Governor Hull, A New England Man

General Hull in an article regarding New England Men In Michigan History as noted in Michigan History, Volume 5:

Vice President Elbridge Gerry

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Letter To The Illinois Governor

Map Of Native American Tribes

Extract of a letter from Colonel Anthony Butler, commanding Michigan territory and its dependencies and the western district of upper Canada, dated 12th Feb., 1814 to [Illinois] Governor Edwards. [Source]

"They [Native Americans] have committed several murders lately--A letter from the Illinois territory, says, 'Much do I fear that we shall find that the armistice has had the effect of pampering the...[Native Americans] in the winter, for war in the summer.'"

 Anthony Butler's bio from ArchiveGrid:

Colonel Butler was commandant at Detroit in 1815. A resident of Russellville, Kentucky, who in March 1813 was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the 28th U.S. Infantry; in 1814 colonel 2nd Rifle Regiment, serving on Northwestern frontier. In December 1813, in command of Detroit; January 1815, ordered to Detroit to assume military command of all forces in Michigan Territory, and civil and military control of western Ontario. Took over Mackinac from British, summer of 1815; honorably discharged, June 15. Returned to Russellville; cotton planter in Monticello, Mississippi, 1824. While visiting Russellville in 1846, he was killed in a steamboat disaster on the Ohio River.

Became So Bold And Bloody

Peoria, Illinois, Waterfront

The prospect for 1813 was gloomy enough.  The general government made no provisions for the militia and on June 8, Governor Edwards discharged them from service.  The moment that was done hostile Indians began collecting about Peoria lake, from which point marauding parties again began to harass the settlements.  They concentrated in such great numbers and became so bold and bloody, that it at once became evident that the country must be protected and the enemy scattered, else the former exertions of defense would quickly be obliterated and many of the fortifications reduced. [Source]

Rowdy Crossing Into The Illinois Prairies

Map In A Museum

General Hopkins' Kentuckians, undisciplined, and hopelessly insubordinate, after crossing into the Illinois prairies, became reckless and disorderly.  It was known among them that the success of the expedition depended entirely on their activity and secrecy.  Yet they loitered and shot game along the way and otherwise disobeyed the positive commands of the veteran general and his aids to such a shameful extent that the Indians in all the territory desired to be covered, learned the object of the movement and fled north to safety, just as had been feared when orders for secrecy and haste had been given.  The season was rainy and the roads naturally slow; competent guides were lacking and on the fourth day out from Ft. Harrison, the army lost its course in the vast prairies and returned disgraced, to the Wabash.  What a mortifying finish, after writing the following letter to Governor Shelby of Kentucky, as gallant old General Hopkins did!--Vincennes, Sept. 29, 1812 [Source]

Captain Samuel Levering

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Read the details of Captain Levering's mission (Source Link).

Assistant Surgeon Henry Greene

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Dr. Henry Greene, a native of Rhode Island, immediately after his graduation in 1814, was made
assistant surgeon of the Twenty-fifth Regulars, and saw hard service in Canada, remaining in the army till peace was declared. He came to Albany in 1828, was prominent herein the cholera epidemic, and was one of the first faculty of the Medical College. [Source]

Surgeon To The 2nd Regiment Riflemen

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In the war of 1812, which was partly at our door, a few of the local physicians were engaged. Most prominently was Dr. Piatt Williams, a graduate of Williams College, and prepared by a long course of professional study. The war broke out soon after he began to practice, and he immediately received from Gov. Tompkins the appointment of surgeon to the Second Regiment of Riflemen. He served through the war on the Niagara frontiers. Two years later, having returned to Albany, he was appointed post surgeon of the cantonment at Greenbush, and retained the position till its abandonment in 1822. [Source]

Give Orders To General Foos

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[Gov R.J. Meigs to Allen Trimble]

 Chillicothe July 11th, 1813.

"...give orders to Gen. Foos...cannot longer consider Gen. McArthur as Commandant of that Division...".

 Allen Trimble, Esq.

William Trousdale's First Wars

The William Trousdale Papers held at the Tennessee State Library and Archives:

"This collection is centered around William Trousdale, resident of Gallatin, Sumner County, Tennessee; veteran of the Creek War, 1813; private during the War of 1812, 1814-1815...Governor of Tennessee and United States Ambassador."

