Western Michigan Campaign Part 1
AN: So I’m trying something new, this update will solely focus on the Michigan front and then in the next update I’ll go back to the style I was doing previously.
“Victory by a great military power over a populace is not victory, but victory by a populace over a great military power… Now that is victory.” -Cedric Sydell, commander of the Army of Western Michigan,
“The one series of events that will haunt me personally and haunt my military career the most are my actions in the Michigan Campaign.” -John T. Matthews, Brigadier General of the United States Army,
“Cedric Sydell was a great man and a great soldier, he learned from and respected us, and he and his men served alongside the Ojibwe. It was a dark day for all of Michigan when he passed.” Chief Ogichidaa of the Michigan Ojibwe at the funeral of Cedric Sydell, July 8th 1899,
The Western Michigan Campaign of 1867-1868, sometimes referred to as just the Michigan Campaign, was one of the defining chapters in Michiganian History. It sparked the autonomous, patriotic, rebellious nature of Michigan still around to this day. Ogichidaa of the Ojibwe, Cedric Sydell, Michael Harkness, Tyler Simmes, and Charles Crichton are household names and local heroes to this day. Many children learn of the incompetencey of Edward Hart and the Army of Indiana in grade schools today. Cedric Sydell in particular has reached a Washingtonlike status in Michigan, having many places named after him such as Sydell University, Sydell Falls, the towns of Sydell in Miami and Kings County, and Sydell Field in Centre as well as having is likeness in many statues and plaques across Michigan.
Arguably one could say the Western Michigan Campaign began with the beginning of Hart’s advance into Michigan or with the First Battle of Miami but most historians say the campaign started with the Battle of Bentley on August 4th, 1867. After the US advance cutoff Western Michigan from Ontario and the more populated Eastern and Central Michigan, British aligned forces’ chain of command was severely reworked. The highest ranked soldier remaining was Colonel Alfred Evans, Marquis of Pembroke, of the Evan’s Dragoons Regiment. Evans became de facto leader of the British aligned forces. He was a sensible, charismatic man, if not a genius on the battlefield or a bit brash at times. He delegated much of his power to subsidiaries such as the captain of the Miami Militia, Cedric Sydell, who he assigned as leader of the garrison at Michiganport and a veteran of the Battle of Detroit, Tyler Simmes, who he ordered to fortify and defend the hamlet of Wolfe’s Creek which lied on the road between Cornwallis Upon Albo and Port William.
Evans himself moved the bulk of his trained forces to the place he thought would be attacked first, Bentley. He brought his 3800 man strong army to the town, leaving 400 men to form as a rear guard 20 miles northwest of the town in the village of Sallis. Evans was correct in his suspicions when, at 5:00 AM on August 4th he was awoken by an envoy informing him that an American force was marching towards the town. He immediately awoke and called for his officers. By 6:20, as the sun was rising, the British line had formed on top of and around Piper’s Hill. In the center, halfway up the hill, was the Evan’s Dragoons Regiment with the Bentley Militia on the summit of the hill behind them. On the flanks of the hill were the Saginaw and Lindon Volunteer Infantry Regiments and the Consolidated Canadian Infantry Regiment of Western Michigan which was an amalgam of low strength Canadian regiments. On the nearby smaller Old Church Hill the Georgeport 1st Volunteer infantry regiment was stationed along with a small cavalry company, unofficially known as Bakersons Company, hidden behind the hill.
