of war of his officers to determine on the course to be pursued in this dire emergency. Their deliberations were very short, and the decision unanimously rendered was to retreat towards the Ohio. In pursuance of this de- cision, preparations for the movement were at once commenced. The dead had already been buried, and fires were now built over them to prevent their dis- covery and desecration by the savages. Most of the wounded were able to ride, but for the few who were not, stretchers were prepared. These and other nec- essary preparations were completed before dark, and the volunteers were ready to move at the word of command. Meanwhile, war parties had been hourly arriving to reinforce the Indian forces, which had now become so overwhelming in numbers that any offen- sive attempt against them would have been madness.

As soon as the late twilight of June had deepened into darkness all scouts and outposts were called in, the column was formed in four divisions, each under command of one of the field-majors, as on the out- ward march,2 and the retreat was commenced, the command of Maj. John McClelland leading, and Col. Crawford riding at the head of all. Usually in a re- treat the post of honor, as of danger, is that of the rear guard, but in this case the head of the column was às much or more exposed than the rear, as the line of march lay between the positions held by the Delawares and Shawanese. That the advance was here considered to be the post of danger is shown by the fact that orders were given to carry the badly wounded in the rear.

The Indians had discovered the movement almost as soon as the preparations for it commenced, and hardly had the head of the column begun to move when it was fiercely attacked by the Delawares and Shawanese. The volunteers pushed on, fighting as they went, but they suffered severely, and soon after Maj. McClelland was wounded, and, falling from his horse, was left behind to the tender mercies of the savages. The division, however, fought its way clear

of the Indians, who did not then follow up the pursuit, probably for the reason that they felt doubtful as to the actual intent of the movement, thinking it might prove to be but a feint, covering the real design of a general assault; so, fearful of some unknown strata- gem or trap, they remained within supporting dis- tance of the Wyandots and Rangers, and by failing to pursue probably lost the opportunity of routing, per- haps annihilating, the head division.

When the advance-guard received the attack of the Delawares and Shawanese, the other three divis- ions, which, although not wholly demoralized, were undoubtedly to some extent panic-stricken, most un- accountably abandoned McClelland's command, and in disregard of the orders to follow the advance in a solid column, moved rapidly off on a line diverging to the right from the prescribed route. They had not proceeded far, however, before some of the companies became entangled in the mazes of a swamp, in which several of the horses were lost. During the delay caused by this mishap the rear battalion was attacked by the Indians, and a few of the men were wounded, but the enemy did not push his advantage, and the divisions pushed on as rapidly as possible, and de- flecting to the left beyond the swamp, and striking the trail by which they came on the outward march, came about daybreak to the deserted Indian village on the Sandusky, where they found the men of Mc- Clelland's division, who had reached there an hour or two earlier, disorganized, panic-stricken, and leader- less, for Maj. McClelland had been left for dead on the field, as before narrated; and during the hurried march, or more properly the flight, from the scene of the fight to the abandoned village, the commander, Col. Crawford, had disappeared, and no one was able to give any information concerning him, whether he had been wounded, killed, captured, or lost in the woods. John Slover, the guide, and Dr. Knight, the surgeon, were also missing. These facts, when known by the men, greatly increased their uneasiness and demoralization.

At this point (the deserted Wyandot village), Maj. Williamson, as Col. Crawford's second in command, assumed the leadership of the forces, and after a brief halt the entire command, now numbering something more than three hundred and fifty men, continued the retreat over the route by which they had come on the outward march. The new commander, never

1 Reported by the British lieutenant, Turney, at one hundred and forty warriors.

2 Excepting that of Maj. Brinton, who was wounded. His division was now commanded by Brigade-Maj. Daniel Leet.

3 Soon after leaving the deserted village they passed a sugar camp which the Indians had used the preceding spring. Butterfield relates that, in passing this place, "Isaac Vance, one of the volunteers from Washington County, espied a brass kettle that had been used by the In- dians in this camp to boil sap in, and which had apparently been left in the bush through an inadvertence. This kettle, in the eyes of a back- woodsman, was a prize of too much value to be left in the enemy's coun- try ; 80, dismounting and seizing a bowlder, he soon had the utensil flat- tened, ready for transportation. It was then securely fastened to his saddle, and notwithstanding the stirring scenes through which the finder soon after passed, was transported all the way to the home of the borderer."

