The Niagara Falls Review, February 6, 2010
by Kathleen Powell, manager, City of Niagara Falls Museums
-from June 1812 to February 1813 -saw a number of American defeats at the hands of the British. In a relatively short time on American soil, the Americans lost Fort Mackinac, Fort Detroit and Fort Dearborn and suffered a major defeat at the Battle of the River Raisin in Michigan.
To maintain a foothold in the northwest, the Americans under Gen. William Henry Harrison established a fort in Perrysburg, Ohio on Feb. 2, 1813. The fort, named Fort Meigs after the governor of Ohio, was located on the south side of the Maumee River and was to serve as a supply depot and jumping off point for an invasion of Canada, and to give the U.S. time to build up its naval power on the Great Lakes.
The garrison at Fort Meigs comprised more than 2,000 men, both regular U.S. soldiers and militia from the surrounding states.
At the time it was built, it was the largest wooden walled fortification in North America. General Harrison chose to start building in February, in harsh weather conditions and on swampy ground.
The British, under the command of Gen. Henry Proctor and their native allies led by Tecumseh, laid siege to Fort Meigs on May 1, 1813.
The fort was ready for the siege, with 1,200 soldiers and more than 20 artillery pieces. During the siege, the British harass American forces who left the fort for any reason. General Harrison was able to hold the fort, thanks in part to fortifications, called traverses, built into the fort's design. These were long, low hills that provided a defensive barrier from enfilading fire.
The British held the fort under siege for nine days but eventually were forced to retreat when U.S. reinforcements arrived. On May 9, they retreated to Upper Canada.
In July 1813, the British made another attempt to take Fort Meigs. They and their native allies staged a mock battle outside the fort in an attempt to lure the Americans from their fortifications.
The ruse was found out, however, and the British were not able to engage the Americans. Instead, they were obliged to retreat again and moved on to attack Fort Stephenson, in nearby Fremont, Ohio.
The British suffered heavy casualties in this attack and retreated again to Canada. In the meantime, the Americans were building up their naval forces.
After a number of British defeats on the Great Lakes, the U.S. forces succeeded in taking control of the lakes. Harrison transferred most of his men to Canada.
His defeat of the British -and the death of Tecumseh, at the Battle of Moraviantown on Oct. 5, 1813 -also meant the end of the importance of Fort Meigs in the War of 1812.
There was no longer any need to maintain a fort as a jumping off point for invasion. The fort was considerably reduced in late 1813, formally abandoned in May 1815 and eventually fell into disrepair.
After the war, the site itself was preserved by a local family who used the land to graze their cattle.
It was also the site of a rally held by William Henry Harrison in his successful bid to become president of the United States in 1840.
Today, Fort Meigs has been completely reconstructed to its 1813 appearance by the Ohio Historical Society and is open to the public from April to October.
Source: Niagara Falls Review