b92-217-30936514

xt7hx34mm37q https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7hx34mm37q/data/mets.xml Dudley, Thomas P., b. 1792. 1870 books b92-217-30936514 English Western Reserve Historical Society, : Cleveland, Oh. : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Raisin River, Battle of, 1813. Battle and massacre at Frenchtown, Michigan, January, 1813 / by Rev. Thomas P. Dudley, one of the survivors. text Battle and massacre at Frenchtown, Michigan, January, 1813 / by Rev. Thomas P. Dudley, one of the survivors. 1870 2002 true xt7hx34mm37q section xt7hx34mm37q

3tste -A X str4 and I orthmil 4'tt

HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

NUMBER ONO.

BATTLE AND MASSACRE AT FRENCLRTOWN, MXC1 GHI[XN,
JANUARY, 181:3.

BY REV. THOMAS P. DUDLEY, ONE OF THE SURVIVORS.

The following incidents relating to the
march of a detachment of Kentucky troops
under Colonel Lewis to Frenchtown, on the
River Raisin, Michigan, January, 181E; the
battles of the 18th and 22d; the massacre of
the prisoners, and the march to Fort George,
on the Niagara river, were written by the
Rev. Thomas P. Dudley, of Lexington,
Ky., May 26th, 1870, and indorsed as
follows:
A. T. Goodman, Esq., Secretary Western
Reserve Historical Society:
DEAR SIn: I take pleasure in forwarding
to your society an interesting and reilt e
narrative by the Rev. Thomas P. Dudley, of
this city. Very truly yours,
LESLIE CooMBS.
LEXINGTON, June 1, 1870.
On the 17th day of January, 1813, a de-
tachment of 550 men, under command of
Colonel William Lewis, with Colonel John
Allen, and Majors Ben. Graves and
George Madison, from the left wing of the
Northwest army, was ordered to French-
town, on the river Raisin, where it was un-
derstood a large number of British had col-
lected, and were committing depredations
on the inhabitants of that village. On. the
17th. at night, the detachment encamped at
the mouth of Swan creek, on the Niatmee
of the lake. On the 18th, they took up the
line of marcb, meeting a number of the in-
habitants retreating to the American
camp, opposite to where Fort Mleigs
was subsequently built. Our troops
inquired whether the British had any
artillery, to which the reply was,

"They have two pieces about large
enough to kill a mouse." They reached the
River Raisin about 3 o'clock in the after-
noon, and while crossing the river on the ice
the British began firing their swivels, when
the American troops were ordered to drop
their knapsacks on the ice. Reaching the
opposite shore, they raised a vell, some
crowing like chicken cocks, some barking
like dogs, and others calling, "Fire away
with your mouse cannon again." The
troops were disposed as follows: The right
battalion commanded by Colonel Allen, the
center by Major Madison, the left by Major
Graves. The latter battalion was ordered
to dislodge the enemy from the position
occupied by them, "being the same occu-
pied by the American troons in the battle of
the 22d," during which the right and center
were ordered to remain where they were,
in the open field. until Major Graves' com-
mand should force the enemy to the woods.
While Graves was drivingr the enemy occa-
sional balls from the woods. opnosite Col-
onel Allen's command, wounded some of
his men. Hence Colonel Allen ordered a
partial retreat of forty or fifty yards, so as
to place his men out ot the reach of the In-
dian guns. Just as this order was accom-
plished, we discovered, from the firing, that
Major-Graves ha driven the enemv to the
woods, when he was ordered to advance the
right and center. Up to this time the fight-
ing was done by Major Graves' battalion.
So soon as the right and center reached the
woods the fighting became generai and
most obstinate, tne enemy resisting every
inch of ground as they were compelled

COWARDICE OF COL. WELLS.

