19th. A party was sent out to the battle-ground to bring in the dead, which were found scalped and stripped except one. In going over the battle-ground, great signs were seen (by the blood and where they had been dragged through the snow) of a considerable loss on the part of the enemy. Two of the wounded died. The British left a considerable quantity of provisions and some store goods, which answered us a valuable purpose. The wounded could have been as well accommodated here with every necessary as in any part of Kentucky. Apples, cider, sugar, butter, and whiskey appeared to be plenty. The river Raisin runs an east course through a level country, interspersed with well-improved farms, and is seventy or eighty yards wide; the banks are low. Frenchtown is situated on the north side of this river, not more than three miles from the place it empties into Lake Erie. There is a row of dwelling-houses, about twenty in number, principally frame, near the bank, surrounded with a fence made in the form of picketing, with split timber, from four to five feet high; this was not designed as a fortification, but to secure their yards and gardens.
21st. A reinforcement of two hundred and thirty men arrived in the afternoon; also Gen. Winchester, Col. Wells, Major M‘Clanahan, Capt. Hart, surgeons Irvin and Montgomery, and some other gentlemen, who came to eat apples and drink cider, having been deprived of every kind of spirits nearly two months. The officers having viewed and laid off a piece of ground for a camp and breastworks, resolved that it was too late to remove and erect fortifications that evening; farther, as they resolved to remove early next day, it was not thought worth while, though materials were at hand, to fortify the right wing, which therefore encamped in the open field,[I] and Col. Wells, their commander, set out for the Rapids late in the evening. A Frenchman arrived here late in the evening from Malden, and stated that a large number of Indians and British were coming on the ice with artillery to attack us; he judged their number to be three thousand; this was not believed by some of our leading men, who were regaling themselves with whiskey and loaf sugar; but the generality of the troops put great confidence in the Frenchman’s report, and expected some fatal disaster to befall us; principally because Gen. Winchester had taken up his head-quarters nearly half a mile from any part of the encampment, and because the right wing was exposed. Ensign Harrow was sent with a party of men, some time after night, by the orders of Col. Lewis, to bring in all the men, either officers or privates, that he might find out of their quarters. After finding some and giving them their orders, he went to a brick house, about a mile up the river, and entered a room; finding it not occupied, he immediately went above stairs and saw two men, whom he took to be British officers, talking with the landlord. The landlord asked him to walk down into a stove room, and handing his bottle, asked him to drink, and informed him “there was no danger, for the British had not a force sufficient to whip us.� So Harrow returned about 1 o’clock and reported to Col. Lewis what he had seen. Col. Lewis treated the report with coolness, thinking the persons seen were only some gentlemen from town; just at daybreak the reveille began to beat, as usual; this gave joy to the troops, who had passed the night under the apprehensions of being attacked before day. The reveille had not been beating more than two minutes before the sentinels fired three guns in quick succession; this alarmed our troops, who quickly formed and were ready for the enemy before they were near enough to do execution. The British immediately discharged their artillery, loaded with balls, bombs, and grape-shot, which did little injury; they then attempted to make a charge on those in the pickets, but were repulsed with great loss. Those on the right being less secure for the want of fortification, were overpowered by a superior force, and were ordered to retreat to a more advantageous piece of ground. They got in disorder and could not be formed.[J] The Indians pursued them from all quarters, and surrounded, killed, and took the most of them. The enemy again charged on the left with redoubled vigor, but were again forced to retire. Our men lay close behind the picketing, through which they had portholes, and every one having a rest took sight, that his ammunition might not be spent in vain. After a long and bloody contest, the enemy finding they could not, either by stratagem or force, drive us from our fortification, retired to the woods, leaving their dead on the ground, except a party that kept two pieces of cannon in play on our right. A sleigh was seen three or four hundred yards from our lines going towards the right, supposed to be laden with ammunition to supply the cannon. Four or five men rose up and fired at once, and killed the man and wounded the horse. Some Indians who were hid behind houses continued to annoy us with scattering balls. At this time bread from the commissary’s house was handed round among our troops, who sat composedly eating and watching the enemy at the same time. Being thus refreshed, we discovered a white flag advancing toward us; it was generally supposed to be for a cessation of arms that our enemies might carry off their dead, which were numerous, although they had been bearing away both dead and wounded during the action; but how were we surprised and mortified when we heard that Gen. Winchester, with Col. Lewis, had been taken prisoners by the Indians in attempting to rally the right wing, and that Gen. Winchester had surrendered us prisoners of war to Col. Proctor! Major Madison, then the highest in command, did not agree to this until Col. Proctor had promised[K] that the prisoners should be protected from the Indians, the wounded taken care of, the dead collected and buried, and private property respected. It was then with extreme reluctance our troops accepted this proposition; there was scarcely a person that could refrain from shedding tears! Some plead with the officers not to surrender, saying they would rather die on the field! We had only five killed, and twenty-five or thirty wounded, inside of the pickets. The British asked, when they came in, what we had done with our dead, as they saw but few on the ground. A barn being set on fire to drive the Indians from behind it, they concluded that, to conceal our dead, we had thrown them into these flames.
