TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 101 It has been stated that Little Turtle was in command in the battle which followed, but this is doubtful. After being outvoted on the peace proposition, he proposed a plan of battle. His suggestion was to open the engagement with only a part of their warriors, under instructions to fall back upon the main body, which could then be brought into action in such a way as to secure every possible advantage of position, etc. This plan was rejected, a majority deciding upon hurling their entire strength upon Wayne and making short work of his army. The probabilities are that one of the Shawnee chiefs—Blue Jacket or Tecumseh—was in command. BATTLE OF FALLEN TIMBERS On the evening of August 19, 1794, Lieut. William Henry Harrison, a member of Wayne's staff, went through the camp and acquainted the officers with the orders for the following day, to wit : Major Price's mounted battalion was to be deployed in front as a skirmish line, under orders to keep a sharp lookout for a flag of truce, as Wayne still had a faint hope that the Indians might accept his offer of peace. Price was to be followed by a detachment of mounted riflemen, who were to fall back if fired upon, in order to draw the enemy from cover. General Scott was to move so as to gain and turn the enemy's right flank. The morning of the 20th dawned dark and cloudy, with a drizzling rain falling. Soon after daybreak the army was in motion down the north bank of the Maumee toward Fort Miami, where the Indians were supposed to be gathered. Not a drum was sounded and the army marched as silently as possible for about five miles, when the skirmish line was driven back by a heavy volley from a foe concealed in the dense undergrowth of a wood on the border of a wet prairie. A tornado a year or two before had uprooted so many trees in the wood that the mounted troops were unable to carry out their part of the program and the plan of battle had to be altered. The enemy's left rested on the bank of the Maumee, their line extending into the fallen timber, from which the battle takes its name. Here the Indians found an ideal cover from which to conduct their operations. Wayne sent Maj. Robert Campbell to turn the left flank, while the famous Wayne Legion advanced against the center, and Scott's Kentucky Rangers was to attack on the right. As the different commands were moving to their assigned positions, Lieutenant Harrison said to his commander : "General Wayne, I'm afraid you are going to get into this fight yourself and forget to give me the necessary field orders." "Perhaps I may," replied Wayne, "and if I do, recollect the standing order for the day is, Let them shoot once, then advance on the double-quick, fire at short range, and before they can reload give them the bayonet." This order was carried out to the letter and the Indians, lacking the courage to withstand the bayonet charge, fled toward Fort Miami. Then it was discovered that they had been formed in three lines, within supporting distance of each other, but when the first line broke the other two could not be rallied and the rout was complete. In his report, Wayne estimated the number of Indians, British Rangers and Canadian volunteers engaged at two thousand. Of his own army not more than nine hundred were actually engaged, the Indians breaking into their disorderly retreat before all the troops reached their positions. Wayne's loss was 33 killed and 100 wounded. That of the enemy was much greater. An American soldier who took part in the battle wrote to a friend in Kentucky : "We drove them nearly 102 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY three miles and the woods were full of dead Indians, and by the side of each one was a British musket and bayonet." The fight lasted only about an hour and Wayne spent the rest of the 20th in destroying the Indian villages, laying waste their corn fields, etc. The house that had been occupied by Alexander McKee, the British agent, was burned. On the 21st he paraded his army in front of Fort Miami, riding up to within eighty yards of its walls. Butler, in his "History of Kentucky," says : "General Wayne had positive authority from President. Washington to attack and demolish the British Fort of Miami. But on reconnoitering it closely and discovering its strength, added to his own weakness in artillery, the general, with a prudence not always accorded him, most judiciously declined an attack." A LIVELY CORRESPONDENCE Immediately after Wayne and his officers rode up so close to the fort on the 21st, he received the following letter from Maj. William Campbell, the British commandant : "Miami River, August 21st, 1794. "An army of the United States of America, said to be under your command, having taken post on the banks of the Miami for upwards of the last twenty-four hours, almost within the reach of the guns of this fort, being a post belonging to His Majesty, the King of Great Britain, occupied by His Majesty's troops, which I have the honor to command, it becomes my duty to inform myself, as speedily as possible, in what light I am to view your making such near approaches to this garrison. I have no hesitation, on my part, to say that I know of no war existing between Great Britain and America." Campbell's messenger carried back Wayne's reply, which was as follows : "I have received your letter of this date, requiring from me the motives which have moved the army under my command to the position they at present occupy, far within the acknowledged jurisdiction of the United States of America. Without questioning the authority or propriety, sir, of your interrogatory, I think I may, without breach of decorum, observe to you, that were you entitled to an answer, the most full and satisfactory one was announced to you from the muzzles of my small arms, yesterday morning, in the action against the horde of savages in the vicinity of your post, which terminated gloriously to the American arms but, had it continued until the Indians, etc., were driven under the influence of the post and guns you mention, they would not have much impeded the progress of the victorious army under my command, as no such post was established at the commencement of the present war between the Indians and the United States." It seems that Campbell was not satisfied with this reply and on the 22nd he sent Wayne the following note, more insulting in its tone : "Although your letter of yesterday's date fully authorizes me to any act of hostility against the army of the United States in this neighborhood, under your command, yet, still anxious to prevent that dreadful decision which, perhaps, is not intended to be appealed to by either of our countries, I have forborne, for these two days past, to resent those insults you have offered to the British flag flying at this fort, by approaching it within pistol shot of my works, not only singly, but in numbers with arms in their hands. Neither is it my wish TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 103 to wage war with individuals but should you, after this, continue to approach my post in the threatening manner you are at this moment doing, my indispensable duty to my King and country, and the honor of my profession, will oblige me to have recourse to those measures, which thousands of either nation may hereafter have cause to