The _Dolphin_ reached Detroit that evening, did not stop, but slowly
passed the city, which extends six or seven miles along the river, then
on down the stream, the captain pointing out historical scenes, now on
this side now on that.
They were already on Lake Erie before the older ones retired for the
night, passed Put-In-Bay and discussed with interest Perry's victory of
September 10, 1813, though, as all were familiar with the details of
the famous contest and triumph for the little American navy, the story
was not repeated.
"How many islands are there in the group, papa?" Grace asked, as they
neared them; "and to which State do they belong?"
"There are ten," he said, "and they are a part of Ottawa township,
Ohio. The group takes its name from the largest one, which contains
about two thousand acres. You can see there is a beautiful bay on this
north side: that is Put-In-Bay--it is what gives the name to the island
and is celebrated as the place where Captain Perry with his little
United States fleet on Lake Erie, in the last war with Great Britain,
of which we have been talking so much in the last few days, waited for
the coming of her fleet, and whence he sailed out to meet and conquer
it.
"It required great address and vigilance to make his little squadron
ready and get it into the lake, but spite of illness, head winds, and
being narrowly watched by the foe, he got safely out upon the lake just
as the British squadron hove in sight."
"Perry had difficulty in getting his vessels over the bar, had he not,
sir?" asked Walter.
"Yes; it was done by the use of camels; a very difficult operation."
"Camels, papa?" exclaimed Grace, with a puzzled look.
"Yes, daughter; not the camels of the desert, however," returned the
captain, giving her a slightly amused smile.
"Nautical camels are hollow cases of wood, made in two halves, so as
to embrace the keel and lay hold of the hull of a ship on both sides.
Those cases are first filled with water and sunk, in order to be fixed
on. The water is then pumped out, and while that is being done the
vessel gradually rises; and that process is continued till at length it
passes over the shoal."
"Perry must certainly have been a very persevering and energetic man,"
remarked Mrs. Travilla.
"He certainly was all that and more," returned the captain; "a brave,
patriotic, Christian man. It has been truly said that the courage with
which the _Lawrence_ was defended has been hardly, if ever, surpassed;
and that his real claim to fame rests less on his actual victory than
on the pluck, energy, and readiness to adapt himself to circumstances,
which he showed in the preparation of the two brigs and getting them
and the other vessels out in the lake, collecting sailors, etc. But
it is singular that the American public have always made so much more
of his victory over an inferior force, than of McDonough's on Lake
Champlain, which was won against decided odds in vessels, men, and
metal."
"Oh, papa!" cried Lucilla, in a slightly reproachful tone, "you are
really the last person I should have expected to try to belittle
Perry's hard-won victory."
"My child, I am not doing that," returned her father in gentle,
reproving accents. "I would not have Perry's fame lessened, but
McDonough's increased."
"Excuse me, papa dear, I might have known that," she responded
penitently.
"What is the name of that little island lying at the mouth of the bay,
captain?" queried Evelyn.
"Gibraltar," he replied; "it is picturesque and rocky, and on it stands
the monument commemorating the victory and its heroes."
"I should like to visit the island one of these days," said Grace.
"I hope to give you that pleasure at some future time," her father
said; "but now it is growing so late in the season that we must hasten
on our way if we would make even a flying visit to other and more
interesting and important points. The islands are worth visiting; the
scenery is lovely, and there is excellent boating, also fishing, in the
clear, shallow waters of the bay and lake."
"All that sounds quite appetizing," said Violet. "I think we might
be able to pass some days or weeks there very delightfully when not
hurried for time."
"There are a great many fine grapes raised here, are there not?" asked
Evelyn.
"Yes; grape growing and wine making are the principal industries; the
climate and soil being better suited to them than is any other in the
Union; or rather, I should say, on the Atlantic slope. Another item of
interest is a cave of considerable dimensions."
"Papa," asked Grace, "how long did that battle of Lake Erie last?"
"Three hours and a quarter. It was a sanguinary fight, ending in a
splendid victory for Perry, who was about twenty-seven years old, and
had never before borne part in a naval engagement."
"Yes, it was sanguinary; the carnage was terrible," said Mr. Dinsmore.
"What harrowing scenes there must have been!"