The American force, numbering 11,500, set up a line opposite these hills. At 7:05 American artillery opened fire on the British forces and led an infantry assault onto Old Church Hill and onto Piper’s Hill. The assault on Piper’s Hill was repulsed by Evan’s Dragoons and their compatriots but the outcome was much different on Old Church Hill. On Old Church Hill the British forces were quickly overwhelmed and fled to the Old Church. Bakerson’s Company also attempted to flank the assaulting brigade but were swifty cut down by bayonet with no survivors. The 27 defenders of the Old Church readied to fight till death. They would have if the leader of the Steel Brigade, former preacher Terry Hughes, didn’t order his men not to open fire on a holy site. He sent a man under the flag of parley to the church and the defenders agreed to his terms of sparing them and allowing them to go back to their lines on Piper’s Hill as long as they left Old Church Hill. At 8:26 the Americans launched another assault on Piper’s Hill which was only barely repulsed. Seeing his men waver and some start to desert, Evans ordered his infantry to retreat to Sallis as he and some of his loyal dragoons drew their sabres and counter charged the Americans when they attempted to take the hill for a third time. The charge, immortalised in the painting A Colonel’s Last Hurrah by Canadian artist Mattias Keyes and the poem May we fall on Piper’s Hill by Peter Bennington whose grandfather had served at the battle, was a disaster and most of the dragoons died. Evans was shot through his spine and fell off his horse, being trampled to death. An American soldier who was in the melee wrote one sentence in his diary that day. And they valiantly fell.
On the 5th Hart ordered part of his force to Sallis where they knew British aligned soldiers would be. They were shocked to find the town deserted but still secured the area. Unbeknownst to them the British aligned forces in the town had escaped overnight to Michiganport. Hart, assuming the garrison of Sallis had deserted, sent a telegraph to General Matthews telling him that Bentley was secure and soon Michiganport would be. Receiving this message, Matthews ordered three brigades to take Port William and Cornwallis Upon Albo. The first of these brigades made it to Cornwallis Upon Albo and took control of the town. This brigade fared much greater than their counterparts. The second brigade attempted to secure the road between Cornwallis and Port William, they seized much of the road and only stopped once they reached the small hamlet of Wolfe’s Creek. There they encountered makeshift fortifications manned by many Michiganians. The small force that defended Wolfe’s Creek numbered only 104 men but managed to hold off and force a retreat to the 3rd Infantry Brigade. The final Brigade had taken Port William but was forced to fall back on the 10th due to the Battle of Wolfe’s Creek.
Part two coming soon!!!!!!
“Victory by a great military power over a populace is not victory, but victory by a populace over a great military power… Now that is victory.” -Cedric Sydell, commander of the Army of Western Michigan,
“The one series of events that will haunt me personally and haunt my military career the most are my actions in the Michigan Campaign.” -John T. Matthews, Brigadier General of the United States Army,
“Cedric Sydell was a great man and a great soldier, he learned from and respected us, and he and his men served alongside the Ojibwe. It was a dark day for all of Michigan when he passed.” Chief Ogichidaa of the Michigan Ojibwe at the funeral of Cedric Sydell, July 8th 1899,
The Western Michigan Campaign of 1867-1868, sometimes referred to as just the Michigan Campaign, was one of the defining chapters in Michiganian History. It sparked the autonomous, patriotic, rebellious nature of Michigan still around to this day. Ogichidaa of the Ojibwe, Cedric Sydell, Michael Harkness, Tyler Simmes, and Charles Crichton are household names and local heroes to this day. Many children learn of the incompetencey of Edward Hart and the Army of Indiana in grade schools today. Cedric Sydell in particular has reached a Washingtonlike status in Michigan, having many places named after him such as Sydell University, Sydell Falls, the towns of Sydell in Miami and Kings County, and Sydell Field in Centre as well as having is likeness in many statues and plaques across Michigan.
Arguably one could say the Western Michigan Campaign began with the beginning of Hart’s advance into Michigan or with the First Battle of Miami but most historians say the campaign started with the Battle of Bentley on August 4th, 1867. After the US advance cutoff Western Michigan from Ontario and the more populated Eastern and Central Michigan, British aligned forces’ chain of command was severely reworked. The highest ranked soldier remaining was Colonel Alfred Evans, Marquis of Pembroke, of the Evan’s Dragoons Regiment. Evans became de facto leader of the British aligned forces. He was a sensible, charismatic man, if not a genius on the battlefield or a bit brash at times. He delegated much of his power to subsidiaries such as the captain of the Miami Militia, Cedric Sydell, who he assigned as leader of the garrison at Michiganport and a veteran of the Battle of Detroit, Tyler Simmes, who he ordered to fortify and defend the hamlet of Wolfe’s Creek which lied on the road between Cornwallis Upon Albo and Port William.