regret, and which I solemnly appeal to God, I have used my utmost endeavor to arrest." Again the British messenger carried back the American commander's reply. This time Wayne's note was more positive and aggressive in its character, to wit : "In your letter of the 21st you declare : 'I have no hesitation on my part, to say that I know of no war existing between Great Britain and America.' I, on my part, declare the same, and the only cause I have to entertain a contrary idea at present is the hostile act you are now in commission of, i. e. by recently taking post far within the well known and acknowledged limits of the United States and erecting a fortification in the heart of the settlements of the Indian tribes now at war with the United States. This, sir, appears to be an act of the highest aggression and destructive to the peace and interest of the Union. Hence it becomes my duty to desire, and I do hereby desire and demand in the name of the President of the United States, that you immediately desist from any further act of hostility or aggression, by forbearing to fortify, and by withdrawing the troops, artillery and stores under your orders and direction, forthwith, and removing to the nearest post occupied by His Britannic Majesty's troops at the peace of 1783, and which you will be permitted to do unmolested by the troops under my command." Campbell wrote again the same day to Wayne and in his letter declared that : "I certainly will not abandon this post at the summons of any power whatever until I receive orders for that purpose from those that I have the honor to serve, or until the fortune of war should oblige me." "The only notice taken of this letter," wrote Wayne, "was the immediate setting fire to and destroying everything within view of the fort, and even under the muzzles of the guns. Had Major Campbell carried his threats into execution, it is more than probable that he would have experienced a storm." Wayne's conduct on this occasion was something like that of a boy "with, a chip on his shoulder," hoping the other boy would muster up enough courage to knock it off. On the day he rode up to the fort he saw gunners standing with lighted matches, awaiting the order to fire, but the order was not given. Hearing that reinforcements for Fort Miami were on the way from Niagara, Wayne lingered in the vicinity for three days, hoping to bring on an engagement that would completely destroy the British influence over the Indians of the Ohio country. The report proved to be incorrect and on the 25th he began his march back to Fort Defiance. Later in the year he built Fort Wayne at the head of the Maumee, where the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana, now stands. TURKEYFOOT ROCK Near the bank of the Maumee River, about where the battle of Fallen Timbers commenced, may still be seen a large bowlder upon which are rude carvings resembling bird tracks. When the Indians began to waver before the advance 104 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY of Wayne's forces, the renowned Ottawa chief, Me-sa-sa (Turkeyfoot), mounted this stone to exhort his warriors to stand firm, when a well-aimed shot from the rifle of a Kentucky Ranger ended his earthly career. For years after the battle—as long as any of the Ottawa remained in the Maumee Valley—members of his tribe would visit the stone, bringing offerings of dried meat, parched corn and other Indian delicacies. Sometimes these parties would linger for days, weeping and calling the name of Me-sa-sa, and some of them carved upon the bowlder the crude images of turkey tracks, as a monument to their departed chieftain. THE FORT AT TOLEDO H. S. Knapp, in his "History of the Maumee Valley," says : "Before General Wayne retired from the valley, his foresight suggested to him that the erection of a military post, near the confluence of Swan Creek with the Maumee River, would secure to his government more than all the advantages which could be derived by the possession of the British Fort Miami. Under his orders, therefore, a stockade was built below the mouth of Swan Creek and placed in charge of Capt. J. Rhea, who held it until after the evacuation of all the British posts in the Northwest, which occurred in pursuance of Jay's treaty. It occupied a prominent position on the bluff, on the site near the south side of Summit, between Jefferson and Monroe streets." This post was known by the names of Fort Industry and Fort Lawrence. In 1887 Clark Waggoner wrote to the war department to ascertain under what name it appeared upon the records and received the following reply from the adjutant-general, L. C. Drumm : "A stockade fort was erected about the year 1800, near the mouth of Swan Creek, on the Maumee River, and, as near as can be determined, upon what is now Summit Street, in the City of Toledo, to which was given the name of Fort Industry. It was at this fort that a treaty was held with the Indians, July 4th, 1805, by which the Indian title to the Fire Lands (Huron and Erie counties) was extinguished, and at which were present Mr. Charles Jouett, United States Commissioner, and chiefs of the Ottawa, Chippewa, Pottawatomie, Shawnee, Muncie and Delaware Indian tribes. "This office has no record of a Fort Lawrence within the limits of the State of Ohio. Fort Laurens—named in honor of the President of the Continental Congress—was built by General McIntosh in 1778, on the west bank of the Tuscarawas River, now in Tuscarawas County, and near, the Town of Bolivar. This fort is by some writers spelled Lawrence, but improperly so." Knapp intimates that the building of the fort was resisted by the Indians. He says : "That a conflict had occurred at Toledo during Wayne's visit to the Maumee appears probable, from the fact that the early settlers procured harvests of bullets and also other antiquities in the vicinity of the Trinity Church building. In the work of grading the streets, human bones and remains of garments, to which buttons were attached, were exhumed in considerable quantities ; thus affording evidence that a sanguinary conflict had occurred on the plateau now in possession of the busy throng who have established a commercial empire at Toledo." TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 107 PEACE AT LAST Ten days after the battle of Fallen Timbers, there were more than twelve hundred Indians at Detroit, having fled there to place themselves under British protection. An extra hospital and surgeons were provided to care for the large number of wounded. Toward the latter part of September Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe arrived and tried to bolster up their courage with the old story that the Ohio River was the boundary line between their country and that of the United States. He asked them to give him deeds of trust to their lands, which would give him an excuse for helping them in their war with the Americans, and told them he had given orders to the commandant at Fort Miami to fire on the United States troops if they again appeared. But the leading chiefs were beginning to lose faith in British promises. They asked the lieutenant-governor why Major Campbell had not fired upon Wayne's army, when he had such a favorable opportunity. They also asked why Major Campbell had closed the gates of the fort against them and denied them the protection of the fort