His Grandfather Headbutted the Govenor

 

Daniel Woodworth

(1791 – 1869)

Daniel Woodworth was a twenty two year old private who served in Captain Holbrook’s company at Ft. Amanda. He was born in New Hampshire Dec. 27, 1791. He met and married Sally Colburn in Massachusetts and later moved the family to Tate Township in Clermont County, Oh. sometime before 1813. The 1850 shows that 3 of his children were born in New Hampshire and since Daniel was only 22 either married young or he married a widow. He was a cabinet maker by trade.

Little is known about Woodworth either before or after the war other than he was a cabinet maker by trade and that he and his family had moved to Illinois sometime before 1843. A humorous incident took place that year while the 52 year old Woodworth was living in Springfield, Illinois. Seems Daniel had a literal “run in” with the Governor of Illinois, Thomas Ford on a street in Springfield. The following is from an account found on the internet.

 A rain storm came on suddenly and caught him away from home. He started on a run, with his head down, hat drawn over his eyes, and body bent forward. It so happened that Governor Ford found himself away from home in the same shower. Throwing himself in a similar attitude, he started on a run also; but there was this difference, they were running in opposite directions, and when both were at full speed, they came together with a square butt, like a couple of sheep. Each, on the spur of the moment, thought it was intentional on the part of the other, and each assumed a belligerent attitude, but before a blow was struck, both discovered that it was an accident, and with a hearty laugh, hurried on.

 
Daniel and his family eventually settled in Sangamon County, Illinois where his wife Sally died before 1850. In 1850 Daniel and his 25 year old daughter Sarah, were living with his other daughter, 24 year old Lousia, and her husband Gershom Dorence and family in Sangamon County, Illinois. By 1860, sixty eight year old Daniel had moved to Loami, Illinois and was living with his brother-in-law W, Calburn and his family. Judging from the ages, Mrs. Calburn was Daniel's sister. W. Calburn was postmaster for Sangamon County.

Daniel lived out his life in Laomi, Illinois and died there on Jan. 5, 1869 at the age of seventy. He is buried in the Sulphur Springs Cemetery. From the town of Loami, drive south on S. Main St. (becomes Johns Creek rd) 1 mile to Sulphur Springs rd. Turn right. Continue ¼ mile. Cemetery is on the north side of the road.

GPS: N39°39'42.43”,W89°51'07.03"

They Were Great Soldiers But Lousy Sailors

They Were Great Soldiers But Lousy Sailors

While Ensign William Schillinger was home on leave the end of May, 1813, Captain Hosbrook and his company had been ordered to Ft. Winchester with boat loads of supplies for that place. When Schillinger arrived back at the fort on June 5th, the first thing he noticed was that Fort Amanda felt deserved. There were only  dozen or so soldiers at the fort, the others taking supplies to Fort Winchester. Schillinger then learned that while he was gone Private Charles Murry of his company had died on June 1st, just 4 days earlier. The following day, Schillinger wrote in his journal;

 “found myself quite Lonesome on account of the Company being gone. “Note Charles Murry, a Private in our Company Died on the 1st Day of June & was buried with the Honors of War “at this post (Amanda).”

Boat Becomes Grounded

The letter below is from Captain Hosbrook to Major Kain regarding one of the boats carrying supplies was stuck on a rock near Fort Winchester.

 Fort Winchester June the 3rd, 1813

Sir: On the 2nd instant one o’clock pm, I landed at this place, and in a short time after the boats were all safe landed with the exception of two; viz, with one of them used by Ensign Gray which (?) upon a rock about three quarters of a mile above this place. The one that was grounded just below Amanda floated against it, drove it over the rock and sticking fast itself on the same rock sunk immediately by at the stern and in consequences of the crack above the gunnel seams being large and open, the barrels were afloat in it before we were able to get them all out, we landed the craft we had and threw the balance overboard leaving the boat full of water. The flour floated down to the fort where I had it taken out. The Ensigns boat landed here, the lading was taken out, after which it went to the bottom; some of the flour perhaps would be the better of replacing. I believe the loss is not great.

You will please to let Col. Orr know that all the boats manned by the men of my company are safe with their loading at this place; some of the men that were not on land then were employed in clearing   and in searching for the channel viz. nine in number and all were necessarily employed.

The fort is so crowded that I preferred the tented field, not withstanding the invitation I had to enter and partake with my brother officers and fellow soldiers. We were all well too except George Sedgwick. I wish to see my company all together again as soon as circumstances and the public (?) will permit.

