Wayne County, Ohio - Chapter 17, 1878

Chapter 17

Major General Arthur St. Clair was born in Edinburg, Scotland, in 1734, and came to America with Admiral Boscawen, in 1775. He served as a Lieutenant under Wolfe during the old French War. He was made a Colonel in the army, and, in 1776, was ordered to raise a regiment for the Canada service. During this year he was advanced to a Brigadiership, and supported General Washington in his retreat through New Jersey. He took part in the battles of Trenton and Princeton. In February, I777> he was made Major General, and ordered to Ticonderoga, which post, in less than 30 days, he evacuated, and for which he was censured and suspended from his command. He did not quit the army, however, and stood side by side with Washington in the fight of Brandywine, September 11, 1777.

A court-martial was held in his case, and he was honorably acquitted. Congress acquiescing in the verdict. Never, for a moment, did Washington withdraw confidence from him. He was with the army of the South, before Yorktown, a few days prior to the surrender of Cornwallis, October 19, 1781. He was next ordered to South Carolina, to join General Greene, which he succeeded in doing, remaining with that officer during the short remnant of the war.

Peace concluded, he lived in Pennsylvania, and, in 1786, was elected to Congress, and was presiding officer of that body. When the North-western Territory was erected into a government he was chosen its Governor. He was appointed in 1788 and held the office until Ohio was admitted into the Union as a State.

In 1 79 1, in the autumn, with more than two thousand men, he marched from Fort Washington into the Indian territory, arriving on the 1 2th of October, without material loss, at Fort Jefferson, Darke county, Ohio. Having established and garrisoned two forts on his route, he encamped fifteen miles ^rom the Indian towns, on the Miami, on the 3d day of November. The movements of the army had been slow, and the confederated tribes of the West - Hurons, Potawatomies, Ottawas, Chippewas, Miamis, Delawares, Shawanese, Iroquois, and others - under the guidance of Michickinaqua (Little Turtle), and, as is supposed, of Joseph Brandt, had full opportunity to collect their warriors and form their plans for defense.

Before the rising of the sun on the following day (Nov 4) the savages fell upon the camp of the whites. Never was a more decisive victory obtained. In vain did the American General and his officers exert themselves to maintain order and to rally the bewildered troops. The Indians, firing from covert, thinned the ranks and picked off the officers by a continuous and murderous discharge. A disorderly retreat was the result ; artillery, baggage, and no small portion of the arms of the militia fell into the hands of the exultant pursuers. Fort Jefferson was nearly 30 miles distant, and thither the defeated army directed its flight. The Indians followed close upon the fugitives, cutting down and destroying at will, until, as is reported, one of their chiefs called out to them " to stop, as they had killed enough."

The temptation offered by the plunder to be obtained at the camp, induced the Indians to return, and the remnant of the invading army reached Fort Jefferson about sunset. The loss in this battle, on the part of the whites, was no less than 894 in killed, wounded and missing ; 38 officers and 593 non-commissioned officers and privates were slain or missmg. The Indian loss did not exceed fifty or sixty.

British excesses in violating the American flag on the great highway of nations ; the impressment of American seamen ; harassing American vessels as they were entering their own harbors, or departing from them ; and wantonly spilling the blood of the citizens of America within the limits of her territorial jurisdiction ; issuing orders by which the ports of the enemies of Great Britain were blockaded, and not supporting these blockades by the adequate application of fleets to render them legal, and enforcing them from the date of their proclamation ; in consequence of which American commerce had been plundered on every sea, and her products cut off" from their legitimate markets ; employing secret agents to subvert the Government and dismember the Union ; and finally, inciting the Indian tribes to hostility.

Upon the organization of the new army the chief command was bestowed upon General Henry Dearborn, of Massachusetts, an officer of the Revolution. At the South, Thomas Pinckney, of South Carolina, was created Major-General, and invested with the chief command in that quarter. The first attention of the Government was directed to an expedition into Canada, where it was believed the disaffection of the inhabitants toward Great Britain would render it easy to obtain a foothold. A force of nearly 2,000 men, under Brigadier-General Hull, a Captain during the Revolution, and then Governor of the Territory of Michigan, entered Canada West on the 12th of. July, crossing over from Detroit to Sandwich.

