Massacre At Frenchtown

Picture From The River Raisin Battlefield National Park

Source

"....left wing of the Northwest army, was ordered to Frenchtown, on the River Raisin, where it was understood a large number of British had collected and were committing depredations on the inhabitants of that village."

Sick Near River Raisin

River Raisin In Monroe County, Michigan

Lieutenant-Colonel Miller had been thrown from his horse and severely hurt during the battle, so he was unable to proceed to the River Raisin. Colonel Cass arrived at Monguagon and sent a dispatch to Detroit, which said: 'Miller is sick; may I relieve him?' No answer came from Hull and Cass started back to get permission to continue the march, when a messenger met him with order to bring the entire expedition back to Detroit. [Source]

Bounty On Knaggs' Head

James Knaggs' testimony from the Congressional serial set:

I hereby certify that the foregoing testimony of James Knaggs... . ...of good reputation in the community. ...intimately conversant with the manners circumstances etc. of the old French population.

Source - Canadian Side Of Detroit River

He was engaged in the various conflicts near the Detroit River already described, and in 1813, was in the battle of the Thames under Colonel Richard M. Johnson. While with Hull at Sandwich attached to Colonel McArthur's regiment, he performed important scout service.

On one occasion, accompanied by four men, he penetrated the country as far as the site of the present village of Chatham on the Thames and there captured a Colonel McGregor a burly British officer and a [man] named Jacobs and carried them to Hull's camp. He tied McGregor to a horse and thus took him to the headquarters of his chief. After the surrender, McGregor offered five hundred dollars for the capture of Knaggs dead or alive.

War-Swept Valley Of The Maumee

Source

Francais X. Goulet Served

From the Kent County, Ontario, Canada's Historical Society's Papers:

The family traditions generally fix the arrival of Francais Xavier Goulet there [Kent County, Ontario, Canada] and the beginning of his settlement duties on his allotment of lot 154 from Col. Talbot about a year or two earlier or about 1817 or 1818. As the surveyor of the district, Mahlon Burwell had only reached the last lot now in Tilbury on this road and encamped on this spot where the American Colonel Holmes bivouacked in the war of 1812 during the year 1817... .

Francais X. appears to have left his home at St. Jacques de l'Achigan, Montcalm Co. Que. early in the year 1812. His father writes him under date of May 21th. 1812 in a letter addresser "au detroit" beseeching him to return and that his mother was grieved and worried over his absence. President
Madison's proclamation of war soon followed his departure from his French Canadian home and we find the young man at le detroit enlisted with the British forces and serving at Fort Meigs, Riviere au Raisin and Fort Malden. For this service he received a medal from the British government.

Woodward And Proctor

The War of 1812 Magazine article, Remember the Raisin! Anatomy of a Demon Myth, By Sandy Antal:

"Unlike Canadians who usually explain away a complicated series of events through the alleged incompetence of the British commander, Americans have persistently demonized Colonel (later Major-General) Henry Procter as a bloodthirsty commander who either directed or permitted the murder of defenceless American prisoners. It was these alleged atrocities that gave rise to the slogan, Remember the Raisin!"

"Judge Woodward of Detroit...approached Colonel Procter on the subject, expressing outrage over the murders and depredations."

Deputy Quartermaster Duncan Reid

Frenchtown (Monroe, Michigan) Map

Reports from the Court of Claims...:

Quartermaster

Michigan (Frenchtown)

Duncan Reed was the half brother of John Anderson.

".....Duncan Reed [or Reid],  (late of Captain Hubert La Croix's company of Michigan militia) did act as assistant deputy quartermaster to the militia in the service of the United States in July and August, 1812, stationed at the River Raisin... ."     James Abbott

Poem Fredoniad

The Fredoniad:

Invocation

...In consequence of the calamities at Raisin, offensive operations are deferred until the return of Spring....

The scene is laid at the above-mentioned place.

The time is about ten months: from the commencement of the War, June 18th, 1812, until the Spring of 1813. From the time the Essex enters Valparaiso, till the day of Battle, is forty-six hours.

