HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY

War of 1812.

The first accurate knowledge of Marion County by the white man was gained during, the War of 1812. War was declared by the United States against Great Britain on June 18, 1812. Gen. William Hull with 2,500 men surrendered Detroit to General Brock on August 16th and immediately the entire northwest frontier was in a state of intense excitement.

At this time there were no white settlers in Marion County north of the Greenville Treaty line. South of that line, in Marlborough (now Waldo) township, lived the Drakes, Bruridiges, Wyatts, Wilcoxes and Currans. Realizing their danger from a sudden attack by the Indians, Fort Morrow was built about three quarters of a mile south of the present village of Waldo. The fort contained two blockhouses, one at the southwest and one at the northeast corner of the enclosure, which contained about half an acre of ground. One of the blockhouses, was of round and the other of hewed logs. On the top log of the latter was painted "Fort Morrow. Built by Captain Taylor." The upper story of these blockhouses projected out about four feet all around over a basement six feet high. They had port-holes and one cannon was kept at the fort. The fort, which included Wyatt's tavern, was surrounded by an inclosure of pickets, made of slabs, three inches thick and five or six feet in height. Wyatt's Tavern was a two-story brick building 20 by 36 feet in dimensions.

It was built by Nathaniel Wyatt, Sr., before the war, on the old Military road. It was run as a hotel until about 1840. The old Military road, as it is commonly called, was ceded to the United States by a treaty made at Brownstown, Michigan, on November 25, 1808, with the Chippewas, Ottawas, Pottawatomies, Wyandots and Shawanees. By the terms of this treaty a strip of land 120 feet wide was ceded to the United States, from the foot of the Maumee Rapids, to the west line of the Western Reserve, and all the land within one mile of the road on each side, that settlements might be made along it. By the same treaty a strip 120 feet wide, for a roadway only, settlements being barred, was ceded from Lower Sandusky (Fremont) south to the Greenville Treaty line. This road followed up the Sandusky River, passed just west of Tiffin, through Upper Sandusky and Marion.

Through Marion County it followed, in general, the line of the present Marion and Upper Sandusky and Marion and Delaware pikes. This road in its course did not follow any of the present streets of Marion, but at a point near where Delaware avenue and Main street intersect it bore off to the northwest, continuing the general direction of Delaware avenue, and passing a little east of where Center and Prospect streets intersect.

The old Military road may still be traced in many places in this county. On the farm of S. O. Young, three miles south of Marion, its route may be plainly seen where it passes through the woods about one-eighth of a mile west of the Marion and Delaware pike. It passes through the entire length of the. woods, is between 35 and 40 feet in width and is now overgrown with second-growth timber, some of which is a foot or more in diameter.

When the War of 1812 came on, this became the chief route for moving those armies that were assembled at Chillicothe, then the State capital, to the frontier, as well as the great highway over which the artillery and supplies were forwarded to the Army of the Northwest. This road, as opened by Harrison's troops, did not always maintain a direct course, but curved around the swampy places and kept on the high places.

Gen. William Henry Harrison was appointed to the command of the Army of the Northwest in September, 1812. At the time he was in his 39th year. He bad, been Ohio's first Representative in Congress. While in Congress he was appointed Governor of the Territory of Indiana. As Governor, just one year before, he had won his famous victory at Tippecanoe. After Hull's surrender, he was considered by President Madison as the most suitable person to place in command of the American forces in the Northwest.

Harrison arrived at Franklinton, now Columbus in September, 1812, and began to plan his compaign. To the north of Delaware was an almost unbroken forest, occupied by hostile Indians. The troops at his disposal were mostly militia and volunteers. His plan was to divide the army into three columns:

The left, composed of Kentucky militia and the 17th and 18th U. S. regiments, under Brigadier-General Winchester, was assigned to the route of St. Marys; the central column, consisting Of 1,200 Ohio militia and 800 mounted infantry, commanded by Brigadier-General Tupper, to that of Fort McArthur (Kenton) ;

while the right column, made up of three brigades of militia from Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio, led by General Harrison in. person, was to approach its object by Upper Sandusky and Lower Sandusky. The objective point was the recovery of Michigan Territory.

The conditions confronting General Harrison are described in his communication to the government, dated October 22nd, from Franklinton. He wrote: "I am not able to fix any period for the advance of the troops to Detroit. It is pretty evident, that it cannot be done, on proper principles, until the frost shall become so severe, as to enable us to use the rivers and the margin of the lake, for the transportation of the baggage on the ice.

