Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-09-24

full of danger; surrounded as they were
by (they knew not how many, } merci. |
less and exasperated savages. They
had no way of escape, and were com
PEELED TO cast about for immediate means
obedience, until such time as relief might
be sent to them. They therefore fed TO
a log house, not far from the place where
they first landed, latter filling their can
teens with water;) but while they were
filing the open places with split stakes.
rails, ect, from the outside, they were
fred upon by few Indians who had
yentured TO follow their trail. One of
their number, and L think it was Ser
geant Eldred, afterwards Captain and
Associate Judge of Lorain county, was
severely wounded in the left elbow, eli
ther at this fire. or after the men had re
tired into the house. The door, and
port holes for windows were strongly
barricaded, by tearing up the puncheon
floor and placing the thick pieces against
the door on the inside, and into the holes
cut for windows, so as to render them
bullet proof loOp-holes, as places through
which TO watch and fire at The enemy,
were left on each side of the house
Some time before sun down, the Indians
commenced spirited fire al the house,
from such points as gave them protection
from shots from the house. Being short
Of ammunition, and not knowing how
long the seige might continue. no sho;
was returned by those in the house, un
less an Indian stepped into open view, in
fair musket range. Then. a shot or two
either killed, wounded, or drove him to
cover. There was so little firing from
the house, that the Indians were EN-
boldened about sunset, TO app Ioach
nearer and show themselves more open
ly. But they were soon made to repent
of their temerity, and take to the bush
again. A few well directed shots felled
two of them to the ground, besides
Wounding some Others. plainly seen by
those within the house.
The custom of the Indians to remove
the dead and wounded was practis d
here. The wounded th; Y took away
with them, and sometime in the night, !
they removed their dead; so that neither
dead nor wounded fell into The hands of
the brave men they had high hopes of
being able to kill, and to bear away their
bloody scalps. as evidence of their
prowess. The night passed without any
more serious attacks; yet an occasional
shot from some adventurous Indian, near
by, and now AMI then a startling war.
whoop-s showed that lbe enemy vera
not far off.
Morning came, and passad on till near
noon, before any one came to their relief.
Not far from mid day, boats loaded with /
men were seen, (by those on the look
out making their way for the mouth |
of the bay. A very pleasant sight, this,
for company of men, stu ated as we're
the be'ieged.. They had been thirty
hours or more on duty-had skirmished |
with the Indians in the thick woods more
than once; had defended their log cabin
against the attack OF a very superior
number, and defended it successfully,
with but very little harm to themselves, {
through the night, without food or rest,
and ultil help and deliverance showed
itself.
That portion of the detachment which
made. good their escape 10 Camp Avery,
to Gen. Perkins, that their miss
ing commander had been slain, or taken
captive by the Indians. Expresses were
started of that evening. to bear the sad
news to the small settlement at the mouth
of the Vermi lion river, Black river, Do
yer and Rocky river, to Cleveland; and
to Maj. Gen. Wadsworlh, who resided
somewhere in the southern parts of Per-
tage or Medina counties, at the head of
a considerable body of drafted militia,
engaged in opening a road for the trans
mission Of provisions and military sup
plies, TO Camp Avery, on Huron river,
and Fort S evenson, on the west side of
river,-now Fremont, the
shire town of Sandusky county. (This
road became necessary, because the
British had complete control of lake
along the southern shore of
lake Erie.j "s
The news sent East from Camp Avery,
soon spread through the counties of Guy
ahoga, Geauga. Ashtabula and other
portions Of the Reserve, which led mum
bers of the inhabitants living in the lake
shore settlements, to volunteer singIy
and by squads, to go TO the assistance
Of their neighbors, then serving under
Gen. Perkins. Most of these volunteers
armed themselves with such weapons as
they could get, and furnished their own
horses, very few feeling disposed to make
Ihe long journey on foot. When the vol
unteers arrived at head quarters, they
found that the fighting on the peninsula,
instead of defeat, had turned out to be
victory, (of that portion of Capt. Cot
on's command which had been left, } I
over their merciless foes. the Indians.
The day after :he action, another and
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