This Month in War of 1812: Forts Meigs and George, York and USS President

From the 2023 American Battlefield Trust May calendar.

MAY 1, 1813

**  Siege of Fort Meigs, Ohio.

MAY 1, 1813

**  American forces evacuate York, Upper Canada.  (Toronto today).

MAY 3, 1813

**  Burning of Havre de Grace, Maryland.

MAY 16, 1811

**  The American frigate USS President fires on British sloop HMS Little Belt.

MAY 27, 1813

**  Engagement at Fort George.

MAY 29, 1813

**  Battle of Sacketts Harbor, New York.

--Brock-Perry

May Events in the War of 1812: Fort Meigs, York, Havre de Grace, USS President and Sackets Harbor

From the May 2022 American Battlefield Trust calendar.

MAY 1, 1813

**  Siege of Fort Meigs, Ohio.

MAY 1, 1813

**  American forces evacuate York, Upper Canada (now Toronto).

MAY 3, 1813

**  Burning of Havre de Grace, Maryland.

MAY 16, 1811

**  American frigate  USS President fires on  the British sloop HMS Little Belt.

MAY 24, 1815

**  Battle of the Sink Hole.

MAY 27, 1813

**  Engagement at Fort George.

MAY 29, 1813

**  Battle of Sackets Harbor, New York.

--Brock-Perry

April and May Dates in the American Revolution and the War of 1812

From the American Battlefield Trust 2021 Calendar.

APRIL 19, 1775

Battles of Lexington and Concord (American Revolution)

MAY 1, 1813

Siege of Fort Meigs, Ohio.

MAY 3, 1813

Burning of Havre de Grace, Maryland.

MAY 28, 1780

Battle of Waxhaws, South Carolina  (American Revolution)

MAY 28, 1813

Battle of Sackets Harbor, New York.  Hey, that's Caroline Abbott's home.

--Brock-Perry

Last Major Action in Ohio-- Part 2: Confrontation at Fort Stephenson

British plans called for a demonstration toward Fort Seneca, which they expected William Harrison would reinforce with troops from heavily defended Fort Meigs.  Tecumseh and his warriors had been left by Fort Meigs and as soon as the Americans left the fort to defend Fort Seneca, they were to attack.

The British were not expecting any problems at Fort Stephenson as related in the last post.  However, they hadn't figured on the fort's commander, 21-year-old Major George Croghan.

British ships came up the Sanduskey River from Sanduskey Bay in Lake Erie and their scouts reported that Fort Stephenson was just ahead and was occupied.  British General Proctor hadn't expected Harrison to defend such a weak post and determined to capture it and its garrison,  (Harrison had actually ordered Croghan to abandon the fort,)

When Croghan received the word that the British were on their way, he immediately alerted Harrison of the situation.  Harrison ordered him to abandon Fort Stephenson (where present-day Fremont is located) and burn it.  However, before those orders could arrive, Croghan had decided to defend his fort.  He ignored Harrison's orders.

He had but one cannon operating.  The British arrived and took up position to the north of the fort.  They sent messengers under a flag of truce to demand he surrender his fort.

What did Major Croghan tell the British?

Here's Where It Gets Interesting.  --Brock-Perry

Harrison Takes Charge in Ohio-- Part 4: Heading for the Sanduskey

Once the British had left, William Henry Harrison sentn his forces east to the Sanduskey River to construct a series of forts along it.   Like the Maumee River, British ships could go up it from Lake Erie until they reached a distance where they could go no further.

It was here that Harrrison built another fort for defense.  In addition, several forts were constructed further upriver as fall-back positions  However, these additional forts were not as heavily protected and not expected to withstand a major assault like Fort Meigs

They were there for supplies and a point of safety for soldiers as they moved from one position to another.

The Touring Ohio site has a picture of Gen. Harrison's headquarters at Franklinton which appears to be nothing more than a very rustic log cabin.  The Harrison House, which I have written about, is a much more luxurious structure and I imagine this is where the general lived.

