A Journal of Two Campaigns of the Fourth Regiment of U.S. Infantry Part 5

[3] The fate of Capt. Hart was peculiarly distressing.--He had received a flesh wound and particularly distinguished himself by his undaunted bravery. After the capitulation, Capt. Elliot, who had been a cla.s.s mate with him at Princetown college, waited on Capt. Hart, and unsolicited, promised him his protection declaring that the next morning he would have him taken to his own house at Malden, where he should remain until his recovery.--But Elliot broke his promise and left him to his fate! On the next day a band of savages came into the house where he was confined, and tore him from his bed. But he bargained with one of them and gave him a considerable sum of money to have himself taken to Malden. They set off, and after travelling as far as the river Aux Sables, they were met by a fresh band of Indians, who shot the Captain upon his horse, and tomahawked and scalped him! Numbers were put to death after they had been several days in custody. At Sandy Creek an Indian approached a volunteer of the name of Blythe and proposed to exchange his mocasins for Blythe's shoes--with this he readily complied; after this they exchanged hats; the Indian then raised his tomahawk and struck Blythe on the shoulder which cut into the cavity of his body: Blythe then caught hold of the tomahawk and attempted to resist but on one of his fellow prisoners telling him that his fate was fixed, he closed his eyes and received the savage blow that terminated his existence. Hamilton deposed that when the prisoners were marching from Raisin to Detroit, they came up to where one of the prisoners was burning, the life just expiring, and an Indian kicking the ashes off his back.

The dead were denied the rites of sepulture;[4] the living were treated with the greatest indignity. The prisoners were generally stripped of their clothing, rifled of their cash, and the swords of the officers given to the savages. Men whose education, talents and character ought to have ent.i.tled them to respect, had their feelings grossly outraged.

[4] I was told by several of the inhabitants of Frenchtown while at Detroit, that they had frequently seen the hogs and dogs devouring the bodies of the Americans and that it was not uncommon to see them running about with skulls, legs, arms, and other parts of the human system in their mouths.

The advance of Gen. Winchester to the river Raisin, was not authorised by the orders of Gen. Harrison; the motives of the Gen. were no doubt good, but to his imprudence is attributed the failure of the campaign.

He was induced to make the movement in consequence of the earnest solicitude of the inhabitants of that place, who were threatened with a general ma.s.sacre by the Indians.

As soon as General Harrison learnt the exposed situation of Gen.

Winchester's corps, he ordered a detachment from Gen. Perkins' brigade under Col. Cotgreaves, to march with all possible expedition to his relief--but so much time was spent in _preparation_, that it only arrived in hearing distance at the commencement of the battle, and then suddenly retraced its steps.

Why a commanding officer, situated as Gen. Winchester was within a few hours march of Malden, and liable every moment to be surprized, should suffer his men to be encamped in detached and exposed situations, in the manner they were, is a question not yet explained. The night before the battle a Frenchman arrived from Malden, and informed that the enemy had commenced their march. This information which was made known to Gen. Winchester, was disregarded. His quarters were three or four hundred yards from Camp. He did not arrive at the scene of action till the right wing had begun to give way.

I cannot forbear to notice in this place a circ.u.mstance that reflects the greatest l.u.s.tre on the military character of the Kentuckians. On their march from Fort Defiance to the rapids, the horses were worn out and nearly famished for want of forage. The men themselves were dest.i.tute of many articles of the first necessity. Yet these circ.u.mstances did not in the least damp their ardor. When the horses were no longer able to draw, these gallant sons of Mars harnessed themselves to the sleds, and in this manner, with cheerfulness and alacrity, conveyed their baggage sixty miles through frost and snow--thus, manifesting an intrepidity of character which rivals that of Greece or Rome.

Yet these were men, whose homes, for the most part, were the seats of elegance and wealth--but their spirits were not to be broken by adversity. Notwithstanding they were compelled to travel on foot and with scarcely a covering for their backs, in the dead of winter, from Malden to Buffalo, and from thence to Kentucky, a distance of eight hundred miles, still not a murmur escaped their lips! Their honest hearts sprung forward with the elastic hope, that their wrongs would be avenged and the day of retribution arrive.

