Timeline : The Wolverton Incident

 

**Note: Dates in italics are interpretive choices.  Places where there are conflicting reports are highlighted with italics as well. **

 

1810: The Rush brothers, James, Henry, and Andrew, come from the Pickaway Plains near Circleville, Ohio.  Andrew settles in Dark County, Ohio.

 

July 1811: John Johnston resigns his post at Fort Wayne and moves with his family to Piqua. 

 

March 16, 1812: John Johnston is appointed at an Indian Agent at Upper Piqua.  After this, great numbers of Indians who remain friendly begin to be located on his property.

 

March 17, 1812: White flags with mottoes are supplied to the parties of friendly Indians.  Johnston has men scout for him in order to be informed of Indian movements in the west.

 

April 4, 1812: President Madison issues orders, calling out a force of twelve hundred Ohio militiamen for one year's service. Due to recent murders of settlers, the militiamen state a determination to kill every Indian they meet until they have further orders.

 

April 14, 1812: Battalions muster on Tuesday, April 14th.  Orders are read.  There are few volunteers.

 

April 16, 1812: In consequence of the lack of volunteers, the battalion is ordered to assemble on the 16th at Adams' Prairie, near the mouth of Hole's Creek, five miles from Dayton.

 

April 22, 1812: Mr. Conner, a trader at Fort Recovery, houses the Killbuck party at his house for several days. They tell him they are going to the Greenville area to buy whiskey.  They have a number of horses and a considerable quantity of skins with them. They also have one handsome bridle with a plated bit, and one of their guns is stamped "London" on the barrel.

 

April 23, 1812: Captain Perry's company of rangers is ordered to march immediately to Laramie. Supplies are sent from Urbana to supply Miami’s men.  The Killbuck family from Fort Recovery camps at a Spring about a mile NW of Fort Greenville. They carry white flags supplied by Col. Johnston.  The Rush brothers make a journey to Fort Recovery and return thinking all the natives friendly.

 

April 24, 1812: The Rush brothers begin to prepare the ground for a crop of corn with no suspicion of what is to come. 

 

April 28, 1812: Andrew Rush sets out on horseback for Terry's mill on Greenville Creek.

He stops at the home of Daniel Potter on his way back where he is warned of impending danger from Indians.  Rush proceeds on his way at about 4 p.m.  Before proceeding half a mile he is shot, tomahawked and scalped.

 

April 29, 1812: When Andrew fails to return home, Hiller's oldest son and Rush's brother-in-law set out to look for him. In the afternoon they find his body.  They leave the body where it is and go to Daniel Potter’s. 

 

April 30, 1812: Word of the murder spreads, people flee their homes.  Governor Meigs calls for a day of fasting and prayer. Religious services are held at the Dayton court house.  Hiller’s son and Rush’s brother-in-law arrive at the cabin of James Rush where the settlers have assembled their families to await another attack.  Major Charles Wolverton, commander of Fort Greenville, is on patrol with a company of men. Wolverton’s party has seen the mangled corpse of one of their fellow citizens shortly before this.

 

Story one: Captain Fish discovers an Indian camp near their post.  He informs Major Wolverton. The next morning the Major and ten men find the camp. The Indians run and are fired upon. Two are killed, one wounded, two squaws and one child are taken prisoner. No order is given to fire and they have been previously ordered not to hurt squaws or children.

 

Story two: Early on the 30th Lieutenant Fish with three or four men stealthily approaches the Indian camp and shoots the man and woman. The boy escapes.  The Indians are unoffending and unresisting, not even having their guns loaded.  They had earlier approached a party of whites with confidence. Without attempting to determine the position or loyalties of these Indians, the company of men attacks them, discharging a volley into their midst. The Indians bore a white flag in plain view. Two are killed, one wounded, and two women and a child are taken prisoner.  The natives are robbed of everything they possess and taken to Greenville where the militia is stationed and are kept for ‘some time’.  News of the killing spreads like wildfire among the Indians and occasions more attacks.  Sometime later in retribution Ft. Meigs was besieged by a large body of Natives. 