Isaac Vance lived in the township of Somerset, Washington County, as did also his father, John Vance.

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doubting that the Indians would pursue him in force, hurried on his men with all possible speed, keeping out the most wary and trusty scouts on his rear and flanks. . The command passed the mouth of the Little Sandusky without seeing any signs of an enemy, but while passing through the Plains, at about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, the scouts discovered far in their rear a pursuing party, apparently composed of both Indians and white men. They were afterwards found to be Wyandots and British Rangers, all mounted. It was now the purpose of Maj. William- son to cross the Plain country and reach the shelter of the timber before being overtaken by the pursuers; and the latter were equally determined, if possible, to possess themselves of the woods in advance of the Americans. The race was an eager and exciting one on both sides, but at last Maj. Williamson found that the Indians were gaining on him so rapidly that he would be compelled to stand for battle before reach- ing the timber. Maj. Rose, in his report of these operations to Gen. Irvine, said, " Though it was our business studiously to avoid engaging on the Plains, on account of the enemy's superiority in light cav- alry, yet they pressed our rear so hard that we con- cluded on a general and vigorous attack, whilst our light-horse1 secured the entrance of the woods."

The place where Maj. Williamson found himself compelled to stand at bay before the pursuing horde of Wyandots and British Rangers, in the early after- noon of the 6th of June, was near the creek called Olentangy,2 a tributary of the Scioto, near the eastern edge of the Plains, where the column of Col. Craw- ford had first debouched from the shades of the forest into the open country on the morning of the 3d, when moving towards the Wyandot town, which they found deserted. But the aspect of affairs was materi- ally changed since that time. Then they were ad- vancing in high spirits and confident of victory over the savages; now, in headlong flight before the same barbarous foe, they were turning in sheer des- peration to fight for their lives.

The battle-line of the borderers faced to the west, and in its rear, holding the edge of the woods, and ready to act as a reserve corps in case of emergency, was the company of light-horsemen. The pursu- ing force, close upon them, attacked unhesitatingly and with fierce energy, first striking the front, then quickly extending their battle-line around the left flank to the rear of Williamson's force, which was thus compelled to meet the savage assault in three directions. But the panic and demoralization of the volunteers had entirely disappeared,3 and they met

I each successive onslaught with such cool bravery and steadiness, and fought with such desperation, that at the end of an hour from the commencement of the battle, the enemy withdrew discomfited, and appa- rently with heavy loss. Perhaps the sudden cessa- tion of their firing was in some degree due to the fact that just then a furious thunder-storm, which had for some time been threatening, burst upon the combat- ants. The men were drenched and chilled to the bone, while much of their ammunition was rendered useless by the rain. This, however, operated quite as unfavorably to the Indians as to the whites.

As soon as the savages and Rangers withdrew, Maj. Williamson, without a moment's delay, caused the dead to be buried and the wounded' cared for, and then the retreat was resumed. Capt. Biggs' company, which seems to have always held the post of danger, leading the advance in the outward march, now formed the rear-guard, though its ranks were reduced to nine men and all its officers were missing. It was afterwards relieved, however, and from that time each of the companies in turn took position to guard the rear of the retreating column.

When Williamson commenced his retreat from the battle-field, the enemy, who had in the mean time scattered over the Plains, soon concentrated and re- newed the pursuit, firing rapidly but at long range. Soon, however, they began to press the rear more closely, throwing the volunteers into some disorder, which must have grown into a panic but for the cool- ness and intrepidity of the commander and Maj. Rose. These officers were unceasing in their efforts, constantly moving along the line entreating the vol- unteers to keep solidly together and preserve unbroken the order of march, and warning them that if any should leave the column and attempt to escape singly or in squads they would certainly lose their scalps. Finally they became steady, and the order of march was preserved unbroken during the remainder of the day. The Indians kept up the pursuit, and occasion- ally attacked with much vigor, though, as William- son's force was now moving through the timbered country, the savages no longer held the relative ad- vantage which they had possessed in fighting on the Plains.

