Ohio History Journal

INDIAN ATTACK ON FORT DUNLAP.

 

 

 

STEPHEN DECATER CONE.

[Mr. Cone is a resident of Hamilton, Ohio. During a long life he

has been a student of Ohio history, has written many articles for publica-

tion and with Mr. Bert S. Bartlow was one of the co-editors of the

Centennial History of Butler County.-- EDITOR.]

In the far-famed Miami valley, nine miles below Hamilton,

on the banks of the Miami river, more than one hundred and

fourteen years ago, there occurred an incident of our pioneer

annals that on account of its local character may be of interest

to recount in these columns. We speak of the Indian attack

upon Dunlap's station, later called Fort Dunlap, afterward Col-

erain, located upon the east bank of the Miami, just below the

iron bridge crossing that river on the Colerain turnpike at

Venice.   It was a stirring event in the history of Hamilton

county. It occurred on the 9th, 10th and 11th of January, 1791.

Dunlap's station was a military blockhouse, erected for the

protection of a settlement of pioneers who went out from the

garrison at Fort Washington to clear and settle the lands along

the Big Miami. It was the custom for those whose lands were

in the same neighborhood to unite, as one party or family.

Judge Burnet says: "Each party erected a strong block-

house, near to which their cabins were put up, and the whole was

enclosed by strong log pickets. This being done they commenced

clearing their lands and preparing for planting their crops. Dur-

ing the day, while they were at work, one person was placed as

sentinel to warn them of their approaching danger. At sunset

they retired to the blockhouse and their cabins, taking every-

thing of value within the pickets. In this manner they pro-

ceeded from day to day and from week to week, till their im-

provements were sufficiently extensive to support their families.

During this time they depended for subsistence on wild game

obtained at some hazard, more than on the scant supplies which

they were able to procure from the settlement on the river.

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Indian Attack on Fort Dunlap.             65

 

"In a short time these stations gave protection and food

to a large number of destitute families. After they were estab-

lished the Indians became less annoying to the settlements on

the Ohio, as part of their time was employed in watching the

stations. They viewed these stations with great jealousy, as they

had the appearance of permanent military establishments in-

tended to retain possession of the country. In that they were

correct, and it was fortunate for the country that the Indians

wanted either the skill or the means to demolish them."

Just such an establishment was Dunlap's station. The fort

was on the east side of the Big Miami, and was picketed on the

three sides while the fourth was protected by the deep water

of the stream. A small detachment of United States troops,

under the command of Lieutenant Kingsbury, occupied the

fort. It consisted of a corporal and eleven men, besides the

commandant. Their names were Taylor, Neef, O'Neal, O'Leary,

Lincoln, Grant, Strong, Sowers, Murphy, Abel, McVicar and

Wiseman. There were on the north side of the fort, Horn, Mc-

Donald, Barrott and Barket, with their families, and on the south

side, White, with his family, and McDonald, whose family was

not at the station; all of whom were busy at their clearings dur-

ing the day, but sought the shelter of the fort in the evenings.

The Indians numbered about three hundred and fifty and

their leader was a renegade white man, infamously notorious as

Simon Girty. There was present also a Shawnee chief of portly

form, who was called Blue Jacket, who after the treaty of

Greenville, talked with our informant of the incidents of the

event, and who settled at, and it is believed died at Fort Wayne.

On the night of January 7, 1791, a surveying party consist-

ing of Sloan, Hunt, Cunningham and Wallace, who were on an

exploring tour, encamped on the west bank of the Big Miami.

On the 8th (Saturday) after roasting and eating some venison,

they set out to explore and survey the Miami bottoms opposite

10, but in the neighborhood of, the fort. After having gone

about seventy yards from camp, the Indian scouts fired a volley

of eight or ten guns from their rear. Cunningham fell dead;

Hunt's horse threw him, and he was made prisoner before he

Vol. XVII - 5.