After the defeat of Gen. Winchester, General Harrison retreated from the rapids eighteen miles, and took a position at Portage river. It being found impracticable to remove all the provisions a considerable quant.i.ty was destroyed.

On the 30th Gen. Harrison dispatched Capt. Lamont, Doctor M'Keehan and a Frenchman with a flag of truce to Malden. They encamped the first night near the rapids and hoisted the white flag; but this was not respected--the Indians fired upon them while asleep, killed Lamont, wounded Dr. M'Keehan and took the Doctor and the Frenchman prisoners.

Governor Meigs having promptly ordered out two regiments of Ohio militia to reinforce General Harrison; the army again advanced to the rapids, and commenced building Fort Meigs. Gen. Crook's brigade in the mean time were busily employed in fortifying at Upper Sandusky.

Gen. Harrison having learnt that a body of Indians were collected at Presque Isle, near the mouth of the Miami, marched from his camp at the rapids, on the 9th of February, at the head of a detachment of his army, to attack them; The enemy fled--our troops pursued them almost to the river Raisin, but finding it impossible to overtake them, the troops returned to camp much exhausted with fatigue. Such was their desire to come up with the foe, that they marched sixty miles in twenty one hours.

On the 27th February, a detachment of one hundred and fifty men, under Capt. Langham, left the Rapids for the purpose of destroying the Queen Charlotte, near Malden--the ice was found too far decayed to accomplish the object of the expedition.

On the 15th of April a desperate rencontre took place on the Miami, a few miles below fort Meigs, between ten Frenchman, from the river Raisin, and about an equal number of Indians, both parties were in canoes, and they maintained the fight till the greater part on both sides were either killed or wounded.

The army was now engaged incessantly in strengthening the posts of Fort Meigs, Upper Sandusky, and Fort Stephenson. General Harrison left the army for the purpose of consulting with Gov. Meigs, and for expediting the march of the reinforcements. No event of moment occurred during the remainder of the winter.

In March, workmen began to cut timber at Erie, for the purpose of building two 20 gun brigs--the requisite number of s.h.i.+p-carpenters arrived at that place.

The term of service of the greater part of the militia composing the north-western army having expired, new levies from Ohio and Kentucky were ordered on to supply their places. But these not arriving in season, the Pennsylvania brigade generously volunteered their services for another month, to defend Fort Meigs, which was menaced with an attack. This conduct was the more honorable, as this corps had undergone incredible hards.h.i.+ps during the winter, in dragging the artillery and stores from Sandusky to the Rapids.[5]

[5] A private in the Petersburgh volunteers draws the following picture of a soldier's life: It describes the march of his company at the time of Winchester's defeat. "On the second day of our march a courier arrived from Gen.

Harrison, ordering the artillery to advance with all possible speed; this was rendered totally impossible by the snow which took place, it being a complete swamp nearly all the way. On the evening of the same day news arrived that Gen. Harrison had retreated to Portage river, 18 miles in the rear of the encampment at the Rapids. As many men as could be spared determined to proceed immediately to reinforce him. It is unnecessary to state that we were among the first who wished to advance. At 2 o'clock the next morning, our tents were struck, and in half an hour we were on the road. I will candidly confess, that on that day I regretted being a soldier. On that day we marched thirty miles under an incessant rain; and I am afraid you will doubt my veracity when I tell you, that in eight miles of the best of the road, it took us over the knees and often to the middle. The Black Swamp, 4 miles from Portage river and 4 miles in the extent would have been considered impa.s.sable by all but men determined to surmount every difficulty to accomplish the object of their march. In this swamp you lose sight of _terra firma_ altogether--the water was about six inches deep on the ice, which was very rotten, often breaking through to the depth of four or five feet.

"The same night we encamped on very wet ground but the driest that could be found the rain still continuing. It was with difficulty we could raise fires; we had no tents, our clothes were wet, no axes, nothing to cook in, and very little to eat. A brigade of pack horses being near us, we procured from them some flour, killed a hog (there being plenty of _them_ along the road;) our bread was baked in the ashes and the pork we broiled on the coals--a sweeter meal I never partook of. When we went to sleep it was on two logs laid close to each other, to keep our bodies from the ground. Good G.o.d! what a pliant being is man in adversity.

