The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-06-11


most confident assurances that he coul
carry the Fort by storm, should his invi
tatlon to General Harrison to surrende
with the honors Of war. be refused. IL
had heavy park of artillery and this
with the imagined weakness Of our de
fences, he fancied would give him read,
and and easy conquest Of the. Fort. And
was even stipulated between the British
general and the celebrated Iecumthe
that, should the garrison be taken, ant
5General Harrisonremain alive, the Amer
'can commander. was TO be delivered to
the Indian, who designed 10 wreak .upor
MN ms savage vengeance for the deaf!
@oi his many braves and warriors who fel
atethe battleIcf 'Ilppecanoe. Vain calcu
slalion! Vain, this 7premeditated purpos,
OF base and baroarious malice! Hi,
sod OF battles was with the brave Amer
can general, and he was reserved by
wise ant. tar-sceing Providence, Is be. il.
after times, The proud hnpe, TIE hiel
blessing, the bright prospect, the noblt
delverer of his country
4 Fort Meigs was invested and cannon
AIDED with bomb shells and red hot ball:
for seven days. during all which lime
General Harrison was everat the Doil
OF 'angers blaming and directing the de
fence; and BY his manner, his voice, hi,
sagaclons condnct. ard his uudaunte,
courage, inspiring his officers and me,
with an abiding confidence Of ultinlat;
victory. General Proctor was at length
driven TO confess that lie was contendias
with . commander whose, courage ans
military talents were equal to any emer.
gency; and despairing Of redeaming the
pledge he had given 10 his army, to make
an easy conq,estlofthe garrison; and be
ing informea by intercepted communica
ton that Gen, Harrison was in daily ex
pectatlon of reinforcementS, he determined
to effect that by stratagem, which he nov
ldespaired Of accomplishing by open war
fare. Heca|cnlated by.atimely and we'll
conceived deception, to. decoy into al
ambnscade a large detachmentof our CIR
rison-.hen scarcely sufficient etfec,ually
to man the defenceS. Should hesucceer
in this, the ready sacrifice of the for
would inevitably follow. suddenly ;
brisk and sharp firing was heard ia !:
thick woods near the fort. through whic,,
passed the road to The interior. The a
larm strongly Represented. as It was de-
sjpnea to do. an Indian enhancement
Shortly afterwards. loud .waiIino ant
rroaus were heard. as would nal,,ra]I,
proceed from wounded and diving men
The whole garrison 4, once nc concluded
that AN attack was made on our brothers
in arms on their wav 10 our relief. ant
who had the strongest claim 10 our assist
ance. Not so however With Gen. Har-
risor. He alone was iincrelulous. Ma
ny Of his officers waited uDon him, and
almost demanded permission to ay 10 the
rescue. For n time tile greatest excite
men. prevailed in the garrison at The ides
Of the sacrifice Of their gallant comrades
without an attempt 10 save them. Gen
Iiarrisons sacacii,y cauoht the DESIGN q
the enemy in 2 mament and Il rennire,
the exercise Of III his powerful Influence
and authority - subdie the i,nnetnosi,,
Of his officers and men and 10 convinc,
Them Of This c,,,n;np device of the enemy
Manned for ,hp;r destruction.
About two o'clock or the morniug Of
the 9Th Nav. 1913. two officers came
expresses from General Green CLAW. who
had nasset, tho Indian lines under cnve,
.olathe night, at the mostimminent hazard
OF, their lives. They brouoht Information,
,ha. Gen. Claw with hrs brigade of Ken
stucliy militia was cncamned on ,he rive,
"a few miles above the Fort, 10 which liz
wou,d nroceed early that m oru;no mi.
WAS mnst che,r;,o ;n,ell;oence 10 Genera
Harrison. and with Ibis addition to hi.
force no de,erm;,ad at o,,.e to con,menc,
offens;va .oner,,;,,s bv ,,,,cl:;ng tho on
mv.at every assailable point. disloeu,
them from their position, destroy ,,i,ei
batteries. and thus terminate the seiee O
fort Meigs. With this view. two officer:
were immediately despatched to Genera
Clay with orders to land abon, mile a
bove the Fort. on the opposite side of the
river. detachment Of 500 men under one
of his most trustworthy officers. tt
move upon the British batteries, 10 carry