his officers and men, held the most friendly relations with the surrounding Indians. In the spring of 1812 a coolness was observed on the part of the savages, and early in April a scalping party of Winnebagoes, from the Rock River, committed murders in the neighborhood of Chicago. The alarmed inhabitants took refuge in the fort. At length the Indians disappeared, and for several weeks the dwellers at Chicago experienced no further disturbance.

against the savages on the open prairie by fiftyfour soldiers, a dozen civilians, and a few women. Of the latter Mrs. Heald and Mrs. Helm (a step-daughter of Mr. Kinzie) were the most conspicuous. They were both mounted. Mrs. Heald was an excellent rider, and expert in the use of the rifle. This she used effectively. She received some wounds. Faint and bleeding, she managed to keep the saddle. A savage raised his tomahawk to kill her, when she looked him full in the face, and in his own language, said, with a sweet, melancholy smile, "Surely you will not kill a squaw!" The appeal was effectual. Her life was spared. Mrs. Helm had a severe personal encounter with a powerful young warrior, who attempted to tomahawk her. By a quick movement she seized him around the neck and endeavored to get hold of his scalping knife, which hung in a sheath on his breast, when she was dragged from him by another Indian, who, in spite of her desperate resistance, bore her to the lake and plunged her in, at the same time, to her astonishment, holding her so that she would not drown. It was a friendly hand that held her. It was that of the Black Partridge who gave Heald the warning. She too was saved. But Captain Wells and twothirds of the white people were slain or wounded. When the captives were taken back to the Indian camp near the fort a new scene of horrors was opened. Proctor had offered a liberal sum for scalps delivered at Malden; so nearly all the wounded were deliberately killed, and the value of British bounty-such as is sometimes offered in new countries for the destruction of wolveswas taken from each head. On the following

Early in August a message reached Captain Heald from General Hull, by the hand of a friendly Indian, ordering him to evacuate Fort Dearborn if practicable, and distribute the public property there among the surrounding Indians, as a peace-offering. The courier, a friend of the white people, who knew the Indians well, advised against evacuation. Tecumtha had informed them of the fall of Mackinack, the withdrawal of Hull from Canada, and the probable success of the British at Detroit, and assured them that Heald was in their power, and they must not let him escape. Heald's officers also advised against evacuation. They had plenty of ammunition and food, and might endure a protracted siege. But Heald determined to leave the post and distribute the property. Had he done so immediately, before the Indians could gather a force to oppose him, all might have been well. But he delayed, and they prepared. At length, on the 13th of August, the distribution was made, and the garrison, with the women and children, prepared to march out the following morning, to make their way to Fort Wayne, under an escort of Pottawatomies, who pretended to be friendly. That evening Black Partridge, a really friendly chief, said to Cap-morning the fort was burned, and Chicago betain Heald, mysteriously, but plainly in warn- came a desolation, while the prisoners were ing, "Leaden birds have been singing in my taken eastward. A new fort was erected there ears to-day; be careful on the march you are in 1816. One of its block-houses remained in going to take." But Heald heeded not the Chicago, at the river termination of Wabash warning. That night he destroyed the powder, Avenue, until 1856, when it was demolished. muskets, and whisky, in the fort, which the In-The city of Chicago now covers the entire theatre dians expected to have, the discovery of which, the next morning, greatly exasperated them.

The morning of the 14th dawned brightly, but the dwellers in the fort were impressed with a presentiment of impending destruction. They were preparing to leave when Captain Wells, Mrs. Heald's uncle, was seen approaching with a band of Miamies. He had pushed forward from Fort Wayne as rapidly as possible with reinforcements for the post, well knowing that certain destruction would follow evacuation. He was too late. All means for maintaining a siege had been distributed or destroyed. The day was passed in gloomy preparations; and on the morning of the 15th, at nine o'clock, they all left the fort in solemn procession, the band playing the Dead March in Saul, for they had positive information that the Indians intended to massacre the white people. They had not gone far along the margin of the lake when the escort of Pottawatomies turned upon them. Α short but desperate fight ensued. The cowardly Miamies fled, and the battle was sustained

of events just alluded to.

