41st Regiment of Foot – War Of 1812 / Private Patrick Russell

Side A: Near this site, in the War of 1812, stood the British encampment during the First Siege of Fort Meigs from May 1-9, 1813. This marker honors members of the 41st Regiment of Foot who died during the engagement. Killed in action on May 5, 1813 were Privates James Barkley, Richard Booth, William Carpmail, Samuel Cartledge, John Cox, Benjamin Dorman, John Dyer, Edward Graves, and Patrick Russell. Private Edward Billing died of wounds from battle May 6 and Private John Chamberlane expired May 20. Side B: At this site on May 5, 1813, American prisoners of war, captured in the engagement now known as “Dudley’s Defeat”, were exposed to an escalating level of physical violence by American Indian forces allied to Great Britain. The violence reached a level of deadly force as the prisoners were shot, tomahawked, and scalped. Private Russell, of the 41st Regiment of Foot, attempted to intervene in the attack against the unarmed prisoners, but was shot and killed. Following the attack, approximately 40 Americans and Patrick Russell lay dead. For attempting to restrain the actions of others against unarmed prisoners, Russell made the supreme sacrifice.