Give my respects to all inquiring friends tell them I am well

With respect sir, I remain yours
Daniel Hosbrook

 

The Original Letter

Thee are a couple interesting points in this letter.  First of all Hosbrook mentions the terms “gunnels” and “seams” meaning the boats were more sophisticated in construction than rafts or canoes. In fact Schillinger in an April 1813 entry, he noted that one boat coming up from Ft. Logan (Wapakoneta) was carrying 50 barrels of flour.

Also interesting is that the letter from Hosbrook to Major Kain at Ft. Amanda is dated June 3rd. The boat trip from Amanda to Winchester was normally a 2 day trip, meaning Hosbrook and his company probably left Amanda the same day Murry died. Because Hosbrook only mentions George Sedgwick being ill, and nothing about Murry, the assumption is Murry died later in the day after the company left and Captain Hosbrook had not yet been informed of it.

Note: Hosbrook that one of the boats being used by Ensign Gray had gotten stuck on a rock;
“…about three quarters of a mile above this place.”

This would have placed the accident near this islands in the Auglaize River shown in the picture below:

Hosbrook also mentioned;

 The one that was grounded just below Amanda floated against it, drove it over the rock and sticking fast itself on the same rock sunk immediately by at the stern and in consequences of the crack above the gunnel seams being large and open, the barrels were afloat in it before we were able to get them all out,.

The one that was grounded just below Amanda floated against it, drove it over the rock and sticking fast itself on the same rock sunk immediately by at the stern and in consequences of the crack above the gunnel seams being large and open, the barrels were afloat in it before we were able to get them all out,

 

Capt. Van McHenry - Fort Jennings

 Commander at Fort Jennings

During the War of 1812, there was a great deal of interactions between the captains at Amanda, Jennings and Defiance, both in terms of sharing information and supplies. Captain McHenry, like Hosbrook and Seton was a key player in the movement of men and supplies to the north during the war, and like the hundreds of men who served at their forts, their names remained unknown (until recently). The purpose of this blog is not only to share information about their forts, but about the men and women who served them. What follows is what I've learned about Captain Van McHenry (so far).

The Man

Van McHenry, the 40 year old commander at Ft. Jennings on the Auglaize, was born in 1773 in Hampshire Virginia the son of Joseph and Rebecca McHenry. McHenry married Catherine Huron (b. 1778) in 1798 and together they had 4 children. The McHenry family eventually moved to Crosby Township in Hamilton County, Oh and bought property on River Road ¾ miles north of the village of New Baltimore, Oh. Van McHenry, a farmer when the War of 1812 broke out, was commissioned as a captain in the Ohio militia. McHenry’s company was called to active duty along with Captain Thomas Seton and Captain Daniel Hosbrook. The three companies assembled in Cincinnati the first week of February 1813 and marched to Fort Amanda, arriving there on March 1, 1813. Hosbrook’s remained at Fort Amanda, while Seton’s moved on to fort Defiance and McHenry’s to Fort Jennings the following day..

Site of Ft. Jennings, Fort Jennings, Ohio

Captain Van McHenry’s Company at Fort Jennings

March – August (1813)

 

 Van McHenry                      Captain

 William Thomas Lieutenant

 Jonothan Markland           Ensign

Thomas D. Wheelan           1st Sergeant

 

Justice Gibbs           Sgt.          Conrad Plow  Sgt.                             Gad Waggoner  Sgt.

James Armstrong  CorP     Charles Stephens  Corp.               Richard Campbell Corp.

Samuel Dodson  Corp.

 

PRIVATES                                   PRIVATES                                           PRIVATES

Arnold, William                             Bavis, James                                     Burnett, Daniel

Boyer, Sweden                             Chaisman, Henry                              Cox, Benjamin B.

Campbell, William F.                      Davis, Thomas                                  Freedly, John

Ford, William                                   Fenton, Jacob                                Frazer, Samuel

Frasier, David                              Frost, John                                         Herrin, Beverly

Harcourt, Enoch                             Howard, Phillip                                 Hartman, Joseph

Ingersol, Joseph                              Ireland, Moses                                 Jacobs, John

Longfellow, Thomas                       Lancaster, John F.                            Marshall, James

Miller, Frederick                           Mitchel, William                             Millholland, William

DuMont, Peter                                Marshall, William                            Merril, Adam 

Mizner, Jacob                                   Norris, Caleb                                     Nugin, Thomas

Olendorf, Frederick                         Plow, Phillip                                      Posy, Armsted

Richardson, Jacob                            Risner, John                                      Stout, Andrew S.

