on her antagonist. The utmost order and regularity prevailed
during this scene of horror ; as fast as the men at the guns
were wounded, they were carried below, and others stepped
into their places ; the dead remained where they fell until
after the action ; at this juncture the enemy believed the
battle to be won. The Lawrence was reduced to a mere
wreck, her deck was streaming with blood, and covered with
the mangled limbs and bodies of the slain ; nearly the whole
Q30 mSTORY OF THE LATE WAR. Chap. II.
of her crew were either killed or wounded ; her guns were
dismounted, and the commodore and his officers helped to
work the last that was capable of service. At two, Capttiin
Elliott was enabled by the aid of a fresh breeze to bring his
ship into close action in gallant style : and the commodore im-
mediately determined to shift his flag on board that ship ; and
giving his own in charge to Lieutenant Yarnell, he hauled
down his union jack and taking it under his arm, ordered a
boat to put him on board the Niagara. Broadsides were lev-
elled at his boat, and a shower of musketry from three of the
enemy's ships. He arrived safe and hoisted his union jack,
with the animating motto, on board the Niagara. Captain
Elliott by direction of the commodore, immediately put off in a
boat to bring up the schooners which had been kept back by
the lightness of the wind. At this moment the flag of the Law-
rence was hauled down ; she had sustained the principal force
of the enemy's fire for two hours, and was rendered incapa-
pable of defence. Any further show of resistance would
have been a useless sacrifice of the relics of her brave and
mangled crew. The enemy were at the same time so crippled,
that they were unable to take possession of her, and circum-
stances soon enabled her crew again to hoist her flag. Com-
modore Perry now gave the signal to all the vessels for close
action. The small vessels, under the direction of Captain
Elliott, got out their sweeps, and made all sail. Finding the
Niagara but little injured, the commander determined upon
the bold and desperate expedient of breaking the enemy's
line ; he accordingly bore up and passed the head of the two
ships and brig, giving them a raking fire, from his starboard
guns, and also a raking fire upon a large schooner and sloop,
from his larboard quarter, at half pistol shot. Having gotten
the whole squadron into action, he lufied up and laid his shi[)
alongside of the British commodore. The small vessejs hav-
ing now got up within good grape and cannister distance on
the other quarter, enclosed their enemy between them and
the Niagara, and in this position kept up a most destructive
1813. HISTORY OF THE LATt! WAK. 331
fire on both fjuarters of the British, initil rverv sh'ip struck
her colours.
Victory. The engagement lasted about three hours, and
never was victory more decisive and complete. More pris-
oners were taken than there were men on board the American
squadron at the close of the action. The principal loss in
killed and wounded was on board the Lawrence, before the
other vessels were brought into action. Of her crew twenty-
two were killed, and sixty wounded. When her flag was
.struck, but twenty men remained on deck fit for duty. The
loss on board of all the other vessels was only five killed, and
thirty-six wounded.^ The British loss must have been much
more considerable. Commodore Barclay was dangerously
wounded. He had lost one arm in the battle of Trafalgar.
The other was now rendered useless, by the loss of a part of
his shoulder-blade ; he received also a severe wound in the
hip.
Commodore Perry, in his oflTicial despatch, speaks in the
highest terms of respect and commiseration for his wounded
antagonist, and asks leave to grant him an immediate parole.
Of Captain Elliott, his second in command, he says, " That he
is already so well known to the government, that it would be
cdmost superfluous to speak. In this action he evinced his
characteristic bravery and judgment, and since the close of
it has given me the most able and essential assistance." Not-
withstanding this high encomium of his commander, under
whose eye he acted during the whole engagement, this brave
officer has been accused of cowardice and disobedience of
orders, in not bringing his ship sooner into action. The boU
and desperate measure of pressing forward into action with
the Lawrence alone, and exposing her to the whole fire of the
enemy's fleet for two hours, before the other ships could be
got up, has been censured as rash, and not warranted by the
rules of naval war; but there are seasons when the com-
mander must rely more on the daring promptness of his
* Commodore Perry's letter to the Secretary of War.
232 HISTORY OF THE LATE WAR. Chav. U.
measures, than on nice calculations of comparative strength.
