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101-865: The Battles of Frenchtown , also known as the Battle of the River Raisin and the River Raisin Massacre , were a series of conflicts in Michigan Territory that took place from January 18–23, 1813, during the War of 1812 . It was fought between the United States of America and a joint force of British and Native Americans near the River Raisin in Frenchtown (present-day Monroe , Michigan ). On January 18, 1813,

202-746: A large portion of the Dakotas . Meanwhile, in 1835, the Toledo War was fought with Ohio because Michigan Territory wanted to retain the disputed " Toledo Strip ." The Toledo area of Ohio was finally surrendered in exchange for the western section of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan . Slavery was forbidden in the territory under the Northwest Ordinance , but British and French residents in Michigan were permitted to retain possession of slaves already owned at

303-535: A larger force of British regulars and Canadian militia, allied with Wyandot led by Roundhead who were able to retake the town in The Battle of Frenchtown . Winchester himself was captured by Roundhead early in the battle while trying to reach his men. Following the loss of hundreds of his soldiers in the initial assault, he agreed to order a conditional surrender of the remainder of his troops in exchange for "a pledge of protection" with his men fearing being massacred by

404-501: A majority of the territory's freeholders favored the creation of a general legislative assembly to replace the system of governors and judges in effect at the time, as provided for by the Northwest Ordinance . The election was called by Territorial Governor Lewis Cass , and results showed a majority opposed changing the system of government. In 1824, the Michigan Territory graduated to the second grade of territorial status, and

505-570: A narrow road. Almost 220 of the 400 Americans had been killed, many of them shot, tomahawked, and scalped during the withdrawal; 147 men, including Winchester, were captured by the Indians and Canadian militia. Chief Roundhead stripped Winchester of his uniform before he turned him over to the British, which led to a legend that he was captured in his nightshirt. The remaining Americans were scattered and in no position to fight. The 17th 's colonel, John Allen,

606-745: A procedure for land sales in the new territory. However, the Ohio River remained an effective boundary between the United States and the Northwest tribes for a few more years. The other states with claims in the Northwest eventually followed Virginia's example, and in 1787, the Congress of the Confederation enacted the Northwest Ordinance , which created the Northwest Territory . The first settlement under

707-715: A stronghold by the British until Colonel Richard Mentor Johnson from Kentucky led his cavalry to liberate the town on September 27, 1813. The retreating British were pushed back into Upper Canada , where they were defeated at the Battle of the Thames on October 5. Three active battalions of the Regular Army (1-3 Inf, 2-3 Inf and 4-3 Inf) perpetuate the lineage of the old 17th and 19th Infantry Regiments, both of which had elements in action during fighting at Frenchtown. Nine counties in Kentucky were later named for officers who fought in

808-516: A surprise counterattack four days later on January 22. Ill-prepared, the Americans lost 397 soldiers in this second battle, while 547 were taken prisoner. Dozens of wounded prisoners were murdered the next day in a massacre by the Native Americans. More prisoners were killed if they could not keep up on the forced march to Fort Malden . This was the deadliest conflict recorded on Michigan soil, and

909-731: A third incarnation of Wayne County that included all lands within Michigan Territory that had been ceded by Indians through the 1807 Treaty of Detroit . During the War of 1812 , following General Isaac Brock 's capture of Detroit on August 16, 1812, the Michigan Territory was at least nominally a part of the Province of Upper Canada . On August 24, Colonel Henry Proctor proclaimed the continuation of civil government under existing laws with Proctor acting as Governor and Chief Justice Augustus B. Woodward acting as Secretary. On February 4, 1813, Proctor suspended civil government and imposed martial law . When Indiana (1816) and Illinois (1818) joined

1010-441: A “Washington” or “Madison". The Indian then raised his tomahawk and struck him on the shoulder which cut into the cavity of the body. Searls then caught hold of the tomahawk and appeared to resist and upon my telling that his fate was inevitable, he closed his eyes and received the savage blow which terminated his existence. I was near enough to him to receive the brains and blood, after that fatal blow on my blanket. A short time after

1111-575: Is also used for the overall conflict from January 18 through 22. While the battle began on January 18, the heaviest fighting took place on January 22 and may have continued for several days after that. It is often referred to as the Battle of the River Raisin , because of its proximity to that river. The engagement may be divided into the First Battle of the River Raisin (January 18) and the Second Battle of

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1212-474: The 17th U.S. Infantry and one company of the 19th U.S. Infantry , to move to Frenchtown. He sent a messenger to Winchester to order him to hold the ground and prepare for further combat. Winchester's soldiers were largely untrained and inexperienced, and the First Battle of the River Raisin was the first combat most had seen. Events showed that Winchester's planning was poor. He had not ensured that ammunition and other necessary supplies were brought forward from

