362 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
dedicatory exercises in honor of the
battle which occurred near this
spot on July 30, 1813, when Major Ball's
squadron, Second Light
Dragoons, U. S. Army, while escorting
Colonel Wells of the Seventeenth
U. S. Infantry, from Major General
Harrison's headquarters at Fort
Seneca to relieve Major Croghan of the
command of Fort Stephenson
for alleged insubordination in refusing
to evacuate the fort, was ambushed
by Indians, but gallantly charged them
and killed seventeen with the
saber.
It is a source of much gratification to
know that so many are
interested in this work and to know that
the deeds of the men of nearly
a century ago are not forgotten in the
hearts of the people. It is one
of the objects of the D. A. R. to
perpetuate the memory of the spirit
of the men who helped to achieve
American independence by the
acquisition and protection of historical
spots and by the erection of
markers. In dedicating this marker we
are endeavoring to place before
this generation and the generations to
come, a memorial which will
ever call to mind the great deeds
performed by the men of those early
days which aided in determining the fate
of the Northwest, and the
great debt of gratitude we shall ever
owe to them. And as this stone,
which we hope will endure for ages, is
unveiled, may there be planted
in the hearts of each one present seeds
of patriotism, civic pride, hope
and love which will grow and blossom,
not only in our hearts, but
also in the hearts of those who will
follow after us.
Mrs. Clayton R. Truesdall, state regent
of the D. A. R.,
spoke for the state society and her
first appearance before her
own chapter in such an office was
greeted enthusiastically by the
members of the chapter. Her remarks were
most excellent and
given in her usual attractive and
charming manner.
ADDRESS OF MRS. TRUESDALL.
Several years ago in conversation with a
friend on literary style,
Mathew Arnold said: "People think I
can teach them style. What stuff
it all is! Have something to say and say
it as clearly as you can.
That is the only secret of style."
So this morning is no time for any
special oratory but an occasion while
many are forced to stand, to speak
briefly as ambassador of the Daughters
of the Revolution in Ohio.
Our state has been one of the greatest
battlegrounds in history.
Here the contest took place between the
Indians and the advancing
civilization of Europe. Here was the
scene of the last bitter encounter
between the two races, the Anglo-Saxon
or British, and the Latin, or
French. Then came the reckoning between
the divisions of the Anglo-
Saxon, the English, and Americans. Its
inhabitants have listened to the
war-whoop of many savage nations, and
been subservient to the banner
of France, England and the United
States.
The Harrison Table Rock and Ball's
Battlefield. 363
No other county in the state is so rich
in early history as Sandusky.
A British post was established here
during the Revolutionary War. Here
the first permanent white settlers
located and the first marriage between
whites was performed. Especially during
the War of 1812 was it a
famous battleground.
In marking, one by one, these historical
places, we, as an organi-
zation, are not only showing patriotism
in one of the truest forms--
reverencing the memory and brave deeds
of our heroes--but we are
reminding the present and future
generations of our dearly won liberties,
for very truly has some one said:
"Every spot in a land that marks
the achievement of an heroic deed is to
that land a perpetual fountain
from which flows influences to
strengthen the patriotism of its people."
In imagination we can see Major Ball's
dragons gallantly riding
down this road. They obeyed the order to
charge with bayonets when-
ever smoke was seen and thus in a
hand-to-hand encounter killed
seventeen of the eighteen Indians.
Bravery in battle requires the same
courage, whether the fighting
is on Ball's battlefield with a small
squadron, at Fort Stephenson with
160 men defending the fort, or with the
thousands at Gettysburg. So
today we honor the memory of the men who
won the battle which pre-
ceded Croghan's victory by two days.
From here we will go on to the Harrison
Mess Rock located on
Harrison Trail. It is well known in this
part of the state on account
of its great size and because the
general and his staff lunched from its
spacious board.
As your state regent, I am delighted to
congratulate you on the
placing of these markers, for as the
Fort Kearney Chapter in Nebraska
was the first to erect a tablet on the
Old Oregon Trail in that state,
so you, members of my own chapter, are
the first to place markers on the
General Harrison Military Trail in Ohio.
Mrs. John T. Mack, of Sandusky, state
chairman of the his-
torical sites committee, was next
introduced by the local regent
and gave an interesting account of what
has been done through-
out the state in the marking and
commemoration of historic sites.
A part of her paper was as follows:
ADDRESS OF MRS. MACK.
The committee on historic sites of the
Daughters of the American
Revolution of Ohio wish to congratulate
the Colonel Croghan Chapter
upon the unveiling of two more tablets,
thus adding more laurels to the
wreath you have won in the marking of
historic spots. It was in the year
of 1901-02, under the state regency of
Mrs. John A. Murphy that the
committee on marking Revolutionary
soldiers' graves was formed. A