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The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 671 Today's Topics: #1 Fw: Bio History -- Know Your Ohio ["Maggie Stewart" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <017c01befe11$979e84c0$0300a8c0@local.net> Subject: Fw: Bio History -- Know Your Ohio -- Ohio in War of 1812 - Pt 8 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: kathi kelley To: Sent: Saturday, September 04, 1999 3:36 AM Subject: Bio History -- Know Your Ohio -- Ohio in War of 1812 - Pt 8 Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E.Kelley Sept 3, 1999 ********************************************* Historical Collections of Ohio Know Your Ohio by Darlene E. Kelley ********************************************** Ohio in War of 1812--Part 8 The Fort Dearborn Massacre-- Letter from Capt Heald to the Sec of War William Eustis, Esqr. On the 9th of August last, I received orders from Gen Hull to evacuate the post and proceed with my command to Detroit by land, leaving it to my discretion to dispose of the public property as I thought proper. The neighboring Indians got the information as early as I did, and came in from all quarters in order to receive the goods in the factory store, which they understood were to be given them. On the 13th, Capt Wells, of Ft Wayne, arrived with about 30 Miamies, for the purpose of escorting us in, by the request of Gen Hull. On the 14th, I delivered all the goods in the factory store, and a considerable quantity of provisions which we could not take away with us. The surplus arms and ammunition, I thought proper to destroy, fearing they would make bad use it if put into their possession. I also destroyed all the liquor on hand soon as they began to collect. The collection was unusally large for that place, but they conducted themselves with the strictest propriety till after I left the fort. On the 15th, at nine in the morning we commenced our march; part of the Miamies were detached in front, and the remainder in our rear, as guards, under the direction of Capt Wells. The situation of the country rendered it necessary for us to take the beach, with the lake on or left, and a high sand bank on our right, at about 100 yards distance. We had proceeded about a mile and a half, when I discovered the Indians were prepared to attack us from behind the bank. I immediately marched up with the company to the top of the bank, when the action commenced. After firing one round, we charged and the Indians gave way in front and joined those on our flanks. In about 15 minutes, they got possession of all our horses, provisions, and baggage of every description, and finding the Miamies did not assist us, I drew off the few men I had left, and took possession of a small elevation in the open prairies, out of shot of the bank or any other cover. The Indians did not follow me, but assembled in a body on te top of the bank, and, after some consultation among themselves, made signs for me to approach them. i advanced towards them alone, and was met by one of the Potawatamie chiefs, called the Black Bird, with an interpreter. Afer shaking hands, he requested me to surrender, promising to spare the lives of all the prisoners, althougth I did not put entire confidence in his promise. After delivering up our arms, we were taken back to their encampment near the fort, and distributed among the different tribes. The next morning they set fire to the fort and left the place, taking the prisoners with them. Their number of warriors was between four and five hundred, mostly of the Potawatamie nation, and their loss, from the best information I could get was, about 15. Our strength was 54 regulars and 12 militia, out of which 26 regulars and all the militia were killed in the action, with two women and 12 children. Ensign George Romen and Dr. Isaac D. Van Voorhis of my company, with Capt Wells, of Fort Wayne, are to my sorrow, numbered among the dead. Lt Lina D.T.Helm, with 25 non-commisioned officers and privates, and 11 women and children, were prisoners when we separated. Mrs.Heald and myself were taken to the mouth of the river St Joseph, and both being badly wounded, were permitted to reside with Mr. Burnett, an Indian trader. In a few days after our arrival there, the Indians all went off o take Ft Wayne, and in their absence I engaged a Frenchman to take us to Michillimacinac by water, when I gave myself up as a prisoner of war, with one of my Seargents. The commanding officer, Capt Roberts, offered me every assistance in his power to render our situation comfortable while we remained there, and to enable us to proceed on our journey. To him I gave my parole of honour, and came on to Detroit, and reported myself to Col Procter, who gave us passage to Buffaloe; from that place by way of Presque Isle and arrived here yesterday.