on the day of the battle, and they wanted to know why Captain Caldwell, Alexander McKee, Mathew Elliott and Simon Girty—men who had been profuse in their promises of assistance—watched the battle of Fallen Timbers from a safe distance, without offering a helping hand or giving a word of advice. The answers to these queries were unsatisfactory and several of the Chiefs decided to make peace with the Americans. As a matter of fact, among the tribes who had been opposed to General Wayne, the belief prevailed that he was supernaturally endowed, that he was in communion with the Great Spirit, and was therefore invincible. As Wayne retired from the Maumee Valley, he left garrisons at Fort Defiance and Fort Wayne, retiring with the remnant of his army to Fort Greenville. The term of many of 'his men had expired and they returned to their homes. Had the Indians attacked him in force that winter he might have been defeated, but he succeeded in keeping them from ascertaining his weakened condition and during the winter friendly messages from the Indians increased in number. Some of the chiefs wanted to continue the war, provided the British would give them assurance of help, which was not forthcoming. The result was the council of Greenville, where on August 3, 1795, was concluded the treaty of peace described in a former chapter. This ended the war. CAPT. WILLIAM WELLS The following sketch of this remarkable man has been adapted from McBride's "Pioneer Biography." Nothing has been learned of his parentage or. birthplace. When about twelve years of age, while living with the family of Nathaniel Pope in Kentucky, he was captured by a party of Miami Indians and was adopted into that tribe. Upon reaching manhood he married a sister of the famous chief, Little Turtle. In the campaigns against Harmar and St. Clair he fought with the Indians. "Then," says McBride, "in moments of calm reflection, with dim memories still of his childhood home, of brothers and playmates, he seems to have been tormented by .the thought that some of his kindred might have been slain by his own hand. These thoughts preyed upon his mind until he decided to forsake his Indian friends and return to his own people." 108 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY One day in the fall of 1793, while General Wayne was at Fort Greenville, Wells asked Little Turtle to accompany him to a certain spot on the bank of the Maumee near the Miami village. There he made known to the chief his determination. Taking Little Turtle by the hand, he said : "I leave now your nation for my own people. We have long been friends. We are friends yet until the sun reaches there (pointing to the sky). Then if you wish to kill me, you may. If I want to kill you, I may." When the sun reached the height he had indicated, Wells crossed the Maumee and struck out for Wayne's headquarters. Upon arriving there he convinced the general of his sincerity and was made captain of spies. Among his spies were Robert McClellan, who had been engaged in the fur trade and later was associated with John Jacob Astor ; Henry and Christopher Miller, who had been captives among the Indians and understood their language and customs. In fact, Christopher Miller was still a captive when Wells joined Wayne's army. He was captured by Wells and two of his men and persuaded to join them. It was he who carried Wayne's offer of peace to the Indians just before the battle of Fallen Timbers. After the Treaty of Greenville, Captain Wells took up his residence at a place called Old Orchard, near the present City of Fort Wayne, on a little stream which still bears the name of "Spy Run." There he was joined by his wife and family and was for several years the United States Indian agent. It seems that the Indians bore him no ill will for his desertion of them at a critical moment. After the death of his wife he married another sister of Little Turtle. His first wife bore him three daughters and a son. One of these daughters became the wife of James Wolcott, one of the early forwarding and commission merchants of Maumee, now in Lucas County. The other two daughters married Fort Wayne men. Wayne Wells, the son, was lost while crossing Lake Erie in 1823. By his second wife Captain Wells had one daughter, .who became the wife of Matthew Griggs, of Peru, Indiana. At the beginning of the War of 1812, Captain Wells was in command at Fort Wayne. Captain Heald, who had married a niece of Wells, was in command at Fort Dearborn (now Chicago). Learning that General Hull had ordered the evacuation of Fort Dearborn, Wells made a forced march to reinforce that post, knowing that it was of great protection to the country about Fort Wayne. But he was too late to save the fort. The Indians, having learned of Hull's order, gathered to the number of several hundred, hoping to share in the plunder. On the evening of August 14, 1812, it was agreed that the garrison would be permitted to leave the fort the next morning, with their small arms and personal belongings, all government property to be surrendered to the Indians. During the night the men in the fort threw all the powder and whisky into. a canal that communicated with the river. The powder discolored the water and in this way the Indians learned of the trick. When the garrison marched out the next morning the massacre commenced. Wells, knowing that if captured he would be subjected to torture, did everything he could to provoke the savages to kill him. In their own tongue he called them squaws and all the opprobrious names he could think of, until finally a tomahawk ended his life. Scarcely had his body fallen to the ground when the assassin tore the heart from his body and ate it, on the theory that prevailed among the Indians that whoever ate the heart of a brave man would inherit his bravery. TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 109 TECUMSEH'S CONSPIRACY For more than ten years after the Treaty of Greenville, the Ohio settlements enjoyed comparative peace. A few depredations were committed by roving Indian bands, but there was no general uprising. About 1807 it was noticed that there was an unrest among the tribes of Ohio and Indiana. This was due to the propaganda of the Shawnee chief, Tecumseh, and his brother, Tenkswatawa. Encouraged by the English, these two Indians undertook to organize the western tribes into one grand confederacy for the purpose of driving the Americans out of the country. The plan was for the Indians, as soon as they were organized, to surprise the forts at Chicago, Detroit, Fort Fayne, Vincennes and other points, massacre the garrisons and then raid the settlements. Tenkswatawa (the Prophet) began his work in 1806. He told the people of his tribe that the Great Spirit had appeared to him in a vision and told him the white man must be driven back to the ocean ; that the Shawnee, being the oldest of the western tribes must be the leader in the movement ; that it was Manitou's will for them to renounce intoxicating liquors and everything they had received or learned from the white race ; that when they did this the Great Spirit would cease to be angry with them and help them to drive out their enemies. In his addresses he worked himself into a frenzy and it was not long until many of his hearers believed all he said. He was a successful agitator and kept alive the spirit of revolt, while