 

April 31, 1812:  James Rush sets out from one of the Rush houses at 2:00 a.m. for what later came to be known as Fort Rush, taking other family members with him.

 

May 1812: Newspapers report that the savages appear to be ‘engaged on every quarter of the frontier in committing depredations upon the lives and property of settlers’ causing more panic.

 

May 1, 1812: The Miami County Militia go to the site of the tragedy and bury Andrew Rush.  The Militia then proceeds to Ft. Rush to protect and relieve the settlers’ families.  At some point they escort the women and children back to the older settlements.

 

May 3, 1812:  Governor Meigs leaves town for Cincinnati.  He is expected to return in a few days in company with Governor Hull.

 

May 5, 1812: The militiamen are alarmed at the possible consequences of their actions, so they bring the remaining natives to Johnston.  The militia then refuses to return the natives to Greenville for fear of their lives. Johnston decides to make the journey himself. He arrives at Greenville and ‘orders’ the militia to hand over the Indian’s property.  The natives and articles are then returned to their people by Johnston.  He makes a speech of conciliation and disavowal to their chief and then rides home alone expecting an attempt on his life.

May 6, 1812: Governor Meigs arrives in Dayton to inspect the troops. General Munger and a small number of the Dayton troops are ordered to make a tour to Greenville, to inquire into the situation of the frontier settlements. The Governor also orders a company of riflemen, completely equipped from General McArthur’s corps, to march to Greenville and another to Piqua to protect the frontier inhabitants who are flying in every direction. 

 

OR: Troops are not ordered until Conner reports the threat of the Prophet. (See May 8, 1812 below).

 

Thursday, May 7, 1812: Twelve companies of militia have arrived in Dayton.  Eight or ten more are expected in a few days, amounting to eight hundred men.  Governor Meigs arrives to review the troops.  General Munger sends the Shawnee party to Johnston along with all their property.

 

Friday, May 8, 1812: Johnston, by order of the Governor holds a Council with the Shawanoe Chiefs from Wapakoneta at Piqua where they profess their loyalty.  The settlers have no confidence in the council.  Mr. Murray, who resided in the Indian country, makes assurances that messengers have been constantly passing and re-passing between the Prophet and Wapackanetts.  General Munger and his company arrive at Greenville to examine the circumstances of the affair of killing two Indians near that place.  He finds on his arrival at Greenville five friendly Shawnee Indians being held by the militia. Munger writes to Meigs stating that no less than 100 families have fled the area.  He calls for more men on the frontier to stabilize the situation, and states nearly all of the inhabitants above the Stillwater River have fled.  There is suspicion of a large scale native attack.  Mr. Conner, the trader from Ft. Recovery, says he has been warned to leave as the Prophet (who is 70 miles from Greenville) intends to kill all white men he encounters. 

 

May 9, 1812: Fearful that settlers will kill the Shawnee, Munger takes them with him when he leaves Greenville and sends them on to John Johnston. 

 

Sunday, May 10, 1812:  General Munger returns to Dayton and relates Mr. Conner’s warnings.

 

Friday, May 15, 1812: A party of five or six settlers are attacked by Indians.  One white man is wounded and one Indian is killed. The two Indians that were killed near Greenville may have been Potawatomie; one may have had a scar on his leg, apparently just healed, which indicated he had lately been in battle. 

 

Sunday, May 17, 1812: The party of Shawnees taken by the Militia arrive at Upper Piqua.  Johnston returns them to their nation.

 

Monday, May 18, 2012: A message from the officer commanding the Militia comes to say he has taken a mixed party of Indians, two Miami's, four Delaware men and women. Among these prisoners is the youngest son of Chief Killbuck, who is suspected of being the murderer of Andrew Rush.  Johnston proceeds to Greenville in order to take testimony touching the case where he takes several depositions, and ‘finds strong grounds for suspicion’. 

 

Thursday, May 21, 1812: Johnston sends young Killbuck under guard to the county prison for trial.  On the first night out Killbuck escapes the guard.  Johnston still holds Killbuck’s wife.  He states he will send her back to her people. (John Johnston later states that Killbuck was innocent and it was all he could do to preserve his life.)

June 18, 1812: War against Great Britain is declared.