OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: The Battle of Marblehead Peninsula [2]
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Darlene E. Kelley
http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374
June 4, 1999
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Historical Collections of Ohio
The Kelley Family Collections
Newspaper article, Plains Dealer
compiled by S.J. Kelley-- 1925
And Then They Went West
by Darlene E. Kelley  1998
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Second of four series

In previous installment Mr. Kelley told of Hull's surrender of Detroit
to the British in the war of 1812 and how the American forces
established a fontier line as far west as the Huron River.  At Sandusky
Bay, forces assembled and Capt. Parker and followers were dispatched to
the mouth of the Portage River to bring back supplies from an abandoned
stockade.  Meantime an Indian scare broke out and savages were reported
in the vicinity.  This is the second of four articles.

Johnson's Island--

>From the wharves of Columbus Avenue in Sandusky at dusk you can faintly
see Johnson's Island, three miles slightly northwest.  Lights mark the
channel to the bay off Cedar Point.  Straight ahead almost six miles,
rises and falls, the flaring light of Marblehead at the eastern end of
the peninsula.  Until 1852, Johnson's Island was called Bull's Island,
after its early owner, E.W. Bull.  On the night of Sept. 26, 1812, four
boats loaded with provisions from the Portage River stockade, started
for Camp Avery on the Huron River.  From the head of Sandusky Bay,
manned by 18 men, the boats stole cautiously along the south shore of
the long headland.  Rumors of savage Indians had increased.  The
intention was to proceed directly to the Huron but a violent storm was
encountered and the boats landed on the east side of Bull's Island.

Indians--

A channel, three-quarters of a mile wide and so shallow as to be partly
filled with reeds, separated them from the headland on the north.  At
dawn, two settlers named Ramsdell, father and son, hailed them and were
brought over.  Attacked by a band of raiding Indians, they had fled from
their farm at Two Harbors, where a bay and inlet divides Catawba Island
from the mainland.  A boat with five or six men and the refugee settlers
went to the Peninsula to reconnoiter.
The Ramsdell place on the lake was about eight miles northwest.  The
party proceeded with caution of woodsmen, leaving no track.  Creeping
through corn fields, they viewed the house and discovered a number of
Indians feasting on roast corn and honey. They counted 47 warriors, all
well armed, returned to Bull's Island and reported their discoveries.
The party moved to Cedar Point and dispatched a messenger to Camp Avery.
The Scout reached headquarters at 5 on Sunday afternoon Sept 28th.

Alarm--

News that the Indians were roving the Peninsula, plundering farms and
driving out settlers, spread rapidly through Gen. Perkins' Brigade.
Many soldiers were sick with fever, but at sunset. drums beat a call for
volunteers.  Joshua R. Giddings (afterward a famous Ohio Statesman, then
a boy of 16) joined a troop of 64 who volunteered.  Capt. Joshua T.
Cotten of Austintown was commander of the dangerous enterprise.  With 30
minutes for an evening meal, they left at dark and after a slow night,
marched through the woods, reached the score of waiting men at Cedar
Point at 4 o'clock in the morning. The Battle of the Peninsula was
fought Sept 29th, 1812.  Four boats of the original Lower Sandusky
expedition were unloaded.  Accompanied by eight of its men, leaving the
remainder on the Point, they steered for " Middle Orchard " on the shore
of the Cape opposite Bull's Island.  The volunteers numbered 72 men and
they landed on the Peninsula a little after sunrise.  Corp. Coffin and
seven men were left to take the boats to dense growth of bullrushes
halfway to Bull's Island and await orders.  Flanking guards of 12 men
under Sargeants, Thomas Hamilton and James Root were detailed on each
side of the road where the main body marched under Capt. Cotton.  In 10
minutes, boats moved off, flank guards were out of sight and the main
line marching for "Two Harbors" on the north side of the headland.
Within an hour, canoes wth scowling warriors were to sweep in the narrow
channel to the sound of rifle shots.  Boats were to fly eastward, Some
were left as wrecks, their crews rowng desperately----
miles across the Peninsula---.
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