100 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO century a stockade fort was built at the confluence of Swan Creek and the Maumee River. The exact year is not known, but it was not later than. 1804. Clark Waggoner publishes in his "History of Lucas County" a letter from the War Department, which reads as follows : "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 Ottawa, Chippewa, Pottawatomie, Shawnee, Muncie and Delaware Indian tribes." Fort Industry was placed in charge of Captain J. Rhea. The remains of this fortification were examined by General John E. Hunt in his early years, when they were in good condition and preservation. They were not entirely obliterated as late as 1836. Many early settlers had distinct recollections of this fort, which, in the natural features of the country, occupied a prominent position on the bluff, on the site near the south side of Summit, between Jefferson and Monroe streets. That a conflict had occurred at Toledo at some time appears highly probable, from the fact that early settlers recovered hundreds of bullets from the ground above described. In the work of grading the streets, human bones and remains of garments, to which buttons were attached, were exhumed in considerable quantities. These circumstances afford almost conclusive evidence that a sanguinary conflict had occurred on the plateau now daily traversed by the busy throngs in the thriving City of Toledo. In 1805, a treaty was held with the Indians at Fort Industry. At this conference, there were present chiefs and warriors of the Wyandots, Ottawa, Chippewa, Delaware, Shawnee, Pottawatomi and Seneca tribes. By the treaty made here another adjustment of the land question was made with the natives upon the payment of certain sums of money to them. None of the territory of Northwest Ohio was included, but the Indians ceded all of their claims to the Western Reserve and the Firelands. By a treaty effected at Detroit, in 1807, a number of Indian tribes, the Chippewas, Ottawas, Pottawatomis, and Wyandots, quit-claimed to the United States all their assertions to the country north of the middle of the Maumee River, from its mouth to the mouth of the Auglaize, and thence extending north as far as Lake Huron. For this territory they received $10,000 in money and goods, and an annuity of $2,400. Certain tracts of land were also reserved for the exclusive use of the Indians. These reservations within this territory were six miles square on the north bank of the Maumee, above Roche De Boeuf, "to include the village where Tondagame, or the Dog, now lives." Another reservation of three miles square included what is known as Presque Isle, and still another of "four miles square on the Miami (Maumee) Bay including the villages where Meskemau and Waugau now live." It was furthermore provided that in the event the reservations could not be conveniently laid out in squares, they should be surveyed in parallelograms or other figures found most practicable to obtain the area specified in miles. It was not long after this date until settlers began to gather at the foot of the Rapids of the Maumee. This circumstance rendered roads necessary. As a result, by a treaty with the Indians at Brownstown, Michigan, in 1808, a road 120 feet in width was reserved to connect the fort at the Maumee rapids with the line of the Connecticut Reserve, which is the old and much traveled road now running from Perrysburg to Fremont, then called Lower HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 101 Sandusky. It also provided for a tract of land, for a road only, of 120 feet in width to run southwardly from what is called Lower Sandusky to the boundary line established by the Treaty of Greenville, with the privilege of taking, at all times, such timber and other materials from the adjacent lands as may be necessary for making and keeping in repair the said road, with the bridges that may be required along the same. "* * * No compensation was granted the Indians in money or merchandise for these roadways, as they were desirable and beneficial to the aborigine nations as well as to the United States," reads a clause in the cession. Congress failed to construct the east and west road, but eventually ceded its rights to the state. The contract was finally let in 1824, and the road was completed in 1826. For years it was the main thoroughfare over which thousands journeyed in their search for a western paradise. In his search for a land flowing with milk and honey, the pioneer certainly was obliged to undergo torture in crossing this "black swamp" country. On the desert a traveler can stop almost anywhere and pitch his tent, but here, in certain seasons, the travelers were wading all day in mud and water, and could with difficulty discover a dry place where they might rest their weary limbs. On this highway, however, there was a tavern for almost every mile of road between Perrysburg and Lower Sandusky. The right to mud holes was recognized. A young man started with a wagon and team of mules for Michigan, with $100 in his pocket. He became mired so frequently, and was obliged to pay $1 so many times to people living near the mud holes to extricate him from his difficulties, that his money was exhausted long before his journey had ended. Not discouraged in the least, this traveler decided that the place to find what you have lost is right where you have lost it. He accordingly located near a mud hole, and remained there until he had earned his hundred dollars back. General Harrison, writing to the War Department, says : "An idea can scarcely be formed of the difficulties with which land transportation is effected north of the 40th degree of latitude in this country. The country beyond that is almost a continual swamp to the lake. Where the streams run favorable to your course a small strip of better ground is generally found, but in crossing from one river to another the greater part of the way at this season is covered with water. Such is actually the situation of that space between the Sandusky and the Miami Rapids, and from the best information that I could acquire whilst I was at Huron the road over it must be causewayed at least one-half of the way." Shortly after the opening of the nineteenth century, reports of many kinds concerning the activities of Tecumseh commenced to reach the officials in the Northwest Territory. This chief's aim seemed to be to repeat the history of Pontiac, only that, in this case, the conspiracy was directed against the Americans instead of the British. His reputed brother, Elskwatawa, generally known as The Prophet, had gained something of notoriety as a sorcerer. He began to relate stories of his dreams and visions, which he claimed were inspired by the Great Spirit, and these greatly aroused the aborigines. Tecumseh aimed to unite his followers with the British, in an effort to drive the Americans from this territory. Numerous efforts were made to pacify him, but his own activities and those of The Prophet continued. Tecumseh was a son of a Shawnee chieftain, and he was born in the Shawnee Village of Piqua, on the banks of the Mad River, in 1768. The name signifies "one who passes across intervening space from one point to another," and this well expresses his extraordinary career. He ever evinced a burning hostility to the Americans. He refused to 102 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO attend the council at Greenville. He likewise declined to attach his name to that treaty, and never ceased to denounce it. It was about that time that he and his followers removed to the White River, in Indiana, but he continued in close relations with all the tribes of Northwest Ohio. At several councils with the Americans, Tecumseh exhibited the remarkable power of oratory for which he became noted. His brother likewise began to come into prominence among the Indians, among whom he was known as the "Loud Voice." During the course of his revelations he said that the Great Spirit directed the Indians to cast off the debasing influence of the whites, and return to the customs of their fathers. His audiences numbered thousands, and many were recalled to the neglected and almost forgotten practices of their fathers. The Prophet's Town, as it was called, on the banks of the Tippecanoe, was visited by thousands of savages, who were roused to the highest pitch of fanaticism. The two brothers wandered from the everglades of Florida to the headwaters of the Mississippi, and in words of greatest eloquence impressed upon the natives the necessity of united action against the pale-faced intruders. In 1810 General Harrison summoned Tecumseh and his followers to Vincennes. Tecumseh rose to the highest. pitch of eloquence, as he vividly portrayed the wrongs of the red man. A few months later occurred the victorious battle of Tippecanoe, during the absence of Tecumseh among southern tribes. The War of 1812 followed a short time afterwards, and Tecumseh allied himself with the British. He fought bravely and nobly until he fell in the Battle of the Thames. The voice that had roused the savages for a final stand against the encroachments'of the whites was forever stilled. With it vanished the hopes of the aborigines ever to regain their lost hunting grounds in Northwest Ohio. Bodies of savages were continually passing to and from Malden, the British headquarters after the evacuation of Detroit, and they always returned liberally provided with rifles, powder and lead. One savage was found to have been given an elegant rifle, twenty-five pounds of powder, fifty pounds of lead, three blankets and ten shirts, besides quantities of clothing and other articles. The British agent addressed a Miami chief, to whom he had made a present of goods, as follows : "My son