"Some comical ones, too," remarked Walter, with a chuckle. "I have read
somewhere that Perry's first lieutenant, Yarnall, came to him during
the fight and told him that all the officers of the first division were
either killed or wounded. I don't know that he mentioned himself among
them, but it was very evident that he had been hurt, for his face was
covered with blood from a wound in his forehead, his nose dreadfully
swollen by a blow from a splinter, and there was another wound in his
neck."
"He must have been a brave and persevering fellow to go on fighting
with all those hurts," said Grace. "But what was it he wanted of Perry?"
"More men to help with his part of the fight; and Perry let him have
them. But soon he came back on the same errand, and that time Perry
had to refuse. 'You must make out by yourself; I have no more to
furnish you,' he said. And now he could not help smiling at Yarnall's
appearance, for in addition to his swelled nose and the blood on his
face he was covered with cattails from the hammock mattresses that had
been struck and torn by the enemy's balls; they were sticking all over
his face and gave him much the aspect of a great owl. When he went
below after the fight was over, even the wounded men had to laugh at
his comical and hideous appearance."
"I remember reading of the narrow escape that fell to the lot of the
second lieutenant," said Rosie, when Walter had finished his little
anecdote, "he was standing close beside Perry, fighting his division,
when a grape-shot struck him in the breast, and he fell. Perry lifted
him up, and as there was no wound to be seen, told him to rally, for he
could not be hurt. He was only stunned into momentary unconsciousness,
and when able to speak, said, pulling out the shot, which had lodged in
his waistcoat, 'No, sir! I'm not hurt, but this is my shot.'"
"Yes," said Captain Raymond, "more than one man was shot and killed
while speaking to Perry. One was the captain of the gun whose tackle
had been shot away. Perry stepped nearer to him to see what was the
matter. 'I can fire, sir,' the sailor said, and was in the very act of
doing so when a twenty-four-pound shot struck him, passed through his
body, and he fell dead at Perry's feet."
"But Perry escaped unwounded, though freely exposing himself to danger
when necessary for the performance of duty," remarked Grandma Elsie. "I
have read that he said that he believed his wife's prayers had saved
him; I have no doubt that his mother's helped him, for I have read
that she was a Christian woman, and had brought him up in the fear
of the Lord. His young brother too--only twelve years old--escaped
wonderfully, shots passing through his clothes and hat, a hammock torn
from its fastenings by a ball knocking him down, and yet no wound being
made."
"Lieutenant John Brooks, a handsome young fellow, was another officer
shot while speaking to Perry," said Captain Raymond, "struck in the
thigh by a cannon ball that drove him some distance. It was a terribly
painful wound, so that he shrieked with agony, and besought Perry to
shoot him dead. Perry ordered him carried below, and while that was
being done a mulatto boy, his servant, rolled on the deck, crying out
that his master was killed. He had been acting as powder boy, and being
ordered to return to his duty did so with the tears rolling down his
cheeks all the time at the thought of his master's suffering!"
There was a moment of silence, broken by Grace.
"Oh, what a dreadful thing war is!" she sighed. "I hope we will never
have another. I think nothing could be worse."
"How about submission to despotism, Gracie?" asked Walter. "What sort
of condition would this country be in now had not our ancestors waged
those two wars with Great Britain?"
"Oh, yes! they were right on the side of America, dreadful as they
were," she acknowledged, "the choice being between fighting for freedom
or enduring unbearable oppression."
"That is true," he said; "better death than slavery; and had we tamely
submitted, instead of resisting as we did, we could never have become
the strong, free people that we are."
"And we may well, even yet, thank God for Perry's victory," said the
captain; "it led to the immediate evacuation of Detroit and the release
of the whole of Michigan Territory from British sway, with all the
horrors of Indian atrocities, murder, scalping, and fire. Also it
wiped away the disgrace of Hull's ignominious surrender of Detroit,
strengthened the hands of the Government, and gave great encouragement
to General Harrison and his brave and patriotic soldiers; indeed, to
all who were fighting for our country on both land and sea. Harrison
had completed his arrangements for invading Canada, and Perry's vessels
were used in carrying his army there. That is, the _Niagara_ and the
lighter vessels of both squadrons.
"One of the measures Harrison had taken for raising the needed
complement of troops had been a call upon Governor Shelby of Kentucky,
for fifteen hundred men, accompanied by the generous offer to yield
the chief command to him, Shelby to be the guiding head and Harrison
himself the hand.
