Indians at Wapakoneta; Good Fighters but Sloppy Farmers

In 1812, Ensign William Schillinger, a journalist inCaptain Daniel Hosbrook’s company at Fort Amanda wrote in his journal that some of the Indians from Wapakoneta hunted and fished alongside the soldiers at the fort.

Wednesday April the 7
This morning our cook in company with an Indian went out hunting and kill,d five turkeys, Weather Clear & warm. All hands busy building & repairing crafts to Desend the river in 5 o’clock P.M. J Campbell returned from home, Brought two Letters for me, 1 from My Wife & 1 from Capt J. Armstrong.

Monday the 17th May
Clear & Pleasant our men making Cartridges. Paid Capt Perry for what Sugar we got from him of Cap,t Walls, Sent my Letter by Cap,t Hixon, who goes into the settlement with all his hand that was building boats, This morning our waggon Left the fort for home it being discharged by Col Orr Captn & Lieut, went out Spying made no Discovery of any of the enemy, They found A number of articles which was lost by the Kentuckyens, I bought some fish from the Indians. our Men put a fist pot in the river to Day

Tuesday the 13th July 1813
Cool morning, Captain & Lieut went out hunting return,d at 2 P.M. got no game, This afternoon the Lieut with 2 Indians went about 5 miles to hunt some deer Remark This evening wrote A letter to Cap,t J. Armstrong & one to my Wife & sent them to St. Marys by Capt. Benagh to be forwarded to Major Kercheval.


The ‘Lieut” Schillinger refers to was 31-year-old Lieutenant Joseph Davis from Milford, Ohio.

The Shawnee “Gardens” at Wapakoneta

During the Summer months most of the men in the company at Fort Amanda were sick with the measles, a disease ravaging the posts along the Auglaize and Maumee Rivers. At one point, almost 2/3 of the company were too ill to perform duties.

While Schillinger doesn't say anything about gardens at Fort Amanda the assumption was that there were. It was common at most frontier posts as they not only helped supplement the government food supplies, it also gave them a greater variety. It was also common practice to let chickens and other fowl roam freely outside the fort walls

On Friday July 23, Schillinger and Davis decided to ride to Wapakoneta The reason for the trip is unknown but my thought it was to purchase or trade for some of the fresh fruits and vegetables the Indians were growing there. His entry of July 23rd is very interesting in that it tell us not only what kinds of crops the Indians at Wapak were cultivating (melons, a variety of beans and othere vegetables and a apparently a large crop of potatoes.). he also tell us how randomly they planted the crops. He also tells us that things were planted randomly having no order or pattern to the plantings. He wrote "they know difference between the farm of garden”. As he pointed out, most of the plants were just growing in amongst all the others.

Friday the 23rd July
Something recruited, I took a Horse & rode with the Lieut to Wapukannati, took A survey of the Indian gardens or farms (for they know no difference between the farm or garden). I found variety of vines, such as pumpkins, water & musk melons, cucumbers, beens of various kinds, growing among their corn which was planted without any kind of order, Patatoes was tolerable plenty growing They break up their ground with the hoe, & no other machine is made use of for to till their corn, The work is principly all done by the squaws returned to fort this evening, heard by express that fort Meigs was besieged

He also noticed that the work of breaking up the ground for the plantings was done primarily by the women of the village using only hoes. 

But All Was Not Peaceful at Wapakoneta

While all seemed peaceful at Wapak during this time it should be remembered that while many of the Indians in the Wapak settlement were leading lives as simple farmers, others, particularly the younger men were still loyal to the British and wanted to fight Americans. In fact, two of Schillinger’s journal entries shows us that the some of the more adventuresome Indians were far from friendly. The first incident occurred at 4 o’clock in the morning of May 8th and the other 4 days later on May 12th.

Saturday the 8 1813
Cloudy Drizley weather, at 4 A.M. one of our Centinels Discovered 2 Indians approaching the fort fired at them but miss,d. The Lieut & myself & one Man went Down the River about 6 miles to see what Discoveries we could make of Indians found some fresh Signs of 2 or 3 returned to fort and went out in the evening and & killed some pigeons

“Up is South and Down is North”    Huh?

To understand what Schillinger meant by “down the River” the fact is  “down the River” meant going north, and “up the river” meant going south.  Example; Sandusky, Ohio is at the upper part of the state whereas Upper Sandusky is further to the south.  Arlington on the map is in the upper part of the state whereas  Upper Arlington further south in Columbus, Ohio. 

When Schillinger wrote that they went “down the River” trying to capture the Indians they had fired on at the fort, he  meant that they followed them north forward Ft. Jennings for 6 miles (to near Rt. 81 and S. Defiance trail.  Also, when he wrote about Wapak, he referred to it as "8 miles up the Auglaize."  

Wednesday the 12^th May

Like for rain  our men busy bringing flour into the garrison which was on the outside under Sheds.  Our sick on the mend  Lieut, Quarter Master, & Cap,t Perry went to fort Logan,  found the Indians all in arms, flying to the fort for shelters,  They Discover,d & fired at 3 of the Hostile Indians the night before, & this morning they follow,d them about 8 miles but could not overtake them,  The Lieut Brought home some sugar with him.

Captain Perry was in charge of boat building at Fort Logan. Schillinger said they followed them 8 miles but he doesn't say in which direction. Eight miles north means they went as far as Fort Amanda. Eight miles north east would have taken them to the Shawnee village thatnear Lima. Regardless of what direction they went what this tells us is Auglaize county was still a pretty dangerous place to live in 1813.

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If you would like learn more about Fort Amanda and the patriots who served there, these books can be purchased locally, on the net or by contacting me at djohnson43@att.net

     

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Available at;
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The Allen County Museum (620 W. Market st) in Lima, Ohio 

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