To get supplies forward, through the swampy wilderness of nearly 200 miles, in wagons or on pack-horses, which are to: carry their own provisions, is absolutely impossible." He further stated that in the opinion of the quartermaster, it would require two teams, loaded with forage for their own subsistence, for every one employed in carrying other articles from Franklinton to Upper Sandusky, at which place it was necessary to accumulate, not only provisions for the men, but forage to serve at least 2,000 horses and oxen, to be employed in advancing on the main expedition.

About the middle of November he moved his headquarters to Delaware. It was while at Delaware, on December 12th, that he wrote the government suggesting that an effort be made to secure control of Lake Erie. His advice was followed, resulting in Perry's victory. From, Delaware also he wrote Secretary Monroe his letter resigning his office of Governor of the Territory of Indiana, to which he had been successively appointed by Jefferson, Adams and Madison, in order to accept the appointment as brigadier-general.

The Senate, it seems, had delayed confirming his appointment, because some of the Senators contended that Harrison should first resign as Governor. The movement of the troops during November was delayed by heavy rains. Then came cold weather and a hard freeze. Parties were sent forward immediately to open roads, bridge creeks and pave the way for the army through what are now Marion and Wyandot counties.

Early in December a detachment of Gen. Simon Perkin's brigade were the first troops to pass over the Military road. About the 8th and, 9th of the same month a battalion of Pennsylvania militia passed over this route, with 21 pieces of artillery, which had been brought from Pittsburg by Lieutenant Hukill. Then General Harrison sent some companies of the Virginia brigade after them to strengthen the forces and guard the supplies. On the 18th of December General Harrison himself arrived with more troops at Upper Sandusky.

It is altogether likely that his, march through Marion County took place on the 16th and 17th of December, 1812. It is known that he remained one night at Wyatt's Hotel in Waldo township, and camped at. "Jacob's Well." On this march Harrison was accompanied by Pennsylvania and Virginia troops with 18 l--pounders, eight 12-pounders and two 5 1/2-howitzers.

One cannon was lost in the swale near "Jacob's Well." This interesting landmark, probably first used by the passing troops, was located on the east side of the Military road at a point not far from the residence of Mr. Fairfield on Delaware avenue. Samuel H. Bartram remembers distinctly having been shown the well when a small boy, by his father, Judge John Bartram. At that time the well had fallen into decay. It was from eight to ten feet deep, walled up with cobblestones. The virgin forest still stood around it, except that all the trees had been removed from 10 to 15 feet in each direction. It was near the brow of the hill and perhaps 25 feet back from the road.

The popular belief that this well was near Columbia street is erroneous, for it was not mere water that was desired, but pure water, free from malaria, and suitable for cooking and drinking. The low ground was filled with water the year round. This spring or well on the hill was undoubtedly of great value to the troops, and around it camped the soldiers, weary after a day of strenuous marching through the unbroken forest to the south, or the swampy prairie to the north.

"about the 10th General Harrison arrived himself (at Upper Sandusky) and established his headquarters. Soon after he returned to Chillicothe and after a short stay again proceeded to the frontier by way of Franklinton, from which place he wrote Secretary Monroe on the 4th and 8th of January, 1813, from which we gather that the plan of campaign had been checked by a general thaw about the last of December, succeeded by a very deep snow, whilst the ground was in that soft state.

He writes: 'It is however cold again, and we calculated on being able to use with effect the sleds, a considerable number of which I have caused to be prepared.' A few days after writing these letters he arrived again at Upper Sandusky, together with the whole of the Pennsylvania and Virginia brigades, making his effective force at that place about 1,500 strong. On the 12th the balance of the artillery also arrived, large quantities of necessary supplies were constantly arriving, and the general appearance of the camp announced the near approach of that state of preparation requisite to the commencement of active operations."

The exact date of his first, arrival at Upper Sandusky, as stated, was December 18, 1812. On December 27th, he was back again in Chillicothe. On January 8th following, he was at Franklinton and a few days later was again at Upper Sandusky. So that in less than 30 days General Harrison had crossed the present territory of Marion County four times, traveling over the Military road.

Altogether, probably not less than 10,000 troops traversed the territory of the county, most of them along the Military road, but some taking the road running through Radnor and passing near Green Camp and Big Island. There were also many teamsters, wagons loaded with supplies and camp equipment, cattle and horses; and on December 18, 1812, 4,648 hogs were started from Chillicothe for the use of the Army of the Northwest and driven over this route.

