An Account of the Battle of Fort Stephenson

Continuing the Brunson memoir, which has some interesting perspectives on the Battle of Fort Stephenson from someone who was with Harrison's main force at Fort Seneca, a few miles up the Sandusky River:

While in this camp I so discharged my duties that on drill I was placed at the head of a platoon, in place of a commissioned officer; and I was so correct and full in my returns and reports as to be favorably reported to General Cass, who commanded our brigade, upon which, unsolicited, he promised me a lieutenancy. But, as the privates died off faster, in proportion, than the officers, no vacancy occurred, and I was left to serve out my time as I was.

While at Seneca, the Quarter-Master Sergeant asked me, one day, if I was not a Methodist. "Why," said I,  "what makes you think so?"

"Well, you mind your own business, perform your duties punctually, but never join in the amusements of the men, nor use any of their bad language."

"Yes, I am a Methodist."

 "Ah!" said he, "you will not be that long here."

"Why," I inquired, "are we not engaged in a lawful and honorable war? And why can not a man enjoy religion in the army, in such as case, as well as anywhere else?"

"That is all true," he said; "but as none, or very few, have done so, I conclude that you will do as the rest have done."

"Then," said I, "by the help of God I will make one exception; for I despise a man who will not maintain his integrity in the army, as well as any other lawful employment."

During the ensuing Winter this Sergeant was home on furlough, or the recruiting service. When he returned in the Spring to Detroit, at our first meeting, he said, "Well, Sergeant, I have made inquiry about you since my return, and am glad to find that you have kept your word, and maintained your religious integrity. It is an honor to you, and you are the more respected for it."

As I was now situated, my only opportunity for secret prayer, in form, was after all the men had retired. It was part of my duty to see that every non-commissioned officer and private soldier in the company was in his tent at tattoo, or nine o'clock, P.M.; and , as all was then still, I retired behind the breastwork, and had my formal secret devotions, being obliged to do it mentally at other hours of the day. I had my Bible with me, and read a portion of it every day; and, finding a few men who had once had some knowledge of religion, though now in a backslidden state, I conversed with them on religious subjects, as often as opportunity occurred. 

As before stated, the country was infested with Indians, accompanied by British regulars, and we expected an attack every night, for ten days. General Harrison said that his spies reported five thousand regulars, and six thousand Indians, on the way for that purpose; and knowing that his army of twenty-five hundred men could not resist eleven thousand, he had made a requisition on Governor Meigs, of Ohio, for four thousand militia, who were on their march to assist us. But the spies reported that the enemy had left Fort Meigs, on the Maumee River, and were heading toward our camp. In view of the near approach of the enemy, the General thought it prudent to fall back toward Upper Sandusky, till he met Governor Meigs, with his reinforcement, and then return to the fight; but he could not retreat and leave Major Croghan at Fort Stephenson, with one hundred and forty-three men, where, with such a force against them, they must be cut off.

[Any casual student of the War of 1812 will recognize that these numbers are all out of whack-- General Procter's army never numbered over 800 men, and the Indians under Tecumseh not much more than that. The Americans outnumbered the British and Indians at nearly every engagement during the 1813 campaign. Harrison's apparent cowardice during the second Siege of Fort Meigs and the attack at Fort Stephenson, was probably due to two factors: one, that his troops at Fort Seneca were mostly raw recruits from the one-year regiments, the 26th, 27th, and 28th Infantry, and two, he expected the attack on Fort Stephenson to be bait to lure him into a trap-- marching out of his entrenchments at Fort Seneca, Harrison's army would get pounced on by Tecumseh and his Indians.]

The General, therefore, sent an express to the Major to burn his fort, and every thing in it that his men could not carry on their backs, and retreat on the east side of the river, so as to be at Seneca at reveille the next morning. But it so happened--fortunately, as it turned out--that the express missed his way, got lost in the woods, and did not reach the Major till the next day, at ten o'clock, A.M.

In the meantime everything was prepared at Seneca for a retreat at reveille that morning. All the provisions, stores, tents, and everything that could not be carried on men's backs, were to be burned. The men were supplied with extra rations, to eat on the way, and but little sleep was had during the night. But morning came, and no troops from the little fort. It would not do to retreat, and leave them. A council of war was called to decide what should be done. The men were restless, and discontented at the idea of a retreat; and the officers seemed to be of the same state of mind; all preferring to meet the enemy at our breastworks, and try our skill and fortune in a battle, despite the odds in numbers. At length, when General Cass was asked his opinion, he said, "General, you are in command; you must do as you think best." "But," said Harrison, "two heads are better than one, and I want your opinion." "Well, it is my opinion, then, that we would better not retreat till we see something to retreat from." This settled the question; and every man was set at work to strengthen our defenses, and prepare for the worst.

