Authors note: In 1794, The Indians along the Maumee River had orchards and cornfields that stretched literally for miles. One of Gen. Wayne’s first orders of business after his battle at Fallen Timbers was to destroy all the crops he could find. Nothing discourages an enemy more than taking away his food for the winter. Anyway, it worked.
As for fishing at Ft. Amanda, instead of sitting patiently on the river bank waiting for the fish to bite, soldiers used what they called “fish pots.” Fish pots were a netted type apparatus with a opening on one end similar to lobster trap. The fish could swim in but being dumb fish, they didn’t know how to swim out. The soldiers placed them in the river and checked them on a regular basis to see if anything had been caught. A couple months earlier, Schillinger wrote that he and the cook had gone fishing and “shot a pike.” I’m still laugh at the thought of watching the men shooting a fish with a 45 caliber muzzle loading rifle. Apparently he had better luck on May 18th.
Tuesday the 18th Pleasant weather but cool
Lt. Davis, Ensign Schillinger and four other men loaded into two canoes and paddled down river toward Ft. Jennings to bring back some of the articles Hosbrook and Davis had found abandoned the day before. They found a large number of tents, kettles, knapsacks and other articles and brought them back to the fort. When they got back, Schillinger went down to the river to check the fish pots and found that he “Killd a large fine parcel of very fine fish.”
May 19, 1813 Wednesday Clear and pleasant
Schillinger went down to the river and checked his fish pots again that morning and found he had caught another “fine mess in the pot.”
Sometime earlier, he had requested a furlough to go home for a few days and it was approved. He spent the day Wednesday packing his belongings finishing up some paperwork and getting ready to leave the next day.
Going Home on Furlough
Thursday the 20th May 1813 Clear and pleasant After breakfast Schillinger made last minute arrangements for his trip home. Lt. Davis gave him $45 to give to his wife Rebecca, Private James Bailey gave him $10 to give to his wife, and Sgt. Jacob Bradbury gave him $15 and asked him on to hold it and his wife Patience Bradbury would stop by and get it. Schillinger finished packing, saddled a horse and left the fort around 10 o’clock that morning. Traveling with him was Captain Perry, the construction foreman at the boat building site. They arrived at St. Marys around 3 o’clock that afternoon and stayed the night there.
Friday the 21st This morning Cloudy
Anxious to get an early start, Schillinger left St. Marys around 7 o’clock and rode 12 miles to Ft. Loramie’s. He arrived there around 11:00 and later wrote that he was “very much indisposed,” meaning he wasn’t feeling well. He rested at Loramies for about an hour, fed his horse then left for Piqua, 16 miles to the south arriving there around 5 o’clock in the afternoon. Rather than following the army road that bypassed the main part of town, Schillinger rode into town and rented a room at Landon’s tavern which at the time was located on the southeast corner of Main and Water Sts. Apparently he wasn’t all that impressed with the entertainment at Landon’s that night as he wrote only that it was “tolerable.” Despite not feeling well, Schillinger had ridden 28 miles and had spent 9 hours in the saddle that day.
Peter Felix: A Shrewd Businessman
Saturday May 22nd 1813Schillinger fed his horse and left Piqua at 5 o’clock this morning. Sunrise on this day in 1813 was around 6:15 meaning he was leaving while it was still dark. He rode 10 miles to the tiny settlement of Staunton and arrived at the home of Peter Felix[1] around 8 o’clock that morning. Felix, a Frenchman and Indian trader had operated a small general store on the site since 1795 and was known to locals as a shrewd businessman. Those familiar with him often told the story of how he was able to sell needles to the unsophisticated Indians at one dollar apiece. Seems Felix would set the price much higher than a dollar and tell the Indians that the even though the price was high, the needle maker had died and he was selling the last of his stock dirt cheap. The Indians thinking he had the advantage would negotiate the price down to a dollar and Felix sold it to them at that price. The Indians would generally walk off congratulating himself on the bargain, while witnesses of the transaction playfully observed that “the needle maker had a knack of lying that was astonishing, not to say commendable.”[2]
After breakfast, Schillinger climbed back into the saddle and left Staunton around 9:30. He passed Blacks Tavern, nine miles north of Dayton around noon and arrived in Dayton around 3 o’clock in the afternoon. He ate dinner at Stains Tavern and wrote that had “very good entertainment.”
Note:
Blacks tavern was located near the village of Phoneton at the crossroads of US 40 and SR 202.
Stains tavern was located on the east side of Main street between 4th and 5th streets.
Stains Tavern on the east side of Main st. between 4th and 5th streets.
The original tavern is the 2 story structure immediately behind the modern store fronts.
This is where Schillinger stayed Saturday night May 22, 1813 and thought the entertainment was "very good"
Schillinger left Dayton and traveled another 5 miles, to the tiny settlement of Kettering. Up to this point, he had been following same route that his company had taken on their way to Ft. Amanda in February. Instead of returning by the same route and going back through Lebanon, at Kettering he took the Mad River road 3 mile to the southwest then turned south on Yankee Road. He chose this route because it took him to Mason, Oh and the home of his mother-in-laws brother James Norris.
