Soon after my arrival at Camp Allegheny in the month of May 1800 I became acquainted with Lieut. Zebulon Montgomery Pike of the 2d Regt. U. S. Infy, he was shortly afterwards appointed Adjutant of the Regiment, in which Capacity he served during the Years 1800 & 1801. No officer could be more attentive prompt and efficient in the execution of the several duties of his office—nor was there any more emulous to acquire a perfect knowledge of the Military profession, nor more zealous, ardent and persevering in the pursuit of scientific improvement.
It was these qualities and disposition of mind that laid the foundation of the subsequent Character and fame of Zebulon M. Pike and would probably have introduced him had he lived, to the highest honors, at least, in the military profession under the Republic.
I then understood that his only means of Education had been such as could be obtained in Garrison under the eye of his father then Major Pike at the several posts he commanded, notwithstanding these disadvantages he was a tolerable good english scholar and wrote a good hand when I knew him and had also acquired by his own persevering industry a tolerably good knowledge of the french language—this I know from the fact of having frequently corrected, at his own request, several of his translations from Fenelon's Telemachus.
Pike was very gentlemanly in his deportment—manners agreeable & polished, rather reserved in general and somewhat taciturn except when incited to conversation on some topic in which he felt interest and considered worthy of his attention he had less levity in his character than even many of his brother officers Senior to him in Years and Rank. His appearance was military yet somewhat peculiar he generally leaned or inclined his head on one side so that the tip of his Chapeau touched his right shoulder when on parade—His Stature was about five feet eight inches tolerably square and robust for his Age which I think must have been Twenty Years in 1800. His Complexion was then Ruddy, eyes blue, light hair and good features his habits were in keeping with his character, uniformly abstemious and temperate his attention to duty unremitted. At that period the most vexatious evil and obstacle that attended the maintenance of discipline in the Army was the general and extensive use of Ardent Spirits, Whiskey among the Men which was constantly being introduced in Camp by the Men & Women attached to the service and other hangers on around the Camp—On one occasion returning to Camp from Pittsburgh about ten o'clock in the evening Pike and myself being desirous of detecting the Soldiers in their Clandestine manoeuvres in the introduction of whiskey approaching the Camp silently through the bushes and occasionally halting to listen succeeded in capturing several fellows with jugs & bottles of their favorite beverage, not however without a race after them. On another occasion while going down the Ohio river in flats—The flats always halted for the night at some convenient place furnishing good ground & conveniences for Bivouacking for the Night a guard being mounted and Sentinels placed at suitable points around the Camp. The Soldiers were then permitted to Land build fires and bivouac on shore if they thought proper to do so in preference to remaining in the flats crowded as they were—there was about 70 men detailed for the purpose of managing Ten flats containing the Provisions under my Charge. The Signal for embarking in the Morning was the Reveille at day break and the General immediately after. It being then about the 20 December the weather was Cold and a good deal of ice drifting in the River. The men generally preferred the Company boats where they had to labor less than in those of the Commissariat where they had to labor constantly to keep up in the line agreeably to the order regulating the movement of the troops. One morning they appeared to be desirous of escaping from the Commissariat boats to their respective Company boats in hopes of getting rid of the duty to which they were detailed and left the boats as fast as they were ordered to embark until Pike observing their disobedience seized and threw several fire brans at those in the Act of leaving the boats to which they had been detailed and called to me to assist him by which means the men were taught a lesson which was not required to be repeated the residue of the journey down the River.
This prompt and decided course on the part of Pike was not only well timed but very important as it prevented much disorder and Confusion which would inevitably have ensued had he taken the ordinary and regular but slow steps to punish the Mutineers, to bring them to a sense of duty. the moment of departure had arrived, the boats were unmoored, and those which had precedence were already under way floating down the rapid current of the Ohio; The Colonels boat particularly, to whom he would have had to Report was already at some distance—The alternative then, which he adopted as quick as lightning was not only judicious but necessary and indispensible under the Circumstances of the Case. It operated a Salutary and instantaneous effect upon the insubordinate Soldiery which at once brought them to a sense of duty and order. This circumstance in my opinion speaks volumes in favor of Pike. The quickness and decision which characterized the transaction furnishes an index to his character neither to be mistaken nor misunderstood.
After our arrival at a point equidistant between Fort Massac & the Confluence of the Ohio & Mississippi Rivers, about eighteen miles below Fort Massac the Army landed on the 5th January 1801 at a high Bluff on the right Bank of the River where they encamped cleared the ground which was covered with heavy timber laid out an encampment after the plan of Greenville built with log huts which was named Wilkinsonville.
Some time in the summer of 1801 he obtained a furlow to visit Cincinnati as it was believed, on a matrimonial expedition at which time he was married to his present relict Mrs. Pike.
During the period alluded to, the duties of the Adjutant were arduous and unremitting—especially during the encampment on the Allegheny in addition to guard and police duty—We had Battalion drill twice or thrice a week and Company drill every day; and Officer drill once or twice a week, thus you can perceive that our time was industriously appropriated to the acquisition of military knowledge—We had also the advantage of being drilled by officers that served under the gallant Genl. Wayne and who composed part of his Army at the memorable and decisive Battle of the 20th of August 1794 at the Miami Rapids—
Colonel John Francis Hamtramck[M-5] of the 1st Regt U. S. Infy acted as Brigadier Genl. under Genl. Wilkinson being the senior Colonel of the U. S. Army—his remains now lie within a stone's throw of my Office, near the Roman Catholic Church of St Anne—As a Memorial of affection the principal Town above this City and within the County of Wayne bears his name Hamtramck as he was much beloved by the inhabitants of this Country.
Allow me here to make mention of the principal Officers composing the Command at Camp Allegheny. Colo. David Strong, Commandg 2d Regt Infy, Major Moses Porter with his Co. of Artillery—Major Turner Brigade Inspector Captains Graeton, Sedgwick, Shoemaker, (Visscher, stationed at fort Fayette) Grey, Lukens, Claiborne—Lieuts. Rand, Whipple, Schiras, Hook, Meriwether Lewis, Wilson—John Wilson—Z. M. Pike, Dill—& to which was added at Wilkinsonville Lieuts. Williams, Brevoort, Hughes, Hilton Many Blue & Others together with a Battalion of the 4th Regt. under Major Butler—making in the aggregate a force of about 1000 effective men.[M-6]