keep your eyes fixed on me ; my tomahawk is now up ; be you ready, but do not strike until I give the signal." Capt. John Johnston, agent of the Fort Wayne Trading Post, wrote that "since writing you on the 25th ultimo, about one hundred Sawkeys (Sacs) have returned from the British agent who supplied them liberally with everything they stood in want of. The party received forty-seven rifles and a number of fusils (flintlock muskets) with plenty of powder and lead. This is sending firebrands into the Mississippi country inasmuch as it will draw numbers of our Aborigines to the British side in the hope of being treated with the same liberality." William Henry Harrison, then governor of Indiana Territory, was not idle during this time. He instituted preparations for defense, and was visited by many of the leaders of the hostiles. Tecumseh himself came on a visit to Harrison at Fort Wayne, accompanied by several hundred followers. He intended some treachery, but the Americans were too alert. There were a number of trading agencies in operation in the Northwest Territory under the auspices of the general government, of which only one was in Northwest Ohio. and this was at Sandusky. Meetings of citizens were held at many places in 1811, and petitions for protection were forwarded to the National Government. Governor Harrison was allowed additional troops, after which he advanced against the savages and won his great victory at the battle of Tippecanoe. This defeat did not stop the depredations HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 103 and isolated murders, so that the whole country was kept under the gravest apprehension. We do not have absolute record of many murders in Northwest Ohio. Captain John Johnston, however, in a report, stated that three Americans had been killed at Defiance and two at Sandusky by the savages. A committee of Congress reported to that body that the British had been working among the savages with the intention of securing them as allies against the Americans. Of the movements of Tecumseh, William Wells wrote from Fort Wayne, on the first of March, 1812: "In my letter of the 10th ultimo I informed you that the Aborigine chief Tecumseh had arrived on the Wabash. I have now to state to you that it appears he has determined to raise all the Aborigines he can, immediately, with intention no doubt to attack our frontiers. He has sent runners to raise the Aborigines on the Illinois and the upper Mississippi ; and I am told has gone himself to hurry on the aid he was promised by the Cherokees and Creeks. The Prophet's orator, who is considered the third man in this hostile band, passed within twelve miles of this place on the 23rd ultimo with eight Shawanese, eight Winnebagoes and seven Kickapoos, in all twenty-four, on their way as they say to Sandusky, where they expected to received a quantity of powder and lead from their father the British." CHAPTER X THE DISASTROUS YEAR OF 1812 The war cloud that had been gathering for several years finally resulted in a formal declaration of war against Great Britain, on the 18th of June, 1812. The ostensible reason assigned was the continued interference with American trade and the impressing of American seamen into the British service. These incidents were an attack upon our national pride, and a humiliation that could not be endured. But one of the strongest moving causes was the encouragement of the savages in their attacks upon the Americans, and the continued maintenance of fortified posts upon American soil. It was in reality a continuation of the Revolutionary War, for hostile acts had at no time entirely ceased. The necessity of such operations as should wrest from the enemy the command of the upper lakes and the northwest frontier at once became apparent, and was promptly acted upon. From every American living within that territory came urgent appeals for protection. It was not fear of the British enemies that actuated them, but dread of the outrages of their savage allies. By reason of her location on the exposed frontier, the young State of Ohio was placed in a most trying situation. By virtue of her position the conflict was destined to be fought largely within or adjacent to her boundaries, and especially in Northwest Ohio. Circumstances demanded of her the very best both in men and money. In no respect did she fail, and Ohio performed more than her full share in this second conflict with Great Britain, generally known as the War of 1812. It was indeed fortunate for Ohio, and the country as well, that such a vigorous and able man as Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr., occupied the gubernatorial chair at this period. He was one of the type of men who did so much to lay the foundations of the state, and his father had been one of the original settlers at Marietta. He had had some military experience, and was a man of unusually strong executive power. He lost' no time in mobilizing several regiments of state militia, in which citizens of the best families enrolled themselves. In his promptness and effectiveness in this respect, he was not equalled by the governor of any other state. Governor William Hull, of Michigan Territory, also a brigadier-general of the United States Army, was made commander-in-chief of the Ohio troops. Many protests were filed against his appointment, although he had a creditable career in the Revolutionary War. It was said that he was too old, and too broken down in body and mind to conduct such a rigorous campaign. Furthermore, the people resident there had no confidence in him, and the Indians were said to despise him. All of the protests were without effect., however, for the nomination was confirmed. "On the very same day it passed the Senate," says a report, "the poor, weak, vain old man was seen in full dress uniform, parading the streets of Washington, making calls." A little later, General Hull arrived at Dayton, the place of rendezvous, and assumed command of the volunteer army already assembled there. Governor Meigs congratulated the men on the - 104 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 105 fact that they were to serve under a distinguished officer of the Revolutionary War, and one who was especially fitted both by training and experience to conduct successfully just such a campaign as they were about to enter upon. It was a fact that General Hull had won honors at Stony Point, but he had now lost his energy of mind and body. He addressed his troops as follows: "In marching through a wilderness memorable for savage barbarity, you will remember the causes by which that barbarity have been heretofore excited. In viewing the ground stained by the blood of your fellow-citizens, it will be impossible to suppress the feelings of indignation. Passing by the ruins of a fortress, erected in our territory by a foreign nation in times of peace, and for the express purpose of exciting the savages to hostility, and supplying them with the means of conducting a barbarous war, must remind you of that system of oppression and injustice which that nation has continually practiced, and which the spirit of an indignant people can no longer endure." The army of General Hull moved northward, on June 1st, to Urbana, where it was joined by another regiment of regulars under Lieutenant Colonel Miller, a veteran of Tippecanoe. The army now numbered approximately nineteen hundred men. It was the intention ''and desire of General Hull to pro- 106 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO ceed to Detroit as directly as practicable. He seemed to doubt that war between the United States and Great Britain would follow. The course of the army led through. an almost trackless forest and impassable swamps until it reached the Maumee River. Ague chills shook the sturdy frames of the pioneer soldiers, and the ambuscade of the savage foe was ever imminent. Danger lurked by the river bank and on the trail everywhere. As a result progress was extremely slow. One regiment was detailed to cut a road through the woods and to build blockhouses, which should be used as deposit stations, and to protect the line of communications. In obedience to orders a road was carved out of the primeval wilderness from Urbana to the Scioto River, and there were built two blockhouses connected by palisades, which later received the name of Fort McArthur. The site was about three miles southwest of Kenton. It was situated in a low, flat place in the unbroken woods, in a country noted for its great forests as well as expansive marshes. The fort enclosed about half an acre. One of the blockhouses was in the northwest and the other at the southeast angle. Seventy or eighty feet of the enclosure was composed of a row of log corn-cribs, covered with a shed roof and sloping inside. A part of the pickets were of split timber and lapped at the edges ; others were of round logs set up endways and touching each other. The rows of huts for the garrison were placed a few feet from the walls. It was a post of danger, and must have been an exceedingly dreary spot. Not a vestige of the fort now remains, but the graves of sixteen of the garrison are located near by. The road cut by this army, and generally known as Hull's Trail, was for many years the principal highway from Bellefontaine to Detroit. Only in one place can it now be identified by an open lane through a woods still standing. When the army arrived at Fort McArthur, a detachment was sent ahead to cut a road farther north. Heavy rains had rendered the morasses adjoining the Blanchard River almost impassable. Hence it was that the army was obliged to stop when only sixteen miles from Fort McArthur, and there erect another stockade and blockhouse, which was HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 