Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-08-12

possible by building two additional
blockhouses and by constructing a
ditch about eight feet deep and wide
One iron six-pounder cannon was all
that he had in the way of artillery.
General Harrison did not consider the
place tenable against regular siege,
and in orders left with Major Crognal
he said: Should the British troops APP
proach you in force with cannon, and
you discover them in time to effect a
retreat, you will do so Immediately.
destroying all the public stores. You
! must be aware to attempt to retreat in
the face of an Indian force would be
vain. Against such an enemy your
garrison would be safe, however great
| the number
But Croghan had no notion of re-
treating. He was eager to fight. and
full of confidence in his ability to hold
| the fort. 1t was, therefore, a great
! blow to him when, on July 49, 1919,
| General Harrison, having learned that
the approaching enemy had cannon,
sent positive orders to abandon the
| fort. BY the time the dispatch bearers
arrived the Indians were proving in
| the woods around the fort. Croghan
| regarded retreat as impossible, and
thought it likely that his reply would
be intercepted so he gave it tone of
defiance. He wrote:
Il have just received yours of yes
terday, 10 O'Clock P. NJ, ordering me
| to destroy this place and make good
my retreat, which was received too
late to be carried into execution. We
have determined to maintain this
| r11 bxy
But the message got through and
General Harrison would not brook what
looked like INSTRUMENTATION. He imme-
diately ordered Colonel Wells of Crog-
hans own regiment to supersede Crog-
han in command. Colonel Wells had
an escort of Dragons, and on the road
the party had a brush with the Indians
killing seventeen of them. Major Crog-
han promptly reported to headquarters
at Seneca and made such satisfactory
explanations that he was restored to
command with discretionary authority
to hold the fort or abandon it, as he
saw fit.
Saturday, August 1, 1913, the British
| landed at the mouth of the river and be-
gan the attack the afternoon of the same
day. Tecumpseh with about 1000 Indians
occupied the woods in the rear, to cut of
retreat and intercept reinforcements.
General Porter sent flag OF truce to the
fort, demanding immediate I surrender.
Major Croghan sent Second Lieutenant
> Shepp to meet the party. The British
| officers, after receiving a formal refusal
to surrender, plead with him not to per-
sist in 4 hopeless defense.
Look at our immense body of Indians" "
said Captain Dixon of the Royal Engi-
neers, who commanded the Indian allies
of the British. 1T is a great pity that
so Tine a young man as you, ana your
fall into the hands, of the savages. Sir,
| for Gods sake, surrender, and preve 1T
the dreadful massacre that will be cause i
by your resistance.
Lieutenant Shepp cooily replied: When
the fort shall be taken, there will be none
| to massacre"
As Lieutenant Shepp turned back to the
fort an Indian attempted to snatch his
sword. Capt. Dixon II once interfered.
| Major Croghan, who was standing on the
ramparts. saw the occurrence and it
| Professor James d. Butler. Of Madison.
| Wis, mad it from his grandfather, Israel
| Harris, who was with Ethan Allen, that
what the doughty fighter did say was not
| in the name Of the great Jehovah and
the continental congress- when summon
ing the British commander to surrender,
as his story has it, but Come out of here,
| YOU id old rat" Both history and tradi-
| ton agree in Croghan's case, that his
| language. VIXEN he saw the indignity Of
| fered to his lieutenant, was cUuched in
| the plain, impulsive terms Of common
speech. and not in the dignified elo-
quence preferred by history. He shouted:
| 'Shepp. come in, and we will blow them
all to nell" And he soon showed that he
| meant it
The attack began at once. the British
| opening fire from their gunboats and from
| a five and a half-inch howitzer which
| they had landed. In order to create the
| impression that the garrison had several
| heavy guns, the solitary cannon was
| shifted from one block house to another
| and fired at intervals. When it became
| dark the garrison ceased replying to the
| British caDnOnade and Major CrOghan or
| dered his siX-pounder to be trained 50
| chat it would rake the ditch in the direc-
ton of the northwest angle. the most as
sailable part of the stockade The gun
was masked and loaded with a double
charge Of slugs and grape shot
During the night the British dragged
three siX-pounders to ground higher than
the fort, about go yards away and as
the dawn Of Sunday lighted the scene
they becan a furious capnonade. All day
they hammered a the defense. while the