"Shelby was one of those who had battled for his country in the days
of the Revolution; one of the leaders of the militia who defeated the
banded Tories under Major Ferguson on King's Mountain, South Carolina,
on the 7th of October, 1781. His valor was conspicuous on that
occasion, and he had since been familiarly styled Old King's Mountain."
"A very old man in 1813, I suppose," said Grace.
"Sixty-three," replied her father. "In these days we would hardly
consider a man of that age extremely old, though certainly not young.
Young enough, however, for Harrison's invitation to rouse his martial
spirit to such an extent that he resolved to lead, instead of sending
his men against the enemies of his country. He called for mounted
volunteers to assemble at Newport, opposite Cincinnati, at the close of
July, promising to meet them there in person, lead them to the field of
battle, and share with them the dangers and honors of the campaign.
"That call seemed to electrify the people of Kentucky. Young men and
veterans vied with each other in enthusiasm, exchanging urgent calls
to rally to the defence of their country, for Old King's Mountain
would certainly lead them to victory. Twice the required number of men
flocked to his standard, and, including Colonel R. M. Johnson's troop,
he led 3500 in the direction of Lake Erie.
"On the 12th of September he reached Upper Sandusky, from there he
pushed forward with his staff, and on the way heard the glad tidings of
Perry's victory. He despatched a courier with the news to Major-General
Henry, whom he had left in command of his troops, bidding him hasten
forward with them.
"They, and the whole country as well, were greatly inspirited, filled
with joy and exultation by the glad tidings; for that victory relieved
the whole region of the most gloomy forebodings of evil, leading,
as it did, to the destruction of the Indian confederacy, which, in
conjunction with the British military power, had been the cause of so
much awful suffering and loss to men, women, and children suffering by
fire, sword, tomahawk, and scalping knife, and removing the stigma of
the surrender of Detroit.
"That victory was one of the most important events of the war, opening
the way for Harrison's army to penetrate into Canada and to our
repossession of the territory of Michigan. Also removing all doubts of
the ability of the Americans to maintain the mastery of the great lakes.
"A poet of the time concluded an epic with these lines:
"'And though Britons may brag of their ruling the ocean,
And that sort of thing, by the Lord I've a notion--
I'll bet all I'm worth, who takes it?--who takes?
Though they're lords of the sea, we'll be lords of the lakes.'
"Well, to go on with my story, by the 16th the whole army of the
Northwest, except the troops garrisoning Fort Meigs and minor posts,
were on the borders of Lake Erie. Shelby arrived there on the 14th,
only a few minutes before a part of Perry's squadron came in, bringing
three hundred British prisoners. A few days later they were marched to
Chillicothe and Franklinton, escorted by a guard of Kentucky militia.
"And now Harrison made preparations to embark his army. Colonel Johnson
was directed to remain at Fort Meigs with his mounted regiment till
the expedition should sail, then march toward Detroit, keeping as
nearly as possible abreast of the army on the transports, and General
M'Arthur, at that time in command of Fort Meigs, was directed to
embark artillery, provisions, and stores from that post, and march the
regulars there, with Clay's Kentuckians, to the Portage.
"It was on a delightful day, the 20th of September, that the army
embarked. On the 24th they rendezvoused on Put-in-Bay Island, and the
next day were on the Middle Sisters, five thousand men encamping on its
six or seven acres."
"A good many horses besides, I presume," remarked Walter.
"No," said the captain, "the Kentuckians left their horses on the
peninsula and were acting as infantry.
"On that day General Harrison and Perry sailed in the _Ariel_ to
reconnoitre the enemy at Malden. They were entirely successful, and
returned at sunset. An order was issued that evening, giving directions
for the embarking of the troop, stating the place and manner of
landing, the order of march, the attack upon the enemy, and other
particulars.
"The order, signed by General E. P. Gaines, exhorted his brave troops
to remember that they were the sons of sires whose fame was immortal;
that they were to fight for the rights of their insulted country, while
their opponents would combat for the unjust pretensions of a master.
'Kentuckians,' he said, 'remember the River Raisin, but remember it
only while victory is suspended. The revenge of a soldier cannot be
satisfied upon a fallen enemy.'
"It was on a lovely autumnal day, September 27, that the expedition
finally set sail, in sixteen armed vessels and almost one hundred
boats. They were all in motion at nine o'clock, going northward toward
the hostile shore, and then Harrison's stirring address was read to the
men on each vessel. At its conclusion there went up a hearty shout for
'Harrison and victory'; then all moved on silently into the Detroit
River. Lossing tells us the spectacle was beautiful and sublime.