107 appropriately named Fort Necessity. This fort was situated near the south line of Han-. cock County, a little bit east of the center. Here word was brought by Robert Lucas and William Denny of increased activity among the British and Indians, and that their alliance bore a threatening attitude. Although war had been declared at this time, it was several days afterwards before the news reached the army. After a few days' delay the army advanced, and in a three days' march arrived at the Blanchard River. Here an advance detachment had already nearly completed another palisade enclosure, 150 feet square, with a blockhouse at each corner and a ditch in front. General Hull bestowed upon this place of refuge the name of Fort Findlay. The site was within the present City of Findlay, and only a few squares north of the court house. Its service was that of a resting place and temporary storage of supplies. It was abandoned late in 1814, but a blockhouse and a, couple of small houses where travelers stopped for the night were still standing a dozen years after its military character had ended. Colonel Lewis Cass was directed to take his troops and prepare the road north to the Maumee. In order to move rapidly, much of the heavy luggage was stored at Fort Findlay. After a few days' march the army arrived at the Maumee, opposite to the field where was fought the battle of Fallen Timbers. Fording the rapids the next encampment was near Fort Miami. So absolutely imbecillic was General Hull that when he arrived at the Maumee, in the latter part of June, he decided to forward his baggage, stores, and sick by vessel to Detroit. He was warned against this, but stubbornly refused to heed the advice. He seemed to treat the probability of war as a joke. Hence it was that, on the 1st of July, he embarked his disabled men and most of his impedimenta on board a packet, which proceeded down the Maumee bound for Detroit. Thirty soldiers were detailed to guard the vessel. It is almost needless to say that it was captured by a British gunboat when opposite Malden. He had also sent by it his official papers and plans of campaign, which were immediately placed in the hands of General 108 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO Brock. These he never ought to have permitted to pass out of his own possession under any circumstances. HULL'S SURRENDER It would not be within the scope of this history to detail the waverings and cowardice of General Hull, which has been elaborated upon so frequently. Suffice it to say that his troops arrived in Detroit on the 5th of July. With scarcely a show of resistance, Detroit was surrendered to the British with nearly two thousand American soldiers, on the 16th of August. The white flag of surrender was raised without consulting his officers. As most of the troops were from Ohio, this state felt the disgrace and humiliation more keenly than any of the other commonwealths. It was an almost irreparable loss, and gave the British wonderful prestige with the natives. As a result of his action, Hull was accused of both treason and cowardice, and was found guilty of the latter. A popular song that arose had in it this verse : " Old Hull, you old traitor, You outcast of Nature,, May your conscience torment you as long as you live ; And when old Apollyon His servants does call on, May you be ready your service to give." One interesting incident in connection with Hull's surrender was furnished by Capt. Henry Bruch and his company of 230 volunteers, with a hundred beef cattle and other supplies, which had been sent by Governor Meigs to reinforce the army at Detroit. They were prevented by the British from advancing beyond the River Raisin from the first days of August without relief from Detroit. General Hull included this force in his surrender ; but when Captain Elliott, son of the notorious Capt. Matthew Elliott, and his attendants came to claim this prize, Captain Brush placed them under arrest and immediately started his command and supplies southward, and conducted them back to Governor Meigs. The surrender of Hull exposed all Northwest Ohio to incursions of the enemy. All eyes now turned toward William Henry Harrison as the man of the hour. Governor Scott, of Kentucky, swept aside technicalities and appointed Harrison to the command of the state troops raised to wipe out the disgrace of Hull's surrender. At the head of these troops Harrison proceeded northward. When just north of Dayton he received word from Washington that General Winchester had been appointed to the chief command, but that he himself had been raised to the rank of brigadier-general.. He was disappointed, but his men were even more chagrined. As immediate action seemed necessary, and without awaiting either the arrival or orders of General Winchester, Harrison proceeded to the relief of Fort Wayne, then being besieged by the HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 109 Indians. By this prompt action another bloody massacre was doubtless averted. General Harrison, under orders from his superiors, turned over his command to Winchester without a murmur, although it was known that he had much more experience in Indian fighting than had his successor. Few men understood the dusky native of the forests as did Harrison. General James Winchester was a Tennesseean, and a Revolutionary officer, but little known among the frontier men of, this section. In charge of several thousand troops, most of whom were from Kentucky, he entered upon an extensive campaign in Northwest Ohio. He was authorized to call upon Governor Meigs for re-enforcements. He soon afterwards requested two regiments of infantry to join him at the "Rapids of the Miami of the Lake about the 10th, or the 15th of October next, well clothed for a fall campaign. It is extremely desirous to me that no time be lost in supplying this requisition. The cold season is fast approaching, and the stain on the American character by the surrender of Detroit not yet wiped away." General Winchester dispatched some spies down the Maumee, but the first detachment, consisting of five men, was waylaid and killed by the savages. He advanced cautiously in order to provide against surprise. He discovered indisputable evidence of the recent retreat of British troops at one or two places along the Maumee, not far from Defiance. In their haste, the British threw one cannon into the river, which was afterwards recovered and employed in the campaign. The march along the Auglaize was made under the most distressing conditions. The rain descended in torrents. The flat beach woods were covered with water, and the horses sank up to their knees in the mud at almost every step. "From Loraine on the south to the river St. Mary, and then to Defiance at the north, was one continuous swamp knee deep to the pack horses, and up to the hubs of the wagons." At times it was impossible to move a wagon without a load. Happy indeed were they who could find a dry log at night in which a fire could be kindled. Many passed the night sitting in the saddles at the root of trees against which they leaned, and thus obtained a little sleep. Fort Jennings was built on this marsh by Colonel Jennings, as a protection for supplies. Fort Amanda was also erected by Colonel Poague, and named by him in honor of his wife. It was in the usual quadrangular form, with a blockhouse at each corner. Late in September, the position of the two officers was reversed, and General Harrison was given the supreme command of the Northwestern Army. The letter of notification, which reached him at Piqua, read : " The President is pleased to assign to you the command of the Northwestern Army which, -in addition to the regular troops and rangers in that quarter, will consist of the volunteers and militia of Kentucky, Ohio, and three thousand from Virginia and Pennsylvania, making your whole force ten thousand men. * * * Colonel Buford, deputy commissioner at Lexington, is furnished with funds, and is subject to your orders. * * * You will command such means as may be practicable. Exercise your own discretion, and act in all cases according to your own judgment." When General Harrison received the notification of his appointment, there were about 3,000 troops at Fort Barbee (St. Marys), a considerable number of which were cavalry. The cavalry were under the command of General Edward W. Tupper. This army was at once set in motion for Defiance with three day's rations. They arrived at Fort Jennings the first night, notwithstanding a severe rain, and camped there without tents until morning. Receiving word here that the enemy had retreated, a part of the troops were sent back to Fort. Barbee. General Harrison continued down the Auglaize with his cavalry. When he reached the camp of General Win-- 110 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO chester, he discovered a sad state of affairs, as one of the Kentucky regiments was on the verge of mutiny. Its commander reported to Harrison that he alone could check it. He ordered a parade of the troops, and addressed them in his characteristic way. He said that any troops that wanted to retire could do so, as he already had soldiers to spare. But he likewise spoke of the reception that would await them at home. Their fathers would order their degenerate sons back to the field of battle to recover their wounded honor, while their mothers and sisters would hiss them from their presence. Under the influence of this animated address, the mutinous Kentuckians soon subsided and gave three hearty cheers for the popular commander. General Winchester immediately issued the following order : "Camp at Defiance, October 3, 1812. I have the honor of announcing to this army the arrival of General Harrison who is duly authorized by