Crawford's Defeat: A Tale of the Frontier in 1812

Prepared by the Staff of the Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County 1954
One of a historical series, this pamphlet is published under the direction of the governing Boards of the Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE SCHOOL CITY OF FORT WAYNE
B.F. Geyer, President Joseph E. Kramer, Secretary W. Page Yarnelle, Treasurer Mrs. Sadie Fulk Roehrs Willard Shambaugh
PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD FOR ALLEN COUNTY
The members of this Board include the members of the Board of Trustees of the School City of Fort Wayne (with the same officers) together with the following citizens chosen from Allen County outside the corporate City of Fort Wayne:
James E. Graham Arthur Nieneier Mrs. Glenn Henderson Mrs. Charles Reynolds
During the early days on the Midwestern frontier, especially during the War of 1812 and the concurrent Indian warfare, terror was easily spread through settlements and villages by rumors of nearby redskins. Raids were frequent, and the horrors of Indian warfare made even the boldest men fear for their lives and for the lives of their loved ones. But even in the midst of danger, a practical joke was not unappreciated. Such was the setting for the following incident, retold in the INDIANA STATE GAZETTE of November 19, 1829.
The Boards and the Staff of the Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County present this account as an example of a type of humor found in Midwestern pioneer life. Personal and place names are spelled as in the original narrative. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation have been changed to conform to current usage.
There will be few old residents of Ohio, especially those who early settled in Knox, Richland, and Franklin counties and the counties north and west of them, who will not readily recall to mind the consternation that was frequently felt in neighborhoods and villages along the frontier during the eventful year of 1812. The situation of the towns and settlements in the counties above named was dangerous owing to their easy access from the Indian villages of the wild northwestern parts of the state. The inhabitants were subjected to a kind of border warfare and were exposed to much depredation and bloodshed.