David Ireland & the 137th NY

Gentlemen,

I have been corresponding with David Cleutz, a historian of the 137th NY Infantry and author of 2 books on the subject. One of his E-mails contained the following:

"I had a visitor from Huntington Beach here today, who asked me to take him on a tour of the 1850's park-like cemetery to see Col. Ireland's monument. Someone had placed a small Christmas evergreen spray by the side of the monument - very touching to see. He had no children, but has lots of "adopted descendants" who take every opportunity to pay respects. See the attached pic. I'm glad to count you in that number of his admirers."

Thought you guys would enjoy.

Mike

Erie Pennsylvania: A Surprisingly Rich Touring Experience

I (Jamie) went to Erie, PA for the New Years weekend, as I have many times before.  My wife and I meet our college roomates in Erie, at the beautiful abode of the gracious  Bill & Becky Hilbert.  We are all University of Dayton graduates from the early years of the 1980's, and we are proud of our long friendship and traditions.

I wanted to make this trip to Erie different, and to follow up on some momentum I had created in this group of friends in the Spring of 2010, when we all vacationed on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina for Spring Break.  I convinced a couple of the guys and our sons to go to Savannah for the day, and we toured Fort Pulaski and Fort McAlister (see stamps below).  The guys (Joe Spicuzza and Bill Hilbert) were especially enthusiastic, and Bill became very interested in my USPS Passport, and acquired one for himself at Ft. Pulaski.  We then followed up the Savannah trip with a day of bike riding exploration on Hilton Head, guided only by a cartoonish tourist map, and we discovered three intact Civil War forts: Fort Howell (USA), Fort Sherman (USA) and Fort Walker (CSA).  Bill Hilbert (who had never even heard of these forts) was amazed that these treasures existed in such good shape on an Island he had been vacationing on for many years. Therefore, when I mentioned to Bill that I wanted to see the monument to Oliver Hazard Perry on Presque Isle, Bill was all for the adventure.

Followers of this Blog know that we have made a special effort to see War of 1812 sites in 2010, so I figured that December 31 was a good day to take in another site from that conflict.  I knew from my reading that Perry had built his fleet in a creek west of Erie, and that he had returned to Erie after the Battle of Lake Erie (captured British prizes in tow) to repair his fleet preperatory to ferrying William Henry Harrison's US Army across Lake Erie to Sandwich, Ontario, where they disembarked for the campaign that ended with Proctor's defeat and Tecumseh's death near modern-day Chatham, Onatrio (see Stamp Guys entry for October 16, 2010).  I reviewed an online site regarding Presque Isle State Park, which showed a monument to Perry, and described Perry's activities throughout 1813 in the Erie area.   So, I asked Bill Hilbert to show me to the Perry Monument, which he has seen a number of times as a life-long Erie resident. 

In addition, as a devotee of the Fifth Corps of the Army of the Potomac in the Civil War, I have always had a desire (on my trips to Erie) to learn more about Strong Vincent, the original Lt. Colonel of the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry (known as the Erie Regiment) who achieved fame and immortality on July 2, 1863 when he commanded the Third Brigade, First Division of the Fifth Corps in its succesful defense of Little Round Top at Gettysburg. Vincent became a martyr to The Cause when he received a mortal wound in the fight.  A few quick internet searches identified that Vincent was buried in Erie Cemetary, and that there was a statue to him at Blasco Memorial Library. Bill was very familiar with both of these sites, and promised to take me there.

We started out with a trip to dowtown Erie, where we passed Perry Park, a handsome rectangle of greenery in the middle of the downtown. Bill mentioned that there were statues at either end of the park, and we made a mental note to return later in the day. Bill also mentioned that Erie is the home of the Pennsylvania Soliders & Sailors Home, and that the home had a military cemetary, so we decided to add the Home to our burgeoning itinerary.

We headed to the Erie waterfront to the Library, which is right next to the Erie Maritime Museum. The Museum was closed for the Holiday, but the famed brig Niagara is based there.  Bill promised me that we would take in the Museum and the Niagara on a future trip to Erie.  Stamp Guys, are you game???