1813 Volunteered as private in Captain William Edward’s Company of Mounted  Riflemen; participated in Battles of Tallahatchie and Talladega during the  Creek War

1814 Re-enlisted; served as private in War of 1812, after being defeated for first lieutenant and third lieutenant; participated in Battle of Pensacola

1815 Participated in Battle of New Orleans; returned to Tennessee in the Spring 

Compiled Service Records of War of 1812 included:

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Meeting At Hutchinson's Tavern

Room In Ohio [Not Hutchinson's Tavern]

From Personal memories, social, political, and literary, with sketches of many noted people, 1803-1843:


In the spring of 1812, the army, which was to be commanded by General Hull, began to assemble at
Cincinnati. Governor Meigs called out the First Division of Ohio militia, to meet at Hutchinson's Tavern, on the Colerain road. This was near our house, and I [E.D. Mansfield] went with my father to the place of meeting. The division was drawn out in line, and presented as motley an appearance as has ever been seen. Some of the men had rifles, but the greater part only sticks and cornstalks. As to uniform, there were all kinds of apparel, from hunting-shirts to butternut jackets.

"In 1811, Ezekiel [Hutchinson] purchased 400 acres of land in the Mill Creek Township. On this property, he opened a tavern and hotel called the Golden Lamb. This establishment was a resting point for travelers between Cincinnati and Hamilton, Ohio."[Source]

A Reluctant General

See the portrait of William Hull.

In February, 1812, Governor Hull being in Washington, war with England imminent, and the Indians threatening the people of Michigan, he urged the necessity of troops at Detroit to keep the...[Native Americans] in check. President Madison accordingly called upon the governor of Ohio for twelve hundred militia for that service, and Governor Hull was asked to lead them to Detroit. He declined, stating that he did not wish for any military appointment. Col. Kingsbury was then ordered to the command, but was taken sick, and was unable to go. Governor Hull being again approached, he, in his anxiety for the safety of the territory, in an evil hour accepted the command, with the rank of brigadier general, and retaining his office of governor, with the understanding that in case of war he was to be released from command. [Source]

A Letter To Isaac Shelby

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A letter from General Harrison to Shelby after the River Raisin disaster which tremendously affected Kentuckians:

A continuation of Harrison's letter:

The greater part of Colonel Wells's regiment, United States Infantry, and the 1st and 5th regiments Kentucky Infantry, and Allen's rifle regiment, under the immediate orders of General Winchester have been cut to pieces by the enemy or taken prisoners.

Wartime Letters

The Archives of the Florence Griswold Museum holds the letters to Phebe Griffin Lord from her brother in New York written during the war:

A view of the war from Connecticut's perspective:

"The second war with Britain, which crippled New England’s maritime trade, was so unpopular in Connecticut that Governor Roger Griswold from Lyme refused to allow the state’s militia to serve. Already ill, Governor Griswold died in office in October 1812."

An excerpt of a letter from George Griffin to Phoebe Lord, dated 27 November 1813:

"This dreadful war is injuring this city deeply, & prostrating my profession. If the times become much worse, there will be literally nothing doing here."

Some background on the Lord and Griffin families via a brief bio of Phoebe Griffin Lord Noyes:

Pre-War Meeting At Grouseland

Grouseland, Harrison's Home In Vincennes, Indiana

Even Ft. Knox commandant Captain Floyd, recently arrived from New Orleans, drew a dagger in defense of the Governor. Tense moments passed as Tecumseh's men shouted and brandished their edged weapons. Finally, the soldiers enforced the governor's dismissal of the Shawnee, into leaving Grouseland, the governor's house. The next day Tecumseh issued an apology, apparently having lost his legendary self-possession. [Source]


From an article in the Tribune-Star:

"On Aug. 14, 1810, Capt. George Rogers Clark Floyd of the 7th U.S. Infantry, the new commandant at Fort Knox, watched as 80 canoes of Shawnees, “painted in the most terrific manner,” arrived for the parley."
"At the meeting on Aug. 15 attended by 400 armed warriors wearing war paint, Tecumseh insisted that the Treaty of Fort Wayne was illegitimate and asked Gov. Harrison to nullify it."
"At one point, Tecumseh’s temper flared and he called Harrison “a liar.” The talks nearly erupted. Potawatomi chief Winamac, a friend to Gov. Harrison, soothed the passions of the Shawnee and the meeting was postponed until the following afternoon."