--- Your Humble Servent, Capt. Heald Pittsburg, 23 October, 1812 Letter from William Henry Harrison to Sec of War Willim Eustis, Esqr. Cincinnati, 28th August, 1812 IMPORTANT Sir, Before this reaches you a dispatch from the Gov of Kentucky to yourself and another from the Hon Mr. Clay to the Sec of State will have arrived at Washington communicating the circumstance which occasions my having the Honor to write you from this place. Being at Frankfort on the 24th Inst. making arrangemets for the eventful march of the residue of the Kentucky Quota for the Indians and Michigan Territories, an express arrived at that place with dispatches for Gov Scott containing information of Gov Hulls being shut up in Detroit and the probability of his being obliged to surrender unless immediately relieved. Upon a consultation with Gov Scott it was thought advisable as he was the next day to go out of office, to wait the arrival of his successor, Col Shelby, and to request the advice and assistance of all the public characters in the State within reach and expresse were sent to solicit their attendance on the next day. The meeting accordingly took place, consisting of Gov Shelby, the former Gov Greenup, the speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States, and several other Members of Congress, the Judges of the United States and of the Supreme Court of the State, Gen Hopkins, the Major Gen of the Kenucky Quota and it was unanimously recommended by Gov Scott to order another detachment of the State Quota to follow the one marched under Gen [ illeg] to request me to take the command of the whole and for the purpose of removing all differences, to give me the Commission of Maj Gen, by Brevet of the Kentucky Militia. I could not permit myself to hesitate, when urged by an authority so highly respectable, especially when assured by the large Concourse of the Citizens from all parts of the State, which had collected on the account of the inauguration of the new Governor, that it was the unanimous wish of the people of Kentucky, that I should do so. Before I left Frankfort, Gov Shelby urged the propriety of sending one regiment more to New Port than was first intended, and hearing of the fall of Detroit, a few miles from that place I sent back and recommended still another. My Command then consists of three regiments of Kentucky troops, Col Wells's Detachment and a troop of twelve months volunteers, making an aggregate of about 2100 at this place, and three regiments of Infantry, five troops of Dragoons and 500 Mounted Volunteer riflemen, on ther way to join me. Those that first arrive will not, however, be here before the 30th Inst. and will be impossible to get them from here for some days after. Until this day, I had some hope, that the fall of Detroit was not true, but a letter that was received a few hours ago, from Messrs Worthington and Meiggs to Col Wells leaves no longer room for doubt. Three persons of the Quarter Master Dept have returned to Piqua, who were in Detroit, when it was surrenderd. The object of the letter from Messrs Worthinton and Meiggs was to request Col Wells to hasten his march and to take the route to Dayton and Piqua rather than the direct one to Urbana for the purpose of relieving Fort Wayne which was said to be in danger of immediate attack. By a Gentleman who has this momment arrived from Piqua, the taking of Chicago and the massacre of the garrison is also put beyond doubt. Poor Wells has also perished in edeavouring to save Capt Heald with his company. I shall march tomorrow morning with the troops that I have here taking the route to Dayton and Piqua. The relief of Fort Wayne will be my first objective and my operations will be governed by cicumstance, until I receive your directions. Considering my command as merely provisional, I shall cheerfully conform to any other arrangement which the Government may think proper to make. The troops which I have with me and those which are coming on from Kentucky are perhaps the best materials for froming an army that the world has produced. But no equal number of men were ever collected who knew so little of Military discipline, nor have I any assistance that can give me the least aid if ever there were a time for it, but Capt [illeg] of the 4th regiment, who was left here sick and whom I have appointed Deputy Adj General until the pleasure of the President can be known. He is well qualified and I hope the appointment will be confirmed. You may rely upon my utmost exertions, but the confusion which exists in every department connected with the army is such as can only be expected from men who are perfectly new to the business they are engaged in.No arms for Calvery have arrived at New Port and I shall be forced to put muskets in the hands of all the Dragoons. I have written to the Quarter Master at Pittsburgh to request him to forward all the supplies of arms equipment and quarter master stores as soon as possible. I have also requested him to send down a few pieces of Artillery without waiting your order and wait