There is also a picture of a weather vane from the top of the Franklinton  courthouse which is pockmarked by bullet holes from Harrison's recruits who were using it for target practice during training.

--Brock-Perry

Harrison Takes Charge in Ohio (1812)-- Part 3: Siege of Fort Meigs

A good defensive spot, Harrison believed, would be at the point where the first set of rapids on the Maumee River would force ships to stop and unload.  Here, near present day Perrysburg, he determined to build Fort Meigs.

Construction on the fort began in the late winter of 1813 and weather conditions were horrible, but the fort was completed in just three months.  And that was just in time.

The fort was designed for defense and as a major supply area for the proposed invasion of Canada.  Because of its large size, the interior of the fort was constructed to protect men and supplies from bombardment.  As it turned out, this was a good thing.

The fort was attacked by British forces almost immediately.  On May 1, 1813,  British forces under General Proctor came down the Maumee River and took up position across the river from the fort.  Despite a few successes, they were never able to dislodge the Americans from the fort before additional American forces arrived.

The siege of Fort Meigs lasted four days.

Tecumseh and his Indians could not understand why the British withdrew so quickly   Even more puzzling was why they were to remain opposite Fort Meigs while the British left to flank the Americans there by coming down the Sanduskey River.

--Brock-Perry

Col. John Duvall-- Part 1: At Fort Meigs and Dudley's Defeat

From Find-A-Grave.

Birth 14 March 1783, Culpeper County, Va.

Death 8 September 1859  Stamping Ground, Scott County, Ky.  Body lost or destroyed because of a tornado in 1974 destroyed cemeteries and homes.

Colonel John Duvall served in the War of 1812 as a captain in the Kentucky Militia.and a local political figure  and served a term in the Kentucky state legislature.

He fought in two major battles on the frontier: The Siege of Fort Meigs and Col. Dudley's Defeat.

--Brock-Perry

Capt. Leslie Combs Report to Gen. Clay on Dudley's Defeat

Book title:  "Colonel William Dudley's Defeat Opposite Fort Meigs, May 5, 1813:  Official Report From Captain Leslie Combs To general Green Clay."  Originally printed 1869.

Amazon selling it for $12.76 paperback.

"This scarce antiquarian  book is a facsimile reprint of the original.  Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages.

"Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work."

Since I have written about all three of these men in this blog, this should be an interesting read.  It is 16 pages long.

--Brock-Perry

Col. Wm. Dudley-- Part 4: "Dudley's Massacre"

Of the 800 Kentuckians who captured the British artillery, about 650 were killed, wounded or captured.  Only 150 were able to reach the safety of Fort Meigs.

Among the dead was Col. Dudley, who was killed in the first minutes of the fighting.

The battle became known as "Dudley's Massacre" or "Dudley's Defeat."

The event is commemorated by a plaque on the grounds of the Maumee Library in Maumee, Ohio.  This is not far from the site of the action.

--Brock-Perry

Col. William Dudley-- Part 2: Initial Success

General William Henry Harrison, at Fort Meigs, sent a courier to Gen. Green Clay ordering him to take the offensive against the British battery on the other side of the of the Maumee River to drive them away and spike their cannons.  General Clay ordered Col. Dudley to take 800 men and accomplish this task.

On the morning of May 5, Dudley made his assault on the battery and succeeded in capturing it.  After this initial success, things quickly fell apart.  The soldiers with the tools to spike the guns accidentally landed on the other side of the river..  Dudley's men, however, did have some success spiking them with bayonets and ramrods.

Then, the Kentuckians came under fire by Indians in the woods.  Determined to avenge their fellow soldiers who had been slaughtered at the River Raisin Massacre the previous year, they charged into the woods against their officers' orders.

--Brick-Perry

Col. William Dudley-- Part 1: Commanded the 13th Kentucky Militia

Col. Dudley was under the command of Gen. Green Clay of Kentucky in the relief of Fort Meigs in Ohio in 1813.  Leslie Combs accompanied Dudley and was captured.

From Wikipedia.