Sargent, John                                 Stout, Thomas T.                              Smith, William

Shupe, Daniel                                  Stewart, Charles                              Sherwin, William

Scogin, Eli                                            Tollar, Asa                                         Tebow, Uriah

Torrence, John C.                               Taylor, Cornelius                              Taylor, Henry

Veach, John                                       Willey, George                                 Wilkinson, Joel 

Wallis, Aaron                       Walden, James

References to McHenry

The ensign in Hosbrook’s company, William Schillinger, kept a journal during his 6 months service at Fort Amanda. What follows are partial excerpts for his daily journal entries in which he mentions McHenry.

Monday March the 1, 1813 Weather cool & cloudy. some Snow this evening
By mid-morning, most of the Kentuckians had left the fort and were on their way home. A few remained behind waiting for friends and relatives returning from the northern forts. Schillinger spent his day issuing orders, assigning work parties and getting ready for the arrival of the rest of his company. Around 4 o’clock that afternoon, Major Daniel Kain along with Capt.’s Hosbrook, Van McHenry, Thomas Seton and their companies numbering approximately 200 men arrived at the fort where Schillinger turned over command to Major Kain. With less than two hours of daylight left, work parties were sent into the nearby woods and gather up firewood for the campsite. A light snow that had begun to fall earlier in the afternoon had become much heavier and it continued throughout the night.

Tuesday the 2nd weather clear & cool
Around 11 o’clock that morning, Capt. McHenry and his company started for Ft. Jennings seventeen miles to the north. Capt. Seton’s company left a short time later, headed for Ft. Winchester, fifty two miles to the north. Later that afternoon a group of Kentucky soldiers from Capt. Belts Company at Ft. Winchester and some from Ft. Jennings arrived at Amanda on their way home and joined their comrades inside the fort.
They, along with the few remaining men from of Capt. Wards Company must have decided a celebration was in order and judging from Schillinger comments in his journal the following day, it must have been quite the affair.

Thursday the 11 Morning Rain evening Heavy rain with Thunder & Lightening.
While one group of men was at work on the new smokehouse, another was started work removing the oats and corn that had been stored in the south blockhouse. Like the other blockhouses, the chinking between the logs needed repaired and the port holes had yet to be cut.
Early in the afternoon two men from Ft. Findlay a man named Mr. Rock and a companion came to Amanda to borrow some axes and other tools. They loaded them into a boat and started downriver mid-afternoon. The warming temperatures had caused some of the ice on the Auglaize to break up and melt and as a result, the water was very high with a fast current.
Around 4 o’clock the men returned to the fort saying they thought it too dangerous to continue on. A short time later, a man from Ft. Jennings, came to Amanda to pick up some of Capt. McHenry’s and Capt. Seton’s personal belongings. He reported that the ice on the river had broken. The two men from Ft. Findlay, feeling it was still too dangerous to use the river decided to spend the night there and leave the next morning. As it turned out, they made a good decision. Later that afternoon a heavy rain with thunder and lightning came into the area and had they decided to start back their trip would have been a long cold wet one.

Tuesday the 30th of March

Private Leming didn’t return during the night so Schillinger and six other men were sent to look for him. They’d gone about two miles when they found him in the company of two other men from Ft Jennings. Leming explained that he’d met the men on his way back to Amanda and they told him they were also going there. Because it was getting late they camped along the trail that night. Schillinger doesn’t mention the issue any further but one has to wonder if he was disciplined in some fashion for causing an alarm. Also returning to the fort that day was the orderly sergeant who had gone to Ft. Winchester. With him was Dr. Albron Crowe, regimental surgeon for the First Regiment of Ohio Militia along and two men from Capt. Seton’s Company.
At 5 o’clock that evening, Ensign Markland of Capt. McHenry’s company at Ft. Jennings came to the fort by boat towing four empty canoes to pick up some provisions for the men at Jennings.

NOTE: During one of their conversations, Markland confided in Schillinger that rumors were being spread about the character of Capt. McHenry, Markland’s company commander. Schillinger doesn’t elaborate on the nature of those rumors but he apparently thought it was serious enough to write a letter to McHenry advising him of the situation.




Reference to rumors being spread about Captain McHenry
(top of page)


Sunday Morning the 16th May Clear & Cool
After breakfast, the men lined up to receive their one month’s pay. Schillinger received his pay plus $15 subsistence money. Col. Orr then paid the civilian workers who had come to Amanda to help build boats. They were being released from duty and returning to their homes. Orr, Jenkinson and McDonald left for St. Marys in the afternoon. Being a day of rest Schillinger spent his afternoon writing a letter to his wife.
During the night, two of men deserted at Ft. Jennings. Apparently they had planned to leave shortly after they had received their pay. As of this date, there had been desertions from Forts Logan, Jennings, Winchester and Amanda.
The standard practice for dealing with deserters was to post notices in local newspapers, sometimes offering rewards for information leading to their capture. McHenry had the following notice placed in Saturday edition of “The Western Spy” newspaper Vol. III No. 141 It read:


Capt. McHenry reports two deserters, Adam Merrill (a substitute in the place of Job Hayhurst, “a noted fiddler” and shoemaker) and John Stauton (from Dayton, a substitute for Uriah Teahowe.