One of the houses that the wounded were in, was much shattered by the cannon balls, though only a few struck as low as a man’s head. The bombs flew over. Some bursted fifty feet above the ice, some fell on the ice, and some fell over the river. Notwithstanding all their exertions, their six cannon (which were all said to be six-pounders) did but little damage.
In this battle, officers and privates exhibited the utmost firmness and bravery. Whilst the men were at their posts firing on the enemy, the officers were passing along the lines supplying them with cartridges. Major Graves, in passing around the line, was wounded in the knee. He sat down in a tent, bound up his wound, and cried: “Boys, I am wounded; never mind me, but fight on!�
The British collected their troops, and marched in front of the village. We marched out and grounded our arms, in heat and bitterness of spirit. The British and Indians took possession of them. But all the swords, dirks, tomahawks, and knives were given up with promise that they should be restored again. [This promise was broken.]
All the prisoners, except those that were badly wounded, Dr. Todd, Dr. Bowers, and a few attendants, were marched towards Malden. The British said, as they had a great many of their wounded to take to Malden that evening, it would be out of their power to take ours before morning, but they would leave a sufficient guard, so that they should not be interrupted by the Indians. You will presently see with what aggravating circumstances the breach of this promise was attended.
Brother Allen Darnall having been badly wounded in the right shoulder on the 18th, and I being appointed to attend on the wounded, I continued with them.
Before the British and prisoners marched, the Indians ransacked the camp, and got all the plunder that was remaining—namely, tents, kettles, buckets, pans, &c.; then coming amongst the wounded, greatly insulted them, and took some of their plunder. After they went out I bolted the door. They came again and broke it open with their tomahawks. I immediately applied to a British officer, and told him the Indians were interrupting the wounded. He turned round, and called to another officer to send the guard. The Indians at that time had plundered the commissary’s house (which was near the house in which the wounded were) of everything they wanted, and piled rails against it and set them on fire: I, with the assistance of two British officers, put it out. One of the British officers (Maj. Rundels) inquired where the ammunition was. I told him, if there was any, it was above stairs. We went up, but could find none. There was a large quantity of wheat on the loft; he said it was a pity it was there, for the Indians would burn the house. I apprehended by that, the town was to be burned, and began to lament our wretched condition. After we went down stairs, Rundels asked me how many we had killed and wounded on the 18th. I told him, but he very haughtily disputed it. I had the return in my pocket. He read it, but made no reply.
Those that remained of us being hungry, I applied to one of the British in the evening for some flour, as there were a good many barrels in the commissary’s house, which I considered to belong to them. He told me to take as much as I wanted. I asked him if there was a guard left? He said there was no necessity for any, for the Indians were going to their camp, and there were interpreters left who would walk from house to house and see that we should not be interrupted. He kept walking about and looking towards the road. He told me I had better keep in the house, for the Indians would as soon shoot me as not, although he had just told me we should not be interrupted! I suspected he was looking for Gen. Harrison. Oh! if we had seen General Harrison coming with his troops, the wounded would have leaped for joy! but I did not expect him.
As they did not leave the promised guard, I lost all confidence in them, and expected we would be all massacred before morning. I being the only person in this house not wounded, with the assistance of some of the wounded, I prepared something for about thirty to eat. The Indians kept searching about town till after dark. One came in the house who could talk English, and said he commanded a company after the retreating party, and that most of that party were slain. He said the men gave up their guns, plead for quarters, and offered them money if they would not kill them; but his boys, as he called them, would tomahawk them without distinction. He said the plan that was fixed on by the Indians and British, before the battle commenced, was that the British were to attack in front to induce us to charge on them; 500 Indians were placed on the right hand and 500 on the left, to flank round and take possession of the town; but he said we were too cunning for them; we would not move out of the pickets.