Tecumseh worked along more practical lines to organize the confederacy. In the spring of 1807 Tecumseh sent emissaries to the tribes about the Great Lakes to induce them to join the conspiracy. But the tribes in that quarter had not forgotten Wayne and Fallen Timbers and were slow to respond. Thus the work went on for four years. In 1811 a comet appeared, which Tenkswatawa declared was a messenger sent by the Great Spirit to express his displeasure at the delay of his red children in driving out the Americans. The British aided and abetted the movement by distributing presents among the tribes that appeared favorable to the conspiracy and withholding their favor from others who were slow to join. Early in September, 1811, William Henry Harrison, governor of the Indiana Territory, wrote to the secretary of war that all the Wabash tribes had visited the British agent at Malden and had returned with rifles, powder, lead, blankets, etc., in profusion ; that a trader had told him the goods for the Indian department at Malden was greater by $100,000 than they had been for several years. "It is impossible," wrote the governor, "to ascribe this profusion to any other motive than that of instigating the Indians to take up the tomahawk. It cannot be to secure their trade, for all the peltries collected on the Wabash in one year, if sold in the London market, would not pay the freight of the goods which have been given to the Indians." BATTLE OF TIPPECANOE In response to this letter the secretary of war ordered Colonel Boyd, commanding the Fourth United States Infantry, to report with his regiment to Governor Harrison, at Vincennes. At the same time Kentucky was called upon for three 110 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY regiments of volunteer mounted riflemen, and other troops were furnished by the militia of Ohio and Indiana. As soon as Colonel Boyd and the Kentuckians arrived at Vincennes, General Harrison moved up the Wabash River to Prophets Town, the home of Tenkswatawa, where a large body of Indians was assembled. Prophets Town was on the Tippecanoe River, near the point where it empties into the Wabash, about six miles above the present City of Lafayette, Indiana. On the evening of November 6, 1811, Harrison went into camp on the high ground near the Indian village, hoping that the presence of his army would cause the Indians to return to their villages. About f our o'clock the next morning the camp was aroused by the war-whoop and the firing of the pickets. The Prophet hoped to surprise the camp, but a strong guard had been placed and the men "slept on their arms." Most of them had been in Indian fights and at the first alarm knew what was taking place. With the coolness of veterans they formed and poured a heavy fire into their assailants. As soon as it was light enough to see well, Harrison turned the defense into an attack and in a few minutes the Indians were flying in all directions. Harrison's loss in killed and wounded was 188 men. The Indian loss was much greater. At the time of the battle, Tecumseh was absent, trying to enlist other tribes in his scheme. He hurried to Prophets Town, cursed his brother for his fanaticism and even threatened to kill him for precipitating a battle when their plans were nearly ripe for action. But the mischief had been done. Harrison's victory broke the backbone of the conspiracy, though the peace which followed Tippecanoe was of short duration. Before another year had passed Congress declared war against Great Britain and many of the tribes allied themselves with the English in the War of 1812. CHAPTER IX THE WAR OF 1812 CAUSES OF THE WAR-RIGHT OF SEARCH-THE EMBARGO ACT-CONGRESS DECLARES WAR-IN THE MAUMEE VALLEY-OHIO VOLUNTEERS-GEN. WILLIAM HULL-CAPTURE OF THE "CUYAHOGA"-HULL INVADES CANADA-SURRENDER OF DETROIT -GEN. WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON-MASSACRE AT THE RAISIN--SIEGE OF FORT MEIGS-INCIDENTS OF THE SIEGE-FORT STEPHENSON-PERRY'S VICTORY--BATTLE OF THE THAMES- MARKING HISTORIC SITES-THE. INSCRIPTIONS-- RECAPITULATION. During the quarter of a century following the Revolution, the people of the United States were, to a great extent, commercially dependent upon the countries of Europe, particularly England. No one was more aware of this fact than the English statesmen and diplomats, who doubted the ability of the Americans to maintain a republican form of government. Not only did they doubt, but they also committed many overt acts, as narrated in the preceding chapter, to break down what President Lincoln, many years later, aptly termed "a government of the people, by the people, for the people." British men-of-war, without so much as a "by your leave," made free use of the American bays and harbors, patrolled the United States coast, followed French ships and captured them within the three-mile limit, regardless of treaty stipulations. They cannonaded and burned a French vessel off the coast of Carolina ; anchored inside the entrance of the Chesapeake Bay while lying in wait for French ships farther up the bay, and treated all American protests against such a course with contumely. At the request of Thomas Barclay, for several years the British consul-general at New York, these men-of-war, singly or in groups, would anchor for weeks at a time off the bar at Sandy Hook, under the flimsy pretext of protecting American shipping. Says Channing : "Thomas Barclay was an American loyalist, a man of ability, and, from the language of his letters appears to have thought that the British had been successful in the Revolutionary war. The captains of the British war vessels likewise looked upon America as under their protection, or as helpless." RIGHT OF SEARCH British naval officers of that period were often brutal in their treatment of sailors, the food furnished seamen was not always of the best quality, little or no attention was given to the sanitary conditions on board, and desertions were frequent. Conscription was resorted to in order to maintain the navy, and captains of vessels were authorized to board ships on the high seas to search for deserters—every seaman born anywhere in the British Empire and serving under the flag of - 111 - 112 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY another country was regarded as a deserter. In the exercise of this "right of search," sailors were frequently abducted by English naval officers, who claimed that such sailors were British subjects, despite the fact that they had renounced their English citizenship and taken the oath of allegiance to the United States. These officers adhered to the rule, "once a British citizen, always a British citizen." Sometimes they made mistakes and impressed native-born American seamen, but such a trifling matter as that was hardly' worth an apology. As early as 1798 Timothy Pickering, then secretary of state, made a report to Congress, in which page after page was filled with the names of American sailors then in the British navy through the activities of the "press gang." This custom of searching ships was highly distasteful to the American people, but Congress was powerless to obtain redress. The capture of the "Chesapeake" by the British frigate "Leopard" on June 22, 1807, the latter's captain claiming that the American vessel harbored deserters, further aggravated conditions. The English