Daniel Hosbrook - 2nd Commander at Ft. Amanda

Captain Hosbrook's company was made up of men (enlisted and drafted) from Hamilton and Clermont counties. He assumed command of Ft. Amanda on March 1, 1813.

Captain, Company Commander - Ft. Amanda

Age at time of service - 27

Daniel Hosbrook was born in Morris County, New Jersey on August 3, 1785 the son of John and Lydia (Kitchell) Hosbrook. Daniels father, an Irishman, came to the American colonies around 1775 and served as a sergeant in the First Regiment, New Jersey Continental Line during the American Revolution. After the war, Daniels family moved to Ohio and settled by a spring of clear water near present day Madeira, Ohio. Daniel was 8 years old at the time.


In 1798, his father set out for Columbia, 8 miles to the south to pick up a supply of salt. A sudden and brutal winter storm passed into the area and his father, greatly fatigued and overcome by the cold and wind, froze to death a short distance from his home. He was buried on a hillside near the family home.







On August 14, 1808. 23 year old Daniel married Eunice Bates and together they raised children, 4 daughters and 4 sons

Percy b. 1810 - Served as Trustee of Columbia Township, Hamilton County, Ohio
Hannah b. ?
John L. b. 1817 served as Trustee of Columbia Township, Hamilton County, Ohio. In 1841 he was married to Deborah FERRIS, daughter of Solomon FERRIS, one of the earliest settlers of this county. In 1842 he was elected county surveyor, which office he held for six years; and was also county engineer for several terms.
Mahlon b. 1828
Elizabeth b. 1831
Daniel S. b. 1835 studied at College Hill; was married in 1867 to Viola M. KARR, daughter of Harvey KARR, also of this county. Served in the capacity of county surveyor and county engineer from 1873 to 1879. Was on two other occasions a candidate on the Democratic ticket for county surveyor. Both of these occasions being "off" years for the Democrats he was "left" with the balance of the ticket. He is at present extensively engaged on private work, and is employed by the corporations of St. Bernard and Reading as their engineer.
John A. b. 1840 was educated at Delaware, Ohio. Was married in 1871 to Alice A. FOWLER, daughter of Leonard FOWLER, of Hamilton county. In 1872 he removed to Indianapolis, where he served as assistant county engineer for several years. In 1878 he returned to Madeira, to accept a position as a special engineer of this county, which appointment has since been renewed, and which he now holds. He has also the appointment of engineer for the village of Madisonville, and is a member of the Madeira board of education.
Eunice b. 1842




John A. Hosbrook, son of Daniel and Eunice






The War of 1812


Daniels company formed in Cincinnati the 5th of February 1813. He joined the others when the company passed through Lebanon on their way to Ft. Amanda. He may have waited to join them there otherwise he would have had to travel to Cincinnati only to turn around in a few days and practically pass by his house, so why make the trip?




This area at this intersection is site of Daniel Heatons Inn the "Sign of the Cross Keys" where Hosbrook met Schillinger and Davis for dinner Monday evening Feb. 15, 1813




Note: All indications are the Cross Keys tavern/inn was located at the intersection of E.Main and S. Broadway sts. in the small community park area adjoining the famous Golden Lamb restaurant.


Hosbrook had a couple bouts of illness during his tour of duty including a bad case of diahreah and measles while on active duty. Schillinger never spoke anything ill of his Captain and all indications are they had a very good working relationship.




A Multi-Talented Individual


After the war, Daniel went on to become a respected farmer, businessman and surveyor. He served as sheriff of Hamilton County in 1816; taking the first prisoners on horseback to the state prison in Columbus, Oh. He was elected Hamilton County surveyor for two terms, and was several times elected a member of the Ohio State legislature. Three of Hosbrook’s sons, John L, Daniel Jr., and John A, also served as surveyors for Hamilton County. Daniel Jr. was also a school teacher. The following story involves a time when pranksters locked him out of the schoolhouse.


Never Mess With a Hosbrook Boy

An incident in his history as a teacher is worth mentioning. Like many of his profession in those days, he was "barred out." Finding himself on the wrong side of the door one morning, at the time school should have been opened, he suspected mischief, and, after ineffectual attempts to gain an entrance, began to parley with the enemy. A council was proposed, but indignantly rejected by the occupants of the stronghold. Nothing short of an unconditional surrender and an indemnity of "apples and cider" would be accepted by the belligerents on the other side. Determined to regain possession, the governor issued a manifesto, which resulted in bringing over to his side one of the ringleaders, named HAYWOOD, and his ring. Encouraged by this success, he nailed down the windows securely, fastened the doors, and covered the chimneys. The result will be conjectured. The magnanimous victor stood the treat and cured the boys of a bad custom.



Blind


The 1850 census lists the sixty four year old Daniel Hosbrook as “blind.” and in the 1860 he's listed as "blind from excessive eye use." Daniel and Eunice lived out their lives on their original farm northwest of Madiera. Daniel died Nov. 22, 1868 at the age eighty four and his wife Eunice died 4 years later on Sept. 30, 1872. She was 85 years old. Both Daniel and Eunice were buried on the family farm but like is often the case, “urban sprawl” forced their bodies to be moved and they were finally laid to rest in a family plot in Laurel Cemetery in Madisonville, Ohio.
The cemetery is located at 5915 Roe St. Madisonville, OH.
GPS: N39°09'20.01”,W84°23'34.17”











Grave of Daniel and Eunie Hosbrook

Daniel Hosbrook was a military leader, farmer, surveyor, sheriff, business and patriot. While he never returned to his fort on the Auglaize, those who embrace the history of that fort will long remember his name.