The British fort at Maiden was the first object of assault; which was in proximity to the debouchement of Detroit river, the strait, or ligature of connection between Lakes St. Clair and Erie. As a result of procrastination, on the part of Hull, opportunity was afforded for strengthening the garrisons at this place.

Hulvs Surrender

of July, the American fort at Michilimackinac fell into the hands of the enemy, and, shortly thereafter communication by the land route with Ohio was entirely severed by a party of redskins under the redoubtable Tecumseh. Hull, therefore, re-crossed the river with his entire force, and occupied Detroit. General Proctor, the British oiftcer in command at Maiden, was enabled to co-operate with his Indian confederates, and renewed attempts on the part of the Americans to force a passage of the road only resulted in disaster.

By the middle of August General Brock, one of the most energetic and valiant of the English commanders in Canada, and Governor of then Lower Canada, had advanced to the scene of action, and on the 1 5th of August he sent a flag, bearing a summons to the American General to surrender, in which he says, ' ' It is far from my intention to join in a war of extermination, but you must be aware that the numerous body of Indians, who have attached themselves to my troops, will be beyond my control the moment the contest commences." To this General Hull answered, *' I have no other reply to make than that I am prepared to meet any force which may be at your disposal." Upon receipt of this answer of Hull's, Brock immediately opened his batteries upon the town and fort, but the Americans occupying a defensible position, little fears of being able to sustain themselves.

Hull was perplexed and agitated. He believed that resistance would be vain and ultimately lead to the barbarities of an Indian massacre. He was wavering and indecisive in his operations. At first his troops were drawn up in order of battle, without the fort, his artillery was advantageously planted, and his army awaited the approach of the enemy, full of the confidence of victory. The British were within 500 yards of their lines, when suddenly Hull gave the order to retire immediately to the fort. The indignation of the army broke forth, and all subordination ended. They crowded in, and without any order from the General, stacked their arms, some dashing them with violence upon the ground. Many of the soldiers wept. Even the spirit of the women was indignant, and they declared, in impotent wrath, that the fort should not be surrendered. Hull, perceiving that he had no longer any authority, and believing that the Indians were ready to fall upon the inhabitants, was anxious to put the place under the protection of the British. A white ilag was hung out upon the walls of the fort. Two British officers rode up, and a capitulation was concluded by Hull with the most unbecoming haste.

All the regulars and volunteers in the American army became prisoners of war, the militia being paroled, and the whole territory of Michigan fell into the hands of the British. His officers were not even consulted. He made no provision for the security of his Canadian allies and all the public property was rashly turned over. In his oiTicial report Hull estimated his force at 800 effective men, while Brock's command numbered about 1300, 700 of whom were Indians.

It may be imagined that so severe a loss and so disgraceful a reverse could not be patiently endured. Put upon trial by a court martial at Albany long afterwards, of which General Dearborn was president, he was sentenced to death for un-officer-like behavior and cowardice, but acquitted of treason. Although under condemnation of death he was never imprisoned, and was sent unguarded to his home, in the vicinity of Boston, to abide the decision of the President of the United States, who remitted the death punishment but dispossessed him of all military command. It might not be inappropriate to remark of the unfortunate and evilfated Hull that to-day his military character is relieved of much of the passionate aspersion flung at him in the hissing white heat of the temporary humiliation which followed his untimely surrender, and that his failings - chiefly excessive caution and a terrible absence of that promptness and energy so necessary in the military leader - are looked upon with greater leniency.

The army of the West, at the opening of the campaign of 18 13, under Harrison, was stationed near the head of Lake Erie. His head-quarters, at this time, were at Frankhnton, Ohio, and aggressive movements toward Canada were still the object of the American armies. General Winchester, holding the advance of the army, and hearing that a party of the British were camped near Frenchtown, attacked and scattered them. On the morning of the 22d of January he was surprised by the combined force of British and Indians, under the command of the infamous Proctor, aided by the Indian chiefs Roundhead and Splitlogs. In this instance he was taken prisoner, and a sad, awful fate was reserved for the men of his command. The protection offered them by Proctor was not given. The merciless savages set fire to the town, dragged the wounded from the houses, scalped them in the streets, and left their mangled bodies in the highway.

