The ceremony of reburying the remains of the soldiers slain at the site
of Fort Recovery during St. Clair’s Defeat took place on September 24.
When we arrived there the preceding afternoon, the hotels and many of
the private houses were crowded to overflowing. People continued to
arrive throughout the night and until noon the next day. The number who
attended was variously estimated at from five to seven thousand, and it
was impossible to make a closer estimate. Two thousand persons formed a
procession. The sons and the grandsons of those who were to be carried
to their last resting place were present.
The occasion was one of solemn import. If these bones had heretofore
been neglected, it was only through ignorance of the spot where they
lay. Now that mere chance had exposed the grave, the citizens were
enthusiastically paying that respect which is due from every true and
patriotic American. These men died to maintain liberty and the peace and
quiet of the fireside. There were some old gray-haired veterans present
with recollections of the defeat vividly stamped upon their memories.
The bones were placed in thirteen coffins, representing the thirteen
original states. They were buried in one large grave in the village
cemetery. Peace to their ashes. Beneath the sod in one common grave lie
the bones of officers, soldiers, and citizens. May their memory live in
the heart of every American.