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."   

  Harrisons original letter to the Governor of Kentucky 

“Head Quarters Fort Amanda on the Auglaize River

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.

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

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.