Why was Gen. Harison at Ft. Amanda?

Short answer, he needed to get to Fort Meigs ASAP

The War of 1812 was well underway.  General Harrison had received intelligence that the number of troops  at Fort Meigs (Perrysburg, Oh) had been reduced in size and that the British, seeing an opportunity to seize it, were planning to attack.  He needed to assemble and move as many  troops as possible to go to their aid.  Failure to do would have been a catastrophe.

Thursday, April 8, 1813, the weather was clear and pleasant.  The troops at Fort Amanda had been told that General Harrison and his army would be coming to the fort that day on their way to Fort Meigs.  After breakfast all the men at the fort were sent across the Auglaize to cut push poles and make oars for maneuvering the boats that would transport them.

 Around 1 o'clock that afternoon General Harrison and his staff arrived at the fort.  An hour later Captain Nathan Hatfield's company of riflemen arrived and at 4 o'clock Captain Nearing’s detachment of 140 regulars arrived making a total force of about 300.  The men set up camp one-half mile north of the fort in an area called "the commons."   

During the night the weather changed and by morning (April 9, 1813) the sky was cloudy with a light rain that continued throughout the day. Meanwhile Harrison had been awake since  4 o’clock that morning, penning a letter to the governor of Kentucky.  In it he  basically pleaded for more troops.  He originally been given the power to request troops from neighboring states and territories, however that power had been annulled.   Desperate Harrison reminded the Governor. 

 "the critical situation of our affairs in the country that I am induced to request your Excellency to take such measures as you may judge most effectual and speedy to send me a reinforcement of at least fifteen hundred men."   

 NOTE: A copy of  Harrisons entire letter to the Governor is at the end of this blog.   

The three hundred men Harrison had with him at were infantry soldiers he had collected from the posts between Cincinnati and Amanda leavcing some of them very vulnerable.  So sparce was one garrison, Harrison wrote that it was manned only by a sergeant, 3 soldiers and some friendly Indians. 

For the sake of time, Harrison had already sent a squadron of Dragoon Regulars  (cavalry) ahead. He  requested the governor send mounted militia from his state assuring him that there was enough food for the animals along the way. He suggested the governor send mounted troops ahead of the rest and not delay things waiting for the infantry.

He went on to say that even if the government disapproved of his decision to go ahead and request troops, he felt confident that at the end of the day they (the government) would agree it was a good decision and that all the soldiers involved would feel it was worth the effort.   One thing was for certain, Kentuckians liked to fight.  

 Meanwhile Harrisons soldiers, camped at the Commons, were busy taking down their tents, and packing up their supplies and taking them down to the rivers edge. A man named Captain Perry oversaw the operations.  Around 11:30 that morning with boats loaded with soldiers and supplies, the armada started north.

Late to the Party

At 4 o'clock that afternoon, Captain Hamilton, commander at Fort Logan (Wapakoneta) arrived at Fort Amanda along with sixty more infantry troops and 30 Indians. They had marched ten miles through rain and mud and did not arrive at Amanda until just as the General and his staff were leaving. Fifteen Indians from Hamilton’s group went with the other boats. The boat carrying their baggage for Hamilton's company had not yet arrived and would not until 7 o’clock, shortly before sunset.  

There was only a half-moon and cloudy skies that night so by the time Hamilton and his men shoved off around  8:30 PM. it would have been very dark. Having canoed the Auglaize after dark, even with moonlite and flashlights, I can tell you it would have been very difficult. . 

 The Fort Amanda Armada 

Question:  How Many and How Large Were the Boats

The number of individuals leaving Fort Amanda by water on April 9th included Harrison's 300 troops along with his personal staff,  and Capt. Hamilton's 60 soldiers and 30 Indians from Fort Logan making a grand total of approx. four hundred.  The type of boat used would have been the “batteaux” with its pointed bow like the one shown below. With only a 2-foot draft, batteaux were ideal for navigating shallow rivers. A boat the size of the one below could carry fifteen men. 

                           

How Many Boats Were Needed?

Using the figure of 15 men per boat, Harrison would have needed at least 25 to 30 boats just to transport his men. Add to that  another 2 or 3 boats to transport baggage, supplies, ammunition, food, etc., the total number of boats needed could easily have been 27 to 33.

Regardless of the type final number, it was without a doubt the largest number of watercraft ever to navigate the Auglaize River before or since.

Shoving off 

How comfortable were those boats?  As one British soldier put it; "Nothing more uncomfortable than our flat-bottomed boats."   Using Google Earth, I calculated the river miles from Fort Amanda to Fort Meigs to be approx. 120 river miles.  I hope the men had cushions

 Harrisons original letter to the Governor of Kentucky 

“Head Quarters Fort Amanda on the Auglaize River

9^th April  4 o’clock A.M.  Altho I have reason to believe that the power formerly given to me to call upon the Executive of the adjacent states and Territories for Detachments of Militia is considered by the Secretary of War as being annulled yet such is my view of the critical situation of our affairs in the country that I am induced to request your Excellency to take such measures as you may judge most effectual and speedy to send me a reinforcement of at least fifteen hundred men.  The reason is scarcely sufficient advanced to afford wild food for horses but as we have a considerable of forage at some of the advanced posts I must request to dispatch immediately the Regt. Of Mounted Riflemen commanded by the Honble. R. M. Johnson or such part of it as may be raised without waiting for the infantry. Should the government not think proper to authorize the employment of the latter you will receive notice of it before they have arrived at the General Rendezvous as I have already written on the subject and I am persuaded that neither your Excellency nor the officers and men who may be called out will regret the trouble you will have on this occasion should it even prove ultimately to produce no advantage.  From the information received yesterday it is very evident that the enemy intended to attack the post at the Miami Rapids. They have been apprised of the reduced state of the troops there and calculate upon an easy conquest.  I have been obliged to dispatch for its protection the Squadron of Dragoons and have now with me about 300 men which is all that I could possibly take the protection of the posts on this line. Indeed one of them is left to the protection of this line.  Indeed one of them is left to the protection of the Friendly Indians with only a sergeant and 3 men of ours.  I shall embark in one hour in a boat and perogues and calculate on reaching the Rapids tomorrow night.  I am informed by the Major Stoddard who commands at Fort Meigs that the Indians are in force on the Rivers between Fort Winchester and the former. Without a very considerable addition to my present force it will be impossible to defend the extensive line of weak posts on the frontier and maintain that at the Rapids.  The enemy have a single point only to defend, their forces are concentrated, they command the lake and can take their troops to any point they think proper to attack with a great facility.   Our movements on the contrary are necessarily laborious and tardy and not knowing on which of our numerous and vulnerable points the storm is to fall it is  necessary upon every military principle that our force should be treble theirs; at present it is inferior. I have the honor to be with great Respect Sir Yr. Obt & Hbl. Servt.”     W. H. Harrison