Finding Amanda's Grave

Hannah Amanda Pogue

Amanda  was born March 4, 1801 daughter of Robert and Jane Hopkins Pogue.  Named Hannah Amanda Pogue at birth, throughout her short life her family and friends referred to her simply as “Amanda.”   Amanda was eleven years old when her father (Lt. Col. Pogue) built his fort on the Auglaize and named it for her.  At the age of sixteen it was decided that Amanda would further her education at the Transalvania University in Lexington, Ky.  In a letter to his mother written  Nov. 7, 1817 Amanda’s brother William offers his help in helping Amanda as she prepares for school.  A section of the letter reads:

“If Amanda wishes to go to Lexington to school, I desire you, or

some of the family to inform me when she is ready to come, that

I might make arrangements with Mr. Blythe for her schooling and

also know where she will board or where she would desire to

board and find out when the next quarter will commence that she

might know when to prepare, and when she is ready, I will go down

for her when she is ready as I promised.”[1]

Searching for Amanda's Grave

Folks in Allen and Auglaize have been naming things after Fort Amanda for more than a century.  Things like:

1. Fort Amanda State Park
2. Fort Amanda Road
3. Fort Amanda Canoe Livery
4. Fort Amanda General Store
5. Fort Amanda Specialties
6. Lake Amanda
7. Amanda Township

It’s almost impossible to travel anywhere in Allen or Auglaize Counties without coming across the name “Amanda,”  yet most people have either no idea or know very little about the individual so what follows is a synopsis of what we know about her to date. 

Hannah Amanda Pogue was born on Wednesday, March 4, 1801 near Mayslick, Kentucky.  She was the 4^th child born to Robert and Jane Pogue.  Her older sibling at the time was 9 year old brother John Hopkins Pogue, 7 year old William Lindsay Pogue and 4 year old Edwin Philander Pogue.  A sister, Anzie Pogue had died the year before shortly before her 2^nd birthday.  Jane was 7 months pregnant with Amanda at the time.

When Amanda was 2 years old, the Pogue family was blessed with twins, Jane Isabella and Robert.  Three years later  Robert Cunningham Pogue was born and in 1808 Ann Eliza Pogue, the last of the Pogue children was born. In all, Robert and Jane had 9 children.

For some reason, Hannah Amanda Pogue preferred to be called Amanda rather than Hannah.  Letters from family members refer to her as “Amanda,” as does her obituary, although the inscription on her gravestone the name is: Hannah Amanda McDowell.    

Off to School

  Transylvania University's main building, (Broadway and 3^rd sts) erected in 1816, was destroyed by fire in 1829.

When Amanda turned 16, the family decided it was time for her to further her education. The school they chose was Transylvania University[1] a private school located 70 miles away in Lexington, Kentucky.   Amanda’s brother William, his wife Ann and their young family were living less than 3 miles from the university so he sent the following letter to their mother offering to help Amanda find a place to stay when she was ready to start.  The letter dated November 7, 1817 reads:   

           

“If Amanda wishes to go to Lexington to school, I desire you, or some of the family to inform me when she is ready to come, that I might make arrangements with Mr. Blythe for her schooling and also know where she will board or where she would desire to board and find out when the next quarter will commence that she might know when to prepare, and when she is ready, I will go down for her when she is ready as I promised.”[2]

The “Mr. Blythe,” William referred to in his letter was 55 year old Dr. James Blythe, an instructor at Transylvania University. Dr. Blythe taught Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, Astronomy and Geography.  He taught at the university from 1798 until 1831 when retired as chair of the Chemistry dept.   Amanda’s education probably focused on the liberal arts.

The Cost of Higher Education

In 1817 when Amanda started school at Transylvania, the tuition was approximately $125 per year and included room and board, firewood, use of the library and fire in the recitation room (study hall).  If a student wanted to live off campus, the going rate for room and board, laundry services including mendings was about $30 a year, but they had to furnish their own bedding, firewood and candles. 

Authors note:  
Room and board at Transylvania University in Lexington today is $42,000 a year ($33,000 and $9,000) 

Adult Years

In the ensuing years, Amanda met and fell in love with a young doctor 4 years her senior, named James Ephram McDowell.  Whether they met while going to school in Lexington is unknown however Translvania was renowned for its excellent medical program.

On September 9, 1822, twenty one year old Amanda Pogue and twenty five year old James  E. McDowell married in Flemingsburg, Kentucky and they set up home there.  Based on census records, it appears that Amanda and James were childless although a recent study of the 1840 census raises some questions that I will be pursuing.    

Death Visits the Pogue Family

Amanda died on New Years Day, January 1, 1827, 2 months short of her 27^th birthday.  The cause of death is unknown.  Because she died at her parents home near Mayslick. it’s possible she’d been ill for some time and they were looking after her.  Her obituary was simple:

"At the residence of her father, (Gen. Robert Pogue,) in this county, last week, Mrs. Amanda McDowell, consort of Dr. McDowell of Flemingsburg."

