Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

he had used his utmost to prevent; Captain Simpson, a gigantic Kentuckian, six feet six inches in height, was shot and tomahawked at the edge of the woods. The Indians gathered round his body where it lay, to admire its massive proportions.

Proctor, who commanded the British, had suffered very severely in his attack upon the pickets; but when he found that Winchester was a prisoner, he at once, as the writer we have above quoted indignantly states, "basely determined to take advantage of his situation to procure the surrender of the party in the picketing." He assured Winchester, that nothing but an immediate surrender could save the Americans from an indiscriminate massacre by the Indians, and he gave his pledge, that if they would promptly lay down their arms, they should be protected from massacre by the Indians; if this were not done, Proctor declared that he would set fire to the village, and would not be responsible for the conduct of the savages. Winchester, intimidated by this threat, sent an order to the troops under Major Madison, to surrender; which order was reluctantly obeyed, with the distinct understanding, that the lives, persons, and effects of the prisoners should be protected and properly cared for. At this time, the killed, wounded, and missing, of the little army, including those that had been outside of the pickets, amounted to more than three hundred men; those under Madison, who capitulated at Winchester's bidding, numbered thirty-five officers and above four bundred and fifty men.

1813.

The shocking barbarities which fol lowed the battle of Frenchtown, are almost incredible. "Scarcely had the Americans surrendered," says a contemporary writer, "under the stipula tion of protection from the British offi cer, when our brave citizens discovered, too late, that they were reserved to be butchered in cold blood. Of the right wing, but a small number escaped; the work of scalping and stripping the dead, and murdering those who could no longer resist, was suffered to go on without restraint. The infernal work was now to begin with those who had so bravely defended themselves. The infamous Proctor and the British offi cers turned a deaf ear to the just remonstrances of these unhappy men. Contrary to express stip ulation, the swords were taken from the sides of the officers; and many of them stripped almost naked, and robbed. The brave dead were stripped and scalped, and their bodies shockingly mutilated. The tomahawk put an end at once to the sufferings of many of the wounded, who could not rise; in allusion to which, some days afterwards, a British officer observed, 'The Indians are excellent doctors.' The prisoners, who now remained, with but a few exceptions, instead of being guarded by British soldiers, were delivered to the charge of the Indians, to be marched in the rear of the army to Malden. This was, in other words, a full permission to indulge their savage thirst for blood; and in this they were not disappointed; for the greater part of these ill-fated men were murdered on the way, through mere wantonness.

[ocr errors]

About

CH. IX.]

THE MASSACRE AT FRENCHTOWN.

sixty of the wounded, many of them officers of distinction, or individuals of much respectability, had been suffered to take shelter in the houses of the inhabitants, and two of their own surgeons permitted by Proctor to attend them, from whom they also obtained a promise that a guard should be placed to protect them, and that they should be carried to Malden the next morning in sleds. But this affected humanity, was but an aggravation of his cruelty, by awakening a hope which he intended to disappoint. No guard of soldiers was left, and on the next day, instead of sleds to convey them to a place of safety, a party of Indians returned to the field of battle, fell upon these poor wounded men, plundered them of their clothing, and every article of any value which remained, tomahawked the greater part of them, and, to finish the scene, fired the houses, and consumed the dying and the dead !"*

This sad calamity deeply affected the sensibilities of the entire American people. All Kentucky was literally in mourning; for the troops which had been massacred so shamelessly, were of the best families in the state, and many of them were young men of fortune and distinction, with numerous friends and relatives. The indignation

*The British "general order," in giving an account of this battle, presented a very different statement, and Proctor was lauded for "his humane and un

wearied exertions in rescuing the vanquished from the revenge of the Indian warriors." Beside this, which the Americans looked upon as a gross insult, this same Proctor was at once raised to the rank of a brigadiergeneral for his gallantry and excellent conduct.

