Calling out the Ohio Militia

General Winchesters army had just been annialated at Frenchtown on January 22 and Harrison attempt to rescue the prisoners was thwarted because of the freezing temperatures and deep snow.  He abandoned his march to Detroit and halted on the south bank of the Maumee River near Perrysburg, Ohio where he built his fort; Fort Meigs which he named after Ohio Governor Return J. Meigs.     

With the enlistment time of the Kentucky militia expiring at the end of February 1813, just a few weeks away, an urgent call went out to the various Ohio counties to prepare their militias for active duty to replace the Kentuckians.  One unit was a Hamilton county militia company led by Captain Daniel Hosbrook of Madiera, Ohio.

One of the men in Hosbrooks company, an ensign named William Schillinger, kept a journal during his six months of active duty.  His daily entries include a variety of observations from personal thoughts to the weather conditions.  Of the greatest historical significance is his detailed descriptions of the work done at Fort Amanda.

             In 1932, James A. Green transcribed the Schillinger journal and published it in the “Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Publications."  In 2000 I decided to do one of my own for comparison. I spent several months pouring over greatly enlarged copies of pages from Schillingers journal to ensure my transcription was as accurate as possible. What I found were several key errors in Greens work particularly the names of individuals which left uncorrected would have made any further research more difficult if not impossible.  Overtime I began to see a personality of the man emerge.  I visualized a young loving family man who at times appeared aloof, (as officers often do with enlisted men), and under certain circumstances was given to  sarcasm.  His writings focused primarily on life at the fort and his family at home, giving the impression that to him, the war was a million miles away.  

What follows is a chronology of events as recorded in the Schillinger journal.  At the beginning of each day, I will include a photocopy of the actual page from the journal, and because they are difficult to read at times, will include my transcription of what he wrote followed by a short narrative.

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Rendezvous in Cincinnati

During the months June through December 1812, 243 companies of Ohio militia had been called to active duty and 54 of which were still in the field; their enlistment times about to expire.  The same held true for the Kentucky volunteers including Pogue, Barbee and Jennings whose regiments were scheduled to return home in early March .  Governor Shelby of Kentucky, fearing that once the weather broke the British would step up their attempts to invade Ohio, put out a call for 3,000 volunteers to replace the Kentucky troops going home.  Governor Meigs of Ohio ordered fearing the same, ordered that two regiments of Ohio militia be formed under the command of Brigadier General John Wingate, to replace the Kentucky troops occupying the forts along the Auglaize River.  The call went out for all men between the ages of 18 and 45 in Hamilton, Clermont, Preble, Butler and Brown Counties to report to the Hamilton County courthouse on February 5^th for military service. 

Cincinnati, Ohio  1800

By 1813 Cincinnati had become a fast growing river front community with a population of nearly 4,000 citizens.  The old style log cabins were slowly giving way to the new style of houses with milled siding and new businesses were springing up along the waterfront.  The town boasted of a hotel, a post office several churches and a courthouse.  The courthouse was an imposing structure measuring fifty-six by sixty feet and 120 feet from ground level to the top of its dome making it the tallest structure in town.  The building had a spacious court room, several jury rooms and contained offices for the clerk, recorder, sheriff, county commissioners, and auditor.  The grounds surrounding the courthouse had been designated as the rallying point men coming into town from the surrounding countryside; the buildings spire serving as a perfect focal point.

 

Hamilton County Courthouse
 Southeast Corner of Fifth and Main Sts.
Cincinnati, Ohio

The courthouse was located at the southeast corner of Main and Fifth streets.  While today that area is considered the heart of the business district, in 1813 the location was a bone of contention for locals who considered the location too far from the center of town.  

Journal Entry:   Feb. 5, 1813

          

Journal of orders of Captn Dl Hosbrooks company of Ohio Militia. Rendezvoud at Cincinnati on the 5th Day of February 1813. Friday feb 5. Rendevousd at Cincinnati quartered in the court house.

Feb. 5^th 1813 would have been an very busy day in Cincinnati as hundreds of men from the surrounding counties poured into town to report for duty.  Despite being a bitter cold day with a light snow on the ground that normally muffles sounds, the sounds of the men talking, laughing and shouting, horses and wagons rumbling through the streets surely would have been a wakeup call for the late sleepers of the town that morning.  Arriving early that day were  Joseph Davis and William Schillinger, both officers in a company commanded by Daniel Hosbrook  Upon their arrival both men set up their quarters in  empty offices inside the courthouse.  Capt. Hosbrook had made prior arrangements to meet the men in Lebanon when the company passed through in a few days. 

Alasanna Armstrong Schillinger
Wife of Journalist Ensign William Schillinger 

Joseph Davis, a 31 year old farmer from Clermont County, had been commissioned as a Lieutenant in Hosbrook’s company.  He and his wife Rachel and their three teenage children were living near Milford in Clermont County at the time.   William Schillinger, also 31 years old was living with his wife Alasanna and their two children, two year old son Nathan and one year old  daughter Philomelia near Plainville, Ohio.   Schillinger had just served two years as  Columbia township clerk and because he could both read and write, he had been commissioned as an Ensign responsible for the administrtive duties, i.e., payrolls, muster rolls, etc.

Daniel Hosbrook, the company commander was three years younger than his two subordinate officers; Davis and Schillinger.  A farmer and surveyor, Hosbrook was living near Madeira, Ohio with his wife Eunice and their 3 sons, all under the age of 10.  He was commissioned a captain of a company made up of 76 men from Hamilton and neighboring Clermont County. His mission was to replace the Kentucky troops at Ft. Amanda.

Also assembling in Cincinnati on the 5^th of February were companies from  Butler/Preble and Clermont counties.  The company from Butler/Preble counties was being led by 40 year old Capt. Van McHenry, a widower, who was living with his four young children near New Baltimore, Ohio. His mission was to lead his 68 man company to Ft. Jennings and replace the Kentucky troops there.  The third company commander,  Capt. Thomas Seton was a 31 year old farmer from Clermont County.  When war broke out he  was living with his wife and adult son near Williamsburg, Ohio.  His company of 52 men were assigned to replace the Kentucky troops at Ft. Winchester (old Ft. Defiance).    

While the 5th of January had been a busy day, the following day was even more so as many of the men who reported for duty were not physically or mentally fit to serve.