Death Strikes Agin

On May 21^st,  just four months after Amanda’s death, her sister, 24 year old Jane Isabella died.  Her twin brother Robert had died at 13 months in 1804.  Janes obituary in the May 23 issue of  the Mayslick Eagle read:

 In Mayslick, Mason County, Ky, on Tuesday morning last, after a long and severe illness, Mrs. Jane Mackey consort of Mr. William Mackey and daughter of Gen. Robert Pogue.

Authors note;

Janes obituary may give us a clue as to the cause of Amanda’s death.  Both young women died at a very young age and within 4 months of each other.  Jane died from Yellow fever so it is possible that was the cause of Amanda’s death as well.   Death from Yellow Fever was very common on the frontier.

In Search of Amanda’s Grave

On July 5^th 1991, my wife, our oldest son Mike (then a student at OSU) along with Mrs. Francis Rice and her husband Early went to where Francis believed the old homestead to be.   Turns out, the spot is more than a mile off the main road and in a heavily wooded area.     

On entering the woods I was mortified to see how overgrown the area actually was (see pic below).  You literally could not see the ground because of all the vegetation, branches, bushes, etc.

Using a shovel handle with a nail in the end, after I jabbed around the ground for what seemed like an eternity when finally I heard a “clink.”  I scrapped the dirt back and when I saw the name Edwin Pogue, I knew were in the right place.  Edwin was Amanda’s brother.  He was 4 years older than Amanda (1797 – 1841)

Edwin Pogues Grave
Amandas older brother

A few minutes later I heard Mike, shout out, “Hey dad, look at this.”  I walked over and could see a gravemarker tilted at an angle and sunken partially into the ground. I immediately saw that it was Amandas marker.   

Grave of Hannah Amanda McDowell  -  Namesake of Fort Amanda
1801 - 1827

 

My first impulse was to move the slab so it set level out of respect but I reminded myself that somehow that just didn’t seem right.  I swished what little water we had on it to clean it off so we could read the inscriptions more clearly.  Even that didn’t seem right somehow.

(L-R) Mike Johnson, Francis RIce, Early Rice, Me)

Immediately to the top of Amandas grave we found the grave of  Amanda’s younger sister Ann (1808-1838).  The slab covering her grave was not like anything I’d ever seen before.  It was 3 feet wide and 6 feet long and the inscription was but in handwriting script.  Again, not having much water, I couldn’t clean all of it so I could transcribe it but it was nothing short of beautiful. 

 

Notice the inscription carved in script.

Before the day was out, we found  a total of possibly 10 graves;

1.      Hannah Amanda McDowell  (1801-1827)

2.      Edwin Pogue  (1797-1841)

3.      Robert Pogue (either the twin (1803-1804) or (1806 – 1836)  

4.      Elizabeth Pogue Coale (b.? d. 1853)

5.      Minerva Kincaid

6.      Sally Lynn

7.      Eleanor Burgess

8.      Robert and Jane Hopkins Pogue (?)   

The stones shown in the picture below are believed to be the gravestones for Robert Pogue (1766 – 1833) and wife Jane. (

 

Possibly the graves of Lt.Col. Robert Pogue and his wife Jane Hopkins Pogue

Jane Hopkins Pogue, Amanda’s mother prepared her October 15^th, 1846.  She died 16 days later at the age of 79.  She had outlived her husband and 8 of their 9 children.  Their second oldest, William Lindsay Pogue outliving her by 35 years dying at the ripe old age of 87

Amanda’s mother outlived 8 of her 9 children.  Two had died before the age of 2, four before the  age of 30 and two  before the age of 45.  Only 1, William Lindsay Pogue outlived his mother, dying in 1881 at the age of 87.

Return Trip 20 Years Later

I went back to Amanda’s grave a couple years ago, no particuilar reason, I just wanted to see it again.  What I found was all traces of the gravestones were gone.  Cattle grazing in the woods over the previous the 20 years had caused the dirt and mud to settle on the stones and they were no longer visible.   It was an odd feeling.  I was very disappointed and sad but the more I thought about it I began to feel a sense of relief.    

Authors note:

Transcriptions of all markings on all the stones we found were given to the Mason County Historical Society in Maysville, Kentucky. 

---

[1] The original campus located at Broadway and 3^rd in Lexington, was destroyed by fire in 1828 and the new campus moved 1 block north on Broadway ave.

[2]  The original letter is in the possession of the family. 

The 75 Unknown American Soldiers at Fort Amanda

 What follows are my thoughts about about claims that 75 soldiers of the War of 1812, all unknown, are buried in the cemetery at Ft. Amanda. Do I believe there are men actually buried in those graves? While I'd like to believe there are soldiers buried there, my research says that at the very least, it's questionable.

First lets look at the wording on the histoical marker below: 

"Death came to these Patriots either while on duty at Fort Amanda or while in the Fort Hospital to which wounded were returned from the forward area. The British burning of the War Records Office in Washington D.C. on August 24th, 1814 makes it impossible to establish the identity of these men.

Seems logical that anyone who died at the fort should be buried there regardless of whether they were on duty or returned from a "forward area," but it does raise a few questions. But before we get to those let’s examine the last statement, "the British burning of the War Records Office........makes it impossible to establish the identity of these men."

"The Burning of Washington D. C."

First of all the last statement is absolutely false. First of all, why would the individual states be sending records to Washington to begin with, and even if they did, what kind of records would be so vital that they needed to be kept by the Federal government? The fact is, that statement is an urban legend and sadly, one that has been a deterent for individuals who may have thought that a search for documents would be futile.