Sunday the 25th July Very warm
Jonathan Markland, Ensign from McHenry’s Company at Ft. Jennings came to Amanda this day. Schillinger noted that Markland was sick but he doesn’t elaborate but more than likely it was the measles. Schillinger spent part of his day writing letters, one to his wife Alasanna and one to his father-in-law Nathaniel Armstrong.
Meanwhile the second attack at Ft. Meigs was underway. Stinging from the first failed attack, Tecumseh insisted that General Procter attack it again. His plan was to create a diversion to diversion to draw troops outside the fort where they could be cut off as they did to Dudley’s force in May. The Indians created a sham battle with all the noise of a fight giving the impression they had cut off a replacement detachment coming to Meigs. Despite pressure from some of the officers to go to their help, General Clay resisted the temptation to send troops out. That action saved the day.

Friday the 30th this morning clear
Three of the men in Hosbrook Company were still very sick. Two were placed on wagons and a third on a cart and transported to St. Marys At 4 o’clock that afternoon, Sgt. Wheelan of Capt. Van McHenry’s company at Ft. Jennings came to the fort and informed them that the Indians had wounded Kentucky militia Capt. Isaac Gray a short distance from Ft. Defiance. Gray had been shot in the arm and later lost the use of it.

After the War

Little is known about McHenry after the war other than he lived out his life on the family farm near New Baltimore. McHenry’s wife Catherine died on the family farm north of New Baltimore in 1829. She was just 51 years of age. He later married a woman named Nancy.


McHenry’s last will and testament, dated October 20, 1836 reads:

“I, Van McHenry, of the Township of Crosby in the County of Hamilton and the State of Ohio, being far advanced in years and in a weak and low state of health, have thought proper to make and publish this my last Will and Testament. Rejoining my soul to my wonderful Redeemer and my body to the dust, to be decently buried at the discretion of my executors. And as to what worldly estate God has been pleased to bestow upon me in this life, I dispose of the same in manner and form following that is to pay:

Firstly, I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife, Nancy, two feather beds and bedding such as she may choose or see proper to select, also my bay mare, woman's saddle and bridle, also my two cows and all my hogs, and one hundred fifty dollars in money and such cooking utensils as she may choose to select, and such as she may choose to select, also my corner cupboard and bureau, also all the furniture belonging to the same cupboard, also, I give unto her during her natural life the use of the two north rooms or bedrooms in my Dwelling house and all the woodland south of the Road leading to New Baltimore for the purpose of furnishing her with necessary finances during her natural life and also with one third of all the produce that may be raised on my farm during her natural life, together with one third of the pasture which may grow grain, orchard farm and as many apples as she may choose to make use of out of the orchard farm and all the small grain now in stock at the barn which my son, Amos, delivered me for rent the present year and also all the rent that my son, Amos, and Edward Burrough is to deliver me the present year, also with a suitable piece of ground near the dwelling house for a garden.

Secondly, I give unto my daughter, Phoebe McHenry, two feather beds with five horse made blankets or coverlets or bed quilts to each bed.

Thirdly, I give and bequeath to my son, Joseph H. McHenry, one (bay) horse, known by the name of Chocteau, and my house and three lots in New Baltimore.

Fourthly, I give and bequeath unto my son, Amos N McHenry, my (bay) horse and all my farm north of the road leading to New Baltimore, together with all the (improved?) land on said farm lying south of the aforesaid road, provided he pays on (delivery) my widow during her natural life one third of all the produce that may be raised on said farm, the wheat, rice, or oats to be delivered in the (stack) near the barn on said farm. Also, I give and bequeath to him after the decease of my widow, all the woodland that I have set apart for her use during her natural life.

Fifthly and lastly, the residue and remainder of my personal property not before disposed of, I order and direct my Executors as soon as it is convenient after my decease to sell at (Vendor, New due) and the proceeds of the same to apply to the payment of my funeral expenses, and lawful debts. I hereby renouncing and revoking all other and former wills by me made, and 

I do also hereby appoint my two sons, Joseph H. McHenry and Amos N. McHenry to be my executors of this, my last Will and Testament, in witness whereof I have hereto set my hand and seal this twentieth day of October in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty Six.
Van McHenry (seal) signed, sealed and declared by the testator to be his last 

Will and Testament.”

