The siege of Fort Henry, at the mouth of Wheeling creek, in the year 1777,
is one of the most memorable events in Indian warfare--remarkable for the
indomitable bravery displayed by the garrison in general, and for some
thrilling attendant incidents. The fort stood immediately on the left bank
of the Ohio river, about a quarter of a mile above Wheeling creek, and at
much less distance from an eminence which rises abruptly from the bottom
land. The space inclosed was about three quarters of an acre. In shape the
fort was a parallelogram, having a block-house at each corner with lines
of pickets eight feet high between. Within the inclosures was a
store-house, barrack-rooms, garrison-well, and a number of cabins for the
use of families. The principal entrance was a gateway on the eastern side
of the fort. Much of the adjacent land was cleared and cultivated, and
near the base of the hill stood some twenty-five or thirty cabins, which
form the rude beginning of the present city of Wheeling. The fort is said
to have been planned by General George Rogers Clarke; and was constructed
by Ebenezer Zane and John Caldwell. When first erected, it was called Fort
Fincastle but the name was afterwards changed in compliment to Patrick
Henry the renowned orator and patriotic governor of Virginia.
At the time of the commencement of the siege, the garrison of Fort Henry
numbered only forty-two men, some of whom were enfeebled by age while
others were mere boys. All, however, were excellent marksmen, and most of
them, skilled in border warfare. Colonel David Shepherd, was a brave and
resolute officer in whom the borderers had full confidence. The
store-house was well-supplied with small arms, particularly muskets, but
sadly deficient in ammunition.
In the early part of September, 1777, it was ascertained that a large
Indian army was concentrating on the Sandusky river, under the command of
the bold, active, and skilful renegade, Simon Girty. Colonel Shepherd had
many trusty and efficient scouts on the watch; but Girty deceived them all
and actually brought his whole force of between four and five hundred
Indians before Fort Henry before his real object was discovered.
[Illustration: PATRICK HENRY.]
On the 26th, an alarm being given all the inhabitants in the vicinity
repaired to the fort for safety. At break of day, on the 27th, Colonel
Shepherd, wishing to dispatch an express to the nearest settlements for
aid, sent a white man and a negro to bring in some horses. While these men
were passing through the cornfield south of the fort, they encountered a
party of six Indians, one of whom raised his gun and brought the white man
to the ground. The negro fled and reached the fort without receiving any
injury. As soon as he related his story, Colonel Shepherd dispatched
Captain Mason, with fourteen men, to dislodge the Indians from the
cornfield. Mason marched almost to the creek without finding any Indians,
and was about to return, when he was furiously assailed in front, flank
and rear by the whole of Girty's army. Of course, the little band was
thrown into confusion, but the brave captain rallied his men, and taking
the lead, hewed a passage through the savage host. In the struggle, more
than half of the party were slain, and the gallant Mason severely wounded.
An Indian fired at the captain at the distance of five paces and wounded,
but did not disable him. Turning about, he hurled his gun, felled the
savage to the earth, and then succeeded in hiding himself in a pile of
fallen timbers, where he was compelled to remain to the end of the siege.
Only two of his men survived the fight, and they owed their safety to the
heaps of logs and brush which abounded in the cornfield.
As soon as the perilous situation of Captain Mason became known at the
fort, Captain Ogle was sent out with twelve men, to cover his retreat.
This party fell into an ambuscade and two-thirds of the number were slain
upon the spot. Captain Ogle found a place of concealment, where he was
obliged to remain until the end of the siege. Sergeant Jacob Ogle, though
mortally wounded, managed to escape, with two soldiers into the woods.
The Indian army now advanced to the assault, with terrific yells. A few
shots from the garrison, however, compelled them to halt. Girty then
changed the order of attack. Parties of Indians were placed in such of the
village-houses as commanded a view of the block-houses. A strong party
occupied the yard of Ebenezer Zane, about fifty yards from the fort, using
a paling fence as a cover, while the main force was posted under cover on
the edge of a cornfield to act as occasion might require.
Girty then appeared at the window of a cabin, with a white flag in his
hand, and demanded the surrender of the fort in the name of his Britanic
majesty. At this time, the garrison numbered only twelve men and two boys.
Yet the gallant Colonel Shepherd promptly replied to the summons, that the
fort should never be surrendered to the renegade. Girty renewed his
proposition, but before he could finish his harangue, a thoughtless youth
fired at the speaker and brought the conference to an abrupt termination.
Girty disappeared, and in about fifteen minutes, the Indians opened a
heavy fire upon the fort, and continued it without much intermission for
the space of six hours. The fire of the little garrison, however, was much
more destructive than that of the assailants. About one o'clock, the
Indians ceased firing and fell back against the base of the hill.
[Illustration: THE ALARM AT FORT HENRY.]