That argument aside, the last part of that statement about making it "impossible to establish the identity of these men," is also false. There are literally millions of documents, most kept by individual states or foundations pertaining to the men and women from their states who were involved in the war. The Filson Club in Kentucky is a treasure trove of document relating to their citizens in the war.

Soldiers weren't nameless or just numbers. When someone died or was killed, someone in the company knew who they were. In other words, they didn't just dump a body in a grave, brush off their hands and say, "well, that's that." Company commanders didn't just lose men and write them off, they had to maintain records of what happened to them. A good example is found in the book, Kentucky in the War of 1812 that not only lists the names of the soldiers including if they deserted, were killed, were a substitute or otherwise absent from the company. The point is, once they became deceased they weren't just written off.

OK I think you get my point. Saying there are no records is false and identifying them is impossible is also false. Remember Pvt. Charles Murry who died at Ft. Amanda?

When Were the Markers Placed

In a paper written by Charles Lathrop, an early occupant of the fort, he stated that a Professor C.W. Williamson, a historian from Wapakoneta had contacted the government about placing stones at the site. He wrote:
"About thirty years ago, through the influence and indefatiguable efforts of Professor Williamson, late of Wapakoneta, the government furnished markers for these graves."

Lathrop wrote his paper in 1919 and stated that Williamson had contacted the government about grave markers “about thirty years ago,” meaning that they were installed around 1889.

Died While on Duty ?

Ensign Schillinger was so detailed in his journal entries that he mentioned the weather every day for 180 days so it's a pretty safe bet that only 1 death occurred at the fort between March and August 1813 otherwise he certainly would have mentioned it.

Q: What about the other companies at Fort Amanda, could someone in their company have died there?

A: If the first occupants (Captain Wards company) had lost any men between October 1812 and March 1813, why would they bury them on the opposite side of the ravine so distant from the fort and basically unprotected and out of view from the fort? Plus, if there were burials on the other side of the ravine, why was Pvt. Murry buried on the fort side of the ravine and not with Wards men? I think it safe to assume that no one in Wards company died at Ft. Amanda.

Q: What about Briers company or Ramsey’s company.

A: All one has to do is look at the mustering out rolls of companies stationed there and see who arrived there and who left. Another source is census records which is very time consuming because after the war large numbers of the men who served at the fort moved out of state. In addition county histories posted on the internet are a good starting point. They often listed the names of men from their county who died in service.

Died After Being Returned From the Forward Area

The question is, if a soldier was badly wounded why would they bring transport him to Fort Amanda? The "hospital" you may ask. Keep in mind, each fort had its own "hospital" which if you remember was nothing more than a cabin(s) or a building dedicated for that purpose.

Remember, there were 3 forts between Ft. Meigs and Ft. Amanda; Winchester, Brown and Jennings. So again, the question is why bringing them to Ft. Amanda?

Q: But if a soldier died along the trail between Ft. Meigs and Ft. Amanda couldn't they bring the body to Amanda and bury it there.

A: Yes, but why would they? If someone died between Jennings and Amanda it might seem logical to bring the body on to Amanda, but that happening 75 times?


We're already read in Schillinger’s journal that if a soldier was very sick or injured, they either sent him to St. Marys for better treatment of if it was serious enough, they sent him home.

So Where Did the Number 75 Unknown Soldiers Come From?

Another question is, do we know if anyone is actually buried there? Good question and I think the answer may lie in the perceptions of a 5 year old boy who lived at the fort in 1863.

Charles Lathrop who I mentioned earlier was born in 1858. In 1863, 5 year old, Lathrop and his family moved into one of the buildings of the old fort. Years later (1919), he wrote a paper about life at the old fort in which he wrote:

"Of the number of men we know little, but there is evidence of a goodly number. They erected in the enclosure, also a large warehouse to care for supplies; the upper story of which we are told was used for a hospital. The need was evident from the number of mounds that are still in evidence in the old cemetery across the ravine just north of the fort."

Mounds?

The key phrase; “mounds that are still in evidence” is very interesting. Lathrop’s observation of the “mounds” was made in 1863, almost 50 years after the army left Fort Amanda. Now let’s examine the details of frontier burials..

When soldiers on the frontier died during the War of 1812, granted some were buried in wooden boxes but others were often simply wrapped in a blanket and placed respectfully in the grave.

Once done, the dirt taken from the hole would be shoveled back over the grave and since the body displaced much of the area of the hole, the left over dirt would have formed a mound. Makes sense, but would the “mound” still be visible in 50 years?

The natural decomposition of the human body wrapped in a blanket and even a wooden coffin would deteriorate over time thus causing the mounds of dirt to sink down into the hole below ground level or at least sunken to ground level. My question then became, would mounds of dirt from a burial be visible after 50 years.

I talked with 2 different funeral detectors and posed this question; “If a man was buried in a wooden box, or a blanket, would the dirt from the grave remained mounded up for a year or more.” The response from both was, “possibly.” I then asked, “Would the dirt still be mounded up after 50 years?” The response from both was “No.” As both pointed out, one of the reasons for using a concrete vault to cover a casket is that it prevents the dirt from settling back into the hole and creating a large indentation in the ground and a possible tripping hazard.