A sample of verses:

On the same morn of the disastrous day,

Which wrapp'd the martyrs in their robes of clay,

Shelby commanded Croghan from his rest,

And him, like father to a son, address'd:

Thy youthful warriors marshal, and proceed

To strengthen Lewis at his pressing need.

His heart, all anxious, palpitates with pain

To meet the foe, progressing on the plain. 

Colonel Proctor's Brilliant Successes

Colonel [Henry] Proctor, whom he [Sir Isaac Brock] left in command in Michigan, had a brilliant series of successes in the winter of 1812-13. He also received the surrender of two American generals and their armies---Clay, in Ohio; Wilkinson, at the River Raisin. Gen. Wilkinson and his army were brought down to Newark. Gen. Clay and his force were paroled and allowed to return home. [Source]

Blocking A Convoy

The situation at Brownstown from the Canadian/British point of view (taken from the Richardson War of 1812 book):

On the 6th of August [should be 5th August], information having been conveyed to Colonel Procter, that a body of the enemy were then on their march to convoy a quantity of provisions for the use of the garrison of Detroit, Brevet-Major Muir, with a detachment of about a hundred men of the forty-first regiment, and a few militia, received orders to cross the river and occupy Brownstown, a small village on the American shore, through which they were expected to pass; and thither we repaired accordingly.

Portrait And Papers Of General Winchester

Source

General Winchester [and his Headquarters at the River Raisin].

See a description of the General James Winchester papers held at the Tennessee archives here.

Nancy Agnew And Others

From the United States. Congres. House. Committee on Claims. Published in Washington, D.C., D. Green, 1833.

...for the destruction of the property of George Agnew, the husband of one of the petitioners, and the father of the other petitioners; taken by the British and Indians in the year 1812, at the river Raisin.

A Spy From Frenchtown

From The Pictorial Field-book of the War of 1812:

Source

Soon after Wayne's campaign, Knaggs settled at Frenchtown and became a farmer. In 1811 he established a regular ferry at the Huron River, on the road to Detroit, with only Indians as companions and neighbors. These, excited against all Americans by British emissaries, were very troublesome and Knaggs had frequent conflicts with them in some form. When Hull was on his way toward Detroit, Knaggs joined the army as a private in Captain Lee's company of dragoons. River Raisin men the best troops in the world as Harrison said, and became very expert and efficient in the spy scout or ranger service.

Richardson Letter From Amherstburg Of 4 February 1813

From the Richardson War of 1812 book (see transcript below):

Letter from John Richardson to his Uncle, Captain Charles Askin.

Amherstburg, 4th February, 1813. My Dear Uncle,—

You have doubtless heard ere this of the engagement at the River Raisin on Friday, the 22nd inst. (ult.)f however, you may probably not have heard the particulars of the business, which are simply these: On Monday, the 18th, we received information that the Americans, under the command of General Winchester, after an obstinate resistance, had driven from the River Raisin a detachment of Militia under Major Reynolds (also a party of Indians) which had been stationed there some time. That they had sustained great loss from the fire of our Indians, and from a 3-pounder, which was most ably served by Bombardier Kitson (since dead), of the R.A.

On Tuesday part of our men moved over the river to Brownstown, consisting of a Detachment of R. Artillery, with 3 3-pounders and 3 small howitzers, Capt. Tallon's Company (41st Regt.), a few Militia, and the sailors attached to the Guns. An alarm was given that the enemy were at hand. The Guns were unlimbered and everything prepared for action, when the alarm was found to be false.

