Men of military age in Hamilton and Clermont Counties were ordered to report for duty at the courthouse in Cincinnati the second week of February 1813.
Feb. 5, 1813
Already on duty there and ready to receive them was 31 year William Schillinger of Columbia township. Schillinger held the rank of Ensign in a company that was to be formed and led by 28 year old Daniel Hosbrook.
NOTE: The rank of Ensign was similar to the company clerk in today's Army. Schillinger was probably selected for that position because he was township clerk for the townshi he could both read and write.
Later that afternoon, Joseph Davis, a 31 year old farmer from Williamsburg, Oh (Clermont County) arrived at the courthouse. Davis had appointed as Lieutenant, second in command, of the company.
Cincinnati Courthouse 1813
Site of the Cincinnati Couthouse in 1813 (Southeast corner of Main and Fifth Sts.
Conscientious Objectors, Stagecoach Drivers and Ferrymen
Not all of the men reporting for duty that week were volunteers, some had been drafted into service. Some may have had wild reasons for why they didn't serve while others were automatically exempted. Those included jail keepers, judges of the Supreme and Common Pleas Courts of the State of Ohio, custom house officials and their clerks, post officers, stagecoach drivers engaged in United States postal service and ferry-men employed at a ferry or post road. In addition, clergy of all denominations were automatically exempted upon proof of occupation.
If an individual was a member of the “Society of Friends” (Quakers), Mennonites and Dunkers he was exempted as a conscientious objector however exemption wasn’t automatic. In Maryland for example, it became effective only after the individual paid a three dollar fee with the money used to cover the cost of a certificate that was issued explaining the reason for the exemption and for compensation for the services of the militia captain who had to complete the paperwork, etc. In addition, a man could even be exempted if he was considered morally unfit for duty.
Find a Sub
Another way a man could be exempted from service was if he could find someone to serve in his place, a substitute. Those individuals could pay or otherwise compensate someone to serve in his place. It wasn't uncommon at all to see a son substitute for his father or even vice versa and it was also not uncommon to see a father and son serving in the same company. Re-enlisting or serving as a substitute was an excellent way to earn extra money, particularly single men without families to support. No Front Teeth? Can’t Use You!
If you had few, or better yet, no front teeth, you might be exempted from service. During the War of 1812, a rifle cartridge consisted of a paper tube filled with black powder and a lead ball. To fire his musket, the man needed to be able to tear or bite off the end of the paper tube to pour the powder and ball down the barrel. With few or no teeth, the man might have a problem opening the paper tube which, in a battle situation could have put not only him but his comrades in compromising situation.
http://history.amedd.army.mil/corps/dental/historybrief%20-%20DC%20Slide%20Show%20-%20MAY%2011%20Update%20-%20JEK.pdf
Sunday 7 This day the weather fine
The winter of 1813 had been a particularly brutal one in terms of snowfall and bitter cold temperatures, however on this day there was a welcome change as the clouds lifted and the sun was shining. Being a Sunday and normally a day of rest, the officers had their men practice for a parade, not a parade as we typically think of it one, but simply marching in different formations. Once their practicing was over, the men were released to go back to their quarters. Schillinger, his paperwork done for the day, was given an overnight furlough with orders to return to camp the following day. He packed some belongings and left Cincinnati around 9 o’clock that morning.Monday Feb. 8
Schillinger noted in his journal that day that several men had been exempted from service for various types of disabilities. He doesn’t elaborate on the types of disabilities however some of the more common were individuals who were lame, blind, deaf, etc. And while medical exemptions could exclude a man from service, obtaining one was not all that easy. The man had to first be examined by a military doctor then by a civilian doctor and only then could he be granted what today would be a 4F classification.Tuesday Feb. 9
Around 9 o’clock Tuesday morning the men performed their first “Grand Parade.” Unlike the typical parade of simply marching, the Grand Parade, was a more formal affair normally presented for visiting dignitaries or high ranking officers. If all three companies were involved in the Grand Parade that morning it must have been quite an impressive show. Immediately following the parade, several of the men were given a 24 hour pass to go home. 
