- Ohio History in 2000 Words
- Mound Builders
- Native Ohioans
- The Ohio Company
- Ohio's Wood Forts
- Indian Wars
- War of 1812
- Ohio's Canals
- Ohio's Road
- Scenic Railroads / Museums
- Underground Railroad
- Civil War in Ohio
Between June, 1812 when war was declared by the United States against Great Britain, and February, 1813, the United States lost a number of outposts in the Northwest Territory including Fort Mackinac, Fort Detroit, and Fort Dearborn as well as a major defeat at the Battle of the River Raisin in Michigan. Only Fort Wayne, in the Indiana Territory, withstood British attack.
British re-enactors at the annual First Seige event
To regain the initiative, General William Henry Harrison amassed a new army from his headquarters in Franklinton and Urbana. In early 1813, Harrison and his men moved north and established a fort on the southeast side of the Maumee River on February 2, 1813. The site was well chosen. Strategically, the fort was located at the foot of the Maumee River rapids (about where the bridge connecting Perrysburg and Maumee stands today). This was as far as British supply ships go up the river from Lake Erie. At this point the British would have to unload their supplies and transfer them to smaller boats able to navigate the shallower river. Besides protecting the river, the fort would also serve as a supply depot and staging area allowing Harrison and his army to prepare for the retaking of Detroit and the upcoming invasion of Canada.
American re-enactors during First Seige event at Fort Meigs
This location was also the natural ford that had long been used as a crossing point on the river. If British forces were going to attack the Northwest Territory, this was the most likely spot they would use to cross into the area south of the Maumee, making Fort Meigs location a strategic point. North of the Maumee River was considered British Territory and south of the river was American. The British could not afford to further invade Ohio if it first did not eliminate the threat posed by Fort Meigs.
The fort also was a thorn in the side of Native Americans who had sided with the British. The Native Americans had a long standing hatred of the Americans who had been encroaching upon what they considered was their land. If the fort was allowed to remain, it would only strengthen the American position in Ohio, and would further weaken their position.
Construction of Fort Meigs took 3 months to complete. It would include about 10 acres inside the fort with stockades and pickets sunk 3' into the ground. The fort had 5 artillery batteries and 7 - 2 story block house. The block houses were used primarily for defense and not living quarters. The men lived in tents. Living conditions at the fort were horrible; mud as deep as a man’s knee, dense swarms of mosquitoes overtook the area as spring warmed the area. Disease and exposure to the weather all contributed to a high death rate among the men stationed there. In fact, more men died from these afflictions than died in actual combat.
From Captain Eleazer D. Wood
U.S. Corps of Engineers
March 1813:
The Indians were getting to be quite troublesome round the camp; no part could be sent out after fuel, timber, or anything else without being fired upon and frequently one or two persons killed and as many more taken prisoner.
The fort was to serve as a temporary supply depot and staging area for the planned invasion of Canada. It was named for the Governor of Ohio, Return Jonathan Meigs. The garrison was a home for more than 2,000 men comprised of both U.S. regulars and militia from Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. At the height of construction there were over 3,000 men and women at this location.
Down the center of the fort's interior, a pair of long earthwork walls were constructed the length of the fort to deflect cannon balls coming from across the river from doing extensive damage. There were also shorter walls constructed perpendicular to these to deflect cannon fire from coming the northeast. These earthworks were in some places 20' high. During the siege, the men dug small caves into the earthworks for protection which lasted until the rains came.
As the fort was being built, the British soon became aware of its construction and they realized the strategic importance of the fort. As the winter began to wane, British General Henry Proctor sent an expedition south from Fort Malden (located south of Detroit on the banks of the Detroit River) to capture Fort Meigs with a pre-emptive strike before the Americans could amass enough supplies and men to launch their own attack against his position. In late April 1813, the British landed a force of about 2400 British, Canadian and Indian warriors about 2 miles north at the abandoned Fort Miamis which had been built by the British in the 1790s to prevent the American General, Anthony Wayne from advancing further north in his campaign against the Native Americans. After reconnoitering the area the British realized that a frontal assault on the fort would be deadly, and decided that a siege would be the better action.
The bombardment of Fort Meigs began on May 1, 1813. Although they had spies in the area and were aware of the general layout of the fort and the number of men inside, the British were unaware of the fortifications Harrison had constructed inside to deflect a bombardment. The British were extremely over-confident in their capabilities. What they soon found was that General Harrison was ready. With a strong fort, 1,200 troops, and 20-30 pieces of artillery, the garrison dug in with the knowledge that reinforcements were on the way.
The bombardment ended after 4 days, when Kentucky militia arrived to reinforce Fort Meigs. On May 9, the enemy lifted the siege and returned to Canada. The Indians who had accompanied the British during the siege were bitterly disappointed by their failure to take the fort and they continued to press the British to return and finish off the Americans.
In July, 1813, the British attempted to appease their Native American allies by again besieging Fort Meigs. Food supplies for the British forces were growing low at the fort. With the Native Americans proving troublesome and the worsening supply problems, they decided to once again attack the fort to help soothe the problems and force the men to live off the land instead of the quickly dwindling food stores.
The Indians staged a mock battle east of the fort, just out of the fort's sight. They were hoping the mock battle might lure the Americans out of the fort to try and save the imaginary reinforcements who seemed to be under attack. The Americans, however, saw through the ploy. After the 2nd failed siege attempt, the British moved on to Fort Stephenson, where Fremont, Ohio stands today. A 2 day battle ensued at Fort Stephenson under the command of 21 year old Major George Croghan and 160 men. That attack also failed, causing heavy British losses and again forcing a retreat to Canada.
On September 10, 1813, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry defeated a British naval force on Lake Erie, giving the United States the upper hand in the Northwest. Harrison transferred all but 100 men from Fort Meigs north to Canada and ordered the fort dismantled. In its place, a small, square stockade was constructed to serve as a supply base and to protect the Maumee rapids.
The site was preserved by the Hayes family who purchased the land and used it for grazing cattle. In 1840, William Henry Harrison returned to the site to hold a rally during his successful run for the Presidency.
In 1908 the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Civil War veterans, held a reunion in Toledo, Ohio. To commemorate their arrival, and to honor the memory of the soldiers who served at Fort Meigs, a monument was erected on the site.
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