Dec. 5, 1812 – Saturday
By the first week of December,
1812, Ft. Amanda was fast becoming a major supply depot. Materials coming up from St. Marys and
further south were being stored at the fort in preparation for shipment
north. In Pogue’s 3rd regimental order to Lt. Botts (see
biography below), Pogue wrote that that they were shipping rafts loaded
with whiskey and other provisions down the Auglaize River to Ft. Jennings and
he wanted him to take charge of the operation and see that the raft was
returned.
Under the order of Fort Amanda
Dec. 5th, 1812
Lieut. George Botts
You are directed to take charge
of the raft and canoes loaded with whiskey, provisions and donation clothing
and proceed down the Auglaize to Fort Jennings, and there report yourself and
deliver your charge up to the Commanding officer of that place and from there
you with such hands as may be needed for the safe conveyance of the raft.
SLEDS, SLEDS, MY
KINGDOM FOR SOME SLEDS
With winter weather setting in, Major Piatt, prime contractor
for the army knew that he wouldn’t be able to rely on the Auglaize and St.
Marys Rivers for transporting men and materials so he turned his attentions to
the alternate method; shipping overland through the Black Swamp by wagon and
sleds. On December 5th, he
placed the following “help wanted” notice in the Western Spy.[1]
Western Spy
Dec. 5, 1812
I wish to hire any number of sleds that may be ready when a suitable
snow falls, to transport flour to Winchester.
Those who are disposed to engage and reside near Dayton will apply to
James McClure, and those in the neighborhood of Franklin to Gen. Wm. Schenck,
in the neighborhood of Lebanon to_____ in the neighborhood of Hamilton to
Matthew Heuston. Forage for the teams
will be provided at Piqua. It is
expected that they will take full loads to Piqua, and there leave part of them,
and take a sufficient quantity of grain to supply their horses to Winchester
and back, to Piqua. They will then
proceed to St. Marys, or Fort Amanda on the Auglaise, and leave all their feed
except what will answer until they return to Amanda and take a full load of
provisions. Their grain shall be kept
under lock and key ntil they return. All
sleds carrying six barrels of flour shall have three dollars per day, or eight
dollars per barrel at the option of the undertaker.
FROZEN IN AT CAMP ELLEN
On the 4th of December 16 perogues loaded with
flour left Ft. Barbee for Ft. Wayne followed 3 days later by 2 large boats loaded
with an enormous amount of supplies bound for the same place. To give the reader some sense of how large
the boats were on board the two large boats were 398 barrels of flour, 32
barrels of whiskey, 72 barrels of salt, 20 kegs of gunpowder, 10 kegs of lead, 1
box of canister shot, 2 boxes of clothing 150 cannon ball, 10 bushels of oats
and boxes of hospital supplies, 5 bars of iron, 5 bars of steel and 3 coils of
rope.
The weather had turned bitterly cold and the St. Marys River
was freezing over. The 16 perogues loaded with flour had gone as far as Shanes
Crossing (Rockford, Oh) but had to stop because of the ice.. The 2 large boats had gone only as far as
Mendon before it too had to stop because of the ice blockage. Meanwhile Pogues shipments from Ft. Amanda
were on their way to Defiance. Regimental
Quartermaster Major Thomas Bodley (see biography
below) wrote General Harrison informing him of the seriousness of the
situation. The letter reads in part:
On the 4th Inst we started from this place a large boat and 16 perogues
loaded with flour &c. The water was in fine order and we took advantage of
the first chance of sailing. No time was lost. On the 7 two large boats sailed
with a fine flood, the whole freighted 398 Bbl. Flour, 32 Bbl. Whiskey, 72 Bbl.
Salt, 20 kegs powder, 10 kegs lead, 1 box Cannister shot, 2 boxes clothing, 150
cannon ball, 10 bushel oats and a quantity of hospital stores (of which Dr.
