[AW&S)^- ■^t * ^'^ ^t * ^-^^ * ^^ * ^-^ « ^f * ^' * "-mifm^ '^m,0^'W% % -r _ ^ji^.,;.., :■:: ■■!!!!Hi;r'^''WtiS'i^ r7ISfIiOI^I6AL AND DESGI^IPfPIVE. fl v^^m 1 V-v^ \-x?^ 1^^^ Vn^ ^ I By transtar DEC 30 1915 FORT MEIGS. R CONDENSED HISTORY \'^ IVIost Important MLilitary Point in ttie Nortl^west, -TOGETHKR WITH- Scenes and Incidents connected witli the Sieges of 1813, A Minute Description of the Old Fort and its Surroundings, as they now Appear. JAMES P. AVERILIv. TOLEDO, OHIO: BLADE PRINTING AND PAPER CO. ISSiJ. /f7 /V^'/19 ^2 BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF FT. MEIGiS, FROM THE NORTH. /Ya^o(^t^>^^'^^^^^^^^ THE MAUMEE ;1 r^5i*^ss_ UP THE VALLEY FROM THE FORT. B.\TrLE-FIELD OF FALLEN TI.MBERS IN THE DISTANCE. HE Maumee Kiver (or "Miami of the Lake," as it was called during the war of 1812), was known by the Wyandotte Indians as " Cagh-a-ren-du-te," or "Stand- ing Kock river," named from an elevated rock located in the middle of the stream, about a mile above the present town of Waterville, called by the French, " Roch de Boeuf." The Shawanoese (pronounced Sha- wa-no) named the stream the " Ot-ta-wa-sepe," or Ottawa river. The Ottawas had several towns on the river as late as 1812, on the rapids above Ft. Meigs, and also along Maumee Bay and the lake shore. The name " Maumee " is claimed by some writers to be a corruption of that given it by the French in the seven- teenth centur}^ — "Au Miami;" it is authentically stated, how- ever, that for centuries prior to this the beautiful stream had been Icnown by the Indians who had retained possession of it despite the efforts of contending tribes, as " Mau-mee" — " Mother of Waters." It is a well-known fact that the Indians who lingered here to the last, loth to depart, fondly spoke of it as the " Maumee," the appropriate name which it will always hereafter retain. It is formed by a junction of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers at Ft. Wayne, Ind., runs in a northeasterly direc- tion and empties into Lake Erie; its principal branch is the Auglaize, which joins it at Defiance. It is navigable for large boats as far as Ft. Meigs, immediately above the town of Per- rysburg, on the right bank, and from this point, for many miles above, the stream is a succession of rapids, and its bed limestone rock. m£^i^^m^^^m^mm^mi:m0mmm ■:^yS^;;^"',f->-(.rNp^lLvC?,^ mm3'>f<:&^ ACROSS THE KIVER FROM THE FORT, WHERE THE MAIN BRITISH BATTERIES WERE PLANTED. ^|;^i!;f :7f^f IAI.L KAVINE, OFF THE EAST ANULE OF THE FOUT. 10 Historical Sketch of Ft. Meigs. been declared against Enoland. Leaving Ft. Findlay June 27, the army arrived on the banlvs of the Maumee (near the site afterward appropriated for the building of Ft. Meigs), on the 30th. One who was Avith Hull's army (writing the history of the expedition in 1815), thus speaks of their arrival at the river: " The 30th was a joyous day ; the army suddenly emerged from a gloomy wilderness, 150 miles in extent, to a full view of the broad Miami (Maumee), and its elysian banks. Never was the power of contrast more sensibly felt; in the rear stood a boundless forest— the abode of frightful beasts of prey and unre- lenting savages; in front was presented to the ravished senses a scene at once gay and magnificent beyond description. Under the eyes rolled a beautiful river ; on its opposite margin arose a smiling village ; to the right and the left, as far as the eye could reach, were seen enameled meadows clad in the rich luxuriance of a summer's dress." At this point Lieut. Kobt. Davidson, and twentA^-five men of Col. Cass' regiment, were left for the purpose of building a block- house, while the balance of the troops proceeded to Detroit, where they arrived July 5 ; July 29, the British colonel, Proctor, placed his troops at Maiden, cutting off the supplies of the American army from Ohio. August 16, Gen. Hull surrendered his whole army. Mackinaw and Ft. Dearborn were soon afterward ca}> tured by the Indians, and all of the noi'thwest, excepting Ft. Wayne and Ft. Harrison (which w^ere both attacked, the latter being defended by troops under command of Zachary Taylor), was in the hands of the British and Indians. At this time, at the foot of the Maumee rapids was the only white settlement between Lower Sandusky (Fremont) and Frenchtown (Monroe), Mich. Previous to the surrender at Detroit, the Governors of Ohio and Kentucky, in obedience to orders from the War Department, had sent powerful reinforcements to the aid of Gen. Hull, and had lie delayed the capitulation a few days, his army would have been saved. The forces advancing to his support were 2,000 militia and Col. R. M. Johnston's battalion of mounted riflemen, of Kentucky, under Gen. Payne; a brigade of Ohio militia under Gen. Tupper, of Gallia county, and 1,000 regulars under Gen. Winchester. They had arrived at the St. Marys river when the news of the surrender reached them. It was a time when a Historical Sketch of Ft. Meigs. U o-reat militarv commander was needed to save tlie country from dire disaster. Tiio Governor of Kentucky brevetted William Henr}'' Harrison a Major-General, who was made Commander in- Chief of the northwestern army, Se])t. IT, 1812; it was while at Piqua that he first I'eceived the official