Incautious Valour At Fort Meigs

Col. Wm. Dudley's Defeat Opposite Fort Meigs...:

"When Col. Dudley attacked the batteries of the enemy, opposite Fort Meigs, on the 5th of May, 1813, he advanced in three columns. The right, led by himself, carried them without the loss of a man."

"For near fifteen minutes, with the loss of several killed and wounded, they maintained an unequal conflict. In this time, Col. Dudley, having effected his object, and fearing their fate, had advanced to their relief with the right column. The enemy retreated. Our troops, impelled more by incautious valour and a desire for military distinguishment than prudence, pursued."

A Spy Captured

While in Piqua he [Joseph Paxton] was chosen as a volunteer spy in Captain Leslie Combs's company of spies.

Commemorating A Revolutionary War Era Battle At Piqua in Ohio

May of 1813 Captain Combs, who was then at old Fort Defiance at the junction of the Auglaize and Maumee rivers, was ordered to take a part of his company and proceed to Fort Meigs.  Paxton was the first to volunteer for a very dangerous expedition....in company with Captain Combs three other volunteer spies and an Indian named Blackfish... .

The memorialist was...struck by a ball near the right shoulder blade ....and was conducted to the British camp.

He was taken before General Proctor who asked him under whose command he came to (General Green Clay of Kentucky). [Was asked] how many men General Clay had with him (two thousand Kentuckians and seven hundred Indians).  Major Chambers of the British army repeated the last question; the major pronounced him a liar and said that Kentucky could not raise half that number of fighting men.... .

Source: Congressional edition (Google eBook) (1841)