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could recover; Sloan was shot through the body, but sat on his

horse and made off as fast as his horse could carry him, the

loose horse (Hunt's) following him. Two Indians pursued him

about a mile and a half, during which they shot at the pursued

(Wallace) twice, but without effect. At the moment they fired

they exulted over him by hallooing the first shot, he tripped and

fell; "wou-ouh"; supposing they had gained their object-they

would have got a first-rate rifle and scalp. He, however, over-

took Sloan holding Hunt's horse, mounted him, and they made

their way up the river and crossed over. Sloan now complained

of faintness, from his wound, he was told to thrust his shirt in

the bullet holes. They left the river and directed their course for

Fort Washington. On traveling about six miles, they fell into

the trace from Dunlap's station to Fort Washington. There they

held a council; the result was to go to the station and inform

the inhabitants to be on their guard. They reached the station

about sunset. This night it rained, froze, and snow fell from

four to five inches deep. It was not apprehended that the In-

dians were infesting the station in such numbers; it was sup-

posed that the party had been fallen upon by a few stragglers

only upon a predatory excursion, and on the 9th (Sunday)

Wallace, with five or six of the garrison, crossed over to the bot-

toms and buried the dead body of Cunningham, without molesta-

tion, or seeing any evidence that there was a large hostile body in

their neighborhood.

It was owing only to a lucky chance of vigilance, on the

part of Lieutenant Kingsbury himself, that the fort was not

taken by complete surprise. With soldier-like generosity he had

yielded his quarters to the wounded Sloan, and on Sunday night

he occupied himself by entertaining with lively stories and jocose

anecdotes his small command, who were willing to forego their

wonted repose and share in the forced vigilance of their com-

mander. They had, however, retired to bed. The sentinels, to

be sure, were duly posted, but it was apprehended that they had

fallen into the arms of the dreamy god, since the alarm which

it was theirs to give was first given by the commander himself.

He, towards the dawn of Monday morning, indicated his resolu-

tion to the company, which had kept awake during the night in

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Indian Attack on Fort Dunlap.             67

 

the blockhouse, his purpose of seeking somewhere a place of re-

pose. Leaving the blockhouse for this purpose, in the space of

less than five minutes, he gave the alarm by clapping his hands

and crying, "Indians! Indians!"

It indicates the security in which the garrison was, and how

little they expected an attack, that all but the sentinels and the

commandant were in bed. The alarm was received with in-

credulity, yet each man sprang to arms. It was found now that

the small stockade was infested by a large body of savages, sup-

posed at the time to number over five hundred. That number

at least they claimed in the parley which succeeded. The pris-

oner (Abner Hunt, of New Jersey), who had been taken on Sat-

urday, was put forth as interpreter, Girty, probably with some

remnant of shame, not choosing to show himself. The surrender

of the garrison was demanded-the terms promised were so

equivocal that Lieutenant Kingsbury, like General Taylor on a

subsequent similar occasion, was compelled to decline, as re-

spectfully as he could, compliance with the imperious demand.

The parley between Kingsbury, leaning over the pickets, and the

prisoner Hunt, pinioned without and held by Girty, who was

lying concealed behind a tree, lasted about an hour. This passed

on the east side of the fort. Meanwhile the soldiers on the west

side, as often as a savage would peep from the shelter of a dead

log tree, would crack at him with their muskets, and some

undoubtedly were killed, for the remains of two were afterward

discovered, while others were removed and buried by their

savage associates. Girty, through his interpreter, complained,

"What sort of a treaty is this, where you keep up a constant fire

pending the parley?" The commandant turned around, and with

a soldierly oath, threatened instant death to the next one that

fired a musket, but took care to add, sotto voice, "Kill the rascals,

if you can."

The end of the parley was succeeded by incessant volleys of

musketry from the assailants, which lasted over two hours, when

they retired to recruit, threatening to return in the evening to

carry all by storm. The garrison was illy provided with ammu-

nition, having only twenty-four rounds of cartridges per man,

and no ordnance; none was therefore to be wasted; though the

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women, to remedy the scarcity of ammunition, cast their pewter

plates and spoons into bullets. The enemy renewed the attack

in the afternoon with musketry, and also by bows and arrows,

firing brands within the stockade with the hope of firing the fort.