183

of the west was roused to a far higher pitch than it had ever before attained. Winchester was severely censured by many for his advance to the River Raisin; others blamed Harrison for not reinforcing him in time; and some few took occasion, from this unexpected disaster, to reprobate the war altogether. In the mean time, Harrison, who reached the camp at the Rapids on the 20th of January, as we have said, and who had left orders to his troops at Sandusky to follow him with all speed, when the tidings of the 1813.

affair at the Raisin reached him, fell back behind the Portage River, fearing to be himself attacked. But very soon he advanced again, and constructed a stronghold at the Rapids, on the right bank of the river, which, in honor of the governor of Ohio, he named Fort Meigs. The troops labored with great diligence in strengthening Fort Meigs, Upper Sandusky, and Fort Stephenson; but notwithstanding Harrison's efforts, it was found, by the middle of February, that it was useless to make any attempt against Malden this season. Winchester's movement had deranged Harrison's plan entirely, and he had no alternative but to reorganize his system of operations.

The term of service of the greater part of the militia composing the northwestern army having expired, new levies from Ohio and Kentucky were ordered on to supply their places. But these not arriving in season, the Pennsylvania brigade generously volunteered their services for another month to defend Fort Meigs, which was menaced with an attack. This conduct

was the more honorable, as this corps had undergone very great hardships during the winter, in dragging the artillery and stores from Sandusky to the Rapids.

1813.

Early in April, Harrison received such information as induced him to hasten his return to Fort Meigs, which he | reached on the 20th. Immediately on his arrival, General Harrison set about making preparations for the approaching siege. The fort was situated upon a rising ground, at the distance of a few hundred yards from the river, the country on each side of which is chiefly natural meadows. The garrison was well supplied with the means of defence, and Harrison, with unremitted exertions, labored, night and day, to improve its capacity for resisting the siege. On the 28th, the enemy were reported to be in great force about three miles below, and in a day or two the siege commenced in earnest. The British were very active in selecting positions around the fort whence it might be annoyed, and in erecting batteries on the opposite side of the river. The besieged were equally active in keeping up a well-directed fire upon the enemy's works, and impeding their progress in every possible way. On the 1st of May, the British batteries were mounted, and for several days there was an incessant firing of bombs and cannon balls: the besieged, with great bravery and perseverance returned the enemy's fire. Proctor, who professed himself desirous of sparing the effusion of blood, sent a summons to the garrison to surrender, threatening, in case of refusal, to abandon them

to the savages. His summons was treated with the contempt it deserved.

On the 5th of May, news reached Harrison, that General Clay, with twelve hundred Kentucky militia, was but a few miles up the river, descending in boats. An officer was sent to Clay, directing him to detach eight hundred men on the opposite side of the river, for the purpose of forcing the enemy's batteries and spiking their cannon. Colonel Dudley, who was charged with the execution of this movement, performed it in fine style; but his but his men, elated with their success, continued to pursue the retreating enemy, in spite of Dudley's efforts to the contrary, till they were finally drawn into an ambush, prepared by Tecumseh, and overwhelmed by superior num bers; the greater part of this detach ment were killed or taken prisoners. Colonel Dudley was among the killed. While these things were being done on the left bank of the river, Colonel Miller sallied forth from the fort, at the head of three hundred men, assaulted the whole line of their works, manned by three hundred and fifty regulars and five hundred Indians, and after several brilliant charges, drove the enemy from their principal batteries, spiked the cannon, and returned to the fort with forty-two prisoners. The British commander, finding himself disappointed, discontinued hostilities, from the 6th to the 9th of May; arrangements were made for an exchange of prisoners; and the Indians, according to custom, having left their allies, Proctor, in considerable haste, retreated from the contest. The loss of the Americans in the fort,

CH. IX.1

ATTACK ON OGDENSBURGH.

was eighty-one killed and one hundred and eighty-nine wounded. The loss of the enemy was about equal.

1813.

After the siege of Fort Meigs, offensive operations in this quarter were, for a considerable time, suspended on both sides. Until the completion of the naval preparations on Lake Erie, which were then in considerable forwardness, the troops were to remain at Fort Meigs, and Upper Sandusky. Without the command of the lake, little of consequence could be effected; the troops would, therefore, continue a great part of the summer in a state of inactivity, awaiting this event. In the mean time, General Harrison, having left General Clay in command at the fort, returned to Franklinton, for the purpose of organizing the forces expected to concentrate at that place. A deputation from all the Indian tribes residing in the state of Ohio, and some in the territories of Indiana and Illinois, made, in June, a tender of their services to follow General Harrison into Canada. Heretofore, the government had declined using the Indians as allies against the British; but, as it was necessary to have them as friends or enemies, and as they thought it an imputation upon them to be asked to remain neutral, it was concluded to be best, on the whole, to accept their aid, on the express condition, that they should spare their prisoners, and not assail defenceless women and children.