When the post at Chicago was annihilated by this one terrible blow, Black Bird, the leader of the fierce Pottawatomies, who accomplished it, pressed on toward Fort Wayne, to attempt the capture of that important military station, while Tecumtha, with the zeal of a patriot and enthusiast, sent emissaries to all the tribes to incite them to go out upon the war-path, and exterminate the white people north of the Ohio. He and Proctor resolved to capture Forts Wayne and Harrison immediately, as the first important step toward the accomplishment of the longcherished design of the British authorities and the great Indian warrior. To divert attention from these posts and prevent their garrisons being reinforced, the savages were directed to prosecute warfare at distant points in their usual mode, namely, murdering isolated settlers, with their women and children.

Early in September Fort Wayne was invested by about six hundred Indians, and at the same time Major Muir, of the British army, was mov

HARPER'S NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

BLOCK-HOUSE AT CHICAGO, IN 1856.

dians.

ing in that direction with regulars, Canadian son would be exposed to massacre by the Inmilitia, and Indians from Malden. The garrison of Fort Wayne, under Captain Rhea, num- reinforcement of seven hundred Indians was He also assured Captain Rhea that a bered only seventy men, and the entire amount of heavy ordnance there consisted of four small near. The Americans were not alarmed by the field-pieces. The savages attacked the fort on A courier had brought intelligence that friends "Quaker guns" nor the fabled reinforcements. the night of the 6th with great vehemence. They were on the way to relieve the garrison. The attempted to scale the palisades, but so vigilant assailants seem to have received similar intelliand skillful were the garrison that the Indians gence, and on the 12th they fled precipitately were not permitted to do the least damage. In from before the fort. On the same evening the the morning the assailants tried strategy. Two deliverers arrived and Fort Wayne was saved. logs, made to imitate cannon, were placed "in battery," and a half-breed, with a flag, was sent Wayne were in progress similar attempts were While these demonstrations against Fort to the fort to inform the commander that the made to capture the new Fort Harrison, on the British had sent them two siege guns, and that Wabash, then in command of Captain Zachary if the post was not surrendered immediately the Taylor, who was just recovering from a severe stockade would be battered down and the garri-attack of bilious fever. The garrison consisted

a force of five thousand men. Governor Meigs, of Ohio, had been equally active, and the evervigilant Harrison, with his accustomed forecast and energy, had caused several block-houses and stockades to be erected within his Territory of Indiana. His popularity was unbounded. "The hero of Tippecanoe" was a standing toast among the Kentuckians; and when, at the request of Governor Scott, he visited Frankfort to join in a conference on military affairs, he was honored with a public reception and the cordial greetings of the principal men of the State. His views of affairs in the Northwest were so comprehensive that Henry Clay and others desired him to lay them before the Government. He did so in a letter on the 10th of August, in which he predicted the downfall of Detroit if General Hull should not be reinforced. Before that letter reached Washington Detroit and Chicago had both fallen.

of only about fifty men, of whom, on account of | ed event. As early as May, Governor Scott had the epidemic sickness, not more than a dozen organized ten regiments of volunteers, making were fit for duty. Only six privates and two non-commissioned officers were able to mount guard at a time. Warning of danger had reached the post, and added strength to the convalescents. Preparations for an attack were made, and toward midnight of the 4th of September Captain Taylor was aroused from his slumbers by the firing of his sentinels. Every man was ordered to his post. It was soon discovered that one of the block-houses had been set on fire by the assailants, who were chiefly Winnebagoes, Shawnoese, Pottawatomies, Kickapoos, and some Miamies, who still adhered to the fortunes of The Prophet, then seated at his old village near the Tippecanoe. That blockhouse was extremely important, for it contained most of the provisions for the garrison. For a time there seemed little hope of safety. The block-house was consumed, and the fort was opened to the host of savages without, whose exultant yells for a moment almost paralyzed the little garrison. All seemed lost. The flames were touching the barracks when the commander, whose courage and resources were always equal to any emergency, shouted, "Pull off the roofs nearest the block-house; pour on water, and all will be well!" His voice was like inspiration, and several of the men, led by Dr. Clark, the surgeon, climbed to the roof, cast off the boards, and by great exertions, in the face of a terrible fire of bullets and arrows from the savages, subdued the flames and saved the menaced buildings. In all this heroic action only one man was killed and two wounded. Before daylight the breach had been covered by a high traverse of earth; and at eight o'clock in the morning, after a conflict of eight hours, the disheartened savages retired beyond the reach of the guns of the fort. The wearied garrison were thus allowed some repose. Toward noon the Indians, after having destroyed some of the live-stock belonging to the fort, fled up the Wabash, taking a number of horses, cattle, and hogs with them. Fortunately for the garrison the standing Indian corn around the fort was left untouched, and on this they subsisted several days, until relief came to them from Vin

