inflict a still more cruel and savage death, selected their victims, and led them to the gateway, and there, under the eye of Gerneral Proctor, and in the presence of the whole British army, tomahawked and scalped them." This horrid work of destruction continued until the arrival of Tecumseh from the batteries. No sooner did the savage warrior behold the masa sacre, than he exclaimed, " for shame! it is a disgrace to kill a defenceless prisoner;" and stopped the carnage.

After the close of the action of the 6th, Proctor formally summoned Harrison to surrender; which request the latter declined with indignant contempt. Proctor finding Harrison unwilling to be either cajoled or beaten into submission, resolved to quit so unaccommodating a foe; and accordingly he decamped on the 8th, retreating with disappointment and disgrace, leaving Harrison in full possession of the field of battle. Harrison then repaired to Cleveland and Lower Sandusky, to put those places in a state of defence; and shortly after set out for the interior, leaving General Clay in command of Fort Meigs.

The defence of Fort Meigs was one of the most admirably conducted and brilliant efforts of skill and valour united, that is recorded in the annals of military operations. It was not less distinguished by the personal courage of the commander and his troops, than their rare fortitude, perseverance and skill. In itself, it conferred immortal honour on Harrison, and gave him an additional hold on the affections and confidence of the West, the admiration of the country and the applause of the government.

. See 5th Niles's Register,

8

CHAPTER V.

Successful efforts of Harrison for the construction of a fleet on the Lakes-Second attack on Fort Meigs-The enemy retreat-They assail Fort Stephenson, and are repulsed by the garrison—Slanders against Harrison—His triumphant vindication— Preparations for the reduction of Malden-Perry's victory-Harrison embarks his army for Canada-Takes possession of Malden-Harrison pursues ProctorBattle and victory at the Thames-Brilliant conduct of Harrison-Death of Tecumseh Testimony in favour of Harrison-Langdon Cheves-James MadisonSimon Snyder-Resolution of Congress-Thomas Ritchie.

We have already stated that General Harrison had suggested to Mr. Madison, the construction of a fleet on the Lakes, to co-operate with the army under his command. In his letters. to the War Department he had repeatedly urged the great importance of obtaining the command of Lake Erie, and of the immediate necessity of creating-a navy for that purpose. In one of his communications he remarked

"Should our offensive operations be suspended until spring, it is my decided opinion that the cheapest and most effectual plan will be to obtain command of Lake Erie. This being once effected, every difficulty will be removed. An army of four thousand men, landed on the North side of the lake, below Malden, will soon reduce that place, retake Detroit, and, with the aid of the fleet, proceed down the lake to co-operate with the army from Niagara."

In several subsequent letters, he again strenuously urged his plan of a FLEET ON THE LAKES, until the government were at length convinced of the importance of the measure. Being founded on a practical knowledge of the condition and requirements of the frontier, the suggestion of this remarkable man, prevailed over the government, and Mr. Madison authorised the equipment of a fleet by the IMMORTAL PERRY, UNDER THE COMMAND OF GENERAL HARRISON. No effort of activity or skill was spared to hasten the completion and equipment of the vessels, and early in August, Commodore Perry had the satisfaction of finding that he had a fleet fitted for sea, and ready for action, nearly equal in force to that of the enemy.

In the mean time Harrison was engaged in the interior, proecuting his various and arduous duties and preparing to repel

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a second attack on Fort Meigs, which he learned on reaching Franklinton, was contemplated by the combined British and Indian forces. The unceasing efforts of the British, and the restless spirit of Tecumseh, allowed our troops but little time to recover from their severe fatigues. In less than two months after the siege of Fort Meigs, the Indians assembled a formidable body of more than five thousand warriors, under their most noted chiefs, and again threatened an attack on that fortress. On receiving this intelligence, General Harrison instantly repaired to its succour, by forced marches, with three hundred men, and fortunately arrived there before the enemy. Leaving a reinforcement with General Clay, he returned without delay to his more active duties.