We then strolled over to the Library and took in the excellent statue of Strong Vincent (see picture below).  Vincent is portrayed in an accurate style, standing atop a rock as he brandishes his riding crop (not a sword). He proudly boasts a Maltese Cross (symbol of the Fifth Corps) on his blouse, and the granite base of the statue bears a recreation of his Brigade pennant with the Cross. The link above really shows the staue's detail very well.  Bill and I both marvelled at the excellent condition of the statue, which sits in the open on the library lawn.

As we looked south toward Erie from the Vincent statue, I spied the golden onion domes of an Orthodox Church on a bluff overlooking the waterfront.  I commented on it, and Bill (catching the true spirit of exploration that animates all Stamp Guy outings) said "let's go see it."  The facility turned out to be a Russian Orthodox Church (with its own historical roadside plague describing the "Little Russia" neighborhood that grew up on the bluff during the industrial boom days of Erie in the late 19th and early 20th centuries). As we attempted to find a way into the locked Church, Bill saw a few historical roadside markers about 100 yards down the street that ran parallel to the edge of the bluff.  This set of three markers turned into a treasure trove. The first marker described the history of forts in Erie, showing the placement of a fort called Presque built by the French ("Presque" is French for peninsula, which accurately describes the spit of land that thrusts northeast into Lake Erie, almost parallel to the shore, before cutting back in and enclosing a perfectly protected bay with a narrow channel).  Fort Presque was built just inside the bay, with the obvious desire of dominating any wind-borne ships trying to cross the four foot deep mouth of the channel.  Fort Presque was eventually repalced by a British fort at the same spot after the French & Indian War.  The next marker described the site of American Fort, built by General "Mad" Anthony Wayne during the Indian Wars of 1793-1794. The marker indicated that American Fort was slightly east of the marker, down the bluff by the Soldiers &Sailors Home today.  The final Marker described American Fort in more detail, and included the amazing information that General Wayne was buried there!!!!!!

Well, as Sherlock Holmes says, the game was now afoot.  Bill and I drove onto the grounds of the S&S home, and headed around the north side of the stately Victorian-era strucure toward the graveyard.  As we cleared the buildings, we saw the graveyard with their familiar US Veterens markers, and then off to the left a Stockade (see picture). 

We drove to the stockade site, which had a padlock on the door and the upstairs windows.  A local resident was exercising his dogs in the park-like setting by the stockade, and he approached and told us that (1) the stockade has a small museum inside, which can be accessed if you go to the S&S Home, leave your driver's license and ask for a key and (2) that Wayne was buried under the blockhouse. (This link seems to confirm the information we received)  On closer inspection, Bill discovered that the corner stone of the blockhouse was marked with the single word "WAYNE".  While we both contemplated trying to get the key, we quickly agreed that we would save this treat for a future trip, and then headed over to the graveyard.  The graveyard contains numerous Civil War burials, including a Liuetenant form the First Nebraska Cavalry, numerous USCT veterans, and one guy who served in both the Civil War and the Spanish-American War.  The Civil War section contains a handsome monument (see picture).  We also viewed the headstones of WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam veterans who had spent their final days in the Home on the bluff overlooking Lake Erie, built on the site of Anthony Wayne's fort.  This site has been owned by the US government for a long, long time.

After touring the S&S Home, we headed across Erie.  On our way to Presque Isle, Bill showed me some beautiful structures in Erie, such as St. Patrick's Cathlolic Church, the Erie Catholic Cathedral,  Cathedral Prep High School, the rows of mansions on 10th and 6th Streets, and Strong Vincent High School.  We saw a historical marker on the corner of 6th Street and Cascade that discussed something about Perry, but we couldn't stop at the moment and decided to come back later in the day.  We then headed onto the road that leads north on to Presque Isle, which is a state park.  The weather was unseasonably warm on December 31, and the park had a good contingent of walkers, bicyclists and runners.  We drove past the many amenities of the Park designed for summer beach-goers and water lovers, and headed toward the far end of the Park, where the peninsula curves back south toward downtown Erie.  At a place called Crystal Point, we stopped and walked out on a path to the Perry Monument (see picture).  There were numerous wayside markers describing the role Erie played in the War of 1812 and in the complex campaign for control of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