Lt. Davis and Ensign Schillinger remained at the courthouse to tend to the business of selecting the non commissioned officers of the company. Officers received commissions to serve as such from their respective states. The “non-com’s” on the other hand were non-commissioned officers; the sergeants and corporals who were either elected by a popular vote of their peers, or they were appointed to the positions by the officers of the company. Officers generally preferred the latter method because they could select men based on their qualifications rather than on popularity. After all, men were needed who could be impartial and/or even impersonal when it came to things like issuing orders or dispensing disciplinary actions.
The Pecking Order
The ranks in the company were:
Captain
Lieutenant
Ensign
Sergeants
Corporals
Privates
Schillinger and Davis had been observing the men for the past few days and by now had a fairly good idea of who would serve best and in what capacity. They selected David Van Winkle, Lawrence Swing, Baxter Broadwell and Jacob Bradbury to serve as sergeants and William Johnson, Robert Erwin, Isaac Covalt and William Patterson to serve as corporals. Lewis Bayley was appointed drummer and Robert Ross, a fifer.
Private Lewis Bayley (Drummer at Fort Amanda)
1784 - 1876
Company musicians played a very important role during the war. Their music helped inspire the soldiers with patriotic tunes, helped break the monotony of long marches and provided entertainment around the campfire at the end of the day. They also served as signalers on the battlefield as well as helping tend to the wounded.
February 10. 1813 Wensday “some rain”
By Wednesday morning, the men had been in camp six days. Despite the freezing temperatures, only one man reported for sick call that morning. It rained during the day so Schillinger spent most of his time inside doing paperwork. When he had finished he was given an overnight pass to go home with instructions to return to camp by sundown the next day. He went back to his quarters, packed a few belongings and left camp around 3 o’clock that afternoon.
Feb. 11, 1813 – Thursday
While at home, Schillinger spent time with his family, tending to business and doing chores around the house. Sundown was around 6:30 p.m. on that day in 1813 so Schillinger would have left home no later than 3:3o that afternoon to be back in camp before sundown.Friday the 12 Clear and cold
A snow that started to fall the day before finally stopped and the weather turned even colder. With little to do, Schillinger spent Friday and Saturday organizing his belongings and processing men in as they reported for duty. Saturday 13 Cold
His only entry that day was “Cold.” Sunday the 14 Clear and cold
No Valentine for His Sweetheart?
People in the United States, and in England, had been celebrating St. Valentine's Day and exchanging cards with loved ones since the American Revolution but Schillinger made no mention of the day being anything but routine. Makes one wonder if perhaps he celebrated before leaving home, or if, because of his faith and the fact that it was on Sunday that year he chose not to observe it at all.
Rumors had been spreading around camp that the company would be heading north that day. This might explain why Schillinger wrote that the men were all in “high spirit.” At roll call the rumor proved true when the men were told to pack up their belongings and be ready to march at 10 A.M. Schillinger went back to his room in the courthouse and while he was finishing his packing, noticed that he needed more storage for his belongings. Luckily, he found a shop not far from the courthouse where he purchased a trunk from a woman named, “Ms. Boss.” Schillinger paid her $2.75 for the trunk and while that sounds like a like a very good price, keep in mind, Schillinger's pay was 66 cents a day meaning the trunk cost him nearly 4 day’s wages.
NOTE: Old city directories and census records show that Miss Boss’ millinery shop where Schillinger purchased his trunk was on 6th St. between Main and Walnut Sts.
FINALLY
Pick up Your Rations, We’re Heading North
Meanwhile back at the courthouse, men of the company had begun loading their baggage onto a wagon and were told to draw two days’ rations. While rations differed from unit to unit, one day’s rations in 1813 typically consisted of 1 ¼ pounds of beef or pork (depending on the season), 1 ½ pounds of flour, 1/2 cup of rum or whiskey, 5 ounces of vinegar, 3 tablespoons of salt, 3 tablespoons of soap and 24 ounces of candles. Each man was responsible for rationing his own food and supplies throughout the day. The candles served two purposes; in addition to providing light at night, the heat, coupled with the man’s body heat was usually adequate to keep the temperature inside a tent on a cold winter night comfortable, or at least tolerable.Ten O’clock came and went that morning but still no orders to march, so the soldiers in the 19th century army could only do what soldiers in the 21st century army do; hurry up and wait. Finally, around two o’clock that afternoon, the order to march came. The men formed into columns, marched north on Sycamore Street to Reading Road and headed east to the town of Reading ten miles away. They arrived in Reading around 5:00 that afternoon and set up their camp on the outskirts of town. They were 116 miles from Fort Amanda.