Taylor has the invoice) 5 bars Iron, 5 Bars steel and 3 coils rope. In addition
to these stores about 700 hogs have been sent to Fort Winchester last week and
this, on foot, and a quantity of flour, whisky, salt and clothing has been sent
down the Auglaize from Forts Amanda and Jennings in perogues and on rafts. Col.
Robert Pogue took advantage of the rise of water and as he had not time to
prepare perogues he fitted out two rafts and loaded them with whiskey and salt
in barrels. I have not heard how they got on but am in hopes they will get down
safe. In this situation we were all highly gratified with the result of our
united exertions in getting off such quantities of supplies. Nothing that could
be done was omitted, all concerned united their efforts in the common cause and
no doubt was entertained of success until yesterday about noon when
unfortunately a messenger arrived with information that the last boats were
stopped by the ice below this about 40 miles by water and about 12 by land, that
they had used every exertion but could proceed no further and in the evening an
express arrived from the first boats that they had got to Shane's Crossing
about 60 miles by water.
The men worked up to their waists
in the icy water and at times risking their lives to free the boats but were
unsuccessful. Finally it was decided
that to save the supplies they needed to be unloaded and put ashore and stored
and protected from the weather. The
officer in charge was Capt. David D. McNair (see biography below). McNair
and a group of men from Ft. Barbee marched to the site and immediately began building
sheds and storage buildings. When they’d
finished, McNair named the temporary encampment Camp Ellen. Who Ellen was is unknown.
Two weeks later, in his fourth
regimental order, Pogue ordered Lt. Botts to make another trip to Ft. Jennings
and pick up a load of supplies and donation clothing[1] and
bring them back to Amanda.
Fort Amanda
December 16th, 1812
Regimental Order - Lieut.
George W. Botts
Pay Master to the 4th
Regiment Ky. Vol
You are ordered to proceed
immediately to Fort Jennings
and by whatever means can
possibly be obtained to have the balance of clothing, both Indian goods and
donation clothing which have been allotted for the Regiment under my command,
brought on to this place and return and report yourself and prospect of getting
on the goods to me.
On Saturday December 19th
Capt. McNair, still at Camp Ellen near Shane’s Crossing wrote the following
letter to Col. Pogue informing him that 20 barrels of flour were being shipped
to his Ft. Amanda.
Camp Ellen 19th December 1812
Col Pogue
Dear Sir, I have delivered
to _____ Toby, twenty barrels
of flour in good order for
which his receipt has been taken.
I hope it will arrive
safe. I wish you by the next waggons to
send an order for the loading they now carry and for what they may be able to
carry next time. I have understood verbally
that the provisions were to be carried to Ft. Amanda but of this I have not
been officially notified. But _____
your order will be sufficient. I am sir
with due respect, your obedient servant
Capt.
D. D. McNair
Dec. 20, 1812 - Sunday
The following day,
Pogue, ordered Lt. Botts to return to Cincinnati and secure the pay the men
under his command.
Fort Amanda 20th December,
1812
Lieut. George W. Botts,
Paymaster to the 4th Regiment .
Agreeable to General
Orders, you are ordered to repair with your pay rolls to Cincinnati for the
purpose of receiving the pay due the 4th Regiment, up to the last day of
November. If you require any aid to
assist you in writing or bringing on the money, you are at liberty to take Captain
Ward or any other person in the Regiment for that purpose. You had better ascertain of the different
Captains whether they would wish the whole or a part of the money due brought
up to this place or to have it deposited in the bank to suit their convenience.
Yours…..Lt. Col. Robert Pogue
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Biographies
Forty three year old
Major Thomas Bodley was Quartermaster for Pogues regimeng. He was born in Pennsylvania on July 4,
1772. It was there he met and married
Catharine Harris Shiell. Bodley served
with General Anthony Wayne during the campaign to Fallen Timbers in 1794.
Next Posting: A Tragedy in the Making
[1] The Western Spy was an Ohio
newspaper printed in Cincinnati, Ohio.