Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-10-23

His next engagement of note was in
the expedition up the Thames, about 15C
miles from Detroit, in which the loss OF
his regiment was light. His next en-
gagement was in the famous assault
upon Fort Mackinaw, at that time one
of the strongest Notifications in the Uni,
ted States, under the immediate CON-
mand of the youthful Colonel Cloghan
who achieved worldwide reputation
for his gallant defense of Lower San.
dusky, with $50 of a garrison against the
combined attack of 500 regulars and SOC
Indians, under command of the British
General Proctor. Col. Cloghan in his at
tack upon Fort MackinaW was support
ed by one Col. Duvall, in command of a
militia force. The combined force
amounted to about 900 men-3OO regu,
lars under Col. Cloghan, from Fort Ste
venson, and 800 militia under Col. Du,
vail. The attempt failed, and Captain
Nicoll attributes the result to failure
to perform flank movement by Col
Duvall, in support of Col. ClOghan, as he
was commanded to do, when Cal. Clog
hans forces had charged the enemy's pO-
sitiOn. The Captains description of
this battle was very vivid and thrilling.
Col. Duvall was from Belmont county,
and the Captain thinks he hailed from
the classic hills of Captina. Lieut.. Isaac
Van Horne, son of Gen. Van Horne, of
GAINESVILLE, this State, commanded the
company in this engagement, and was
killed. Major HulEIrS. of The battalion,
was also killed in Ihis engagement. The
Captain reports the loss of his regiment
in this battle to be about thirty men, all
tOld-he being himself wounded in the
hip, during the expedition, by Il small
rifle ball or buckshOt, the missile pene-
tratine to the bone, Where it still lies
imbedded in the flesh of this feeble old
man, and where it ever has been for 10,
these 90 years, received while fighting in
defense of our firesides and the liberty
we enjoy. The wound was not received
in the assault on Fort Mackinaw, but in
assisting i'll an attempt to capture aSlOop
of four guns, manned by the BritiSh,and
annoying the troops very much. 1t Is
simply astonishing with what viridness
and accuracy this old veteran of eighty
two summers, describes the assault on
Mackinaw, and the subsequent attempt
to capture the sloop. The sloOp being
covered by Col. Cloghan's forces, her
crew left her, taking refuge i'll Il block
house, and taking the slOOp'S guns with
them. Col. Cloghan opened fire on this
refuge with brass mortar, throwing !
13-inch shell, captured from Gen. Bur-
gOyne in the war of the Revolution. The
first shot knocked the blockhouSe all to
pieces, but the sloOp escaped without her
guns, and our hero was wounded
by stray ball. He speaks of Col. Clog
han as tall. athlete, and very pleasant
and agreeable, and brave soldier.
Mr.. Nicoll was engaged in several skir-
mishes, but has no further incidents to
relate outside Of the Usual routine of
active military duty. While in the ser
vice he was paid eight dollars per month,
mostly in paper notes of the Ohio Bank,
but "a little in silver. While in the war
of 1912, he ranked as private, but early
i'll the late war headed company of
unarmed militia, organized for the de-
fense OF Bellaire, and of which our fel-
low townsman, E. G. Morgan, Esq, was
First Lieutenant, and an eX-sOidier in
the war with Mexico, by the name of
Robinson, was Second Lieut., and Jacob
Spangler, Third This command num-
bered about eighty men, and from its
organization Mr.. Nicoll received his I'll
tie lis Captain, by which he has been
known ever since. In the latter part of
its existence, after the great danger was
over, ex-Mayor Criswell, of this city, is
reported to have became member, and
to have made valiant soldier, having
become enamored of the pride, pomp,
and circumstance of glorious war" the
"neighing steed, and the shrill trump,
the spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing
fife, and the royal banner" and, it is said,
oft relates to-day, in moving terms to
admiring and wondering crowds of ur-
chins, his thrilling narrative of chair
breadth 'scapeS i the imminent deadly
BREACH and of being taken by the 'inso-
lent foe." While stationed at Detroit,
Mr.. Nicoll had the honor of being COM
manded successfully by Gen. Cass, Gen.
Harrison, Col. o. F. Butler, and Colonel
Cloghan.
At Stenbenville, at the Tri-State Re-
union, our hero of the storms of so many
years, met three other eX-soldiers of the
war of 1S12-Isaiah Roberts, of Wells
burgh, and two brothers by the name of
Junkins. The headquarters of these
veterans were at the Office of Squire
Spencer, during the Reunion, and their
carriage was driven at the head of the
procession. Mr.. Roberts represented
himself to be in his 92d year, and was,
for a gentleman of his age, very prOfane,
and bore rather slovenly appearance,
and in this connection Capt. Nicoll tells
a good story: While waiting for the car
riage, couple of callers took the gray
old veteran of ninety-two summers out
to see the sights of the great city of
Steubenville, and who, to his associates,
us a result, was lost for the procession.
Three of the old soldiers were Republic
cans and the other was Democrat
During the evening the Democrat was
found on the street drunk, loudly pro-
claiming himself to be one of the best
Democrats in all this country, and he
was neither ashamed of his name nor
his politics.
MR.. NICoLL's POLITICS.
Our octOgenarian was born and nur-
tured Democrat, and voted that ticket
until the winter of 1856, when he affil-
lated with the Whig party, then in pro-
cess of organization. His reasons for
this change are cogent and tersely put.
The old Federal party was just then ex-
piring, and all the old corrupt elements
were making rush for the Democratic
party, as its ranks seemed to be the on
ly chance for political preferment, as
that organization seemed to have no op-
position. Mr.. Nicoll, being a young
man, thought it advisable to look around
him little, and determine what was the
matter, as Henry Clay and all the best
men of the country, identified with its
past history, were organizing the new
party. He discovered the patriotic mo-
i've of an effort to save the country from
;calawag rule, and concluded first, be-
cause of this, and second, because of the |
pronounced position of the Democratic |
1arty on the tariff question, to change |
lis politics, and thereupon affiliated |
with the Wings, and has ever since been
| Wing and IA Republican. 1t seems to
)e remarkable fact, and one worthy of |