Robert McAfee's Company Memorandum Book, 1813-1814

all directed to return. I came then back about one mile and met Majr Payne, Genl. Cass & Majr Chambers with a considerable part of our division of my company some of Capt Matson Ellistons & the spys with orders to Pursue Genl Proctor. I now discovered that my horse was lame and upon examination I found that he was shot in the fore leg & side of the hip. I However put myself at the head of my men and continued the pursuit six or seven miles on the road beyond the town which was full of waggons, coats, ,caps, valices, knapsacks and clothes all thrown off and lying in confusion the enemy being routed had retreated in the utmost confusion. women and children were in ever waggon, in about seven miles Genl, Cass ordered me to take charge of the women and children which I immediately did. directing each man to take a woman behind him & a child before and bring them back to the town. I did not get back till after dark when I took up quarters in some of the cabbins next the River.

The Battle on the left wing by the 2nd Battallion was against Genl, Tecumseh and his Indians and was much more obstinate so much so that the logs brush and swamps prevented them from chargeing thro & the Indians fired so hot that

behind trees and logs in the Indian way & repeated charges and repeaters took place on each side, Col Johnson was wounded at the first fire & Genl. Tecumseh it is said fell bu the hands of our col, the battle lasted near an hour and was fought entirely by Col Johnsons Regt and two companies of [Gov?] Shellys troops which eventuated in the total defeat of the British & Indians and the capture of Genl Proctors aid, Major Chambers, Col Evans Cap Muir and twenty other officers were taken and between four & five hundred Prisoners and with the loss of all their artillery & ammunition waggons & private property Elliot's carriage & Proctors chain which at once give us [?] of all this part of Upper Cannada. the Battle was fought on the North bank of the river Thames two miles below the Moravian Town, but lasted to the town and several miles beyonds it. This Battle will at once crown Col Johnsons Regt & the Kentuckians with immortal Honor The Governor of Kentucky Col Shelly gallantly encouraged encouraged his men & did everything in his power to inspire his men with ardor, and never did enthusiastic valor inspire men with more heroic courage than upon this occassion, no dastardly fears

or hanging back, every eye beamed with the fire of freemen and each officer & Soldier discharged his duty to the utmost, for at most our [?] did not exceed nine-hundred and fifty men and we had to fight a combined force of British and Indian amounting to sixteen hundred so that Heaven has smiled upon us beyond our asking the very elements conspired in our favor. So that Hulls dastardly surrender and Raisins Bloody fields and Fort [Mings?] massacre has in some measure been revenged by the Kentuckians, and I most fervently hope that a total separation has taken place between the British & Indians and that Peace will once more smile upon our North western fontiers so long staind by the Blood of innocent women & children. We lost ten killed & thirty five wounded. The enemy sixty nine killed & ten wounded I encamped in town with about one hundred men of my company Ellistons, Matson, & Hamiltons. we took possession of the houses and picketting and got plenty of corn for our horses, about 11oClock at night Col Gano & 150 men came to aid us and about three oClock in the night or morning of October 6tha British Ensign Cochran came in with six men and surrenderd himself a prisoner of war he was a well informed young man and much of a Gentleman. our conversation turned on the war and he

appeared a staunch friend to his country. I felt much for him. Tho I informed him of their cruel conduct to our prisoners. which he very much condemned. this day I was directed by Genl Harrison and the Governor to take the command of a fatigue party to make rafts & boats to carry the plunder we had taken down the river. I had, 17 made & we were the whole day bringing it in and had to encamp again in the town & had plenty to eat for ourselves & horses.

October 7th Spent the day in collecting in plunder, the foot army was encamped on the battle ground & our regt in the town about 3 oClock in the morning Col Owings Regt of Regulars came up and took charge of the plunder and the whole Army Marchd off and we sett fire to the town, putting the first torch to their Moravian Church and consumed the whole to ashes and we continued our march down the river to the large plantation where the Coke ovens were and encamped amidst plenty we had four or five hundred prisoners who appear to be not much cast down but all glad it was no worse.

October 8th. we marchd early and crossed the river at the same place we had as we went up and continued on

down the river to a large plantation about one mile below a thick setled village on the north side of the river, and campt without any material accident the foot army with Governor Shelley continued down on the opposite side of the River, the inhabitants in general are very cautious and tho we have taken what we wanted and almost ruin d some men yet they submit to it without a murmur. Genl, Harrison has promised to have compensation made them.

October 9th March d early raining and disagreeable we continued on our march down the river passing a part of Balls Regt & the Pittsburg Blues at the Mouth of the river where our shipping lay and had in our absence taken a British Schooner that had been gone [?] a month up into Lake Huron and was laden with fur she came sailing up to Our vessels and was taken without the fire of a gun as she had no information of our vistories, we then came on down the lake within nine miles of Sandwich and campt for the night and it rained and blew a storm very disagreeable we got corn and oats for our horses which was taken by order of Superior power