the executive of the Federal Government to take command of the Northwestern Army. This officer is enjoying the implicit confidence of. the States from whose citizens this army is and will be collected and, possessing himself great military skill and reputation, the General is confident in the behalf that his presence in the army, in the character of its chief, will be hailed with unusual approbation. J. WINCHESTER, Brig. Gen. U. S. Army." General Harrison planned a three column march into the enemy's country. The right wing of his army was to be composed of three brigades from Virginia and Pennsylvania, together with some Ohio troops, and was to proceed down the Sandusky River. During their march, they erected Fort Ferree, at Upper Sandusky, Fort Ball, on the site of Tiffin, and Fort Stevenson, at Lower Sandusky. General Tupper's command was styled the center, and was to move along Hull's trail by the way of Forts McArthur, Necessity, and Findlay. The main command devolved upon General Winchester, and was known as the left wing. It included the United States troops, and six regiments of Ohio and Kentucky militia. These troops were to superintend the transportation of supplies to the new Fort Winchester, in readiness for the advance movement, and they were instructed to possess the corn and other crops that had been abandoned as soon as possible. General Harrison had suggested to General Winchester that two regiments of infantry be sent southward, to be near the base of food and clothing supplies, and that General Tupper with all the cavalry, almost 1,000 in number, should be sent down the Maumee and beyond the rapids to disperse any of the enemy found there. They were to return to Fort Barbee by way of the Tawa towns, on the Blanchard River. These orders were never executed. One reason was the scarcity of powder and food, which made so long an excursion almost impossible. Another was the ill feeling between Generals Winchester and Tupper, and the weakening of Tupper's force by the withdrawal of some troops, whose enlistment had expired. General Tupper was eventually dismissed from his command by Winchester, who gave it to Colonel Allen, under whom the troops refused to march. Instead of leading his command down the Maumee River and then to St. Marys, as he was ordered to do, General Tupper went directly across country to Fort McArthur. For this act charges of insubordination were placed against him, and his arrest was ordered. At the trial a year later, he was acquitted. When the troops under General Winchester reached the confluence of the Auglaize and the Maumee rivers, they found Fort Defiance in ruins. Even had it remained in good condition, that stockade would have been inadequate HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 111 for the larger army which it was now called upon to shelter. The entire area embraced within the palisades of the fort, built by General Wayne almost a score of years earlier, would not exceed one-quarter of an acre. General Harrison, who had by this time joined the army, drew a plan for a new fort a dozen times as extensive as Fort Defiance. A force of men were detailed with axes to cut timber for the buildings and the palisades. This new fort was named Fort Winchester by General Harrison, in deference to the superseded commander. For a considerable length of time, this fortress was the only obstruction against the incursions of the British and the Aborigines in Northwestern Ohio. Fort Winchester was constructed in a beautiful location along the high and precipitous west bank of the Auglaize River, about eighty rods south of Fort Defiance. It was in the form of a parallelogram, and enclosed three acres or more of land. There was a strong two-story blockhouse at each corner, and a large gate midway on each side with a sentinel house above. The whole enclosure was surrounded by a strong palisade of logs placed on end, deep in the ground, snugly matched together, pointed at the upper ends, and rising twelve or fifteen feet above ground. A cellar was excavated under the blockhouse at the northeast corner, from which an underground passageway was made to the river, where there was also a barrier of logs in order to protect the water supply of the garrison. It fulfilled its mission during the war as an important stronghold for the defense of the territory of the upper rivers, as a rendezvous for troops and, later, for the storing of supplies to be boated down the Maumee River as necessitated by the advancing troops. A number of ambuscades by the savages occurred around Fort Winchester. These generally happened to soldiers who had strayed away from the fort either to gather food or to shoot game. Five soldiers were killed and scalped while after the wild plums that were so plentiful. " Some breaches of discipline were noted, and their punishment relieved the monotony of camp life. On the 8th October Frederick Jacoby, a young man, was found asleep while posted as guard. He was sentenced by court martial to be shot. A platoon was ordered to take places before the paraded army and twenty paces from the prisoner who, blindfolded, was on his knees preparing for the order to the soldiers to fire. A great stillness pervaded the army. Just as the suspense was at its height a courier arrived with an order from General Winchester saving his life by changing the sentence. This sentence and scene produced a profound effect upon the soldiers. It was their first real view of the sternness of military discipline ; and they recognized its necessity and justness while in the country of the stealthy and savage enemy." The greatest suffering, however, was caused by the lack of provisions and inadequate clothing. Fort Winchester was completed on the 15th of October, 1812. Nevertheless a large number of the troops continued to camp outside the enclosure. The longest stay was made at Camp Number Three, several miles down the Maumee, for here there was an abundance of firewood, and the ground was dry. Of this place, one who was with the army said : "On the 25th December, 1812, at sunrise we bade adieu to this memorable place, Camp Number Three, where lie, the bones of many a brave man. This place will live in the recollection of all who suffered there, and for more reasons than one. There comes up before the mind the many times the dead march was heard in the Camp, and the solemn procession that carried our fellow sufferers to the grave; the many times we were almost on the point of starvation ; and the many sickening disappointments which were experienced by the army from day to day, and from week to week, by the failure of promised 112 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO supplies." Most of the soldiers were provided only with summer clothing, and it was well into the winter before any heavier outfitting was received. Army life was certainly deprived of its glamour. The rations were constantly short. Some days they consisted only of beef and other days only of flour, or some hickory nuts which were gathered near the camp. The absence of salt was also greatly felt. It is no wonder that sickness increased because of the inadequate food and the thin clothing worn by the soldiers. Their weakened condition rendered the men an easy prey to pestilence. Three or four deaths a day, with the constant succession of funeral rites, greatly depressed the soldiers. Hunger drove many away from the camp in search of food. The delay of contractors and the inclemency of the weather both contributed to delay, so that a fall campaign against Detroit became absolutely impossible, much to the regret of the commander-in-chief. General Harrison, from his headquarters at Franklinton, now Columbus, was kept fully informed, and he in turn advised the department, but communications were slow and the War Department was so demoralized that supplies did not reach this outlying fortress. No other troops operating in this part of the state had to endure such hardships as befell this army in the fall and early winter of 1812. The difficulties of transportation were so great, because the mud became almost impassible. There was one attempt to send food of which we have an account. This was made by Captain Robert McAfee, and is reported. as follows : "About the first of December,. Major Bodley, an enterprising officer who was quartermaster of the Kentucky troops, made an attempt to send near two hundred barrels of flour down the River St. Marys in pirogues to the Left Wing of the army below Defiance. Previous to this time, the water had rarely been high enough to venture in a voyage on these small streams. The flour was now shipped in fifteen or twenty pirogues and canoes, and placed under the command of Captain Jordan and Lieutenant Cardwell, with upwards of twenty men.. They descended the river and arrived about a week afterward at Shane's Crossing upwards of one hundred miles by water but only twenty by land from the place where they started. The river was so narrow, crooked, full of logs, and trees overhanging the banks, that it was with great difficulty they could make any progress. And now in one freezing night they were completely ice bound. Lieutenant Cardwell waded back through the ice and swamps to Fort Barbee with intelligence of their situation. Major Bodley returned with him to the flour, and offered the men extra wages to cut through the ice and push forwards; but having gained only one mile by two day's labor, the project was abandoned, and .a guard left with the flour. A few days before Christmas a temporary thaw took place which enabled them with much difficulty and suffering to reach within a few miles of Fort Wayne, where they were again frozen up. They now abandoned the voyage and made sleds on which the men hauled the flour to the Fort (Wayne) and left it there !" General Harrison himself reported to the Secretary of War as follows: "Obstacles are almost insuperable ; but they are opposed with unabated firmness and zeal. * * * I fear that the expenses of this army will greatly exceed the calculations of the government. The prodigious destruction of horses can only be conceived by those who have been accustomed to military operations in the wilderness during the winter season. * * * I .did not make sufficient allowance for the imbecility and inexperience of the public agents, and the villainy of the contractors. * * * If the plan of acquiring the naval superiority upon the lakes, before the attempt is made on Malden or Detroit, should be adopted, I HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 113 would place fifteen hundred men in cantonment at the Miami Rapids—Defiance would be better if the troops had not advanced from there—retain about one thousand more to be distributed in different garrisons, accumulate provisions at St. Marys, 'Tawa Town (Fort Jennings), Upper Sandusky, Cleveland, and Presque Isle, and employ the dragoons and mounted infantry in desultory expeditions against the Aborigines." Following a custom of the day captives were occasionally brought in to give information. In one official report to Governor Meigs by General Tupper we find as follows : "Camp, near McArthur's Block-house. November 9th, 1812. Sir:—I have for some time thought a prisoner from near the Maumee Rapids would at this time be of much service, and highly acceptable to General Harrison. For this purpose, I ordered Captain Hinkton to the Rapids, with his company of spies, with orders to take a prisoner if possible. He had just returned and brought in with him Captain A. Clark, a British subject, who resides two miles above Malden, and was out with a party of about five hundred Indians and fifty British, with two gunboats, six bateaux, and one small schooner at the foot of the Rapids, to gather in and carry over to Malden the corn. Captain Clark had but just arrived with the van of the detachment. The vessels and boats had not yet anchored when the spies surprised him as he advanced a few rods from the shore to reconnoitre, and brought him off undiscovered ; and this from a number of Indians, who were killing hogs and beginning to gather corn. At the same time, several of Captain Hinkton 's spies lay concealed on the hank within five rods of the place where some of the first boats were landing. Captain Hinkton has conducted this business with great skill and address. Captain Clark was taken prisoner on the 7th instant, a little before sun setting. * * * I am, very respectfully, Your Excellency's Most obedient servant, EDWARD W. TUPPER, Brigadier Gen. Ohio Quota." As a result of the information obtained from Captain Clark, Tupper decided to make a quick march to the Maumee Rapids. He started on November 10th along Hull's Trail with 650 men and a light six-pounder cannon. The gun they were finally obliged to abandon. Arriving at the rapids, he decided to send a part of his troops across and attack the enemy on the following morning. The men were obliged to wade through an icy current that was waist high, and some lost their guns. The British fled, but the Indians made some isolated attacks and succeeded in killing a few of the soldiers. Because of scarcity of food, the commander decided to return to Port McArthur. As soon as Tupper's message reached General Winchester, he selected a body of almost 400 troops whom he sent down the river to join those of Tupper. When their advance scouts reached the camp of Tupper, they found it deserted and the body of one slain and scalped American there. All the signs indicated a hasty retreat. When these scouts returned, Colonel Lewis decided to lead his men back to Camp Number Three. RIVER RAISIN MASSACRE In January, General Winchester finally started down the Maumee. This was contrary to the instructions of General Harrison, who had ordered him southward to Fort Jennings in order to protect supplies. Harrison did not want to make an advance until everything was ready. In a letter, dated January 8, 1813, he wrote to the secretary of war : "My plan of operation has been, and now is, to Vol. I— 8 114 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO occupy the Miami Rapids, and to deposit there as much provisions as possible, to move from thence with choice detachments of the army, and with as much provision, artillery and ammunition as the means of transportation will allow, make a demonstration towards Detroit and, by a sudden passage of the strait upon the ice, an actual investiture of Malden. * * * It was my intention to have assembled at the Rapids from 4,500 to 5,000 men, and to be governed by circumstances in forming the detachment with which I should advance." On the tenth of January, 1813, General Winchester reached a point opposite the site of the battle of Fallen Timbers. He had with him an army of 1,300 men. Here he established an improvised encampment and storehouse. The soldiers were able . to gather corn from the fields, which was boiled whole and supplied them with some additional food. Some improvised devices were made to pound the corn into meal. The enemy were encamped in considerable numbers around and about the site of Fart Miami, but they retreated. Several hundred men under General Payne were sent ahead to rout a body of savages said to be "in an old fortification at Swan Creek," but no Indians were discovered there. A number of messengers arrived at his camp from Frenchtown (now Monroe) representing the danger to which the inhabitants were exposed from the hostility of British and Indians and almost tearfully begging for protection. These representations excited the sympathies of the Americans and turned their attention from the main object of the campaign, causing them to overlook to a great extent proper military precaution. Col. William Lewis was first dispatched to the relief of Frenchtown with 550 men, on January 17th. A few hours later Col. John Allen followed with 110 men, and overtook the others at the mouth of the river. Marching -along the frozen borders of the bay and lake, they reached there on the afternoon of the following, day. Attacking the enemy, who were posted in the village, they gained possession of it after a spirited engagement. Learning that the savages were collecting in. force, General Winchester became alarmed and started from the Maumee rapids on the 19th with all the troops that he could detach to the relief of that settlement, in all about 250 men. They arrived there on the twentieth instant. Had General Winchester followed the advice of those wiser than himself, a disaster might have been prevented. Having lived for so many months, however, in primitive surroundings, after a life of luxury, he relaxed himself in the good home of Colonel Navarre, where he was established, and was not as vigilant as he should have been. He left his troops in open ground, and took no precautions against surprise. Peter Navarre and his brothers, who were acting as scouts, reported that a large body of British and Indians were approaching and would attack him that night.. Other information of a similar nature was brought in, but he was unmoved by these reports. He seemed to be under an evil spell. As a result, an attack was made upon him in the early morning of the 22nd. The British and their dusky allies approached entirely undiscovered. General Winchester attempted to rejoin his troops, but was captured by an Indian and led to Colonel Proctor. Winchester was pursuaded to order his troops to surrender, but the gallant Major Madison refused until the third request was received. Several hundred of his men were killed in battle or afterwards massacred, and the dreaded Indian yell was heard on every side. The remainder of his troops were taken prisoners and marched to Amherstburg. Most of them were afterwards released upon parole. General Winchester was kept as a prisoner for more than a year. Surrender was doubtless induced by the HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 115 statement of the British commander that an Indian massacre could hardly be prevented in case of continued resistance, and a promise of help to all the wounded. But the promise was not kept. Only thirty-three of the Americans escaped death or captivity. This great disaster at the River Raisin was most lamentable, but it was not without its good results. "Remember the Raisin" became a slogan that spurred many to enlist in the army, and perform valiant service for their country. It exercised the same effect upon them as did "Remember the Alamo," among the Texans. CHAPTER XI THE SIEGE OF FORT MEIGS It had been with the intention of prosecuting a winter campaign for the recovery of Detroit and the Michigan Territory that General Harrison dispatched General Winchester to the Maumee Rapids. As soon as the news of the unauthorized advance toward the River Raisin by that commander reached General Harrison, at Upper Sandusky, he apprehended the threatening danger and hastened to the Maumee River in advance of his troops. Upon his arrival at Camp Deposit (Roche de Boeuf), the day following the disaster, he ordered a detachment under General Payne to follow Winchester in order to render any needed aid. The cold was very severe, however, the road was covered with snow and filled with miry places, so that the progress of the troops was exceedingly slow. They had not proceeded far until several fugitives were overtaken, who reported the total defeat of General Winchester's command. A council was quickly held and the entire body decided to return to Camp Deposit, excepting a few scouts who were to render all possible aid to stragglers who were escaping. At a