Letter To General Leftwich

Letter dated January 21, 1813, to Gen'l Joel Leftwich of the N.W. Army, Delaware (Ohio):

Governor James Barbour of Virginia was "particularly gratified, to learn that the Detachment under your command has so conducted itself as to receive the approbation of the Commander-in-Chief--The fame it may acquire in common property to every Virginian....".

Then the bad news.  "Relatively to the course you have pursued in supplying the vacancies which have occurred in your Detachment, I am sorry to advise you that insuperable difficulties occur in issuing Commissions."

The letter was published in the Biennial Report of the Department of Archives and History of the ..., Volume 3, by West Virginia. Dept. of Archives and History.

A Letter From General Gano In Cincinnati To Major Van Horne

A letter from John Gano to Thomas Van Horne, dateline Cincinnati, was found among the Gano Papers:

Ohio River Near Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Jany 17th 1813.

Dear Sir,

I expected to have had the pleasure of seeing you before this which prevented, or was the cause of my not answering your acceptable letter before this. I am glad you are one of the committee appointed to revise the Militia Law. It certainly is very deficient in many parts. I requested several officers that I conceived most competent to make their observations and send them forward, which I presume they have done. The Mode of ordering Militia on Duty on the frontiers has caused much complaint as you will see by the enclosed copy of a letter recd from Genl Whiteman, and Genl Munger complains there is and has been so many of this Brigade on Duty that he has not been able to get a return of the Brigade to forward to me. The Governor ordering detachments out in small detailed parties without any return to the Major, Colonel, or Comdt of Brigade, puts it out of the Officer's power, whose duty it is, to do justice to his Command, as he does not and cannot know who is on duty or who has performed his tour, and it throws the whole into confusion. A Militia Office is truly an arduous, troublesome, expensive, and unthankful one if strictly and properly attended to. I have wrote to Govr Meigs suggesting the propriety of the Upper Brigades being struck off into a Division. The 3 Lower Brigades will form a compact Division and can be thus better disciplined and attended to, and the Governor may then have assistance to regulate and bring to some kind of order and regulation the BULL WORK OF THE COUNTRY.

My little Mary has broken her arm very badly, and I am in haste.

Your sincere friend & Humble Servt,

John S. Gano.

Ohio Militia

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Notes On The Ohio Militia during the War of 1812 by James T. Brenner, included:

"The military policy of the United States during the post-Revolutionary period relied upon a small national army and a robust state militia force.."

More about the militia from the University of Dayton website:

Following the war, the United States reduced its standing army to only a handful of men, entrusting the state militias with the nation's defense.

The Anti-Federalists opposed federal control of the militia for three reasons. [See Fear Of A Standing Army]

The Constitution's drafters hoped that the militia would remain the nation's primary means of defense against foreign aggression. Considering the development of military tactics and technology of the time, the state militias were able to adequately fill this role.

Specific action for the Ohio Militia in the War of 1812:

Major Amos Spafford

Major Amos Spafford

The Spafford Family (Amos Spafford and Olive Barlow) of Perrysburg, Ohio.  

A story about the escavations at the Amos Spafford farm here (full article here):
"The farm was destroyed, along with other family farms, when the British and Indians from Fort Malden, Canada, lead by Captain Peter Latouche Chambers and Shawnee chief Tecumseh, invaded the settlement in August 1812 after the fall of Detroit." 

A 23 January 1812 letter from Major Amos Spafford to Governor Return Jonathan Meigs (transcript here).

CT Letters By Smith And Griswold

The letter from Lieut.-Gov. John Cotton Smith is a valuable missing link in the correspondence between State-authorities and the General Government, on the subject of Secretary of War Dearborn's requisition for troops of the militia of Connecticut, to be ordered into the service of the United States, on the breaking out of the War of 1812.

But more important and interesting, in the same connection, is the following draft of a letter written by Gov. Griswold, on the 4th of Aug., 1812, to Secretary Dearborn, which, it is believed, has never appeared in print, and was, perhaps, never sent.  Being found among the family-papers, it is put on record here as an additional tribute to his memory.

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I have Griswolds in my family tree (the Governor is not in my direct line).