The volleys were continued during the evening, interrupted by

moments of parley through the prisoner Hunt, who earnestly

begged on his own behalf the surrender of the garrison, because

he was threatened with a death of horribly lingering torture.

About midnight they retired to execute the threat. The prisoner

was nearly stripped naked, laid upon the ground, and pinioned

by his wrists and ankles, his arms and legs outstretched in a

most painful manner. They then built a fire upon his naked

abdomen. His groans were distinctly heard by the garrison dur-

ing the remainder of that sad night becoming fainter and fainter,

till about daybreak, they finally ceased.

When morning dawned the Indians returned to the attack,

and continued their firing for a half hour or more. It was a

crisis which tried the souls of the little garrison as well as their

valiant commander.

The fort was completely infested by the Indians, and the at-

tack most violent. They began the fight like they were certain

of victory, and the garrison, while bravely repelling the attacks,

considered itself in extreme danger.  The Indians, however,

finally despairing of success, and apprehensive of reinforcements

arriving, abandoned the enterprise and withdrew.

The fort was entirely of wood, consisting of a few block-

houses and cabins, with a line of pickets, and was particularly

exposed to the assaults, as the cabins, contrary to the usual and

proper plan, presented the low edges of their roofs outside, some

of them being so low, that, it is stated a dog which had been

shut out of the station, leaped from a stump outside onto the

roof of one of the cabins. During the siege the most active

efforts of the assailants were directed to setting the roofs of the

buildings on fire, both by fire-arrows and by carrying brands of

fire. One Indian ran with a burning brand to a building which

he had nearly reached, when a volley stretched him lifeless.

When the Indians retreated, as their tracks showed, they filed

off, right and left from the fort.

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Indian Attack on Fort Dunlap.           69

 

The little garrison, though but a handful compared with

their assailants, displayed great bravery, in some instances

amounting to rashness. During the firing, they frequently ex-

posed their persons above the tops of the pickets, mocking the

savages and daring them to come on. Women, as well as men,

used every expedient in their power to provoke and irritate the

enemy. They exhibited the caps of the soldiers above the pickets,

as a mark to be shot at.

Their apparent confidence in their security, when subjected

to the gravest danger, may have had the tendency to induce the

Indians to abandon the siege as soon as they did.

Accounts differ as to how word was received at Fort Wash-

ington of the attack. One account, that given by Judge Burnet,

states that John S. Wallace, who had made his escape from the

Indians on the eighth, was still in the fort. It is said that at ten

o'clock at night during the attack of the Indians he made an

effort to pass through the Indian lines and go to Cincinnati for

the purpose of obtaining re-enforcements from General Harmar, at

Fort Washington, but finding the Indians encompassing him on

every side, he was obliged to return. Fortunately the night

happened to be very dark, and at three in the morning Wallace,

accompanied by a soldier named William Wiseman, got into

a canoe on the side of the fort next to the water's edge, and

silently paddled across and landed on the opposite bank, from

whence they took to the bushes, and made their way down the

river and took the woods for Cincinnati. When about five or

six miles out from that place they met a party of soldiers, under

General John S. Gano, from Columbia, and returned with them

to the station.

Another account states that Lieutenant Kingsbury endeav-

ored to induce several old veterans, by the promise of a reward,

to go to Fort Washington to give the alarm and bring relief,

but in vain. This was overheard by a young stripling of eight-

teen years, who had been relieved just then from duty outside all

night, but who was allowed the relief of watching through a

port-hole a crafty warrior who, behind a tree, was endeavoring

by several tricks to draw his fire and allow him an opportunity to

escape. The commandant's declaration that he could induce no

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one to go, surprised him, and he volunteered to go provided the

officer would parade the garrison in front of the blockhouse

and let them see him across the river. It is related that this was

done, and in broad daylight (ten o'clock A. M.) amid the volleys

of musketry of the Indian assailants, the young man, alone in

the canoe, succeeded in setting himself across the river, and,

regaining the opposite bank, he took his course with all speed

down the stream, and after stripping off and making two at-

tempts to wade, in vain, concluded he must make the best way

to North Bend-but in the course of two or three hundred yards

further he fortunately discovered the fording place, which he was

enabled to pass without finding it more than knee deep. About

three o'clock P. M. he reported himself to General Harmar, the

commandant at Fort Washington, with the news of the critical

state of things at Dunlap's station.