He continuing on Yankee Road for another 3 miles and stopped at the home of Noah and Jemimma Tibbals where he stayed the night. He had been the saddle 12 hours and had ridden 41 miles that day.
Note: The Tibbals home was located on the west side of the road ½ miles south of the intersection of Yankee st. and West Spring Valley road.
Sunday Morning the 23rd Clear & Pleasant
Schillinger left Mr. Tibbal’s home early that morning and passed the Shaker Village west of Lebanon around 7:30 that morning. He continued on another 2 miles to and arrived at the home of James Norris, around 8:15 am. After visiting with the Norris family for a couple hours, Schillinger fed his horse then left around 10 o’clock. He traveled on for another 4 hours, and stopped at a Mr. Asbys where he fed his horse and had dinner. After dinner, he continued on to Montgomery where he arrived at the home of Mr. Weller around at 5 o’clock. He wrote that he “refreshed” himself at Mr. Wellers, meaning he wanted to freshen up a bit before continuing on.
Note:
Asbys was probably located at the intersection of Mason and Montgomery Rds. in Warren County, Oh.
Wellers home is on the National Historic Register and is located at 7795 Cooper Rd. Montgomery, Ohio
The Weller home in Montgomery, Ohio where Schillinger stopped to freshen up before going on home.
The building now is an art gallery located at 7795 Cooper Rd. Yes, I've been inside. :-)
Climbing back aboard his horse he finished the last 7 miles of his journey arriving at his in-laws home where his family had gathered near Plainville around 7 o’clock that night. His last entry for this day reads: “Found my Wife & Children well & all the Family.” During his 3 ½ day trip home, he had spent an average of 11 hours each day on horseback, traveling an average of 34 miles per day.
Note: To put this into a perspective most of us can relate to, riding 34 miles each day is the equivalent of riding from
Fort Jennings to Defiance or
Lima to Findlay, or
Ada to Upper Sandusky or
Wapakoneta to Bellefontaine on horseback for 3 1/2 days. (without a cushion) :-(
On his trip home, Schillinger averaged 34 miles each day, the equivilant of riding from Fort Jennings to Defiance OR the distance from Lima, Ohio to Findlay, Ohio (on horseback) EVERYDAY
Monday the 24th May Last night heavy rain Showery this morning
The trip home had taken its toll on Schillinger’s health. He began feeling ill shortly after leaving Laramie’s 3 days earlier and was still not feeling well. He had several letters from men at the fort in his possession and had intended to deliver them personally to families near Williamsburg in neighboring Clermont County but because he wasn’t feeling well, he sent them on by a regular mail courier and spent the remainder of his day resting.
Rain Rain And More Rain
Tuesday the 25th Heavy rains. The heavy rains continued throughout the day so Schillinger spent another day resting. He commented in his journal about the rising waters of the Little Miami River.
Note:
From his journal entries, Schillinger spent most of the first couple of days inside his cabin yet he comments on the rising waters on the Little Miami. While we don’t know for certain where Schillinger’s home was at the time, given that he commented on the river rising is a good indication that it was located very near the Little Mimi River at Plainville.
Wednesday the 26th cool and Stormy
The rain and bad roads made travel difficult so the Schillinger family spent the day at home. He once again commented about the rising waters of the Little Miami.
Thursday the 27th Stormy
Despite the fact that he had rained for several days and the roads were in horrible shape, William and Alasanna rode into Cincinnati and delivered money and letters to the wives of James Bailey and William Neville.
Friday the 28th 1813, May Stormy Cool weather
The rains the past few days must have been heavy as Schillinger’s only entry this day was another comment about the rising waters of the Little Miami.
Saturday the 29th Clear and cool
The rains stopped temporarily and it turned cooler so Schillinger decided to take advantage of the break in the weather to visit with some of his nearby neighbors. He noted in his journal that he “found all well.”
Sunday the 30th Heavy rains Last night, but Clear this morning
The Schillinger and Armstrong family were devout Presbyterians so Sunday was a special day for the family. The weather had cleared so William and Alasanna went to spend the day with her father and mother. A group of friends stopped by the Armstrong home and family and friends spent the day visiting and singing.
Schillingers entry about the family get together May 30, 1813
Monday the 31st Clear weather
Schillinger rode to Captain Hosbrook’s home near Madeira that afternoon and gave Hosbrook’s wife, Eunice some letters her husband had written to her. Before leaving, she gave him one to take back to her husband Daniel. After a short visit Schillinger returned home and worked on some of his household accounts.
Return to Duty
Tuesday June 1st 1813 Clear and cool Tuesday morning, Schillinger made arrangements to return to Ft. Amanda. No doubt it was a sad day for the family as they wouldn’t be seeing William for another 2 months. Unbeknownst to Schillinger, it was also a sad day back at Ft. Amanda. One of the privates in his company lay dying in a cabin inside the fort and wouldn’t live out the day.
[1] Biography
[2] Staunton Township - from Chapter 7, of 1909 History of Miami County Ohio
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