A journal
The battle of River Raisin in January 1813, also known as the Battle of Frenchtown, took place at the present-day town of Monroe. It was the biggest engagement of the War of 1812 in Michigan. Darnell’s narrative begins when his Kentucky regiment prepared in August 1812 to cross the Ohio River and join the army of General Hull in Detroit. Their orders soon changed, and the regiment was in the Northwest marching, pursuing minor actions against the Indians or in camp until the mid-January Battle of the River Raisin. This is a very interesting chronological description of about 80 pages written from the point of view of an ordinary soldier, describing the hardships of military life, the battle itself, and Darnell’s subsequent experience as a prisoner. The other two narratives are fairly brief; about 10 pages each. Mallary and Davenport were both wounded during the battle, and afterward were separately carried off the field and made prisoners of the Indians. Each of their stories are entirely concerned with their adventures as prisoners after the battle.