dispatch from Washing- ton notifying him of liis appointment. His army then consisted of regular troops, rangers, volunteers and militia from Ohio and Kentucky, and detached militia and volunteers from Virginia and Pennsylvania. Major Stoddard, senior officer of artillery, Avas ordered to report to him with all of the artillery which could be collected ; Major Denny, of Pittsburg, received the contract for furnishing supplies (stores and munitions), and CoL Buford, Deputy Commissioner, at Lexington, Ky., was supplied with funds subject to Gen. Harrison's order. Harrison's general in- structions were to retake Detroit, with a view to the conquest of Upper Canada, and to penetrate that country as soon as practica- ble. Gen. Harrison's plan was to collect the troops at Wooster, Urbana, Ft. Defiance and St. Marys, and from these points con- centrate them at the foot of the rapids on the Maumee, the pro- ject of a forced march to Detroit being made an after considera- tion. The base line of the new campaign extended from Upper Sandusky to St. Marys, and these two places, with Ft. McArthur (near the present city of Kenton), were intended as the depots for provisions, artillery and militarv stores. The troops at Ft. Defiance were intended as a corps of observation, and were to advance to the foot of the rapids after the artillery had arrived at Upper Sandusky. A corps of observation was also stationed at Lower Sandusky (Fremont), the northeastern extremity of the military base. This arrangement covered the frontier at every threatened point, and the various quartermasters were busily engaged in accumulating supplies and transportation, in anticipa- tion of the advance of the main army to the objective point — the foot of the rapids on the Maumee. In the meantime, Gen. Winchester was in command of the troops at Ft. Wayne, still ignorant of the fact that Gen. Harrison had been a[)pointed Commander-in-Chief. The latter was at St. Marys, where 3,000 troops had been collected, when information was received that a large force of British and Indians, with artil- lery, were passing up the left bank of the Maumee to attack Ft. Wayne, and feeling conHdent that Gen. Winchester's force was 12 Historical Sketch of Ft. Meigs. strong enough to resist the enemy, Gen. Harrison started with his troops on a forced march to Ft. Defiance to intercept them. This was early in October, 1812; the country was in a terrible condition, on account of recent heavy rains, and it was not until the close of the second day's weary march that the troops reached the Auglaize and encarajjed for the night. Orhe march was re- sumed at daybreak the next morning, and in the course of the next day Gen. Harrison met an officer from Gen. Winchester, who informed him that the latter had advanced to Ft. Defiance, and the enemy had fled. Harrison arrived at Ft. Defiance that night. The dav foUowino^ he had a conference with Gen. Win- Chester, placing him in command of the left wing of the army, and assigning him his part in the contemplated general operations. Gen. E. W. Tupper (who had joined the army with about 1,000 vol- unteers, raised principally in his own county, Gallia, and Lawrence and Jackson counties), was given command of the central division, with headquarters at Ft. McArthur. Harrison took per.>=onal command of the right wing, with headquarters at Upper San- dusky. At this time the main British troops, under Gen. Proctor, were at Detroit and Maiden, and the officers were in ignorance of the military pre|)arations in (,)hio. Their Indian allies were raiding throughout the country, mostly in small detached bands, a large ]mrty of them being engaged in foraging for corn and hogs on the rich bottom lands along the Maumee rapids. Several minor conflicts occurred with tlie Indians during the winter, but nothing of importance transpired until Januarj^ 10, 1813, when Gen. Winchester arrived with his troops from Defi ance at the foot of the rapids. Messengeis reached him here froln the inhabitants of Frenchtown (Monroe), on the river Haisin, im- ploring protection, as they were exposed to the hostility of the British and Indians. Thereupon, on January 17, Col. Lewis, with 550 men, was sent over the frozen waters of the river and lake to their succor, followed soon afterward with 110 more men under Col. Allen. They arrived on the afternoon of the 18th, and after a sharp conflict gained possession of the village, and immediately commenced the erection of defenses and sent for reinforcements. On the 19th Winchester started to support them with 259 men, reaching his destination the next evening. He committed the folly, however, of encamping on the open ground, neglecting the lIisTOKK'AL Sketch oi' 1''t. .Mkkis. U precaution of erectin;L'' earthworks or stationing- advanced [)icket guards. At daybreak they were ai'oused by the dischar strong, one-third weie killed in battle, or in the massacre which followed, and but 33 esca])ed ca|)ture. On the night of the IHth, Harrison (who was then at Upper Sandusky), received notice that Winchester with the left wing of the army had arrived at the foot of the Maumee rapids, and soon afterward of the expedition to the river llaisin ; he at once pro- ceeded to Lower Sandusky, and on the morning of