"The landing place selected by Harrison and Perry was Hartley's Point,
opposite the lower end of Bois Blanc Island, and three or four miles
below Maiden. A low, sandy beach stretched out in front of high sand
drifts, behind which the enemy were supposed to be lying in wait, and
our troops landed in battle order--Kentucky volunteers on the right,
regulars on the left, Ball's Legion and the friendly Indians in the
centre.
"But no enemy was there. The cowardly Proctor, in spite of the
indignant remonstrances of Tecumseh, had fled northward with his army
and all he could take with him; leaving Fort Maiden, the storehouses,
and navy buildings smoking ruins. Beside that, he had seized all the
horses of the people of the neighborhood to help him in his flight."
"The poor people! poor, abused creatures!" exclaimed Grace, adding,
"and probably they were much frightened lest the Americans should treat
them still worse."
"If so, their fears were soon relieved," replied her father; "for as
our troops drew near the town, Governor Shelby in advance, they were
met by a troop of modest, well-dressed women, who came to implore mercy
and protection. The kind-hearted general soon calmed their fears.
"The army moved on and entered Malden with the band playing 'Yankee
Doodle.' They learned that the enemy's rear guard had not been gone an
hour, and Colonel Ball at once sent an officer and twenty men of his
cavalry after them to prevent the destruction of a bridge over the
Tarontee. They were just in time to save it, driving the incendiaries
off with a single volley.
"The next morning Harrison crossed it with all his army, excepting a
regiment of riflemen left at Amherstburg. At two o'clock on the 29th
they entered Sandwich, and the American flotilla reached Detroit,
which, you will remember, is opposite, on the western side of the river
of the same name. The next day Colonel Johnson and his mounted regiment
arrived there."
"Were not the British still in possession of Detroit, papa?" asked
Lucilla.
"No; M'Arthur, with seven hundred effective men, had crossed over
shortly before and retaken the town, driving off a body of Indians who
were hovering about it. Also General Harrison had, to the great joy of
the inhabitants, declared Proctor's proclamation of martial law null
and void, and the civil government of Michigan restored.
"On Johnson's arrival he received an order from Harrison to cross the
river at once with his troops, as he (Harrison) was resolved to push on
after the enemy as rapidly as possible. There were two roads, either
of which might be taken in the pursuit--by land in the rear of the
British, or by Lake Erie to Long Point, and thence across the country.
Harrison called a council of his general officers to consider the
question, and it was decided to take the land route.
"It was said that Proctor was encamped near Chatham on the Thames; so
that was the place for which the whole army of the Americans, except
M'Arthur's brigade, left at Detroit, and Ball's and Cass', left at
Sandwich, marched on the morning of October 2.
"Two days before that Perry had learned that some small vessels
carrying the artillery and baggage of the British had gone up Lake
St. Clair toward the Thames. He sent some of his vessels in pursuit,
followed them in the _Ariel_, accompanied by the _Caledonia_, and on
the day that Harrison left Sandwich the whole of the little squadron
appeared off the mouth of the Thames with the provisions, baggage, and
ammunition wagons of the American army."
"Had he taken the enemy's vessels?" asked Evelyn.
"No," replied the captain; "they had too much the start of his, and
escaped up the Thames. It is said that when the army reached the mouth
of that river an eagle was seen hovering above it; and that Harrison
remarked to those about him that it was a presage of success, and
Perry, who had landed and was with the general, added the information
that an eagle was seen hovering over his little squadron on the morning
of the 10th of September."
"The day when he fought his naval battle," remarked Grace. "Don't you
suppose, papa, this eagle may have been the very same?"
"I think it quite likely," was the reply.
"And it reminds me of the young gamecock that flew upon a gun-slide
on the _Saratoga_, McDonough's flagship, early in the naval battle of
Plattsburg, clapped his wings and crowed so lustily and defiantly,"
said Walter.
"And me of 'Old Abe,' the eagle present in so many battles of the Civil
War," said his sister Rose. "But please go on with your story of the
battle of the Thames."
