It was on September 30th, 2024, that history came alive for the 4th grade students from area elementary schools in Marion, IN. Students who attended other area schools arrived to Kendall Elementary in bus loads. The total of students and teachers were approximately 225. Eleven (11) living historians, who are members of the Mississinewa Battlefield Society, converged for the prime purpose of introducing frontier living and educating students about the events of the War of 1812 on that cool and cloudy day. The living historians made coordinated plans to give “hands-on” learning, which were set up in several stations in a field next to the Kendall Elementary School.
Where Children Made the Difference on the Frontier during the War of 1812 in Indiana
At one station, Mark Kreps told the story centered around an Indiana fort named after the man who would one day become President of the United States, Fort Wm H. Harrison. The Fort was commanded by a man who would also become a President one day, Zachary Taylor.
It was September 1812, and a fort located in present day Terre Haute was surrounded by the opposing force and caught fire in the middle of the night. Students at this station could get involved and learned about forming a make shift “bucket brigade” to transport water by buckets made of cloth. The bucket brigade was the invention of Benjamin Franklin. Each student was responsible for passing the bucket onto the next student to put the pretend fire out. “All for one, and one for all,” was the heart cry.
Things were going very well, but an announcement was made, “the well is dry, no more water!” and with the fire still raging what will happen? Can anyone think of how to answer this rhetorical question?
Mark Kreps recalled that a young lady, similar to the ones present that day, solved the dilemma. She offered her services to be lowered down deep into the well, and when at the bottom of the well, she could dig deeper with the hope of getting more water to put the fire out. That she did! The station resumed the bucket brigade to put out the fire, the fort was saved, with the help of all and the ingenious bravery of one young lady. A forgotten story that should be remembered.
A few of the teachers asked, “Was this a true story?” The answer: yes, and her name was Julia Lambert. A well-documented story, no pun intended.
The women that saved the soldiers during the War of 1812 in Indiana
Another station was occupied by Janet Kreps.
"First I tell the children that when the War of 1812 started it was June, and many of the men were wearing linen hunting frocks. I show them a piece of linen. An opportunity is given to feel the light weight cloth. Then I tell them that when fall and winter came the men were ill prepared for the cold weather," Janet recounted. "I tell them that William Henry Harrison, who was the governor of the territory, asked the women to make warm provisions for the men. The students then are shown wool socks, scarves, gloves and mittens and moccasins that are lined with wool and rabbit fur that they can feel. I also show them some pig skin and moose hides and inform them that they would use whatever kind of fur or leather that they had available," she continued to elaborate.
A soldier ration kit was then shown. Rations were dispersed daily or every few days. Janet further recounted what she shared with the students, saying, "I show them a bag of flour and a loaf of bread. I tell them they would either get the bread or if they got flour they would have to make their own bread. I show them packages of beef or salt pork, they would get some kind of meat. If the supply wagon was delayed the meat might be spoiled. I then showed them vinegar, salt a gill for stale beer or ale, soap and candle. The soldiers might have to hunt for food. With the lack of vegetables and fruits in their diet they might suffer from malnutrition. If they were camped near a farm they might be able to trade or barter for eggs, milk, vegetables or fruit. If a farmer took pity on the soldiers, they might get to forage for vegetables from his fields. They could also forage for berries or mushrooms in the woods depending on the time of the year."
Also at this station, Barbara Adams portrayed the life of a seamstress in the year 1812. A young girl would begin an apprenticeship as a seamstress at the age of seven. After seven years of learning basic stitches and sewing techniques, that young lady could work as a seamstress at the age of 14. The seamstress would contract with a lady for a period of a month or more depending on how many garments were needed in the household. The lady of the house would provide room and board and the material for each article of clothing. The seamstress would earn twenty-five cents for a day’s work. She worked from six in the morning until nine at night, six days a week, save the Lord’s Day. Sometimes, a seamstress was hired to do “piecework.” In that case, the seamstress would only work on one item, say a ball gown, and charge a fixed price. Sometimes, she may have to work through the night for several days to finish the dress in time for the special occasion. This meant the lamp would be burning all through the night until the morning light, hence the phrase, “burning the midnight oil.”
Back in 1812, a seamstress could charge four dollars for a special dress that usually took 4 days to hand sew. (The sewing machine had not been invented until the last half of the century and was too expensive for home use). As a comparison to today’s economy, a dress, hand sewn, still takes 4 days to make. Today, that dress can be sold for $400! Being a seamstress in 1812 was a good job for a young lady. One of the first items a beginning seamstress would make is a “housewife”, known today as a sewing kit. Young girls would save scraps of material to make the housewife. Some of the items found in a housewife were: bone buttons and deer antler buttons, pins, needles, thread, and snips. Leather scraps were used to make thimbles. Leftover beeswax candles were used to coat the thread to make it strong and easy to pull through many layers of material. Another item a girl would make is a pin cushion, made from wool and felt scraps. Back in 1812, ladies’ dresses did not have pockets sewn in them, so another project would be an 1812 reticule. Today, you would call this a drawstring bag or purse. It was also made with scraps from the gown. An 1812 lady did not throw away any scrap of material!
It was important for a novice seamstress to learn the basic textiles. The three main textiles used in 1812 were cotton, wool, and linen. Cotton was usually imported from India. Beautiful designs were printed on the material using wooden blocks and various colors of natural inks. Wool came from sheep and alpacas. It was a desirable fiber because of its many practical properties. Wool is fire retardant, water resistant, and traps heat for warmth. It does not easily absorb odors or moisture. Wool is durable and can last for many years! That’s why many of the soldiers’ uniforms were made from wool. Flax was grown locally and processed to make linen. Linen is strong and becomes softer with each washing. These three textiles had different uses in clothing. Wool was used for outer clothing such as jackets, hats, vests, and winter petticoats. Cotton was used for summer dresses and men’s shirts. Linen was used for pants, frocks, undergarments (such as chemises), and work clothing. There was much to learn in the life of an 1812 seamstress!
John and Jane Davis, organizers for the event, occupied another station that taught soldiering and cooking for the soldiers “out in the frontier.” Jim Needler, Robin Ozenbaugh, Charlie Rutherford, John Byers, Tony Hamaker and Thad Stern lead in educating the students about military life.
From Jim Needler: “Charlie and Thad were there as 2nd Kentucky militia. Rob, John Byers, Tony and I represented the Rangers and told the history as to how the Rangers came to be and their role in the War of 1812.”
Thad Stern said students “were drilled in the Smyth Manual of Arms, the drill manual being used by the US Military during the War of 1812. The students were instructed in the positions of the soldiers and marching. Some of the other stations were flint & steel fire starting demonstration and what a militia camp looked like."
Kindly Written By Mark Kreps