1313-686: The 41st Regiment of Foot and Royal Newfoundland Fencibles , joined by about 800 Indians. This force linked up with elements of the Essex militia who had fallen back after their initial defeat on January 18. Shawnee leader Tecumseh was in the area, but he was not present at the Battle of Frenchtown. He left command of the Native Americans to Wyandot chiefs Roundhead and Walk-in-the-Water . The Indians included Shawnee, Potawatomi , Ottawa , Chippewa , Delaware , Miami , Winnebago , Creek , Sauk , and Fox tribes. Procter's artillery consisted of six light 3-pounder cannons drawn on sledges, manned by men from

1414-555: The Congress of the Confederation in a diplomatic capacity to address the question of Detroit and the Great Lakes, but Frederick Haldimand , the Governor of Quebec, refused to provide a passport, and negotiations collapsed before they had begun. Starting in 1784, the British administered their Michigan holdings as part of the District of Hesse along with what is now Western Ontario ; in 1791

1515-555: The Maumee River (in present-day Perrysburg, Ohio ) about 30 miles (48 km) south of Frenchtown . Instead, Winchester ignored his orders and sent a small relief detachment north to Frenchtown along the River Raisin . Lieutenant Colonel William Lewis led these men across the frozen Maumee River and along the shore of Lake Erie to the River Raisin. His force consisted of 666 Kentuckians and about 100 local French-speaking Michigan militiamen. On January 18, 1813, Lewis charged across

1616-669: The Treaty of Saginaw in 1819, the two Treaties of Chicago ( 1821 and 1833 ), the Carey Mission in 1828 and the Treaty of Washington in 1836 and a later treaty of January 14, 1837 . Wayne County, Michigan , originally part of the vast Northwest Territory, was eventually whittled down into its current size by the separation of several tracts: Monroe in 1817, Michilimackinac County (later called Mackinac ) and Macomb counties in 1818, St. Clair and St. Joseph counties in 1820 and Washtenaw County in 1822. The first township organization

1717-456: The Americans forced the retreat of the British and their Native American allies from Frenchtown, which they had earlier occupied, in a relatively minor skirmish. The movement was part of a larger United States plan to advance north and retake Fort Detroit , following its loss in the Siege of Detroit the previous summer. Despite this initial success, the British and Native Americans rallied and launched

1818-502: The Americans to regroup and drive the invaders back to Upper Canada. Following Hull's dismissal, Brigadier General James Winchester was given command of the Army of the Northwest. Instead of pushing north to retake Detroit, Winchester had a less ambitious plan. His resulting unpopularity caused the command to be given to Major General William Henry Harrison . Winchester was retained as second-in-command. Harrison's first plan on taking command

1919-490: The Battle of Frenchtown. Of the following list, Bland Ballard was the only one to survive. Several streets in Monroe, Michigan near the battle site have been named to memorialize those who fought in the Battle of Frenchtown, including Kentucky Avenue and Winchester Street. In addition, the state of Michigan erected a monument in downtown Monroe in 1904. The monument is located on the west side of South Monroe Street ( M-125 ) at

2020-521: The British and Native Americans. Instead, Winchester remained in Frenchtown with his small force despite advanced knowledge of a British and Native American counterattack. He was unaware that Harrison's troops were on their way and would arrive shortly. During the Second Battle of the River Raisin, Winchester was captured early in the battle and surrendered his army at the urging of British Colonel Henry Procter. While Winchester's army suffered heavy losses at

2121-505: The British army following the Siege of Detroit . This early success convinced many Native Americans to side with Britain in the war. General Hull was later tried by a military court and sentenced to death for his "disgraceful conduct" at Detroit. However, President James Madison commuted the sentence to dismissal from the army in recognition of Hull's honorable service during the American Revolution . At that time, Fort Detroit

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2222-629: The British or Americans for most of the territory by 1783. The majority of it was gained by cession, coerced or otherwise. The people who resided in Michigan before American settlement were the Ottawa , the Potawatomi , Ojibwa and the Wyandot . Treaties ceding the land were signed between 1795 (the Treaty of Greenville ) and 1842 (the Treaty of La Pointe ). Other notable treaties were Governor Hull's treaty of 1808,

2323-537: The Canadian Provincial Marine under the command of Lieutenant Frédérick Rolette . Procter halted about 5 miles (8.0 km) north of the River Raisin to prepare for battle on January 21. Procter surprised the American forces before sunrise on January 22. A Canadian volunteer, John Richardson , who had marched with the 41st Regiment of Foot, later wrote, "On the 22nd, before daybreak, came within sight of