The condition of the soldiers during this winter campaign was most painful. Governor Meigs, in a message to the State Legislature on December 17, 1812, in an appeal for aid, says of their suffering: "The situation of the men, as to clothing, is really distressing. You will see many- of them wading through the snow and mud almost barefooted and half naked. Not half the men have a change of pantaloons, and those linen."The Kentucky soldiers complained loudly because they were required to pay 50 cents for meals at Delaware and eat at the second table.

From Upper Sandusky, Harrison pushed on to the Rapids of the Maumee which he reached about January 20, 1813. He spent the winter in hurrying forward troops and supplies and in building Fort Meigs. Here he was besieged the last of April by General Proctor, and Tecumseh. Meanwhile Governor Meigs, who had been appealed to for more State militia, was at Franklinton making arrangements for equipping the militia which had been drafted.

On May 1 and 2, 1813, the "Chillicothe Guards," 200 strong, passed through the present limits of Marion County, arriving at Upper Sandusky on the 2nd of May, followed by Captain McConnell's company from Zanesville, which was accompanied as far as Delaware by Governor Meigs. From this place, by having heard that Fort Meigs. was besieged, the Governor dispatched expresses throughout all the adjoining counties, requesting mounted men to be raised immediately and rendezvous at Norton.

He then pushed on to Upper Sandusky over the Military road. On May 8th, William Creighton, Jr., wrote from Upper Sandusky that troops were coming in daily, that 500 had already arrived, and that by the following night they expected to be 1,000 strong. On May 5th the siege of Fort Meigs was raised, but State troops continued to arrive at Upper Sandusky all through the summer of 1813 until in, August they numbered between 5,000 and 6,000. Most of these came over the Military road.

The encampment at Upper Sandusky was called the "Grand Camp of Ohio Militia," and was under the command of Governor Return Jonathan Meigs. These militiamen became discontented because they were not called into active service by General Harrison. On August 29th a statement was issued by the officers of the camp, among whom were Brig.Gen. Robert Lucas and Allen Trimble, in which General Harrison was denounced, and Governor Meigs exonerated, from all blame in that connection.

On the same day all of the militia were discharged except 2,000 which were to remain in the service for 40 days longer. These soldiers, some of whom had previously been discharged, returned to their homes in small companies and squads. Some rode in the wagons of returning teamsters; some on horseback and others, less fortunate, walked. As an unbroken forest lay between them and their homes, almost all followed the same route by which they had entered the country. Many of them were unarmed, and all hastened along the narrow military road through the prairie and wilderness without guarding against attack from the Indians, intent only on arriving again at home.

An interesting account of the adventure and peril of one such returning company of soldiers, within the present limits of Marion County, is recounted in The Supporter, a weekly newspaper published at the time in Chillicothe. The issue bears date of Wednesday, August 18, 1813. The article reads: "On Friday last; a party of the militia. who were on their way home from Upper Sandusky, were attacked by a party of five or six Indians who were concealed near the road. The militia then discharged, not presuming there was any danger, and anxious to proceed home as expeditiously as possible, had left camp in small squads, and generally without arms. The, party who were attacked had proceeded with a waggon, near to the bullock pen, about 14 or 15 miles from Sandusky, on the road to Norton, when the Indians made the attack. They were first discovered by Adjutant Barnes, who, was then driving the wagon, and who immediately gave the alarm. Major Daniel and Captain Flynn sprang up, when the Indians fired and wounded Major Daniel in the leg, and also dangerously wounded Captain Flynn in the groin.

Adjutant Barnes saved himself by throwing his body between the two hind horses, just as one of the savages was taking aim at him, and at the same time applying the whip to the horses soon overtook a party who were ahead. They then took the horses out of the waggon, and placing the wounded men on horseback, proceeded to the cabin on Little Scioto, where they overtook another considerable party. They then collected about 12 or 13 rifles which they loaded and proceeded in pursuit of the savages, but while in pursuit they discovered the body of a Mr. Shaw, lying dead near the road, and also the heart of some other person. The armed party, however, still proceeded and took two Indians whom they secured and sent to the camp at Upper Sandusky, from which place the mounted horsemen were sent in pursuit.

