Part 5
Killed--Isaac Butler. Wounded--Sergeant Walcott Babbit; Sergeant Nathan Fairbank; Samuel Potter, badly; Lewis Margum; Elisha Nappe.--Total 6.
Killed--1 Capt., 2 Corporals, 19 privates. Wounded--3 Subalterns--6 Sergeants--2 Corporals--1 Musician--44 Privates. Whole number, killed and wounded of the army--188.
GEN. HARRISON'S CAMPAIGN
At the retaking of Detroit, and the defeat of the army under Gen. Proctor, extracted from the "_View of the N.W. Campaign_," by Samuel R. Brown.
The chagrin and disappointment, added to the serious loss of the fine army, under Gen. Hull, cast a temporary gloom over the whole union, but this sentiment soon subsided, and all felt the necessity of immediate action. Pennsylvania and Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio, all felt eager to wipe away the deep stain on our national character. Volunteers every where presented themselves, and but a short period elapsed before an army was ready, as if by magic, to retrieve the fortune of arms. A leader was wanting--all eyes looked with a common impulse upon the hero of TIPPECANOE; the united voice of the people of the west called on the Governor of Kentucky to dispense with all formalities, and General _William Henry Harrison_, was brevetted a major general, with directions to take command of the north-western army.
On the 3d of September, the Indians made a furious assault on Fort Harrison. They kept up a brisk fire the whole night, and one time had actually succeeded in making a breach in the defences of the place. The roofs of the buildings were several times on fire; one of the blockhouses was burnt. Captain Taylor, however, succeeded in defending the post and finally beat them off. The scene was enough to try the soul of a hero. There were but eighteen effective men in the fort, and two of them, in a moment of despair, leapt the pickets to escape. The night was dark--the yelling of several hundred savages, and the cries of the women, were sufficient to excite terror in the stoutest heart.
On the 4th of September, Gen. Harrison arrived at Urbana and assumed the command of the north-western army. The rapids of the Miami of the Lakes were fixed upon as the point of concentration, the several corps of which were to move in the following directions:--two thousand Pennsylvania volunteers under General Crooks, were to move from Pittsburgh along the shores of lake Erie: Gen. Tupper's brigade of Ohio volunteers were to take Hull's route from Urbana to the Rapids: fifteen hundred Virginians, under Brigadier Gen. Leftwich, were to take the same route, whenever they should arrive. Gen. Payne's brigade of Kentucky volunteers, with the 17th U. States' regiment, Col. Wells, were to advance to Fort Wayne, and descend the Miami; such was the disposition of the forces which were to constitute the _new_ army.
A considerable Indian force appeared before Fort Wayne on the 5th. They invested the place closely for several days; they burnt the U. States' factory and many other valuable houses. A brother of Gov. Meigs, and two soldiers were killed near the fort.
Gen. Harrison marched with the brigade of Gen. Payne and the regulars to relieve fort Wayne--the enemy fled at his approach.
There was now a favorable moment for making the Indians feel the effects of the war. An expedition was accordingly projected against several towns within two days march of that place. The whole force was divided and placed under the command of Gen. Payne and Colonel Wells. The former was directed to destroy the Miami towns at the forks of the Wabash; and the latter to go against the Potawatamie villages at Elk Hart.
The commander in chief accompanied Gen. Payne on the expedition: four of the Miami villages were burnt, three of which were remarkably flourishing. All their corn was cut up and piled, in order that it might rot before the enemy could return to prevent it. Colonel Wells was equally successful; he destroyed several villages and returned to camp without loss.
At this time General Winchester arrived at Fort Wayne and General Harrison resigned the command of the detachment under General Payne and Col. Wells, to him, in obedience to the arrangements of the war department. Considerable discontent and murmuring was observable among the troops when they were informed of the change, but on being addressed by Gen. Harrison, they appeared better satisfied.
On the 4th October brigadier general Tupper received orders to proceed to the rapids with the whole of the mounted force, in condition for service; but in consequence of the _counter orders_ of General Winchester, the movement was not executed. General Tupper made an exposition of the causes which produced the failure of the expedition. This exposition very clearly proved that both Winchester and Tupper were incapable of command.
On the 25th November, the celebrated partizan chief, Logan,[2] died of his wounds.--This loss was regretted by the whole army. He was a brave and enterprising warrior, sincerely attached to the Americans, and possessed a powerful influence over the Indians.
[2] He in company with Capt. Johney and Brighthorn, had been sent by Gen. Winchester to make discoveries at the rapids. They had not proceeded but a few miles when they were taken prisoners by five Indians under Winnemac, and a son of Col. Elliott. Logan told them they had come to join them: this induced them to permit Logan and his associates to carry their arms and to march before them. Logan determined to rescue himself or die in the attempt; he communicated his intentions to his comrades and when a suitable opportunity offered, they turned upon their enemy and each one brought his man to the ground; the remaining three fired upon Logan's party and wounded Logan and Brighthorn. Logan altho' mortally wounded exchanged a second shot with the enemy, when he and Brighthorn jumped upon the horses of two of those they had just slain and left Capt. Johney to cover the retreat which he did in a gallant manner, after having scalped Winnemac. Winnemac was the chief that commanded at Tippecanoe. Young Elliot was among the slain--his body was afterwards taken up by his father, and conveyed to Malden.
