FRENCHTOWN, Mich., Battle of, in the War of 1812. Hull's surrender of Detroit threw the American frontier back to the line of the Wabash and the Maumee. The Maumee was defended by Fort Wayne, about 20 miles from the Ohio border, and the Wabash by Fort Harrison, a block-house standing near the site of the present city of Terre Haute, near the Illinois border. In September 1812, after the departure of Sir Isaac Brock (q.v.) for Niag ara, these forts were attacked simultaneously by the Indians, but Zachary Taylor saved Fort Stephenson and Fort Wayne held out until re inforcements arrived on 12 September under Gen. W. H. Harrison. The latter then divided his troops into three bodies to march by differ ent routes to the Maumee Rapids, one of which forces, under Gen. James Winchester, after ex periencing great hardships, reached the rapids 10 Jan. 1813, and there began to encamp. Two Frenchmen came to beg protection for French town, Mich., a little village on the Raisin River, about 30 miles to the north and 22 miles south west of Detroit. Winchester sent half his troops who, on 18 January, with small loss, drove the British and Indians from the town, which success so elated the troops left behind at the Maumee that Winchester led them to the town, encamping there on 20 January but fail ing to take the usual military defensive measures. On the 21st the British commander, Gen. Henry Proctor, started toward the town with a force of 600 militia and 500 Indians under Round Head, making the assault on the American posi tion the next day. Most of the American troops were in the open field and quickly succumbed, Winchester being among the captured. But a small body of Americans stoutly resisted be hind a picket defense until Winchester, under Proctor's threat of burning the village and an Indian massacre, ordered them to surrender. The unwounded prisoners were sent to Malden but the wounded were left at Frenchtown un der Proctor's promise of adequate protection. But Proctor failed to furnish protection and after his departure the Indians plundered the village, mutilated and scalped the dead, strip ped the inhabitants of clothing and valuables and fired the houses, consuming the injured and the dead. The American loss was 934 killed, captured and massacred; the British loss was 24 killed and 158 wounded.
Had Proctor advanced to the Maumee Rap ids he might have captured Harrison with his 900 troops and their artillery and stores. But Harrison burned the post and retreated to the Portage or Carrying River, about 18 miles to the rear, where on 1 Feb. 1813 he began the con
struction of Fort Meigs, before which on 28 April Proctor appeared with 983 regulars and militia and 1,200 Indians under Tecumseh (q.v.). On 1 May the British began the bom bardment which lasted several days, but on 5 May were attacked on the north side of the river by a force under Brig.-Oen. Green Clay (q.v.) who had come to Harrison's relief. This force was almost annihilated by the British, but Harrison made a successful sortie on the south side. The siege was continued for several days but Proctor's army was weakened by death and sickness and by the desertion of the Indians, and on 9 May he retreated to Malden unmolested by Harrison. On 20 July Proctor again at tacked the fort but after vainly trying to draw Clay into ambush decided to attack Harrison at Seneca on the Upper Sandusky, whither the latter had moved his magazine. Between Har rison's troops and the British was a stockade called Fort Stephenson, defended by one can non and 160 troops under Maj. George Cro ghan (q.v.). Harrison ordered the evacuation of the fort but Croghan refused, and when the British attacked on 1-2 August not only re pulsed them but inflicted such a decisive defeat that Proctor retreated to Malden. The British loss was 26 killed, 41 wounded and 30 missing, while Croghan lost only one killed anti seven wounded. Soon afterward Tecumseh raised the siege of Fort Meigs and followed Proctor to Detroit. Harrison remained at Seneca until September, when he began the march that brought about the battle of the Thames (q.v.). Consult Wiley and Rines, 'The United States) (Vol. V, pp. 361-372, giving extensive bibliog raphy) ; Adams, Henry,