The Major, knowing that the failure of the express to reach him in time to obey the order, would thwart the General's designs, and that he must wait for further orders; and as his own spies had reported only hundreds where the General's had reported thousands, he believed that he could defend the little fort, if attacked, before another order could be received. As he had to wait for further orders, he sent the express back, with this letter: "I have men enough, ammunition enough, and provisions enough; and damn me if I quit the fort."

The express reached headquarters, with this insolent letter, about sundown. The General, of course, was nettled. The Major was a pet of his; had been in service with him through the war, from Tippecanoe to this time; and to get such a letter from his pet, was rather too much for friendship to bear; and, besides, subordination must be preserved, or the army would be ruined. So, the next morning, Colonel Wells was ordered to the command of the little fort, and Colonel Ball, with his two hundred dragoons, was ordered to escort him down to it, and bring up Major Croghan under arrest. About noon the order was executing, and the little Major, only nineteen years of age, was brought into camp a prisoner.

 [The Major was actually 22 years old]

The General was, naturally, very nervous, and excitement very much quickened his motions and his words. When the Major appeared before him he sprang to his feet, and with vehemence, said, "Major Croghan, how came you to send me that insolent letter?"

"Why, General, didn't the express explain it?"

"Explain it! What explanation can be given to such a letter as that?"

"Why, General, didn't he tell you that he didn't get there till yesterday morning, at ten o'clock?"

 "Yes, he told me that. But what has that to do with this letter?"

"Why, you know I couldn't evacuate the fort, and get here by reveille of the morning previous."

"Of course not."

 "Well, I knew that your plans must be thwarted, by the circumstance, and that I must wait for further orders; and, believing that I was completely invested by the enemy, and that the express and the letter would fall into his hands, I determined, if it did, to send him as bullying a one as possible. But I told the express, the damned rascal, that if he got through with it, to explain it to you. Didn't he do it, General?"

"No, he didn't."

"Why, General, you know that I understand my business, and the duties of a subordinate, too well to send you such a letter, under any other circumstances." 

"Why, certainly, I thought so; and that was the mystery of the case. But how could I understand it without an explanation? and with this I am satisfied." And before night the Major was restored to his command, and Colonel Wells recalled to his.

There were some speculations among the officers as to the Major's explanation. Some thought that he believed his own spies to have correct numbers of the enemy, despite the report of the General's spies, and that with his advantages he could whip them,  and that he expected the attack before the General could arrest him; if successful, the victory would place him above censure; if not, it would make no difference, as he would be either dead or a prisoner. But the most probable reason for his course was that given be himself, though he disapproved of the proposed retreat. As the matter turned out, in two days after his return, he fought the memorable battle of Fort Stevenson, having but one hundred and forty-three men to repulse eleven hundred of the enemy. Of the British regulars, some fifty were killed in, or near, the ditch; but of the wounded no report could be made, as they retreated. But soon after the battle a British surgeon came, with a flag of flag of truce, to attend to their wounded, expecting to find at least one hundred and fifty, as but three hundred of the five hundred that left Malden got back to it, showing a loss of two hundred, somewhere. On this information the General sent out Indian scouts to scour the woods between the little fort and the lake. They picked up and brought in about twenty, and reported a large number of dead bodies, and bones, and uniforms, indicating the death of as many, who perished in their retreat....

[Here Brunson explains that as it turned out, General Procter was expecting to capture only the stockade at Fort Stephenson, in part for flour and provisions he needed for his army, and for the morale boost of another victory against the Americans. But when his scouts reported that the Americans were encamped at nearby Fort Seneca, with 2500 men, he realized that he had to end the siege quickly and decided to attack the fort directly. What's more, Procter had bombarded the stockade with field artillery (six-pounder guns and 6-inch howitzers) and thought the wood pickets had been weakened. The American six-pounder gun, "Old Betsy", had been removed from its original position in order to make the British think it had been dismounted-- instead it was secretly placed in a blockhouse near the "weakened" section of pickets in position to rake the ditch. With a double charge of canister, it swept the entire length of the ditch several times and effectively ended the British charge.

 ...While the battle was raging at Fort Stevenson, the booming of the cannon reached our ears at Seneca, and our men showed unmistakable signs of uneasiness and discontent at the thought of so many of us having no part in the fray. Some mumurings would break out, because they were not led to the scene of action, and some fears were expressed as to the fate of that little band of brave men. It was but a few hours, however, until the suspense was at an end, for a foaming steed came into camp, and the rider handed a letter to the General, giving a brief statement of the affair, and then followed a deafening roar of shouts and rejoicing.