Turning our attention to the operations on the northern frontier, we find, that the war was carried on there with varied success. During the winter,skirmishes were not infrequent, and small

VOL. III.-24

185

1813.

detachments were often sent across from Canada for the purpose of apprehending deserters. They found and arrested several, and, being in an enemy's country, committed depredations upon the houses and other property of the inhabitants. In the beginning of February, Major Forsythe, who commanded at Ogdensburgh, resolved to retaliate these incursions. Taking a part of his riflemen, and such volunteers as offered, some of whom were private gentlemen of the neighborhood, in all numbering about two hundred men, he crossed the St. Lawrence, surprised the guard at Elizabethtown, took fifty-two prisoners, among whom were one major, three captains, and two lieutenants; and captured one hundred and twenty muskets, twenty rifles, two casks of fixed ammunition, and other public property. He then returned, without the loss of a single man.

Soon after, movements in Canada indicated that an attack on Ogdensburgh was intended, and the militia, under Colonel Benedict, were called out to defend it. On the 21st of February, the place was attacked by a force of twelve hundred men, under Colonel M'Donnell. The Americans refused to surrender on being summoned, and notwithstanding they were much inferior in numbers, they fought with great bravery for an hour, when they were compelled to retire, and abandon their artillery and stores to the British. Two schooners, two gunboats, together with the barracks, were committed to the flames. Brackenridge relates, that the British made something of a flourish over this affair; and a message was

sent with the news to Colonel M'Feeley, commanding the American garrison at Niagara, informing him that a salute would be fired from Fort George. The American officer expressed his satisfaction at being able to return the compliment, as he had just received intelligence of the capture of his majesty's frigate Java, by an American frigate of equal force (p. 165), and intended to fire a salute from Niagara, at the same time, in honor of this brilliant victory.

1813.

General Pike, a brave and energetic officer, was diligently occupied at Sackett's Harbor in disciplining the recruits as they arrived, a work of great difficulty and requiring the utmost patience and perseverance. Great exertions had also been made by Commodore Chauncey to build and equip a squadron on the lake which should enable the Americans there to cope with the British; and in the course of the spring he had under him two sloops and eleven schooners, manned with crews who doubted not their ability to contend successfully with their enemies. Chauncey was ordered by the navy department to co-operate with General Dearborn in any operations he might direct. Accordingly, on the 25th of April, with sixteen hundred men on board, the flotilla sailed from Sackett's Harbor, for the purpose of making an attack on York (now Toronto) the capital of Upper Canada.

The plan, which had been principally suggested by General Pike, was highly judicious; and, at his particular request, he was entrusted with its execution. On the 27th, at seven o'clock in

the morning, the fleet safely reached the place of destination. The debark ation commenced at eight o'clock, and was completed at ten. The British, on discovering the fleet, hastily made the necessary dispositions to oppose the landing of the American forces. General Sheaffe was in command at York, but he could collect only some seven hundred and fifty regulars and about a hundred Indians. With these he endeavored to prevent the landing, but ineffectually. Forsythe, with his riflemen, was first on the shore, and gallantly attacked the enemy. General Pike soon followed, and ably sustained the advance corps. The British were driven back, and took refuge behind the works of York, and our countrymen marched in columns to the assault. They had destroyed one of the enemy's batteries, and were within sixty yards of their main works, when the tremendous explosion of a magazine, at two hundred yards' distance, filled the air in every direction with huge stones and fragments of wood, which falling caused a dreadful havoc among the troops. One hundred of the Amer icans and forty of the British were killed. General Pike fell mortally wounded. Whereupon General Sheaffe -for Chauncey had made his way into the harbor-profiting by the confusion, set fire to such of his stores as he could reach, and to a vessel on the stocks, and retreated towards Kingston, with about four hundred regulars, who alone remained unhurt. The militia who were in York capitulated, and the victors seized upon the valuable stores which thus fell into their posses

« PředchozíPokračovat »