We then headed back to the mainland and decided to hunt down the plague we had first spied at 6th and Cascade.  The Plague told us that Perry had built the 110-foot brigs Niagara and Lawrence, and the sloop Ariel, at "the foot of this street."  Bill directed his Yukon north on Cascade until we ran out of Cascade Street at the bluff overlooking some waterfront condos and a marina. However, just to the east of the street, in a children's park, sat a small, unobtrusive boulder with a bronze plague on the north side. The plague (see picture) informed us that Perry built his ships "100 yards north of this spot" in Cascade Creek.  Bill and I walked the few steps to the bluff, and sure enough we saw the woodline of a creek that meandered in from the west.  Cascade Creek is so small that Bill had never even heard of it. When we return for our next tour, I have tasked Bill with figuring out a way to get down into the mouth of Cascade Creek so that we can see the actual ship building site. 

Bill and I then proceeded to Perry Park, and took in the statue of Perry on the east end of the Park (with the immortal words "We have met the enemy and they are ours" carved in script on the front), and then swung around to the west side and viewed a two-figured statue to the soldiers & sailors from Erie County in the Civil War.  The Statue had a wayside exhibit chock full of information about the various infantry, cavalry and artillery units made up of Erie men during the War.  In addition to the aforementioned 83rd PA, the Erie area also contributed the 145th PA Infantry, whose soldiers are immortailized in the painting of Hancock's Second Corps surging over the works at Spotsylvania's Mule Shoe Salient on May 12, 1864 (which is reproduced on the wayside).

Bill then drove us to Erie Cemetary, incorporated in 1850 and as spectacular as many of the other graveyards of that vintage.  We were drawn to the grave of Vincent, which for some reason is covered with pennies (see the picture).  The marker is one of many in a circular formation around a Celtic Cross that bears the name Vincent on its base.  The Erie Cemetary also boats the grave of another luminary of the First Division of the Fifth Corps, Colonel John McLane (see picture). McLane was the original Colonel of the 83rd PA, and he was killed in the titanic struggle along Boatswain's Creek at the Battle of Gaines Mill on June 27, 1862.  McLane's grave interestingly carries a subtle Maltese Cross, even though I do not believe he or his unit ever bore the symbol during McLane's life.

We left Erie Cemetary after viewing a few of its more spectacular mausoleums and family plots.  We headed back to Bill's house in the 'burbs to meet our spouses and friends, with whom we shared a wonderful New Years Feast of roast pork, mashed potatoes and (of course) good-luck bearing sauerkraut, along with several bottles of fantastic pinot noir selected by Bill.  We finished the evening sipping Manhattens while we watched football and the New Years Eve countdown, ensconsed in the loving warmth of good long-time friends, and bouyed by the thrill of new discoveries.

My Top 5

As 2010 winds down, there are many lists being compiled, the best of the year stuff. I thought, how about a list dealing with battlefield studies? Not only studies published in 2010, but all-time. Only the definitive apply here. Looking for the best of the best! Are you game?

There are only 2 restrictions. First, the US (or Colonies) had to be involved directly. Second, I ask that the study be limited to only one campaign/battle.

My list is heavy with CW titles, since that's my main focus. My Top 5 are as follows:

5 -- Ed Bearrs' Vicksburg trilogy

I agree that Ed's writing is Sahara dry. However, Bearrs' Vicksburg study is a classic. In the word's of Ian Fleming's most famous character, it is a martini, shaken not stirred, and delivered in a champagne goblet. I can't see anyone EVER being more definitive when it comes to Vicksburg. It is not an easy or entertaining read. It is only for the most devout battlefield stomper and historian.

4 -- William Shea's Fields of Blood: The Prairie Grove Campaign

Released in 2009, it is the youngest. This is required reading for the Stamp Guys summer 2011 Trans-MS trip. Thanks Pete for putting this together. My CW bucket list will be cut in half!

3 -- Richard B. Frank's Guadalcanal

What a massive undertaking! A lot more indepth than my first historical read, the diary of journalist Richard Tregaskis. I tried to think of another definitive WW2 book, but drew a blank. But then again, I am not as learned on the conflict as others in our group.