Government disclaimed the act, but showed no disposition to make reparation, and the relations between the two countries became still more strained. THE EMBARGO ACT President Jefferson's message of December 18, 1807, "set fire to Congress." Provisions were made for arming American vessels and the Embargo Act, prohibiting commercial intercourse with Great Britain, was passed. The act proved to be unpopular with the merchants of New England and it was repealed. It was quickly followed, however, by the Non-Intercourse Act, which was only slightly less rigid in its provisions. A precedent for these acts was found in the administration of President Washington, more than ten years before. In 1795, when war with England seemed inevitable, Jefferson, then secretary of state, and James Madison, leader of the House of Representatives, sought to put pressure on England by commercial restriction. A bill to that effect was introduced by Madison and passed the House, but was defeated in the Senate by the vote of Vice President Adams, who was accused of caring more for the profits of the Boston merchants than for the welfare of his country. English statesmen well knew that restrictive measures were unpopular with many Americans and at every opportunity they encouraged this dissatisfaction, hoping to cause a difference of opinion serious enough to disrupt the union of states. In the political campaign of 1808, English influence was secretly exerted for George Clinton, the son of a former tory governor of New York, for President, but James Madison was elected by an overwhelming majority. For about three years Mr. Madison tried conciliatory methods to improve the relations between Great Britain and the United States. Then he decided to adopt a different course. Early in the year 1812 he issued a proclamation ordering all British vessels from American waters. CONGRESS DECLARES WAR English sea captains ignored the President's proclamation and on April 1, 1812, Mr. Madison, in a special message to Congress, recommended an embargo on Brit- TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 113 ish trade for sixty days, believing that such a measure would result in a withdrawal of the ships. Congress made the embargo for ninety days, instead of sixty. Again it met with opposition in New England, which the President was unable to overcome. On June 1, 1812, he sent another message to Congress, recommending a declaration of war. The act declaring war was approved by the President on June 18, 1812. There are students of American history who claim that on the 18th of June, when war was declared, the American grievances against Great Britain were actually less than they had been at any time within the preceding ten years. England had made full reparation in. the "Chesapeake" and "Leopard" matter, and had given tentative assurances that the impressment of American seamen should cease. Congress took the position, however, that English promises meant nothing ; that history showed the insincerity of Great Britain on numerous occasions ; that she had already violated the Treaty of 1783 ; and that she could not be trusted. IN THE MAUMEE VALLEY The Maumee Valley was destined to become the theater of some of the most thrilling incidents of the war. Months before the actual declaration of war, it was foreseen that if war came the British would lose no time in fastening their hold upon the country about the Great Lakes, first, to retain the friendship of the Indians and control trade with the western tribes, and, second, as a matter of military strategy. To accomplish this end they would not hesitate to employ their old tactics of courting the favor of the Indians, arming them and inciting them to make war on the defenseless settlements. About the beginning of the year 1812, farseeing men urged that steps be taken to prepare for war, especially by strengthening the garrisons at the military posts along the Canadian border, and by the establishment of a new post at some suitable point near the mouth of the Maumee River. Some even insisted that provision be made for securing control of the Great Lakes and the conquest of Upper Canada (now Ontario). In January, 1812, General Armstrong endeavored to impress upon the war department the importance of reinforcing the western garrisons, which would have the effect of holding back the Indians from entering into an alliance with the British. In March, Gen. William Hull, governor of Michigan Territory, asked that at least one thousand men be sent to the posts along the border, and recommended a strong naval squadron on Lake Erie, to cooperate with the land forces. OHIO VOLUNTEERS In April Congress did wake up sufficiently to direct Governor Meigs, of Ohio, to raise three regiments of volunteers. The governor issued a call for men and in May the three regiments were organized at Dayton. The strength and officers of these men were as follows: First Regiment, 552 men, Duncan McArthur, colonel ; James Denny and William A. Trimble, majors. Second Regiment, 510 men, James Findlay, colonel ; Thomas Moore and Thomas Van Horn, majors. Third Regiment, 483 men, Lewis Cass, colonel ; Robert Morrison and J. R. Munson, majors. Late in March Governor Hull was called to Washington. While in that city he had frequent conferences with the President with regard to the protection of 114 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY the northern frontier. President Madison offered him the command of the "Army of the Northwest," which at first he declined, but finally consented to accept. On his return he reached Cincinnati on May 8th, where he met Governor Meigs, who offered V) turn over to him the three regiments then rendezvoused at Dayton. This was done on the 25th of May and on the 1st of June General Hull began his march to Detroit. At Urbana he was joined by Col. James Miller with the Fifth United States Infantry, numbering 480 men. From Urbana to Detroit, a distance of some two hundred miles, a road had to be cut through the almost unbroken forests. Tracing the line of march upon a modern map, it will be seen that Hull passed through or near the present cities of Urbana, Bellefontaine, Kenton, Findlay and Bowling Green, and struck the Maumee liver not far from where the battle of Fallen Timbers was fought in 1794. On the 1st of July he crossed the Maumee and moved down to the mouth of Swan Creek. Here he chartered the "Cuyahoga," a small sailing vessel belonging to a Captain Chapin, to carry the sick soldiers, officers' personal baggage and the hospital stores to Detroit. Thirty men were placed on board to act as a guard and the vessel dropped down the Maumee. Hull, with the main body of his army, then continued the march to Detroit. Leaving the river, he took a direct course for Frenchtown (now Monroe, Michigan), on the River Raisin. From that point he followed the Indian trail, that afterward became the government road, to the Detroit River and arrived at Detroit on the 7th of July. CAPTURE OF THE CUYAHOGA At Fort Malden (now Amherstburg) there was a small garrison of British regulars and a considerable force of Canadian militia, commanded by Col. T. B. St. George, who knew Hull was on the way to Detroit and was on the lookout for his army. St. George's Indian spies brought him news of the "Cuyahoga," and on July 2, 1812, when the boat undertook to pass between Bois