The Siege of Fort Meigs took place during the War of 1812 in northwestern Ohio. Despite heavy losses the siege was considered an important American victory in the wake of recent defeats at the battles of Detroit and Frenchtown. The lifting of the siege marked a turning point in the war on the Northwest Frontier in favor of the Americans. The War of 1812 was a conflict fought in North America between the United States and Great Britain from 1812 to 1815. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Perrysburg is the name of several places in the United States of America: Perrysburg, Ohio Perrysburg, New York is the name of both a village and a town in Cattaraugus County, New York (see also Perry. ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Other U.S. States Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Governor Bob Taft (R) Official languages None Area 116,096 km² (34th)  - Land 106,154 km²  - Water 10,044 km² (8. ... Major-General Henry Procter (c. ... This 1848 drawing of Tecumseh was based on a sketch done from life in 1808. ... Order: 9th President Vice President: John Tyler Term of office: March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841 Preceded by: Martin Van Buren Succeeded by: John Tyler Date of birth: February 9, 1773 Place of birth: Berkeley, Virginia Date of death: April 4, 1841 Place of death: Washington D.C. First Lady... Green Clay (August 14, 1757 – October 31, 1826) was born in Virginia in Powhatan county. ... The Battle of Tippecanoe was a decisive victory by United States forces led by then-Governor of the Indiana Territory William Henry Harrison over the forces of Tecumsehs growing American Indian confederation. ... The Battle of Detroit also known as the Battle of Fort Detroit or the Surrender of Fort Detroit was a humiliating loss for the Americans early in the War of 1812. ... The Battle of Maguaga was a small battle fought between British troops, Canadian militia and Tecumsehs natives against a larger force of American troops in Maguaga, Michigan. ... The Fort Dearborn Massacre occurred on August 15, 1812 near Fort Dearborn in the United States during the War of 1812. ... In 1811, when General William Henry Harrison marched an army north to meet the Indians at the Battle of Tippecanoe, he ordered a fort built to guard the northern approaches to Vincennes, the capitol of the Indiana Territory. ... The Siege of Fort Wayne took place during the War of 1812, between American and Indian forces in the wake of the successful British campaigns of 1812. ... The Battle of the Mississinewa also known as the Battle of Mississineway was an expedition ordered by William Henry Harrison against Miami villages in response to the attacks on Fort Wayne. ... The Battle of Frenchtown also known as the River Raisin Massacre was a severe defeat for the Americans during the War of 1812, in an attempt to retake Detroit early in 1813. ... The Battle of Fort Stephenson was an American victory during the War of 1812. ... The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes also referred to as the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on September 10, 1813 in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio. ... The Battle of the Thames, also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was a battle in the War of 1812 which took place on October 5, 1813. ... The Battle of Longwoods was a battle of the War of 1812 on March 4, 1814, fought near present-day Wardsville, Ontario. ... The War of 1812 was a conflict fought in North America between the United States and Great Britain from 1812 to 1815. ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Other U.S. States Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Governor Bob Taft (R) Official languages None Area 116,096 km² (34th)  - Land 106,154 km²  - Water 10,044 km² (8. ... For the Boston area punk band see Siege (band). ... The Battle of Detroit also known as the Battle of Fort Detroit or the Surrender of Fort Detroit was a humiliating loss for the Americans early in the War of 1812. ... The Battle of Frenchtown also known as the River Raisin Massacre was a severe defeat for the Americans during the War of 1812, in an attempt to retake Detroit early in 1813. ...

Background

Major General William Henry Harrison was placed in command of the Army of the Northwest, replacing General William Hull after his surrender at Detroit. Harrison's first objective was the recapture of Detroit, but after the defeat of American forces at the Battle of Frenchtown, Harrison took up a defensive position. He gave orders for the construction of a series of forts, in particular, Fort Meigs (named for Ohio governor, Return Jonathan Meigs) along the Maumee River and Fort Stephenson along the Sandusky River both in Ohio. In the spring of 1813 Harrison left in search of reinforcements. When he returned to his headquarters along the Maumee he was surprised to find that none of the work he ordered on Fort Meigs was completed. The term of the militia units assigned to the task had expired and they went home before work had begun. Harrison hurried to begin building what would become the largest wooden fortress in North America up to that point. The fort was located across the river from the ruins of the old British Fort Miami and the site of the Battle of Fallen Timbers, where Harrison and Tecumseh had both fought in 1794. Order: 9th President Vice President: John Tyler Term of office: March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841 Preceded by: Martin Van Buren Succeeded by: John Tyler Date of birth: February 9, 1773 Place of birth: Berkeley, Virginia Date of death: April 4, 1841 Place of death: Washington D.C. First Lady... Portrait of William Hull William Hull (June 24, 1753–November 29, 1825) was an American soldier and politician. ... This article refers to the largest city of Michigan. ... This article refers to the largest city of Michigan. ... The Battle of Frenchtown also known as the River Raisin Massacre was a severe defeat for the Americans during the War of 1812, in an attempt to retake Detroit early in 1813. ... Fort Meigs was a fortification along the Maumee River in Ohio during the War of 1812. ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Other U.S. States Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Governor Bob Taft (R) Official languages None Area 116,096 km² (34th)  - Land 106,154 km²  - Water 10,044 km² (8. ... Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr. ... See also List of Indiana rivers List of Ohio rivers External link EPA Maumee River site Categories: US geography stubs | Indiana rivers | Ohio rivers ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Other U.S. States Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Governor Bob Taft (R) Official languages None Area 116,096 km² (34th)  - Land 106,154 km²  - Water 10,044 km² (8. ... 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... See also List of Indiana rivers List of Ohio rivers External link EPA Maumee River site Categories: US geography stubs | Indiana rivers | Ohio rivers ... A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ... Fort Miami was the name of several forts in what is now the United States. ... The Battle of Fallen Timbers (August 20, 1794) was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between American Indians and the United States for control of the Northwest Territory. ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Siege begins