2 -- Frank O'Reilly's The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock

A tour by Frank and a read of this study will make one quite proficient on Fredericksburg. This is my favorite CW city, equidistant between Richmond & DC.

1 -- John Hennessy's Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas

IMHO, this is the BEST battlefield study ever written. Bar none! Jamie, the Stamp Guys' founding father, is prominently mentioned in the acknowledgements. It has all the important ingredients -- AOP's Fifth Corps and Zouaves! But seriously, I wish Mr. Hennessy would take time off from his NPS job to write again. His last book was a masterpiece!

Comments welcome.

Mike

Ft. Stephenson Wrap-up

Most, if not all, of the items posted here came courtesy of the following wonderful website:

http://www.sandusky-county-scrapbook.net/FtStephenson.htm

Another URl to check is:

http://www.archive.org/stream/93danniversaryof00keel#page/n3/mode/2u

 

This site is too cool. If prompted to do so, it will read the book for you.

 

Mike

 

 

More Ft. Stephenson

Lt. Col. Shortt repoted by Croghan as "dead in the ditch:"

In 1909-10 Col. Webb C. Hayes of Fremont corresponded with the Shortt family in England. Three of James S. Shortt's children were then deceased, the son (unmarried) and two daughters. The daughter then living there was the widow of Col. Robert Armstrong. She owned an oil painting of her grandfather Lt. Col. Wm. C. Shortt, painted when he was in the 24th Regiment. By her kindness a photo of it, reproduced above, was sent to Col. Hayes. (The name is correctly spelled Shortt.)

If Webb Hayes were alive today he'd be a "Stamp Guy."

Festooning/Ft. Stephenson After Action Reports

The after action report of Major Croghan states:

LOWER SANDUSKY, August 3, 1813,

General Harrison

Dear Sir:The enemy made an attempt to storm us last evening, but was repulsed, with the loss of at least two hundred killed, wounded, and prisoners. One Lieutenant Colonel (Short), a Major, and a Lieutenant, with about forty privates, are dead in our ditch. I have lost but one in killed and but few wounded. Further statements will be made you by the bearer.

GEO. CROGHAN
Major, Comdg. Fort Sandusky

P.S. - Since writing the above two soldiers of the of the 41st Regiment have gotten in, who state that the enemy have retreated. In fact, one of their gun-boats is within three hundred yards of our works-said to be loaded with camp equipage, &c.- which they in their hurry have left.

GEO. CROGHAN

A true copy,

John O'Fallon

Aid-de-Camp.

And the Brits put their spin on the event:

[From a newspaper clipping in the Hayes Scrapbooks vol. 12, p. 16]

HEADQUARTERS, ST. DAVIDS,

NIAGARA FRONTIER 25TH AUG., 1813

My Lord:
Major General Proctor having given way to the clamour of our Indian allies to act offensively moved forward on the 20th Ultimo, towards the Enemy, with about 350 of the 41st Regiment, and between three and four thousand Indian warriors, and on the 2d instant attempted to carry by assault the Block Houses and works at Sandusky, where the enemy had concentrated a considerable force. He however soon experienced the timidity of the Indians when exposed to the fire of musketry and Cannon in an open country, and how little dependence could be put upon their numbers. Previous to the assault they could scarcely muster as many hundreds as they had before thousands, and as soon as it had commenced they immediately withdrew themselves out of reach of the Enemy's fire; - they are never a disposable force; - the handful of His Majesty's troops employed on this occasion, displayed the greatest bravery, nearly the whole of them having reached the Fort and made every effort to enter it, but a galling and destructive fire being kept up by the enemy within the Block houses and from behind the picketing which completely protected them, and which we had not the means to force, the Major General thought it most prudent not to continue longer so unavailing a contest. He accordingly drew off the assailants and returned to Sandwich with the loss of 25 killed, as many missing, and about 40 wounded. Amongst the former are Brevet Lt. Colonel Shortt, and Lieut. J. G. Gordon of the 41st Regiment.

I have the honor to be, My Lord, Your Lordships most obedient and most humble servant,

George Prevost.

To the Right Honorable Earl Bathurst, &c.