your instructions as to further numbers. There is but one piece of Artillery, an iron four pounder, any where that I can hear of in this country. If it is intended to retake the posts we have lost and reduce Malden this season, the artillery must be sent on as soon as possible. There is no longer a possiblity of getting money for drafts in this country as the Pay Master Gen [Taylors Deputy] still continues to act.. and I have been obliged to agree with the bank here called the Miami Exporting Company the the United States shall be at the expense and risk of sending on the specie for the drafts that are now given for the pay of the troops that are due by the Quarter Masters Department. I think it proper however, to state that until very lately Gen Taylor has made the bank pay a premium of one and one half percent on all his bills. I will obtain a particular statement from the bank in order that he maybe charged with it. Permit me to recommend that the monies received here by the receiver of the land office be deposited in the bank of the Miami Exporting Company. It is now sent to Lexington and the bank here is quite as safe as tha of Lexington. I herewith enclose a receipt of the Surgeon and another of the quatermaster of the regiment which is gone to Vincennes for supplies furnished them. The bonds given by the paymaster and quartermaster were found after they came into my possession, not to have been witnessed. They were sent on to Vincennes to have the mistake rectified ad will be forwarded to the War Office. I wrote this sir, under the inconvenience of considerable interruption, when I advanced a few days, I will do myself the honor to communicate all the information which I receive. My opinion of the State of affairs and submit the result of my reflections as to the course to be pursued. I have the Honor to be; William Henry Harrison *********************************************** To be continued in part 9. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 12:06:55 +0100 From: "B.Maxine Campbell" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <37DCDACA.B2F70D82@ameritest.com> Subject: Please - How do I Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Please tell me how I can ELIMINATE the Gina Reasoner History items? They are of no use or interest to me and really clutter up my mail box. Thank You, B. Maxine (Davis) Campbell Alb. NM ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #3 Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 14:01:38 -0400 From: "Maggie Stewart" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <018401befe12$06b2cc40$0300a8c0@local.net> Subject: Fw: Bio History -- Know Your Ohio-- Ohio in War of 1812--Pt 9 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: kathi kelley To: Sent: Sunday, September 05, 1999 2:16 AM Subject: Bio History -- Know Your Ohio-- Ohio in War of 1812--Pt 9 Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley Sept 4, 1999 *********************************************** Historical Collections of Ohio Know Your Ohio by Darlene E. Kelley *********************************************** Ohio in War of 1812 -- Part 9 River Raisin Campaign-- Letter from John Richardson, 41st Regiment, to his Uncle, Capt Charles Askin, dated 4 February 1813, from Amherstberg. You have doubtless heard ere this of the engagement at the River Raisin on Friday, the 22nd inst.; however, you may probably not have heard the particulars of the business, which are simply these: On Monday, the 18th, we received information that the Americans, under the command of Gen Winchester, after an obstinate resistance, had driven from the River Raisn a detachment of Militia under Maj Reynolds [also a party of Indians] which had been stationed there some time. That they had sustained great loss from the fire of our Indians, and from a 3-pounder, which was most ably served by Bombardier Kitson [since dead ], of the R.A. On Tuesday, part of our men moved over the river to Brownstown, consisting of a detachment of R.Artillery, with three 3 pounders and 3 small howitzers, Capt Tallon's Company [41st Regt.], a few Militia, and the sailors attached to the guns. An alarm was given that the enemy were at hand. The Guns were unlimbered and everything prepared for action, when the alarm was found to be false. On Wednesday, the remainder of the Army joined us at Brownstown, where [including regulars, militia, artillery, sailors, and Indians], we mustered near 1000 men. We lay, this night, at Rocky River, which you know is about 12 miles beyond Brownstown and 6 on this side the River Raisin. About two hours before daylight we resumed our march. On Friday at daybreak, we perceived the enemy's fires very distinctly--all silent in their camp. The army drew up and formed the line of battle in 2 adjoining fields, and moved down towards the enemy, the guns advanced 20 or 30 paces in front and the Indians on our flanks. We had got tolerably near their Camp when we