A Further Investigation

In 2013, an archeology team led by Dr. Jarrod Burks of Ohio Valley Archaeology in Columbus, Ohio, with approval of the Ohio Historical Society, and county officials, performed a preliminary scan over some of the graves in the War of 1812 section using hi-tech equipment. The findings were inconclusive as underground features in that area are difficult to interpret using geophysical survey instruments. While the only distinguishable features they could detect were tree roots, they did find iron pins marking what appears to be plot boundaries in the southern part of the cemetery near the military markers. Those were probably just surveyor pins or benchmarks.

So What Were the Mounds Lathrop Saw

We’ll never know what triggered the mind of a 5 year old boy causing him to think they were graves; was it from stories handed down or simply the imagination of a young boy.  And as insensitive as it may sound, what he was seeing could simply have been abandoned trash pits  

In Conclusion

In the beginning of this blog I wrote that I didn’t think anyone was buried in those graves and I still don’t. If however a soldier(s) did die at Fort Amanda, somewhere there are records stating so. Who, if anyone, is buried in those Unknown Soldier graves isn’t really all that important and I think Professor Williamson knew that. He knew that there were countless numbers of soldiers who were buried where they fell, some in forests, some along streams and creek, and even under paved parking lots. I believe his intent was simply to provide a memorial for all the men and women who died in that conflict.

At the beginning of this blog I also wrote that while I didn’t think anyone is buried in those graves, I hoped there were. I still do because as long as we don’t know for certain, the possibility will always exist that there are. And if one day we would discover the name of just one individual buried in those rows of graves, that will mean one less name on the roster of Unknown Soldiers of that war and what better way to memorialize a man who died in the service of his country than simply remembering his name.

Dilbone Family Massacre - Ramsey's Company Arrives - Pogue Returns

On Aug. 2, 1813 Schillinger passed through Piqua on his way home. He was following what today is Piqua-Troy rd. He stayed the night of the 2nd at the home of Christopher Statler and his family located 2 miles south of Piqua (near the intersection of W. Peterson and Piqua-Troy roads.) Two week later on Aug. 18, just 3 miles east of the Statler home, a man named David Garrard was murdered by Indians. The same day, five miles to the northeast, a family was ambushed in the field and the mother and father murdered.


Route Schillinger Took on Aug. 2, 16 days before the Dilbone and Garrard Murders

August 18, 1813

Henry Dilbone was a 27 year old Pennsylvania born farmer. He and his wife BarbarMilhouse Dilbone lived in a cabin with their 4 children ages 7, 5, 3 and 9 months in a small cabin 5 miles east of Piqua. Late in the afternoon of Wednesday August, 18, Henry along with his wife and children went into one of their fields to pull flax, a grass-like plant used to spin into thread for material. Henry was kneeling in the field when he heard his dog start barking. He stood up and was immediately shot in the chest by an Indian who'd been standing at the edge of the field. A younger Indian accomplice standing nearby did not didn’t have a weapon. Mrs. Dilbone recognizing the older Indian as Mingo George, a local trouble maker, ran towards her children but Mingo George caught up with her and struck her in the head with his tomahawk killing her instantly. As George and his accomplice were walking up to the children, they heard a shot in the distance then turned and ran away. It was found out later that the shot came from another attack 4 miles south of Dilbones that killed the Dilbone's neighbor, David Garrard.
Dilbone’s oldest son John, age 7, took his younger siblings back to their cabin, where neighbors, Mrs. Samuel Winan and William McKinney, both neighbors arrived shortly afterwards. John took the McKinney back to where his mother lay dead. His father was nowhere to be seen. The neighbor then took the children to his home. Since it was getting dark, a search party was organized for early the next morning, and they found Henry Dilbone in the woods near the field, still alive. He had stuffed a piece of his shirt into the bullet wound to stop the blood, but he died a day later.
The Dilbone’s had traded with local Indians for some time and it is said that in talks about current events, Henry was quite outspoken about his dislike for the Indians who were helping the British and especially Tecumseh. Mingo George was a disreputable and unsavory character, so it’s possible he killed the Dilbone’s for that reason. We’ll never know.

Neither Henry nor Barbara had been scalped so the location of where they were buried was kept secret so that the Indians couldn’t find the bodies and scalp them for the reward. The tracking down and punishment of Mingo George seems to be an appropriate end.


Kind of an Appropriate End

A party of settlers set out to find the murderers. Mingo George and his cohort escaped and traveled north into Shelby County. They stopped for dinner the next day at the Robert McClure cabin, which was located north of what is now Houston, Ohio. Only 16 year old Rosanna was home.
Unaware of the Dilbone tragedy, she fed the Indians and sent them on their way. The Indians were fortunate. Rosanna had the reputation as an excellent marksman, having killed a panther, 6 wolves, 22 raccoons and 2 deer in one winter.
Frontier justice was not long in coming. Gardner Bobo, formerly a militia captain in the Revolutionary War and a friend of the Dilbone family, secured the services of William Richardson. Richardson was happy to help as he was the brother in law of Barbara Dilbone. Together they lay in wait for Mingo George where the present Miami-Shelby county line crosses the Miami River. He appeared at dusk as he was returning from the grist mill on the Miami River. They shot the Indian and punched his body into a quagmire near the river bank with a long pole.
Rich Wallace - Shelby County Historical Society




Site of the Dilbone Massacre - Aug. 18, 1813
Located on the north side of SR 26 two miles west of Fletcher, Ohio

For a more indepth account of the massacre go to this website:
http://www.shelbycountyhistory.org/schs/archives/indiansarchives/dilboneindiana.htm

Third Command at Fort Amanda


Aug, - Sept 1813
A mystery yet to be solved is why was a company of Ohio militia moved into Fort Amanda when it was due to be discharged in only 2months? Unfortunately, no written records have been found to date telling us what took place at Ft. Amanda after Aug. 1813.