On Wednesday the remainder of the army joined us at Brownstown, where (including Regulars, Militia, Artillery, Sailors and Indians) we mustered near 1,000 men. We lay, this night, at Brownstown. Next day the army commenced its march towards the River Raisin and encamped, this night, at Rocky River, which (you know) is about 12 miles beyond Brownstown and 6 on this side the River Raisin. About two hours before day we resumed our march. On Friday at daybreak we perceived the enemy's fires very distinctly—all silent in their camp. The army drew up and formed the line of battle in 2 adjoining fields, and moved down towards the enemy, the Guns advanced 20 or 30 paces in front and the Indians on our flanks. We had got tolerably near their Camp when we heard their Reveille drum beat (so completely lulled into security were they that they had not the most distant idea of an enemy being near), and soon after we heard a shot or two from the Centinels, who had by this time discovered us. Their Camp was immediately in motion. The Guns began to play away upon them at a fine rate, keeping up a constant fire. The Americans drew up and formed behind a thick picketing, from whence they kept up a most galling fire upon our men, who, from the darkness of the morning, supposed the pickets to be the Americans; however, as it grew lighter, they discovered their mistake, and advanced within 70 or 80 paces of the pickets, but finding that scarce one of their shots took effect, as they almost all lodged in the fence. Being thus protected from the fire of our men they took a cool and deliberate aim at our Troops, who fell very fast, and the most of the men at the Guns being either killed or wounded, it was thought expedient to retire towards the enemy's left under cover of some houses. I was a witness of a most barbarous act of inhumanity on the part of the Americans, who fired upon our poor wounded, helpless soldiers, who were endeavouring to crawl away on their hands and feet from the scene of action, and were thus tumbled over like so many hogs. However, the deaths of those brave men were avenged by the slaughter of 300 of the flower of Winchester's army, which had been ordered to turn our flanks, but wh.o, having divided into two parties, were met, driven back, pursued, tomakawked and scalped by our Indians, (very few escaping) to carry the news of their defeat. The General himself was taken prisoner by the Indians, with his son, aide, and several other officers. He immediately dispatched a messenger to Colonel Procter, desiring him to acquaint him with the circumstance of his being a prisoner, and to intimate that if the Colonel would send an officer to his Camp to summons the remainder of his army to surrender, he would send an order by him to his officer then commanding to surrender the Troops. Colonel Procter objected to sending one of his own officers, but permitted the General to send his aide (with a flag). The firing instantly ceased on both sides, and about 2 hours afterwards the enemy (460 in number) laid down their arms and surrendered themselves prisoners of war. A good many of our officers were wounded in the engagement, but none of them killed. The following is a list of them: R.A., Lt. Troughton (slightly); Seamen attached to the Guns, Capt. Rolette, Lt. Irvine, Midshipman Richardson (severely); 41st Regt., Capt. Tallon, Lieut. Clemow (severely); Militia, Inspecting F. Officer Lt.-Col. St George, Capt. Mills, Lt. McCormick, Paymaster Gordon (severely), Ensign Gouin (slightly), R. N. F. Regt, Ensign Kerr (dangerously); Indian Depart., Capt. Caldwell, Mr. Wilson (severely). This is as accurate an account as I can give you of the Engagement. I will now give you an account of my feelings on the occasion. When we first drew up in the field I was ready to fall down with fatigue from marching and carrying a heavy musquet. Even when the balls were flying about my

ears as thick as hail I felt quite drowsy and sleepy, and, indeed, I was altogether in a very disagreeable dilemma. The night before at Rocky River, some one or other of the men took my firelock and left his own in the place. It being quite dark when we set out from that place, I could not distinguish one from another. Enquiry was vain, so I was obliged to take the other (without thinking that anything was the matter with it). When we came to the firing part of the business I could not get my gun off. It flashed in the pan, and I procured a wire and worked away at it with that. I tried it again, and again it flashed. I never was so vexed—to think that I was exposed to the torrent of fire from the enemy without having the power to return a single shot quite disconcerted the economy of my pericranium; though if I had fired fifty rounds not one of them would have had any effect, except upon the pickets, which I was not at all ambitious of assailing like another Don Quixote. Our men had fired 4 or 5 rounds when I was called to assist my brother Robert, who was wounded, and who fell immediately, and which led me to suppose that he was mortally wounded. However, when he was carried to the doctors I found the poor fellow had escaped with a broken leg, which torments him very much, and it will be some time before he gets over it. I think it is highly probable we shall have a brush with the valiant Harrison, who is said to be at the Rapids of the Miami River, or near them. If so, I think we shall have tight work, as we have lost in killed and wounded in the action of the 22nd 180 men (exclusive of Indians). Pray remember me to my cousins, and, Believe me,

My Dear Uncle,

Yours affectionately,

John Richardson. Mr. Chas. Askin, ) Queenston.

The transcribed letter can also be seen here.