Neither Bonaparte nor Nelson ever stopped to measure accu-
!atcly the strength of the respective combatants. The result,
is the acknowledged and generally the best criterion of merits
and it should not detract from the eclat of the successful
commander that his measures were bold and decisive*
Two days after the battle, two Indian chiefs who had been
selected for their skill as marksmen, and stationed in the tops
of the Detroit, for the purpose of picking off the American
officers, were found snugly stowed away in the hold of the
Detroit. These savages, who had been accustomed to ships
of no greater magnitude than what they could sling on their
backs, when the action became warm, were so panic-struck
at the terrors of the scene, and the strange perils that sur-
rounded them, that, looking at each other with amazement,
they vociferated their significant quonh, and precipitately
descended to the hold. In their British uniforms hanging in
bags upon their famished bodies, they were brought before
Conmiodore Perry, fed, and discharged ; no further parole
being necessary, to prevent their afterwards engaging in the
contest. The slain of the crews of both squadrons were
committed to the lake immediately after the action. The next
day, the funeral obsequies of the American and British officers
who had fallen, were performed at an opening on the margin
of the bay, in an appropriate and affecting manner. The
crews of both fleets united in the ceremony. The stillness of
the weather — the j)i-ocession of boats — the music — the slow
and regular motion of the oars, striking in exact lime with the
notes of the solemn dirge — the mournful waving of the flags —
the sound of the minute-guns from all the ships — the wild and
solitary aspect of the place, gave to these funeral rites a most
impressive influence, and formed an affecting contrast with
the terrible conflict of the preceding day. Then the [)eoplc
of the two squadrons were engaged in the deadly strife of
arms ; now they were associated as brothers, to pay the last
tribute of respect to the slain of both nations. Two Ameri-
iR13. HTSTORY OF THE LATE WAR. 233
can officers, Lieutenant Brooks, and Midshipman Laub, of
ihe Lawrence; and three British, Captain Finnis, and Lieu-
tenant Stoke of the Charlotte, and Lieutenant Garland of the
Detroit, lie interred by the side of each other, in this lonely
place, on the margin of the lake, a few paces from the boach.
This interesting battle was fouo;ht midway of the lake, be-
tween the two hostile armies, who lay on the opposite shores,
waiting in anxious expectation, its result. The allicdfJBritish
and Indian forces to the amount of four thousand live hundred,
under Proctor and Tecumseh, were at Maiden ready^ ifi case
of a successful issue, to renew their ravages on the American
borders.
General Harrison^s Army. — General Harrison, with the
main body of the Americans, lay around Sandusky bay, and
at fort Meigs.'^prepared in the event of success by the Ameri-
can squadron, to recover Detroit, and carry the war into
Canada. His army had lately received an important rein-
forcement of three thousand volunteers from Kentucky, with
Governor Shelby at their head. The valour and patriotism
of the citizens of that state, instead of being damped by thf
loss of their comrades at the river Raisin, and fort Meigs,
glowed with increased ardour. Secure, in consequence of
her central situation, from invasion either by land or water,
Kentucky might have contented herself with beai'ing her pro-
portion of the public burthens, and answering occasional calls
of militia with little hazard to the lives of her citizens. But
instead of this cautious and prudent course, her sons in great
numbers, were found foremost in the ranks of volunteers in
distant expeditions. Colonel R. M. Johnson, who had been
a zealous advocate for the strongest war measures in Con-
gress, and to whom Mr. Randolph^ had jjledged himself the
preceding winter to follow to the tented field; immediately
on his return frgm Congress opened a rendezvous at Lexing-
ton, raised a fine regiment of mounted volunteers, and accom-
panied Governor Shelby to the army of the noith-wesi. U'ith
these reinforcements the general found his army about six
30
234 HISTORY OF THE LATE WAR. Chap. 1 J.
thousand strong, and anxious to retrieve the losses of the
past season.
Con^modore Perry, having landed his prisoners at San-
dusky, whence they were escorted under the direction of
General Harrison to the depot of Chilicothe, and made equal
provision for the wounded of both squadrons, prepared to
transport the army to Maiden. The Kentucky mounted vol-
unteers took the route by the western border of the lake to
Detroit, and passed the river Raisin at Frenchtown, where,
in the January preceding, the army under General Winches-
ter was captured and massacred. Here they halted for a day,
collected the unburied remains of their relatives and fellow-
citizens, and consigned them to the earth. Having performed
\his solemn duty, they proceeded on their route to meet Gen-
eral Harrison.