From this will we can see that 3 of McHenry’s children were still alive when the will was written; Amos, Phoebe and Joseph. Joseph McHenry married Nancy Pottinger


The 63 year old McHenry stated in his will that he was “far advanced in years and in a weak and low state of health,” The exact date of his death is unknown, however it was probably later that year of 1837


The McHenry family cemetery was established on Oct. 9, 1807 on the east side of River Road, ½ mile northeast of the village of New Baltimore. Captain Van McHenry, his wives Catherine and Nancy rest peacefully side by side in the cemetery on River road.
GPS: N39°16'15.48”,W84°39'34.24”

1847 Map of Crosby Township, Hamilton County Ohio

Showing Van McHenrys Home and Gravesite

Thanks to Earl Corson of New Baltimore for sharing this picture and other information about Van McHenry.

Little remains of the cemetery other than a roadside pull off. A check of the cemetery on Oct. 28, 1 986 showed that only 2 tombstones remained intact; those of Van Buren McHenry (the Captains grandson) and someone (probably a daughter) named Rebecca Holland.

Son Joseph McHenry married Nancy Pottinger and both he and his wife rest forever in the Miamitown cemetery 6 miles to the northeast, plot: section 1; lot 45.

Like Captains Hosbrook at Amanda and Seton at Defiance, McHenry was a hero. The 3 men, relatively unknown to or forgotten by history created something that while no longer visible to the eye, remain in our minds to remind us of the sacrifices the 3 men made for our country and the history they created for us to enjoy.

---

Capt. Thompson Ward - Builder of Ft. Amanda

 

Captain Thompson Ward

 

Note the fallen tree to the left side of the picture. Ohio Historical Connection officials say that the tree was growing during the time Ft. Amanda was being built.

When I first began researching the history of Ft. Amanda, I knew nothing about the men and women associated with it. My perception was that most of the men were older fellows, salt of the earth God fearing people, a little rough around the edges, rugged frontier types with little to no education.

Old Frontiersman

Boy was I wrong. Many of the main characters in the Ft. Amanda story were young men under the age of 30 and a large number of those yet in their teens. In particular was Captain Thompson Ward, the man assigned to built Ft. Amanda. Thompson was definitely not an "older fellow" (26 years old at the time) In addition, he was neither “rough around the edges", nor would one describe him as a "rugged frontier type." In fact, many of the young company commanders were also lawyers or politicians.   

As for Ward's education, in addition to being a soldier, Ward was also a farmer, lawyer and legislator. He practiced law before the Greenup County, Kentucky Bar from 1815-1830, admitted to Bar as an Attorney of Lewis County in 1819, and served as a State Representative from Greenup County in 1815, 1817, 1818 and 1830 and State Senator from 1820-1826. He was at one point a member of the Electoral College for the state of Kentucky. He purchased and sold land in Carter County (formerly Greenup County), Kentucky from 1819 through 1842. He continued to practice law in Missouri and in Oregon.

As you can see, Thompson Ward was far from the preconceived perception of an old, rough around the edges and uneducated frontiersman, in fact, he was quite the opposite.

Young Frontiersman

Thompson Ward (1786 - 1860)

Thompson Ward was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky on April 6, 1786, son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Thompson Ward. He later moved to Fleming, Kentucky where he married Sarah Kountz (Kouns). She was born in Pennsylvania on April 28, 1789. Thompson and Sarah had two daughters; Nancy (b. 1819) and Sarah Elizabeth (b. 1829). Captain Ward was a close personal friend of another of Pogue’s company commanders; Joseph C. Belt. Years later, Ward daughter Sarah married Belts son, Dr. Alfred Belt. There is anecdotal evidence that at least some of the men in Joseph Belts company helped build Ft. Amanda and wintered there in 1812.

After the War

After the War, Ward emigrated from Kentucky to Missouri in 1842 where he continued practicing law. The 1850 census lists his address as Weston, Platte County, Missouri and his occupation as “Judge of the Court.” In 1854 he moved again, this time to Salem Oregon.

If You Won't Take Care of Business I will!