to fall back. During three hours the
battle raged, the American detachment lost
eleven killed and fifty-four wounded. About
dusk Major Graves was sent by Colonel
Lewis to strop the pursuit of the enemy, and
direct the officers commanding the right
and center, who had been hotly engaged in
the conflict, and had killed many of the
enemy, to return to Frenchtown, bearing
the killed for interment. and the wounded
for treatment. Nothing of importance oc-
curred until the morning of the 20th, when
General Winchester,'with a command of 200
men, under Colonel Wells, reached French-
town. Wells' command was ordered
to encamp on tne right of tne de-
tachment, who fought the battle
of the 18th, and to fortify. The spies
were out continually, and brought word on
the 21st that the enemy were advancing In
considerable force to make battle. On the
21st morning Wells asked leave to return to
the camrp, which he bad recently left, for
his baggage. General Winchester declined
giving leave, informing Wells that we would
certainly and very soon be attacked. In the
afternoon Wells again applied for leave to
return for his bargage. General Winchester
again replied, "The spies bring intelligenee
that the enemv have reached Stony Ureek,
five miles from here. If you are disposed to
leave your command in the immediate vicin-
itv of the enemy, when a battle is certain,
you can go." Wells left and went back.
OD the 22d, just as the reveille was arous-
iDg the troops, (about daybreak,) the first
gun was fired. Major Graves had been up
some hours, and had gone to the several
companies of his battalion, and roused them.
Upon the firing ot the first gun he imme-
diately left his quarters and ordered his men
to stand to their arms. Very many bombs
were discharged by the enemy, doing, how-
ever, very little execution, most of them
bursting in the air, and the fighting became
general alone the line, the artillery of the
enemv being directed mainly to the right of
our lines, where Wells' command had no
protection but a common rail fence, four or
five rails high. Several of the Americans
on that part of the line were killed, and their
fence knocked down by the cannon balls,
when General Winchester ordered the right
to fall back a few steps, and reform on the
bank of the river, where they would have
been protected from the enemy's guns.
Unfortunately, however, that part of the
line commenced retreatinz, and reaching
Hull's old trace along the lane, on either
side of which the grass was so high as to
conceal the Indians. At this time, Colonels
Lewis and Allen, with a view of rallying the
retreating party, took 100 men from
the stockade and endeavored to arrest their

flight. Very many were killed and wounded,
and others made prisoners, among the former
Colonel Allen, Captains Simson, Price, Ed-
mundison, Mead, Dr. Irwin, Montgomery,
Davis, McLlvain and Patrick, and of the
latter, General Winchester, Colonel Lewis,
Major Overton, etc. The firing was still
kept up by the enemy on those within
the pickets and returned with deadly
effect. The Indians, after the re-
treat of the right wing. got around
in the rear of the picketing, under the bank,
and on the same side of the the river, where
the battle was raging, and killed and
wounded several of our men. It is believed
that the entire number of killed and
wounded within the pickets did not exceed
one dozen, and the writer doubts very much
whether, if the reinforcements had not come,
those who fought the first battle, although
their number had been depleted by sixty
five, would not have held their ground, at
least until reinforcements could have come to
their relief. Indeed, it was very evident the
British very much feared a reinforcement,
from their hurry in removing the prisoners
! they bad taken, from the south to the west
of the battle ground, and in the direction of
Fort Malden, from which they sent a flag,
i accompanied by Dr. Overton, aid to General
Winchester, demanding the surrender of the
detachment, informing they had Generals
Winchester and Lewis, and in the event of
refusal to surrender, would not restrain their
Indians. Major Graves being wounded,
Major Madison was now left in command,
who, when the summons to surrender came,
repaired to the room in which Major Graves
and several other wounded officers were, to
consult with them as to the propriety of sur-
rendering. It is proper here to state that
our ammunition was nearly exhausted. It
was finally determined to surrender, requir-
ing of the enemy a solemn pledge for the
security of the wounded. If this was not
unhesitatingly given, determined to fight
it out, but oh, the scene which now took
place! The mortification at the thought of
surrendering the Spartan band who had
fought like heroes, the tears shed, the
wringing of hands, the swelling of hearts,
indeed, the scene beggars description.
i Life seemed valueless. Our Madison replied
to the summons, in substance. '-We will
not surrender without a guarantee for tne
safetv of the wounded and the return of
side arms to the officers.," (We did not in-
tend to be dishonored.) The British offi-
cer haughtily responded: "Do you, sir,
claim the right to dictate what terms I am
to offer" Major Madison replied: "No,
but I intend to be understood as regards the
i orily terms on which we will agree to sur-
I render." Captain William Elliott, who had

BRITISH FAITH.

