Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-09-10


were organized into q company under
Capt Hunter, Of Kentucky. The company
was ordered 10 Fort Stephenson, Col. Crog-
han in command. Mr.Sargent took an active
part in the gallant defence Of the Fort, call
ed by the British the "pig-psn, !" in derision,
the ditch TO which was piled full Of the dead
and wounded by the raking discharges of the
Croghan six-pounder on the storming forces.
Mr.. Sargent intends to visit Fremont and
the site Of the Fort during his trip west, and
desires TO look once more upon the gun that
proved 80 effective a deliverer from the tom
ahawk and scalping knife.
Mr.. Sargent and Others volunteered TO Join
Perry's feet Reaching Fort Meigs, the vol
unteers were increased 10 AZ, who united
with the feet at Put-in-Bay Twelve were
received ON the Lawrence, the balance dis
tributed among the other vessels. In the
action, Mr.. Sargent was stationed at gun No.
on the Lawrence, the last gun Of its class
dismounted and about the time Com. Perry
passed over the side 10 the small boat Perry
gave orders to haul down the signal color for
him. Sargent was standing near the PEN
nant halliards, assisted TO lower the flag,
passed it over to Perry, and watched with
intense anxiety the frni craft bearing away
through fire and smoke. The l2 FOUNDER not
disabled was afterward fred twice and load
ed for q third discharge, when Lieut.. Yarnell,
covered with blood from his wounds, ordered
the American ensign lowered. The niagara
soon came close under the bow of the shat
tered Lawrence, bearing down with heavy
broadsides on the enemy, and in fifteen or
twenty minutes the stripes and the stars
tioated again and in victory on the Law
renee.
Mr. Sargant assisted in taking care Of the
wounded, aud left the Lawrence in eight days
after the vessel was got into Put-in-Bay He
was taken ashore to rejoin Gen. Harrison 5
army, which crossed over to Maiden, marched
up and crossed again to Detroit. He subse-
quGntly went with the fleet to Buffalo, thence
by land to Sackett's Harbor as sergeant of the
baggage-guard, and was turned over to Gen.
Brown. He rendered good service along the
frontier. and was hOnorably discharged at
Fort Erie, Sept 18th, 1914 He returned to
his old home in Maine, married, and removed
to Boston in 1919. That city has since been
his home, where he is much respected and
universally beloved.
John Chap pman.
John Chapman left England in the trans
port Bostwick, No. 4O4 and landed in Quebec.
He left Quebec May II, 1912, and came to
Fort George, at the head of Lake Ontario.
After stay of two weeks he was sent to
assist in the erection of Fort Erie; but be-
fore that was concluded he received orders to
proceed to the point opposite to Black Rock,
and help in the erection OF three batteries.-
He spent the year at various points along the
lines, participating in the battle OF Queens
town, and was present to receive Hull at his
surrender. In August following he was put
on board the schooner Lady Provost, l4guns,
at Loint, and sailed for Fort Maiden, where
he arrived about three weeks before the bat
tie of Lake Erie, September TO- 1873 He
says:
81 was sent as marine to make an attack
upon Fort Stephenson, at Lower Sandusky,
with 400 regular troops. We advanced upon
the fort in solid column. Directly in front
Of me | saw man run up pike with his
hat upon it, fred bullet through the hat,
and ball from six-pounder went directly
over my head and took off that of tine man.
This was the only man killed upon the Amer.
lean side. The attack was made about sun
set, and it was between one and two hours
after nightfall before 1 left the ground, and
then not living man was upon it except
seven prisoners. Seeing my late cOmpan-
ions dead upon every side, crept along the
ditch among the dead until reached the end
OF it, where I came into full view, the moon
Inning brightly at the time. There was
short distance exposed between me and the |
woods ran with all my mightto reach the
shelter; but Immediately l heard several |
shots, and balls whistled about me, but none |
OF them hit me- I fell, feigning death, and |
lay till attention was drawn of, when crept |
cautiously to the wood. I was now obliged |
to make circuit around the fort in the edge !
of the thicket until came near the place
where we had left two gun-boats below the |
fort / gained these without difficulty and |
the few remaining soldiers being collected, !
we returned to the lake, and thence back to
Fort Maiden.
Upon our return to the fort was sent on |
board the Queen Charlotte as a marine. My |
post was as gunner, maintOpman, and board |
er. Ny place rs gunner was No. l, "a |
FOUNDER We weighed anchor at 10 o'clock |
P. NJ on the 9Th of September. Our destina-
ton was to Long Point, for provisions for |
the upper forts, but thought it likely VT |
should fall in with Commodore Perry's feet. |
At daybreak of the 10th the man at the |
masthead deserted them at anchor in Put |
in-Bay, when we bore down upon them
They, discovering our approach, weighed an
Choir and came out to meet us and give !
battle.
Between 10 and IL o'clock fired the first |
gun upon the Lawrence. The first two shots |
/ fired struck-one through the main-mast, |
and the other between wind and water. l |
remained at my gun through the action, ex-
cept when l was obliged to bring cartridges |
for the gun, after the men were killed whose |
duty it was to serve them. 1 had my clothes, |
whiskers and hair badly singed by the aeci- |
dental discharge of some loose powder, but |
suffered no further injury, Notwithstanding /
had 24-pOund cartridge in my hand at the /
time.
The Lawrence being disabled, Commodore
Perry took advantage Of the settling of the |
smoke upon the British feet to go from her
to the Niagara. We did not see him till he
had nearly effected his purpose; but the
wind causing the smoke to lift, saw the
boat, and aimed shot at her, aid saw the
shot strike the boat. l then saw COmmO-
dore Perry strip off his coat and plug the
hole with it. Having gained the ship, he
sent Capt. Elliot to bring the schooner into
action. Capt. Finnis, ofthe Queen Charlotte,
had intended TO pour in one broadside ana
then board but his design was frustrated
Dy Lne lalllng OF Jne WlnQ5 Wnlcu was dow
ing finely lust before. The cutting away of
the downhaul of one of the sails left her at
the mercy of the wind, which again rose
and she ran foul of the Detroit
and became entangled with her. The Amer
lean schooners coming into action in the
meantime, raked them fore and aft, carrying
away all the masts of the Detroit and the
mizzen of the Queen Charlotte, besides Grip
pling her severely otherwise. The cOlOrs
were Immediately pulled down on all the
vessels except the Little Belt, on which they
had been nailed to the mast. She was
small craft, and carried one small gun, per-
haps a swivel. She tried to escape, but was
soon brought to and made to surrender
Our surrender was unconditional. All the
prisoners who were not wounded were put on
board the Porcupine, afterward landed at
Cannon River, and sent from thence to Chill
licothe. The conduct Of Commodore Perry
was magnanimOus, every kindness being
shown to the wounded and prisoners, and
made deep impression in his favor upon
all our hearts. He showed himself as hu-