Attack On Fort Stephenson

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Battle Of Fort Stephenson

A Young Major Croghan

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Portrait of George Croghan (an older version) here and his heroics in Ohio here.   Another related post entitled Major Croghan And Fort Stephenson.

The Harrison Trail

Source: Harrison Trail Gateway

"...General William Henry Harrison was encamped with a considerable army at Camp Seneca, a few miles south of here, having come so far on his way to meet the British forces that were occupying the western end of Lake Erie. While Harrison paused at Fort Seneca where he could keep in communication with the forces that were gathering at some distance upon his right and left flank, Major Croghan won his famous victory over the British forces at Fort Stephenson... ."

"Long lines of well armed infantry and splendidly mounted cavalry with their accompanying artillery and baggage wagons moved along this trail, passed through the area occupied by this gateway and over the hill beyond on its way to old Fort Sandoski and across Lake Erie to the brilliant victory of the Thames."

"Between the Harrison and Buckland entrances runs the Harrison Trail, an old deeply trodden military road preserved as the principal driveway of Spiegel Grove [the home of President Rutherford B. Hayes]."  [Source]

See this blog post regarding Harrison's Trace.

Old Betsy

Defender of Fort Stephenson.....

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See more images of Old Betsy.

Major Croghan And Fort Stephenson

There is a Battle of Fort Stephenson scrapbook with letters from the Sandusky County, Ohio.  See Major Croghan's letters here.  [Images of the originals are online]

For additional information, see Frances Hunter's blog post, George Croghan: Tragic Hero of Fort Stephenson, Parts 1 and 2, complete with pictures and maps.

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British Graves Near Fort Stephenson

From the Ohio archæological and historical quarterly:

In the plan of the environs of the Fort, it will be noted that the spot where the British officers, Lieut. Colonel Shortt and Lieut. Gordon were buried, is marked.  The new High School building now covers this spot, and in 1891, while excavating for its foundations portions of the graves were uncovered and metallic buttons with the number of the regiment, 41, stamped on them were found, which have been placed in Birchard Library by Mr. H. S. Dorr, their owner.  Mr. Dorr, soon after finding these buttons showed them to President Hayes who stated that in reading an autobiography of a Scotch Bishop Gordon, he found the following: "The great sorrow of my life was the loss of a son in an unimportant battle in an obscure place in North America--called Fort Sandusky."

The blog, Ohio's Yesterdays, has a post about "Lt. Col. William Charles Shortt and His Descendants by Mike Hedges."  An excerpt:

"...Lt Col William Charles Shortt, served in the 41st Regiment of Foot in the British Army and died a heroic death at the Battle of Fort Stephenson, Lower Sandusky, Ohio (Fremont, Ohio), on 2nd August 1813."

Portrait Of George Croghan

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The Manuscripts Division, William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, houses the Croghan family papers, including those of George Croghan:

Finding aid for Croghan Family Papers, 1794-1855

George Croghan joined the U.S. Army in 1812 and was quickly promoted to major. In 1813, at the age of 21, Croghan gained national acclaim from his successful defense of Fort Stephenson in northeastern Ohio, when he repelled a large British force lead by General Proctor.

Defense Of Fort Stephenson

From The military heroes of the war of 1812: with a narrative of the war:

Defense of Fort Stephenson.

Heroics In Ohio

 "When the Fort is taken there will be none left alive to massacre."*

Obedience to his superior in all matters of duty is no degradation, but rather an honor, to the true soldier but history furnishes a few examples of a patriotism that rises above all other considerations. Such was Croghan's action at Fort Sandusky during the war of 1812.

General Harrison had ordered Croghan to destroy the supplies, then abandon and destroy Fort Sandusky. The soldiers were to then join General Harrison. Croghan disobeyed Harrison's orders, replying (see below):

*Ensign Edmund Shipp on behalf of Croghan to a landing party of British soldiers threatening a massacre of the American troops at Fort Sandusky if it was not surrendered to the British force

The British were not leaving without a battle, and marched forward towards the fort with an order to give no quarter to the besieged within the fort.  The approaching British were mowed down by the one strategically placed artillery piece in the fort.  The British under General Proctor and their Indian allies, under Tecumseh,  scattered and retreated.

Even though no quarter was expected by the Americans from the British, the defenders of the fort risked their own lives to aid wounded British soldiers who were left behind.

 From The line of fire, or, The advance guard of civilization in America.

Fort Stephenson

The Sandusky County Scrapbook and the Battle of Fort Stephenson photo gallery featured a sketch of Fort Stephenson by James Kirk in 1873 when Kirk was 86 years old.  Kirk was a soldier there in 1813.

More information about the collaboration between J. P. Moore and James Kirk referenced in the Sandusky County Scrapbook can be found below.

From the Remarks of J. P. Moore:

James Kirk and a man named Figley, both of whom worked on the old fort before the battle of August 2, 1813..... .
The company to which James Kirk belonged came to the fort June 1, 1813, and worked here until the arrival of the British and Indians the day before the battle.  James Kirk himself had been detailed to carry dispatches to Fort Seneca the day before the battle so that he was not present but came down early on the morning of August 3 and helped bury the British dead.