"The loftiest spirit that ever inhabited the human breast would have been tamed amid the difficulties that surrounded us.""

On the 20th of April, Gen. Harrison returned to Fort Meigs and began to prepare for the approaching storm. Patrolling parties were frequently sent out to discover the movements of the enemy, who had been discovered on the margin of the lake.

On the 26th the advance of the enemy made its appearance on the opposite sh.o.r.e, and after reconnoitering a few minutes withdrew.--On the 27th they returned, but were soon made to retire by the b.a.l.l.s from the fort. Ever since the General had arrived in camp, the greatest diligence was displayed by the officers and soldiers. Fortifications of various description were carried on with unparallelled exertions.

Every moment of the Gen. was occupied in directing the works. He addressed the men in a most masterly and eloquent manner, on the situation in which the fortune of war had placed them, and of the importance of every man's being vigilant and industrious at his post.

This address converted every man into a hero; it inspired them with a zeal, courage and patriotism never surpa.s.sed.

On the 28th the enemy commenced a very brisk fire of small arms--in the evening the Indians were conveyed over the river in boats and surrounded the garrison in every direction. Several of Col. Ball's dragoons volunteered to reconnoitre the enemy's camp, but before they had got far from the fort they were fired on by the Indians and compelled to return.

On the 29th the siege began in earnest, all communication with the other posts was cut off. The firing was kept up the whole day. The enemy had progressed so far in the construction of their batteries during the night, that they afforded them sufficient protection to work by day light. A man was this day mortally wounded as he was standing near the General.

April 30--the besieged kept up a well directed fire against the enemy's batteries and considerably impeded their progress. Boats filled with men were seen to pa.s.s to the Fort Meigs' side of the river; this induced the Gen. to believe that their intention was to draw his attention to their batteries, and to surprise and storm the camp in the rear. Orders were therefore given for one third of the men to be constantly on guard, and the remaining two thirds to sleep with their muskets in their arms, and to be constantly prepared, at a moment's warning, to fly to their posts. These orders were strictly obeyed, and every duty performed with cheerfulness. Notwithstanding the incessant fire of the enemy, the men were obliged to go to the river for water every night--the well not being finished. Several of the men were this day wounded, and the General being continually exposed, had several narrow escapes. During the night the enemy towed up a gun boat near the fort and fired at point blank shot for some time, but without effect. They retired from this position as soon as it was light enough for our gunners to see her.

The grand traverse was now completed, as well as several small ones in various directions. The fire from the garrison was begun with effect.

During the day (May 1st) the enemy fired 256 times from their gun batteries. Their 24 pound shot pa.s.sed through the pickets without cutting them down. Our gunners silenced one of their pieces several times. They did not fire so rapidly as the enemy, but with a better aim--8 of the Americans were wounded this day--a bullet struck the seat on which the General was setting, and a volunteer was at the same time wounded as he stood directly opposite to him.

On the 2d of May both parties commenced firing very early with bombs and b.a.l.l.s, and continued it very briskly all day. Our troops had one killed and ten wounded, besides several others slightly touched with Indian bullets. The enemy this day fired 457 cannon shot.

The next day commenced with a very brisk and fierce firing of bombs and cannon b.a.l.l.s, and continued at intervals all day. They opened two batteries upon the fort, which they established on this side of the river within two hundred and fifty yards of the rear right angle of the camp, one of which was a bomb battery. An Indian who had ascended a tree, shot one of our men through the head, and six were killed by the enemy's bombs. They fired five hundred and sixteen times during the day, and forty-seven times during the night.

It rained very hard on the 4th which r.e.t.a.r.ded the fire of the besiegers. A new battery was discovered erecting on this side of the river, in the same direction with the others, and traverses were commenced to guard against them. Several were killed and wounded; Lieut. Gwynne killed a British officer on this side the river with a rifle. 233 shots were fired this day.

General Clay was now at Fort Winchester, with twelve thousand men, on his way to relieve the garrison.