"To go back to the morning of October 2, when Harrison and his troops
left Sandwich," continued the captain. "We are told that they pushed on
rapidly for 20 miles along the border of the lake, there came upon 7
British deserters who told the general that Proctor, with 700 white men
and 1200 Indians was encamped at Dolsen's farm, about 15 miles from the
mouth of the Thames, on its northern bank, and 56 miles from Detroit
by water. This news roused the Americans to still greater exertions,
and when they halted for a night's rest they had marched 25 miles from
Sandwich, their starting point.
"The pursuit was renewed the next morning at dawn, and near the mouth
of the Thames Johnson captured a lieutenant and eleven privates, who
had just begun to destroy a bridge over a small stream emptying into
that river. That made it evident to the Americans that Proctor had
heard they were in pursuit of him and they hastened on, hoping to
overtake, fight, and defeat him. That night they encamped on Drake's
farm, four miles below Dolsen's.
"As the troops moved on, Perry's vessels had passed up the river
to cover their movements when they should cross the Thames or its
tributaries; but here there was a change in the character of the banks;
below the river flowed on between prairies, its channel broad, its
current sluggish, but here the country became hilly, the stream narrow
and rapid, the banks high and wooded, affording convenient places for
Indian ambuscades, from whence shots could be fired down upon the
passing vessels below. So it was thought better not to take them any
higher up the stream than Dolsen's, and Perry landed and offered his
services to Harrison as volunteer aid; so joining the army in the
exciting pursuit of the foe.
"The cowardly Proctor--much to the disgust of Tecumseh--fled up the
Thames 28½ miles from Dolsen's to Chatham, where an impassable stream
called M'Gregor's Creek empties into that river. On reaching the spot
he said to Tecumseh, 'Here we will defeat Harrison or lay our bones.'
"Tecumseh was pleased with both the speech and the spot, and remarked
that when he looked at these streams he would be reminded of the
Tippecanoe and the Wabash.
"Two bridges--one at the mouth of the creek and the other at a mill
a mile above, had been partially destroyed, and at each was a party
of Indians ready to dispute the passage of the Americans should
they attempt to cross or to make repairs; but Major Wood, with two
six-pounder cannon, and Colonel Johnson with his horsemen, soon sent
them flying after Proctor."
"Was anybody hurt in either fight, papa?" asked Grace.
"Yes; 2 men of Johnson's party were killed, and 6 or 7 wounded. The
Indians had a large number wounded and 13 killed. It was here that the
chief Walk-in-the-Water with 60 warriors came to Harrison and offered
to join his army conditionally. But Harrison had no time to attend to
him, so told him if he left Tecumseh, he must keep out of the way of
the American army."
"Did he do it, papa?" asked Elsie.
"Yes, he went back to the Detroit River."
"And did the Americans go on chasing the British, papa?"
"Yes, and the British retreating, destroying all they could on the way,
firing houses and vessels containing military and naval stores as they
went, the Americans following, putting out the fires and saving houses,
vessels, stores as far as possible.
"But they did not catch up to the British that night; they encamped and
Harrison set a double guard; which was well, for at midnight Proctor
and Tecumseh reconnoitred the camp, but did not venture to attack it.
"At dawn the Americans were again in motion, the mounted regiments in
front, led by General Harrison and his staff, the Kentucky volunteers
under General Shelby following. It was not long before they had
captured two of the enemy's gunboats and several bateaux with army
supplies and ammunition, and some prisoners.
"It was only nine o'clock when they reached a place where the river
was fordable by horses. Harrison decided to cross there and each of
the mounted men took an infantryman on his horse behind him; others
crossed in the bateaux, and by noon the whole American army was on the
north side of the river."
"I should think they must have been tired," said little Elsie. "Didn't
they stop to rest a while, papa?"
"No, indeed," replied her father, stroking her hair and smiling down
into the interested little face upturned to his, "they were much too
eager to catch and defeat their country's foes. They hastened on
as rapidly as possible, passing on their way many evidences of the
rapidity of Proctor's retreat.
"It was two o'clock and they were eight miles from the crossing place
when they came upon smouldering embers that showed where the enemy's
rear guard had been but a short time before. By that they knew they
were not far behind the foe, and Colonel Johnson dashed forward to
learn their exact whereabouts.
"It was not long before he had captured a British wagoner who told him
that Proctor had halted only three hundred yards farther on. Johnson,
with Major James Suggett and his spies, moved cautiously on, and found
the British drawn up in battle order, waiting for the coming of the
Americans.