2424-508: The Canadians and natives fighting log to log, after which Lewis reclaimed Frenchtown. Reynolds' brother commented later that the Essex Militia "fought most bravely, retired slowly from log to log." The skirmish has been noted as one of a few examples when Canadian militia stood fast during the war without the backing of British regulars. Kentucky Rifleman William Atherton's memoirs testify to

2525-540: The Canadians and natives slipped away, leaving Frenchtown to the Kentuckians. This skirmish would later be known as the First Battle of the River Raisin. During their retreat from Frenchtown, the Potawatomi raided Sandy Creek , a small settlement founded in 1780 about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the River Raisin. The Indians burned all 16 houses to the ground, and killed at least two of the town's inhabitants. Sandy Creek

2626-701: The Cincinnati in the state of Maryland. After the war, Winchester settled in Davidson County , part of the Southwest Territory , where he oversaw the construction of a mill and a distillery. In 1787 when Sumner County was formed from a partition of Davidson, James served in the militia as a captain of horse, eventually being appointed as inspector of the brigade of the Metro District Militia. In 1790, Governor William Blount appointed Winchester as

2727-479: The Frenchtown Settlement, founded in 1784 on the River Raisin in the Michigan Territory . The land it was fought on is now incorporated into the city of Monroe . Some sources apply the name only to the encounter on January 22, 1813, and refer to the engagement on January 18 as the First Battle of the River Raisin, or simply as a prelude to the larger encounter on January 22. The plural Battle s of Frenchtown

2828-521: The Frenchtown fighting, he did not participate and left before the massacre. 200 Potawatomies 63 Canadian Militia 1 Militiaman and 3 warriors killed or James Winchester , the second-in-command of the Army of the Northwest , led a column consisting of approximately 1,000 inexperienced regulars and volunteers, most of whom came from Kentucky . Major General William Henry Harrison had ordered him to remain within supporting distance of Harrison's column near

2929-706: The Lower Peninsula, much of the Upper Peninsula, and those portions of today's Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin that drained into Lake Michigan. In many respects, the change from the government of the Northwest Territory to that of the Indiana Territory had little effect on Wayne County's limited operations. By Governor Harrison's proclamation of January 11, 1803, the courts of Wayne County—common pleas, orphans, and quarter sessions—kept their organization under

3030-593: The Maumee River. The palisade around the town had not been strengthened, and the regulars of the 17th and 19th U.S. Infantry were camped outside its walls. Several days after the first clash, local residents reported to Winchester that a large British force was heading toward Frenchtown. Winchester ignored their warning, insisting it would be "some days" before the British "would be ready to do anything." His troops were camped throughout Frenchtown. Without ensuring that sentries and pickets had been placed, Winchester retired for

3131-475: The Northwest Ordinance was at Marietta (Ohio) in 1788. The region that became Michigan was initially unorganized territory and essentially remained under British control; that did not stop Arthur St. Clair , the first Governor of the Northwest Territory, from establishing a structure of government for the area, if only on paper. Knox County was established on June 20, 1790 with boundaries that included

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3232-485: The Northwest tribes during the Northwest Indian War was dependent on Detroit remaining out of American hands. But the position of the British and their allies in the Northwest deteriorated after the signing of Jay's Treaty and the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, and after negotiations, the British evacuated Detroit on July 11, 1796. The United States had finally established a presence in Michigan. Fort Mackinac

3333-624: The Province of Quebec was split into Lower Canada (today's Province of Quebec ) and Upper Canada ( Ontario ), and the districts of Upper Canada were renamed the next year, with the Hesse District designated as the Western District . In addition to the British remaining in the region, several states also held competing claims on the future state of Michigan. In 1779, Virginia established Illinois County with boundaries that encompassed all of

3434-541: The River Raisin (January 22). The name "River Raisin Massacre" is used to describe January 23, the day after the second battle, when British-allied Native Americans killed dozens of the mostly volunteer soldiers from Kentucky who were too badly injured to march overland to Canada. On August 17, 1812, Brigadier General William Hull , commanding the American Army of the Northwest , surrendered his troops and Fort Detroit to

3535-517: The U.S. president, with consent of the U.S. Senate. Their terms had no fixed limits. In 1823, the U.S. Congress passed an act reorganizing territorial government and setting a four-year term of office for justices. In 1819, Michigan Territory was given the authority to elect a Congressional delegate . James Winchester (general) James Winchester was born in Westminster, Maryland to William Winchester and Lydia Richards, on February 26, 1752. He

3636-532: The US House of Representatives, stated "Those soldiers and citizens able to walk were marched off towards Malden. The wounded, numbering between 60 and 80 were left in two houses without any of their friends or physicians to take care of them and without any British officers or men. About ten Indians remained behind while the balance went off with the British...". However, the following morning "about fifty Indians returned and between 9 and 10 o'clock A.M. commenced killing