Just before General Harrison was called to Fort Meigs by the impending attack, he held a council at Franklinton, with the chiefs of the friendly Indians, consisting of the Delaware, Shawanoese, Wyandot, and Seneca tribes. He informed them that circumstances had come to his knowledge which induced him to suspect the fidelity of some of the tribes, who seemed disposed to join the enemy in case they succeeded in capturing Fort Meigs—that a crisis had arrived, which required all the tribes who were then neutral, but were willing to engage in the war, to take a decided stand either for us or against us. He told them that the President wanted no false friends--that the proposal of General Proctor to exchange the Kentucky militia who were his prisoners, for the tribes in our friendship, seemed to indicate that he had received some hint of their willingness to take up the tomahawk against us. He informed them that to afford the United States a proof of their good disposition, they must either remove with their families into the interior, or the warriors must accompany him in the ensuing campaign, and fight for the liberties of the United States. To the latter proposition the chiefs and warriors unanimously agreed. They said they had long been anxious for an invitation to fight for the Americans. TAHE, the oldest Indian in the western country, who represented all the tribes, professed in their namo the most indissoluble friendship for the United States. General Harrison then told them that he would give them the earliest information when they would be wanted in the service; “but”

said he, “you must conform to our mode of warfare. You are not to kill defenceless prisoners, old men, women or children." He added, that by their conduct he would be able to determine whether the British could restrain their Indians from such horrible atrocities as they were in the practice of committing. For if the Indians fighting with him would forbear from the perpetration of such cruelty, it would prove that Proctor could restrain his, if he desired to do so. He humorously told them that he had been informed that General Proctor had promised to deliver him into the hands of Tecumseh, if he succeeded against Fort Meigs, to be treated as that warrior might think proper.

“ Now if I can succeed in taking Proctor," he added, “you shall have him for your prisoner, provided you will agree to treat him as a squaw, and only put petticoats upon him; for he must be a coward who would kill a defenceless prisoner !”

During the whole of this laborious and perilous campaign, the vigilance and intrepidity of General Harrison, with the bravery of his soldiers, enabled him to keep a far superior force of the enemy in check, and to protect the wide extent of our exposed frontier. Our forts were ably defended, and our troops gallantly repelled every attack of the enemy, except in some few instances, when they were assailed by an overwhelming force.

Shortly after General Harrison had gone to the aid of Fort Meigs, he placed Major Croghan, with one hundred and sixty men, at Fort Stephenson, a temporary depot at Lower Sandusky, and established his head-quarters at Seneca, nine miles lower down on the Sandusky river. From this place, chosen with peculiar judgment, he could either protect Upper Sandusky, or cut his way into Fort Meigs, as occasion might require. Port Stephenson, in command of Croghan, was a mere out-post, and not considered worthy of much exertion. Indeed it never would have been heard of, but for the heroic yallantry of the youthPUL HERO whom Harrison, with his usual sagacity, had placed in command of it.

In the month of July, the British under Proctor and Dickson, and the “ALLIES" under Tecumseh, appeared before Fort Meigs, to the number of five thousand. They remained there

tion.

without any active operations until the 28th, when they abandoned Fort Meigs and moved down by the lake to Lower Sandusky. The post of Fort Stephenson had been unanimously declared worthless and untenable, by a council of officers, of which the Hon. Lewis Cass, LATE SECRETARY OF WAR, and GENERAL MCARTHUR were members.* Accordingly Croghan

. had been ordered to set fire to it and march to head-quarters, before the enemy could reach it. This order, however, was not received by Major Croghan, in consequence of Mr. Connor and the Indians, by whom it was sent, getting lost in the woods, until the fort was surrounded by Indians, and retreat rendered impossible. Croghan then addressed the following note to Harrison :

“Sir,-I have received yours of yesterday, ten o'clock, P. M., ordering me to destroy this place and retreat, which was received too late to be carried into execu

We have determined to maintain this place ; and by Heavens, we can." This note was written with the expectation that it would be intercepted by the enemy, and was designed to leave on them an impression of his strength. Harrison, not knowing this, regarded it as a refusal to obey, and accordingly on the evening of the 31st of July, he sent Colonel Wells to Fort Stephenson with a squadron of dragoons, to supersede Croghan and send him to head-quarters. When Croghan arrived and made this explanation, the General, pleased with the good policy which he exhibited, instantly reinstated him, with orders to evacuate the fort as soon as he safely could. The next day, the eremy, under Proctor, landed and summoned the post to surrender; at the same time humanely informing the besieged that if they did not, the fort should be stormed and themselves given up to the tomahawk and scalping-knife! Dickson, in person, accompanied the flag which bore the summons, and was met by Ensign Shipp on the part of the garrison. Dickson begged Shipp to surrender for God's sake, as in the event of Proctor's taking the fort, they would all be massacred. Shipp replied, “ that 'when the fort was taken there would be none left to massacre.” At this juncture an Indian came up to Shipp and endeavoured to wrest his sword from him. Shipp drew it on

• McAfee's History of the Last War, p. 322.