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"The Howard-Smith Collection"

Transcription copyright: 1998, by Mrs. F. A. Augsbury; all rights reserved.
The originals are at the McClung Library in Knoxville.

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To: James Gaines
From: Edmund P. Gaines, Fort Meigs, Miama of the Lake
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                                                Fort Miegs-Miama of the Lake
                                                August 1. 1813
Dear James,
    This place has been invested by the British and Indians during the last,
and part of the present week.  Their disappearance affords me leisure to
write, and hopes that my letter will reach you safely.
    You must trust to the Gazettes for many of the particular circumstances
which attended this long visit of the enemy,--I can only promise such an
outline as may aid you, with what you will find in the gazettes of the day,
to form an opinion of the nature of the Second Siege of Fort Meigs. 
    On the evening of the 20th July at dusk some thing like a sailboat was
imperfectly discovered near the old Fort Miama-2 miles hence-below.  I was
officer of the day, and by order of the commanding General kept the Guards
on the alert during the night.  On the 21st a little after day light the 
Indians attacked one of our Small Piquet Guards (a Sergt. & 12 men) Killed
and took 8-3 were afterwards found,--scalped-one of them horribly mangled-his
heart was taken out and in his body was left a small Indian drum and Powder
horn-which we understand to bear this interpretation "we will give you your
belly full of war." 
    The Indians were seen on all sides, for the greater part of every day,
and often approached under cover of a ridge and behind fallen timber and
stumps to within 150 to 200 yards of the fort keeping up a smart fire of
small arms, by which they wounded several but killed none.  Many of the
Indians were mounted on good horses.  They were warmly saluted by our small
arms, whenever they appeared in striking distance.  They were likewise
often fired on and put to flight by our artillery, with what success
however we do not know-some few were seen to fall as I am informed-I saw
none fall.  The bullets whistled about our ears prettily; at times. One
passed my neck and though it did not break the skin, it left a smarting
which I felt for a few hours.  This music was found to be so harmless
that it became a source of amusement among our men, who were anxious to
go out & fight.
    This sort of warfare continued until
the afternoon of the 26th when we were amused with a Sham Battle.  The
enemy, concluding no doubt that we expected reinforcements from Sandusky,
commenced firing in the swamp about 3/4 of a mile East of the Fort, on
the Sandusky road.  The firing was so managed as to induce us to believe a
severe engagement had taken place-it continued for near half an hour, drawing
something closer to us when it began to slacken, and change its direction,
indicating a movement towards the enemy camp.  His intention was evidently
to draw us out, into an ambuscade-but fortunately we had just learned by an
express from General Harrison at Sandusky that no troops would be sent from
that place, as our present force was deemed sufficient.
    We were by this time led to conclude that the enemy was in considerable
force, and consequently we were willing to await his arrival at our Pickets
& breastworks, where I am persuaded he would have met with a splendid
reception. His stratagem having failed, he continued his usual mode of
annoyance until the 25th when in the afternoon he got on board his
flotilla (not a fourth of which had we before seen) and moved off-his
mounted force disappeared soon after.  The flotilla consisted of two large
schooners & upward of 100 small craft-Barges-Keel boats & canoes with &
without sails.  There could not I think have been less than 4000 in
all-say 500 British Regulars
                       3500 Indians-Probably 500 mounted.