Born 1766  Died May 5, 1813.

Colonel of the 13th Kentucky Militia during the War of 1812.  Born in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  As a young man, he sought his fortune west of the Appalachians, eventually settling in Fayette County, Kentucky.  He served as the local magistrate for several years.

In the spring of 1813, Dudley was under the command of General Green Clay of Kentucky, whose force numbered around 1200.  The force moved from Maumee River, Ohio, to Fort Meigs.  They arrived May 4 in the midst of the Siege of Fort Meigs.

--Brock-Perry

Leslie Combs War of 1812 Service and Afterwards-- Part 2

Afterwards, he "took a gallant part  in the disastrous defeat of Colonel William Dudley, on the 5th of May was wounded, taken prisoner and compelled to run the gauntlet at Fort Miami."

This was when Gen. Green Clay got to Fort Meigs and in an attempt to relieve the fort had part of his command under Col. William Dudley got involved in what is called Dudley's Massacre.

After the war,  he settled in Lexington, Kentucky, where he practiced law for half a century.

In 1838, General Combs raised a regiment for the Southwestern frontier at the time of the Texas Revolution.

--Brock-Perry

Leslie Combs War of 1812 Service-- Part 1: At River Raisin and Relief of Fort Meigs

Same Source as previous post.

During the War of 1812, Leslie Combs, age 19 "distinguished himself by his courage and gallantry.

In the campaign that ended  at the Raisin, he was sent by General Winchester with a dispatch to General Harrison and went through the wilderness through snow and water for 100 miles under conditions that almost cost him his life.

In 1813 he was commissioned as a Captain of Scouts and was attached to the force of General Green Clay, which had been ordered to the  relief of Fort Meigs.  Captain Combs "volunteered with the aid of an Indian guide and four men to carry news  of Clay's approach to General Harrison."

"He succeeded in threading his perilous way through the swamps of hostile savages and had arrived in sight  of the closely invested Fort, where he was attacked by Indians, one of his men killed , another wounded, he and the rest escaped back to Fort Defiance."

--Brock-Perry

Leslie Combs of Kentucky-- Part 3: Wounded Again and Captured

After two days, he returned to Fort Defiance to tell Green Clay that Fort Meigs needed his help.  But, he found General Clay already beginning preparations for Fort Meigs' relief.

Leslie Combs had been badly wounded in the ambush, though, and was ordered to bed by medical personnel.  However, he found there were two  small companies of spies  ready to operate under his command.

He left his sick bed and took command and joined Clay's march.

He was wounded and taken prisoner on May 5, 1813.

After his release and parole, he discontinued his military career and became a lawyer and politician.  He was a strong Unionist during the Civil War.

--Brock-Perry

Leslie Combs of Kentucky-- Part 2: Fort Meigs Besieged

He was born in Clark County, Kentucky in 1793, the youngest of 12 children of Benjamin Combs and officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

At the outbreak of the War of 1812, Combs enlisted in the First Regiment Kentucky Volunteers under general William Henry Harrison, but was soon transferred to the command of Green Clay.  By April 1813, he was the captain of a scouting group.

On the evening of May 1, 1813,  Combs and a six-man detachment was  dispatched by Colonel William Dudley from Fort Defiance (present-day Defiance, Ohio)  to the besieged Fort Meigs.  As they canoed down the Maumee River, they were ambushed by Potawatomi, and two of Combs' men were killed.

The remaining men of Combs' force returned to Fort Defiance to say that Fort Meigs  was under siege and in need of aid.

--Brock-Perry

Brig. Gen. Green Clay-- Part 3: Defender of Fort Meigs, Wealthiest Man in Kentucky

When the British gave up their siege of Fort Meigs, Clay was left in command of the fort.  He was still commanding when the British returned  in July 1813. Tecumseh was again with them.

In an attempt to lure Green Clay and his troops out of Fort Meigs, the Indians staged a mock battle, appearing to ambush a column of American reinforcements.

