378 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
ST. CLAIR'S DEFEAT.
AS TOLD BY AN EYE-WITNESS--FROM ORIGINAL
MSS.
BY FRAZER E. WILSON, GREENVILLE,
O.
It is refreshing to read an
original account of any important
battle, especially when the field of
action is near at hand. Of the
600 survivors of St. Clair's unfortunate
army probably quite a
number wrote narratives which have been
lost or destroyed in
the wreck of time. The General's own
report and the descrip-
tion of Benjamin Van Cleve have been
published a number of
times and we take pleasure in printing
another from the pen of
a Mr. Thos. Irwin, deceased, of Butler
County, Ohio, who was a
wagoner in the army. Mr. Irwin has a
number of descendants in
Darke county; among whom are David P.
Irwin and Mr. William
Swartz, of Greenville. The manuscript is
in the possession of the
latter gentleman, who kindly loaned it
to the writer for copy and
publication. It reads as follows:
"The following is an account from
the memory of the movements
of General Arthur St. Clair's army from
Fort Hamilton to where said
army was defeated on the 4th of
November, in the year 1791:
"The army marched from Fort
Hamilton about the last of Sep-
tember or first of October, on a straight
line by the compass, to where
Fort Jefferson was built; encamped and
lay there over two weeks, until
the fort was built and finished. Left
there in October, marched to
Greenville creek, encamped and lay there
one week. Marched from there
on the 1st of November and was attacked
and defeated on the morning
of the 4th by the Indians. It was the
opinion of the general and his
officers that the Indians would not
attack an army where there was so
many canon with them. There was three
six pounders and three smaller
ones. On the day before the battle,
about four miles on this side,
there was a general halt. Something got
wrong. The weather was
cold. During our stay us wagoners in
front kindled up a large fire.
The general and a number of the officers
collected round it to warm
themselves. They chatted on several
subjects. One was whereabouts we
were. The general opinion was that we
had passed over the dividing
ridge between the waters of the Miamis
and St. Mary's-was then on
the waters of St. Mary's. Colonel
Serjant had been in front, came up
while they were chatting, informed them
that the advance guard had
chased four or five Indians from a fire
out of a thicket and got part
St. Clair's Defeat. 379
of a venison at the fire. The chat
turned upon the movements of the
Indians, as they had been more seen that
day than on any day previous.
The gen'l observed that he did not think
the Indians was watching the
movements of the army with a view to
attack them. The officers present
concured with him in that opinion. We
marched from there about 2
mile, halted to encamp. An express came
up from the front gard,
stated that they had got to a fine,
running stream and good place to
encamp at. We started and got there
about sunset. I expect it was
near eight o'clock before the troops got
fixed for lodging and cooking
their scanty mess of provision. There
was several guns shot that night
by the sentries. Our orders was to have
our horses up early on the
4th. We had to pass through the
sentries. They informed us that the
Indian had been round part of the camp
nearly all night. We got
part of the horses and part was stole by
the Indians. The Kentucky
malitia, perhaps three hundred, was
encamped 40 rod in advance on
the opposite side of the creek. The army
was encamped in a hollow
square on this side of creek. The three
six-pounders on the left on the
bank of said creek. The two lines was
about 50 or 60 yards apart so
as the rear could come to the creek for
water. A small ravine put into
the creek a short distance on the left
from where the six-pounders was.
About sunrise on the 4th one gun was
discharged some distance in front
of the Kentucky militia. In two minutes
after there was upwards of 50
discharged, a yell raised and charges
made on the militia. They re-
treated into the main camp, the indians
in pursuit. When the Indians
came within perhaps 60 yards of said
creek they wheeled to the right and
left with a view to surround the army
which they done in a very short
time. After they got round I think
within one hour and a half they
had killed and wounded every officer and
soldier belonging to the
artilery. After 'the artilery was
silenced I think the battle continued
another hour and half. During that time
there was several charges
made but I think neither of them
advanced more than 40 steps until
they returned. A retreat was ordered to
be beat which was done by
a drummer but not understood. George
Adams, who afterwards lived
and died in Darke county and was on that
campaign I think as a spie.
St. Clair placed great confidence in him
for former services. He was with
the gen'l. A short time before the army
retreated he came to that part
of the lone, near where the trace was,
give three sharp yells and said-
"Boys let us make for the
trace."-He took the lead, a charge was made.
I was within five or six feet of him.
The Indians give way a few guns
was shot from both sides. When we had
got perhaps about thirty rood
Adams ordered them to halt and form a
line. They were then on the
trace and could not be stopped. The race
continued perhaps 4 or 5 mile
when they slackened their pace and
arrived at Fort Jefferson a short
time after sunset. The first regiment
was there-had been sent after
deserters and to gard provisions. I
expect on the day of the battle there
380 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications
was no provision on the way within 50
miles and then not much. The
wagoners had no guns while we lay at
Jefferson and Greenville. I bor-
rowed a rifle to hunt with, could get
none; time of battle got a musket,
bayonet, cartouch box with about 20
cartridges. Throwed the box away
and carried the cartridges in a large
side pocket. The troops on that
campaign ought to have been trilled 8 or
10 months and learned them
how to handle a gun. I think a number
never had handled a gun or
shot one. There was two excellent
companies of artilary men command-
ed by Capt'ns Bradford and Ford. If they
would have had a good breast-
work to shelter thmselves all the
Indians that was there could not have
fazed them. That battle always reminded
me of on of those thunder
storms that comes up quick and rapidly.
The following is the names
of part of the officers that I had a
knowledge of that was killed in that
battle on the 4th of November, 1791:
General Butler, 1-Col. Gibson, 2
-Major Furguson of artilery, 3-Cap.
Hart, 4-Cap't'n Kirkwood, 5-
Cap't'n Smith, 6-Cap't'n Darke, 7-
Cap't'n Sarwinger, 8-Lieut Spear,
9-Lieut Lukens, 10-Ensign McMichel,
11-Cap't'n Bradford of Ar-
tilery, 12-Provisions was excedingly
scarce. Nearly all the time we lay
at Greenville creek and on until the
army was defeated the army was on
half rations and the beef part was not
very good. Six spies was sent
from Greenville creek 2 days before the
army marched from there-
went about a northeast course-heard
nothing of the battle on the 4th-
met with an Indian who informed them the
army was defeated. They
returned to Jefferson. There was four of
the spies Chockta Indians-
they killed the one they met. Capt'n
Ganoe who was afterwards gen'l in
Hamilton County was the surveyor.
THOMAS IRWIN, of B. C. Ohio.
There was six wagoners with the
artillery and one cook. Two wagon-
ers and the cook was killed. Cap't'n
Ford with the small pieces always
encampted on rear line right in rear of
the large ones. The officers on
that campaign was as good as any that
ever carried a gun. T. I.
(Spelling and grammatical construction
according to MSS.- Punc-
tuation altered to facilitate reading.)
This account corresponds in its main
points with that of
Gen. St. Clair, but being written from
memory several years after
the battle, it is inaccurate in a few
minor points of time, etc.,
and, on account of brevity, necessarily
gives but an incomplete
and imperfect picture of the affair. It
remains, however, an ex-
tremely valuable witness to the truth as
given in the generally
accepted accounts and should be
carefully and reverently pre-
served for future reference.