General Harmar's Campaign

by Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County

A SOLDIER’S JOURNAL

Colonel Joseph McMaken has obligingly furnished us for publication the following interesting sketch of General Harmar’s campaign. The writer, Colonel David H. Morris, Miami County, Ohio, was a sergeant in the expedition and kept a journal of the most interesting occurrences. Colonel Morris still has his journal and, at the request of Colonel McMaken, transcribed this sketch. It may therefore be relied on as correct; it is, indeed, corroborated by the statements of the late Chief Richardville and other old residents of Fort Wayne.

“Fort Washington was the rendezvous. Colonel Hardin, with a regiment of mounted riflemen, and James Fontaine, with a troop of cavalrymen from Kentucky and militiamen from Pennsylvania, joined Harmar here. On September 29, 1790, we began our march and proceeded four miles toward the Maumee villages near where Fort Wayne now stands. On the thirtieth of September we moved forward on the Indian trail leading to the old Chillicothe town on the Little Miami River. When we arrived there after several days’ marching, we fired our guns and reloaded them.

“In the evening we encamped about one mile above James Galloway’s residence. The next day we crossed Mad River and encamped a little below the site of New Carlisle. Here we killed twenty cows that had been condemned because of injuries received from the stronger cattle. The next day we crossed Indian Creek, which I named in honor of an old Shawnee chief; the same day we crossed Lost Creek in Miami County. In the evening we encamped two miles north of Staunton. On the following day we crossed the Miami River, just above where Piqua is now located. Indians who had crossed the river just before us had left their canoe. They had killed a cub bear, cut the skin into small pieces, and placed it on stumps. From this circumstance, we were sure that we had been discovered. That evening we encamped near Upper Piqua and the next day moved toward the St. Mary’s River. About midday seven Indians were discovered and pursued by the scouting party. One of them was taken; he proved to be a half-breed about twenty years old, and a sullen dog he was!

“We crossed Loramie Creek next morning, where Clark or Logan had burned a village some ten years before. After crossing the divide to the St. Mary’s River, we encamped. A council of war decided that Colonel Hardin with a detachment from the army should proceed by forced marches to the Maumee villages, intercept the Indians in their flight, and, if possible, capture their goods and furs. In this they were disappointed; all the buildings were on fire when the detachment arrived. Directly after Colonel Hardin took possession of the town, two Indians were fired upon as they rode into the plain west of the St. Joseph River. The next day their horses were found, and it was supposed from the quantity of blood discovered that both Indians had been killed. General Harmar arrived two days after Colonel Hardin had taken possession of the place. The next day two Indians were discovered, and one of them was shot down but not killed. When a young Kentuckian attempted to end the Indian’s misery, his pistol failed to fire; the Indian raised his rifle and fatally shot the white man through the body. We remained in this encampment for several days; a great deal of corn, beans, and other supplies were destroyed.

“On the evening of October 16, Captain McClure killed a Delaware chief called Captain Pauk. On the seventeenth we remained stationary; this day six brass kettles containing $32.00 were found buried in the hazel thicket. On the eighteenth Colonel Hardin was sent up the St. Joseph River to burn two towns; one was twelve and the other was eighteen miles from our camp. At the same time General Harmar marched down the Maumee River to Chillicothe and encamped.

“Colonel Hardin destroyed the Indian towns and on his return was attacked about ten miles from Fort Wayne, near the late Captain Hull’s farm at Eel River. When the Indians fired upon them, the Kentucky mounted riflemen wheeled their horses and made for the camp. The Pennsylvania militia and the regular soldiers were left a prey to savage barbarity; one officer and four private soldiers never returned to the camp. The nineteenth was spent in camp. Cannon were fired throughout the day in hopes that some of the men had escaped the massacre and could find the camp from the sound; none came.

TWO INDIANS WERE FIRED UPON

“On the twentieth we started home and encamped that night six or seven miles from the Maumee villages. About midnight David Williams, a spy and our principal guide, who had been a prisoner among the Indians for many years and who had been left behind to observe their movements, came into camp. He reported that about 120 Indians had collected in the bend opposite the site of Fort Wayne. On hearing this news, a council resolved to send a detachment back to disperse them. This force was put under the command of Colonel Hardin, Major Willis, Captains Ashton and Frothingham of the regulars, Major Fontaine and Captain Gains of the Kentucky horse company, and Captains McMullen and Saunders of the Kentucky mounted riflemen. I have forgotten the names of the other officers.

“The troops were put in motion as quickly as possible. By sunrise they arrived at the ford of the Maumee River. As soon as our men entered the river, the Indians opened a brisk fire upon them. Major Fontaine succeeded in gaining the bank and discovered the main body of Indians concealed in ambush. He gave orders to halt until the main body of his men got across the river; at that moment he was shot dead. By this time the right and left flanks, composed of Kentucky mounted men, had gained the bank. A small party of Indians on each wing fled as if defeated, and the horsemen pursued. As soon as the horsemen were separated from the footmen, the savages fell upon our people with the utmost fury. Major Willis was killed charging the enemy. Captain McMullen discovered the stratagem of the enemy, wheeled about, approached the back of the Indians, and made dreadful havoc in their ranks. Captain Ashton was of the opinion that forty of the enemy fell at the first fire. The Indians gave way and were driven across the St. Joseph River with great slaughter. Two soldiers, Captain Ashton says, signalized themselves on this occasion by using their bayonets to gig the foe like fish.

DAVID WILLIAMS CAME INTO THE CAMP

“Richardville, a Miami chief now dead, who was in the engagement, related that the river ran red with blood, and that he could cross the river on dead bodies. During the battle an incident occurred that deserves to be noticed. An old Indian had two boys who rushed into the river by his side. One son was shot down near him; the old man dropped his gun and seized his son to save the boy’s scalp from his enemies. The other son was killed also. The father drew them to shore and sat down between them, where he was killed.

“Some blame has been attached to General Harmar for not returning to aid Colonel Hardin; it is certainly without foundation. A young Kentuckian, who was wounded through the wrist while in the river, reported that the enemy was completely routed and flying. In this sanguinary engagement, eighty-three regulars were killed; only Captain Ashton and six privates survived. In both engagements one hundred militiamen were killed.

“I cannot, in justice to my feelings, close this communication without saying a word in commendation of General Harmar. I knew him intimately, for I was favored with his personal friendship and was in service under his immediate command for four years, eight months, and twenty-one days. Throughout the whole of the campaign of which I have been writing, I was quartered within twenty feet of the General’s marquee.

“The reader will perceive from this fact that I had the best opportunity of observing everything that happened. My recollection is greatly assisted by my orderly book, in which I recorded every order given by the General and every circumstance I thought worthy of being remembered. But to conclude, I regard General Harmar as a veteran soldier, an accomplished gentleman, and especially as a sincere friend of the poor soldier.

DAVID H. MORRIS”

FORT WAYNE SENTINEL, March 4, 1843

THE FATHER DREW THEM TO SHORE