Cincinnati to Reading (10 miles)
Monday the 15
After breakfast, the men took down their tents and loaded them and their personal belongings onto the baggage wagons. They left Reading shortly after 8 o’clock that morning and marched to Lebanon, Ohio where they set up their camp on the south edge of the village. The men had marched 20 miles that day and they were now 96 miles from Fort Amanda.
Lebanon, Ohio – 1813
As luck, or bad luck would have it, a company of 103 Kentuckian soldiers led by Capt. Daniel Garrard of Clay County, Kentucky were camped nearby.
Captain Daniel Garrard
(Kentucky Mouned Vounteers) 1780 -1866
We Really Don’t Like Each Other
Left - Ohio Militiaman Right - Kentucky Volunteer
During the War of 1812, there was a great deal of animosity between Ohio and Kentucky soldiers. Ohio troops often viewed Kentuckians as uncouth backwoods country bumpkins, while Kentuckians viewed the Ohio troops as undependable, unreliable and likely to run at the first sign of a fight.
Apparently campsite space must have been limited that day otherwise it is doubtful Hosbrook would have chosen his campsite so near the Kentuckians, and as it turns out, it created an accident waiting to happen. While Hosbrook’s men continued setting up their camp Schillinger and Davis went into town to meet with their captain. The two secured rooms at an inn called the Sign of the Cross Keys[2] then met and had dinner with Captain Hosbrook.
NOTE: The Sign of the Cross Keys was an inn owned by Samuel Heaton. It was located a few doors south of the Golden Lamb. The site today is on the northwest corner of west Main and south roadway just south of the famed hotel/restaurant.
Tuesday the 16
At morning muster, the men were told that the two company baggage wagons with their personal belongings on board had not yet arrived in camp and that they would not be leaving until they arrived. Finally, around noon, one of the wagons arrived in camp but the second was still unaccounted for. Hosbrook felt it was too risky to march without the second baggage wagon so he decided to keep his company in Lebanon until it arrived. He then posted sentries at wagons to guard against damage or theft. A Very Close Call
Meanwhile back at the Kentuckian’s camp, the men of Capt. Garrard's company of dragoons was in high spirits. They had been on active duty for nearly five months and now they were going home. When night fell, one of the Kentuckians apparently thought it would be great sport to sneak up and surprise the sentinel guarding Hosbrook’s baggage wagon. 
There was a full moon the night of February 16, 1813 so the prankster would have had very little problem finding the wagon. As he crept up to it, he apparently made a noise that startled the sentry who turned and fired, hitting the Kentuckian in the thigh. The good news for the prankster was the wound was not fatal; however, the bad news was the he was going home with a definite limp.
Wensday the 17 of feb 1813
That morning, Schillinger was placed in command of the encampment while Capt. Hosbrook and Lt. Davis tended to business elsewhere. Only one man reported for sick call that morning, 21-year-old Private Mark Strickland. Richard Tooten, one of Schillinger’s neighbors, arrived in camp that afternoon, and brought him some clothing and a profile of his wife, Alasanna.NOTE: A “profile” was similar to a cameo; usually an image of individuals head outlined on black paper then cut and placed in a locket or picture frame.
Finally, around 3 o’clock that afternoon, the second baggage wagon arrived in camp. The teamster driving the wagon had taken a wrong turn and gone to Franklin, 10 miles to the northeast by mistake. With less than three hours of daylight left, Hosbrook, not wanting a repeat of the incident the night before, marched his company five miles out of town where they set up their camp for the night.
Lebanon to Pekin Rd (5 miles)
The boys were now 91 miles from Fort Amanda.