Fourth Command at Fort Amanda


October 11, 1813 – April 10, 1814.
It is very likely that when Briers company’s enlistment time ended on Oct. 11, 1813, the next company to occupy the fort was one from Preble County led by a Captain William Ramsey. Ramsey’s company was the only Ohio militia company entering the field on that date. His company roster is as follows:


Ramsey, William Captain
Newton, James Sergeant
Douglas, Samuel Corporal
Dailey, William Drummer
Newton, Henry Fifer


PRIVATES PRIVATES PRIVATES
Bonebrake, John Beeson, James Baley, Gough
Clawson, Josiah Dougherty, Thomas Dougherty, Edward
Dailey, Dennis Green, David Harlin, John
Hammon, Phillip Hammon, William Hamilton, Andrew Kester, Paul Kays, John Killough, John Kirkham, Mikel Lambert, Jonothan Lesh, Henry
Morris, William McGaw, Moses Pressley, John
Pressley, Joseph Pressley, Robert Stephen, Richard
Stephen, William Smith, Robert Smith, Phillip
Wead, Andrew Wright, John White, Johab


Pogue Returns


While things remained relatively quiet at Ft. Amanda during this period, events to the north had changed the course of the war. The British had lifted their second siege on Ft. Meigs, suffered heavy casualties trying to capture Ft. Stephenson and lost the battle for control of the Great Lakes. By the end of September, General Proctor could sense defeat and General Harrison, could smell blood. Proctor began pulling supplies and men out of Ft. Malden to make sure he had supplies for his retreating troops. The American force made up of regulars and Kentucky militia caught up with Proctor and his retreating army at Moravian town 50 miles from Detroit on October 5th in what became known as the Battle of the Thames. It was one of the most decisive battles of the war. The most notable casualty of the battle was the great Indian chief, Tecumseh. His death shattered the coalition of the Indian tribes he had assembled and that coupled with the string of defeats suffered by the British, the Americans had regained control of the Northwest Territory.


Lt. Col. Robert Pogue (builder of Ft. Amanda) had been called back to duty and was in charge of a regiment at the battle of the Thames. While battle casualties were light on both sides, the greatest losses for the American forces took place on their way home. The winter of 1813 was particularly brutal both in terms of snowfall and cold temperatures. In January 1814, Joseph Desha, a member of the U.S. House of Representative from Kentucky wrote Lt. Col. Pogue with his condolences for the loss of his men. The letter reads in part:


Governor Shelby informs me that we have lost upward of two
hundred of our brave companions in causes, by sickness, which is
nothing more than I anticipated. When it was determined that we
should march round the lake to our horses – poor fellows, my heart
bled for those men and when I reflect on the hardships they had to
endure and their ----------- please accept my wishes for your welfare,
Your obedient servant. Joseph Desha

 

Schillinger's Journey Home

As you read in the previous blog, the men at Amanda were preparing to go home. A company of 60 men led by Capt. Samuel Brier from Montgomery County had just arrived and prepared to take command from Hosbrook. The story continues.

Tuesday the 3rd August This morning clear & warm
At morning muster, Capt. Brier officially took command of Ft. Amanda. Today was an especially important day for Capt. Daniel Hosbrook. In addition to going home, today was his 28th birthday. The men returned their weapons to the quartermaster and by mid morning, most of Hosbrook men had left for home. The officers were among the last to leave including, Private Robert Irwin[1] the 23 year old corporal in the company.

Authors note
Schillinger wrote in his journal on this day; “Deliverd up our arms, etc.” implying that the weapons the men had while on duty at Amanda were government issue and not their own personal weapons. Makes sense on a couple levels, some men may not have owned a weapon and by having government issue, the caliber of the weapons would have all be the same. It is interesting however that if men were using government issued weapons, that means they'd be traveling home unarmed. Hmmmm

Schillinger, Davis and Hosbrook had originally planned to travel home together that day but to their unpleasant surprise they found that the horses they had planned to use were gone. Schillinger wrote; “some evil disposed persons having drove them off and we could not find them.” It must have been especially frustrating for him as he was still not feeling well. They asked the quartermaster for another horse but were told that only one was available so it was agreed that Schillinger would take the horse loaded with their baggage and meet them at the home of a man named Christopher Statler[2] two miles south of Piqua. Hosbrook and Davis left early taking the route to Piqua via Ft. Logan, perhaps hoping they might get a horse there. Schillinger on the other hand didn't leave for St. Marys until shortly after 2 o’clock. Arriving there around 6:oo that evening, he decided to stay the night there.


Wednsday the 4th August Clear & warm
Anxious to get an early start, Schillinger awoke left St. Marys around shortly before sunrise that morning which in 1813 was 5:38 AM. He arrived at Laramie’s around 9 o’clock and after feeding his horse, proceeded on to Piqua arriving around 4 o’clock that afternoon. He fed his horse and resting for a couple of hours, then proceeded onto the rendezvous point at the home of 26 year old Christopher Statler about two miles south of Piqua.[4] A short time later, while still at Staplers, Chandler’s brother-in-law Capt. Armstrong, arrived with a horse for him. It was getting late so the two men decided to stay the night at the Staplers farm; a very good idea.

