FIGHTING ON AMERICAN SOIL
After Brock had accomplished his work at Detroit, he hastily returned
to the seat of government at York to make preparations for guarding
the Niagara frontier; and here we must take our leave of the great
soldier, for another writer in these Chronicles is to tell of his
subsequent movements, and of his glorious death on Queenston Heights.
Colonel Procter was left in command of the western forts, to which
Tecumseh was attached. Owing to an unfortunate armistice arranged
between the belligerent nations, the energetic Indian chief could
do nothing more than exert his powers in persuading many undecided
warriors to become Britain's allies. In this business he moved
through the Indian country between Lake Michigan and the Wabash,
daily increasing his forces.
In the meantime General Harrison, of whom we learned something in
a preceding chapter, was given command of the north-western army
of the United States. He was invested with wide authority, and
instructed, first of all, to provide for the defence of the western
frontiers and then to 'retake Detroit, with a view to the conquest
of Canada.' The first part of these instructions he proceeded to
carry out by raiding Indian villages and burning their cornfields.
Next he arranged his autumn campaign, which had in view the recapture
of Detroit and, if possible, the capture of Fort Malden and the
invasion of Canada. His troops occupied Fort Defiance, on the
Maumee, as a base of supplies, and Sandusky, on the south shore of
Lake Erie, as an observation post. Before much could be done,
however, the autumn waned, and Harrison, with seventeen hundred
men, encamped for the winter on the right bank of the Maumee, at
the foot of the rapids, near the place where Wayne had fought the
battle of the Fallen Timbers sixteen years before.
In January 1813 Major Reynolds, of the British forces on the Detroit,
marched into Frenchtown with fifty soldiers and two hundred Indians.
Frenchtown stood on the site of the present city of Monroe (Mich.)
on the river Raisin, about midway between Detroit and Harrison's
camp on the Maumee. On the 18th scouts reported the approach of an
American force of some five hundred and fifty regulars and Kentucky
volunteers. Reynolds made a judicious disposition of his men to
meet this superior force, but the enemy fell suddenly upon him,
driving him back about a mile. When the British had gained the
shelter of a wood their three-pounder did effective work, causing
the enemy considerable loss, and a continuous fire from militia
and Indians held the Americans in check for a time. But the contest
was hopeless, and Reynolds retreated to Brownstown, about eighteen
miles distant, having lost one militiaman and three Indians, and
having killed twelve Americans and wounded fifty-five. The American
captain made no attempt to pursue the British, but established
himself at Frenchtown, and two days later General Winchester marched
in with a large body of American troops.
During the night of the 18th word of Reynolds's repulse was brought
to Procter, who, with unaccustomed alacrity, hastened from Amherstburg
with all his available force, leaving but a few men to guard the
fort. Early on the morning of the 20th he led five hundred militia
and regulars and eight hundred Indians across the frozen waters of
the Detroit river. The troops were soon winding their way along
the road on the western shore. At nightfall they encamped in the
open about five miles from the enemy, and lighted huge fires to
protect themselves from the bitter winter cold. Before daybreak of
the 21st they were again on the march and sighted the American camp
while all was darkness and silence. No outpost guarded the slumbering
encampment, and the British approached unchallenged. They had
brought three three-pounders with them, and these were swiftly but
silently placed in commanding positions. The line for attack was
being formed when the musket-shot of a sentinel rang out through
the crisp air, and was immediately followed by the roar from a
three-pounder, which startled the sleeping camp into activity. Thus
the British lost some of the advantage of a surprise attack. Instead
of making a rapid advance and bayonet charge, or an attack upon
the surrounding parapet, from which the enemy wrought such havoc
later, Procter ordered the three-pounders to be brought into action,
and while this was being done, the Americans had seized their arms
and prepared for a stubborn defence.
Procter attacked with the regulars in the centre and the militia
and Indians on the flanks. The American centre fought from behind
defences, and their fire caused great havoc in the ranks of the
regulars, where the fire was hottest and the loss most severe.