In this most melancholy engagement the Americans lost five hundred men ; and thirty-five officers and four hundred and fifty non-commissioned officers and men still remained after fighting six hours against artillery, surrounded by the yells of a thousand savages. They were chiefly volunteers from the best families of Kentucky, and the horrors and barbarities of that day put the whole State in mourning. It riveted forever the crime of murder upon Proctor and discriminates him as the foremost Bazouk of his time.

General Harrison now changed his head-quarters from Franklinton to the Rapids of the Maumee, where he built Fort Meigs, named in honor of Return Jonathan Meigs, who was first elected Governor of Ohio, in 18 10. The fort was situated upon a rising ground, at the distance, says Brackenridge, "of a few hundred yards from the river, the country on each side of which is chiefly natural meadows." The garrison was well furnished with means of defense, and Harrison, with severe energy, labored night and day to strengthen it for the siege. The soldiers in the fort, amounting to about twelve hundred, were principally volunteers,

On May i, 1813, Proctor, with a force of 1,000 regulars and militia, and 1,200 Indians, besieged the fort. For the first five days a considerable suspense clouded the inmates of the fort, but an officer arriving with the intelligence that General Clay, with 1,200 Kentuckians, was descending the Miami, and but a few miles distant then, dispelled all foreboding and gloom.

Acting on the hypothesis that the British army was within his grasp, Harrison sent orders to land one-half of the advancing troops on the side of the river opposite to the fort, to co-operate with him in forcing the British batteries. Colonel Dudley, with a party of 800, was charged with this duty ; and he discharged it with so much vim and energy that, in a few minutes, he was in possession of the batteries of Proctor, and had captured several prisoners ; but his troops, in the flush of excitement, continued pursuit too far, and were ambuscaded by the crafty Tecumseh. Dudley struggled vainly to rescue his troops. Though fatally wounded, he still remained on the field and killed an Indian warrior before he fell. Of the 800 men who constituted his command only 150 escaped; the balance were either killed or captured. Many of the prisoners the Indians claimed and carried off with them to their towns, to treat them there as they pleased.

Before and during the siege both officers and men distinguished themselves for great coolness and bravery. The loss of Dudley was regarded as a calamity. Few men in Kentucky were more generally esteemed. His body was found unburied, after great search, and horribly mangled. The Kentuckians fought like tigers.

The soldiers in the garrison often beguiled the hours in singing patriotic songs. A verse from one of them will show their general character:

Majors Ball, Todd, Johnson, Stoddard, etc., were all honorably mentioned in general orders for efficiency during the siege. The loss of the Americans in the fort was 81 killed and 189 wounded.

The garrison suffered considerably from scarcity of water, their well not having been completed, and it was attended with great risk to obtain their supply during the night from the river. The constant alertness necessary to be observed in guarding against a surprise required them to be continually on their arms, and as a result rendered their duties exceedingly fatiguing. After a suspension of hostilities for several consecutive days, and the passage of flags between the besiegers and the besieged, arrangements were negotiated for exchange of prisoners. Tecumseh stipulated to release his claim to the persons taken by the Indians, provided some Wyandots to the number of forty were delivered up, and Proctor promised to furnish a list of the killed, wounded and prisoners.

On the 9th of May, 18 13, at 10 o'clock, a. m., the siege of Fort Meigs * was raised. The second siege occurred soon thereafter, but was of slight consequence.

Proctor, with his insatiable desire to give his allies further opportunity to gratify their thirst for blood, collected together 500 Indians and besieged Fort Stevenson July 20th, but in this instance only to be foiled and gallantly repulsed by Major Croghan.

*A diagram of this fort is furnished in Howe's Ohio, page 528, from a survey by Joseph H. Larwill, of Wooster, made between the two sieges, who was a Lieutenant at that time in the military service.