Siege of Fort Meigs--April 27, 1813

The first day of combat during the siege of the fort. Quite a lot happened over the next two days as Procter and Tecumseh's armies surrounded the stockade and cut the garrison off from outside aid.

From an anonymous Ohio militiaman's diary:

27th half past 3 AM an alarm by centinal firing took our post as before dismissed to our tents to rest on our arms about 11 AM fishers fired on across the river with out effect one of our buldogs saw them and began to bark & it was supposed that their intent was offensive and Infected some of them recieved orders to kindle fires as before came on guard at 5 PM continued till near day.

From Major Peter Chamber's Journal:

27 Embarked and arrived at Swan Creek 4 miles from Point au Chene, held a Council with the Indians. Plan of operations agreed upon. 12 o'clock left Swan Creek and Encamped at a small River about 4 miles from the old British Fort.

From Captain Daniel Cushing's Diary:

[When another British scouting party showed itself on April 27] I took good aim at them, the ball struck just over them, they fell down at the flash, they lay still until I had loaded again, and Capt. Wood had loaded his eighteen pounder in his loft. At length they started for the woods. Capt. Wood gave them a shot and I followed suit. They both struck very close to them; there were fourteen seen there before we fired, and but 12 remained in the old fort, where the remainder of the party were plain to be seen with a spy glass. This is the first time I have discharged  a piece at an enemy in 30 years.

From the Ohio Fredonian, 7 June 1813:

 Two elegant shots were made at them. They were supposed to strike within 3 or 4 feet, and covered them with dirt.

 From Captain E.D. Wood's Diary:

The next morning sixty or eighty dragoons were despatched a short distance down the river to see what the enemy were about. They had proceeded but a short distance before they met the Indians, who by their manoeuvering manifested a design of getting into the rear of the dragoons, which the intrepid Lieutenant who commanded the party did not altogether like so well; he therefore opposed a counter manoeuvre by bringing his men suddenly to the right about and hastening expeditiously back to camp, where he arrived safe with only one man slightly wounded. This was certainly the best thing he could have done.

From a letter from Dr. Charles Marion to Lt. Joseph H Larwill:

As to the siege I have not time to be particular at present, the Indians began to annoy us on the 27th April.