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.
(64
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.
66 Ohio
Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
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
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
68 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
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.
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
70
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
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
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
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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