The general’s carriage was taken to Fort Stephenson as booty.

Sometimes it’s a special treat to look back at local history. I hope you are interested today.

The Battle of the Thames occurred near Chatham, Canada, on October 5, 1813. As a result of this battle, the British lost control of southwestern Ontario, the famous Shawnee chief Tecumseh was killed, and the Native American Confederacy he had built began to crumble.

According to Wikipedia, British forces under Rear Admiral Henry Proctor had occupied Detroit, but the U.S. Navy under Commodore Perry gained control of Lake Erie, cutting off British supplies. Proctor was forced north up the Thames. The American army and cavalry under Maj. Gen. William Henry Harrison drove off the British and defeated Proctor’s Native American partners. As a result, Proctor was court-martialed.

Having served in Canada for about ten years, Proctor was known for his reading, but he must also have enjoyed the privilege of military status.

I say this because after the Battle of the Thames the spoils of victory were brought to Fort Stevenson by Harrison. It included General Proctor’s carriage which he had brought from England.

Thomas Hawkins, the versatile pioneer of Lower Sandusky and custodian of government property at Fort Stevenson, used to tether cattle into British generals’ carriages. According to Meek’s “History of Sandusky County,” Hawkins used a jackknife to scrape off the paint on the carriage, where he found at least a dozen coats, including one called “Peach Blow” in the book. For some reason, it doesn’t seem like the color expected of a military leader over 200 years ago.