Narrative of the Suffering & Defeat of the North-Western Army, Under General Winchester: Massacre of the Prisoners; Sixteen Months Imprisonment of the Writer and Others with the Indians and BritishAtherton, William
History
Narrative of the Suffering & Defeat of the North-Western Army, Under General Winchester: Massacre of the Prisoners; Sixteen Months Imprisonment of the Writer and Others with the Indians and British
Atherton, William
River Raisin, Battle of the, Monroe, Mich., 1813; United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Personal narratives; United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Prisoners and prisons
"The gallant conduct," says Colonel Lewis, "of Colonel Allen
during every charge of this warmly contested action, has raised
for him no ordinary military merit. Majors Graves and Madison
deserve high praise for their undeviating attention to orders,
and the energy and despatch with which they executed them.
Captain Blan B. Ballard also led the van with great skill and
bravery." He further says: "I take this opportunity of tendering
my most hearty thanks to Brigade Major Garrard, Captain Smith,
and Adjutant McCuller, who acted as my aids, for the great
support they gave me during the whole of the action. The company
officers acted with great bravery." The Colonel closes by saying,
"both officers and soldiers supported the double character of
Americans and Kentuckians." It was impossible for us to ascertain
the exact force of the enemy; but from the best information,
there were about _one_ hundred British and _four_ hundred
Indians. It was said Major Reynolds was present and commanded the
whole. Their number killed we could not ascertain, and perhaps it
is unknown to the Americans until the present time. From the
number found on the field where the battle commenced, and from
the blood and trails where they had dragged off their dead and
wounded, the slaughter must have been considerable. One Indian
and two Canadian militia were taken prisoners. So steady and
composed were our men in the assaults, that while the enemy were
killed or driven from their houses, not a woman or child was
injured. Our loss was _twelve_ killed and fifty five wounded.
Joseph Simpson was the only man belonging to Captain Simpson's
company that was killed in the first engagement. Very few of our
men were killed or wounded until we reached the woods; here we
fought under great disadvantages, not being acquainted with the
ground, and most of us being unacquainted with the Indian mode of
warfare. Thus our want of experience and eagerness to overtake
the enemy, gave them a decided advantage over us. Their method
was to retreat rapidly until they were out of sight, (which was
soon the case in the brushy woods,) and while we were advancing
they were preparing to give us another fire; so we were generally
under the necessity of firing upon them as they were retreating.
During the charge, I saw several of our brave boys lying upon the
snow wallowing in the agonies of death. But none could stop even
to help his brother, for our situation required the utmost
exertion of every man as long as he could render any service.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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