Blanc Island and the fort, it was easily captured by a detachment of British troops placed there for the purpose. Those on board were made prisoners of war and the officers' baggage was ransacked. In Hull's trunk were private letters, the instructions from the war department, plans for military operations, etc., which gave the enemy much important information. About the time the "Cuyahoga" was captured, Hull received a communication from the secretary of war advising him that war had been formally declared by Congress. He has been criticized. for allowing his papers to fall into the hands of the British. That he was careless in placing them on board the "Cuyahoga," there can be no doubt ; but it should be remembered that he had no official information that war had been declared. Private letters to some of his officers stated that a declaration was probable and it is said Colonel McArthur refused to trust his baggage to the vessel. When war was declared on the 18th of June, the British minister was given his passports. He lost no time in sending word to the Canadian authorities by special express, while the secretary of war trusted to the slow and imperfect mail service of that period. The result was that Colonel St. George knew of the action of Congress at least twenty-four hours before General Hull. TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 115 HULL INVADES CANADA On July 12, 1812, the army crossed the Detroit River and Hull established his headquarters at Sandwich. The next day he issued a "Proclamation to the Inhabitants of Canada," in which he promised protection to those who continued their peaceful pursuits. Of his movements in Canada, little need be said in this history. There was some correspondence between him and Colonel St. George relative to the return of the private effects, wearing apparel, etc., taken from the "Cuyahoga" and a few minor skirmishes occurred. General Hull was born in Connecticut on June 24, 1753, and was therefore fifty-nine years of age at the beginning of the war. He had served with distinction, in the Revolutionary war, which doubtless was the reason for his selection by President Madison for the command of the Army of the Northwest. Whether age had weakened his courage, or whether from some other cause, his course in Canada was vacillating and irresolute. Colonels Cass and McArthur, on their own initiative, reconnoitered Fort Malden, ascertained its weakness, and begged Hull to allow them to attack the fort, fully confident that it could be taken without serious opposition. On the morning of August 7th, Hull finally gave the order for an assault upon the fort, but before noon he called in his officers, told them to abandon all preparations for the attack and move their commands at once to the American side of the Detroit. River. It is quite probable that this sudden change of mind was due to an incident which took place near Brownstown, Michigan, two days before. Governor Meigs had sent word to Hull that Captains Brush, Campbell and Rowland, with their companies, were on their way to Detroit with a train of provisions. Fearing that these supplies might fall into the hands of the enemy, Hull ordered Major Van Horn to take 150 men and the militia remaining at Detroit, and keep open the road for the supply train. Van Horn crossed over to Detroit and on the morning of the 5th was attacked and defeated by a large body of Indians near Brownstown. With Van Horn was the mail escort and in the mail was a letter from Hull to the secretary of war telling of his plans. The letter fell into the enemy's hands and no doubt this was responsible for the sudden evacuation of Canada. SURRENDER OF DETROIT Gen. Isaac Brock arrived at Fort Malden on August 13, 1812, with reinforcements, and assumed command of all the British troops along the Detroit River. About noon on Saturday, the 15th, he sent Lieutenant-Colonel McDonell and Major Glegg to Detroit under a flag of truce, with a letter from General Brock demanding the immediate surrender of the post. Hull refused to surrender and as soon as his reply reached Brock, the British batteries across the river began a bombardment of Detroit. During the night several hundred Indians crossed the river and on Sunday morning they were discovered within two miles of the fort. About the same time the British batteries again opened fire on the town. Without offering any resistance, Hull changed his mind on the subject of a surrender. About nine o'clock on that eventful Sunday morning, he sent a flag of truce across the river, with a note to Brock proposing "a cessation of hostilities for one hour to open negotiations for the surrender of Detroit." 116 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY The British took possession at noon. The regiments of Colonels Cass and McArthur were not in the fort at the time, but were included in the surrender. Thirty-five pieces of ordnance, about two thousand stands of small arms, a large store of ammunition and the brig "Adams" were turned over to the victorious Brock. One article of the terms of capitulation was as follows : "4th. His excellency, Brigadier-General Hull, having expressed a desire that a detachment from the State of Ohio, on its way to join his army, as well as one sent from Fort Detroit, under the command of Colonel McArthur, should be included in the above capitulation--it is accordingly agreed to. It is, however, understood that such part of the Ohio militia as have not joined the army, will be permitted to return to their homes, on condition that they will not serve during the war. Their arms, however, will be delivered up, if belonging to the public." The detachment of Ohio militia referred to was the companies of Captains Brush, Campbell and Rowland, then at the River Raisin, waiting for a favorable opportunity to conduct their train of supplies to Detroit. Mathew Elliott, the notorious English agent at the time of General Wayne's campaign in 1794, now a captain in the British army, was sent to the River Raisin with a flag of truce and a copy of the articles of capitulation, to receive the surrender of the supplies. When Captain Rowland learned the object of Elliott's visit, he exclaimed : "Treason, by God !" and declared himself in favor of throwing up works to defend their position. It was pointed out to him that they would be overpowered and perhaps killed, to which he replied : "Well, it's about time for somebody to die." The other two captains finally joined him in a refusal to surrender. As the road to their rear was open, the detachment at once set out on the return to Ohio, taking Elliott along as a prisoner. Near the foot of the Maumee Rapids he was relieved of his horse and permitted to return to Detroit—on foot. General Hull and 375 of his officers and men (the United States regulars) were taken to Montreal as prisoners of war. He was afterward paroled and allowed to return to his home at Newton, Massachusetts. In March, 1814, he was tried by a court-martial for treason and cowardice and sentenced "to be shot to death," but the sentence was remitted by President Madison. He died on March 16, 1826. GEN. WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON While the surrender of Detroit "without a gun being fired in defense" caused consternation throughout the country, it was in some ways a "blessing in disguise," inasmuch as