the ISth sent forward a detachment of troops to the support of Winchester. On the 19th, Harrison started with additional troops, and on the morning of the 20th arrived at the Maumee rapids. The balance of Winchester's troops which he had left at the rapids (300 in number), and a regiment of Harrison's command, were also hastily dispatched to Frenchtown on the evening of the 21st and the morning of the following day. These troops, however, were met soon after they started by some of the sui'vivors of the con- flict, who told the terrible tale. It was decided b}' a council of officers that it would be needless and unwise to ])roceed farther, and the troo])s returned to the rapids. The next morning, in order to prevent the possdjility of being cut otf fiom their sup- plies, the troops retired to the Portage river, 18 miles back from Wlnchestei''s position, after first destroying the block-house that had been erected, together with such j)iovisions as they could not carry away. IIei(? Harrison aw.iited the arrival of expected re- inforcements of troo])s and aitillerv, which were detained by the heavy rains and did not put in an ai)pearance until January 30. 14 Historical Sketch of Ft. Meigs. On February 1, with 1,700 men and a few pieces of artillery, Harrison again advanced to the foot of the rapids, where he took up a more commanding position than Winchester had selected. All troops were ordered to rendezvous at this point as quickly as possible, and the erection of Ft. Meigs was immediately com- menced. Letters regarding tlie defeat of Winchester were received by Gov. Meigs from every part of the State, and the country was greatly alarmed. THE PATRIOTIC RALLY TO HARRISOn's STANDARD, AS DESCRIBED BY A PARTICIPANT. The following, from the pen of Rev. A. M. Lorraine, one of the Virginia troops at Ft. Meigs, will prove of interest in this connection : " When the news of HulFs surrender reached the patriotic town of Petersburg, in Virginia, it overwhelmed the whole pop- ulation with indignation and sorrow. Some of the most popular young men, with martial music and the American ensign, paraded the streets, and with impassioned appeals called on their youth- ful associates to march to the rescue. The scene that followed was soul-thrilling to the patriot. Clerks, mechanics and students of medicine and law rushed to the standard, and the placid far- mer took the epidemic and fell in. In a few days a company of one hundred and four, richly uniformed, offered themselves to the crovernment to serve twelve months under the banner of the brave Harrison, and no married man was admitted into the ranks. "At an early hour in the day, the company marched to 'Center Hill,' which overlooked the town. There they were met by a delegation of ladies, who presented the company with a stand of colors, richly and tastily ornamented. Fond farewells w^ere spoken, which, to many of the young men, were the last on earth to those they loved most dearly, and with knapsacks on our backs, we marched forth." * '" * The first night the company camped near Warebottom Church, and the next day they entered Richmond, escorted by a detachment of trooi)s. Here another volunteer company was or- ganized, and they started on the march for the Western frontier. On their route tlirough Virginia they were feted and cheered in the most flattering manner. Passing by Monticello, they were Historical SivKtcii of Ft. .NfEiGS. 15 given a grand reception by Thomas Jeit'erson. Climljing the Blue Ridge, they proceeded, via White Sulphur Sj)rings, down the Great Kanawha, and crossing the Ohio river at Point Pleasant, soon reached Chillicothe, then the capital of Ohio. The legisla- ture, which was then in session, gave them a grand feast, which was followed by one from the citizens. But now the Indian, summer days had passed, and the trials and hardships of a sol- dier's life commenced. As they left Chillicothe, a bleak north- wester began to blow, the rain and snow were driven in their faces, and the whole country became covered with the white mantle of winter. Through mud and ice and storms and swollen streams, they forced their way to Franklinton (a village on the Scioto, opposite the ])resent city of Columbus), which was then the headquarters of the army. Lorraine continues : " For the twelve succeeding months, our tender volunteers, most of whom had not passed their twentieth year, were exposed to labors, dangers, deprivation and death, of which their youthful minds had never conceived. We moved on through the plat of Columbus, where there was at that time only one house erected — albeit we left Franklinton in its meridian glory. Through most intolerable roads and severe weather, we reached the town of Delaware, then a handsome village — the ultima thule of American civilization, as far as our route was concerned. We passed only one cabin between this town and Upper Sandusky, and the plains of Crawford presented but a wild waste of crusted snow, through which we marched with excessive labor. When we reached the embodied host on the Sandusky river, our little band seemed to mingle as an atom in the long line which at daybreak was mus- tered on the high banks of the river." At midnight, during a howling snow storm, the troops were aroused