After the fight had continued for upwards of an hour, the Indians
decided the issue. Outflanking the enemy on each side, they gained
the rear, and fiercely assailed and drove in the enemy's right,
which gave way and fled in terror to the farther side of the river
Raisin, seeking shelter in the woods. The Indians followed across
the ice in swift pursuit, eager for slaughter. The blood-stained
snow and the bodies of those overtaken marked the direction of
their flight for almost two miles. Only a few prisoners were
captured, but among them were Colonel Lewis, General Winchester,
and his son, a lad of sixteen years of age. So complete had been
the surprise of the American camp that when Winchester was led into
the British lines he was clothed only in his night-shirt.
The American left and centre, however, still held out stubbornly,
fighting desperately through fear of falling into the hands of the
Indians and sharing a fate similar to that of their comrades. On
learning that the conflict was still in progress, Winchester
pencilled an order to the commanding officer to surrender, in order
to prevent further loss of life. The command was immediately obeyed,
and the action ceased. A number of the Americans made good their
escape to Harrison's camp on the Maumee, where Fort Meigs was
erected immediately afterwards. 'The zeal and courage of the Indian
department were never more conspicuous than on this occasion,'
wrote Procter, 'and the Indian warriors fought with great bravery.'
Tecumseh himself was not present at the battle of Frenchtown, as
he was busy seeking recruits among the Indian allies of the British.
The leader of the Indians on that occasion was Roundhead of the
Wyandots.
Learning that Harrison had reorganized his army and brought up
artillery and stores to strengthen his position at Fort Meigs,
Procter decided to attack the American general in force. Harrison,
as we have seen, had about 1700 men and expected an equal reinforcement
under General Green Clay. Procter, now a brigadier-general, embarked
at Amherstburg with 1,000 white troops and all available artillery.
Tecumseh, who had returned to headquarters, led his Indians overland.
The result of his mission among the tribes now manifested itself.
As he advanced, his force was greatly augmented, many warriors
joining him at the mouth of the Maumee, until at last he commanded
not fewer than 1,200 men. The British forces reached the vicinity
of Fort Meigs on April 28, and went into camp opposite the fort;
but heavy rains delayed operations until the 1st of May. Procter
erected a battery a short distance above his camp; another battery
was soon added: but the fire from both proving ineffective, a
third was established across the river just below Fort Meigs.
The expected American reinforcements reached the head of the rapids,
and on the night of May 4 a messenger from Harrison made his way
through the British lines to Clay, instructing him to land eight
hundred men on the left bank of the Maumee to carry the British
batteries there, and spike the guns, afterwards crossing to the
fort. The remainder of the troops were to land on the right side
of the river and make their way through the Indians to the fort.
According to orders, Colonel Dudley landed with the specified force,
rushed the batteries, which were manned only by a few gunners, and
spiked the guns. The main body of British were at the camp a mile
and a half distant. But, contrary to orders, Dudley did not return
immediately to his boats and cross to the fort; instead, he left
the greater part of his men at the batteries under Major Shelby
and set off with the rest in pursuit of some Indians.
The routed artillerymen, reaching the British camp, made known the
loss of guns, and Tecumseh led his warriors to retake them through
a downpour of rain. Dudley and the smaller body that accompanied
him were drawn into an ambuscade and annihilated, Dudley himself
falling beneath the tomahawk; while the larger force left in
possession of the captured batteries was assailed by Major Muir,
with fewer than two hundred men, and put to rout. The Americans
fled for refuge to the woods, only to be confronted there by the
Indians. Thus caught between two fires, they were utterly destroyed.
Clay's force of 450 men had landed on the opposite side of the
river, where they were attacked by the Indians. But they were soon
reinforced by a detachment sent from the fort to meet them, whereupon
they turned upon the British position, captured one gun, and took
prisoner forty of the 41st regiment. The remainder of the British
at this point, strengthened by a small detachment of militia and
Indians, advanced and retook the battery, and the Americans were
driven back into the fort.
A white flag now fluttered from the walls of Fort Meigs. Harrison
proposed an exchange of prisoners, in the hope that during the
delay caused by these proceedings he would be able to get much-needed
baggage, stores, and ammunition into the fort. But the boats
containing his supplies were captured by the Indians, who took
childish pleasure in their rich plunder. When the prisoners had
been exchanged Harrison again opened fire, and the contest continued
until the 9th with little result.
