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William Atherton (January 10, 1793 – September 11, 1863) was an American soldier, rifleman and veteran of the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
from
Shelbyville, Kentucky Shelbyville is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in and the county seat of Shelby County, Kentucky, Shelby County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 14,045 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. History Early hist ...
. He was a private in Captain John Simpson's company of the 1st Rifle Regiment. He served under
William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...
. Atherton wrote a journal that detailed his war service within the Kentucky militia, including their defeat and subsequent massacre at
River Raisin The River Raisin is a river in southeastern Michigan, United States, that flows through Ice age, glacial sediments into Lake Erie. The area today is an agriculture, agricultural and Industrial sector, industrial center of Michigan. The river flo ...
by opposing forces, and his subsequent capture and imprisonment.


Battle of Frenchtown

Atherton was one of the 25,010
Kentuckians The following list contains persons of note who were born, raised, or spent portions of their lives in the American Commonwealth of Kentucky. Authors and journalists Explorers, pioneers, and military personnel Film, radio, and televisi ...
who served in war fighting against both the British and their Native Americans allies. This represented about five out of every six men then of military age. Mustered at the age of seventeen, he was an eighteen year old soldier during the
Battle of Frenchtown The Battles of Frenchtown, also known as the Battle of the River Raisin and the River Raisin Massacre, were a series of conflicts in Michigan Territory that took place from January 18–23, 1813, during the War of 1812. It was fought between the ...
, which took place in
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
during January 1813. He described in his own postwar narrative the methods of fighting used by the enemy forces (retreat and fire on advancing on American forces), which ultimately gave the opposing forces superiority on the battlefield. His subsequent experiences being held captive by the
Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...
, a Native American tribe, followed by internment in
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, is taught today at schools in the United States. His journal includes his personal observations of many Native American customs. When describing his months of captivity, he found the British officers much more savage than their native allies. In contrast to
John O'Fallon John O'Fallon (November 17, 1791 – December 17, 1865) was a businessman, philanthropist, and military officer, a nephew of the explorer William Clark. During the 19th century he rose to become the wealthiest person in St. Louis, Missouri. The c ...
, who less than three months after Frenchtown was at
Fort Meigs Fort Meigs was a United States fortification along the Maumee River in what is now Perrysburg, Ohio during the War of 1812. The British Army, supported by Tecumseh's Confederacy, failed to capture the fort during the siege of Fort Meigs. It is na ...
, as Harrison's acting assistant adjutant general, Atherton was held prisoner until June 1814, when he was released in a prisoner exchange. His narrative provides a rare common soldier's perspective of the War of 1812, and as such his account, considered to be a critical source for studying the conflict. It also gives a gruesome testimony to how adept the opposing forces were at bush fighting. Atherton stated:


Personal

Atherton was born in what had been one year prior to his birth known as
Kentucky County, Virginia Kentucky County (then alternately spelled Kentucke County) was formed by the Commonwealth of Virginia from the western portion (beyond the Cumberland Mountains) of Fincastle County effective December 31, 1776. The name of the county was taken ...
. His parents being early settlers. He described himself as being born in
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. He returned to
Shelby County, Kentucky Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,065. Its county seat is Shelbyville. The county was founded in 1792 and named for Isaac Shelby, the first Governor of Kentucky. Shelb ...
after the war of 1812 and became a farmer. He married Mary "Polly" Lyons and moved to
Greencastle, Indiana Greencastle is a city in Greencastle Township, Putnam County, Indiana, United States, and the county seat of Putnam County. It was founded in 1821 by Ephraim Dukes on a land grant. He named the settlement for his hometown of Greencastle, Pennsylv ...
prior to 1850. Atherton eventually became an ordained minister and was known as Reverend William Atherton, a Methodist minister. In 1842, he reluctantly published his account of the suffering & defeat of the North-Western Army, under General
James Winchester James Winchester may refer to: * James Winchester (general) (1752–1826), an American Revolutionary War officer and brigadier general during the War of 1812 * James Winchester (Maryland judge) (1772–1806), Maryland politician and judge * James ...
, the massacre of the U.S. prisoners and his own sixteen months imprisonment, with the following goal: In 1890, historians described accurate how Atherton described the hardships that both he and others endured.


Death and legacy

Atherton died on September 11, 1863 . He is buried at Greencastle City Cemetery in
Greencastle, Indiana Greencastle is a city in Greencastle Township, Putnam County, Indiana, United States, and the county seat of Putnam County. It was founded in 1821 by Ephraim Dukes on a land grant. He named the settlement for his hometown of Greencastle, Pennsylv ...
. Atherton's account has frequently been referenced in secondary histories of the war, notably in Pierre Berton's popular histories "The Invasion of Canada and Flames Across the Border". Atherton's story has commonly been featured in museum exhibits and in documentaries on the War of 1812, including PBS's "The War of 1812" (2011). The American public broadcaster PBS, reviewed Atherton's narrative as follows: An audio recording of his historical narrative has been produced, Read by James E. Carson.


Biography

*Narrative of the suffering & defeat of the north-western army, under General Winchester: massacre of the prisoners: sixteen months imprisonment of the writer and others with the Indians and British by William Atherton. Printed for the author by A. G. Hodges, of Frankfort, KY in 1842. * "The Men Were Sick of the Place" : Soldier Illness and Environment in the War of 1812. Miller, Joseph R.University of Maine. * Herrera, R. (2013). TOWARD AN AMERICAN ARMY: U.S. SOLDIERS, THE WAR OF 1812, AND NATIONAL IDENTITY. Army History, (88), 42–57. Retrieved October 5, 2020,


See also

*
Battle of Frenchtown The Battles of Frenchtown, also known as the Battle of the River Raisin and the River Raisin Massacre, were a series of conflicts in Michigan Territory that took place from January 18–23, 1813, during the War of 1812. It was fought between the ...
*
Shadrack Byfield Shadrack Byfield (sometimes Shadrach) was a British infantryman who served in the 41st Regiment during the War of 1812. He is best known as the author of a memoir of his wartime experiences, ''A Narrative of a Light Company Soldier's Service'' ...
, a British foot soldier's own account of the Battle of Frenchtown.


External links


Find a grave record for William Atherton

Official battlefield site



References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atherton, William (soldier - War of 1812) 1793 births 1863 deaths American Revolutionary War prisoners of war held by Great Britain United States Army personnel of the War of 1812 People from Kentucky in the War of 1812 War of 1812 prisoners of war held by the United Kingdom People from Shelbyville, Kentucky People from Greencastle, Indiana 19th-century American male writers 19th-century Methodist ministers