August 2, 1813 Fort Stephenson, Sandusky County, Ohio
After failing to defeat American forces in the siege of Fort Meigs, the British under Henry Proctor withdrew. On July 20th Proctor again moves up the Maumee River, this time without heavy artillery. At the urging of Chief Tecumseh, the British again tried to take Fort Meigs. The plan was to stage a mock battle in the woods to the south of the fort. This mock battle was susposed to make General Clay believe that a column of American reinforcements were under attack thus the troops in the fort would rush to their rescue.
The plan failed to produce this result as Clay knew there were no reinforcements coming. The Americans sat in the fort and let the enemy use their ammunition. General Proctor decides against attempting an assault on the fort.
On July 28th Proctor moves his force by ship along the shore of Lake Erie and up the Sandusky River, his goal is a supply depot located up river. But first he must take Fort Stephenson.
The fort was commanded by Maj. George Croghan with a garrison of 160 U.S. Regulars under his command. The American commander of the Northwest Frontier, William H. Harrison believed Proctor's force to
be larger than it was and ordered Craghan to destroy the fort and withdraw. Croghan insisted that he could hold the fort and stayed.
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