charge of the Indians, it was agreed would
be left with some men, whom it was said
would afford ample protection until carry-
alls could be brought from Malden to trans-
port the prisoners there, but the sequel
proved they were a faithless, cowardly set.
The British were in quite a hurry, as were
their Indian allies, to leave after the sturren-
der. Pretty soon Captain Elliott came into
the room where Major Graves, Captain
Hickman, Captain Hart, and the writer of
this (all wounded) were quartered. He rec-
ognized Captain Hart, with whom he had
been a room-mate at Hart's father's, in Lex-
ington, Ky. Hart introduced him to the
other officers, and after a short con-
versation, in which be [Elliott]
seemed quite restless and a good deal
agitated [he, I apprehend, could have
readily told why,), as he could not have for-
gotten the humiliation he had contracted in
deceiving Hart's family, pecuniarily. He
proposed borrowing a horse, saddle, and
bridle for the purpose of going immediately
to Malden, and hurrying on sleighs to re-
move the wounded. Thence assuring Cap-
tain Hart especially of the hospitality of his
house, and begging us not to feel uneasy;
that we were in no danger; that he would
leave three interpreters, who would be an
ample protection to us. He obtained Major
Graves's horse, saddle, and bridle, and left,
which was the last we saw of Captain El-
liott. We shall presently see how Elliott's
pledges were fulfilled. On the next morn-
ing, the morning of the massacre, between
davbreak and sunrise, the Indians were seen
approaching the houses sheltering the
wounded. The house in which M ajor
Graves, Captains Hart and Hickman and
the writer were had been occupied as
a tavern. The Indians went into the cellar
and rolled out many barrels, forced in their
heads, and began drinking andyelling. Pret-
ty soon they came crowding into the room
where we were, and in which there was
a bureau, two beds, a chair or two, and per-
haps a small table. They forced the draw
ers of the bureau, which were filled with
towels, table-cloths, shirts, pillow slips, etc.
About this time Major Graves and Captain
Hart left the room. The Indians took the
bed clothing ripped open the bed tick, threw
out the feathers, and apportioned the ticks
to themselves. They took the over-
coat, close bodied coat, hat and shoes from
the writer. When they turned to leave the
room, just as he turned, the Indians toma-
hawked Captain Hickman in less than six
feet from me. I weent out on to a porch,
next the street, when I heard voices in a
room at a short distance, went into the
room where Captain Hart was engaged in
conversation with the interpreter. He

asked: "What do the Indians intend to do
withus." The reply was: "They intend
to kill you." Hart rejoined. "Ask liberty
of them for me to make a speech to them
before they kill us." The interpreters re-
plied: "They can't understand." "But,"
said Hart, "you can interpret for me." The
intorpreters replied: "If we undertook to
I interpret for you, they will as soon kill us
as you." It was said, and I suppose truly,
that Captain Hart subsequently contracted
with an Indian warrior to take him to Am-
herstburg, giving him 600. The brave
placed him on a horse and started. After
igoing a short distance they met another
company of Indians, when the one having
charge of Hart spoke ot his receiving the
600 to take Hart to Malden. The other
Indians insisted on sharing the money,
which was refused, when som1e altercation
took place, resulting in the shooting of
aHart off the horse by the Indian who re-
ceived the money. A few minutes after
leaving the room, where I had met Hart
and the interpreters, and while standing
in the snow eighteen inches deep,
the Indians brought Captain Hick-
man out on the porch, stripped of
clothing except a flannel shirt, and tossed
him out on the snow within a few feet of
me, after which he breathed once or twice
and expired. While still standing in the
yard, without coat, hat or shoes, Major
Graves approached me in charge of an n-
dian, and asked if I had been taken. I an-
swered no. Ile proposed that I should go
along with the Indian who had taken him.
I replied, "No, if you are safe I am satisfied."
He passed on and I never saw him afterward.
IWhile standing in the snow two or three In-
dians appioached me at different times, and
I made signs that the ball I received was
still in my shoulder. They shook their
heads, leaving the impression that they de-
si'ned a more horrid death for me. I felt
that it would he a mercy to me if they would
shoot me down at once, and put me out of
my misery. About this time I placed my
Ihand under my vest, and over the severe
wound I had received, induced thereto by
the cold, which increased my suffering.
Another young warrior passed on and
made signs that the ball had hardlv
struck and passed on, to which I
nodded assent, He immediately took off a
blanket capot (having two) and tied the
sleeves around my shoulders, and gave me a
large red apple. The work of death on the
prisoners being well nigh done and the
houses tired, he started with me toward De-
troit. After going a short distance he dis-
covered mv feet were suffering, being with-
out shoes, and he having on two pair of
moccasins, pulled off the outer pair, and

A KIND INDIAN.

