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the 18th of January Colonel Lewis came to River Raisin and drove the British and Indians from that place, and on passing this

Be it remembered, that personally appeared before me, James J. Godfroy, a Justice of the Peace in and for said county of Monroe, in said Territory, Francis Gandon, who, being duly sworn, deposeth and says that at the commencement of the last war with Great Britain he lived at Sandy Creek, about three miles from River Raisin, on the road leading from said river to Detroit, and that on the 21st or 22d day of August, 1813, or one or two days after the burning of the stockade and block-house and the plundering and destruction of Colonel John Anderson's property, four chiefs, two Ottawas and two Delawares, came to my house and told me that they were going to the River Raisin to cut off the two hands and pull out the tongue of said Anderson, so that he could not write or talk to the Big Knives (a name they have for the Americans). I told a young man who lived with me to go as fast as possible and give said Anderson notice, and I gave the Indians some refreshments to detain them. They took out their large knife and stuck it in the floor, saying "That is to cut off his hands.” They hated me heartily, and called me a dog and a "Big Knife," etc., as I had light colored hair.

From that time to the 22d of January, 1813, I was much troubled with the Indians going to and from the River Raisin to Detroit, so that I had to move my family to Detroit, and I would return as often as possible to save my

John Bt. Soleau, and the only reason for doing it they said the young men asked them if they were running away from the Big Knives. On the 22d of January they took possession of my house, with a number of prisoners. One they roasted by the fire, then made holes in the floor, and he was the whole day dying, as I was told by one of my neighbers, Alexis Gee, who saw him often through the day, and his cries could be heard a mile; but he dare not say anything or even speak to him, as it would be certain death. When I came home in the evening to see my house he was lying on the door-step, one side black. I cannot describe my feelings on this mournful occasion, but on the 23d was still more gloomy. The poor wounded men on the battle ground were all butchered or burned alive in the houses of Messrs. Godfroy, Lacroix, McDougall, Jerome and Couture, and the families of River Raisin, Otter Creek and this place running in every direction some to Detroit, some to Sandusky, in sleighs, or horseback and afoot, leaving their property behind. The British had provided a number of sleighs on the 22d to take their wounded to Malden, and these poor people had to go on foot and carry their children on their backs, and many who were in affluence the day before were beggars now. I with the others, went to Detroit, and when the Indians left my house, they put fire to it and it was consumed, as I was informed by Captain Joseph Jabian, who saw it burning; and after the arrival of General Harrison at Detroit with the army, I returned to my farm and found house and barn and fruit trees destroyed, and my wife would not agree to live there any more on account of the dead bodies she had seen there where the house stood there were three or four skeletons which were burned. I was to exchange my farm at a great loss for a piece up the creek. I am now 60 I am now 60 years of age. I was a volunteer in the service of the United States under the command of Captain Hubert Lacroix, in consequence of which the Indians treated me harshly, saying I was a dog. They took from me fourteen horses and most all my hogs, cattle and sheep. They killed one ox

Sworn and subscribed before me this 25th day of November, 1834. J. J. GODFROY, Justice of the Peace.

Judge Woodward also forwarded to General Proctor affidavits concerning the frequent robberies committed by the Indians upon the settlers; but the communications seem to have been attended with the usual results of such correspondence-a number of polite letters and no action tending to stop the outrages.

As heretofore stated, General Harrison was at Sandusky when Winchester arrived at the Rapids on the Maumee River. On the night of the 16th of January, 1813, General Harrison received information of the movements of General Winchester. General Harrison hastened to Lower Sandusky, and on the morning of the 18th sent a battalion of troops to support General Winchester. On the morning of the 19th of January he forwarded additional troops to the Rapids of Maumee, where he with the troops arrived on the morning of the 20th. The whole body from this point moved forward to strengthen Winchester, but, meeting the survivors of the massacre of the River Raisin and being informed of the disaster, returned to the Rapids of the Maumee. Here a council of war was held, resulting in a determination to retreat farther in order to prevent being cut off from the stores and artillery on their way from Sandusky, and to Portage River, there to await the guns and re-enforcements, which were daily expected but which were detained by rains until the 30th of January. On the first of February, 1813, he again advanced to the Rapids of Maumee, where he took up a new and stronger position, to which point he ordered all the troops as rapidly as possible to gather. He then hoped before the middle of February to advance on Malden, but the continued rain and warm weather rendered the roads nearly impassable, his troops were unable to join him, and the prospects of advancing on the ice frustrated. The winter campaign against Malden was then abandoned, as the campaign the previous fall had been be

fore.