heard their Reveille drum beat [so completely lulled into security were they that they had not the most distant idea of an enemy being near.], and soon after we heard a shot or two from the sentinels, who had by this time discovered us. Their camp was immediately in motion. The guns began to play away upon them at a fine rate, keeping up a constant fire. The Americans drew up and formed behind a thick picketing, from whence they kept up a most galling fire upon the men, who, from the darkness of the morning, supposed the pickets to be Americans; however, as it grew lighter, they discovered their mistake, and advanced within 70 or 80 paces of the pickets, but finding that scarce one of their shots took effect, as almost all lodged in the fence. Being thus protected from the fire of our men, they took a cool and deliberate aim at our troops, who fell very fast,and the most of the men at the guns being either killed or wounded, it was thought expedient to retire towards the enemy's left under cover of some houses. I was a witness of a most barbarous act of inhumanity on the part of the Americans, who fired upon our poor wounded, helpless soldiers, who were endeavoring to crawl away on their hands and feet from the scene of action, and thus tumbled over like so many hogs. However, the deaths of those brave men were avenged by the slaughter of 300 of the flower of Winchester's army, which had been ordered to turn our flanks, but who, having divided into two parties, were met, driven back, pursued, tomahawked and scalped by our Indians [very few escaping] to carry news of their defeat. The General himself, was taken prisoner by the Indians. and his son, aide, and several other officers. He immediately dispatched a messenger to Col Procter, desiring him to acquaint him with the circumstance of his being prisioner, and to intimate that if the Col would send an officer to his camp to summons the remainder of his army to surrender, he would send an order by him to his officer then commanding to surrender the troops. Col Procter objected to sending one of his own officers, but permitted the General to send his aide [with a flag]. The firing instantly ceased on both sides, and about 2 hours afterwards, the enemy [460 in number] laid down their arms and surrendered themselves prisioners of war. A good many of our officers were wounded in th engagement, but none of them were killed. The following is a list of them; R.A., Lt Troughton [ slightly ]; Seamen atached to guns, Capt Rolette, Lt.Irvine, Midshipman Richardson [severly]; 41st Regt., Capt Tallon, Lt Clemow [severly]; Militia, Inspecting F. Officer Lt Col St.George, Capt Mills, Lt McCormack, Paymaster Gordon [severly]. Ensign Gouin [slightly], R.N.F.Regt, Ensign Kerr [dangerously]; Indian Dept., Capt Caldwell, Mr Wilson [severly]. This is my accurate an account as I can give you of the engagement. I will now give you an account of my feelings on the occasion. When we first drew up in the field, I was ready to fall down with fatigue from marching and carrying heavy musket. Even when the balls were flying about my ears, as thick as hail, I felt quite drowsy and sleepy, and indeed , I was altogether in a very disagreeable dilemma. The night before at Rocky River, some one or other of the men took my firelock and left his own in the place of mine. It being quite dark when we set out from that place, I could not distinguish one from another. Inquiry was vain, so I was obliged to take the other [ without thinking that anything was the matter with it]. When we came to the firing part of the business, I could not get my gun off. It flashed in the pan, and I procured a wire and worked away at it with that. I tried again, and again it flashed. I was never so vexed to think that I was exposed to the torrent of fire from the enemy without having the power to return a single shot, though if I had fired fifty rounds, not one of them would have had any effect, except upon the pickets, which I was not at all ambitious of assailing like another Don Quixote. Our men had fired 4 or 5 rounds, when I was called to assist my brother Robert, who was wounded, and who fell immediately, and which led me to suppose that he was mortally wounded. However, when he was carried to the doctors, I found the poor fellow had escaped with a broken leg, which torments him very much, and it will be some time before he gets over it. I think it is highly probable we shall have a brush with the Valiant Harrison, who is said to be at the Rapids of the Miami River, or near them. If so, I think we shall have tight work, as we have lost in killed and wounded in the action of the 22nd, 180 men [ exclusive of the Indians]. Pray for me and remember me to my cousins. Your loving Nephew, John Richardson. *********************************************** To Be continued in part 10-- -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V99 Issue #671 *******************************************