Battle of the River Raisin

Captain Paschel Hickman's Company, First Rifle Regiment Kentucky Militia

Two full companies enlisted from Franklin County, the first under Paschel or Perchal Hickman. As Captain he was mustered into service on August 15, 1812, and his company was known as Captain Paschel Hickman's Company, First Rifle Regiment, Kentucky Militia. It was engaged on October 14, 1812.

The eighty-six men composing this company were all killed at the Battle of the River Raisin, except thirteen of them. To this date, only twelve of these men are known to have returned to their homes in Franklin County: Lieut. Peter Dudley, Alexander Renick, Joseph Clark, Lewis Fenwick, Elisha Herndon, John A. Holton, Z. B. Lewis, Francis Mayhall, John Mayhall, John Richardson, Alexander Robertson, and James Wilson.

The Battle – January 21, 1813

On January 21, 1813, the Battle of Raisin River began. The order of battle was as follows: Lieut. Colonel John Allen commanding the right wing; Major Graves, the left; and Major Madison, the center. Captain Ballard (acting Major) was placed in advance of the whole with two companies: one company commanded by Captain Hickman (subaltern Lieut. Chinn), and the other by Captain Graves.

The American force, commanded by General Winchester, surrendered to British General Proctor, leaving 500 dead and 100 wounded. A. B. Woodward, Judge of the Supreme Court of the Michigan Territory, in a letter to General Proctor dated February 2, 1813, stated that some of the prisoners after the capitulation of the 22nd of January had been tomahawked, others had been shot, and still others had been burned at the stake by the savages. The Indians were permitted by General Proctor to slaughter his wounded and defenseless captives.

Captain Hickman was severely wounded and carried from the battlefield; both of his legs were shot off or so badly mangled that they were amputated the next morning, January 23, 1813. "Captain Hickman was rudely dragged to the door, his brains dashed out with a tomahawk and his body thrown back into the house."

Paschel Hickman was the Jailer of Franklin County at the time he enlisted for military service. He was the son of the Rev. William Hickman, a noted Baptist preacher and teacher of pioneer days. Paschel Hickman was six feet two inches tall and weighed over two hundred pounds. He was a very handsome man and one of the most popular of the day. Lapsley McBride (son of Colonel William McBride and great uncle of Judge W. Lapsley Jett, for whom said Jett was named) and Berrisford Arnold (a very handsome man, son of James Arnold, another great uncle of Judge Jett) were killed at the River Raisin.

The records in the Adjutant General's office at Frankfort fail to show when any member of this noted company was discharged from service. The discharge of Sergeant Rennick is dated Urbana, Ohio, February 21, 1813. After the slaughter at River Raisin, the few Franklin County men who returned straggled in one at a time. Each time one came home, the cannon fired as the whole surrounding country hastened to Frankfort to inquire about the lost ones.