The garrison was composed of regulars—all Kentuckians, a finer company of men is not to be found in the United States, perhaps not in the world. They are as humane as courageous. This is proved by their unceasing attention to the wounded enemy, after their discomfiture; during the night, they kindly received into the fort, through the fatal port-hole of the block-house, all those who were able to crawl to it; to those who were unable to move they threw canteens filled with water. They even parted with their clothes to alleviate the sufferings of the wounded.
Gen. Harrison had ordered Major Croghan to destroy the stores and abandon the fort, in case the enemy made their appearance. He dared to disobey the order, and has thereby immortalized himself.
While Proctor and Dixon were investing fort Stephenson, Tecumseh, with a band of 2000 warriors and some British troops, approached fort Meigs. They hovered round the place for several days and then withdrew, without doing any material injury to the garrison.
When the news of the attack on Fort Stephenson reached Gov. Meigs, he made a spirited call to the patriotism of Ohio; such was its effect that 15,000 men were immediately in motion to repel the invaders. Fortunately their services were not required.
The tide of victory began now to set with a strong current in favor of the American arms.—On the 10th of September, commodore Perry captured the whole British force on Lake Erie. This victory removed the principal barrier to the conquest of Malden and the recovery of Detroit.
At the same time the general began to concentrate his forces at the mouth of Portage river. The greatest activity was visible in camp; in preparing for the descent on Canada—boats were collected—beef jerked—the superfluous baggage secured in block houses and a substantial log fence two miles long, extending from Portage river to Sandusky bay, was built to secure the horses during the operations of the army.
On the 17th Gov. Shelby with four thousand volunteers arrived at head quarters. This formidable corps were all mounted; but it was deemed best for them to act as infantry, and leave their horses on the peninsula. On the 20th Gen. M'Arthur's brigade from Fort Meigs joined the army after a very fatiguing march of three days down the lake coast.
Col. Johnson's mounted regiment remained at Fort Meigs, but had orders to approach Detroit by land and to advance pari passu with the commander in chief, who was to move in boats thro' the islands to Malden, and of whose progress the colonel was to be daily informed by a special express.
The British prisoners taken in the naval action of the 10th, were sent to Chilicothe, guarded by a detachment from Col. Hill's regiment of Pennsylvania detached militia. The different posts on the American side of the lake were left in charge of the Ohio Militia. Fort Meigs, which till now had covered eight acres of land, was reduced in its dimensions to one acre. About five hundred Kentuckians were to remain at Portage to guard the stores and horses, being upwards of five thousand in number, which were left on the Peninsula during the absence of the army.
Every thing being now ready, the embarkation of the troops commenced at the dawn of day, on the 21st. For the want of a sufficient number of boats, not more than one third of the number could embark at once.