While measles today can be treated very easily by a family physician; during the War of 1812 it was the cause of large numbers of deaths. In fact, of the nearly 20,000 soldiers and Native Americans who died during the War of 1812, nearly three fourths (15,000) died from disease, i.e., typhoid, smallpox, pneumonia, dysentery and measles.
At Ft. Amanda the first cases began to show up around the middle of June 1813 and at its peak less than a dozen men in the entire company were fit for duty.
Sunday June 27 Clear and warm
Peter Westerfield[1], a private in the company had been sick for some time and wasn’t recovering so he was given permission to go home. Schillinger didn’t specify what Westerfield’s ailment was however, judging from his journal entry the following day, he like several others was probably suffering from the measles. Private Joseph South was still recovering from his.
Schillinger didn’t make any particular note about the measles being a problem at Ft. Amanda until this day when he wrote that a number of men had reported sick for roll call that morning. In fact, this was the first day he even used the word, “measles”.
Tuesday the 29th Continued warm
Capt. Hosbrook and Ensign Schillinger received orders from General Wingate that morning to report to St. Marys the following day to attend a court martial. This was not good news for the Captain Hosbrook who was not feeling well and was showing the first signs of the measles. First Sergeant David Van Winkle was already very ill.
Authors note:Measles can affect the eyes causing them to become red and swollen creating an extreme sensitivity to light. In 1812 the common treatment was a potion called “eye water.” In the field, soldiers made eye water by taking the scrapings from a Turmeric root, mixing it with water and dropping it into the eyes several times a day. To help ease the cough that goes along with the ailment, they mixed water with lemon and honey which helped relax airways, loosen mucus.
That afternoon Schillinger and Sgt. Bradbury went into the woods looking for some turmeric roots and honey. They found the roots and while they were able to find a source for some honey, apparently it wasn’t as easy to gather.
Schllinger wrote in his journal that day, “found A Bee Tree or swarm of bees in a tree.” Stated in today’s vernacular what he may have been saying was “we found a bee tree, or rather we found a swarm of bees that happened to be in a tree.”
The two men brought their root scrapings and their honey back to the fort and made up a batch of eye water for the men in the company.
Wednesday the 30th
Despite being ill, Capt. Hosbrook and Ensign Schillinger went to St. Marys to attend the court marshal. Two men were standing trial that day, privates Henry Bristow and Charles Nugent,[2] both of Capt. David Hendricks[3] Company from Preble County. The proceedings were recorded as written by Schillinger:
P
Fort St. Mary June the 29th A Garrison court martial will assemble on Wednesday the 30 Inst, at the room of Capt D. E. Hendricks at 10, o’clock A.M. for the trial of such prisoners as may be brought before it.
Capt Danl Hosbrook, Prest.
Ensign Schillinger } members
Ensign Markland
John Wingate, Brig. Gen. Commandant
June 30th 1813
The court met pursuant to the above order - Present
Capt Hosbrook Prest.
Ensign Schillinger } members
Ensign Markland
The court being duly sworn in Presence of the Prisoners, Proceed to the trial of Henry Bristow 3rd Corp of Capt David E. Hendricks Company of the 1st Reg of 3rd Det. O. M. who being previously if he had any objections to the members named in the general order, & replying in the negative, was arraigned on the following charge prepared against him by Capt. D. E. Hendrick Charge - For deserting from his post on guard on the 19th Inst to which the Prisoner pleaded not guilty Lieut. Richard L. Leason a witness for the prosecution on being duly sworn, says that the Prisoner did leave his post on the 19th Inst. & further that He the prisoner did on the 28th Inst return to his Company voluntarily & appeared willing to do his Duty in any situation as far as he was capable The evidence for the prosecution being closed, and the prisoner having no witness on his part, the court being ordered to be cleared the whole of the proceedings being read over to the court by the recorder (Judge Advocate) the following sentence was pronounced sentence The court after mature Deliberation on the testimony addressed, found the Prisoner Henry Bristo guilty of the charge against him, & sentence him to be reduced to the station of A private sentinel, & to undergo such monthly stoppages of half his pay will amount to one months’ pay
The Court proceeded to the trial of Charles Neugent A private in Capt D. E. Hendricks Company of the 1st Reg. 3rd Det O. M. on the following Charge being prepared against him by Capt D.E. Hendricks. Charge - Deserting from detachment from s’d Company (stationed at fort Loramies in the state of Ohio) on the 20th of June 1813. To which the prisoner pleaded not guilty - No evidence being adduc,d for the prosecution The prisoner was acquitted - The court adjourn,d
{Daniel Hosbrook, Capt.1st Reg. 3rd Det O. M.