By 1847, Thompson Ward had been promoted to General in the Missouri Militia and was living near Lower Lake, Plat County, Missouri. It was during this time settlers were having problems with the local Fox Indians. Ward, apparently not waiting on the slow wheels of government to take action, seems to have taken matters into his own hands. The Jan. 19, 1847 edition of a local newspaper reported the following:

 "General Thompson Ward, commander of "the 15th Division Missouri Militia, near Lower Lake, Platte county," following the example of his political compeers, has determined to get up a war on his own responsibility. It seems, from the explanations of the editor of the Platte Argus, that a band of Fox Indians are roaming at large in the counties of Gentry and Harrison, committing depredations on the property of citizens, and frequently insulting and terrifying women and children, being excited thereto from the effects of liquor, which is furnished them by whiskey traders, who "follow in their wake. "It is furthermore said, that he has been induced to order the immediate removal of these Indians out of the State, by the representation of men of high character and standing, residing in the immediate neighborhood of the "scene of action" - the "infected region." All this sounds well enough, but we should like to know where this militia general gets his authority to commence such acts of hostility against these Indians, or any body else. Would it not be quite as well for the general to employ himself in finding out the punishing the scoundrels who sell whiskey to the Indians, thereby causing them to insult the women and children, instead of taking upon himself to call out the militia and punish the Indians? We had supposed that the Governor might have something to say in matters of this kind, but it seems that Gen. Ward considers himself quite competent to originate and carry on the war without any consultation with him. We shall note its progress."

 In a letter to Captain Moses H. Simmonds, commander of another company of Missouri militia, Ward wrote:

 "SIR: You are hereby commanded that you, with your company of one hundred men, take immediate and requisite steps to cause to be removed from beyond the bounds of this State the Fox Indians, or any others who may be found lurking about or encamped within the counties of Gentry and Harrison, or any other counties in the northern frontier of the State of Missouri. You will cause said Indians to be passed over the River Missouri, at or near the town of St. Joseph, and you will pursue as gentle means as possible with said Indians, so as to be enabled to consummate this order.
Given under my hand the day and year first above written."
THOMPSON WARD

 

The 1850 census lists Wards address as Weston, Platte County, Missouri and his occupation as “Judge of the Court.” In 1854 he moved again, this time to Salem Oregon. Sarah Ward, Thompsons wife, died two years later on July 26, 1856.

Thompson eventually moved in with his daughter and her family; the John Bell family. The 1860 census lists John Bells occupation as "merchant." Ward, was still practicing law at the age of 74. Just 3 days after the 1860 census was taken, Thompson Ward died; August 2, 1860.

Thompson Ward's Obituary

OBITUARY: Died -- In Salem, Aug. 2, Gen. Thompson Ward, of Salem, aged 80. Gen. Ward was born in Bourbon County, Ky., April 6th, 1780. Died Aug. 2, 1860. Emigrated from Kentucky to Missouri in 1842, and from thence to Oregon in 1854. He was a captain in the war of 1812. At the close of the war, he was elected General of militia in Kentucky. He held various posts of public trust, and in every post, private and public, he was most prompt and faithful. He lived a useful and efficient life, continuing his labors to within one week of its close. The deceased was universally respected in life and mourned in death. He was buried with Masonic honors, the funeral being attended by a large concourse of citizens.

Weekly Oregon Statesman, Aug. 7, 1860.

Taken before the stones were lost.

Thompson Ward and his wife Sarah are buried side by side in the Salem Pioneer Cemetery, Salem, Marion County, Oregon, Plot 39.

(Many thanks to Tracey Saucy of Salem, Oregon who at the request of a total stranger in Ohio, took the time to go to the cemetery and snap this picture. Thank you so much Tracey)

GPS: N44°55'12.80”,W123°02’48.61”

Sensing the Past

Next time you visit the Fort Amanda park as you're approaching the obelisk, to the left of the monument was the large blockhouse and more than likely the quarters for Captain Thompson Ward. I once gave a talk at a historical society and on my way home it was dark but I felt compelled to stop by the fort. I parked along the road and walked across the field and sat at the base of the monument in total darkness. There I was, alone, in the dark half thinking, this is crazy, but turns out I had a purpose. I know it was imagination but sitting there I could visualize the light of the cabins peeking through the windows and under the doors and smell the smoke from the chimneys. I imagined a sentry walking his post in the dark, walking slowly back and fort. I had been transported back to 1812. Oh sure, the buildings of Ft. Amanda are long gone and the soldiers have long since passed on, but the thing that will reside there forever is our appreciation for their service and the sacrifices they made for our country..

The Death of Gen. Anthony Wayne

 

No Rest in Peace

Personal Note:
There are literally dozens of internet sites describing the bizarre events surrounding the exhumation of General Wayne’s body. Most are titled “Wayne was buried in two places,” which by the way is true. I struggled for a very long time wondering if I wanted to include them in my blog as I’ve always felt that sensationalizing his death only overshadowed the accomplishments of his life. I finally came to the realization that many people have no idea of who Wayne was or what he did for our country. With that in mind, I decided to include the details, not to sensationalize it, but in my own way of raising an awareness of Wayne the man even if had to be through “shock value.” My thought being if what follows encourages readers to learn more about Wayne the man, I’ll have accomplished what I set out to do.