The unarmed party brought the wounded men safe into Norton, as also the body of Mr. Shaw, which they interred at that place." This bold attack took place in Salt Rock township between four and five miles north of Marion. Major Daniels recovered from his wounds, but Captain Flynn died at Fort Morrow and was buried in the Wyatt Cemetery. The Captain had served at different parts of the border, and had been assigned to Fort Stephenson, then commanded by Colonel George Croghan. Soon after the repulse of the British and Indians by the brave defenders of that fort, he received his discharge.

In company with Major Daniels he started for his home in Chillicothe, with the result as above narrated. It is said that Mr. Shaw, referred to in the account, and another soldier, while on their way home from Lower Sandusky, were fired upon by the Indians and both killed. When the bodies were found, the heart of one had been cut out and laid upon his breast. They were both scalped and horribly mutilated. Their bodies were both buried in this cemetery. The Wyatt Cemetery is the historic burying-place of Marion County. It is situated near the south line of the county in Waldo township on the bank of the Olentangy. Here lie the Wyatts, Drakes and Brundiges, the first settlers in Marion County. I

t is situated on a knoll near where old Fort Morrow once stood in sight of the old Military road, and originally contained one acre of land. The occasion of the first burial is not known, but a number of the soldiers of the War of 1812 found their last resting place here. Besides Captain Flynn and the two soldiers killed north of Marion, three other soldiers of this war, who died at the cabin of Nathaniel Brundige were interred in this cemetery. One of them was William Wolfley, who was wounded near Upper Sandusky by the Indians.

A Captain Yarnell, who was in Perry's victory on Lake Erie, was also buried here. On the north side of the knoll there is an apparently vacant spot, two tiers of graves in width and 14 yards in length. Here were buried soldiers of the War of 1812, said to be 13 in number. A blockhouse was built by the soldiers during the War of 1812 on the Radnor and Upper Sandusky road, in what is now the northeast corner of Green Camp township. Near the site of this fort several of the soldiers of that war lie buried. General Harrison again traveled over the Military road about the middle of May, 1813, on his way from the frontier to Chillicothe. On June 21st, he held a council in Franklinton with 50 chiefs of the Delawares, Shawanees, Wyandots and Senecas. Tarhe (Crane) of the Wyandot tribe was the principal spokesman for the Indian chiefs. He was friendly toward the Americans.

Undoubtedly this party of chiefs traversed the territory of the county on their journey to and from this council. The following are the soldiers of the War of 1812 who afterwards became citizens of Marion County or were buried within its limits: William Arnold, S. S. Bennett, George H. Busby, Eber Baker, E. Bowdish, Colonel Bowdish, Calvin Burnett, W. Cooperider, Robert Cratty, Josiah Copeland, W. Crawford, William S. Drake, S. Davis, J. Ellmaker, Jacob Foos, Captain Flinn, Hezekiah Gorton, N. Hull, Adam Hines, George Holloway, Robert Hopkins, Simon Huggins, J. James, J. R. Knapp, Thomas Pugh, J. Leveren, John B. Matthews, Captain William Morral, Joseph Oborn, Bruce Packard, William Patton, Maj. Joseph Pangborn, J., Reed, H. Ritchie, Benjamin Riley, Jacob Rice, J. P. Sullivan, J. Sullivan, W. Sullivan, V. Wilson, Jacob Walters, Jesse Walker, William Wolfley, Capt. John Van Meter, J. B. Salmon, A. Sorrick and Henry Worline.

It will not be inappropriate in closing this account of Marion County in the War of 1812 to repeat the oft-told story of "Drake's Defeat." During the siege of Fort Meigs, Capt. William S. Drake was ordered with his militia to the frontier. Passing out of Delaware County over the Military road, he encamped the first night about four miles south of the present site of Marion. Before the men lay down to sleep, sentinels were posted and a plan of battle agreed upon in case of surprise by the Indians.