Evans himself moved the bulk of his trained forces to the place he thought would be attacked first, Bentley. He brought his 3800 man strong army to the town, leaving 400 men to form as a rear guard 20 miles northwest of the town in the village of Sallis. Evans was correct in his suspicions when, at 5:00 AM on August 4th he was awoken by an envoy informing him that an American force was marching towards the town. He immediately awoke and called for his officers. By 6:20, as the sun was rising, the British line had formed on top of and around Piper’s Hill. In the center, halfway up the hill, was the Evan’s Dragoons Regiment with the Bentley Militia on the summit of the hill behind them. On the flanks of the hill were the Saginaw and Lindon Volunteer Infantry Regiments and the Consolidated Canadian Infantry Regiment of Western Michigan which was an amalgam of low strength Canadian regiments. On the nearby smaller Old Church Hill the Georgeport 1st Volunteer infantry regiment was stationed along with a small cavalry company, unofficially known as Bakersons Company, hidden behind the hill.
The American force, numbering 11,500, set up a line opposite these hills. At 7:05 American artillery opened fire on the British forces and led an infantry assault onto Old Church Hill and onto Piper’s Hill. The assault on Piper’s Hill was repulsed by Evan’s Dragoons and their compatriots but the outcome was much different on Old Church Hill. On Old Church Hill the British forces were quickly overwhelmed and fled to the Old Church. Bakerson’s Company also attempted to flank the assaulting brigade but were swifty cut down by bayonet with no survivors. The 27 defenders of the Old Church readied to fight till death. They would have if the leader of the Steel Brigade, former preacher Terry Hughes, didn’t order his men not to open fire on a holy site. He sent a man under the flag of parley to the church and the defenders agreed to his terms of sparing them and allowing them to go back to their lines on Piper’s Hill as long as they left Old Church Hill. At 8:26 the Americans launched another assault on Piper’s Hill which was only barely repulsed. Seeing his men waver and some start to desert, Evans ordered his infantry to retreat to Sallis as he and some of his loyal dragoons drew their sabres and counter charged the Americans when they attempted to take the hill for a third time. The charge, immortalised in the painting A Colonel’s Last Hurrah by Canadian artist Mattias Keyes and the poem May we fall on Piper’s Hill by Peter Bennington whose grandfather had served at the battle, was a disaster and most of the dragoons died. Evans was shot through his spine and fell off his horse, being trampled to death. An American soldier who was in the melee wrote one sentence in his diary that day. And they valiantly fell.
On the 5th Hart ordered part of his force to Sallis where they knew British aligned soldiers would be. They were shocked to find the town deserted but still secured the area. Unbeknownst to them the British aligned forces in the town had escaped overnight to Michiganport. Hart, assuming the garrison of Sallis had deserted, sent a telegraph to General Matthews telling him that Bentley was secure and soon Michiganport would be. Receiving this message, Matthews ordered three brigades to take Port William and Cornwallis Upon Albo. The first of these brigades made it to Cornwallis Upon Albo and took control of the town. This brigade fared much greater than their counterparts. The second brigade attempted to secure the road between Cornwallis and Port William, they seized much of the road and only stopped once they reached the small hamlet of Wolfe’s Creek. There they encountered makeshift fortifications manned by many Michiganians. The small force that defended Wolfe’s Creek numbered only 104 men but managed to hold off and force a retreat to the 3rd Infantry Brigade. The final Brigade had taken Port William but was forced to fall back on the 10th due to the Battle of Wolfe’s Creek.
Part two coming soon!!!!!!