A SHORT CHRONOLOGY
The War of 1812 in the Northwest
1812--WINCHESTER'S CAMPAIGN, September 22-October 1
1812, September 22. General Winchester begins his march down the
Maumee following generally Anthony Wayne's course. His destination is Ft. Defiance.
He marches only 5 or 6 miles per day.
1812, September 25. Ensign Liggett with a detachment is sent ahead of
the army to Ft. Defiance. He has four men with him. A
Frenchman with eight Indians creeps up on them and demands them to
surrender. They do but work on a plan to kill the Indians, However,
the Indians kill them first. Captain Ballard finds them the
next day, but retreats when he finds a party of 200 Indians nearby.
1812, September 26. Captain Harris Hickman and Riddle, a spy, are sent
ahead of Winchester's army. They cross the Maumee to the south
side, then go cross country to the Auglaize River; then down that river
to the Maumee. They continue 2 miles down the Maumee from Ft. Defiance
and then return to the army. In this route they have surrounded the
enemy without discovering him. However, from signs they have seen, they
know a large body of Indians is nearby.
1812, September 27. Captain Ballard and a detachment is sent ahead with
Major Woolfor (aide to Winchester) to bury the dead of Liggett's party.
The Indians involved were an advance group of Major Adam Muir's party.
This British force consisted of 200 regulars and 1000 Indians with four
pieces of artillery. They had brought their baggage and artillery by
water to Ft. Defiance and were advancing on the south side of the
Maumee toward Ft. Wayne. They had taken a Quartermaster Sergeant of
Winchester's army prisoner. The sergeant exaggerated the size of Win-
chester's army and Muir retreated 12 miles on the 27th to Ft. Defiance.
On the 28th about 3/4 of Muir's Indians deserted and he was forced to
retreat another 20 miles down the river.
1812, September 28. The march of Winchester's army is resumed following the return
of the Hickman-Riddle mission. The forward elements of Winchester's and Muir's
forces meet, but there is only a short skirmish. Winchester's army then crosses to the
south side of the Maumee at a ford and encamps. Spies are sent out, but find no
Indians. They report, however, that the brush is so thick that it is unsafe for spies on
foot to penetrate to Ft. Defiance. Winchester holds a council of war and decides to
send out parties to look for Major Muir. Supplies are about exhausted and an express
is sent to Harrison to inform him of the condition of the army.
1812, September 30. Harrison receives news that Winchester is heading
toward a large force of British and Indians. All the forces
at St. Mary's, about 3,000 men, are ordered to Winchester's relief. Mean-
while, Winchester moves his army down the river to within a mile of Ft.
Defiance and stays there for several days.
1812, October 1. Colonel William Lewis is sent from Winchester's army
with 380 men to discover for sure the disposition of Major
Muir's force. The detachment crosses the Auglaize, then goes down the
south side of the Maumee for 7 or 8 miles, then crosses to the north side,
where signs are discovered which show that Muir's force is completely
gone.
Previous Page || Index || Next Page
|