"Festooned With Portraits" or, A Stamp Guys Trip to Fremont, Ohio

On Sunday, December 12, 2010, Tim, Mike, Pete and I (Jamie) set out for a trip to Fremont, Ohio, to tour the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, on the grounds of the Hayes home at Spiegel Grove.  Tim, Pete and I had stopped there on our way up to Put-in-Bay on July 25 (see previous Stamp Guys blog entry) to visit the graves of the 19th President and his wife. We were very  impressed by the grounds.  Later that day, at the Perry Monument in Put-in-Bay, we discovered that Fremont was the site of a critical American victory in the War of 1812 when on August 1, 1813 Major George Croghan and 160 U.S. Regulars defended Fort Stephenson against a large force (2,000+) of Indians under Tecumseh and British Regulars (400+), including units (such as the 41st Foot) that had fought under the Duke of Wellington on the Iberian Peninsula against Napoleon, under General Proctor.   This double whammy was all the reason the Stamp Guys needed to return to Fremont for a full day of touring.

Mike drove from Pickerington to Westerville, where he met up with Tim and me. We drove to Delaware and picked up Pete at 9:00 am, and then headed north on Route 23. As soon as we cleared Delaware (the birthplace of Rutherford B. Hayes), the drizzle turned into sleet and then quickly converted to snow, which began to stick to the ground (and road) almost immediately.  As we made our way northwest, the snow got heavier and the roads began to get a little slick. We had planned to get off Route 23 in Upper Sandusky, and then travel north through Tiffin (where William Henry Harrison was ensconsed in Fort Senaca on August 1, 1813) and then "up" the Sandusky River (which runs from south to north into Lake Erie) to its navigable headwaters at the town of Fremont, which was called Lower Sandusky in 1813. However, the nervous Columbus natives in the vehicle (a 2006 four wheel drive Ford Expedition)  prevailed upon me to continue up Route 23 to Findlay, so we would have much more four lane highway rather than twisty two-lane country roads.  When we turned off the four lane and headed through the F towns (Findlay, Fostoria and then finally Fremont), the snowfall got heavier and actually obliterated most of the road signs facing us as we travelled east toward our destination.  We had a lot of fun guessing what the snow-covered signs might have to say, and we had to make a couple of course adjustments on the fly when we were finally able to see the odd uncovered route sign that indicated we were not quite on the right road. Luckily, Pete had brought along his Ohio Gazeeter Map, and he was able to expertly find course-correcting routes. Lou Wallace my ass! 

We arrived in Fremont about 11:40 am, and parked in a snow covered lot at the Hayes Center. The ground crew was working hard, and had cleared the roads within Spiegel Grove of their snow, and had also cleared the many walking paths.  Since the Museum and Home were not scheduled to open until Noon, we headed to the grave site set back in the Grove.  When we got there, we were surprised to find a Master Lock on the gate.  We were able to walk around the fence to get a somewhat obscured view of the graves, and of the stone marking the final resting spot of Webb Hayes, the President's second son. Webb was an extraordinary soldier; he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts in the Phillipine Insurrection.  As we found out during the tour of the Museum and the House, Webb Hayes may have been an even better forager/scrounger than a soldier, based on the booty and spoils of war that he sent home. Despite the disappointment of not being able to get inside the fence to the graves,Tim did find some consolation in the friendly advances of a brown squirrel (obviously a female).

We then headed back to the magnificent Hayes home, where the kind docent allowed us to spend a few moments on the spacious front porch out of the driving snow as we waited the last few minutes for the Museum and House to open.    At noon, we strolled through the snow over to the Museum, bought our tickets ($11 with a AAA discount) and then spent some time in the museum gift store (where Mike and I bought hat pins) before heading back over to the Home for the 12:30 guided tour.  The tour started right on time, and was supposed to last 45 minutes. However, since the four Stamp Guys were the only folks in the tour, the knowledgable tour guide expanded the time frame for us.  The home is going through a renovation to remove design features (wallpaper, paint, light switches, power outlets, curtains etc.) added in the 1940's and 1950's and to return the home to its 1880's appearance when Rutherford and his wife Lucy returned with their family from the White House. Luckily, the home stayed in the Hayes family until it was donated in 1965 to the Foundation that runs it now, so the Foundation has pictures of every room from the 1880's era.   The tour guide explained in detail how they are matching fabrics for couches and wall coverings.  The neat thing about the Home is that all of the furniture is original, as well as the protraits, knick-knacks and Victorian bric-a-brac. 