The volunteers bivouacked that night (June 6th) on the Sandusky River, about six miles from the battle-field of the afternoon; the enemy's force camped about a mile farther to the rear. Unusual

1 Referring to one of the companies, which Col. Crawford had selected and equipped for special duty as skirmishers and scouts.

2 This battle of Olentangy was fought on a plain about five miles southeast of Bucyrus, Ohio.

8 Before the fight Maj. Williamsou addressed his men, telling them that the only possible chance they had of escaping death and probably torture was to stand solidly together and fight with the determination never to yield; that if they should break and endeavor to save them-

selves by flight there would be but faint hope that any of them would ever again see their homes. The aide-de-camp, Maj. Rose, rode along the line, cheering the men by his own coolness and apparent confidence. " Stand to your ranks," he cried, in clear, ringing tones, and with his slightly foreign accent; "take steady aim, fire low, and waste not a single shot ! Be steady, steady, for all our lives depend upon it!" These admonitions from their officers, and the evident hopelessness of escape by flight, caused them to stand firm, resolved to fight to the last, with Do thought of surrender.

4 The loss of the volunteers in this fight was three killed and eight wounded ; that of the enemy was not known, but must have been much greater.

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precautions were taken by Maj. Williamson to guard against a surprise during the night, and at the first streakings of dawn on the 7th the men fell in to re- sume the march; but hardly had the column been formed when the Indians came up and opened fire upon the rear. A lively skirmish followed, in which two of the men fell into the hands of the savages, but no disorder ensued. The retreat was continued steadily and in good order, and, much to Maj. Wil- liamson's surprise, the Indians suddenly abandoned the pursuit. The last shot from the savages was fired at a point near the present town of Crestline. From there the column moved rapidly on in good order and without molestation, reaching the Muskingum on the 10th, crossing that stream between the ruined Moravian villages of Schoenbrunn and Gnadenhütten, and on the 13th reaching the Mingo Bottom, where they found some of the missing, who had arrived ahead of the column. They crossed the Ohio on the same day and camped for the night on the Virginia side of the river. On the 14th they were disbanded, and returned to their homes after an absence of a little less than four weeks. Maj. Williamson was indefati- gable in his attention to the wounded and his efforts to alleviate their suffering. On their arrival on the east bank of the Ohio he took care that every wounded man able to ride should be furnished with a horse and an escort to take him to his home; while those who were too badly hurt to endure that method of removal were by his orders carried on litters to the nearest settlements, where they were nursed and cared for. Through all the trying scenes of the campaign Williamson proved himself a brave, efficient, humane, and prudent officer.1

1 On the day when the retreating forces recrossed the Ohio (June 13th), Williamson made an official report of the retreat from Battle Island (not of the entire campaign) to Gen. Irvine, as follows :

"I take this opportunity to make you acquainted with our retreat from Sandusky Plains, June 6th. We were reduced to the necessity of making a forced march through the enemy's lines in the night, much in disorder; but the main body marched round the Shawanese camp, and were lucky enough to escape their fire. They marched the whole night, and the next morning were reinforced by some companies, of which I cannot give a particular account, as they were so irregular and so confused. . . . I must acknowledge myself ever obliged to Maj. Rose for his assistance, both in the field of action and in the camp. His char- acter in our camp is estimable, and his bravery cannot be outdone. Our country must ever be obliged to Gen. Irvine for his favor done on the late expedition. Maj. Rose will give you a particular account of our retreat. I hope your honor will do us the favor to call the officers to- gether and consider the distress of our brave men in this expedition, and the distresses of our country in general. Our dependence is entirely upon you, and we are ready and willing to obey your commands when called upon."

