OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Gen. Simon Perkins [10]
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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 18, 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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Tenth in Series--

     Under Gen. Simon's Command, he immediately started reorganizing the
Division, into two Regiments and proceeded to establish the discipline
and order that would put an end to the kind of disagreement that had
greeted him on his return to Huron on Oct.2.  On that day the soldiers
who had gone on a scouting party to Sandusky Bay accused their
commanding officer of cowardice, failure to keep order, and ungentleman
like conduct. On his part, the officer denounced the soldiers as cowards
and stated that he had to drive them to the charge at point of the
bayonet.
     While these Ohio Militia events and changes were taking place,
Harrison had sucessfully held Fort Wayne against an attack by the
British and their Indian allies. The British had been highly optimistic
about taking Fort Wayne.  Lewis Bond, who had been taken prisoner by the
British and as living with a British family in Detroit, heard their
boastings and national insulting language that had accompanied
preparations for the attack. On their retreat to Detroit the
disappointed forces burned fields of grain and houses, and shot cattle
and hogs until they lay in such quantity as to create an intollerable
stench over the country.
     In December, in the wake of this retreat of the enemy, the Amercan
line of defense was moved forward: Simon was ordered to Lower Sandusky
with some of his men; Harrison established himself at Upper Sandusky;
and Gen. James Winchester commanding the left wing of the Northwest
Army, encamped at Fort Defiance on the Maumee River.
     At his Sandusky camp Simon continued his efforts to organize his
men.  He kept them occupied building huts for themselves and sleds for
transportation of baggage and stores. With the help of Whittlesey, who
was now his Aide-de-camp, records of fatigue and guard duty were kept.
The men were again specifically forbidden to fire guns in camp because
of the danger and because of the waste of precious ammunition.  Then, as
a result of complaints about soldier's intoxication, Simon ordered the
settlers at Lower Sandusky not to sell any liquor to the men without a
permit signed by him.  Such orders were not calculated to make Simon
popular with the soldiers, but he was credited by Whittlesey with
finally achiving good order among the raw and undisciplined Militia Men. 
     By Jan.15,1813, Winchester had moved his forces on down the Maumee
to the Rapids.  On Jan.16 Simon received an express from Winchester
advising him of this move and requesting provisions and a Battalion of
infantry to reinforce a proposed march to the River Raisin. Simon sent
Harrison notice of Winchester's location and ordered the Battalion of
Major William Cotgreave to report to Winchester at the Rapids. On Jan
17, Harrison arrived at the Lower Sandusky camp to discuss Winchester's
move with Simon; on Jan 18,  Harrison inspected Simon's forces, and
Cotgreave's Battalion moved out wth a piece of artillery and baggage
sleds that the men would have to haul through mud to their waistbands
across the Miami Swamp.
     In the meantime Winchester had received word from the River Raisin
informing that 400 Indians had assembled there and that Col. Elliott
with a detachment from Malden was expected there with a view to attack
this camp this day.  He asked to be reinforced with all the disposable
troops that could be mustered.
     Simon and Harrison were in Simon's quarters, a small log hut
previously made by Indians, when this express from Winchester arrived.
Harrison remarked that he did not think the move judicious and that he
feared the information was communicated too late, but it was decided
that Winchester's plan to march to the River Raisin must be given every
assistance.
     On the morning of Jan 19, Simon and Harrison left camp in a sleigh.
At the Miami or Black Swamp they took to their horses; but when their
horses sank so deep in the mud that they could not raise their feet
under the weight of their riders, they had to dismount and lead their
horss jumping from bog to bog or from one cake of broken ice to another
or wading through mud partly frozen.
     Simon and Harrison arrived at the Rapids on Jan.20, shortly ahead
of Cotgreave's slower moving Battalion and a day ahead of the Regiment
of Colonel John Andrews, also ordered to the Rapids after Winchester's
appeal for all disposable troops. At the Rapids the Generals dicovered
that Winchester had already moved on toward the River Raisin, and on
Jan.22, Harrison ordered Simon's troops to march to unite the right with
the left wing of the Army at the River Raisin. 
     Winchester's forces had arrived, in the meantime, about a mile from
the British camp at River Raisin, and he establihed his headquarters in
the house of a Mr. Navarre.  The British at first thought the American
Troops were an advance guard of Harrison's army and that an attack on
Malden was planned.  But-- some traiters at the River, sent privately to
Malden, giving a full acount of the number of Americans, how they were
camped, and the very spot where the Genl. quartered, that they had no
cannon.etc.  On the receipt of this intelligence Proctor collected the
malitia and Indians manning the forts of Detroit and Malden and taking
all or nearly all his regulars and sailors---determined to attack the
American---Camp at French Town --- at daybreak on the 22nd of January,
1813.
     Winchester's expedition against the British was ill-conducted,
according to Lewis Bond.  When the British attacked:
" The Americans reserved their fire until the enemy were within a short
distance of the palisadoes, but Genl. Winchester being roused by the
firing came to the scene of action and ordered a retreat. About 300 men
did retreat with him across the River some distance, but a party of
Indians had taken post in a position so as to cut off his retreat which
the Genl. discovering , ordered his men to ground their arms, which no
sooner done than a massacre commenced and the greater part of these
unfortunate men were murdered.  While this horrid transaction
took place--- the gallent fellows in the camp had repulsed the
British--- but when it was known that the Genl--- and a number of other
officers were prisioners and most of the 300 men who retreated killed,
they in camp were induced to capitulate."
     In Bond's opinion , the debacle was the fault of Winchester.
     The troops under Simon had proceeded that day only a few miles from
the Rapids when they met men coming from the battle. Cotgrave's advance
Battalion turned about, and the troops again encamped at the Rapids.
That evening Simon and Harrison held a council of war to decide whether
to try to fortify at the Rapids or to go back across the Maumee and
Portage rivers while they were frozen. The troops had brought no tools
with them for building any sort of fortification; and since they had no
boats they could move provisions and equipment across the rivers while
they were frozen.  It was then decided to fall back to the Portage or
Carrying River.  The storehouse and provisions which could not be
transported were set on fire, and at 2 o'clock on the morning of
Sat.23rd the troops crossed on ice from the west to the east side of
Miami River.
It was a move that Simon and Harrison would be criticized for making.
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To be continued--