As the tour guide showed us one room (Mrs. Hayes bedroom), she explained that the walls were bare because the electricians were working on removing 1920's wiring to replace it with more modern wiring.  She showed us a picture of what the bedroom looked like when Lucy Webb Hayes occupied the room, noting the Victorian era tendency to cover up every square inch of the walls with portraits, pictures and sundry articles.  Tim then blurted out the quote of the day "You mean, if we come back after you finish the renovation, these walls will be festooned with portraits?" Now, if the kind tour guide thought that a bunch of middle age guys from Central Ohio who were visiting the Hayes home on a snowy late Fall Sunday during a Cleveland Browns game were perhaps questionable in their orientation, Tim's comment certainly cemented her view of the cut of our collective jib.

We completed our tour of the remainder of the house, which included many excellent portraits of the family, including a life size portrait of Hayes as the President, and a great portrait of Webb Hayes, who looks like a Teddy Roosevelt clone.  In addition to his MOH, Webb was also awarded the Order of the Dragon by the Imperial government of China for his work in the China Relief Expedition (also known as the Boxer Rebellion). One room of the house had an old carpet, worn nearly threadbare, woven with a huge dragon design.

After completing our house tour, we headed back over to the Museum to thoroughly review its contents.  We watched the movie (which was on a continuous loop, so we started five minutes in to the 15 minute film, and then watched the first five minutes at the end).  The movie was good and informative, if a little dry.  In the museum itelf, we were impressed by the many displays of Rutherford's items, including all of his officer shoulder boards from his Civil War service when he advanced from Major of the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry to Major General (brevet).  The museum included the flag of the 23rd OVI, which impressed the heck out of us Civil War aficianados.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the Museum was the "gun room" which included many firearms and other curios collected by "Rud" and Webb over the years.  The personal weapons of General George Crook, the colleague of Rud during the Civil War and the "godfather" of Webb, are part of the collection.  Swivel guns captured from Phillipine pirates, the capstan of The Maine, a gunner's leather thimble from the Bonhomme Richard and a cannon captured in China that was made by the Tartars in approximately 1650 were only some of the jaw-dropping items in this collection. 

We completed our time at the Museum with a review of an "odds & ends" display of some of the more esoteric items included in the Hayes collection and a trip to a large downstairs room with a Christmas-themed model train display.  Then, we headed outside into the snow & cold to find the Fort Stephenson site.

We drove through snowy Fremont toward the site of the battle, which is only a few blocks from the Hayes Center. Of course, we didn't ask for directions and relied upon our review of maps in the Hayes Museum that described the 1813 clash of arms.  Funny, but there were a few minor changes in the lanscape between 1813 and 2010, so we had to meander through slush-filled side strets as we searched for the site.  We knew that the Birchard Library had been built on the former site of Fort Stephenson, and that there was suppossed to be a monument in a park next to the site.  I had seen pictures of the Birchard Library online, and it looked like a large and impressive structure; frankly, I expected that it would dominate downtown Fremont. Reality, however was pleasantly different. Downtown Fremont actually has a number of large, impressive structures, handsomely set on sweeping boulevards with large lawns facing quaint squares filled with monuments and memorials.  Luckily, the snow and the on-going Browns game conspired to keep vehicular traffic to a trickle, so we had time to pause, ponder, pontificate and point as we looked for the Fort Stephenson site.  Finally, we saw a roadside plague with language indicating it was a British artillery position.  We stopped and got out, and read the marker. 

 The sign indicated where the Fort site should be, but we couldn't see the Library or monument because of an intervening modern commercial building.  However, we wandered into a park across the street from the sign, and then were able to clear the obstruction and finally see the snow encrusted monument, with an artillery piece sitting at its base.