An Unknown Soldier Who Served with General Wayne

Wayne returned home to Waynesboro, Pennsylvania in the spring of 1796. No doubt his first order of business was to visit the grave of his beloved wife Mary Penrose Wayne, or as the General called her, “my beloved Maria.” Mary died on April 18, 1793 while her husband General Wayne was encamped at Legionville, Pennsylvania preparing for his campaign into the Ohio country.

Wayne’s spent family time with friends and his 26 year old daughter, Margaretta Atlee and her husband William Richard Atlee, and son, Isaac, a 24 year old bachelor. Sadly, Wayne wouldn’t live long enough to see any grandchildren.

His visit home was cut short that summer by a request that he take a tour of the forts he had established during his campaign (1793-95) to determine their condition. For the most part his trip was a success but the gout that had plagued him for years was worsening.

Nearing the End

On Saturday November 19th, while aboard ship on his trip home, he asked to be put ashore at a small outpost at Presque Isle. The General was immediately taken to the quarters of Captain Russell Bissell, commander of the outpost for treatment.

Gout is a very painful condition where the kidneys fail to rid the body of uric acid. Lumps can form under the skin and the excess acids sometimes crystallize in the joints making movement extremely painful. Where it was once assumed to be caused by rich foods, it’s now considered part of the kidney failure process.

The gout had reached Wayne’s stomach and he was in intense pain. His doctor, Dr. George Balfour, one of the physicians attending him wrote that he (Balfour): “dispairs of his recovery.” Near the end, Wayne asked that Dr. J. C. Wallace, stationed at Pittsburg, 100 miles away be summoned but by the time Dr. Wallace arrived it was too late. Finally on Thursday December 15, 1796, 2 o’clock in the morning, General Anthony Wayne died.

He had requested that he be buried at the foot of the flagpole two days after his death, in full uniform and in a plain wooden coffin. On his coffin lid brass tacks marked his initials, A. W., his age and the year of his death.

Reconstructed Blockhouse At Presque Isle (Erie, Pa)

General Wayne's Original Grave

With All Due Respect

The Macabre Story Begins

In the fall of 1808, twelve years after her father’s death, daughter Margaretta, seriously ill at the time, asked her brother Isaac to go to Presque Isle and bring their father’s remains back to Radnor, Pennsylvania and be reburied in the family plot in the churchyard of the Episcopal Church.

The following spring, Isaac Wayne enlisted the services of Dr. Wallace, the doctor who General Wayne had requested to see shortly before his death to accompany him to Presque Isle to bring the remains home. The two men left Radnor 200 hundred miles to the northwest. The assumption was that because 18 years had passed since General Wayne’s death, the remains would more than likely be skeletal so rather than taking a large wagon, so they felt all they needed was a small two wheeled sulky with room enough for a small box to contain the bones. They were about to find that assumption was wrong.

A 2 - Wheeled Sulky

Now What?

Upon their arrival, Dr. Wallace, already familiar with the site was quickly able to locate the grave of General Wayne. Digging down they stuck the lid of the coffin and scrapped away the dirt exposing the brass tacks and the Initials of the General. To their horror they discovered that the body was not only not skeletal, but in fact was in excellent condition, the only exception the condition of one leg and foot. Immediately both men realized there was no way they would be able to transport the entire body back to Radnor, a trip of several days, owing to decomposition. It was finally agreed that they only way to transport the General’s remains was if they were skeletal and for that to happen the bones needed to be removed from the General’s body.

Note: One must wonder about the range of emotions felt by Wayne’s son in coming to that conclusion. How much of a part he actually took in the process is unknown, but years later when writing about it, he said he felt remorse at not having left the remains at Presque Isle, however his sisters illness played a significant part in his decision.

The Process

Dr. Wallace sent for a large kettle but it wasn’t large enough to contain the entire body so as horrible as it sounds, the body was cut up into pieces and dropped in the boiling water. As the flesh separated from the bones, Dr. Wallace delicately remove them one by one and packed them into several small boxes. When finished, the liquid left in the kettle along with any remaining flesh, medical instruments and knives were carefully placed back into the coffin and the grave recovered. How long the entire process took is unknown.
Finally finished, the boxes containing the bones were loaded onto the sulky and the two men started back toward Radnor. Finally on July 4, 1809, the remains of General Anthony Wayne were laid to rest in the St. David’s Episcopal Church in Radnor.