3737-460: The Union, remnants of their territories were joined to Michigan Territory. An area equal to 30 townships was also transferred from Michigan Territory to Indiana to allow that state access to Lake Michigan. Soon afterward, the federal government rapidly began signing treaties with local Native American tribes and acquiring their lands. In 1818, a general assembly referendum was held to determine whether

3838-574: The Wisconsin Territory in 1836 upon its organization. Milwaukee County was established in 1834 and was also transferred to Wisconsin Territory two years later. These census numbers do not include most Native Americans , defined in the U.S. Constitution as "Indians not taxed" (Article I, Sec. 2). Under the Northwest Ordinance, a territory could apply for statehood once it had surpassed 60,000 inhabitants. The 1830 United States census reported

3939-720: The Wyandot if they surrendered. Despite Procter's pledge, the Wyandot accompanying the British executed 68 seriously wounded American prisoners of war in the Massacre of the River Raisin . Winchester was imprisoned in Canada for more than a year. He was released in a prisoner exchange and assigned to command the District of Mobile . After the war's end, he resigned his regular commission in March 1815 and returned home to Tennessee. In 1819, Winchester served on

4040-513: The battle or the subsequent massacre. The rallying cry "Remember the River Raisin" or "Remember the Raisin!" led many more Kentuckians to enlist for the war. While it is not known how many soldiers died during the First Battle of the River Raisin on January 18, 1813, Eaton's Compilation lists 397 Americans killed and 27 wounded during the January 22 conflict. Also, figures for those who were killed during

4141-399: The battle, Procter, fearing that General Harrison would send more Americans to Frenchtown, made a hasty retreat slightly north to Brownstown . Harrison was forced to call off his plans for a winter campaign to retake Detroit. The city was held by the British until a United States victory at the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813, allowed the recapture of Detroit. Frenchtown was held as

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4242-424: The buildings that housed the wounded. As the Potawatomi marched prisoners north toward Detroit, they killed any who could not keep up. According to an account from a survivor, "The road was for miles strewed with the mangled bodies." Estimates of the numbers of wounded killed by Indians range from a low of 30 to as many as 100. Medard Labbadie, a resident of the River Raisin area, in his transcribed deposition sent to

4343-425: The capital until March 17, 1847 when Lansing was chosen as a replacement. The population of Michigan at the time of statehood is estimated to have been about 200,000, which was well above the Northwest Ordinance 's minimum requirement of 60,000. The area that became Michigan had been British territory, and was ceded to the United States in 1783, although the native peoples of the area had not ceded control to either

4444-652: The casualties included the highest number of Americans killed in a single battle during the War of 1812. Parts of the original battlefield were designated as a state historic park and added to the National Register of Historic Places . In 2009 Congress authorized its upgrade into the River Raisin National Battlefield Park , one of four such parks in the nation and the only one commemorating the War of 1812. The Battle of Frenchtown took place in and around

4545-597: The commandant of the Militia of Sumner while also making him a Justice of the Peace . That same year he married Susan Black. In 1797, he purchased a tract of land in Castalian Springs known as Bledsoe's Station and oversaw the construction of Cragfont , a Georgian style mansion that was completed in 1802. The mansion was designed and built by craftsmen from Winchesters home state of Maryland. Following Tennessee's admission to

4646-400: The corner of 7th Street. Also, on this site were interred the unidentified remains of some of the victims of the battle or massacre. The core area where the battle took place was listed as a Michigan Historic Site on February 18, 1956. The location of the site is bounded by North Dixie Highway, the River Raisin , Detroit Avenue, and Mason Run Creek. The site was recognized nationally when it

4747-472: The death of Searls, I saw three others share a similar fate. The slaughter of the American wounded on January 23 became known as the River Raisin Massacre. It so horrified Americans that it overshadowed the battle, and news of the massacre spread throughout the country. It devastated Kentucky, which had supplied most of the soldiers for the campaign. Kentucky lost many of its leading citizens in either

4848-464: The death rather than trust the Potawatomi. After another three hours of fighting, Major Madison issued a formal declaration of surrender. Procter tried several times to persuade the Native Americans to burn Frenchtown, but the Potawatomi refused. They had given the land to the settlers and did not wish to inflict more harm on them. Immediately after the American surrender, some of the Kentuckians argued with their officers that "they would rather die on

4949-434: The devastating loss at Frenchtown. His ill-prepared defensive planning following the successful First Battle of the River Raisin led to the defeat of his army and the high number of deaths suffered by his column. If Winchester had retreated to the Maumee River to rejoin with General Harrison's column, the two could have strengthened their numbers and marched back to Frenchtown with the necessary troops and preparedness to fight

