William Atherton (soldier) explained

William Atherton
Birth Date:January 10, 1793
Placeofburial:Greencastle City Cemetery, Greencastle, Indiana, U.S.
Allegiance: United States
Rank:Private
Unit:1st Regiment of Riflemen
Battles:War of 1812
Battle of River Raisin
Spouse:Mary "Polly" Lyons

William Atherton (January 10, 1793 – September 11, 1863) was an American soldier, rifleman and veteran of the War of 1812 from Shelbyville, Kentucky.[1] He was a private in Captain John Simpson's company [2] of the 1st Rifle Regiment.[3] [4] He served under William Henry Harrison. Atherton wrote a journal that detailed his war service within the Kentucky militia, including their defeat and subsequent massacre at River Raisin by opposing forces,[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] and his subsequent capture and imprisonment.[10]

Battle of Frenchtown

Atherton was one of the 25,010 Kentuckians 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.[11]

Mustered at the age of seventeen, he was an eighteen year old soldier during the Battle of Frenchtown, which took place in Michiganduring January 1813.[12] 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.[13]

His subsequent experiences being held captive by the Potawatomi, a Native American tribe, followed by internment in Quebec, is taught today at schools in the United States.[14] 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.[15]

In contrast to John O'Fallon, who less than three months after Frenchtown was at Fort Meigs, as Harrison's acting assistant adjutant general, Atherton was held prisoner until June 1814, when he was released in a prisoner exchange.[16]

His narrative provides a rare common soldier's perspective of the War of 1812, and as such his account, is 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.[17] Atherton stated:

[18]

Personal

Atherton was born in what had been one year prior to his birth known as Kentucky County, Virginia. His parents being early settlers. He described himself as being born in Virginia.

He returned to Shelby County, Kentucky after the war of 1812 and became a farmer. He married Mary "Polly" Lyons and moved to Greencastle, Indiana prior to 1850.

Atherton eventually became an ordained minister and was known as Reverend William Atherton, a Methodist minister.[19] In 1842, he reluctantly published his account[20] of the suffering & defeat of the North-Western Army, under General James Winchester,[21] 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.[22]

Death and legacy

Atherton died on September 11, 1863 . He is buried at Greencastle City Cemetery in Greencastle, Indiana.

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".[23]

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).[24]

The American public broadcaster PBS,[25] reviewed Atherton's narrative [26] as follows:An audio recording of his historical narrative has been produced, Read by James E. Carson.[27]

Biography

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: W Atherton - 1 Rifle (Allen's), Kentucky Volunteers.
  2. Book: Kentucky Soldiers of the War of 1812 - With an Added Index. Kentucky Adjutant-General's Office. 1969. 9780806302003.
  3. Web site: River Raising Battlefield Organization. Reference to W Atherton's rank and regiment.
  4. Web site: War of 1818. Pension and Bounty.
  5. Web site: Canada Channel's War of 1812 Online portal - William Atherton - American Soldier.
  6. Web site: Narrative of the suffering and 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. Hodges, A.G.. 1842. Atherton, William.
  7. Book: A Brittle Sword: The Kentucky Militia, 1776-1912. 59. Stone, Richard G.. 11 July 2014. 9780813150253.
  8. Web site: Trübner's Bibliographical Guide to American Literature: A Complete List of the last forty years. Trübner, Nicolas. 1859. 266.
  9. Web site: Narrative and Critical History of America: By a Corps of Eminent Historical.. 1888. Winsor, Justin. 431.
  10. Book: The Routledge Handbook of the War of 1812 . Hickey, Donald R. . Clark, Connie D.. 2016. 9781317701989 .
  11. Quisenberry. A.C.. 1912. Kentucky Troops in the War of 1812. The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society. Kentucky Historical Society. 10. 30. October 26, 2021.
  12. Book: The War of 1812: Writings from America's Second War of Independence. 9781598532647. Various. 4 April 2013.
  13. Book: War of 1812:A History From Beginning to End. 27 March 2018. Hourly History. 9781986896726.
  14. Web site: Educational Material relating to the story of William Atherton.
  15. Web site: Indiana University Factsheet: PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF A PRISONER OF WAR by William Atherton.
  16. Book: Morris, Larry E.. In the Wake of Lewis and Clark: The Expedition and the Making of Antebellum. 2018. 9781442266117. 198.
  17. Web site: The American Attack at Frenchtown on the River Raisin, January 18, 1813. Henderson . Robert. The War of 1812 Website . October 4, 2020.
  18. Web site: War of 1816 - extracts from Atherton's narrative describing the battle.
  19. Web site: National Park Services - River Raisin National Battlefield Park. 61.
  20. Web site: Canada Channel - War of 1812 - William Atherton is listed amongst the key American Documents.
  21. Web site: Narrative of the suffering and 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. Hodges, A.G.. 1842. Atherton, William.
  22. Web site: The Story of Kentucky. Connelly, Emma Mary. 1890. 334.
  23. Book: Pierre Berton's War of 1812. Berton, Pierre Francis de Marigny. November 2011. 9780385676502.
  24. Doc battles ignorance on War of 1812. Toronto Star.
  25. Web site: PBS describe Atherton in their documentary as a sharpshooter from Kentucky. PBS.
  26. Web site: PBS review of Atherton narrative. PBS.
  27. Web site: Recording of Narrative of the Suffering and Defeat of the North-Western Army, Under General Winchester. Atherton, William.
  28. Web site: PBS re-enactor, William White, portrayed William Atherton during Atherton's imprisonment in Quebec. PBS.
  29. Web site: Narrative of the suffering and 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. Hodges, A.G.. 1842. Atherton, William.
  30. Web site: Narrative of the suffering and 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. Hodges, A.G.. 1842. Atherton, William.
  31. Book: Open Library of William Atherton's real life narrative of the War of 1812. 23321133M.
  32. Web site: The Men Were Sick of the Place" : Soldier Illness and Environment in the War of 1812. Miller, Joseph R.. 2020.
  33. Ricardo A. Herrera . Toward an American Army: U.S. soldiers, the war of 1812, and national identity . Army History . Summer 2013 . 88 . 42–57 . 26376099 . free.

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