On the 5th the enemy kept up but a feeble fire but they killed three men with bombs. An officer arrived with a detachment of Gen. Clay's men, with the welcome news that the General was but a few miles up the river, descending in boats. An officer was sent to him with directions for him to land one half of his force on the opposite side of the river, for the purpose of forcing the enemy's batteries and spiking their cannon. Col. Dudley, who was charged with the execution of this movement, performed it in fine style, but his men elated with their success, continued to pursue the retreating enemy till they were finally drawn into an ambush and overwhelmed by superior numbers; the greater part of this detachment were killed or taken prisoners. Some few effected their escape to the garrison. About forty of these unfortunate men were tomahawked by the Indians, several hours after their surrender. The killed on the field of battle were horribly mutilated. Colonel Dudley was among the killed. He displayed in his last moments the most heroic firmness, and actually killed one Indian after he was mortally wounded.

The other moiety of Gen. Clay's force, if not less prudent, were more fortunate; when they landed a little above the fort, they could easily have made the fort without loss, but instead of doing this or securing their sick and baggage, they marched directly into the woods in pursuit of a few Indians that were purposely leading them to their destruction. Gen. Harrison perceiving their folly, caused Colonel Ball to sally out with the cavalry and protect their retreat to the fort.

He succeeded in bringing them into the fort; but in the mean while a party of Indians had tomahawked their sick, left in the boats, and plundered their baggage.

While Col. Dudley's party was engaged with the enemy on the left bank of the river, several brilliant and successful charges were made on the right. In these charges Colonel Miller, Maj. Alexander, Capt.

Croghan, Longhom, Bendford, and Neveing, were conspicuous. Our troops conducted with the most determined bravery; all their batteries on this side were carried, and many prisoners taken.

From the 6th to the ninth there was no firing. Flags of truce pa.s.sed and repa.s.sed between the two armies. An exchange of prisoners took place. The Kentucky militia, taken at Dudley's defeat, were to be sent to Harrison, in order to return home by that route. On the morning of the 9th the enemy commenced their retreat down the river, after having been before the place thirteen days, during which time he had fired at the works, eighteen hundred sh.e.l.ls and cannon b.a.l.l.s besides keeping up an almost continual discharge of small arms. The American loss during the siege in the fort and in the different sorties on this side, was seventy-two killed and one hundred and ninety-six wounded. The loss of Col. Dudley's detachment was about two hundred killed and missing.

That of the enemy was about equal.

One reason why our troops did not sustain a greater loss in the fort was, because the men had contrived a kind of bomb proof retreat all along the ditch immediately behind the pickets. They would watch the enemy's fire and knew when to squat into their hiding places. By this means many valuable lives were saved.

Vast quant.i.ties of rain fell during the siege--the soil within the pickets is clay, and the constant treading of the men and horses caused the whole area of the fort to become a perfect bed of mortar, half leg deep--the frequent bursting of sh.e.l.ls caused it to fly in every direction, covering officers and men with mud.

The army not being sufficiently strong for offensive operations, it became necessary to wait for reinforcements, and for the completion of the vessels of war building at Erie.

The head-quarters of the Gen. were transferred to Seneca town on the Sandusky. Gen. Clay was charged with the defence of Fort Meig's.

Generals M'Arthur and Ca.s.s were actively employed in recruiting two regiments of 12 month's regulars in the state of Ohio.

In June the General held a council with a number of Indian Chiefs, who had hitherto professed neutral sentiments, to whom he made three propositions;--To take up arms in behalf of the United States--To remove within our settlements, and remain neutral--Or to go to the enemy and seek his protection. After a short consultation among themselves, they accepted the first, and prepared to accompany him in the invasion of Canada.

The hostile Indians continued to make inroads into the settlement and committed frequent murders. A party from Malden coasted down the lake as far as Cold Creek, where they killed, scalped and made prisoners, one man, three women and nine children.

An event took place, however, that had a salutary influence in repressing the audacity of the Indians. As Col. Ball, with 22 of his squadron were descending the Sandusky, the foremost of his party were fired upon from a thicket, by a band of eighteen Indians, who had placed themselves in ambush for the purpose of killing the mail carrier. Col. Ball instantly charged upon them and drove them from their hiding place. The ground was favorable for cavalry, and the Indians finding neither mercy nor the possibility of escape, gave a whoop and fought desperately till the whole were cut to pieces. Col.