The military measures thus far for the recovery of the Northwest had proved a failure.

The Americans had been defeated in nearly every instance, and hundreds had fallen under the Indian tomahawk. It was the reverse with Tecumseh and his warriors; they had been conquerors, and had proved invaluable as British allies.

With the opening of spring the British attempted the conquest of General Harrison's position on the Maumee. The General, apprehending their measures, urged forward re-enforcements, which were, however, delayed by the spring freshets and impassable roads. On the 28th of April the British forces began the investment of Harrison's camp, and by the first of the following month had completed their batteries. In the mean time the Americans had constructed an embankment twelve feet high, behind which the garrison withdrew as soon as the gunners of the British commenced firing. Against this defensive wall the British wasted their energies and ammunition for five days. With this ineffectual effort, the British general, having failed to accomplish anything, and apprehensive of re-enforcements to the American ranks, determined to retreat, and on the 9th of May returned with his forces to Malden. On the 18th of July General Proctor made a second attempt on Fort Meigs, and with his soldiers and savages again surrounded it, but finding the Americans prepared for them accomplished nothing.

Unsuccessful at this point, he moved on with his forces to Sandusky, the principal stores of General Harrison being at that point. Major Croghan commanded at Fort Stephenson, now Lower Sandusky. This point was illy prepared for a defense against heavy cannon, and it being known that General Proctor was approaching with artillery, General Harrison held a council with his officers and determined to abandon it. Before this could be done the appearance before the fort of General Proctor, on the 31st of July, 1813, made it impracticable. The garrison consisted of 150 soldiers, with but one field piece; while the investing force, including Tecumseh and his warriors, was over 3,300 strong, with six pieces of artillery. General Proctor at once demanded a surrender, with the assurance that if his demands were not complied with a general massacre would follow. To this the daring young officer but twenty-one years of age replied, saying "the Indians would have none to massacre if the British

conquered, for every man of his garrison would die at his post." Proctor at once opened fire upon the northeast angle of the fort. Croghan, believing the British intended to make a breach at this point, concentrated his whole efforts there. He at once strengthened this point by bags of sand and flour, placed his sixpounder in position to rake the point threatened, and then having charged his infant battery with slugs and hidden from the enemy, awaited the attack for twenty-four hours. The firing continued upon the northwest corner, then under cover of smoke and darkness a column of 350 men approached unseen within twenty paces of the wall; the ditch was gained and in a moment filled with men ; then the six-pounder, only thirty feet distant and so directed as to sweep the ditch, was unmasked and fired, killing at once twenty-seven of the assailants and creating a general panic. The column retired, and the little fort, with the loss of one man, was saved. The next morning the British and their allies, fearing the approach of re-enforcements under General Harrison, were gone, leaving in their haste guns, stores and clothing.

The War Department in October, 1812, had urged upon the Government the importance of obtaining command of the lakes by preparing a fleet for that purpose at Erie. Appropriations were made, and on the 4th of the following August (1813) Commodore Perry succeeded in getting his fleet over the bar into deep water.

At this time active preparations were being made for concentrating all the land forces preparatory to an attack on Malden. Kentucky sent her best men in great numbers under Governor Shelby and Colonel Richard M. Johnson. On the 20th of September, 1813, the forces of General Harrison at Port Clinton were transported by the fleet to Put-in-Bay Island, on the 24th reached Middle Sister Island, and on the 27th arrived at Malden, to find it ruined, deserted and wasted. The news of Perry's victory and the advance of Harrison's army disheartened Colonel Proctor, who with his army of regulars and Indians-with army stores of every description, evacuated the place and hurried with all convenient speed to the valley of the River Thames. On the 28th the last of the British army left Detroit, arriving at Windsor, opposite Detroit, with the last of the guns, ammunition and stores. On the 29th Colonel

McArthur took possession of Detroit and Michigan Territory.