After some hours, the Captain slipped out of camp, by the sentinels, into the forest, and, firing off his gun, came running into camp shouting "Indians! Indians!" The entire ,camp at once became filled with confusion. Some of the soldiers ran away, some attempted to form a line of battle, and the officers tried to rally the fleeing men. The Captain, seeing the consternation told his men the joke, but some had gone too fast and far to be recalled. A few of the fleeing soldiers, who reached Radnor about daylight, alarmed the settlers who at once sought safety in flight. Some of these did not stop until they reached Worthington, Franklinton and Chillicothe. Captain Drake afterwards admitted the folly of his experiment, but justified his conduct by saying that he meant it only for a test, and did not suppose it would result in a panic.

http://www.heritagepursuit.com/Marion/History1907/marhisc19.htm

William Hull (June 24, 1753–November 29, 1825) was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the American Revolution, was Governor of Michigan Territory, and was a general in the War of 1812, for which he is best remembered for surrendering Detroit to the British.
Biography

Michigan Territory and War of 1812
On March 22, 1805, President Thomas Jefferson appointed him Governor of the recently-created Michigan Territory as well as its Indian Agent. As almost all of the territory except for two enclaves around Detroit and Fort Michilimackinac were in the hands of the Indians, Hull undertook the goal of gradually purchasing more Indian land for occupation by American settlers. He negotiated the Treaty of Detroit with the Ottawa, Chippewa, Wyandot and Potawatomi nations, which ceded most of present-day Southeast Michigan to the United States. These efforts to expand American settlement began to generate opposition, particularly from the Shawnee leaders Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa, the Shawnee Prophet, who preached resistance to the American lifestyle and to further land giveaways.[4]

By February of 1812, it was becoming clear that war with Great Britain was imminent, and the British were attempting to recruit the Native American tribes in Canada, Michigan, and elsewhere as their allies against the Americans. While Hull was in Washington, Secretary of War William Eustis informed him that President Madison wished to appoint him a Brigadier General in command of the new Army of the Northwest. Hull, then nearly 60 years old, expressed his disinterest in a new military commission, and a Colonel Kingsbury was selected to lead the force instead. Kingsbury fell ill before taking command, and the offer was repeated to Hull, who this time accepted. His orders were to go to Ohio, whose governor had been charged by Madison with raising a 1,200-man militia that would be augmented by the 4th Infantry Regiment from Vincennes, Indiana, to form the core of the army. From there he was to march the army to Detroit, where he was to also continue serving as Territorial Governor.[5]

General William Hull, portrait by Rembrandt Peale.








March to Detroit
Hull arrived in Cincinnati on May 10, 1812, and on May 25 took command of the militia at Dayton. The militia comprised three regiments, who elected as their commanding Colonels Duncan McArthur, Lewis Cass, and James Findlay. They marched to Staunton and then to Urbana, where they were joined by the 300-man 4th Infantry Regiment. The men of the militia were ill-equipped and lacked military discipline, and Hull relied on the infantry regiment to quell several instances of insubordination on the remainder of the march. By the end of June, the army had reached the rapids of the Maumee River, where Hull committed the first of the errors that would later reflect poorly on him.[6]


The declaration of war on Great Britain was signed on June 18, 1812, and that same day Secretary Eustis sent two letters to General Hull. One of them, sent by special messenger, had arrived on June 24 but did not contain any mention of the declaration of war. The second one, announcing the declaration of war, was sent via the postal service, and did not arrive until July 2.[7] As a result, Hull was still unaware that war had broken out when he reached the rapids of the Maumee, and as the army was now on a navigable waterway, he sent the schooner Cuyahoga Packet ahead of the army to Detroit with a number of invalids, supplies, and official documents. Unfortunately for Hull, the British commander at Fort Amherstburg had received the declaration of war two days earlier, and captured the ship as it sailed past, along with all of the papers and plans for an attack on Fort Amherstburg.[8]

Invasion of Canada
Hull was, at least in part, the victim of poor preparation for war by the U.S. government and miscommunication. While governor, Hull's repeated requests to build a naval fleet on Lake Erie to properly defend Detroit, Fort Mackinac, and Fort Dearborn were ignored by the commander of the northeast, General Henry Dearborn. Hull began an invasion of Canada on July 12, 1812. However, he quickly withdrew to the American side of the river after hearing the news of the capture of Fort Mackinac by the British. He also faced unfriendly Native American forces, which threatened to attack from the other direction.


Surrender of Detroit
Facing what he believed to be superior forces thanks to his enemy's cunning stratagems such as instructing the Native American warriors to make as much noise as possible around the fort, Hull surrendered Fort Detroit to Sir Isaac Brock on August 16, 1812. Accounts of the incident varied widely. A subordinate, Colonel Lewis Cass placed all blame for the surrender on Hull and subsequently succeeded Hull as Territorial Governor. Hull was court-martialed, and at a trial presided over by General Henry Dearborn, he was sentenced to be shot, though upon recommendation of mercy by the court, Hull received a reprieve from President James Madison.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hull