it aroused the people of the Ohio Valley to the seriousness of the danger that menaced them. Many who had been lukewarm were thus stirred to action. A call for volunteers brought a prompt and general response from the citizens of Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana Territory, and even Missouri Territory, far away from the seat of war sent a number of her fighting sons. On August 25, 1812, only nine days after the surrender, Gen. William Henry Harrison was commissioned "major-general of the militia of Kentucky" by the governor of that state. On the 2nd of September he was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers by President Madison. Gen. James Winchester was appointed as Hull's successor to command the Army of the Northwest. When Harrison heard of this he wrote to the war department that there should be only one officer in command ; that he had a TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 117 better knowledge of the country and of the Indians than Winchester ; and that it was the desire of the troops for him to command. Having dispatched this letter by express messenger, he started for Piqua, intending to resign the command to Winchester. He then had about two thousand men and fully that many more were on their way to Piqua, under command of Gen. Benjamin Tupper and Gen. Elijah Wadsworth, both of whom had served under Washington. Upon arriving at Piqua, General Harrison found there the courier by whom he had sent his letter to the secretary of war, with a commission directing him to take command of the army. He immediately began the mobilizing of a force at St. Mary's for the recapture of Detroit. The work of raising troops now went forward by leaps and bounds. Learning that Major Muir, with a large force of British and Indians, had left Malden soon after the surrender of Detroit for the purpose of attacking Winchester at Fort Wayne, Harrison sent Colonel Allen's regiment and two companies of Colonel Lewis' to drive Muir back. About the same time Winchester left Fort Wayne for the Maumee Rapids, intending to halt at Fort Defiance to wait for Harrison. Before reaching Fort Defiance he met Muir's advance guard of 200 British regulars and nearly five times that number of Indians. This advance guard killed or captured several of Winchester's scout's. Among the captured was Sergeant McCoy, who was taken before Muir and questioned as to the strength of the American forces, etc. McCoy, evidently believing that "all is fair in love or war," blithely stated that Winchester had an army of between seven and eight thousand men and that Harrison was coming down the Auglaize with probably ten thousand more. Muir was inclined to doubt such a statement, but about that time stragglers from a party of his Indians, who had been defeated by two companies of dragoons, came in and told him they had met a very large force of Americans, who were "like the leaves of the forest" in numbers. This seemed to corroborate McCoy's exaggerated report and Muir beat a hasty retreat to Fort Malden. By the middle of October Harrison had over three thousand men at St. Mary's. Toward the latter part of that month he was joined by Col. Richard M. Johnson's mounted regiment of Kentuckians. Winter was so close at hand that Harrison decided to postpone aggressive operations until the following spring. He moved from Fort Mary's to Upper Sandusky, leaving Winchester at Fort Defiance. Late in December, Winchester moved down the Maumee to the Rapids, where he established a fortified camp. This was done notwithstanding Tecumseh and several hundred of his warriors were in the vicinity, and that' General Harrison had sent orders to him to return to Fort Defiance. MASSACRE AT THE RAISIN About the middle of January, 1813, Winchester received word that a store of British supplies was at Frenchtown (Monroe), and that it was the intention of the British commander to quarter a considerable force there to intercept any movement toward Detroit. He ordered Col. William Lewis to take 550 men and capture the supplies. Early the next morning he sent Colonel Allen with 110 men to reinforce Lewis and instructed the two officers to occupy and hold Frenchtown. Allen overtook Lewis near the mouth of the Maumee, where they learned that a detachment of British troops and 400 Indians were on the way to 118 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY attack Winchester's camp. Sending back a courier to apprise Winchester of his danger, Lewis and Allen continued their march. About three miles from French-town they met a scout, who reported that the detachment guarding the supplies was on the alert. Lewis advanced with his men in line of battle, crossed the river on the ice, and by a general charge dislodged the enemy. The fighting continued from 3 P. M. until dark, when the British retreated and the Americans took up their quarters in the village. The next day ( January 20th) Winchester arrived with 300 men. He sent Peter Navarre and his brothers on a scouting expedition. They returned with the report that a large body of British and Indians was marching toward Frenchtown, but Winchester's subsequent conduct would indicate that he did not believe the statement. There were twenty-three houses in Frenchtown—all on the north side of the river except one. Winchester established his headquarters at the lone house on the south side, fully half a mile from the main body of his army. During the night the enemy, commanded by Col. Henry Proctor, came up unobserved and planted a battery within 100 yards of the camp. Early on the morning of the 22nd the battery opened fire. A charge followed and the Americans were thrown into confusion. Proctor concentrated his force against the American right, which was the weakest point, and Winchester ordered a general retreat. As soon as the retreat began the Indians f ell upon the rear and in a few minutes over one hundred of the gallant Kentuckians were tomahawked and scalped. On the left Majors Madison and Graves were protected by a strong palisade fence and held their position until about ten o'clock, when a lull in the fighting gave the men an opportunity to eat breakfast. While they were thus engaged, Proctor and Major Overton, of Winchester's staff, arrived with an order f rom Winchester to surrender unconditionally. This Major Madison refused to do until Proctor agreed to treat Madison and his men as prisoners of war and that the wounded should be protected. Before the terms were fairly completed, the Indians began to plunder the camp and Madison ordered his men to open fire. After a volley they charged with the bayonet, which stopped the looting. Madison then surrendered upon Proctor's promise that sleighs would be provided to convey the wounded to Malden. Next morning, when the sleighs arrived, he announced that the British wounded would be taken first. The British regulars marched off with the prisoners and almost immediately a horde of savages entered the town. Two houses—those of Gabriel Godfroy and Jean Baptiste Jeraumein which a number of wounded were under the care of the surgeon, were set on fire. Most of the inmates were burned to death and the few who tried to escape the flames f ell victims to the tomahawk. Lossing states that the American foss at the Raisin was 934 men, of whom 197 were reported as "killed in action or missing," and