from slumber by a call to arms, and in a few min- utes they were marching through the dark, dense forest, bound through the Black Swamp to reinforce Harrison, who, after Winchester's defeat, had fallen back on the Carrying (Portao-e) river. Led by a guide, the whole detachment follow^ed in Indian file, laden with their accouterments. It was a tedious, trying, des- perate march, which was alleviated somewhat after they struck Hull's road. The first day and night they marched thirty miles and camped in the snow. After untold hardshij)s thev joined l(j Historical Sketch of Ft. Meigs. Gen. Harrison's command on the banks of tlie Portage, and the whole armv, without loss of time, moved on to the Mauiiiee river, four or live miles above Perrysburg (Winchester's old position). Here they encamped for the night, and the next morning (Feb. 2, 1813), the whole command, with their heavy ordnance and baggage, marched down the frozen river in solid column to the foot'' of the rapids, where they halted on an elevated and com- manding position. BUILDING OF FT. MEIGS, FKBRUARY 2, 1813. Here it was determined to talce up winter quarters, and a hollow square was formed on the most commanding hill. Trees were felled and breastworks were thrown about the svhole army before the troops were permitted to retire to rest. Their supper consisted of parched corn, which had been their only subsistence during the entire day ; the grain had been gathered from the rich bottom lands in their march down the river. For several subsequent weeks, the troops were employed daily in digging trenches, felling trees, splitting logs, setting up picketing (which was composed of the split logs), raising blockhouses, and doing everything necessary to fortify the post, which originally covered nine" acres (afterward increased to about fourteen acres), and which, when finished, was named " Ft. Meigs," in honor of the patriotic governor of Ohio. Capt.Wood, of the engineer's corps, superintended the construction. Mr. Lorraine states: "This season of fatigue was replete with hardships, as it was in the depth of winter, and we suffered from many privations. However, our bodies and minds were ac- tively employed, which rendered our condition far preferable to what followed. The winter was unusually severe, and one un- fortunate sentinel was found one morning at his post frozen to death." DISPOSAL OF THE TKOOPS AND PREPARATIONS FOR THE WINTER. Gen. Harrison's design, when he rendezvoused his army at the foot of the Maumee rapids, was to make a vigorous attack upon the British and Indians at Maiden, l)ut he was prevented by circumstances over which he had no control. A January Historical Sketch of Ft. Mkkis. 17 thaw had occurred wliic^h rendered roads almost impassable, and the tri|) over the ice uttei'ly im|)ossibh3. A number of wagons and sleds, loaded with ammunition and other munitions of war, were about twentv-foui' (hiys making the trip from Upper San- dusk}' to the Maumee. Tlie period of service of the Oliio and Kentucky troops who first took the field expired in February, but they expressed themselves perfectly willing to follow Harri- son against the enemy without regard to the expiration of their term of enlistment — a term of fourteen months. In a dispatch to the Secretary of War, dated " Headquarters, foot of the Miami Rapids, Feb. 11", 1S18," Gen. Harrison says: " Having been joined by Gen. Leftraech, with his brigade, and a regiment of the Pennsylvania quota, at tbe Portage river, on the 30th ult., I marched from thence on the 1st inst., and reached this place on the morning of the 2d, with an effective force of sixteen hundred men. I have since been joined by a Kentucky regiment, and Gen. Tupper's Ohio brigade, which has increased our numbers to two thousand non-commissioned officers and pri- vates. * ^^ * I have ordered the whole of the troops of the left wing (excepting one company for each of the six forts in that quarter), the balance of the Pennsylvania brigade, and the Ohio brigade under Gen. Tupper, and a detachment of regular troops of twelve-months' volunteers under command of Col. Campbell, to march to this place as soon as possible. - * " The disposi- tion of the troops for the remainder of the winter will be as fol- lows : A battalion of militia lately called out from this State, with the company of troops now at Ft. Winchester [Defiance,] will garrison the posts upon the waters of the Auglaize and St. Marys. The small blockhouses upon Hull's trace, vviU have a subaltern's command in each. A company will be placed at Upper Sandusky, and another at Lower Sandusky. All the rest of the troops will be brought to this place, amounting to from 1,500 to 1,800 men. I am erecting here a pretty strong fort — capable of resisting field artillery at least. The troops will be placed in a fortified camp, covered on one flank by the fort. This is the best position that can be taken to cover the frontier, and the small posts in the rear of it. and those above it on the Miami [Maumee] and its waters. The force placed here ought, however to be strong enough to encounter any that the enemy may detach 18 Historical Sketch of Ft. Meigs. against the forts above. Twenty-five hundred would not be too many. But, anxious to reduce the