put them on my feet, Having reached i
Stony Cieek, live miles from the bat-
tle ground, where the Brit-
ish and Indians camped the night
before the battle of the 22d of January,
their camp fires were still burning, and
many had stopped with their prisoners to
warm. In a short time I discovered some
commotion among them. An Indian toma-
hawked Ebenezer Blythe, of Lexington.
Immediately the Indian who had taken me 1
resumed his march, and soon overtook his
father, v. hom I understood to be an old
chief. They stopped by the roadside, and
directed me to a seat on a log and proceeded
topaint me. We reached Brownstown about
sundown in the evening, when having a
small ear of corn A e placed it in the fire for
a short time, and then made our supper on
it. A blanket was spread on bark in front
of the fire, and I pointed to lie down. My
captor finding my neck and shoulder so stiff
that I could not get my bead back, immedi-
ately took some of his plunder and placed
under my head and covered me with a
blanket. Many Indians, with several pris-
oners, came into the council house after-
ward, and they employed themselves dress-
mg, in hoops, the scalps of our troops. There
was the severest thunder storm that night
witnessed at that time of the year. The
water ran under the blanket, and the ground
being lower in the centre around the fire, I
awoke some time before day and found my-
self lying in the water, possibly two iches
deep, got up and dried myself as well as I
could. About daybreak they resumed their
march toward Detroit, stopping on the way
and painting me again. We reached Detroit
about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and as
we passed along the street, a number of
women approached us, and entreated the
Indians not to kill me. Passing on, we met
two British officers on horseback, and
stopped and chatted with the Indians, ex-
ulting with them in the victory, to whom
the women appealed in mv behalf, but they
paid no more regard to me than if I had
been a dog. I passed the night with the
Indians at the house of a white woman in
the city, who the next morning asked lib-
erty to give me a cup of tea, with a. loaf of
bread and butter. In the afternoon the
Indians paraded with their prisoners and
the trophies, scoip, and marched to the
fort. After remaining some time in the
guard-house, where all the prisoners were
suriendered but myself, my captors arose
to leave with me. When we reached the
door the guard stopped me. which seemed
to excite the Indians considerably. Major
Muir, commanding the fort, was immediate-

ly called for, and entered into a treaty for
myt release. It was said he gave as a ran-
som for me an old broken down nack horse
and a keg of whisky. My Indian captor
took affectionate leave of me, with a promise
to see me again. Let me here say my
Indian captor exhibited more the principle
of the man and the soldier than all the
British I had been brought in contact with
up to the time I met Major Muir. The next
day the British officers, Hale and Watson,
invited me to mess with them so long as I
remained in the fort. . Three or four days
afterward and the day before our officers,
Winchester, Madison and Lewis, were to
leave for the Niagtra nver, one of these
officers accompanied me across the Detroit
river to tiandwich. When passing to the
hotel where they were, when I became op-
posite the dining-room door, I saw Major
Madison sitting down to supper. The
temptation was so strong I entered the door,
to the astonishment of the Major and other
officers, who supposed 1 had been murdered
with many other prisoners. I am con-
strained to acknowledge the great mercy of
God in my preservation thus far. On the
following morning, when arrangements
were being made for transportation of
officers to Fort George, but none for me, my
heart felt like sinking within me at the
thought of being left to the care of those I
had no confidence whatever in. Providen-
tially a Canadian lieutenant was listening
and as soon as all, both British and Ameri-
can officers, left the room, nobly came to me
and said: "I have a good span of horses and
a good carryall. You are welcome to a seat
with me." I joyfully accepted his offer,
and I herebv acknowledge that I met in his
person a whole-souled man and soldier,
through whose kindness, mainly, I reached
Niagara river. When I was once more per-
mitted to look on that much loved flag of
our country, and paroled and put across the
INiaeara liver on American soil, then, with
all the suffering, I felt that I could once
more breathe freely. I have again to ac-
knowledge the goodness of God, in provid-
ing for reaching my home and friends, after
travelinz more than 1,000 miles, badly
woundcd, a half-ounce ball buried in my
shoulder. But I lived to be fully avenged
upon the enemies of my country in the bat-
tle of the 8tb of January, 1915, below New
Orleans. I have omitted many minor in-
cidents that were in this communication,
the writing of which has given great pain
in mv wounded shoulder.
THOMAS P. DUDLEY.
Lexington, Ky., Jfay 26, 1870.

b92-217-30936514

Electronic reproduction. 2002. (Beyond the shelf, serving historic Kentuckiana through virtual access (IMLS LG-03-02-0012-02) ; These pages may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically.

Battle and massacre at Frenchtown, Michigan, January, 1813 / by Rev. Thomas P. Dudley, one of the survivors.
Dudley, Thomas P., b. 1792.

Western Reserve Historical Society,
Cleveland, Oh. :
1870.

4 p. ; 22 cm.
Coleman
Caption title.
Reprint.
Microfilm. Atlanta, Ga. : SOLINET, 1995. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm. (SOLINET/ASERL Cooperative Microfilming Project (NEH PS-20317) ; SOL MN04607.17 KUK)
Printing Master B92-217.
s 1870 ohu n

IMLS

This electronic text file was created by Optical Character Recognition (OCR). No corrections have been made to the OCR-ed text and no editing has been done to the content of the original document. Encoding has been done through an automated process using the recommendations for Level 1 of the TEI in Libraries Guidelines. Digital page images are linked to the text file.