Proctor evacuates Maiden, On the capture of his fleet.
Proctor, learning the preparation that Harrison was making
for the invasioi^ of Canada, determined to abandon Maiden,
Detroit, and the western section of the Canadas, and to re-
tire by the river Thames, through the wilderness, to the Niag-
ara frontier. He put his heavy artillery and baggage aboard
boats, and sent them by Detroit to the mouth of the Thames,
thence up that river, towards the Moravian towns, and pre-
pared to destroy the works at Maiden and Detroit. The
sagacious Tecumseh saw in these measures the total ruin of
the Indian confederacy, which he had formed under the
auspices of the British government, for the destruction of the
American settlements in the west, and with it all his pros-
pects.
The British government had sent to Tecumseh and his In-
dians considerable presents in arms, ammunition, and blan-
kets, to encourage and reward their fidelity ; these had ar-
rived at Maiden some days before the battle on the lake ; but
Proctor, apprehensive that if the Indians got possession of
their presents, they could leave him, had refused to deliver
them. Before their departure from Maiden, Tecumseh de-
1813. HISTORY OF THE LATE WAR. 0.3.3
nuuidcd ihcsc goods, and addressed ProcLor in ilie following
strong and severe terms:
TeciunseJC s Speech, " fn the name of the Indian chiefs and
7oarriors, to General Proctor, the representative of our Crcat
Father the King,
*' Father 1 listen to your children. You have them now
all before you. The war before this, our British father gave
the hatchet to his red children, when our old chiefs were alive.
They are now dead. In that war our father was thrown on
his back by the Americans, and he afterwards took them by
the hand w^ithout our knowledge, and we are afraid he will do
so again at this time.
" Listen ! when war was declared, our father stood up and
gave us the tomahawk, and told us he was now ready to strike
the Americans, and that he wanted our assistance, and that
he would certainly get our lands back, which the Americans
liad taken from us.
"Listen! you told us to bring our families to this place,
and we did so. You promised to take c<ire of them, and that
they should want for nothing, while tiie men would go and
light the enemy. You told your red children that you would
take good care of your garrison here, which made our hearts
glad.
"Listen, father! our fleet has gone out; we know they
have fought ; we have heard the great guns, but know nothing
of what has happened to our father with one arm.* Our
ships have gone one way, and we are very much astonished
to see our father tying up every thing, and preparing to run
away the other, without letting his red children know what
he means. You always told us to remain here, and take care
of our lands, which made our hearts glad. Our great father
the king is the head, and you represent him. You always
told us you never could draw your foot olT British ground;
but now, father, w^e see you are drawing back without seeing
'^ Commodore Barclay.
236 HISTORY OF THE LATE WAR. Cuap.H
the enemy. We must compare our father's conduct to a fat
animal, that carries his tail on his back, but when affrighted
drops it between its legs and runs off.
"Listen, father! the Americans have not yet defeated us
by land ; nor are we sure they have done so by water. We
wish to remain here and fight our enemy, should they make
their appearance, if they defeat us, we shall then retreai
with our father.
" Father! Ave see you preparing to march out of the garri-
son. You have got the arms and ammunition which the great
father sent to his red children. If you have any idea of going
away, give them to us, and you may go. Our lives are in the
hands of the Great Spirit; we are determined to defend our
lands, and if it is His will, we are determined to leave our
bones upon them."
Proctor was in a strongly fortified camp, w^ith abundance of
munitions of war, and wqth nearly as many troops as his
antagonist could be expected to bring against him. His
chance of a successful defence at this point, was better than
at any other to which he might reireat: yet neither these con-
siderations, nor the bold and severe remonstrances of Tecum-
seh and his associates, had any influence upon his fears ; he
determined to prevent the threatened attack of the American
general, by an early retreat beyond his reach. On the 24th
of September, he broke up his camp at Maiden, destroyed the
public buildings, and all the stores that he could not carry
with him, and commenced a precipitate retreat towards the
head of the Thames. Many of his Indians left him; Tecum-
s«h, and the greater part of the warriors follow^ed with reluc-
tance. At Dalson's farm, on the Thames, sixty miles from
Detroit, he made a halt to wait the arrival of his boats with
the artillery and baggage.