council held at this post, it was determined that the position was on the wrong side of the river, and was too exposed to be successfully maintained against a powerful enemy. The troops therefore set fire to the blockhouse and retired towards the Portage River, about half way on the road to Lower Sandusky, where they fortified a camp and awaited the advancing reinforcements. Things had indeed begun to look lugubrious for the Americans. Thus far all the military operations in the Northwest had resulted favorably for the enemy. Mackinac had been surrendered ; General Hull had yielded to cowardice; there had been a bloody massacre at Chicago. The efforts of General Harrison to assemble sufficient troops to attempt the reconquest of Michigan had already extended over five fruitless months. The overwhelming defeat and massacre of American troops at Frenchtown seemed to be the culmination of a series of calamitous misfortunes. Of what had been lost, nothing whatever had been regained. The entire frontier was greatly alarmed. From every settlement came urgent and almost pitiful appeals for protection. The settlers lived in daily fear of the bloodcurdling war cry of the savages, and the man who left home feared that he would never again behold his beloved ones. Here is a specimen appeal from Dayton to Governor Meigs, dated February 2, 1813: " Since the news reached this place of the destruction of the left wing of the Northwestern Army under Winchester, the inhabitants are much alarmed. Many families, even in this town, are almost on the wing for Kentucky. If the posts at Greenville, are to be abandoned, this place will be a part of the frontier in ten days after. The collections of Indians on our frontiers also heighten the alarm." Receiving word through his scouts that several hundred Indians had gathered on the north shore of Maumee Bay, General Harrison detached 600 soldiers, with one cannon, and led them in person against the savages. Upon his approach their camp was abandoned. - 116 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 117 Near the lower part of the bay, the horses drawing the cannon broke through the ice while pursuing the fleeing enemy. It was only after great exertion and much suffering from the severe cold that the submerged gun was recovered on the following day. The expedition was abandoned when scouts reported that the savages had crossed into Canada. General Harrison wrote to the Secretary of War from "Headquarters, Foot of the Miami (Maumee) Rapids, February 11, .1813," as follows : "Having been joined by General Leftwich with his brigade, and a regiment of the Pennsylvania quota at the Portage River on the 30th ultimo, I marched thence on the 1st instant and reached this place on the morning of the 2nd with an effective force of sixteen hundred men. I have since been joined by a Kentucky regiment and part of General Tupper's Ohio Brigade, which has increased our number to two thousand non-commissioned officers and privates. * * * I have ordered the whole of the troops of the Left Wing (excepting one company for each of the six forts in that quarter) the balance of the Pennsylvania brigade, and the Ohio brigade under General Tupper, and a detachment of regular troops of twelve months volunteers under command of Colonel Campbell, to march to this place as soon as possible. * * * The disposition of the troops for the remainder of the winter will be as follows : A battalion of militia lately called out from this State, with a company of regular troops now at Fort Winchester will garrison the posts upon the waters of the Auglaize and St. Mary. The small blockhouses upon Hull's trace will have a subaltern's command in each. A company will be placed at Upper Sandusky, and another at Lower Sandusky. All the rest of the troops will be brought to this place, amounting to from fifteen to eighteen hundred men. "I am erecting here a pretty strong fort (Meigs) capable of resisting field artillery at least. The troops will be placed in a fortified camp covered on one flank by the fort. This is the best position that can be taken to cover the frontier, and the small posts in the rear of it, and those above it on the Miami (Maumee) and its tributaries. The force placed 118 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO here ought, however, to be strong enough to encounter any that the enemy may detach against the forts above. Twenty-five hundred would not be too many. But, anxious to reduce the expenses during the winter within as narrow bounds as possible I have desired the Governor of Kentucky not to call out (but to hold in readiness to march) the fifteen hundred men lately required of him. All the teams which have been hired for the public service will be discharged, and those belonging to the public, which are principally oxen, disposed of in the settlements where forage is cheaper, and every other arrangement made which will lessen the expenses during the winter. Attention will still, however, be paid to the deposit of supplies for the ensuing campaign. Immense supplies of provisions have been accumulating along the Auglaize River, and boats and pirogues prepared to bring them down as soon as the river opens." The experience of General Harrison in frontier warfare, especially under General Wayne in this valley, induced him to select as the site of a fort for this section the high right bank of the Maumee River, just a short distance below the lowest fording place and near the foot of the lowest rapids. The original plan of this fort embraced something over eight acres of ground, and the irregular circumference of the enclosure measured about .11/3 miles in length. At short intervals there were blockhouses and batteries, and between these the entire space was picketed with timbers fifteen feet long, from ten to twelve inches in diameter, and placed three feet into the ground. It was built under the personal supervision of Captain Eleazer. D. Wood, chief engineer of the army. The army at this camp at that time numbered about 1,800 and, as soon as the outlines of the fort were decided upon, the different branches of labor were assigned to the various corps in the army. " To complete the picketing," says Captain Wood, "to put up eight blockhouses of double timbers, to elevate four large batteries, to build all the storehouses and magazines required to contain the supplies of the army, together with the ordinary fatigues of the camp, was an undertaking of no small magnitude. Besides, an immense deal of labor was likewise required in excavating ditches, making abatis and clearing away the wood about the camp ; and all this was done, too, at a time when the weather was inclement, and the ground so hard that it could scarcely be opened with the mattock and pickaxe. But in 'the use of the axe, mattock, and spade consisted the chief military knowledge of our army ; and even that knowledge, however trifling it may be supposed by some, is of the utmost importance in many situations, and 'in ours was the salvation of the army. So we fell to work, heard nothing of the enemy, and endeavored to busy ourselves as soon as possible." It was named in honor of Governor Meigs. The spies with General Harrison kept him pretty well informed concerning the movements of the enemy. When reports reached him that the British vessels were frozen in the ice near Malden, he conceived an audacious plan for their destruction. A detachment of more than 200 soldiers and officers, together With a score or more of friendly Indians, marched forth from the new fort, with six days' provisions and combustibles with which to inflame the vessels. All of these men had volunteered for the enterprise. General Harrison explained to them that it was an undertaking fraught with peril and privation, but to those who deported themselves meritoriously appropriate reward would be meted out. They proceeded to the blockhouse which had been erected at Lower Sandusky. Then, with sleds and pilots, the expedition started for the lake. After proceeding about a mile upon their way, the object of the expedition was explained to the soldiers and the Indians by Captain Langham. The project appeared so hazardous that about twenty of the militia HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 119 and six or seven Indians returned to the fort, permission for which was given to anyone so desiring. These remaining descended the river in sleds, crossed the bay on the ice to the peninsula, and then marched across it to the lake, where the islands were plainly in sight. Here there were more desertions. They proceeded as far as Middle Bass Island, where the guides began to express misgivings because of uncertain weather conditions. When they reached the lake, however, the success of the expedition seemed so remote, because of the thinness of the ice and by reason of the abounding spies of the enemy, that the expedition was formally abandoned. General Harrison himself was untiring in his movements. He was kept busy visiting the various camps in his work of supervision, for we find dispatches dated from various headquarters. About the first of March word reached Fort Meigs that General Proctor had ordered the assembling of the Canada militia and the Indian allies early in April, preparatory to an attack on Fort Meigs. To encourage the Indians, he had assured. them of an easy conquest, and had promised that General Harrison should be delivered up to Tecumseh himself. That Indian chief had an unquenchable hatred for the American commander since the battle of Tippecanoe. The mode of attack, so it was reported, would be by. constructing strong batteries on. the opposite side' of the river, to be manned by British artillerists, while the savages would invest the fort on that side of the river. It was thought