only 33 men escaped. Winchester, Lewis, Madison and the other officers who were captured were exchanged at Montreal in the spring of 1814. SIEGE OF FORT MEIGS On January 18, 1813, General Harrison sent a battalion from Lower Sandusky to Winchester. Learning something of the situation on the Maumee, he made a forced march to the Rapids, reaching there on the morning of the 20th, after most of Winchester's force had been sent to Frenchtown. On the 22nd TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 121 Harrison started a regiment for the River Raisin, but it was too late. The massacre had already occurred and the regiment met the few survivors trying to reach the camp at the Rapids. Two additional regiments joined Harrison on the 30th and on February 2nd he began the construction of a fort on the right bank of the Maumee, a little above the present Town of Perrysburg. It was designed by Col. Eleazer D. Wood, for whom Wood County, Ohio, was named, and the fortification was named Fort Meigs, in honor of Ohio's governor. When Colonel Proctor heard of Harrison's movements, he planned an invasion of the Maumee Valley. By the middle of April 1,500 Indians were assembled at Fort Malden, under command of the Shawnee chief, Tecumseh. With these Indians, a battery and a small force of British regulars, Proctor set sail on April 23, 1812, for the Maumee. On the afternoon of the 26th a lookout at Fort Meigs reported two men on the opposite side of the river, calmly reconnoitering the fort. These men were Proctor and Tecumseh. A shot from one of Harrison's cannon plowed up the earth near them and they departed with more haste than ceremony. All hands in the fort were immediately set to work to prepare for a siege. Traverses were constructed, tents folded, excavations made near the palisades for lodging places, etc. Then next day three guns and a mortar were planted opposite the fort and the siege commenced. That night several hundred Indians, under Tecumseh, were sent across the river and the fort was surrounded. During the night of May 3d Proctor succeeded in planting a battery on the right bank of the river, within 400 yards of the fort. The next morning he sent Major Chambers with a note to Harrison, telling him that the British guns were now in position to demolish the fort and demanding a surrender. To this note Harrison replied as follows : "Assure General Proctor that he will never have this post surrendered to him on any terms. Should it fall into his hands it will be in a manner calculated to do him more honor, and to give him larger claims upon the gratitude of his government, than any capitulation could possibly do." Toward midnight of the 4th Capt. William Oliver, an intrepid scout, succeeded in finding his way to the fort with the cheering news that Gen. Green Clay was a few miles up the river with 1,200 Kentuckians in flatboats, but upon hearing the reports of cannon had halted to await orders. Harrison ordered Captain Hamilton to take a few men, proceed up the river in a pirogue under cover of darkness, and carry instructions to General Clay. These instructions directed Clay to land a force on the left bank of the river, about a mile and a half above the fort, capture and spike the British guns, then return to their boats and cross over to the fort. The balance of Clay's men were to land on the right bank of the river, watch their opportunity and cut their way through the enemy's lines. Captain Hamilton stationed men at the places where the landings were to be made and furnished guides for the two detachments. Colonel Dudley was selected to command the force to surprise the British batteries. With 800 men he landed under Captain Hamilton's instructions and began a silent march toward the batteries. All went well until they were almost upon the guns, when some Indian pickets discovered- their presence and fired their muskets. The Kentuckians, deeming silence no longer necessary, raised a cheer and rushed upon the batteries. Although the surprise was not complete, the guns were spiked, but instead of obeying the order to return to their boats 122 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY and cross over to the fort, the Kentuckians pursued the retreating enemy into the woods, where they fell into an ambush and nearly all were killed or captured, the prisoners being taken to Fort Miami. Only 150 men escaped. The detachment on the right bank was more successful. Colonel Miller made a dashing charge, captured the British battery and forty-five prisoners, and led the Kentuckians into the fort with only a slight loss. The arrival of these reinforcements discouraged the Indians, who complained that it was "hard to fight people who lived like groundhogs," and on the 9th Proctor raised the siege. Harrison then repaired the damage done to the fort, after which he left General Clay in command and set out for the interior of the state to push forward the work of recruiting. On July 20th Proctor began his second siege of Fort Meigs. Clay sent Captain McCune to notify Harrison, who promised reinforcements. Knowledge of this led Proctor to adopt a ruse, which, if it had succeeded, would have given him possession of the fort. A strong force of British and Indians was secreted in a ravine below the- fort, to cut off any who might leave it, and then a feint was made on the side of the fort where the expected reinforcements would be likely to arrive. The object of this maneuver was to draw a portion of the garrison out to the relief of their friends, when the troops concealed in the ravine would cut them off from the fort. It is said the officers could hardly make the men believe it was merely a trick to draw them from the fort, but no party sallied forth and on the 28th Proctor withdrew. After the war Fort Meigs was garrisoned by one company of infantry until, in May, 1815, when it was abandoned as a military post. INCIDENTS OF THE SIEGE At the time of the first siege, Harrison had plenty of powder, but was lacking in cannon balls. He offered a gill of whisky to every soldier who would retrieve a British cannon ball that could be used in an American cannon. Some idea of the magnitude of the British artillery fire may be gained from the fact that the soldiers earned about one thousand gills of whisky during the siege. Many of the balls were red hot. Their striking the earth was accompanied by a hissing sound and smoke could be seen issuing from the depression. A soldier was soon on the spot with a shovel, hoping the ball would fit an American gun and that he would receive his gill of Bourbon. While the cannonading was going on, one of the militiamen, a dare-devil sort of a fellow, would take a position where he could see the enemy's battery on the opposite side of the river. Although warned of his danger, he seemed to enjoy calling out the destination of the balls when the guns were fired, and made some shrewd guesses as to where they would strike. "Blockhouse No. 1," he would sing out, or "Lookout, Main Battery," "Now for the meat-house," etc. One day a gun was discharged and he appeared to be at a loss to note the direction of the ball. A second or two later it swept him from his perch and into eternity. FORT STEPHENSON When Proctor abandoned his second siege of Fort Meigs he moved toward Sandusky, where Harrison had his principal stores. Fort Stephenson; where the