On the 8th November a detachment of 600 men, commanded by Colonel Campbell, left Franklinton on an expedition against the Miami Indians, living on the head waters of the Wabash. On the 17th of December, they arrived at one of the Mississinway villages, surprized & killed five warriors, and took thirty-seven prisoners. They burnt three other villages three miles further down the river, and then returned to the first town destroyed, and encamped. About an hour before the dawn of day, they were attacked in the camp. The fire commenced on the right line, commanded by Major Ball, who sustained and returned it till day light, when the Indians were charged and dispersed with the loss of thirty killed. Our loss was eight killed and twenty-five wounded--several mortally. A great number of horses were killed, several officers were wounded: lieutenant Waltz, of the Pennsylvania troop was shot through the arm, but not satisfied, he again attempted to mount his horse, and in making the effort was shot through the head.--The prisoners were treated with humanity, even the warriors who ceased to resist, were spared, which is not the usual custom in expeditions against the Indians. The sufferings of the men from cold, hunger and fatigue, on their retreat from Mississinway, were beyond measure. They were in the centre of an Indian country. The terrible Tecumseh was known to be within a few hours march. The sick and wounded were to be carried on litters; their march was slow, tedious and circumspect. At night only half of the men could sleep, while the other were on guard. They suffered greatly from the inclemency of the weather; numbers were frost bitten. Pleurisy and bad colds afflicted almost the whole corps. Why the Indians suffered them to escape total destruction, is unaccountable. Perhaps the death of their celebrated PROPHET, who is supposed to have been killed in this affair, was the cause of their not harrassing our men in their retreat.
The officers of Major Ball's squadron, who sustained the brunt of the action and who were complimented by General Harrison, in a general order, for their valor and good conduct, were Major Ball, Captains Hopkins and Garrard of Kentucky; Captains Markle and M'Clelland, of Pennsylvania.
On the 14th of December the left wing of the army moved from Fort Winchester to the Rapids. At this time the Ohio troops were at Fort M'Arthur--the Pennsylvanians at Mansfield and the Virginians at Delaware.--General Harrison fixed his head quarters at Upper Sandusky. The provisions and military stores, and the trains of artillery having reached the different depots, the hopes of the nation, that victory would soon crown the efforts of the north-western army, were cherished in confidence.
On the 14th of January, Col. Lewis advanced towards the river Raisin. On the 18th he found the enemy in force, and disposed to dispute the possession of the place. He attacked them in the town; on the first onset the savages raised their accustomed yell. But the noise was drowned in the returning shouts of the assailants. They advanced boldly to the charge, and drove them in all directions. On the first fire sixteen of the Indians fell--about forty were killed. Col. Lewis' party lost twelve killed, and fifty-two wounded.
On the 18th Gen. Winchester followed with a reinforcement, and concentrated his troops, amounting to eight hundred men, at the village of Frenchtown--six hundred of which were posted behind a picket fence--two hundred which composed the right wing were encamped in an open field entirely uncovered.
On the 22d they were attacked by a combined British force under Tecumseh and Proctor. The attack commenced on the right wing at beating of reveille. Our troops were immediately ready for the reception of the enemy. The right wing sustained the shock for about twenty minutes, when overpowered by numbers, they retreated over the river and were met by a large body of Indians who had been stationed in their rear. This party finding their retreat cut off, resolved to sell their lives as dear as possible, and fought desperately--few of these escaped. The left wing with Spartan valor, maintained their ground within their pickets.
The enemy's regulars made three different charges upon them; they advanced in platoons to charge the pickets, keeping up a brisk fire. Our men within the pickets, with the most determined bravery and presence of mind reserved their fire until the enemy advanced within point blank shot. They then opened a cross fire upon them--their pieces well levelled--and in this manner mowed down his ranks till he retreated in confusion.
Gen. Winchester and Col. Lewis had been taken prisoners in an early part of the battle, in attempting to rally the right wing. At 11 o'clock a flag arrived from General Winchester to Maj. Madison, who commanded in the pickets, informing our men he had surrendered them prisoners of war, and requested their compliance; whereupon a capitulation took place, and they were immediately marched off for Malden. The Americans lost nearly four hundred men in killed, wounded and missing. Among the officers, Col. Allen and Captains Hickman, Simpson, (a member of Congress) Mead, Edwards, Price and M'Cracken.
During the whole of the action a heavy canonade was kept up by six pieces of artillery. The courage of the men was never more severely tested. The party that retreated at the commencement of the battle, were pursued, surrounded, and literally cut to pieces. Some succeeded in getting three miles from the scene of action, but were overtaken and massacred. The snow was crimsoned the whole distance with the blood of the fugitives.
After the capitulation, the American commanding officer remonstrated with General Proctor, on the necessity of protecting the wounded prisoners from the fury of the savages. That officer pledged himself to attend to it, but he _forgot to keep his word_: they were left without the promised protection, and on the morning of the 23d, horrible to relate, the _allies_ of a _christian king_, stripped, scalped, tomahawked and burnt all of them who were unable to walk.[3]
[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 class 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 entitled 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 massacre 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 circumstance that reflects the greatest lustre 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 destitute of many articles of the first necessity. Yet these circumstances 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 quantity 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 ship-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 hardships 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 impassable 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 God! 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.