It is related that General Harmar dispatched a message to

Columbia, for re-enforcements, which arrived at Fort Wash-

ington that evening, or the next morning. A force of about fifty

regulars and militia were dispatched on Wednesday morning,

under the command of Colonel Strong, which, guided by William

Wiseman (for that was the name of the young hero) reached

the infested post soon after noon. The Indians, aware of the

force advancing against them, speedily raised the siege and re-

treated up the river, the last raft crossing the stream as Colonel

Strong came in sight. Finding it impossible to pursue them

without the means of crossing the river, he returned to Cin-

cinnati.

These accounts are probably both colored in the interest of

the two men, Wallace and Wiseman. One seeks to make Wal-

lace the hero, but mentions Wiseman as accompanying him on

the journey. The other gives Wiseman all the credit, and makes

no mention of Wallace. Perhaps the most accurate account is

that related by Thomas Irwin, who was one of the early pioneers

of Butler county, having settled near Blue Ball, and for fourteen

years represented Butler county in the Ohio legislature. At the

time of the attack of Fort Dunlap, Mr. Irwin, who then lived in

Cincinnati, states that a hunter by the name of Cox, afterward

one of the first to take up lands in Union township. Butler

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Indian Attack on Fort Dunlap.            71

 

county, happened to be out hunting in the neighborhood of Dun-

lap's Station, and hearing the firing of the guns suspected the

cause and went to Cincinnati and informed the commandant at

Columbia and Fort Washington. A volunteer force of thirty-

eight men, of whom Irwin was one, turned out immediately.

The same number of men were taken from the regulars, the

whole being placed under the command of Captain Truman;

and about twenty volunteers from Columbia, under command

of Captain Gano, started before daylight the next morning for

Dunlap's Station, all on horseback, for the relief of the place.

John Riley, afterwards a clerk of the court of Butler county,

and Patrick Moore, who also settled in Butler county, were in the

party, and both rode white horses, and preceded a short distance

in advance, as picket guard, or spies, to give notice if the enemy

should appear. Samuel Davis, afterward a resident of Wayne

township, Butler county, was also one of the volunteers from

Cincinnati on that occasion. When the party had proceeded

about six miles, they met Wallace and Wiseman on their way to

Fort Washington, to tell the news of the attack. Finding that

the news had preceded them they turned about and accompanied

the relief party to the station.

About ten o'clock the party arrived at the top of the hill,

which overlooks the plain on which Dunlap's Station was situ-

ated, when it was discovered the Indians had abandoned the

siege and gone. On arriving at the fort, it was found that the

garrison, though in imminent danger, had sustained but little

injury. On the first fire, the Indians fired into a building where

the hand mill was kept, between the logs which had not been

chunked, by which they killed one man and wounded another.

The body of Abner Hunt was found near the station, shockingly

mangled,-his brains beaten out, two war clubs laid across his

breast, and a blazing firebrand placed in his bowels.

Dunlap's station was soon after abandoned on account of its

exposed danger to the excursions of the savage foe. Both the

settlers and military left it, inasmuch as in the attack, which we

have been describing the Indians had destroyed the accumulations

of the preceding season, and a scene of wild ruin and desolation

was spread around. The houses of many, besides those whose

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72       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. names we have given, who had provided dwellings which they purposed to occupy in the spring, shared in the common con- flagration and ruin, and the panic for awhile retarded the settle- ment of a locality now among the most flourishing and peaceful in the state of Ohio.

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