Authors note:
Two weeks after Schillinger passed through Piqua on his way home, a renegade Indian named Mingo George and a teenage accomplice, murdered a man named Ross a short distance from the Statler home. The same day the murderers found Henry and Barbara Dilbone[5] and there three children working in the fields about 5 miles east of Piqua. They shot and mortally wounded Henry, chased down and tomahawked Mrs. Dilbone to death. Henry died later that same day. The children escaped unharmed. Mingo George was later apprehended and hanged for the murders.

Oh No Not Again

Thursday the 5th August
Once again, the morning didn’t start well for Schillinger. When he went out to feed his horse, he found that the bars of the corral had been pulled down and the horse he had brought from Ft. Amanda, as well as the horse his brother-in-law had brought for him were both gone. Not wanting to wait around for Hosbrook and Davis as originally planned, Schillinger decided to leave as soon as possible to try to find the horses. He wrote a quick note of apology to Hosbrook and Davis and started south looking for his horses. Luckily he them about a mile from the Staplers.

A Real Gentleman With A Sore Behind

Along the way, he met two men from his company at Ft. Amanda both of whom were sick walking along the trail. He gave one of the horses to them and continued on. He continued on to Staunton where he arrived around 9 o’clock that morning, ate breakfast then continued on to Dayton. After dinner, he rode on another 12 miles to Mr. Tibbal’s where he stayed the night. This had been a very long day, especially for someone not feeling well.

Authors note:
Schillinger rode 38 miles on horseback that day.

Friday the 6th
Around 6 o‘clock that morning, Schillinger arose and rode 12 miles, passing through Shaker Town[6] and arrived at the home of his wife’s uncle, James Norris. After breakfast the two men talked for about an hour and around 11 o’clock, Schillinger fed his horse and started toward home. He rode 5 miles and stopped at the White Horse Tavern[7] in Mason for a few minutes then on to the town of Montgomery where he stopped at the home of Mr. Weller. He unloaded Hosbrook and Davis’ baggage and after freshening up, started on home where he arrived shortly after sundown[8]. He wrote in his journal that he “found all well.” His six months active duty service to country was over.

Authors note:
The rode into Montgomery is Rt. 48. Leaving the Wellers home at 7795 Cooper Rd. Schillinger probably would have followed Cooper Rd. out of Montgomery south to where it becomes Blome Rd. Continue on to Drake Rd then directly south to Plainville. Some of that road no longer exists and others slightly reroute due to highway work.

The Weller Home 7795 Cooper Rd. Montgomery, Ohio

Home where Schillinger stopped on his way home from Fort Amanda

The last entry in Schillingers journal was a few lines from James Thomson’s “The Seasons."

“The Seasons Thus as ceaseless round the jarring world they roll, Still find them Happy Till evening comes at last serene and Mild, together down they sink in social sleep
Together freed their gentle Spirits fly, to scenes where
Love and Bliss forever reign – THOMPSONS SEASONS





 




[1] Biography

[2] The Statler home was probably located near intersection of Farrington and Piqua-Troy roads.

[3] The route followed St. Rt. 198 from Ft. Amanda to Wapakoneta then the Hardin- Wapakoneta rd to Piqua.

[4] Near the intersection of W. Petterson and Troy-Piqua rds. in Miami, County.

[5] Biography

[6] The old Shaker Village was located just north of the intersection of St. Rts. 63 and 741 west of Lebanon

[7] The White Horse Tavern was probably located near the intersection of N. Mason Montgomery rd.
And SR 42.

[8] Around 7:30 PM that evening.

Hosbrook's Company Going Home - Brier's Company Arrives

Schillinger Preparing to go Home

While transcribing Schillinger's journal I found it interesting to note the differences in the style of his handwriting. He often underlined certain words as if to make a point, made comments that could be construed as sarcasm and in the examples shown below, what could be interpreted as excited. Figure 1 shows his 1st journal entry (Feb. 5) notice the small date. Figure 2 shows his May 14th entry, the date is larger. Now notice his entry from July 24, just 10 days before he is to start home Figure 3.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Monday July the 26th Warm & sultry
With their 6 month tour of duty coming to an end in a few days the men at Ft. Amanda began packing and loading personal belongings onto wagons to be shipped home. Privates Joseph Abbott and Thomas Patterson hitched up a team of horses to the baggage wagon and left left Amanda "1/2 past Meridian" (12:30) headed for Clermont County. There were 2 routes to Piqua from Ft. Amanda. The first southwest through St. Marys and Fort Lormie on to Piqua and the second past Ft. Logan and the Indian village at Wapakoneta then directly south on to Piqua. Abbott and Patterson took the southern route past Ft. Logan is unclear as the distance by either route is approx. 40 miles.

Authors note:
I believe the route from Ft. Logan to Piqua followed the Hardin-Wapakoneta rd. from Wapakoneta through the village of Hardin on south to where it passes the John Johnston farm northwest of Piqua. This must have been an old established trail because Colonel John Hardin was murdered by Indians in Hardin while traveling on it during a peace mission for George Washington in 1792.

Schillinger Ill Again

When Schillinger work up that morning, he wrote that he wrote that he had a “very severe turn of the face & headache.” Must have been discouraging as he had been ill when he went home in May.

