This article is the eighth in a series exploring the rich historical information contained within H.S. Knapp’s 1873 work, “History of the Maumee Valley.” It is important for the modern reader to recognize that this text, like most historical documents of its time, is written from a white, Euro-American perspective. The voices, motivations, and sufferings of the Native American tribes are often interpreted through the lens of their conquerors. In this series, we will adhere strictly to the details provided in Knapp’s collection, presenting the events as they were recorded, while acknowledging that this is only one side of a complex and often tragic story. By focusing on specific themes and locations, we aim to illuminate the pivotal events and figures that shaped the settlement and development of the region, with a special emphasis on Mercer and Auglaize counties.
8. The Heroism and Tragedy of Captain James Logan
In the turbulent history of the War of 1812 in the Maumee Valley, where loyalties were divided and alliances were fragile, few figures stand out with such tragic nobility as the Shawanee chief, Captain James Logan. A resident of Wapaukonnetta and a nephew of the great Tecumseh, Logan chose a path different from that of his famous uncle. He cast his lot with the Americans, serving them with a bravery and devotion that ultimately cost him his life and left a lasting impression on the soldiers who fought alongside him.
His service as a scout for the Northwestern Army was invaluable. In early September 1812, as General Harrison’s army advanced to relieve the besieged garrison at Fort Wayne, Logan and four other Shawanees offered their services as spies. The text recounts how Logan, “in disguise,” daringly passed through the camp of the besieging Indians to ascertain their numbers, estimated at fifteen hundred, and then entered the fort itself to “encourage the soldiers to hold on as relief was at hand.”
His final mission, undertaken in November of that same year, cemented his heroic reputation. On the 22nd of the month, he, along with Captain John and Bright-Horn, left General Winchester’s camp at Fort Defiance, “resolved to bring in a prisoner or a scalp.” Ten miles down the Maumee, they encountered a party of five Indians and a British officer, the eldest son of Colonel Elliott. Among the enemy was the formidable Pottawatomie chief, Winnemac. A desperate fight immediately broke out. Logan fired first, killing Winnemac on the spot. In the ensuing struggle, the young Ottawa chief also fell, but Logan himself received a mortal wound, a ball striking him “just below the breast-bone.”
Even in death, his courage was remarkable. Though grievously wounded, he and his companion Bright-Horn (who was shot through the thigh) mounted the enemy’s horses and “rode to Winchester’s camp, a distance of twenty miles, in five hours.” He lingered for two days, bearing his agony with what General Winchester described as “uncommon fortitude.” His commanding officer wrote that “More firmness and consummate bravery has seldom appeared on the military theatre.”
His dying thoughts were for his family. He made a final request to his friend, Major Hardin, asking him to see that the money due for his services was faithfully paid to his family, and that they be “immediately removed to Kentucky, and his children educated and brought up in the manner of the white people.” He feared that the hostile Indians, knowing he had killed a great chief, would seek revenge upon his wife and children once he was gone.
His burial was an event that deeply moved the entire army. Major Hardin recorded that he “died with the utmost composure and resignation,” and was buried “with all the honors due to his rank, and with sorrow as sincerely and generally displayed as I ever witnessed.” The funeral procession to Wapaukonnetta was a solemn, uniquely frontier ceremony. The scalp of the Ottawa chief he had slain was “tied to a pole, to be carried in triumph to the Council-house,” and as the party neared the village, their guns were fired in quick succession to announce the death of their hero. Though the chiefs at Wapaukonnetta ultimately decided against sending his family to Kentucky, they were “fully sensible of the loss they had sustained, and were sincerely grieved for his death.” Captain Logan’s story remains a poignant chapter in the history of the valley, a testament to a warrior’s bravery and a father’s love in a time of brutal conflict.
Works Cited
History of the Maumee Valley, by H.S. Knapp (1873)
- Auglaize County—Death of Captain Logan, for the entire account of his final mission, his mortal wound, his dying requests to Major Hardin, and his burial. (p. 466-467)
- Fort Wayne Relieved, for the mention of Logan offering his services as a spy to General Harrison and his daring entry into the besieged fort. (p. 372)
- Allen County—Pioneer Notes, for the mention of Wapaukonnetta as the town of Tecumseh and Logan. (p. 452)
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