expenses during the winter within as narrow bounds as possible, I have desired the Governor of Kentucky not to call out (but to hold in readiness to march) the 1,500 men lately required of him. All the teams which have been hired for the public service will be discharged, and those belonging to the public, which are principally oxen, disposed of in the settlements, where forage is cheaper, and every other ar- rangement made which will lessen the expenses during the winter. Attention will still, however, be paid to the deposit of supplies for the ensuing campaign. Immense supplies of provisions have been accumulating upon the Auglaize river, and boats and pirogues prepared to bring them down as soon as the river opens." A BOLD BUT UNSUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISE. On Friday, February 26, a company of men, who had volun- teered their services to go upon a bold and despei'ate enterprise, was sent out by Gen. Harrison from the fort, with insti'uctions to rendezvous at a blockhouse located upon the site subsequently occupied by Ft. Stephenson, at Lower Sandusky, which was at that time the northern outpost of the military base, and garrison- ed by two companies of militia. The force, which was under the command of Capt. Langham, consisted of 220 regulars and Vir- ginia and Pennsylvania militia, and 22 Indians ; total, 242, besides guides and sled drivers. March 2, they left the Lower Sandusky blockhouse, w^th six days' provisions, and after proceeding about a mile down the Portage river, they were halted and informed by Capt. Langham that the object of the expedition was to cross over the frozen lake to Maiden, and, in the darkness of the night, destroy, with com- bustibles, the British fleet and the military stores upon the rivers bank; then retreat in their sleighs to a point on Maumee Bay, where they were to be met by a large force under Harrison, who would cover their retreat to the tort. The proximity of Indian and French spies rendered the enterprise exceedingly hazardous, and an o|)portunity was given to those who desired to withdraw. About twenty militiamen and a half-dozen Indians took ad van tage of this liberty, and the balance continued on down the river HisTORicAi, Sketch ok Ft. Meigs. 19 in sleighs, across Sandusky Bay and the peninsula at the left, to tlie lake shore, where they encamped for tiie night; being with- out tents they became thoroughly wet from the snow and rain, and thirteen of the militia, and several of the Indians, with a chief, turned back. In the morning they crossed the ice, a dis- tance of seventeen miles, to Middle Bass Island. In the afternoon thev discovered sled tracks in the snow, leading from the direc- tion of Sandusky I3ay toward Maiden, and it was rightly conjec- tured that they had been made by a couple of French spies, who had ofone to inform the enemv. At tlie north of the island, the ice was discovered to be weak and broken up in the distance ; the weather continued to be very mild, and as the guides declared that a continuation of the trip was impracticable and sure to prove disastrous, they returned by way of Presque Isle, at which point they met Gen. Harrison with a body of troops, and from thence they proceeded to Ft. Meigs in safety. On their return journey they found the lake open near West Sister Island. No doubt the expedition would have been a grand success if it could have been made earlier in the season. . ADVENTURES WITH THE INDIANS. On March 9, the day being fine, several of the soldiers started from the fort, and crossing the river went down as far as Ft. Miami on a liunting expedition. They were discovered by a roving band of Indians, who fired upon them and then fled. One man received a leaden ball in the leaves of a Bible, which he carried in his breast pocket. Lieut. Walker was killed ; his remains were recovered the next day, and buried on the parade ground of the fort, where they still lie. The others arrived at the fort unharmed. Early in April, a small body of Canadian French volunteers, who had enlisted under Harrison, were reconnoitering in a boat along the narrow channel north of the large island just above Ft. Miami, when they were attacketl by a band of Indians who had suddenlv advanced to meet them in two large canoes which had been concealed on the shore. A desperate hand-to-hand conflict ensued, during which all of the whites but the commanding officer and two of his men were either killed or wounded, and all of the savages but one were slain. As the whites were returning to the 20 Historical Sketch of Ft. Meigs. fort they saw this solitary brave sit up in one of the canoes and paddle feebly to the shore. OPENING OF THE SIEGE OF FT, MEIGS. Late in March, Gen. Harrison, anticipating the advance of the ]-3ritish from Maiden as soon as the ice broke up, went to the interior to bring forward some of the reserve troops, and des- patched Capt. Wm. Oliver with an order for the Kentucky troops to hasten forward. April 12th he returned with a detachment of troops and applied himself earnestly to the strengthening of Ft. Meigs, recognizing the fact that it must stand as the grand bulwark of defense for the thousands of square miles of territory lying between the Ohio river and the great