Crawford's Defeat

CRAWFORD'S DEFEAT. 4-5 June 1782. William Crawford had long advocated an expedition to the Upper Sandusky region, where Loyalists and Indians rallied for their raids against the Pennsylvania-Virginia frontier. After reluctantly agreeing to accept the leadership of this expedition—which he felt was about three years too late insofar as his personal participation was concerned—Colonel Crawford left his home on 18 May and rode to Fort Pitt for final instructions from General William Irvine. Irvine ordered Crawford to destroy the Wyandot and Shawnee towns "with fire and sword" in order to "give ease and safety to the inhabitants of this country." At Mingo Bottom, about three miles below modern Steubenville, Ohio, Crawford assembled his forces. In the election of officers Crawford received 235 votes to become commander of the 480 volunteers. Major David Williamson, who received 230 votes, became second in command. Other field majors, in order of rank, were Thomas Gaddis, John McClelland, and a Major Brinton. The brigadier major was Daniel Leet. In addition to the guides—Thomas Nicholson, John Slover, and Jonathan Zane—Crawford recruited Dr. John Knight as surgeon, who left a valuable narrative of the expedition, as well as General Irvine's aide-decamp, Lieutenant John Rose (actually the Baron von Rosenthal, the only Russian to fight with the Americans during the Revolution); John Crawford, the colonel's only son; Major William Harrison of the famous Virginia Harrisons, who was the colonel's son-in-law; and William Crawford, his nephew.

Alhough Crawford planned his expedition well, he could not maintain its secrecy, because his men persisted in firing off their muskets without cause and contrary to repeated orders. They also tended to skip guard duty. Lieutenant Rose called this little army an "undaunted party of Clodhoppers," and was confident that they were marching to disaster, shadowed by the Indians.

Crawford's force moved quickly, covering the first 60 miles in four days, and they arrived at the abandoned Moravian settlements where the Gnadenhutten Massacre had taken place less than a month earlier. By 3 June, when they camped near the site of modern Wyandot, Ohio, Crawford's army was running short of supplies and morale plummeted. The next day they reached Sandusky Old Town, about three miles southeast of modern Upper Sandusky, and found that the Indian village was deserted. About three and a half miles northeast of Upper Sandusky, in a grove situated on high ground rising from the Sandusky Plain (a place later called Battle Island) the American scouts under the command of Lieutenant Rose made contact with a sizable enemy force.

The enemy was commanded by Captain William Caldwell of Butler's Rangers, who had about 100 Rangers from Detroit and, initially, 200 Indians. The Indian forces were led by Captain Pipe and Wingenund of the Delawares, the Wyandot chief Zhaus-sho-toh, and Simon Girty, Alexander McKee, and Mathew Elliott.

A two-day skirmish took place, both sides keeping their distance and firing at long range. Crawford lost five killed and 19 wounded on the first day. Caldwell reported one Ranger, the interpreter Francis Le Vellier, and four Indians killed; and three Rangers (including himself, shot through both legs) and eight Indians wounded in the two-day action. On the afternoon of the second day the Americans realized why Caldwell had been holding back from a general engagement: he had been waiting for reinforcements. A detachment of Rangers arrived from Detroit with two field pieces (probably the light-weight, brass, three-pounders known as grasshoppers) and a mortar. About 140 Shawnees and several other Indians had also arrived and were working around the flanks and rear of Crawford's forces. At about 9 p.m. the Indians started withdrawing, but this movement turned into a panic as small arms and artillery fire cut into them. Discipline collapsed as small units and individuals took off in several directions. Most of the Americans got through the encircling Indians, but some were cut off and annihilated. Majot McClelland, leading the advance guard, was fatally wounded.

At about 2 p.m. the next day, 6 June, Crawford turned and made a stand about five miles from the site of modern Bucyrus, near Olentangy Creek. Lieutenant Rose reported a loss of three Americans killed and eight wounded in a one-hour action. Major Williamson led most of the volunteers safely to Mingo Bottom, where they arrived on 13 June. Crawford's capture and horrible death were widely reported at the time. Dr. Knight, Major William Harrison, and young William Crawford were also captured and tortured to death.

SEE ALSO Crawford, William; Gnadenhutten Massacre, Ohio; Grasshopper; Irvine, William.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brackenridge, Hugh Henry. Narratives of a Late Expedition Against the Indians. Philadelphia: Francis Bailey, 1783.

Butterfield, C. W. An Historical Account of the Expedition against Sandusky under Colonel William Crawford in 1787. Cincinnatti, Ohio: Robert Clarke & Co., 1878.

Rosenthal, Gustavus. "Journal of a Volunteer Expedition to Sandusky, from May 24 to June 13, 1782." Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 18 (1894): 120-157, 293-328.

                             revised by Michael Bellesiles