5050-695: The eastern portion of the Dakotas. Michigan became a state on January 26, 1837, and included the Upper Peninsula as part of the resolution to the conflict over the Toledo Strip , which had blocked Michigan statehood for several years. The western border of the Upper Peninsula was marked at the Montreal River on the Lake Superior shoreline and the Menominee River on the coast of Lake Michigan . Detroit remained

5151-459: The enemy... such was their security and negligence that... our line was actually half formed within musket shot of their defenses before they were even aware of our presence." The American regulars stood their ground for only twenty minutes. These four companies of infantry, consisting mostly of green recruits, were caught in the open. They faced heavy musket volleys to their front, while they were also under direct roundshot and canister fire from

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5252-437: The field" than surrender, fearing that they would be killed by their captors. Still, the fighting ceased immediately following their surrender. At least 300 Americans were estimated killed, with over 500 taken prisoner. Procter determined on a hasty retreat in case General Harrison sent more troops when he learned of Winchester's defeat, he marched the uninjured prisoners north and across the frozen Detroit River to Fort Malden ;

5353-756: The following population counts for 13 counties in present-day Michigan and 3 in Wisconsin . The boundaries of counties at that time differed significantly from present-day boundaries. The 1810 United States census was reported in terms of four Civil Districts of a single Wayne County: Michilimackinac, Detroit, Erie, and Huron. The 1810 population shown in the table for Mackinac County is that reported for Michilimackinac Civil District, for Macomb County that reported for Huron Civil District. for Monroe County that reported for Erie Civil District, and for Wayne County that reported for Detroit Civil District. From 1805 through 1823, Territorial Supreme Court Justices were appointed by

5454-505: The former Fort de Buade under the leadership of Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac . Soon after their arrival, his troops erected Fort Pontchartrain du Detroit and a church dedicated to Saint Anne , the mother of the Virgin Mary . As part of New France , the upper Great Lakes had first been governed from Michilimackinac , then Detroit; this was essentially a military regime that reported to

5555-505: The front lines against the British. Here Winchester camped out with his men where they suffered from a lack of food and supplies. He called it "Fort Starvation" and sent word that his men needed winter supplies or they could not go on. On January 18, he led his men across the frozen Raisin river and took Frenchtown from a small Canadian militia force, planning to use the town as a launching pad for an attack on Detroit. However, his men were attacked four days later by Col. Henry Proctor leading

5656-480: The frozen River Raisin to attack the British and Indian camp, which contained 63 soldiers of the Essex Militia , accompanied by a 3-pounder cannon, and about 200 Potawatomi . A brisk battle took place before the Americans forced the British and their allies to retreat. The Canadians charged the American lines several times, supported by the gunfire of the Indians. Fighting continued sporadically for several hours, with

5757-523: The government's power was transferred from the Governor and a handful of judges to the people. The people elected 18 to the Legislative Council , of which nine were approved by the President , and it first sat in council on June 7, 1824. This council was expanded from nine members to 13 in 1825, with the 13 being chosen by the President from a field of 26. The Erie Canal opened in 1825, allowing settlers from New England and New York to reach Michigan by water through Albany and Buffalo . In 1834, all of

5858-417: The governor-general at Quebec . Its role was to supply the needs of the fur traders and discourage any settlements not directly supportive of that effort. After the surrender of Montreal in 1760, British troops under Robert Rogers occupied Detroit and its dependent posts. In 1763, Pontiac's Rebellion saw the fall of Fort Michilimackinac to the northern tribes, and a lengthy siege of Fort Detroit . The siege

5959-444: The land east of the Mississippi River , north of the Ohio River and west of the Appalachian Mountains . For all practical purposes, however, the county government never exercised actual control beyond an area limited to a few old French settlements along the major rivers. The overwhelming majority of the northwestern lands were controlled by the native tribes. New York , Connecticut , and Massachusetts also claimed portions of what

6060-458: The lands acquired in the Louisiana Purchase that were as yet unallocated and lay east of the Missouri River (generally, the Dakotas , Iowa and the western half of Minnesota ) were attached to the Michigan Territory, an area that was officially characterized as "north of Missouri and east of the Missouri and White Earth Rivers ." At this point, Michigan Territory included what is now the states of Michigan, Wisconsin , Iowa , Minnesota and

6161-400: The midst of marching, the Indians halted some of their prisoners at Sandy Creek, about three miles from the battleground and commenced cooking and eating, when an Indian came up to one Mr. Searls. The Indian proposed exchanging moccasins which was speedily done. They then exchanged hats, after which the Indian inquired how many men General Harrison had with him and at the same time calling Searls

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6262-431: The new territorial government, with almost identical composition. But the logistics of government went from difficult to almost impossible, with the mail between Detroit and the capital at Vincennes being routed at one point through Warren in northeastern Ohio. The deciding factor may have come when an election was called by Governor Harrison for September 11, 1804, to decide whether Indiana Territory (which by this time

