218 HISTORY OF OHIO. 



Now was Harrison's time to raise the siege, by attacking 

 the enemy on both sides of the river, and taking his batteries. 

 This was the instant determination of the General, and he 

 despatched captain Hamilton of Ohio, to general Clay, order- 

 ing him to land from six to eight hundred men, on the west 

 bank of the river; to attack the enemy's batteries, spike his 

 guns, cut their carriages in pieces, and destroy his property. 

 Having done this, to ascend the river to their boats, and cross 

 over the Mauraee, and join those in the fort. The residue of 

 the brigade was ordered to land on the east side of the river, 

 and enter the fort. The regular troops under colonel Miller, 

 and the Pittsburgh and Petersburgh volunteers, were ordered 

 to hold themselves in readiness, for a sortie, to attack the ene- 

 my's batteries, on the east side of the river at the same moment, 

 in which, the attack was made on the western side of the 

 Maumee. 



The conception of these simultaneous attacks, was a noble 

 one, and now let us see, how it was executed. 



The day of the 5th of May dawned, the sun arose and shone 

 until 8 o'clock in the forenoon, before Clay and his brigade 

 appeared to the garrison. The night was dark, and the pilot 

 refused to proceed in the darkness. Hamilton met Clay, about 

 the middle of the rapids, and delivered his orders to him. Clay 

 selected Dudley, his oldest colonel, for the command of the 

 detachment, who were to attack the British garrison, and eight 

 hundred men, volunteered to serve under him. They landed 

 on the western shore, marched furiously to the batteries of the 

 enemy; slew, or drove off, all his troops, at these batteries, 

 spiked all the guns, cut their carriages into small pieces, pull- 

 ed down all the poles on which the red cross of St. George was 

 flying, and then abandoned themselves to a real frolic. 



Here, we leave them and go over to Clay and his remaining 

 troops. Six boats contained all the remainder of the brigade, 

 after Dudley had left it. In the foremost one, near the shore 

 on which fort Meigs was. Clay was seen approaching the fort, 

 assailed by a host of savages on that flank. Four boats' crews, 

 by winds and waves, were compelled to land and fight their 



