Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-08-16

bash, which were destroyed, and the troop
then returned to tho Miami Of the lakes
where they made az winter encampment
: Here an ensign's commission in the secont
regiment of u. States infantry was tender
ed to the volunteer corporal, which he de
, clined, unless permitted to remain with tn
northwestern army, which he had entered
to share in the effort of the Kentuck y militia
to wipe out the disgrace of Hull's surrende
! Iby theFreca pture OF Detroit His PROPOSE
: ton was assented to,x and he received al
|: ensign's s appointtzaen T. Ia the nth infantry
: then part of northwestern army, under
the sQmma'ad Of e Gsnz, inehe ster.ssss sAfftei
Ienduriag every pfivattiions In Wintefsen:
Ecampment,s In the wilderness and froze1
marshes of the laA country, awaiting il
vain the expected support of additional for
ces, the Kentucky volunteers, led, by Lewis
Allen, and Madison, with Wells regiment
Q7th U. So advanced to encounter the
j force of British and Indians which defended
Detroit. On leaving Kentuck ~, the volun'
teeTs had pledged themselves to drive the
British invaders from our soil These men
and their leaders were held in such estima-
ton at home, that the expectation formed Of
them exceeded their promises; and these
volunteers, tho disappointed in every succor
which they had reason to anticipate want
ing in provisions, clothes, cannon, in every
thing-resolved, rather than lose reputation,
to press on to the enterprise, and endeavor
to draw on after them, by entering into &C
ton, the troops behind. It is not proper
here 10 enter into explanations of the causes
of the disaster at the river Raisin, the COR
sequence of this movement, nor to give the
particulars of the battle. The incidents
which s;gnalized the character of Gen But
Ter are alone proper here.
There were two battles at the river Rails
in-one on the 18th, the other on the 22d
of January. In the first, the whole body
of Indian warriors, drawn together from all
the lake tribes, for the defence of Upper
Canada against the approaching Kentuck-
ians, were encountered. In moving to the
attack of his formidable force of the fercest,
the bravest, and most expert warriors on
the continent, a strong party of them were
deserted from the line with which Ensign
Butler advanced running forward to reach
fence as cover from which to ply their
rifles. Butler instantly proposed, and was
permitted to anticipate them. Calling upon
some of the most alert and active men of the
company, he ran directly to meet the Indi-
ans at the fence. He and his comrades
outstripped the enemy, and getting possess
ion of the. fence, kept the advantage of the
position for their advancing friends. This
incident, of however little Importance as to
results, is worth remembrance in giving
traits of young soldiers character It is
said that the hardest veteran, at the OPEN
ing of the battle, feels, for. the moment,
somewhat APPALLED,, and Gen. Wolfe, one of
the bravest Of men, declared that the "horrid
yell CT the Indians strikes the boldest hearts
with alright" The stripping student, who,
, for the first time, beheld field of battle on
the SHOWS of the river Raisin, presenting in
bold relief long files Of those terrible enc
mics, whose massacres had filled his native
State with tales of horror, must have felt
some stirring sensations. But the crack of
the Indian rifle, and his savage yell, awoke
in him the chivalric instincts of his nature :
and the promptitude with which he COM
municated his enthusiasm to a few COM
rades around, and rushed forward to meet
danger in its most APPALLING form, risking
himself to save others, and to secure tri-
umph which he could scarcely hope to
share, gave earnest of the military talent,
the self-sacri6cing courage, and soldierly
sympathies which have drawn to him the
nations esteem. The close of the battle of
the 18th gave another instance in which
these latter traits of Gen. Buffers charac-
ter were still more strikingly illustrated.
The Indians, driven from the defences
around the town on the river Raisin, retired
fighting in the thick woods beyond it. The
contesfof sharp-shooting from tree to tree
was here continued-the Kentuckians pres
sing forward, and the Indians retreating-
until night closed in, when the Kentuckians
were recalled to the encampment in the will
age The Indians advanced as their oppo
sers withdrew, and kept up the fire unit
the Kentuckians emerged from the woods
into the open ground. Just as the column
to which Ensign Butler belonged, reached
the verge of the dark forest, the voice of {
wounded man, who had been left some dis
tance behind, was heard calling most pite
: ously for help. Butler induced three of hi
company to go back into the woods with
him, to bring him off. He was found, ane
they fought their way backbone of tn
men, jeremiah Walker, receiving shot, O
> which he subsequently died.
In the second sanguinary battle of tn
3 river Raisin, on the 22d of January, witt
Q the British and Indians, another act of self
devotion was performed by Butler. Afte
: the rout and massacre of the right wing, be
:. longing to Wells command, the Who'll
/. force Of the British and Indians was con
: centrated against the small body of troop
# under Major Madison, that maintained thei
!. ground within the picketed gardens. /
n double barn, commanding the plat of groun
# on which the Kentuckians stood, was ap
;. preached on one side by the Indians, unde
I: cover of an orchard and fence; the British
S on the other side, being SO posted as
is command the space between it and tn
d pickets. A party in the rear of the bar
70 were discovered advancing to- take posses
= of it. All saw the fatal consequences {
Of the secure lodgment of the enemy at plae
which would present every man within tE
t. pickets at close rife-shot to the aim Of the
In marksmen. Major Madison inquired
rt there was no one who would volunteer
n run the gauntlet of the fire of the Britis
n and Indian lines, and put torch. to til