The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-08-20
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE: WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY AUGUST 2o

it, but these did little damage to the
Istrongly-made works
May 4 Proctor sent in an imperative
! demand for the surrender of the fort,
to which Harrison answered:
Tell Gen. Proctor that if he shall
take the fort it will be under circum-
stances that will do him more honor
than thousand surrenders."
The Dudley Massacre.
: The cannonade was heard at Fort De-
fance, and FASTENED Gen. Green Clay
forward with reinforcements, which he
put in pirogues. Harrison sent him or
ders to land 500 of his men on the left
bank of the river, just above the annoy
) ing batteries, drive out the -cannoneers,
: spike the guns, cut down the carriages.
re-enter his boats and come across the
river into the fort. While this was be-
ing done the rest of the command would
night its way into the fort. assisted by
the garrison. 1t was an excellent plan
but foiled by the impetuosity of the
militia
Col. Dudley. of Kentucky, was as
signed to this work, and managed 1t
skilfully. He landed out of sight of the
British. surprised them in the act of
maintaining a vigorous fire on the fort
r
were at once spiked. The British flag
was torn down from the. staff. Harrison
from the Grand Battery. watched with
lively satisfaction the success with which
! his orders had been executed. These
4 feelings were soon changed. Some In
dams coming up in the rear opened fire,
and the kentuckianS, rushing off after
them, were soon followed by the rest of
the command. In vain Harrison sig
nailed them to return to their boats.
soon he saw column of British double
quick out from Fort Miami and inter-
| pose between them and the river Ta-
cumseh came up with his Indians. and
surrounded the luckless volunteers The
command went to pieces. and the battle
became slaughter. Dudley was killed
and scalped, as were some 100 of his
men. OF the S66 only 10 escaped to
Fort Meigs. Proctor made feeble efforts
to stop the massacre. for which he re-
ceived the contemptuous comment by
Tecumseh that he was unfit to command
men, and would appear better in petit
coats. Something like 200 were saved
from massacre. mainly by Tecumseh's
/ energetic interposition.
| The other portion of Gen. Green
Clay's command succeeded in fighting
their way thru the investing Indians.
and reaching the fort without Serious
loss. Harrison ordered a sortie from
'iit Ioil W dSSISl tneII1, ana a
fight resulted, in which the British and
Indians were driven into woods at the
point of the bayonet, their cannon
spiked and 43 prisoners captured. be-
side number killed and wounded
The Siege Raised.
Proctor and his allies now lost heart
especially as Proctor heard that the
Americans had been successful on the
Niagara frOnfinr inI, ,;,l+
them in his rear. The Indians saw little
prospect Of getting the rich stores of
Fort Mefgs, which had been promised
them. Tecumseh had hated Gen. Harri-
son intensely from his experience with
him in Indiana. He wanted his scalp.
out TINS became a vanishing prospect
The Prophet had been promised the
sovereignty of Michigan Territory. The
time of the Canadian militia was nearly
out and they wanted to get home and
put in their crops. -
The Indians were daily leaving in |
great numbers, but Tecumseh stayed to !
keep his commission as Brigadier- Cen
eral, with pay and allowances
Proctor made a bluff by sending in |
another demand for a surrender, which |
Harrison stigmatized as an insult that |
should not be repeated. Thereupon |
Proctor raised the siege, re-embarked |
his men and sailed away for Maiden. |
During the operations the Americans |
had lost so killed. 270 wounded and 40
prisoners The British lost Is killed. AZ
wounded and A prisoners.
Attack on Fort Stephenson.
As soon as Gen. Harrison saw that |
Proctor had given up the hope of capt.
turing Fort Meigs he left the post under
the command of Gen. Green Clay, and /
fastened to put other points along the
CO, eI,<
condition. He was particularly anxious
as to Fort Stephenson, guarding the
Sandusky River. where Proctor was
likely to make his next attempt, since he
had found Fort Meigs'so strong
Harrison put $50 men in Fort Stephen-l
son, under the command of Maj. Geo.
Croghan, of the Regular Army. The
fort was a small work of the usual
stockade and blockhouse type, mounting
only one piece of artillery. six-pound-
er. 1t was surrounded by ditch eight
feet deep and of the same width.
Harrison knew that it could not be
held against Proctors artillery, and he
gave the following order to Croghan:
Should the British troops approach
you in force with cannon, and you can
discover them in time to effect retreat
you will do so Immediately, destroying
all the public stores. You must be aware
that to attempt to retreat in the face of /
the Indian force would be in vain
Against such an enemy your garrison
would be safe, however great the num-
bers."
Gen. Harrison took up his position at
what is now Tiffin, o.. where he built
Fort Ball, and put in a strong garrison
Of Regulars and volunteers. In that po-
sition he could readily go to the help of
either Fort Meigs or Fort Stephenson.
The Siere of Fort u.,1.
Proctor succeeded in collecting his
militia and Indians again at Maiden,
and in July had nearly 5000 men, of
whom one-half were Indians. He got
information that the garrison of Fort
Meigs was greatly reduced by sickness
and expiration CT enlistment.
July 20. 1913, he suddenly reappeared
in the Maumee, and few days after
ward attempted to capture the fort byt
strategem. Tecumseh and his war
riors set up terrible connection, as if
they were attacking achievements sent
from Fort Ball. 1t was expected that the
garrison would make sortie to help
their friends.
Gen. Clay was too old an Indian fight
er to be caught. He fired a few cannon
shot in Tecumseh's direction, a heavy
rain storm came up and the tumult sub
sided. Proctor did not dare. make a
direct assault on the strong works, and
after lying around Fort Miami for a
few days. sailed down the river while
Tecumseh led his Indians across the,