Construction was barely completed before the British under Brigadier General Henry Procter arrived and laid siege to the fort, beginning on May 1, 1813. Procter commanded a division of 2,000 British regulars with the support of roughly 1,000 American Indian warriors led by Shawnee Chief Tecumseh. Major-General Henry Procter (c. ... For the Boston area punk band see Siege (band). ... Fortifications (Latin fortis, strong, and facere, to make) are military constructions designed for defensive warfare. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... The Shawnee are a people native to North America, and are therefore considered to be Native Americans. ... This 1848 drawing of Tecumseh was based on a sketch done from life in 1808. ...

When the siege began Harrison had a garrison of about 1,200 American regulars and militia behind the strong walls of the fort, though he was low on ammunition. The British bombarded the fort relentlessly, having ammunition to spare. The British were using 24-pound and 12-pound shot. Fortunately for the Americans, the fort's artillery were 12-pounders also. Harrison was able to persuade the garrison to collect any usable 12-pound shot the British fired into the fort with a promise of whiskey upon turning the cannon ball in to the fort's army. By the end of the siege 1,000 shots were collected and reused.

Relief force

A few days after the siege began, Harrison sent out a messenger to General Green Clay who commanded about 1,600 militia. Rowing down the Maumee river, Clay's militia had been given orders from Harrison to split into two columns. One column was to fight their way through the Indian warriors and the other was to attack and spike a British battery. However, the column assigned to attack the battery did not receive complete instructions from Clay. On May 5, the American militia attacked and routed the British gunners and with out waiting for tools to spike the cannon (which were on their way from inside the fort) they began using their muskets to damage the cannon and successfully destroyed the British battery. This is when Clay's orders ran out. While they were standing around either celebrating over their victory or trying to figure out what exactly to do next, the militia was ambushed by Tecumseh from the woods nearby. Harrison attempted to wave the militia on into the fort but they thought he was cheering them for capturing the battery. The warriors attacked and the militia fled and many were taken prisoner. About 150 made safely into the fort's defenses. The rest were taken prisoner where Indians began taking the prisoner's guns and ammunition. Several warriors began killing the prisoners but Tecumseh arrived and personally put an immediate end to this, showing his influence over the Indian warriors. Green Clay (August 14, 1757 – October 31, 1826) was born in Virginia in Powhatan county. ... In military science, a battery is a group of artillery cannons or rockets, so grouped in order to facilitate battlefield communication and the organization of barrages. ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ...

Lifting the siege

Harrison was able to keep the siege going by returning the shots Procter continued shelling him with. By May 9 Procter realized he could not break the strong walls of the fort and decided to raise the siege and retreated up the Maumee river. Once the British had left, Harrison took much of the garrison to use as a mobile army. He left General Clay in command of the fort with some 100 militia. Tecumseh felt the whole siege had been half-hearted on the Procter's behalf and urged him to return again in July. Once again Procter began shelling the fort, but this time Tecumseh's warriors staged a mock battle in the woods to make it appear like they were attacking a column of American reinforcements in attempts to lure Clay out of the fort to come to the aid of his supposed reinforcements. Clay saw through the plan because he knew no reinforcements were coming. This second attempt amounted to virtually nothing and Procter left Fort Meigs for good and instead turned his attention towards nearby Fort Stephenson. May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ...

Results

The siege of Fort Meigs had been an important victory for the Americans in regards to the fact that they prevented the British and Indians from invading Ohio and Indiana and taking the fort, which was to provide Harrison with a launching point for any further offensives he might make. The British had however kept Harrison from making an attack on Detroit. After failing to take both Fort Meigs and Fort Stephenson, Procter retreated back to Detroit and the fighting on the Northwest frontier became a stalemate. It was not until the decisive victory of Oliver Hazard Perry on Lake Erie and Harrison's offensive which resulted in the destruction of Procter's army at the Battle of the Thames, that the Americans would achieve a decisive victory along this front. State nickname: The Buckeye State Other U.S. States Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Governor Bob Taft (R) Official languages None Area 116,096 km² (34th)  - Land 106,154 km²  - Water 10,044 km² (8. ... State nickname: The Hoosier State Other U.S. States Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Governor Mitch Daniels (R) Official languages English Area 94,321 km² (38th)  - Land 92,897 km²  - Water 1,424 km² (1. ... This article refers to the largest city of Michigan. ... Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785–August 23, 1819) was an officer in the United States Navy. ... Lake Erie, looking southward from a high rural bluff near Leamington, Ontario Lake Erie is one of the five large freshwater Great Lakes in North America, the worlds largest such lakes. ... The Battle of the Thames, also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was a battle in the War of 1812 which took place on October 5, 1813. ...

Sources

• http://members.tripod.com/~war1812/allbat.html
• http://www.galafilm.com/1812/e/events/ftmeigs.html