lakes. On the breaking up of the ice in Lal;ings as substitutes for tents. Those rooms were shot-pi'oot" and bomb-proof, except in the event of a shell falling in the traverse and at the mouth of a cave." These bomb-proofs were drained by a ditch cut through the heavy out- side embankment to the slope of the hill, and some of them had floors laid with brick, flat stones and timber. The well which had been commenced inside the fort was not yet completed, and many men were afterward shot while engaged in the perilous task of supplying the garrison Avith water from the river. Dur- ing the strengthenmg of the works, Gen. Harrison was present evervwhere, encouraoino- his men in their labors. A])i'il 27 the enemy established three gun batteries and one mortar battery on the left bank of the river, directly opposite the fort; the present sites of the Methodist and Presbyterian churches in Maumee, and a point midway between them, indi- cate, as nearly as can be ascertained, the location of the gun bat- teries, and on the })rominent point on the river's bank, in the lower part of town, the mortar batter}'" was planted ; all were well protected by earthworks, which at the latter point are still well preserved. For some distance around the fort, on every side, the timber had all been cut and used in the construction of the stockade and blockhouses ; this open space gave free play to the artillery and small arms and prevented a surprise from the Indians. On the evening of the 2Tth, the main body of Indians was conveyed across the river in boats and they surrounded the garrison. On the 29th, the siege began in earnest, all communi- cation being cut off, and tiring from that time continued briskly on both sides. Gen. Harrison gave his personal attention to every detail, seeming to be perfectly indifferent to the danger to which he exposed himself, and he met with many narrow escapes. According: to his orders, one-third of the men were continuallv on active duty. Many of these young heroes here had their first taste of battle, and they afterward received the deserved con- gratulations of their beloved commander for their brave gallantry and unshrinking devotion. A. M. Lorraine, in telling his inter- esting story of the siege, says : " One of our militia men took his station on the eml)ank- ment and gratuitouslv forewarned us of every shot. In this he became so skillful that he could, in almost every case, predict tliQ destination of the ball. As soon as he saw the smoke issue from 22 Historical Sketch of Ft. Meigs. the muzzle of the criin, he would cry out ' shot' or ' bomb ' as the case might be — 'Look out, main battery' — 'Blockhouse No. 1 ' — ' Now for the meat house ' — ' Good-bye if you will pass.' The brave fellow continued to maintain his post, despite the expostulations of his friends, until one shot came which defied all his calculations. Silent, motionless, perplexed, he stood for a moment, and then he was swept into eternit}^ In his zeal, the unfortunate hero forgot to consider that when there was no obliquity in the issue of the smoke, either to the right or left, above or below, the fatal messenger was traveling in the direct line of his vision. On the most active day of the investment, as many as five hundred shots and bombs were hurled at our fort. Meantime, the Indians, from their positions in the branches of the nearest trees, fired incessantly at us over the stockade, but the}' were so distant that little serious execution was done, many of the balls falling to the ground before they reached their des- tination. The number killed in the fort was small considering the profuse expenditure of ball and powder. Many of the wounded had to suffer the amputation of limbs. " The most dangerous duty which we performed within the precincts of the fort was in covering the magazine. Previous to this the powder had been deposited in wagons and these stationed in the grand traverse. Here there was no security against bombs, and it was therefore thought prudent to remove the powder into a small blockhouse and cover it with earth. The enemj^, judg- ing our design from our movements, now directed all their shots at this point, and many of their balls were red-hot. Wherever they struck they produced a cloud of smoke and made a frightful hissing. An officer, passing our quarters, said, ' Boys, who will volunteer to cover the magazine i ' Fired with patriotic zeal, away several of us went, and as we reached the spot a ball from the enemy's guns took ofl' the head of one of our party. How the dirt fiew from the shovels in our nervous hands ! While we were desperately at work a bomb shell, fell upon the roof, and^ lodging in one of the braces, commenced spinning. Instantly we fell prostrate on our faces, and, m breathless horror, awaited the tremendous explosion which we expected to end our earthly career. Only one of the party exercised his calm reason, and silentl}' argued that, as the shell had not exploded as quickly as usual, something might be wrong in its arrangement. In any Historical Sketch of Ft. MKKis. 