The Battle of Fort Stephenson gets very little publicity, even in detailed accounts of the War of 1812.  I don't think the battle was even mentioned in my 7th Grade Ohio History class at Auburn Road Middle Schoool in Painesville Township, Ohio. The links provided here will give you a good explanation of the battle, which deserves to be rescued from obscurity as we approach its bicentennial.  The powerful British-Indian force was supported by artillery and by gunboats on the Sandusky River.  The enemy force had inspiring leadership in the legendary Shawnee Tecumseh, and hard-bitten, European-trained & equipped fighters who cut their teeth agains the best Napoleon could throw against them in the 41st Regiment of Foot.  They were faced by a group of U.S. solders that they outnumbered 15 to 1, led by a young Major (age 21) who had received orders to retreat from the equally legendary William Henry Harrison (subordinate captain to "Mad" Anthony Wayne at Fallen Timbers in 1794 and the victor at Tippecanoe over the Tecumseh-led confederation in 1811). Yet, despite these factors, Major George Croghan led a masterful, determined defense, moving his sole artillery piece (chistened "Old Betsy" by the soldiers) from place to place in a deadly game of cat & mouse with the experienced British gunners.  After Croghan instructed Betsy to cease firing and to be hidden, Tecumseh demanded that General Proctor send his redcoats in an assualt against the Fort. Croghan then ordered Betsy to be placed in a position OUTSIDE the fort to enfilade the expected frontal attack, and the poor guys from the 41st marched right into the cunning Major's trap.

Map of the Battle of Fort Stephenson - August 2, 1813 as published in THE HISTORY OF THE WELSH REGIMENT - 1719-1914. Birchard Library now stands on site of old fort. Ravine is Croghan Street.

Their reception by the brave defenders convinced Proctor that he couldn't capture the fort, and the powerful force retreated back toward Detroit.  A little over five weeks later, Oliver Hazard Perry won his epic vicory on Lake Erie, and a about a month after that fateful September day, Proctor surrendered his force to Harrison near Thamesville, Ontario, leaving Tecumseh to fight alone and meet his fate in a Canadian swamp. Fort Stephenson needs to be visited by everyone who has an interest in the history of this part of the country; it was a key turning point in the War, and helped seal forever the suzerainity of the United States over Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.

We drove from the sign marking the British artillery position to the Fort site, and walked the grounds of the Library.  Interestingly, the Library was built by Rutherford Hayes' Uncle Sardis, who must have been one heck of a businessman.  He also paid for Rud to go to college (Kenyon) and law school (some dreary place in Cambridge, Massachsetts) and built Spiegel Grove as summer home!  The grounds of the Birchard Library contain a monument topped by a Civil War soldier, but dedicated to solders of several eras, including the defenders of Fort Stephenson (see photos). 

We then approached the artillery piece at its base and found out that we were in the presence of History.  The piece is Old Betsy.  Not a reproduction. Not some random tube selected by a grudging bureaucrat from his inventory in an Army arsenal.   Old Betsy!!!!! The same metal that hurled projectiles that tore through the ranks of the red-coated regulars; the same smooth bore whose roar was heard by Tecumseh.  Sitting quietly in the open, in a park-like setting on a hilltop outside a library in Fremont, Ohio,  is a piece of history that should thrill you.  

Old Betsy certainly thrilled us.  We took our pictures, grinning like fools in the cold as we shared the Stamp Guys brotherhood of being at places that were turning points in the great flow chart of human experience; all of us, whose families and co-workers shake their heads in bemusement, clucking their tongues over our nerd-like interest in long dead shadowy figures who don't resemble the latest gossip-rag description of toned abdominal-muscled humanity;  who wonder why we stand in now-quiet fields, mud-spattered legs cut by brambles and crawling with ticks as yellowjackets angrily buzz our ears, to get the same view of a distant woodline that long-forgotten, confused and exhausted young men toting heavy smoothbore muskets had when they were thrust into the maw of combat; and who stare at places like the slope in front of the Birchard Library, which is now a modern asphalt street travelled by thouands of vehicles a year whose drivers have no idea that their tires are gently presurring the blood-drenched soil beneath the pavement. 

We left the Birchard Library site and drove across the Sandusky River to get a perspective on where the British gun boats would have been positioned. Interestingly, these same gun boats would do battle with and be captured by Perry in the Battle of Lake Erie.

We then returned to town; hit an Arby's for a late lunch, and then drove through the drifting snow to Columbus, warmed by the rembrances of our great day in Fremont.