Closure

The Blockhouse at Presque Isle was destroyed by arsonists in 1853 and the Generals original grave site was lost but luckily it was rediscovered in 1870 and properly marked. When opened, it was discovered that most of the grave had rotted away but the coffin lid with the brass tacks used to spell out Wayne’s initials, age and date of birth remained intact.

Like the grave, the blockhouse itself has undergone several changes. It was rebuilt in 1880 then again in 1984 and has undergone continuous repairs by civic groups and the Boy Scouts of America

Fact or Fiction

FACT: How General Anthony Wayne Acquired the Nickname “Mad Anthony Wayne.” No it wasn’t entirely because of his fiery temper or because of a daring bayonet assault on a British position during the Revolutionary War, or that he was insane. It came about because someone actually made him mad (yes as in angry)

During the Revolutionary War, Wayne, used many spies, among them a man who had his own nicknames, “Jeremy the Rover” to some and “the Commodore” by others. One of Jeremy’s wandering tendencies made him a chronic deserter, despite punishment by lashing and stints in the blockhouse.

In 1781, local constables jailed Jemmy for disorderly conduct. He told his jailers that he was Wayne’s good friend and demand to be set free. When the constables refused, Jemmy asked that a messenger be sent to General Wayne to order his release from jail. But when Wayne heard this, his anger flared. He refused to intervene and added that if it happened again, he would order, “29 lashes well laid on.”
Jemmy could not believe his ears when he heard Wayne’s reply. Jemmy muttered, “Anthony is mad. He must be mad or he would help me. Mad Anthony, that’s what he is, Mad Anthony Wayne.

This humorous tale spread around the Continental Army campfires and was repeated by soldiers in the ranks. "Mad Anthony Wayne" had a rhythm and cadence that caught on and stuck. Mad Anthony's nickname became a "nom de guerre", or as I call it, a household word.

Check this link for the whole story: http://www.ushistory.org/paoli/history/waynemad.htm

FACTS AND FICTION

Fiction? (Perhaps)

On display at the Erie County Historical Society is a large cauldron said to be the very cauldron used to boil down the remains of General Wayne. One writer claims when contacted, the society had no record of every receiving it as part of a Wayne collection and really had no idea of where it came from. So I guess it’s anyones guess. The cauldron contains plastic replicas of human bones (see picture below) and while admittedly it is certainly an eye catcher, I found the display a little cheap, tacky and disrespectful.

Wayne's "Kettle of Death?"

 ANTHONY WAYNE’S GHOST

Unfortunately Anthony Wayne has garnered more bizarre stories on the internet than I can count, but one interesting piece of fiction/fact (depending on whether you believe it or not) is the story about the “Ghost of Anthony Wayne.” The story goes that traveling along the 200 miles of bumpy roads from Presque Isle back to Radnor, some of the boxes fell off the sulky and some of the smaller bones were lost. Believers claim that every year on Wayne’s birthday, January 1st, Wayne’s ghost is seen along the trail looking for his lost parts.

So Where Do We Go From Here

Ask most Americans who General George Armstrong Custer was and they’ll quickly tell you, “He and all his men got wiped out by the Indians at the Battle of the Little Big Horn” Some will even add that he was one of the youngest Generals in the Civil War and that he graduated at or near the bottom of his graduating class at West Point. The sad thing is what he is remembered for most is his failure.

Ask most Americans who General Anthony Wayne was and you’ll be lucky to get responses beyond, “I think he was a general in a war that everyone thought was crazy.” The sad thing about that is he is rarely remembered least for his accomplishments; accomplishments I might add that changed this history of our nation. As I wrote earlier, if this final blog surrounding Wayne’s death serves as nothing more than trigger to cause folks to reflect back on the accomplishment of his life than I feel I’ve done the right thing here. If you are a teacher or just a story teller like me, if anyone asks who General Mad Anthony Wayne was, tell them, “He’s the man who opened the Ohio country so you’d have a safe place to live.”

General Anthony Wayne was instrumental in the formation of the United States and he spent most of his life in its service. He was a husband, father, a member of the United States House of Representatives, a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature, a hero of the Revolutionary War and the General who finally brought an end to the decades of Indian wars in the Northwest Territory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.

As I pointed out in my opening, if this gruesome part of Wayne’s life encourages readers to learn more about Wayne the man than I have accomplished what I set out to do. General Anthony Wayne was an American patriot of the highest order so the greatest amount of respect we can pay him is to remember the accomplishments of his deeds and his service to country and not the sensationalism of his death. I think we’d all agree, he deserves nothing less.