6363-404: The night to his headquarters at the Navarre House south of the town. On hearing that the Americans had recaptured Frenchtown, Colonel (later British brigadier general) Henry Procter , commander of the British forces around Detroit, marched with his troops from Fort Malden and crossed the Detroit River from Upper Canada , invading Michigan in strength. His army consisted of 597 regulars from

6464-401: The non-native inhabitants of what would become Michigan. After the arrival of Europeans, the area that became the Michigan Territory was first under French and then British control. The first Jesuit mission, in 1668 at Sault Saint Marie , led to the establishment of further outposts at St. Ignace (where a mission began work in 1671) and Detroit, first occupied in 1701 by the garrison of

6565-601: The northern boundary of the United States." A historical marker at a roadside park, approximately three miles east of Naubinway at 46°05′50″N 85°23′51″W  /  46.09722°N 85.39750°W  / 46.09722; -85.39750 , commemorates the northernmost point of Lake Michigan, which is located approximately one mile west of the park. The first territorial governor, William Hull , abolished Wayne County and established new districts of his own making, which proved to be short-lived. Lewis Cass became governor in 1813 and promptly undid Hull's work and re-established

6666-405: The previous October, were reported. Jefferson's recommendations became the basis for the Land Ordinance of 1784 , which established that new states equal in all respects to the founding thirteen would be erected in the territory, that they would forever be a part of the United States, and that their governments would be republican in form. The Land Ordinance of 1785 would go further by establishing

6767-477: The six 3-pounders and flanked by the Essex militia and the Indians. The regulars broke and ran. General Winchester was awakened by the artillery fire and rushed to the battlefield, ordering 240 men from the 1st Kentucky Rifle Regiment under Col. John Allen to reinforce the regulars. Allen's men could not reach them. Under fire from three sides, the Americans fell into a headlong retreat toward Ohio. They tried to rally three times, but they were eventually surrounded on

6868-447: The skill of the Essex men and natives at bush fighting, stating "the fight now became very close, and extremely hot ... I received a wound in my right shoulder." The moment before Atherton was hit, he witnessed two of his fellow riflemen move too far forward. One was killed and the other wounded. Atherton described the tactics used by Ebenezer Reynolds and his Canadians: "Their method was to retreat rapidly until they were out of sight (which

6969-509: The start of the surprise attack, the Kentuckians regrouped and fought off three waves of British lines to protect their camp. They were very low on ammunition when the order of surrender came from Winchester. If the Americans had prolonged the battle long enough for Harrison's column to arrive at Frenchtown, the outcome of the battle could have changed. The British reported casualties of 24 killed and 161 wounded; Native American casualties are not known to have been documented. Immediately following

7070-403: The subsequent River Raisin Massacre are unknown, but estimates are as high as 100 killed. Two weeks after the battle, Brigadier General James Winchester reported that 547 of his men were taken as prisoners and only 33 escaped the battlefield. Winchester was imprisoned for more than a year before being released and reassigned to military service. James Winchester largely bore the responsibility for

7171-478: The territorial period, others split off later). Jackson and Ingham were created in 1829 from Washtenaw; Isabella was created from parts of Saginaw and Midland counties in 1831. Gratiot County was also established in 1831, with land from Saginaw and Clinton counties. Seven of the 12 counties created in 1829 were named for members of President Andrew Jackson's Cabinet , and one was named for Jackson himself. Iowa County , with its seat at Mineral Point ,

7272-467: The three cannon in the center of the British line, plus 13 of the 16-man howitzer crew. They had also brought down many infantrymen. Now, however, they were finally running out of ammunition, having repulsed three British assaults. Gen. Procter demanded Winchester order his remaining men to surrender. Otherwise, all would be killed and Frenchtown burned. Procter insisted on an unconditional surrender and refused Winchester's counter-proposals, since Winchester

7373-485: The time the territory became organized. Census records show that the slave population in the territory numbered 24 in 1810 and 32 in 1830. It is believed that those counted as slaves were, in many cases, Indians rather than blacks. On July 3, 1836, in preparation for Michigan statehood, the Wisconsin Territory was organized from Michigan Territory, consisting of the present states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and

7474-758: The union as a state in 1796, Winchester served in the Tennessee State Senate , being appointed as the states first Speaker of the Senate . Winchester was considered as a nominee for the United States Senate in the 1809 United States Senate election in Tennessee, but Jenkin Whiteside was elected to the seat. Winchester was also an unsuccessful candidate in the 1811 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee . In March 1812, three months before