cennes.

We have observed that troops arrived at Fort Wayne and saved it from destruction. Whence came they? Let us see.

Gov

At this critical moment the veteran Isaac Shelby, the hero of King's Mountain, suddenly appeared upon the scene as the successor-elect of Governor Scott. He had felt the public pulse with a master's touch. He knew that Kentuckians were eager to be led northward for the reconquest of Michigan and the expulsion of the enemy, and that the volunteers were anxious to be commanded by Harrison. ernor Scott responded to their wishes by appointing him Major-General of the Kentucky Militia. By a commission dated three days earlier President Madison had appointed him a Brigadier in the army of the United States. Harrison immediately entered upon his duties under the authority of the Governor of Kentucky, hastened to Cincinnati, sent troops northward from there on the 29th of August, and on the 31st overtook them forty miles on their way toward Dayton, and was received with great demonstrations of respect. On the following day, at Dayton, he received his commission from the President of the United States, with instructions to take command of all the forces in the Territories of Indiana and Illinois, and to co-operate with General Hull and Governor Howard of Missouri.

Harrison was perplexed by his instructions from the War Department. Hull's army was annihilated, and General Winchester, of the regulars, was in chief command of the army The sad disasters in the Northwest caused the of the Northwest destined to co-operate with most intense feelings of indignation, horror, the unfortunate invader of Canada. He wrote and mortified pride throughout the whole coun- to the Government for new instructions under try, and especially westward of the Alleghany the circumstances, but pushed forward in the Mountains. The frontier was exposed to raids, path of duty to Piqua, expecting to meet Genif not formidable invasions of the British and eral Winchester there, and to resign the comtheir savage allies; and the instinct of self-mand of his troops into that officer's hands. preservation as well as the sentiment of pride Two thousand soldiers were with him, and as called for immediate and effective action. An many more were following. On his arrival at intense desire was created to drive the motley Piqua he was informed of the perilous situation enemy from the soil of the Republic. of Fort Wayne. He sent a trusty Indian to promise relief to the garrison. General Winchester had not arrived. Delay might be dan

Even before the declaration of war Kentucky had made military preparations for the expect

gerous; so he sent a detachment toward Fort village of Defiance now stands. Muir and ElWayne, with instructions to make forced march-liott, taking counsel of prudence and their fears,

The plan was well arranged, but supplies lin gered. Winchester's troops, composing the left wing of the army, were made a corps of observation, and Fort Defiance was designed as an important deposit for provisions, preparatory to the grand advance on the Rapids. That movement was to commence as soon as the artillery should arrive at Upper Sandusky, and other supplies had accumulated along the base of operations.