Unaccustomed to this prolonged warfare and weary of fighting, the
greater part of the Indians now returned to their villages to
celebrate their recent victory; but Tecumseh, although his force,
so laboriously brought together, had dwindled to fewer than twenty
warriors, remained with the British. The militia also grew restless
and discontented and desired to return to their homes, to attend
to the spring seeding of their fields. Under these conditions
Procter was obliged to abandon the siege of Fort Meigs and withdraw
his forces.
During this affair an event occurred which illustrates the marvellous
power of Tecumseh's personality. While some of the American prisoners
were being conducted to the boats, they were savagely attacked by
a band of strange Indians. These warriors, who had taken no part
in the engagement, greatly outnumbered the guard. Forty of the
prisoners had already been put to death before a messenger set off
at full speed to Tecumseh with news of this horrible outrage. The
Indian leader rode rapidly towards the scene of the massacre, which
was then at its height. Throwing himself from his horse, he grasped
the two nearest savages and hurled them violently to the ground.
Brandishing his tomahawk, he rushed among the Indians, and in a
voice of thunder forbade them to touch another prisoner. The massacre
ceased instantly, and, awed by Tecumseh's presence and threatening
manner, the savages disappeared into the woods.
Towards the latter part of July Tecumseh persuaded Procter to make
another attempt to take Fort Meigs. After much deliberation the
British general finally started up the Maumee with a force of four
hundred white soldiers and about three hundred Indians. He took
with him also several six-pounders. The troops disembarked on the
right bank not far from the fort. Tecumseh, fertile in strategy,
had devised a plan by which he hoped to lure the garrison from the
fort. His scouts had apprised him that Harrison with a large force
was at Sandusky, about sixty miles distant. The chief proposed that
the Indians should gain the road which led from Sandusky to Fort
Meigs and that a sham battle should be enacted there to deceive
the garrison, who would naturally suppose that some of Harrison's
force, coming to the fort, were being attacked. They would hasten
to the assistance of their comrades, and the British would fall
upon them in the rear, while a strong force assailed the fort. The
plan met with Procter's approval, and the Indians proceeded to
carry it out. Heavy firing was soon heard, and it became so animated
that even some of Procter's men believed that a real engagement
was in progress. But the garrison made no response, and the mock
battle, which lasted about an hour, was finally terminated by a
heavy downpour of rain.
Tecumseh's plan for the capture of Fort Meigs had miscarried, but
he still hoped for victory. He induced Procter to make an attack
upon Fort Stephenson (now Fremont in the state of Ohio), about ten
miles from the mouth of the Sandusky river. On July 28 the British
troops embarked with artillery and stores and entered Sandusky Bay.
Most of the Indians marched through the woods between the Sandusky
and the Maumee. On August 1 Procter, having ascended the river,
demanded the surrender of Fort Stephenson from Major Croghan, the
officer in command. The garrison consisted of only one hundred
and sixty men, and they had but one gun; yet Croghan refused to
surrender. Procter then landed his men and opened fire on the
north-west angle of the fort; but his guns were light, and the
cannonade, which continued for thirty hours, had but little effect.
Fort Stephenson was built on the edge of a deep ravine filled with
brushwood. Before the main building was a ditch, the sides of which
were crowned with palisades. About four o'clock in the afternoon
Procter ordered an assault. He divided his men into two parties,
one to attack the fort from the north-west, the other to assail
the southern side. Armed with axes, which, however, were so blunt
as to be almost useless, the men of the first party broke through
the outer palisades and gained the ditch. Here they found further
advance impossible, as they had no scaling-ladders. In this position
they were raked by a deadly fire of musketry from the fort. The
men at the southern side were not so severely pressed; but after
two hours' hard fighting the British were forced to withdraw, having
suffered a loss of about one hundred killed and wounded. Under
cover of darkness Procter and his men regained their boats and
returned to Amherstburg. Greatly disheartened at these repeated
failures, Tecumseh and his warriors marched overland to the head
of Lake Erie and again went into camp on Bois Blanc Island.