Harrisonh pursuit, Harrison lost no time in carrying his
plans into eflect. On the 27th of September, he embarked
his army at Portage, and landed at Maiden ; finding his ene-
my had tied, he proceeded immediately to Sandwich, detached
1813. HISTORY OF THE LATE WAR. 237
General M'Arthur, with seven hundred men, lo re-occupy
Detroit and the Michigan territory; and on the second ol'
October, being joined by Colonel Johnson's mounted volun-
teers, proceeded up the Thames in pursuit of Proctor. His
effective force now amounted to thirty-five hundred men.
Commodore Perry volunteered his services as aid to Gene-
ral Harrison, and contributed much to the success of the ex-
pedition, which his naval victory had rendered practicable.
On the evening of the second of October, the army reached
the river, twenty-five miles from Sandwich. Here they came
to a branch of the Thames, over which a bridge had been
erected, and left entire : they passed this on the morning of
the third, and hastened on rapidly to another branch, where
they found and captured a small })arty who had been sent
back to destroy the bridge; this they had time only partially
to accomplish: the bridge YV'as soon repaired, and the army
encamped on the evening of the third at Drake's farm. The
artillery and heavy baggage were brought in boats, provided
by Commodore Perry, up the Thames as far as Dalson's.
Thus far the banks were low, and the country an open
prairie. Above this point the banks were high and woody,
affording abundant places for ambuscade. General Harrison
left the boats and most of the heavy baggage at Dalson's, un-
der a guard of one hundred and fifty infantry. On the 4th,
the army proceeded to Chatham, four miles in advance of
Dalson's : here they came to a third unfordable branch of the
Thames. Proctor had destroyed the bridge at the mouth of
this stream, and also the one at M'Gregor's mills, one mile
above. Large bodies of Indians appeared on the opposite
bank to dispute the passage, and commenced a sharp fire on
the American advance guard. The army was formed in order
of battle, two six pounders w^re drav.n up, and a few well
directed discha. ges dispersed the savages. A bridge was
immediately constructed, and the ai-my crossed and continued
their advance. Proctor learning the near approach ot Harri-
son, had conveyed his boats up the river as far as practicable,
238 HISTORY OF THE LATE WAR. Chaf. 11.
and set lire to them. In addition to the baggage of the army,
the boats Britisli contained the large supplies of blankets, arms,
and ammunition for the Indians, which Tecumseh had claim-
ed to have delivered to them at Maiden. A part of these
supplies were landed and stored in buildings on the river, and
a part remained on board the boats. A quantity of them was
found in a house which was in flames near the last bridge.
The fire was soon extinguished, and the arms saved. At the
first farm above the bridge w^as found one of the enemy's
boats on fire, deeply laden with Indian supplies; and at
Bowie's farm, four miles further in advance, where the army
halted for the night, they found two other boats, and a large
distillery, filled with ordnance and other valuable stores, in
ilames. Two twenty-four pounders, with their carriages, and
a large quantity of ammunition and shells, were taken at this
place. On the 5th, the army continued their march on the
left bank, and took two gun-boats, and several batteaux
laden with provisions and amnmnltion. By nine o'clock,
they arrived at Arnold's mills, where was the only fording-
place for several miles ; and this was now too deep for in-
fantry. Each dragoon took one of the infantry behind him,
and crossed over; by these means, and with the assistance
of some boats, the army were soon landed on the right bank,
and immediately commenced their line of march up the river.
Eight miles further they passed a farm where the rear of the
British army had encamped the preceding night. A recon-
noitering party returned, and reported that Proctor, with the
main body, was posted near the Moravian towns, four miles
in advance. The road this distance passes through a beach
forest, without any clearing, and for the first two miles near
the bank of the river ; about three hundred yards from the
river and parallel to it, an impenetrable swamp extends the
whole distance ; the intermediate space is hard ground, some-
what elevated, and covered with trees. The whole British
and Indian force were drawn up in a strong position across
this strip of hard land, their left resting on the river, sup-
1813. HISTORY OF THE LATE WAR. 0.39
ported by a strong battery [)laccd in the road, and their right
protected by the swamp, and covered by the whole Indian
force. General Harrison immediately formed his line of battle.
