Crawford's Defeat

From The Sherrard Family Of Steubenville:


"My father, John Sherrard, ...in the fall of 1782...joined with many of his neighbors the expedition known as Crawford's Campaign against the Indians in the Northwest.  ...the general command was given to Colonel William Crawford, who was from the vicinity of Connellsville. After getting the troops of light horse and the necessary equipage ready, he marched the troops from Beesontown, now Uniontown, on the 20th of May, and they proceeded to the Old Fort, now Brownsville, where more volunteers joined them. On May 22d they arrived in Washington, the county-seat of Washington
County, where they were joined by still more volunteers."

Reconstructed Fort At Steubenville, Ohio

"They left Washington on May 24th, and on the 25th they arrived at the Ohio River, and crossed the river on the 26th. The place where they crossed was at Mingo Bottom, above the mouth of Cross Creek, and three miles below where Steubenville now stands."

"It was the evening of the 4th of June when they arrived near the Sandusky plains, and the action began, the Indians being in readiness awaiting the attack, for they had been apprized of the coming of our troops by their spies, as also their number and situation."

Ft. Sandoski (Sandusky) Left Of Center On Pre-1753 Map (Source - LOC)

"...Colonel Crawford, apprehensive for the safety of his son John, stopped the troops and...made an earnest request for a number of volunteers to turn out of the line and go back with him to make search for his son among the wounded, dying or dead. Amongst those that turned out to accompany Colonel Crawford in making this search was my father and a Mr. Harbaugh, a saddler to trade from Beesontown, now Uniontown; Doctor Knight and John Slover, one of the pilots, and others, to the number of twenty, leaving Colonel Williamson to conduct the retreat, while Crawford, with his small band of volunteers, returned to the battle ground and made diligent search for his son, but to no purpose. He was, in reality, safe enough in the line on the retreat, but of this his father knew nothing, but spent several hours making fruitless search for the living among the dead."

"Crawford and those men with him had made some progress during the night, but the next day, the 7th of June, he and his men were surrounded by the Indians and made prisoners...while Crawford himself was burned at the stake, suffering the most heart-rending agonies."