Meanwhile at Ft. Meigs

Tuesday July the 27th This morning warm with light Showers
During the afternoon Ensign John Tweed of Capt. Seton’s Company along with 5 or 6 men from Ft. Winchester came to Ft. Amanda on their way home. After a brief rest, the group, with the exception of Ensign Tweed, continued on their way to St. Marys. Ensign Tweed was very ill at the time so he decided to stay the night at Ft. Amanda.

Rumors were flying throughout the day from different sources that Ft. Meigs was surrounded by the British and their Indian allies and that the Port of Cleveland had been blockaded by the British Navy, neither of which was true. It was true the British had attempted another siege on Ft. Meigs but it was short lived and without effect and as I wrote in my previous blog, Proctor was already setting his sights on Ft. Stephenson[1] 30 miles to the southeast.

Last Minute Paperwork

Wensday July the 28t This morning Clear & pleasant
Still quite ill, Ensign Tweed left early in the day for St. Marys. Schillinger, still under the weaher worked on finishing up his final reports including accounting for provisions and rations distributed at Amanda and noted in his journal that nothing of particular interest happened that day.

Ensign Schillinges Return for Rations Issued Mar. 24 - 26 1813

Schillingers Return Reproduced in Excel

Thursday the 29th Cool morning
During the day two ox teams came to the fort from St. Marys to pick up meat for the soldiers there. Schillinger noted that he was feeling better than he did the day before and that his flu like symptoms and fever had passed.

More Than A Flesh Wound

Authors note:
When reading Schillingers entries about such mundane things like gardens in Wapakoneta, picking up meat for troops at St. Marys or canoes loaded with flour, it's sometimes easy to forget that there was a war raging less than 100 miles to the north and that northwest Ohio was still a very dangerous place. This is clearlyshown in Schillingers entry of July 30th.


Friday the 30th this morning clear
Several men in Hosbrooks company were still quite ill. Three of the more serious were transported to St. Marys, 2 on a wagon and the third on a cart.

Around 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[3] a short distance from Ft. Defiance. Gray had been shot in the arm and later lost the use of it.

Dropping Like Flies

Saturday the 31st July Weather Clear & pleasant
A group of men with horses came to Ft. Amanda on their way to Ft. Winchester to bring back some of the sick at that place. Schillinger included in his notes that a man named Steele came to the fort from Ft. Jennings.


Sunday August the 1st Clear & warm
Lt. Davis and Sgt. Bradbury went to Ft. Logan early in the day to tend to business there. In the early afternoon, Capt. Benagh and Mr. Steel left for St. Marys. A short time later one of the men at Amanda who was still very ill was discharged to go home. Another soldier was sent along to help care for him.

Later that day Francis Duchouquet, the Indian interpreter came to the fort to draw more provisions for the Indians at Wapakoneta.

Authors note:
Its apparent from Schillingers that the situations at Amanda, Jennings and Winchester weren't just a few isolated cases of measles, flue, pheumonia, it was nothing short an epidemic.

The Replacement Company Arrives

Monday August the 2nd This morning warm
At 2 o’clock in the afternoon, Capt. Samuel Brier and his company of approximately 60 men from Montgomery County arrived at Ft. Amanda to take over command.


Aug. 2, 1813 - Oct. 11, 1813
60 troops

Captain Samuel Brier

Commanded of Fort Amanda
August 2, 1813 – Oct. 11,1813


[Curious note: Why would Briers company be moved to Fort Amanda when its time of service was due to expire on October 11, only two months from the move in date?]

Brier, Samuel Captain
Lighty, Jacob Lieutenant
Hearton, Daniel Ensign
Miller, William Sergeant (1st Sergeant)


John, Joseph R Sergeant Ganasdol, Corneilus Sergeant Arnold, Samuel Sergeant
Heaston David Corporal Dodds, Matthew M Corporal Blair, Joseph Corporal
Hatch, Daniel Corporal Slagle, Conrad Musician Walker, Isaac Drummer


PRIVATES PRIVATES PRIVATES


Arnet, George Bay, William Blair, James S.
Brunbough, George Bucken, Michael Coffman, Jacob
Cox, William Crull, Daniel Casfidy, Simon
Cronn, Daniel Deiterick, Peter
Dice, Paul Enoch, John Edomes, Edmond
Coblentz. Jacob Gelelant, Emanuel Hester, George
Henry, George Harshman, Joseph Jones, Price
Kader, Phillip Kelsen, Daniel Lawrose, John
Lechlider, George Haman, Solomon McDonald, Archibald
McCreary, Nathan Overholser, Jacob Phillips, Thomas
Pettit, James Phlweyn, Charles Pickle, Simon
Reed, William Rickey, John Shelly, Jacob
Studebaker, John Statler, William Parks, Jacob
Swart, John Shively, Isaac Talbot, James
Wood, Ashbury Wolf, Jacob Westfall, John
Wood, Samuel Woodhouse, Henry

Authors note:

Mystery to be solved:Briers company was discharged on Oct. 11, 1813 and the only other company mustered into the field onthat date was that of Captain Ramsey’s company whose tour of duty was from October 11, 1813, till April 4, 1814. Did Ramseys group take over command from Brier?

Interesting: A pay voucher shows Captain Brier bought a pair of shoes and a pair of socks while at Fort St. Marys. Price was $3.00. Not bad.

Schillinger spent the remainder of the day coordinating paperwork with Ensign Daniel Heaston, his counterpart in Briers company. That evening, Schillinger finished packing. Tomorrow he's going home and it's going to be a frustrating trip.