Ohio History Journal

HARMAR'S CAMPAIGN.

 

[Through the courtesy of Mr. Frazer E. Wilson of Greenville,

Ohio, the author of several articles on Wayne's campaign and the

Greenville Treaty, we herewith publish, from a duplicate of the original

MS., a letter written by one Thomas Irvin, who participated in Harmar's

advance and retreat. The document has a double interest, the first hand

information which it imparts and the crude but direct style of expression,

typical of the scholarship of the pioneers.--EDITOR.]

Dear Sir The army on Harmars Campaign Left

for Washington about the Last of September 1790

for the Indian towns followed the trace made By

Genrl Clark from Kentucky in October 1782 which

passed reading halted there one Day until the Regular

troops Came up formed the Line of March there one

Line on Each Side of Said trace to Be about 40 yards

on Each Sides from it a Strong front and Rear gard

the Baggage in the Center Encamped at Night in the

Same way passed where Sharron is and where Lebanon

in the County of Warren Stands went Some Distance

west of Waynesvill and Xenia Crossed Mad river

about 10 miles from Dayton Struke the Great Miamia

at the old Piqua Town that Sd Genrl Clark had

went against and Destroyed Crossed the River

(          )t Distance above had a pritty (

-an trace from there to the old french Store on

what is Since Called StMarys had a good India

-an trace from there to the Maumee Town as

it was then Called the 2d Morning after we Left

StMarys 8 or 10 mounted men went out in Search

of Some horses that had Been Lost over Night

Started a Smart young Indian with a Bow and

arrow They took him prisioner Brought him to

Camp there was 2 of the troops Could Speak the Indian

tounge very well he and they Spoke freely together

(393)

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394       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

he Stated the Indians at first intended to make

a Stand at the Towns give that up and inten

-ded to move their families and Burn their

Towns 600 men were Drafted from the Different Comp

-anies put under the Command of Col Hardin of

Kentucky he Being the 2d in Command

to proceed as Quick as Possible to the Towns which

they Did and when they got there found what the

prisoner Stated true the Town stood on the

East Side of the St Joseph River on the Bank of it

There was 2 Indians under the Bank when the army

got there was Discovered trying to Escape I Expect Both

Killed one of them was found in the Brush that Day the adva

-nce was in the Towns 2 or 3 Days Before the Rear got up

after the Rear arrived and Rested one Day a Detachm

ent of 400 men was ordered out with a view to

ascertain which way the Indians had gone to

Draw 2 Days provisions and Be out over Night there was

25 mounted men attached to the Same all placed under the Corn

-mand

of Col Trotter of Kentucky Crossed the river opposite

to where the Town Stood went a west Course a Short Dis

-tance after we Crossed the Mounted men Started 2 Indians

Killed Both and Lost one man marched all Day

(             ) Saw Considerable Sign But (             )

Scattered we marched in Excellent order Being a

volunteer in Sd Detachment and allong with the front

gard the 1st Day Could See the movements the Six pounder

was Discharged at head quarters about Sun Set the Col

Concluded it was Done to Call in Sd Detachment

we marched into Camp a while after Night

Turned out Next Morning to perform the 2d Days Service

Started Early in the Morning under the Command of

Col Hardin Crossed the River at the Same place

went a North Course got on to an Indian trail

Shortly after we Crossed followed it after going

about 4 miles There was 2 or 3 Indian Dogs Came out

of the woods among the troops and run off again The Col

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Harmar's Campaign.                395

 

ordered a Halt and ordered the Captns of Companies

to take post on the right and Left of Sd trace and

Keep a Sharp Look out our Company went to the

Left was ordered by the Col to go Round a Bushy Nole

or Small hill out of Sight of Sd trace and

Keep a Sharp Look out there and there remain

untill we could get orders to March he Sent Major

Fountain with 5 or 6 mounted men in advance on Sd trace

when they returned informed the Col that they had Seen a

great Deal of fresh sign on Sd trace and that they

appeared to be retreating as fast as Possible The Col

was keen to pursue and in the hurry forgot to give orders

to our Company They had marched over one mile

Before the found out the mistake our Company had

marched in front the 1st Day and in the rear the 2d

after waiting a Considerable time we moved to the

trace found they had been gone Some time pursued after

went with Major Fountain he stated that he had

Been in advance found the Indians was retreating as

fast as Possible he thought could Be Soon overtaken

Stated the Col had Entirely forgot to give orders to

our Company When he Started we had gone over half

a mile with the Major meet 2 Mounted men on the

Retreat Each had a wounded man Behind him appe

-ared to Be very Bloody they Called out for Gods Sake retr

-eat you will Be all Killed there is Indians enough

to Eat you all up we then Could hear the firing and

yelling went over a Small River there meat the poor

fellows retreating and the Indians after firing and

yelling we formed a Line across the Trace and took

trees intending to give them a fire if they Came up

Col Hardin Col Hall and Major Fountain and one

or 2 more on horse Back halted with us The

Indians Came within 80 or 90 yards and halted

I Expect they Seen the Men on horse Back Stop

Then we Stopped the pursuit and Covered the

retreat tarried there untill Dark or untill all the

retreating party passed by us as none of them halted

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396      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

with us But the Sd officers it was after Night Before

we arrived in Camp Col Hall informed me that they Detach

was Completely Defeated he was near the front

when the Indians fired on them The trace Led through

a Small or narrow prairie heavy timber on Both Sides

on the Right of it the timber and (woods) was within 20

Step of Sd trace The Indians had Kindled a fire at the far

End of Sd Prairie and Left some trinkets at it which

Caused a halt when the front arrived at it the Indians

that moment give them a deadly fire from the right The

men Sallied toward the Left and ( received) another from

there out of the woods on that Side The men Being

in Single file retreated as far as they Could I never Could

Learn how many was Killed in that Scrape There

was a Number Killed and wounded if there had Been

flankers out as Should have Been the Indians

Could not have got so great an advantage over

them There was no Detachment Sent out next Day to

ascertain how many was Killed or to Bury the Dead

We remained in Camp 2 or 3 Days after There

was 2 or 3 Indians Killed while we remained in Camp

after Sd Detachment was Defeated I was well acquainted

with Col Hall Rode Behind him that night of Sd retreat

across the river and was in his Camp next Morning

Fairmount Miami Co

Ohio

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