"He, Johnson, learned enough about their position to enable General
Harrison and a council of officers, held on horseback, to decide
upon the best order for the attack. The American army now consisted
of a little more than 3000 men--120 regulars of the 27th Regiment, 5
brigades of Kentucky volunteers under Governor Shelby, and Colonel
Johnson's regiment of mounted infantry.
"The foe had made choice of a good place to make a stand. On one side
was the Thames River, with high and precipitous bank, on the other a
marsh running almost parallel with the river. Between the two, about
three hundred yards from the river, was a narrow swamp with a strip of
solid ground between it and the large marsh. Almost the whole space
between the river and the marsh was covered with forest trees--oaks,
beeches, and sugar maples, with very little undergrowth.
"The British regulars were formed in two lines between the river and
the small swamp; their artillery planted in the road near the bank
of the stream. The Indians were posted between the two swamps, those
commanded by Tecumseh in person on the isthmus or narrowest point.
"At first Harrison arranged for the horsemen to fall back and let the
infantry make the first attack, which would begin the battle; next the
cavalry were to charge the British. But when all the preparations were
completed Major Wood, who had been reconnoitring the enemy's position,
informed Harrison that the British were drawn up in open order, and,
though contrary to all precedent, the general immediately decided to
change his plan of attack. Instead of having the infantry fall upon the
British front he ordered Johnson to charge their line with his mounted
troops.
"In explaining his motive for the change, in a report rendered
afterward to the Secretary of War, he said: 'The American backwoods men
ride better in the woods than any other people. A musket or rifle is no
impediment, they being accustomed to carrying them on horseback from
their earliest youth. I was persuaded, too, that the enemy would be
quite unprepared for the shock, and that they could not resist it.'
"The event speedily proved the wisdom of the decision. The general's
orders were promptly obeyed, then a bugle sounded, and the Americans
moved coolly forward, neither hesitating nor with undue haste, among
huge trees, over fallen timber, and through the undergrowth, those
impediments in their path compelling them to move slowly.
"While they were still at some distance from the front line of the
British regulars the latter opened upon them with a severe fire, which
caused some confusion at the head of the column, the horses of some
of them taking fright; and before order was restored there came second
volley. Then with a tremendous shout the American cavalry boldly dashed
upon the British line and broke it, scattering it in all directions.
Then the second line, thirty paces in the rear, was treated in the same
way, and the horsemen wheeled right and left, pouring a destructive
fire upon the rear of the confused and broken columns, so increasing
their panic that they threw down their arms and surrendered as fast as
they could.
"Lossing tells us that in less than five minutes after the first shot
was fired the whole British force, more than eight hundred strong, were
totally vanquished, and most of them made prisoners; only about fifty
men and a single officer escaping."
"Ah, that was a victory to be proud of!" cried Lulu. "And what became
of the brave Proctor, papa?"
"He fled from the field as fast as his horses would carry him, taking
with him his personal staff, a few dragoons, and some mounted Indians.
In the words of the old song
"'When Proctor saw lost was the day,
He fled La Tranche's plain:
A carriage bore the chief away,
Who ne'er returned again.'
"He was hotly pursued by a part of Johnson's corps under Major Payne."
"I think I remember, though, that they did not succeed in catching
him," remarked Rosie.
"No," said the captain; "ten of them continued the pursuit until dark,
but could not overtake him."
"Ah, it seems he was better at running away than at fighting," said
Walter; "but if I remember right, he had to abandon his fine carriage."
"He did so; left the road and escaped by some bypath," replied Captain
Raymond. "So rapid and masterly was his retreat that within twenty-four
hours he was sixty-five miles distant from his starting point--the
battle ground."
"And the American officers and men got nothing for their long chase,
papa?" Grace said enquiringly.
"A trifle more," returned the captain, with a slightly amused look:
"Major Wood captured Proctor's carriage, sword, and valuable papers.
There were some beautifully written letters from Proctor's wife, in
which she addresses him as 'Dear Henry.'"
"'Dear Henry,' indeed!" cried Lucilla scornfully. "I could never love
such a coward. Nor--nor such a cruel wretch--delighting in seeing men,
women, and children tortured by the savages, if he didn't take part
in it with his own hands. But you haven't finished the story of the
battle, papa."