that "a few hours action of the cannon would smoke the Americans out of the fort into the hands of the savages," as one of the officers expressed it. The forces within Fort Meigs had been seriously weakened at this time by the expiration of the term of the enlistment of many of the Virginians and Pennsylvanians, who had already started for their homes. Not more than 500 effective soldiers remained. In fact, it was a very difficult task, because of the irregularity and short time of the enlistment, to maintain an efficient body of soldiers and also of supplies owing to the difficulties of transportation in the winter season. The Legislature passed an act adding $7 a month to the pay of any of 1,500 Kentuckians already in the service, who would remain until others were sent to relieve them. General Harrison was almost discouraged at times, for in one communication he writes : "I am sorry to mention the dismay and disinclination to the service, which appears to prevail in the western country." General. Harrison forwarded messages to the troops that were known to be advancing, urging .them to hasten as their presence was badly needed at Fort Meigs. As soon as the ice broke, advantage was taken of the high water to transport supplies down the river to Fort Meigs from the supply depots farther up on the Maumee and the Auglaize. Fort Meigs enjoyed comparative quiet for several weeks, because of the absence of hostile attacks, and the soldiers gradually became a little more venturesome. In March, a small party of soldiers while hunting game near Fort Miami were shot at by a British reconnoitering party, and. Lieutenant. Walker was killed. Another bullet lodged in a Bible or hymn-book, carried by a soldier in his breast pocket, saving him from death or a severe wound. Intense excitement again arose about the first of April over a desperate encounter of about a dozen French volunteers who, while reconnoitering by boat in the channels about the large Ewing Island below the fort, were surprised and violently assailed at close quarters by two boatloads of savages. In the encounter that ensued only one Indian escaped death, but several of the Frenchmen were also slain, and only three returned unscathed. The Canadian militia assembled at Sandwich on the 7th of April, pursuant to call, and on the 23d of that month General Proctor's army, consisting of almost 1,000 regu- 120 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO lars and militia, embarked at Malden on several vessels and sailed for Fort Meigs, being convoyed by two gunboats carrying artillery. The savages, amounting to fully 1,500, crossed the Detroit River and made their way to the rendezvous on foot, although a few sailed the lakes in small boats. The vessels arrived at the mouth of the Maumee River on the 26th inst-, and a couple of days later the army landed near the ruins of Fort Miami, about two miles below Fort Meigs, and on the opposite side of the river. General Harrison was kept accurately informed of all these movements through his scouts. One of these, who was also employed as a runner, was Peter Navarre. General Harrison dispatched Navarre with letters to the garrison at both Lower and Upper Sandusky, and to Governor Meigs, at Urbana, telling them of the formidable force approaching them. This enemy did not remain idle long after their landing, as the following letter to Governor Meigs will show : "To His Excellency Governor Meigs : "Sir: * * * "Yesterday the British let loose a part of their savage allies upon the fort from the opposite shore, whilst the former were concerting plans below- There is little doubt the enemy intends erecting batteries on the opposite shore. No force can reduce the fort. All are in fine spirits, anxiously waiting a share of the glory to be acquired over the British and their savage allies ; though one thing is certain, whilst their forces are so far superior they cannot be driven from their position on the opposite shore. Captain Hamilton, who was detached with a discovering party estimated their forces at three thousand—independent of the Indians lurking in the neighborhood. "I am now in pursuit of General Clay, and expect to come up with him today. * * * * * * * * * * "With sentiments of highest respect, I have the honor to be, "Your obedient servant, "William Oliver." The effective force at Fort Meigs at this time numbered about 1,100 soldiers, which was wholly inadequate to cope with such a large, well trained, and far better equipped army. General Harrison himself had arrived on the 12th with considerable reinforcements. Most of the savages immediately crossed the river and began to invest and harass Fort Meigs at every possible point, filling the air with their hideous yells and the firing of musketry both day and night. For the purpose of protection the timber had been cleared from the fort on all sides for about three hundred yards, with the exception of stumps and an occasional log. Behind these the savages would advance at night and sometimes disable a picket. These wily foes also climbed the trees at the rear of the fort, from which vantage points they were finally routed with far greater losses than they inflicted. 1 " Can you, " said General Harrison in a stirring appeal to his troops, "the citizens of a free country who have taken arms, to defend its rights, think of submitting to an army composed of mercenary soldiers, reluctant Canadians goaded to the field by the bayonet, and of wretched naked savages ? Can the breast of an American soldier, when he cast his eyes to the opposite shore, the scene of his country's triumphs over the same foe, be influenced by any other feelings than the hope of glory ? Is not this army composed of the same materials as that which fought and conquered under the immortal Wayne ? Yes, fel- 1 There still stands at Maumee an old elm tree, directly opposite Fort Meigs, which is known as the " Old Indian Elm." Tradition says that the savages perched themselves there, killing and wounding several of the garrison, and a number of these dusky sharpshooters were killed by the soldiers within Fort Meigs. This tall and aged tree is carefully preserVed by the citizens of the village. HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 121 low soldiers, your General sees your countenances beam with the same fire that he witnessed on that glorious occasion ; and, although it would be the height of presumption to compare himself with that hero, he boasts of being that hero's pupil. To your posts, then, fellow citizens, and remember that the eyes of your country are upon you!" Having certain knowledge that General Green Clay with his Kentucky troops was approaching, General Harrison sent forward Captain William Oliver with a message urging haste. Oliver, with one soldier and one Indian as attendants, made his way safely to General Clay and his command of 1,200 men, part of whom were under Colonel William Dudley. The news of Harrison's danger had already reached these commands, and they had dispatched Leslie Combs and some soldiers, together with a Shawnee guide, to inform General Harrison of their approach. "Combs and his party began their journey at Defiance, on the first of May. His companions who were volunteers, were two brothers named Walker, two others named respectively Paxton and Johnson, also young Black Fish, a Shawnoese warrior. With the latter at the helm, the other four engaged with the rowing, and himself at the bow in charge of the rifles and ammunition of the party, Combs pushed off from Defiance, amid cheers and sad adieus determined to reach Fort Meigs before daylight, the next morning. The voyage was full of danger. Rain was falling heavily, and the night was intensely black. They passed the Rapids in safety, but not until quite late in the morning, when heavy cannonading was heard in the direction of the fort. It was evident that the expected siege had commenced, and that the perils of the mission were increased manifold. For a moment Combs was perplexed. To return would be prudent, but would expose his courage to doubts ; to remain until the next night, or proceed at once, seemed equally hazardous. A decision was soon made by the brave youth. `We must go on, boys,' he said ; `and if you expect the honor of taking coffee with General 122 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO Harrison this morning, you must work hard for it.' He went forward with many misgivings, for he knew the weakness of the garrison, and doubted its ability to hold out long. Great was his satisfaction, therefore, when on sweeping around Turkey Point, at the last bend in the river by which the fort was hidden from his view, he saw the stripes and stars waving over the beleaguered camp. Their joy was evinced by a suppressed shout. Suddenly a solitary Indian appeared in the edge of the woods, and a moment afterward a large body of them were observed in the gray shadows of the forest, running eagerly to a point below to cut off Combs and his party from the fort. The gallant captain attempted to dart by them on the swift current, when a volley of bullets from the savages severely wounded Johnson and Paxton—the former mortally. The fire was returned with effect, when the Shawnoese at the helm turned. the prow toward the opposite shore. There the voyagers abandoned the canoe, and with their faces toward Defiance, sought safety in flight. After vainly attempting to take Johnson and Paxton with them, Combs and Black Fish left them to become captives, and at the end of two days and two nights the captain reached Defiance, whereat General Clay had just arrived. The Walkers were also there, having fled more swiftly, because unencumbered. Combs and his dusky companion had suffered terribly. The former was unable to assume command