General Trotter's brigade of Kentucky volunteers formed the
front line, his right resting on the road, and his left on the
swamp. The whole of General Desha's division, consisting
of two brigades, were formed upon Trotter's left Hank, the
crotchet formed by the front line, and General Desha's divi-
sion was occupied by the venerable governor of Kentucky,
who j?t the age of sixty-six, manifested all the ardour of
youth, aided by the experience of age. The second line
consisting of General King's brigade was formed one hun-
dred and fifty yards in the rear of the first, and Chile's brig-
ade as a corps de reserve in the rear of King's. The flanks
of the enemy were secured in such a manner as to render it
impossible to turn them. The only alternative was to charge
directly in front. This hazardous duty was assigned to Colo-
nel Johnson's mounted infantry. For this purpose they were
drawn up in close columns with their right, at the distance of
fifty yards from the road, protected in some measure by the
trees from the artillery, and their left resting on the swamp ;
and were ordered to charge at full speed as soon as the ene-
my had delivered their fire.
Battle of the Moravian (owns. Having made these arrange-
ments, General Harrison, with Commodore Perry, Captain
Butler, and General Cass, as his aids, took his station at the
head of the front line, and moved on to the attack. In a kw
moments the mounted men received the fire of the British line,
and were ordered to charge. The horses in the front
column recoiled from the fire ; another was immediately given
by the enemy, and the American column, at length getting in
motion, broke through the British ranks with irresistible force.
In one minute the contest in front was over; the British ofli-
cers seeing no hopes of reducing their broken ranks to order,
and the mounted men wheeling ujion them and pouring in a
240 HISTORY OF THE LATE WAR. C«ap. 1L
destructive fwc, they immediately surrendered.* Upon the
left the contest was more severe with the Indians. Colonel
Johnson, who commanded on that flank of his regiment,
received a most galling fire. At the head of his column he
led them into the hottest of the action, and was personally
opposed to Tecumseh ; at this point a mass of savages were
collected. Johnson, mounted on an elegant white charger,
was easily distinguished as an officer of rank ; a shower of
balls were discharged at him, his horse was shot and fell, his
clothes, saddle, and person were pierced with a number of
balls.
Tecumseh. slain, Tecumseh, seeing his antagonist falling,
rushed towards him with his uplifted tomahawk to give the
fatal blow ; when within a few yards, Johnson drew his pistol,
and laid his daring opponent dead at his feet. He was una-
ble to do more ; he had received three shots in the thigh, and
two in the arm ; the loss of blood deprived him of the power
of standing, and he lay exhausted and helpless by the side
of his antagonist. At the moment Tecumseh fell, the Indians
around him gave way. Those still further on the left of the
American lines, advanced and fell in with the front line of
infantry near its junction with Desha's division, and for a
moment made an impression; Governor Shelby, however,
brought up another regiment to its support, and a part of
Colonel Johnson's regiment having gained their rear, they
retreated with precipitation. Six Americans and twenty-two
Indians were slain within twenty yards of the spot where
Tecumseh lay. Most of the severe fighting was on this
ground. But seven Americans were killed, and twenty-two
wounded in the action. Of the British regulars, twelve were
killed, and twenty-two wounded ; six hundred, including
twenty-five' officers, were taken prisoners. Of the Indians,
twenty-two were found dead on the field, and many more
killed on the retreat. Six pieces of brass artillery, and two
* General Harrison's letter to the secretary of war.
131 J. HISTORY OF THE LATE WAR. 241
twenty-four pounders were taken, and several sunk in thf
river. Of the brass pieces, three were of those taken from
the British in the revolutionary war, and surrendered by Gch-
cral Hull at Detroit. Proctor narrowly escaped leaving his
sword, baggage, and papers, in possession of the victors.
The fruits of this victory were the total dispersion of the
allied British and Indian forces, who had for more than a year
past ravaged the north-western frontier. The capture of
all their baggage, provisions, and arms, and a large quantity
of military stores destined to supply the Indians, and the re-
storation of Detroit and the Michigan territory. Among Proc-
tor's papers were found several letters from British agents
among the Indians, clearly evincing that they had at dilierent
times since the peace of 1783, and before the commencement
of the present war, instigated them to acts of hostility against
the United States. Proctor fled to t! * Niagara frontier, and
was afterwards tried by a court martial, a«d disgraced. The