Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-04-13

bell had conducted successfully an expedition n
ganst the Indians on the Missinneway. In the
order issued on the return 1.-THE expedition, Gen.
Harrison says;
at is with the snccrcst poasur, that the General has
heard that the most ual obedience paid his or
des in not only saving all the and children but in
spdr.ng all the warriors who ceased resist and that
when vigorously attacked by the enemy the claims of
mercy prevailed every Of their dan and
this heroic band respected the lives Of their prisoners Let
an account Of murdered innocence be orencd the records
OF heaven against our enemies alone The American SOL
der will follow the example Of his Government, and the
sword Of the will be raised against the fallen and
helpless the gold ofhe other be paid Tor the scaps Of
mdssacrcd enemy"
How noby do such conduct and such sentiments
contrast with the miscreant acts of Proctor
If the massacre of the river Rnisin filed tie
West with sorrow, it also awakened there n sense
of Indignation and outrage, of which the effects
were afterwards seen, Its immediate influence
was preudcial to the objects of the campaign.
Wncheser's movement had been, not only with
out the knowledge or consent OF Harrison but
contrary to his views and plans for the conduct
of the campaign. When he heard that the move
ment had been made, he and those about him,
iet that it to the last degree imprudeni and
looked for nothing less from it than the certain
aud inevitable destruction of the left wing Of the
army, which had thus thrown itself into the very
avs Of the enemy, and away from the possibil-
lily of succour. Ga the evening of The 10th. be-
Perkins, at Lower Snndusky, intelligence for the
first time, that Winchester, having arrived at the
Rapids, mcditated some unknown movement n =
ganst the enemy. Alarmed at this and ignorant
what it implied, Gen. Harrison gave orders for
the advance of troops aud artillery. and fastened
TO Lower Sandusky himself. Here lie was mrt
Ivy information from the Rapids of the march Of
Col. Lewis to Frenchtown. Fresh troops were
Immediately put in motion by forced marches fer
the Rapids to which point he himself pushed
with the utmost speed. All the disposabe troops
mt the Rapids, and others, rs they came in, were
ordered on with the utmost expedition; but they
were met on the road 10y the ugves from the
field of battle and nothing remained but TO protect
them and the houseless people of Frenchiown.
in short all possible efforts were made to protect
Winchester from the apprehended consequences
Of his own i'll advised acts.
After this, in the expectation of an nitack on the
position at the Rapids, the army fell back TO the
Portage to admit of an expected reinforcement
under Gen. Leftwich g; on the arrival ofwh ch, the
position at the Rapids the st bank of the Mi
ami, was resumed and strongly fortified, NJ the
winter quarters Of the army, it being called Camp
Mcgs, III honor of the governor OF Ohio.
This position being attacked by the British
became the scene OF brilliant triumph TO the
arms of the United States. So it became
known that the attack was contemplated, General
Harrison, having made arrangements foi strong
reintorcements to follow him, repaired to CaiuI
Megs 10 conduct the defence Oft in person. The
enemy made his appearance on the 10Th April
consisting OF numerous force British am
Indians, commanded by Gencre Proctor; who
having assembled on the north side ofihe Miami IL
boats landed at Fort Miami, AMI proceeded tt
construct there powerful batteries, directly oppo
site the American camp. Meanwhile, our troops
had thrown up breastwork of earth, Twelve fee
in height, trave sing the Camp in of the tents
so that when the batteries OF the enemy were com
ple:ed aud mounted and his fire opened, til,
tents of the Americans being struck and remove,
the of the tra~e--,, I,l.t.y
tered and projected. A severe fire was now KEEP
up on both sides until The 4th Of May, when in
telligence reached the camp of the approach o
the expected renforcements, composed OF brig
ade OF Kentucky militia under General Greer
Clay.
General Harrison Immediately determined Il
make a bold effort, by sortie from the camp
combined with an attack on the enemy's lines bl
General Clay, TO raise the siege. Orders accord
ingly were despatched to General Clay, requirn;
him that, instead of forming an immediate juno
ton with the garrison, he should despatch eigll
hundred men on the opposite sldO of the river
where two of the British batteries were, turn an
take the batteries, spike The cannon and 'iestro
the gun carriages and then regain the boats a
speedily as possible, while the remainder of tn
brigade should land and fight their way into til
camp, as to favor sorte to be made 10y III
garrison against the third and only remaining Brit
ish battery. This plan was ably conceived, an
promised the best results. General Clay nie
letaching Colonel Dudley to land on the west sud
of the Miami, fought his way safely into TIA
camp. A part of the garrison also under Co
(now General) Miller, consisting III Part Of regnla
troops aud the residue militia and Kentucky vO
unteers, gallanly assaulted and carried the batter
on the eastern bank. made n number of prisoner
and drove the British and Indians from the
lines.
Meanwhile Dudley had landed his men, an
charged and carried the two batteries without Il
LOGS Of n mam. unhappily these gallant ciizel
were not sufficiently aware OF their exposed su
ton, and OF the necessity OF retieating 10 the
boats, in ptnctunl observance of their orders,
soon they had destroyed the enemy's nrdIer
Instead IF tins, they were, without due considers
tiuii IRA Vn int fight with some struggling Ind
ans, aud so detained until Proctor had time to il
terpose Il strong force between them and Il
| means OF retreat. The result was rather the d.
siruction than the defeat of the detachment, (,
| three fourhs of it were made captives or slai
| The British arms were again iishonored hv givil
| up the prisoners to he nassacreed by the Indian
| Dudley and many of his companions were ton
allawked nj once. Others Of the prisoners wei
put into Fort Miami, for the Indians to stand &
The rainparts aud fire into the disarned crowd.
Those Indians who chose, selected their victims
led them to the gateway, and there under The G!
of General Proctor and IN the presence ofhe ,oh0
British army, murdered and sea ped them. Not n
Ill Tecumihe came up from The batteries dill Il
slaughter cease, "For shame it is disgrace
Kill dcicnceess prisoners !" he exclaimed, tn
display ng more Of humanity and civilization TN
! Proctor himself
| Unfortunate as this incident was, the events
the day satisfied Proctor that he could not 60
iinue The siege with any hope OF success. lie r.
solved TO retreat, 10 cover which he sent in I'll
.liaso Ill nIl
American post and army, ms the only mea
II left for saving the latter from the tonlnawks NJ
scarng knives OF the savages" Considering IL
base and ins0ent message unworthy OF any sci
Gus notice, General Harrison simply admon'sb'
Proctor mol 10 repeat il. With which manly NJ
decided answer Proctor, being perlorce confer
hastily broke up his camp, and relreated in ii