On the 25th of September Colonel Richard M. Johnson, who was with his regiment of Kentucky cavalry at Fort Meigs, received orders from General Harrison to march immediately to the River Raisin and hasten to Malden, where he expected the fleet would land the army the next day. Johnson's regiment. hurried on to Frenchtown, remained nearly one day occupied in burying the remains of the brave Kentuckians that were the previous winter massacred, and on the following day marched into Detroit, and were received by the whole population, who turned out en masse to welcome 1,100 cavalry as they thundered by, under the command of Governor Shelby and Colonel Richard M. Johnson. The 1st of October following, Colonel Johnson with his army crossed to Sandwich, and General Harrison and General Shelby with 3,500 troops left Detroit in pursuit of the British army. Commodore Perry with his fleet sailed up the river, and when he arrived fifteen miles up the Thames River disembarked and joined the land forces in pursuit of Colonel Proctor, who was with all haste making his way to the heart of Canada by the valley of the Thames.

The brilliant victory at Lower Sandusky substantially closed the military movements in Northwestern Ohio, and attention was next directed toward Erie, and Perry's preparations for naval operations. It so happened that that commander, on the very day of Croghan's victory (August 2d) had completed the equipment of his fleet at Erie, but, owing to a lack of water, he did not cross the bar in the harbor until the 4th, when he set sail in search of the enemy. Not finding them, he returned on the 8th to Erie, to take in re-enforcements. August 12th he again left, and anchored in Sandusky Bay on the 15th, whence he soon departed in quest of the enemy. Cruising off Malden, but not finding the object of his search, he retired to Put-in-Bay. His fleet consisted of the Brig Lawrence (the flag ship), of 20 guns; the Niagara, of 20; the Caledonia, of 3; the Schooner Ariel, of 4; the Sloop Trippe, and Schooners Tigress and Porcupine, of 1 gun each-nine vessels with 54 guns and two swivels. The British had six vessels, but they were superior in size, with a greater number of guns.

On the morning of the memorable 10th of September, Commodore Perry discovered the enemy bearing down upon him, when he at once made preparation for the conflict, which was accepted on both sides as probably decisive of supremacy on the lake, and as certain to have most important bearing on the general contest. The report made by Perry constitutes the most compact and interesting account of the engagement to be had. It is as follows:

“UNITED STATES SCHOONER ARIEL,

Put-in-Bay, 13th Sept., 1813. )

"At sunrise on the morning of the 10th, the enemy's vessels were discovered from Put-inBay, where I lay at anchor with the squadron under my command.

"We got under way, the wind light S. W., and stood for them. At ten A. M. the wind hauled to S. E., and brought us to windward; formed the line and brought up. At fifteen minutes before twelve the enemy commenced firing. At five minutes before twelve the action commenced on our part. Finding their fire very destructive, owing to their long guns, and it being most directed to the Lawrence, I made sail and directed the other vessels to follow, for the purpose of closing with the enemy. Every brace and bow being shot away, she became unmanageable, notwithstanding the great exertions of the sailing master. In this situation she sustained the action upwards of two hours, within canister-shot distance, until every gun. was rendered useless, and a greater part of the crew either killed or wounded. Finding she could no longer annoy the enemy, I left her in charge of Lieutenant Yarnall, who, as I was convinced, from the bravery already displayed by him, would do what would comport with the honor of the flag.

"At half-past two, the wind springing up, Captain Elliott was enabled to bring his vessel, the Niagara, gallantly into close action. I immediately went on board her, when he anticipated my wish by volunteering to bring the schooner, which had been kept astern by the lightness of the wind, into close action.

"It was with unspeakable pain that I saw, soon after I got on board the Niagara, the flag of the Lawrence come down, although I was perfectly sensible that she had been defended to the last, and that to have continued to make a show of resistance, would have been a wanton sacrifice of the remaining of her brave crew.

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But the enemy was not able to take possession of her, and circumstances soon permitted her flag to be hoisted.

"At forty-five minutes past two, the signal was made for close action. The Niagara being very little injured, I determined to pass through the enemy's line, bore up and passed ahead of their two ships and a brig, giving a raking fire to them from the starboard guns, and to a small schooner and sloop, from the larboard side, at half-pistol shot distance. The smaller vessels at this time having got within grape and canister distance, under the direction of Captain Elliott, and keeping up a well-directed fire, the two ships, a brig and a schooner surrendered, a schooner and sloop making vain attempt to escape.

"Those officers and men who were immediately under my observation, evinced the greatest gallantry, and I have no doubt that all others conducted themselves as became American officers and seamen."

On the 27th of September the American army set sail for the shores of Canada, and in a short time stood around the ruins of the deserted and wasted Malden, from which General Proctor had retreated to Sandwich, and was with haste making his way to the heart of Canada by the valley of the Thames. On the 29th of September General Harrison was at Sandwich, and McArthur took possession of Detroit and the Territory of Michigan. At this time Colonel Richard M. Johnson's mounted riflemen, which had gone up the west side of the River Detroit, rejoined the main army.