"No, not quite. General Henry, with his advancing columns, was hardly
in sight of the combatants before that part of the battle was over; but
at the same time that one bugle sounded for that attack another was
heard on the left. Colonel Johnson and his troops moved against the
Indians almost at the same instant that the first battalion--under his
brother James and Major Payne--attacked the British regulars. He had
divided his force and led them--the second battalion--across the little
swamp to attack the Indian left. They were in front of Shelby, with
a company of infantry. Harrison had taken a position on the extreme
right, near the bank of the river, where he could observe and direct
all the movements, and with him were Adjutant-General Butler, Commodore
Perry, and General Cass.
"Tecumseh's savages reserved their fire till the Americans were within
a few paces of them, then hurled upon them a deadly shower of bullets,
wounding General Johnson very severely, and prostrating more than half
his vanguard of forlorn hope. On this part of the field the undergrowth
and the branches of the trees were too thick to allow mounted men to
do much service with their rifles, therefore Johnson ordered them to
dismount and fight on foot at close quarters. They obeyed, and there
were many hand to hand fights, the Kentuckians as they fought raising
now and again the fearful cry, 'Remember the River Raisin.'"
"What did they mean by that, papa?" asked Elsie.
"I will explain that at another time," he replied. "You may ask for the
story to-morrow. And now, to go on with this--for a while it seemed
doubtful which side would win; but General Shelby, perceiving it,
ordered the regiment of Lieutenant-Colonel Donaldson to the support
of Johnson, and General King to press forward to the front with his
brigade.
"The Indians had already recoiled from the shock of the Kentucky
riflemen, and now they fled; they were pursued and a scattering
running fight ended the battle. Proctor was running away as fast as he
could, like some hunted wild animal, and his savage allies scattered
themselves through the forest behind the larger swamp."
"Tecumseh with the rest, papa?" asked Elsie.
"No, my child, Tecumseh was lying dead on the field of battle. But for
his loss it is likely the Indians would have continued the struggle
for some time longer."
"Who killed him, papa?" she asked.
"No one can say certainly," replied her father, "though probably it
was Johnson. Tradition and history tell us that Tecumseh had wounded
Colonel Johnson with a rifle bullet, and was springing forward to
tomahawk him, when Johnson drew a pistol from his belt and shot him
through the heart. It is said that Johnson himself never either
affirmed or denied that his was the hand which slew Tecumseh. Probably
he did not really know whether the Indian he had killed was the great
chieftain or some other. However, it is certain that he, Tecumseh,
was slain in that battle,--as it seems he had predicted that he would
be,--and it is a question of little importance whose hand sped the
bullet or struck the blow that ended his career."
There was a moment of silence, broken by Grandma Elsie's soft voice:
"'The moment was fearful: a mightier foe
Had ne'er swung his battle axe o'er him;
But hope nerved his arm for a desperate blow
And Tecumseh fell prostrate before him.
He fought in defence of his kindred and king
With spirit most loving and loyal,
And long shall the Indian warrior sing
The deeds of Tecumseh the royal.'
"I presume you are right, captain, in thinking," she added, "that
even Johnson himself did not know whether the Indian he had shot was
Tecumseh, but as you have just said, the question is of no historical
importance. We do know, however, that Johnson behaved most gallantly in
the battle of the Thames and was sorely wounded in the hip, thigh, and
hand; the last from the Indian whom he shot. He was disabled and said
to his friend, Dr. Theobald, one of his staff, fighting near him, 'I
am severely wounded: where shall I go?' Theobald, saying, 'Follow me,'
led him across the smaller swamp to the road and the stand of Governor
Shelby's surgeon-general. Johnson was faint from the loss of blood, and
his horse, it would seem, was still more sorely wounded, for as his
master was lifted from his back he fell dead."
"Oh, did the man die too, grandma?" asked little Elsie, with a look of
eager interest and concern.
"No, dear; they gave him water, dressed his wounds, and carried him on
board a vessel they had taken from the British. Captain Champlin, the
commander of the _Scorpion_, was there on it; he took the colonel down
the river in that vessel to his own, lying at Dolsen's, and from there,
in her, to Detroit."
"Papa, did he get well and go back and fight some more?" asked Ned.
"No, my son; he went into Congress and served his country well there.
But now it is high time for you and Elsie to go to your berths. Bid us
all good-night; to-morrow you may ask as many questions as you please,
and papa will answer them to the best of his ability."