Ensign Wm. Schillinger
Recorder
I approve of the foregoing sentences and order them to be carried into effect - The Garrison court martial of which Capt. Daniel Hosbrook was president is hereby adjourn,d
John Wingate Brig. Gen.Comdt.
St. Marys the 30th of June 1813
Bristow and Nugent were neighbors back home in Dixon Township, Preble County. Bristow left his post on the 19th of June and voluntarily returned 9 days later. His plea was “not guilty.” What his excuse for leaving was is unknown however he told the court that he would do whatever to just be able to return to duty. The court found him guilty, reduced him to the rank of a private soldier and to forfeit ½ months pay for 2 months.
Charles Nugent was charged with deserting his company while at Fort Loramie on June 20th. He pleaded not guilty and since there were no witnesses against him, he was acquitted.
With the War of 1812 going badly and thousands of British troops and their Indian allies advancing in northwestern Ohio during the spring of 1813, desertion was a capital offense along the frontier
An example of this is see in the following from the book “Citizen Soldiers in the War of 1812” by C. Edward Skeen.
One unfortunate Ohio Soldier, William Fish was executed for desertion and for threatening the life of his commander. Three other privates were condemned to death by the same court-martial, but they were pardoned by Gen. William Henry Harrison. One soldier however, was placed beside his coffin with a cap over his head. He remained there while Fish was shot and then heard his reprieve announced. Such affairs obviously had a sobering effect on the assembled troops.”
On June 11, 1813, two men convicted of desertion were marched to a field just west of the Franklinton graveyard on Sandusky Street and ordered to set in their coffins.
All the soldiers in Franklinton stood nearby, ordered to watch the execution as an example. But what the soldiers and other witnesses would see turned out to have a surprise ending.
One witness, Charles Grooms, later told son James that six armed soldiers stood in front of each condemned man as he was blindfolded.
As was the custom, three of the guns in each execution squad were loaded with powder and ball and three with just powder. All the muskets were picked from a stack so that no one would know who actually fired the fatal shot.
The Freeman’s Chronicle, the first paper in what is now Coumbus, reported on the “Awful Scene” a few days later.
“A man named William Fish, a private in Captain Hopkins’s company of U.S. Light Dragoons, was SHOT at this place on Saturday last for the crime of desertion and threatening the life of his captain. Wee never before witnessed so horrid a spectacle; and cannot, in justice to our feelings, attempt a description of it.”
The newspaper then went on to say what happened to the other man: He was “conducted to his coffin, and the cap placed over his eyes, in which situation he remained until Fish was shot; his reprieve was then read.”
Grooms said that six muskets were fired at the survivor but none was loaded with shot. Grooms told his son that the survivor was terribly frightened.[1]
[1] Authors note:
Next time you’re driving east on I70, as you’re approaching I71, look to your right and you’ll see a large cemetery. That’s the old Franklinton Cemetery and the place where Private Fish was shot by firing squad on Friday, June 11, 1813.
[1]
Thursday the 1st July 1813 Heavy Showers this morning…Rainey afternoon
Their responsibilities over at St. Marys, Schillinger and Hosbrook started back to Amanda around 10 o’clock that morning. They arrived back at Amanda at 3 o’clock in the afternoon quickly discovered that several more men were sick with the measles. Later that afternoon Major Milligan’s and Major Lodwick along with several others came to the fort and because it was getting late they decided to stay the night despite the large numbers of cases of measles.
Friday the 2nd Rainy…Clouds Broke away in the evening.
Major Milligan’s and Major Lodwick left for St. Marys early that morning. Capt. Hosbrook was still very ill so he stayed in bed in his cabin most of the day. The day had started off rainy but the clouds had cleared by evening.
Saturday the 3rd This morning Clear & Pleasant
Schillinger was apparently having very good luck with his fish pot. That morning he went down to the river and found that he had caught “a good mess.” Later that afternoon, four men from Ft. Jennings came to the fort on their way home.
The measles wasn’t confined just to Ft. Amanda. Soldiers at Ft. Jennings and Ft. Winchester were feeling the same effects. That day, four men from McHenry’s company at Ft. Jennings stopped by Amanda on their way to St. Marys. Their discharge date was only a month away, so it’s probably safe to assume that they were all suffering from the measles. While the disease normally runs its course in 10 days to 2 weeks, the fact that they were being sent home versus recuperating at Jennings attests to the fact that they must have been very ill. Measles can evolve into pneumonia so that could also have been factor in their being released from duty.
[1] Biography
[2] Biography
[3] Biography
[4] Columbus Dispatch June 12, 2012
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