The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-08-18
to die before surrender.


his six FOUNDER in a desultory way.
moving it from place to place to make
it appear that he had more artillery
Ascertaining from the enemy's fire
that the northwestern angle OF the fort
was to be reached, he made prepara-
ton to checkmate his PLANS During
the night the gun was removed to a
block house which commanded that
angle and the embrasure was masked.
The piece itself was loaded with grape
and slugs. Croghans foresight was
vindicated when the next day addi-
tional artillery was landed and the
hammering of the doomed angle was
renewed. The shaking wall was REIN
forced with bags of sand and even OF
flour, making it capable of resisting
the pounding. On the evening OF
August . the grand assault was
launched, Colonel Short leading the
principal column.
He rallied his men with great
bravery under a destructive rifle fire
and gained the ditch beneath the stock
ade walls. There he ordered his men
to cut down the pickets and give the
Americans no quarter. At the proper
second of time the masked embras sure
was thrown open and the slug charged
cannon was permitted to belch its
death dealing contents into the close
packed mass of soldiers at short range.
Few escaped this destructive fire.
Colonel Short was killed. but before
dying begged the quarter that he had
denied his foes but "a few moments
before.
The second column, led by Major
Chambers and Colonel Warburton, was
also defeated by the line in charge
of Captain Hunter. When right came
the enemy withdrew in a disorderly
fashion, leaving behind them one OF
their gunboats, some of the wounded
and much ammunition and guns. At
nine o'clock the next morning Major
Croghan sent an express to General
Harrison announcing his victory and
The defenders of the fort lost only one
killed and seven wounded of the one
hundred men who answer roll call. Ten
times that number opposed thcm, and
two thousand more We're in reserve
near Fort Meigs to cut off any REIN
forcement from that direction.
In his official report of the battle
General Harrison said: 1T will not be
among the least of General Proctor's
notifications that he has been baffled
by Il youth who had just passed his
twenty-first year. He is, however, a
hero worthy of his gallant uncle, Cen
eral George Rogers Clark" The brevet
rank of lieutenant colonel was at once
conferred upon the young hero by the
President of the United States, and he
was presented with Il sword by the
ladies of Chillicothe OF this victory
General W. 4. Sherman, writing from
the standpoint of military expert,
said: The defense of Fort Stephen
son by Croghan and his gallant little
band was the necessary precursor to
Perry's victory on the lake and Of
General Harrison's triumphant victory
on the Thames. These assured our
the great West, and from that day
to this the West has been the bulwark
of the nation
The following year saw him made a
full lieutenant colonel. He served with
distinction until 1917. when he resigned
and went to New orleans to live. He
was made postmaster of that city in
1924 Some years later he was APP
pointed Inspector General of the army
and in 1885 he was voted a gold medal
by Congress in recognition of his fight
of twenty-five years before.
He died on January S, 1S49, while the
guns We're laundering their salutes in
honor of another great victory, that OF
General Jackson. another Irishmans
son, over Pakenham and the British
below New Orleans in 1914. His body
was removed to the old family bury
ing ground at Locust Grove and buried
near that Of his famous uncle, where
they We're found last June by Major
Webb c. Hayes, acting for the FIRE.
mont Chapter of the Daughters of the
American Revolution, which is named
after Major Croghan.
They We're removed to Fremont OH
June 10, and were placed temporarily
in the vault at lakewood Cemetery
The pallbearers were five venerable
survivors of the Mexican War who had
enlisted in Sandusky county. The
youngest was Seventy-sevcn years of
age and the Oldest eighty-tive. AS
Croghan was Inspector General of the
army during the Mexican War, they
can be said to have served under him
The dead hero left three children. His
only son, st. George Croghan, died on
the field early in the civil war, wearing
the gray of the Confederate army. \
grandson, also George Croghan, sur
wives, and there are other descendants
on the distaff side.
The Daughters of the American Rev.