On the 2d of October the American army began their march in pursuit of General Proctor, whom they overtook on the 5th. The British were in two lines, occupying the field between the river and a small swamp. The Indians extended from the small to the large swamp, the ground being suitable to their mode of warfare and unfavorable for the cavalry. General Harrison ordered Colonel Richard M. Johnson with his mounted men to charge and try to break the regular troops by passing through their ranks and forming in the rear. Johnson gave the right hand body of his cavalry opposite the regulars in charge of his brother James, while crossing the swamp with the remainder he led the way against Tecumseh and his savage followers. The charge of his brother James was successful. The Kentuckians

Colonel

received the fire of the enemy, broke through the ranks, and forming beyond them produced such a panic by the novelty of the attack that the whole body of troops yielded at once. On the left the Indians fought courageously and the American cavalry were forced to dismount, as their horses were in danger of miring in the swamp. In a few moments, Tecumseh, who more than any other man brought about this war, fell dead from a shot from Colonel Johnson's pistol. The British soon gave up the contest, and now all was over but the pursuit of Proctor, who had fled at the commencement of the action.

Such were the glorious victories of our arms over the British and Indians. Commodore Perry had conquered on Lake Erie, and the brave Harrison and his army at the Thames. This last contest practically ended the war in the Northwest. Tecumseh had fallen, the Indians lost their power and prestige, and the British having been thoroughly defeated gave but little trouble afterwards.

Controversy has arisen as to "Who, killed Tecumseh?" but the fact that James Knaggs and Medard Labadie, who were personally well acquainted with Tecumseh, who lived on the River Raisin for many years both before and after the War of 1812, and who frequently stated all the facts and details, and who carried Colonel Richard M. Johnson wounded from the field, were esteemed by those who knew them as good authority for any statement they might make, has settled the controversy. The affidavit of James Knaggs having reference thereto will be perused with interest, and is regarded as conclusive proof of the statements therein made by those in this vicinity, by whom he was held in high esteem. General Cass, in the presidential campaign of 1840, was accompanied through this State by Mr. James Knaggs and Medard Labadie, who occupied the platform and were exhibited as the courageous soldiers who carried Colonel Johnson from the field. The General stated frequently his belief that Colonel Johnson was entitled to the credit generally awarded him of being the hero who killed by a pistol shot the great Indian chieftain, and from the fact that General Cass was an officer in the same engagement, full credence was given to his statement. The recognition of the kind offices of James Knaggs at the battle of the Thames by a letter now in

the possession of John Knaggs, the son of James, I have been recently permitted to copy, and annex hereto.

CITY OF WASHINGTON, June 6, 1841. Major James Knaggs

MY DEAR OLD FRIEND: I have received your kind and esteemed favor, wishing me a safe arrival home among my friends. I truly and sincerely thank you for the friendship which you have shown to me; and if ever it should be in my power to serve you, I am ready and willing. That you may live long to enjoy the blessings of that Government which you have defended, is the prayer of your devoted friend and fellow citizen, RICHARD M. JOHNSON.

The following is the affidavit of James Knaggs:

James Knaggs deposeth and saith: I was attached to a company of mounted men called Rangers at the battle of the Thames in Upper Canada in the year 1813. During the battle we charged into the swamp, where several of our horses mired down, and an order was given to retire to the hard ground in our rear, which we did. The Indians in front of us, believing we were retreating, immediately advanced upon us with Tecumseh at their head. I distinctly heard his voice, with which I was perfectly familiar. He yelled like a tiger, and urged on his braves to the attack. We were then but a few yards apart. We halted on the hard ground and continued our fire. After a few minutes of very severe firing, I discovered Colonel Richard M. Johnson lying on the ground with one leg confined by the body of his white mare, which had been killed. My friend M. Labadie was with me. We went up to the Colonel (with whom we were previously acquainted) and found him badly wounded, lying on his side with one of his pistols lying in his hand. I saw Tecumseh at the same time, lying on his face dead, and about fifteen or twenty feet from the colonel. He was stretched at full length and was shot through the body, I think near the heart; the ball went through his back. He held his tomahawk in his right hand (it had a brass pipe on the head of it); his arm was extended as if striking, and the edge of the tomahawk was