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Worthington During the War of 1812
It is difficult to imagine the peaceful village of Worthington near the battlefront of a war with a foreign power, but some 175 years ago that was very much the situation. This frontier settlement was less than ten years old when U.S. and British trade disputes led Congress to declare war June 18, 1812.
The Ohio frontier was vulnerable because of the British alliance with the Indians, and Governor Meigs had called out the militia in April. They were equipped and drilled at Dayton and by June, under the command of General Hull, began an offensive march to Detroit and then into Canada. After a fatiguing march of 25 days Arora Buttles, Drum Major on Col. Duncan McArthur's staff, wrote his brother Joel, editor of the Western Intelligencer at Worthington, "July 7th in camp near Detroit. We are opposite Sandbridge, a small British town on the other side of the River, but I expect it will be smaller before another day is at an end for we calculate to give them a hundred or two cannon balls for their breakfast in the morning."
An August 12th letter from Lincoln Goodale, James Kilbourne's brother-in-law who was Surgeon's Mate on McArthur's staff, reveals just how quickly this cocky confidence turned to grim reality. "A detachment under the command of Maj. Van Horn was sent to meet captain Brush and the provisions, with about 150 men. He was attacked by a large number of British and Indians at Brownstown, and obliged to retreat to Detroit. Lost 19 men killed and missing and nine wounded. On the 7th the MAIN ARMY LEFT CANADA. ." The following day "A severe engagement took place - we were successful and drove them in all quarters - we lost 17 men killed on the field, and about fifty wounded. The enemy's loss was considerable. . . I am well but very much fatigued." August 16th General Hull made the controversial decision to surrender his 2500 man any without a major battle, even though they outnumbered the British two to one.
Militiamen were paroled to return home and frontier villages like Worthington, despite frequent rumors of Indian uprisings, settled down to supply the army. Thomas Russell left a receipt with Ezra Griswold September 13th for "Six suppers and one loaf & a half of bread charged $1.50 for six soldiers in Col Mearthure [Colonel Duncan McArthur's] Regiment in the return home from the surrender of Detroit." That was the exact value assigned a pair of velvet breeches when Azariah Pinney's estate had been appraised the year before. Obviously, money could be made supplying the troops, and Worthington was on the direct route.
General William Henry Harrison took command in the west and passed through Worthington several times enroute from the capital at Chillicothe to the fort on the Maumee River. His order October 28, 1812 relating to the cavalry commissary was written from "Northwest Army Headquarters -Worthington," but there is no evidence indicating where his staff encamped.
Troop movements in both directions were regularly noted in the Western Intelligencer... January 8, 1813 "Captain Cushing's company of artillery is at this place waiting for better roads and weather. . ." May 19th "Major general Harrison and suite passed through this town on Sunday last - he left the fort perfectly tranquil. . .Passed through this place yesterday part of Maj. Bath's squadron of light dragoons, on their way to Chillicothe, for the purpose of returning their horses." Throughout 1812-13 a number of local men were called up with the militia for three weeks to two months service, but as late as 1815 Sharon Township only had a population of 137 free white males. Except for emergencies, militiamen were needed at home.
By 1813-14 the war was increasingly fought by U.S. Army regulars. Lt. Abner Pinney and Lt. Arora Buttles recruited locally for Col. Sanderson's Company of the 27th Infantry, but enlistees could be fickle. May 2nd, Pinney advertised a ten dollar reward for a 27 year old carpenter from Virginia who had deserted. The war in the west effectively ended with Perry's victory on Lake Erie September 10, 1813 and the British defeat at Thames River October 5th. Relationships between whites and Indians continued to be tense although Indians in the Worthington area had always been friendly. Joel Buttles wrote November 18, 1813 to his sister Julia, who was visiting in New England, that while he and Kilbourne were in Urbana on business, "two men residents of that place were found the next day eighteen miles north of there where they had encamped for the night, murdered, scalped and butchered shockingly."
The war economy is reflected in Kilbourne's advertisement August 4,1814 for apprentices, "two at blacksmithing, two at shoe and bootmaking, one at Morocco Shoes, one at the hatter's trade, and one at the clothier's trade." He also wanted a good brick moulder, a journeyman for the cabinet and chair making business, and six hands for common labor.
Andrew Jackson's victory at New Orleans was much celebrated in Ohio, as a letter March 1, 1815 from Philo Olmstead, in Columbus, to George Griswold, at Worthington shows. "I am alive and glad of it but I like to have killed myself last night eating bread and cider. Lt. A. Buttles and myself purchased a quart of cider and a loaf of bread and with the addition of sugar and water it made a most sumptuous dish I assure you. If you should have a passover on account of the glad tidings of peace be so good as to send me word."
Peace was joyous indeed, but the village which experienced the prosperity related to the war was about to take a back seat to the new state capital to be established nine miles south at Columbus.
SOURCES:
References used for the War of 1812 are Allan R. Millett & Peter Maslowski, For the Common Defense, a Military History of the United States of America (New York: Free Press, 1984) pp. 100-114 and Michael Calvert and Peter Young, A Dictionary of Battles, 1715-1815 (New York: Mayflower Books, 1979) pp. 131 & 139 and Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the War of 1812 (Columbus: Adjutant General, 1916).
References from the Western Intelligencer are from 21 August 1812, p. 3; 6 January 1813, p. 4; 2 June 1813, p. 4; 9 June 1813, p. 4; 13 August 1814, p. 1.
General Harrison's order 28 October 1812 from Worthington is in the William Henry Harrison Papers, Library of Congress, Series 1, Reel 1.
The 7 July 1812 letter from Arora Buttles at Detroit to Joel Buttles at Worthington and the 18 November 1813 letter from Joel Buttles to Julia Buttles are in the Case collection, VFM 1620, Ohio Historical Society.
The 1 March 1815 letter from Philo C. Olmstead at Columbus to George H. Griswold at Worthington is in the Griswold Family Papers, MSS 193, Box 1, Ohio Historical Society. The 13 September 1812 receipt from Thomas Russell to Ezra Griswold is in Box 3, Folder 3 of the same collection.
This article is one of a series of 31 articles originally published in the Worthington News and then in the book "Probing Worthington's Heritage" copyright by Robert and Jennie McCormick. The 1990 book is out of print, but copies are available at the libraries of the Worthington Historical Society and the Old Worthington Library. Much of this content was later included in the book "New Englanders on the Ohio Frontier" which can be purchased at our Gift Shop.
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