Another and more minute report of the operations was made by Lieut. (otherwise called major) Rose to Gen. Irvine, who transmitted the two reports to Gen. Washington, with the following letter written by him- Belf, and dated June 16th, viz .:

" The inclosed letters-one from Col. Williamson, second in command, and the other from Lieut. Rose, my aide-de-camp-contain all the par- ticulars of this transaction which have yet come to my knowledge. I am of opinion had they reached the Plains in seven days (instead of ten), which might have been done, especially as they were chiefly mounted, they would have succeeded. They should also have pushed the advan- tage evidently gained at the commencement of the action. They failed

The fearful news of the disaster which had befallen the Sandusky expedition reached the settlements two days before the retreating force under Maj. William- son arrived at Mingo Bottom. Col. James Marshel had it as early as the 11th of June, by a letter from a fugitive who had left the main body five days before. He (Marshel) at once communicated the intelligence to Gen. Irvine. "This moment," he said, "came to hand the inclosed letter, by which you will learn the unhappy fate of our little Army. What the con- sequences may be God only knows. I would fondly hope that matters are not quite so bad as they are represented." And he added, "I shall be as expe- ditious as possible in raising a party of men to secure the retreat across the river should the pursuit be continued so far." The same news which Marshel received came also to Dorsey Pentecost, who imme- diately rode to the Ohio to meet the retreating volun- teers. There he found the main body under Wil- liamson, but there was little of comfort in the tale they brought. On his return home he wrote the president of the Council as follows : 2

" WASHINGTON COUNTY, June 17th, 1782. "DR. SIR,-By a person who is now here on his way to the head of Elk, I have Just time to tell you that on the 25th of last month 478, some say 488 men, mounted on Horses, set out under the Command of Col. Crawford for St. Duskie ; they were discovered at the Muskingum, and from there, all the way out, Spies was kept on them ; the St. Duskie people col- lected the Shawanese & The Light dragoons from the British posts between. St. Duskie and the post at De Trouit, they attacked our people in the plains of St. Duskie, near the St. Duskie River, on Tuesday was a week last. The battle continued two days, the first day was very close and hot work, the second day was at long shot only. On the night of the 2ª day our people retreated, & the Indians broke in on them in the retreat & routed them ; however, about two Hun- dred stuck together & brought off all the wounded ex- cept three, which was left on the ground. The next day the Indians attacked our people in the reare, but was repulsed with Considerable Loss on their side ; they then pursued their retreat with Success & unmo- lested to the Ohio. I met the men at the Mingo Bot- tom last Wednesday, about thirty-five miles from my House, & Collected the Information I send you.

" There is about 20 wounded (few dangerous) and about half that Number killed ; there is a good many missing, amongst which is Col. Crawford, and a num- ber of other valuable men, but as the Scattered party's

in another point which they had my advice and, indeed, positive orders for, viz., to make the last day's march as long as possible and attack the town in the night, But they halted in the evening within nine miles, and fired their rifles at seven in the morning before they marched. These people now seem convinced that they cannot perform as much by themselves as they some time since thought they could; perhaps it is right that they should put more dependence on regular troops, I am sorry I have not more to afford them assistance." 2 Pa. Arch., 1781-83, p. 556.

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are Coming in daily I have Hopes of them, As the people was much confused when I met them, I could not get that Information requisite ; what little I got was from Maj. Ross [Rose], Aid De Campt to Gen. Irwin [Irvine], & who went Aid to Crawford, & I hope the General will give you a particular account, as he will receive it from the Major. I am told that the Indians were much superior to our people and that in the engagement they Suffered greatly, and that Col. Crawford Strongly recommended to return before they got to the Town, alleging that our people were too weak, as the Indians had Early Intelligence of their Coming, but was overruled By the rest of the Officers. .

Having seen how Maj. Williamson with the main body of the troops reached and crossed the Ohio River, let us return to trace the adventures and mis- fortunes of the brave Col. Crawford, his faithful friend Dr. Knight, and others who had become sepa- rated from the column and were struggling on through the wilderness, with dangers surrounding them on every side, in their endeavors to escape from the savages.

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 28

Author: Crumrine, Boyd, 1838-1916; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Hungerford, Austin N Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : H.L. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 1216

Author: Crumrine, Boyd, 1838-1916; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Hungerford, Austin N
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : H.L. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1216