Friday, April 26, 2013

Siege of Fort Meigs-- April 26, 1813


 Looking at the spot where British officers scouted the camp, from Captain Croghan's Battery at Fort Meigs.

From Major Peter L Chambers' journal:
26th Went to the Foot of the Rapids to reconiter the Enemy's position, and decided for the situation of the Batterys.  The Enemy appeared to be in numbers, a large quantity of Pigs, Horses and Cattle were driven in by the Enemy on discovering us. Tecumthe and his Brother the Prophet arrived and 11- or 1200 Indians.

From a letter by Captain Daniel S. Cushing:
...On the 26th, the Indians and British began to show them Selves on the opposite Side of the River...

From the Journal of Captain Eleazar D Wood:
On the 26th, in the afternoon, a party of horsemen, consisting of about fifteen or twenty English officers and Indians, debouched from the woods upon a small plain on the opposite side of the river, and galloped over it apparently with a design of examining its local position, and to select suitable sites for the placing of their batteries. Our guns were all instantly loaded; but before we could get ready to pay due honor to these new guests they thought proper to dispense with all ceremony on that occasion and to be off.
 

From an anonymous Ohio militiaman's diary:
26th Cloudy dragoons sent returned without discovery at 12 all ordered on fatigue.  
The guard some getting wood and some to fortify the fort at 4 PM... 
the river for British and Indians their appearance on the other side the...  
one of bulldogs raised a tremendous growl and they scampered off orders to make ... 
150 yards from the fort their guard thought they saw Indians fired and precipitate retreat Ensued all placed at their alarm post the rifle company have all drawn muskets had to take his rifle in one hand and his musket in the other and stand at his post hole with a covert...  
ing and had the enemy attempted to scale the pickets (and which we expected they would attempt) we would then have g them a warm reception the rifles first fired then muskets then fall back and load our rifles the Volunteers to step forward and fire we then to advance and fire again if they attempted to scale about 8 PM dismissed.
 

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