23 event, death was inevital)lG if it was not extiii-^uislied, and the brave fellow, sprinnin < o o DESCRIPTIVE. PRESENT OUTLOOK 7'^ROM THE OLD FORT, AND ITS GENERAL APPEARANCE. Jl^T. Meigs occupies a level plateau, located on the southeast ^^ bank of the Mauniee, sixty feet above the water, about one- ^^' half mile abov^e Perrysburg. Standing on its breezy height, the vision extends for a range of over twenty miles up and down the valley. The location was no doubt originally selected as a site for the fort on account of its expansive outlook, as well as its strong natural defenses, for certainly there is no spot in the State, or in the territory for many miles west and northwest, that will favorably compare with it as a point of extensive observation and scenic beauty. From above for many miles the silvery waters are seen, sparkling and flashing in their rapid flow over their rocky bed, winding among the pretty green islands and past the rich bottom lands, covered witli ripening grain. At the foot of the fort the rapids end, and the head of steam navigation commences. The river continues its windins: way among the islands and bottom lands, but widens perceptibly after leaving the fort. The banks are lined with groups of native forest trees, thrifty orchards and vineyards and pretty residences. Ten miles below, over a low-lying headland, the church spires and many of the lofty buildings in the growing city of Toledo, come into view. As one stands upon the old fort and drinks in this beautiful vision, he is overcome with sympathizing pity for the savage natives who named the river the " Mother of Waters,'- and to 36 Historical Sketch of Ft. Meigs. whom it was so fondly endeared that many brave lives were sacrificed in struggling to retain it from the grasp of the white man The outlook from Ft. Meigs embraces many miles in extent, and everv foot of the soil within range of the vision has been made sacred by deeds of heroism in the history of the country. A broad ravine, leading from the fort on the right, affords a glimpse of the pretty town of Perrysburg, half hidden by the luxuriant trees which line its broad avenues, and 0:1 the brow of a small arm of the ravine are still to be seen the outlines of a British bat- tery which did terrible execution during the siege, ami was gal- lantly captured. In the foreground, a few rods from the fort, on a green hill-top, is the burial spot of forty-five of Dudley's brave command, whose graves have never been disturbed. To the left of this ravine, leading toward the river, twenty rods from the fort, is an elevated, narrow point known as "Indian Hill, "where Gen. Harrison located an advance picket guard ; it was the site of an extensive Indian cemetery, which fact gave it its name. One mile down the river on the opposite side, is the village of Miami — the site of Ft. Miami, occupied by the British General Proctor during the siege. Across the river, opposite Ft. Meigs, is the town of Maumee, famous in historic lore; occupying a prominent position on a bluff bank, in the lower part of town, were located the British mortar batteries during the unpleasant- ness, and the outlines are still distinctly visible ; on the site of the Presbyterian and M. E. Churches were planted the main British o-un batteries which did such terrible execution, and were captur- ed by Col. Dudley's gallant command. About two miles above Maumee is Presque Isle Hill, the scene of the " Battle of FaUen Timbers." PRESENT APPEARANCE OF FT. MEIGS. Many of the heroes who defended Ft. Meigs in 1813, have visited the spot in late years, and have expressed their surprise that the original contour of the fort has been so well preserved. This is accounted for by the fact that a luxuriant and tenacious sod has preserved the embankments from the effect of storm and rain, and the proprietor of the domain and the patriotic citizens ITisTORrrAT- Skktcii (U- Ft. .Mkhss. 37 of the community li^ve prevented the sacred soil fro n hdn;^^ disturbed. The fort proper covers a space of about fourteen acres. As one stands upon the ground, the most prominent feature is the grand traverse, extending nearly parallel with tlie river, from the northeast extremity of the fort, a distance of 1,100 feet, to the main entrenchments at the opposite point. It was originally built 20 feet wide and 12 feet high; it has since sr3ttled about 3 feet, but otherwise still retains its original shape and proportions, and is covered with green sod. This huge embankment was l)uilt as a place of retreat, in the event of any of the outer works being taken by storm, and sliorter traverses were also erected at right angles with it from the brow of tiie hill and the opposite side, extending southward, as a protection from a Hank movement of the enemy. Five openings are to be seen in the grand traverse (four of them about twelve feet in width), which Avere originally covered with massive timber gates, through which the troops and the artillery passed ; the one nearest the northeast end was larger than the others, having double gates opening directly onto the militar}'- road leading from the fort to Lower Sandusky (now Fremont). Outside of the grand traverse toward the river bank, about five rods distant from this double gateway, the well which sup- plied the garrison with water was located. It has long since been almost entirely filled up, still, however, leaving a deep depression. The spot is marked by a white oak [)ost extending about eight feet out of the ground. This is the end of a stick of timber sixty feet long, brought from Swanton two weeks prior to the great celebration of 1840, as a contribution from the patriotic citizens of that community toward the erection of a log cabin on the foi-t in honor of the hero of the hour, Gen. Harrison, who was then the Whig candidate for President. During the night after its arrival, some mischievous young men of Democratic proclivities in the neighborhood upended the stick and dropped it to the bot- tom of the well, defiantly planting a hickory bush in the top of it; there the timber has since remained. At the east angle of the fort (fronting the large ravine where the British three-gun battery was planted), and extending along the north line of the fort, bordering the brow of the hill 38 Historical Sketch of Ft. Meigs. facing the British bcatteries across the river, the most formidable earthworks were constructed, and the solid ramparts with their bastions, curtains, etc., are well preserved, although settled materially from their original proportions. The outlines of the blockhouses and battery parapets can be traced very readily. A line of heavy timber stockades originally extended around the entire encampment ; on the north and east line, where the heaviest earthworks were erected, this stockade was placed just below the brow of the hill, and the tops of the pickets projected outward at an angle of about forty-live degrees, in the shape of a cheval de-f rise. For some distance along the brow of the bank, to the right of the west angle of the fort, there was a double row of these pickets, and the double row also continued from this point to the left until it joined the heavy earthworks to the right of the east angle, where the single row again commenced. Out- side and close to the foot of the stockade on the brow of the hill, 300 sycamore barrels, sections of hollow sycamore trees, cut in lengths of five or six feet and filled with gravel and sand, were held to their places by ropes from inside. The intention was to cut these loose to be hurled down the steep bluff in the event of a storming party attempting to take the fort by assault. There were three outer gates to this stockade, for the passage of troops and teams— one, at a roadway leading down to the river from about the center of the line running along the brow of the hill, through which the garrison was, for a time, supplied with water; one, to the right of the south angle of the fort, where the forges and repair shops ^vere located ; one, to the right of the east angle, on the military road leading to Lower Sandusky. The line of these stockades can be followed, in many places, distinctly by the depressions in the ground caused by their decay ; time, however, has destroyed every vestige of the stockade itself, excepting the decayed stumps under the surface. At the southwest extremity of the fort was the main defense, constructed after the outer ramparts had all been completed (probably between the first and second sieges). After it was finished, the officers' quarters, store-houses and magazine were moved into it from the opposite end of the fort. The first and second locations of the magazines are marked by mounds, each about three feet high and twenty feet in diameter. The well llrsTouicAL Sivfitcii or Vr. Siv.Ui ^ THE FORT MEIGS MEMORIAL HOME. By Eri'HiNK C. Tompkins. As \vf sit (in the oimTaltl caniet. under the whispering trees, And gaze down the beautiful river, kissed by the lightsome breeze. Over the grassy meadows, tlie \\ heat fields yellow and ripe, Mellowing in the distance to a green and golden stripe, The scene is a summer picture and I open my history book. And the friend beside me answers, as adown the page I look: 'Yes, this is the place where Harrison with his little liand of men. Stood lire from belching British gtins and hurled it Ijuck again. And Proctor had his red coats there, drawn tip in fierce array. And bold Tecumseh's savages were allies in the fray : Red-handed from the vine-hung banks of Raisin's bloody tide. They thirsted for more massacre, and watched on every side From thicket-brush, from tops of trees, to hurl the murderous shot- And still the stubborn fortress stood- the patriots faltered not. " 'Surrender!' came the haughty word ; swift flew the answer back, ' If you capture tis. Sir Briton, the victory shall not lack The honor of a meeting, face to face, and hilt to hilt. With your men upon the ramparts and many a heart's blood spilt.' " Three days without cessation, the sweet May air was rife With thunder of the cannon and moans of parting life. Then floating down the river came staunch Kentucky men. Twelve hundred strong— on flat boats— and hope grew strong again. And where the bees are humming in clover white and sweet There gallant Clay made landing with his wdcome southern fleet. And oh ! what Are raked them from the mad Miami guns. And oh ! with what defiance marched up those fearless ones. IIisToiucAr. Skkti'ii or Ft. Mkk.s. 4:i "AikI there swept ('// fhix ii, ;ind tlic perfect dis- regard wliicli the l)rilisli evini-<'il lor that duty held sacred by all eivili/.e(l nations (the pi-oteetion of pri- soners), much did we wish for onr arms, and lia