7575-585: The war with Britain began, Winchester was commissioned a brigadier general in the United States Army . When the hostilities started, he was placed in command of the Army of the Northwest, composed of several regiments then camped near Cincinnati . However, a conflict over command resulted in Gen. William Henry Harrison taking charge of Winchester's forces in an expedition to Fort Wayne , by virtue of Harrison's militia commission from Kentucky . Winchester's seniority

7676-520: The western half of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and roughly the middle third of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan . In 1792, the boundaries of Hamilton County were expanded to include the eastern portions of Michigan not included in Knox County. American claims to Michigan were frustrated by Britain's refusal to evacuate the forts at Detroit , Mackinac and elsewhere. Britain's tacit support for

7777-482: The western half of the Lower Peninsula and most of the Upper Peninsula were attached to the Indiana Territory when it was established as a separate government from the Northwest Territory. Wayne County was thereby reduced to the remainder of the two peninsulas, and continued under the government of the Northwest Territory. St. Clair County , another Indiana Territory county, was also expanded at this time to include

7878-538: The western portion of the Upper Peninsula and a small sliver of the Lower Peninsula along the shore of Lake Michigan . When Ohio was admitted as a state in early 1803, the eastern half of Michigan was incorporated into the Indiana Territory. One of the first acts taken that year by the Indiana government under William Henry Harrison was to reorganize Wayne County under Indiana law, adding territory from Knox and St. Clair counties. Michigan's first county now encompassed all of

7979-472: The wounded prisoners unable to walk were left behind at Frenchtown. Procter could have waited another day for sleds to arrive to transport the wounded prisoners, but he worried that more American soldiers were on the way from the south. On the morning of January 23, the Native Americans robbed the injured Americans in Frenchtown. Any prisoner who could walk at all was marched toward Fort Malden; those who could not were killed. The Native Americans then set fire to

8080-467: The wounded, then set fire to the houses that the wounded were in,..." Surgeon's mate Gustavus Bower stated in his deposition, “I saw the Indians take off several prisoners whom I afterwards saw in the road, in a most mangled condition, and entirely stripped of their clothing. ... [Private Blythe] whilst in the act of pleading for mercy, an Indian more savage than the other stepped up behind, tomahawked, stripped and scalped him." Bower further stated "While in

8181-479: Was Detroit, in Wayne County, in 1802. Also organized in 1818 were two counties that survive in present-day Wisconsin . Crawford was set up to govern the settlements on the upper Mississippi River from its seat at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin , while Brown performed a similar function for the settlements around Green Bay . These would become part of the Wisconsin Territory in 1836. Oakland County, Michigan

8282-462: Was a strategic outpost and a potential base for any US invasion of British Upper Canada . Its loss to the British gave them a base to increase their presence in the Michigan Territory . When the British captured Detroit, the Frenchtown militia also surrendered and were disarmed. Just 35 miles (56 km) south of Fort Detroit, Frenchtown's residents were helpless against the British and Native Americans who now were almost on their doorstep. They urged

8383-471: Was abandoned and never rebuilt. Following the recapture of Frenchtown, US Brigadier General James Winchester and the rest of his troops met with Colonel Lewis two days later on January 20, 1813. Winchester had acted without orders, but General William Henry Harrison was pleased with Lewis's success. However, Harrison was concerned that the British forces might combine and overpower Winchester's small force. He ordered additional men, including three companies of

8484-567: Was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 1982. The River Raisin National Battlefield Park was authorized on March 30, 2009, with the passing of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act , and funded later that year. It is one of four National Battlefield Parks in the United States, and the only one to commemorate the War of 1812. Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan

8585-498: Was already his prisoner. Major George Madison , a United States officer still on the battlefield, persuaded Procter to accept a surrender on the promise that all would be protected as prisoners of war . When they saw the British waving a white flag , the Kentucky riflemen thought it meant a call for a truce . Instead, a British officer handed them a written order from General Winchester to surrender. They refused and decided to fight to

8686-584: Was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan . Detroit was the territorial capital. The earliest European explorers of Michigan saw it mostly as a place to control the fur trade. Small military forces, Jesuit missions to Native American tribes, and isolated settlements of trappers and traders accounted for most of

8787-601: Was commissioned a lieutenant in the 3rd Maryland Regiment , being moved to the Southern theater of the war. He was taken prisoner a second time at the surrender of Charlestown, South Carolina on May 12, 1780. Exchanged in December, he was promoted to captain and served the remainder of the war under Gen. Nathanael Greene . At the conclusion of his service in November 1783, he was admitted as an original member of The Society of

8888-578: Was confirmed in September, but he was forced to relinquish command several days later when Harrison was commissioned a major general in the regular army. In October 1812, Winchester met with Harrison in Sandusky where he was ordered to move up the Maumee river and to take back Detroit from the British. While on the march, he established Fort Winchester in north west Ohio, which was the forward observation post on