Ball was at one time dismounted, opposed in personal contest to an Indian of gigantic stature--it was a desperate and a doubtful struggle, life was at stake, both exerted to the utmost--an officer rode up and rescued the Colonel by shooting the Indian through the head. After this terrible example, not an Indian ventured to cross the Sandusky in quest of plunder and blood.

On the first of August Gen. Proctor made his appearance before Fort Stephenson, twenty miles above the mouth of the river Sandusky. His troops consisted of five hundred regulars and about seven hundred Indians of the most ferocious kind. There were but one hundred and thirty eight effective men in the garrison and the works covered one acre of ground. Major George Croghan commanded the place. The pickets were about ten feet high, surrounded by a ditch with a block-house at each angle of the fort--one of which contained a 6 pounder--this was the exact state of the post, at the time the enemy appeared. The first movement made by the enemy, was to make such a disposition of his forces, as to prevent the escape of the garrison, if they should be disposed to attempt it. He then sent Col. Elliot with a flag to demand the surrender of the fort. He was met by ensign s.h.i.+pp. The British officer observed, that Gen. Proctor had a number of cannon, a large body of regular troops, and so many Indians, whom it was impossible to control, and if the fort was taken, as it must be, the whole of the garrison would be ma.s.sacred. s.h.i.+pp answered that it was the determination of Maj. Croghan, his officers and men, to defend the garrison or be buried in it, and that they might do their best.

Colonel Elliot addressed Mr. s.h.i.+pp again--"You are a fine young man; I pity your situation; for G.o.d's sake surrender, and prevent the dreadful slaughter which must follow resistance." s.h.i.+pp turned from him with indignation, and was immediately taken hold of by an Indian, who attempted to wrest his sword from him. Major Croghan observing what pa.s.sed, called to s.h.i.+pp to come into the fort, which was instantly obeyed, and the tragedy commenced. The firing began from the gun-boats in the rear, and was kept up during the night. At an early hour the next morning, three _sixes_, which had been planted during the night within two hundred and fifty yards of the pickets, began to play upon the fort, but with little effect. About 4 P.M. all the enemy's guns were concentrated against the north-western angle of the fort, for the purpose of making a breach. To counteract the effect of their fire, Maj. C. caused that point to be strengthened by means of bags of flour, sand and other materials, in such a manner that the picketing sustained little or no injury. But the enemy supposing that their fire had sufficiently shattered the pickets, advanced, to the number of five hundred, to storm the place, at the same time making two feints on different points. The column which advanced against the north-western angle, were so completely enveloped in smoke, as not to be discovered until it had approached within eighteen or twenty paces of the lines, but the men being all at their post, and ready to receive it, commenced so heavy and gallant a fire as to throw the column into confusion, but being quickly rallied, Lieut. Colonel Short, the leader of the column exclaimed, "come on my brave fellows, we will give the dam'd yankee rascals no quarters," and immediately leapt into the ditch followed by his troops: as soon as the ditch was entirely filled by the a.s.sailants, major Croghan ordered the six pounder which had been masked in the block-house, to be fired. It had been loaded with a double charge of musket b.a.l.l.s and slugs. This piece completely raked the ditch from end to end. The first fire levelled the one half in death--the second and third either killed or wounded every one except eleven, who were covered by the dead bodies. At the same time, the fire of the small arms was so incessant and destructive, that it was in vain the British officers exerted themselves to lead on the balance of the column; it retired in disorder under a shower of shot, and sought safety in an adjoining wood. The loss of the enemy in killed was about one hundred and fifty, besides a considerable number of their ALLIES were killed. The Americans had but one killed, and seven slightly wounded. Early in the morning of the 3d. the enemy retreated down the river, after having abandoned considerable baggage.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DEFENCE OF FORT STEPHENSON.]

The garrison was composed of regulars--all Kentuckians, a finer company of men is not to be found in the United States, perhaps not in the world. They are as humane as courageous. This is proved by their unceasing attention to the wounded enemy, after their discomfiture; during the night, they kindly received into the fort, through the fatal port-hole of the block-house, all those who were able to crawl to it; to those who were unable to move they threw canteens filled with water. They even parted with their clothes to alleviate the sufferings of the wounded.

Gen. Harrison had ordered Major Croghan to destroy the stores and abandon the fort, in case the enemy made their appearance. He dared to disobey the order, and has thereby immortalized himself.