of his company, but he went down the river with the re-enforcements, and took an active part in the conflict in the vicinity of Fort Meigs." The soldiers of the Northwestern Army, while at Fort Meigs and elsewhere on duty, frequently beguiled their time by singing patriotic songs. A verse from one of them sufficiently indicates their general character : “Freemen, no longer bear such slaughter, Avenge your country 's cruel woe, Arouse and save your wives and daughters, Arouse, and expel the faithless foe. Chorus— Scalps are bought at stated prices, Malden pays the price in gold." Excessive rains hindered the British in planting their cannon as they wished. At times as many as 200 men and several oxen would be engaged in the work of pulling a single twenty-four-pounder through the mud. At first the work was carried on only by night, but a little later, owing to the impatience of the commander, the work was continued by day, although some of the men were killed by shots from Fort Meigs. By the 30th of April they had completed two batteries nearly opposite Fort Meigs. One of these was on the site of the present Methodist Church, and the other was on the site of the Presbyterian Church, in the Village of Maumee. The first battery contained two twenty-four-pounders, while the other mounted three howitzers. A third battery of three twelve-pounders was afterwards placed, as well as several mortars in strategic positions. General Harrison ordered earthworks to be thrown up to protect the men from any cannon shots which might be fired at them from these newly erected batteries. Thus the shots from the enemies' cannon were opposed by solid walls of earth twelve feet high and twenty feet thick at the base. Behind these ramparts the defenders were placed, so that they were fairly well protected from the big (for that day) guns of the enemy across the river. A few guns were placed by the British on the fort side, and to meet this new danger other traverses of earth were thrown up. A well was also dug behind the Grand Traverse, in order to provide a certain supply of water in case the investment should become complete. The British fired almost incessantly with their cannon at Fort Meigs on the 1st, 2d and 3d of May. Little HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 123 damage was done to the fort, and the casualties were inconsiderable. Two Americans were killed on the first day, and one man so severely wounded that he died of tetanus ten days later. No fewer than 500 balls and shells were thrown on the first day of the siege, so it was estimated. The supply of balls and shells within the fort was limited, and the defenders replied only occasionally when a good target offered. In order to increase the supply a reward of a gill of whiskey was offered to the soldiers for every British ball brought in by them of a size to fit their guns, and delivered to Thomas L. Hawkins, keeper of the magazine. At night the soldiers might have been seen outside the stockade searching around for balls whose location they had noticed during the day. It is said that more than a thousand gills of whiskey were paid out as rewards. Before completing their plans, the British constructed a third battery of three twelve-pounder cannon on the night of May 1st, located between the two batteries mentioned above. One of the militiamen voluntarily stationed himself on the embankment, and gratuitously forewarned the Americans of every approaching shot. In this he became so skillful that he could in almost every case predict the probable destination of the missile. As soon as the smoke issued from the muzzle of the gun, he would cry out "shot" or "bomb," as the case might be. In spite of all the expostulations of his friends, at the danger incurred by himself, this brave soldier maintained his post for hour after hour. Consider the contempt with which a gunner in the Great War of Europe, who fires a monster that hurls half a ton or more of steel and explosive for a distance of twenty-five miles, would look upon these pygmy cannon. It was about all these guns could do to heave a six or eight pound ball across the river to Fort Meigs, a distance of a quarter of a mile. So leisurely was its flight that this man from the embankment could gauge the direction and warn his comrades. It was like a game of ten pins, with the balls tossed from catapaults instead of hands, and with humans as the targets. It seems like an absurdity to us today in the light of modern development in the matter of man-killing machines. " Hey, there, blockhouse number one," the sentinel cried out. Then the boys of that defence would promptly duck for cover. "Main battery, look out," would come his stentorian voice over the palisades. The men of that battery then had warning to seek shelter and would follow his advice "now for the meat-house." "Good bye, old boy, if you will pass by," was the greeting to a wild shot that missed the fort altogether. But even these leisurely flying iron balls were deadly, when a human target interposed in their, flight. One day, while he was watching and jocularly commenting on the course of the balls, there came a shot that seemed to defy all the militiaman's calculations. He could not gauge the angle. He stood motionless and perplexed. No word of warning or jesting arose from his lips. His eyes seemed transfixed. But the ball was approaching nearer and nearer, and in an instant he was swept into eternity. The gunners had hit their mark. Poor man ! he should have considered that when there was no obliquity in the issue of the smoke, either to the right or the left, alcove or below, the fatal messenger would travel in the direct line of his vision. "The aborigines;" says Rev. A. M. Lorraine, who was with the Americans, "climbed up into the trees, and fired incessantly upon us. Such was their distance that many of their balls barely reached us but fell harmless to the ground. Occasionally they inflicted dangerous and even fatal wounds. The number killed in the fort was small considered the profusion' of powder and ball expended on us. About eighty were slain, many wounded, and 124 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO several had to suffer amputation of limbs. The most dangerous duty which we performed within the precincts of the fort was in covering the magazine. Previous to this the powder had been deposited in wagons and these stationed in the traverse- Here there was no security against bombs ; it was therefore thought to be prudent to remove the powder into a small blockhouse and cover it with earth. The enemy, judging our designs from our movements, now directed all their shot to this point (particularly from their twenty-four-pounder battery). Many of their balls were red-hot. Wherever they struck they raised a cloud of smoke and made a frightful hissing. An officer passing our quarters said : 'boys, who will volunteer to cover the magazine?' Fool-like away several of us went. As soon as we reached the spot there came a ball and took off one man's head. The spades and dirt flew faster than any of us had before witnessed. "In the midst of our job a bomb-shell fell on the roof and, lodging on one of the braces, it spun round for a moment. Every soldier fell prostrate on his face and with breathless horror awaited the vast explosion which we expected would crown all our earthly sufferings. Only one of all the, gang presumed to reason on the case- He silently argued that, as the shell had not bursted as quickly as usual, there might be something wrong in its arrangement. If it bursted where it was, and the magazine exploded, there could be no escape ; it was death anyway ; so he sprung to his feet, seized a boat-hook and, pulling the hissing missile to the ground and jerking the smoking match from its socket, discovered that the shell was filled with inflammable substance, which, if once ignited, would have wrapped the whole building in a sheet of flame. This circumstance added wings to our shovels ; and we were right glad when the officer said 'that will do ; go to your lines.' " A white flag approached the fort, and the bearers asked for a parley. A demand was then made for the surrender of the fortress by General Proctor. This was answered by a prompt refusal. The conversation is reported as follows : Major Chambers.—" General Proctor has directed me to demand the surrender of this post. He wishes to spare the effusion of blood." To this demand General Harrison replied: "The demand, under present circumstances, is a most extraordinary one. As General Proctor did not send me a summons to surrender on his first arrival, I had supposed that he believed me determined to do my duty. His present message indicates an opinion of me that I am at a loss to account for." Major Chambers then continued : "General Proctor could never think of saying anything to wound your feelings, sir. The character of General Harrison, as an officer, is well known. General Proctor's force is very respectable, and there is with him a larger body of Indians than has ever before been embodied." "I believe I have a very correct idea of General Proctor's force," said General Harrison. "It is not such as to create the least apprehension for the result of the contest, whatever shape he may be pleased hereafter to give to it. Assure the general, however, that he will never have this post surrendered to him upon 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-" Things had begun to look dark for the besieged. When Captain Oliver, accompanied by Maj. David Trimble and fifteen soldiers who had evaded the encircling savages, arrived on the night of the 4th with the welcome news that Gen. Green Clay's command, in eighteen large flatboats had reached the left bank of the Maumee at the head of the Grand Rap-