Clay was not fooled as he knew no reinforcements were coming.  He was able to hold out in Fort Meigs until the British again gave up their siege and retreated.

After the war, Clay returned to his plantation  where he spent the rest of his life directing his slaves in cultivating tobacco and hemp.

He is thought to have been the wealthiest man in Kentucky at this time.  He died at his home in 1828 at the age of 73 and was buried with Masonic Rites at White Hall Family Cemetery in Richmond, Kentucky.

Clay County, Kentucky, is named for him.

--Brock-Perry

Brig. Gen. Green Clay of Kentucky-- Part 2: Commanded Kentucky Militia

Green Clay developed and owned several distilleries and a tavern  in central Kentucky near Lexington.  He also owned several ferries across the Kentucky River.

In 1789, he was elected as Kentucky representative to the Virginia House of Delegates (Kentucky at the time was still a territory of Virginia).  Later he was elected representative and senator to the Kentucky General Assembly.

During the War of 1812, he was commissioned as a general in the Kentucky militia.  In the spring of 1813, he was ordered to the aid of General William Henry Harrison who was besieged at Fort Meigs, Ohio.  Clay fought his way into the fort, but many of his men were taken prisoner by Tecumseh after capturing a battery of British artillery.

--Brock=Perry

Toasting the War of 1812 Veterans-- Part 1: To Washington, 1776 and Veterans

After all the speeches, most very flowery and after the huge banquet, the wine was passed around at the 1872 War of 1812 Reunion in Monroe, Michigan, and toasts were made.

Every toast also featured a response.

1.  "The Day We Celebrate"  --Response  by J.J. Adams of Lenawee,

2.   "Washington"  --  The  world honors the man who conquered his own  ambition to give freedom to the continent.  --Response by Judge Patchin of Detroit.

3.  The Statesmen and Heroes of 1776"  The founders of a system of government that makes ours a powerful continental Republic for the good of the world, if in our political advice we imitate their integrity.   --Response by B.G. Morton of Monroe.

4.  "The Veterans of 1812"  Their march to victory was not by Pullman palace cars, but through the dense forests, dragging their cannons with weary marches; yet they conquered at Tippecanoe, Fort Meigs, and the Thames, and said to the world at Lake Erie, "We have met the enemy and they are ours."    --Response by General Leslie Combs, of Kentucky.

And, They Aren't Through Yet With the Toasts.  --Brock-Perry

1872 River Raisin Reunion-- Part 2: 121 War of 1812 Veterans Attended

The 1871 reunion of the River Raisin survivors went so well, it was determined to have one on July 4, 1872.  On July 4, 1872, 121 survivors of Harrison's Army, serving at Fort Meigs and elsewhere responded in person to the invitation to come to Monroe, Michigan.

A grand review of the survivors of the War of 1812 was planned.  A large crows was expected.  A large delegation of Tennessee and Ohio survivors, 75 in number, arrived July 3.

They were accompanied by general George A. Armstrong, one of the Committee of Invitation and they first went to Toledo.

They were met at the station by the Monroe Band

Among them was General Leslie Coombs of Kentucky, 78, General Samuel Williams of Kentucky who played a huge role in the War of 1812, age 91, and Henry Gaither, of Cincinnati, age 82.

--Brock-Perry

A Horse Mystery at Fort Meigs in Ohio

From the January 3, 2016, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch "Archaeology:  Fort dig uncovered War of 1812 horse mystery."

Excavations in 2001 at Fort Meigs in Ohio found the bones of  a large draft horse and a smaller cavalry horse.  They were found together in a shallow grave southwest of the fort.  The area is being tested for a new museum.

The draft horse was wearing horseshoes.  The smaller one had just one and the other three were gone.

The larger horse had a broken neck and leg and might have been injured.  The smaller horse had a load of buckshot in its chest.  Was the buckshot from the British or perhaps used to kill the injured horse?

General William Henry Harrison wrote the Secretary of War that the army's horses suffered considerably during the British siege of Fort Meigs.  "Many were killed."

--Brock-Perry