8989-410: Was created in 1819, and over time was subdivided into all or parts of Genesee , Lapeer , Sanilac , Shiawassee and Saginaw counties. Saginaw County would be split further into eight separate counties, three of which ( Isabella , Arenac and Midland ) were established during the territorial period. Lenawee County was created in 1822 from what had been Native American lands, and Hillsdale County

9090-513: Was established by an act of the United States Congress on January 11, 1805, effective June 30 of that year. The act defined the territory as "all that part of the Indiana Territory, which lies North of a line drawn east from the southerly bend or extreme of lake Michigan, until it shall intersect lake Erie, and East of a line drawn from the said southerly bend through the middle of said lake to its northern extremity, and thence due north to

9191-552: Was established in 1829 and transferred to the Wisconsin Territory in 1836. Michigan Territory briefly governed lands west of the Mississippi, after the statehood of Missouri left the area north of the new state as unorganized territory; this comprised what is now Iowa and that part of Minnesota west of the river. Such was the case until 1834, when that area was placed under the government of Michigan Territory. Dubuque and Des Moines counties were created in 1834, and transferred to

9292-557: Was lifted in 1764, and rule under a British lieutenant-governor at Detroit followed soon thereafter. Due to the Quebec Act of 1774, Michigan was governed during the Revolution as part of the Province of Quebec . Although the 1783 Treaty of Paris gave the fledgling United States a claim to what is now Michigan, British policy was to hold on to Detroit and its dependencies at all costs. In 1784, Baron von Steuben would be sent to Canada by

9393-633: Was one of eleven siblings. Winchester and several of his brothers enlisted in the Maryland militia during the American Revolution. He served in Gen. Hugh Mercer 's Flying Camp battalion during the early months of the war. In August 1777, he took part in General John Sullivans failed raid on Staten Island , and was captured by British forces. He was released in a prisoner exchange, and in May 1778 he

9494-421: Was responsible for not only the settlements in Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois, but the newly acquired District of Louisiana as well) should progress to the second stage of territorial government. But word failed to reach Detroit until after the date had passed, and the settlers of Michigan petitioned Congress in December 1804, asking that Wayne County be set off as an independent territory. Michigan Territory

9595-564: Was separated from it in 1829. Other parts of Lenawee were turned into Cass and Berrien . Branch also sprung fully formed from Michigan Territory in 1829. Chippewa County was created from Michilimackinac County in 1826. Kalamazoo County , established 1829 from St. Joseph County, was the dominant tract in Western Michigan and was divided and subdivided into many other counties: Allegan , Barry , Calhoun , Eaton , Ionia , Montcalm , Kent , Ottawa and Clinton (some created during

9696-401: Was set on fire by William Orlando Butler to force any British soldiers in hiding from their shelter. Nevertheless, the 1st and 5th Kentucky Rifle Regiments and the 1st Volunteers continued to hold out in Frenchtown. Losing 5 killed and 40 wounded, they had succeeded in taking a heavy toll on the British artillery. Their marksmen had killed or wounded all but one member of the gun crews manning

9797-415: Was shot dead and scalped. Dozens had laid down their weapons in surrender, only to be tomahawked by the Indians. Men of the other units also tried to flee; most were run down and killed. A few succeeded in escaping by simply removing their shoes and running in their stockings, which left footprints in the snow that looked like moccasins. Thus they were not followed. British troops occupied a large barn, which

9898-418: Was soon the case in the brushy woods) and while we were advancing they were preparing to give us another fire; so we were generally under the necessity of firing upon them as they were retreating." Another Kentucky private had similar recollections: "As we advanced they were firing themselves behind logs, trees, etc. to the best advantage." After a long, bloody and exhaustive withdrawal over two miles of woodland,

9999-461: Was to become Michigan, but were even less able to enforce their pretensions, given Britain's control of the Great Lakes and the hostility of the tribes. Virginia surrendered its claim to lands north and west of the Ohio River effective March 1, 1784. Coincidentally (or not), this was the same day that the findings of a Congressional committee on the western lands, chaired by Thomas Jefferson since

10100-513: Was to march his men north and recover Detroit. To accomplish this, he divided the army into two columns. Harrison would lead one column, with the other led by Winchester. Meanwhile, Colonel Henry Procter , commanding the British Army around Detroit, assembled all the British troops available, supported by about 500 Native Americans under the Shawnee leader Tecumseh . While Tecumseh was present during

10201-402: Was turned over soon after but Drummond Island remained as part of Canada until 1828. By proclamation of acting governor and territorial secretary Winthrop Sargent , the "first" Wayne County was established from Knox and Hamilton counties on August 15, 1796, and included most of the area that later became the Michigan Territory, as well as portions of what are now Ohio and Indiana. In 1800,

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