along the margin of the swampy region from | vance on the Rapids; and he soon afterward esSt. Marys to Upper Sandusky, the former to tablished his head-quarters at Franklinton, on be the principal deposit for provisions, and the the Scioto River, opposite the site of the present latter for artillery and military stores. The city of Columbus, then covered by the primeval army was to march in three divisions, the right forest. It was an eligible point for the concencolumn to be composed of the Virginia and tration and forward movement of troops and Pennsylvania troops, to rendezvous at Wooster, supplies. Owing to unavoidable delays, caused the capital of the present Wayne County, Ohio, partly by the tardiness with which supplies reachand proceed from thence by Upper Sandusky to ed him, and partly because of the wretched conthe Rapids. The centre column, to consist of dition of the roads, made so by the autumn rains, twelve hundred Ohio militia, was to march from he spent several weeks in laborious preparations Urbana to Fort M'Arthur, and follow Hull's for an advance, resolved, if he could do no betroad to the Rapids. The left column, to be ter, to undertake the perilous enterprise of a composed of the regulars under Colonel Samuel winter campaign. He knew that much was exWells, and four regiments of Kentucky volun- pected of him, and day and night his head and teers, were to proceed down the Au Glaise to hands were at work. Taking all things into the Maumee from St. Marys, and join Win- consideration, his task was Herculean, and to chester, and from thence press onward to the some men would have been appalling. He was Rapids. compelled to create an army out of good but exceedingly crude materials. He was compelled to reconcile many differences and difficulties in order to insure the harmony arising from perfect discipline. He was compelled to concentrate forces and supplies at convenient places, while perplexed with the greatest impediments. His operations were necessarily three-fold in character; namely, preparative, offensive, and defensive, in a wilderness filled with hostile savages, controlled and supported by British regulars. A frontier hundreds of miles in extent must be protected at all hazards from the hatchet and the knife. The season was becoming more and more inclement. From the fortieth degree of latitude northward (the direction of his projected march) was a region of dark forests and black swamps. The autumnal rains had commenced, filling ev ery stream brimful, and making every morass overflow with water. Through these roads must be cut and causeways constructed for the passage of troops, pack-horses, provisions, and artillery. Block-houses were to be built, magazines of provisions established, and a vigilant watch kept upon the savages prowling on his flanks. All this had to be done with undisciplined troops prone to self-government and independence, with a great uncertainty whether volunteers would swell his army to the promised number of ten thousand men. Yet, in view of all these difficulties, Harrison was hopeful, and worked on with faith. Governor Meigs, and Generals Wadsworth and Perkins, and others of Ohio, gave him all the assistance in their power; and Brigadier-General Tupper, with a corps of mounted men of the same State, performed valuable services in pioneer movements toward the Rapids.

While Harrison was engaged in these preparations, he heard, almost simultaneously, by expresses, of the departure of Muir and Elliott from Malden with British regulars, Canadian militia, two thousand Indians, and two pieces of artillery for Fort Wayne by way of the Maumee, and of the meeting of the dusky vanguard of the foe by Winchester between Fort Wayne and Fort Defiance. These reports produced great commotion in the camp. The troops were immediately provisioned and ordered to march rapidly toward Defiance. Three hours after the order was issued Harrison was in the saddle, and his whole corps were following him into the wilderness in a drenching rain. That night officers and men slept in the cold damp air, without tents, and nothing between them and the water pools on the surface of the ground but brush from the beech-trees. There Harrison was informed by Winchester of the flight of the enemy down the Maumee. The march was stayed. Some of the troops were ordered back. Others moved forward to make a road to Defiance; and the mounted men, a thousand strong, rode forward in five lines, making an imposing appearance in the stately forest, where the leaves were just assuming the gorgeous autumnal tints. Harrison visited Winchester's camp, and found the troops in almost open mutiny. By cheering words he soon restored order and comparative good feeling. They were willing to endure much now that they were informed that the beloved Harrison was the commanding General of the whole army.

After ordering the construction of a new fort (which was named Fort Winchester) near old Fort Defiance, Harrison returned to St. Marys to complete his preparations for a general ad

In November Tupper made a bold attempt to capture the British post at the Rapids. He had quite a severe contest there, but was compelled to retreat on account of a lack of provisions. His sudden appearance alarmed the enemy; and while Tupper was hastening back toward Fort M'Arthur the enemy were flying down the Maumee, and abandoning the Rapids to the next comer. At about the same time expeditions were moving against the Indians elsewhere. One of them, sent out by Harrison, under Col