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Upom my arrival at Detroit, I found a large number
of the officers & soldiers of the volunteers, who had
been unable from sickness, to march with the
Army in pursuit of the British Army. The battle
of the Thames was fought on the 5th of October 1813
and the Army, consisting almost exclusively of Kentucky
volunteers under Harrison & Shelby including
Colo. Johnsons Regiment of Mounted Men (the horses
of the other Kentucky volunteers, had been left
at Portage) returned to Sandwich in upper Canada,
opposite Detroit on the 10th of October. Many
were sick and unable to march on foot
and were transported across the lake in vessels
furnished by Comodore Perry - but before a passage
could be procurred for me, the vessels were so
much crowded that I could not get in, &
I had to recross the lake in an open boat. It
was then freezing cold - the weather was stormy
& the lake very rough, making our passage
not only laborious & disagreeable, but absolutely
dangerous. We had two boats & about 150 men
with which we coasted the Lake, & arrived at
Portage in 6 or 7 days. Here we found the most
of our horses, but in bad condition. We left for
home on the 20th or 21st of October. Our encampment
was in a wet Prairie, near the Lake.
When we left the ground was frozen hard
enough to bear our horses. I was something
better than I had been - was able to ride on horse
back. The first morning after taking up the
line of march for home, I was taken with the
mumps, from which I did not rcover until