The colonel resolved to take advantage of the intermission to send for a
keg of powder, which was known to be in the house of Ebenezer Zane, about
sixty yards from the fort. Several young men promptly volunteered for this
dangerous service; but Shepherd could only spare one, and the young men
could not determine who that should be. At this critical moment, a young
lady, sister of Ebenezer Zane, came forward, and asked that she might be
permitted to execute the service; and so earnestly did she argue for the
proposition, that permission was reluctantly granted. The gate was opened,
and the heroic girl passed out. The opening of the gate arrested the
attention of several Indians who were straggling through the village, but
they permitted Miss Zane to pass without molestation. When she reappeared
with the powder in her arms, the Indians, suspecting the character of her
burden, fired a volley at her, but she reached the fort in safety. Let the
name of Elizabeth Zane be remembered among the heroic of her sex.
About half-past two o'clock, the savages again advanced and renewed their
fire. An impetuous attack was made upon the south side of the fort, but
the garrison poured upon the assailants a destructive fire from the two
lower block-houses. At the same time, a party of eighteen or twenty
Indians, armed with rails and billets of wood, rushed out of Zane's yard
and made an attempt to force open the gate of the fort. Five or six of the
number were shot down, and then the attempt was abandoned. The Indians
then opened a fire upon the fort from all sides, except that next the
river, which afforded no shelter to besiegers. On the north and east the
battle raged fiercely. As night came on the fire of the enemy slackened.
Soon after dark, a party of savages advanced within sixty yards of the
fort, bringing a hollow maple log which they had loaded to the muzzle and
intended to use it as a cannon. The match was applied and the wooden piece
bursted, killing or wounding several of those who stood near it. The
disappointed party then dispersed.
Late in the evening, Francis Duke, son-in-law of Colonel Shepherd,
arriving from the Forks of Wheeling, was shot down before he could reach
the fort. About four o'clock next morning, Colonel Swearingen, with
fourteen men, arrived from Cross Creek, and was fortunate enough to fight
his way into the fort without losing a single man.
This reinforcement was cheering to the wearied garrison. More relief was
at hand. About daybreak, Major Samuel M'Culloch, with forty mounted men
from Short Creek, arrived. The gate was thrown open, and the men, though
closely beset by the enemy, entered the fort. But Major M'Culloch was not
so fortunate. The Indians crowded round and separated him from the party.
After several ineffectual attempts to force his way to the gate, he turned
and galloped off in the direction of Wheeling Hill.
[Illustration: DARING FEAT OF ELIZABETH ZANE.]
When he was hemmed in by the Indians before the fort, they might have
taken his life without difficulty, but they had weighty reasons for
desiring to take him alive. From the very commencement of the war, his
reputation as an Indian hunter was as great as that of any white man on
the north-western border. He had participated in so many rencontres that
almost every warrior possessed a knowledge of his person. Among the
Indians his name was a word of terror; they cherished against him feelings
of the most phrenzied hatred, and there was not a Mingo or Wyandotte chief
before Fort Henry who would not have given the lives of twenty of his
warriors to secure to himself the living body of Major M'Culloch. When,
therefore, the man whom they had long marked out as the first object of
their vengeance, appeared in their midst, they made almost superhuman
efforts to acquire possession of his person. The fleetness of M'Culloch's
well-trained steed was scarcely greater than that of his enemies, who,
with flying strides, moved on in pursuit. At length the hunter reached the
top of the hill, and, turning to the left, darted along the ridge with the
intention of making the best of his way to Shor' creek. A ride of a few
hundred yards in that direction brought him suddenly in contact with a
party of Indians who were returning to their camp from a marauding
excursion to Mason's Bottom, on the eastern side of the hill. This party
being too formidable in numbers to encounter single-handed, the major
turned his horse about and rode over his own track, in the hope of
discovering some other avenue to escape. A few paces only of his
countermarch had been made, when he found himself confronted by his
original pursuers, who had, by this time, gained the top of the ridge, and
a third party was discovered pressing up the hill directly on his right.
He was now completely hemmed in on three sides, and the fourth was almost
a perpendicular precipice of one hundred and fifty feet descent, with
Wheeling creek at its base. The imminence of his danger allowed him but
little time to reflect upon his situation. In an instant he decided upon
his course. Supporting his rifle in his left hand and carefully adjusting
his reins with the other, he urged his horse to the brink of the bluff,
and then made the leap which decided his fate. In the next moment the
noble steed, still bearing his intrepid rider in safety, was at the foot
of the precipice. M'Culloch immediately dashed across the creek, and was
soon beyond reach of the Indians.
After the escape of the major, the Indians concentrated at the foot of the
hill, and soon after set fire to all the houses and fences outside of the
fort, and killed about three hundred cattle. They then raised the siege
and retired.
The whole loss sustained by the whites during this remarkable siege, was
twenty-six men killed and four or five wounded. The loss of the enemy was
from sixty to one hundred men. As they removed their dead, exact
information on the subject could not be obtained.
The gallant Colonel Shepherd deserved the thanks of the frontier settlers
for his conduct on this occasion, and Governor Henry appointed him county
lieutenant as a token of his esteem. A number of females, who were in the
fort, undismayed by the dreadful strife, employed themselves in running
bullets and performing various little services; and thus excited much
enthusiasm among the men. Perhaps, a more heroic band was never gathered
together in garrison than that which defended Fort Henry, and it would be
unjust to mention any one as particularly distinguished. We have named the
commander only because of his position.
[Illustration: TREMENDOUS LEAP OF MAJOR M'CULLOCH.]