Captain Logan facts for kids

Captain Logan (born around 1776 – died November 25, 1812) was a brave Shawnee warrior. He was also known as Spemica Lawba ("High Horn"), James Logan, or simply Logan. He lived in the area that is now the U.S. state of Ohio.

Captain Logan did not want the United States to take more Shawnee land. However, after the Treaty of Greenville in 1795, he chose a different path. He was one of many Shawnees who wanted to keep their independence by staying peaceful with the United States. When the War of 1812 started in Ohio, Logan helped the Americans as a scout and guide. He was killed in a fight with Native Americans who were allied with the British. The Americans buried him with military honors. He became known as a very important Native American hero on the American side of that war.

Early Life and Name Change

Logan was born Spemica Lawba ("High Horn") around 1776. This was in the Ohio Country, which is now the state of Ohio. He was part of the Mekoche group of the Shawnee tribe. As a young man, he was friends with Tecumseh, who later became a famous Shawnee leader.

In 1786, when Spemica Lawba was a boy, he was captured. This happened during "Logan's raid," when people from Kentucky attacked Shawnee towns. Spemica Lawba and other prisoners were taken to Kentucky. In 1787, a Shawnee chief named Captain Johnny helped get the Shawnee prisoners released. During his time as a captive, Spemica Lawba learned some English. He took the name "Logan" after Benjamin Logan, the leader of the raid, who had become friendly with the boy.

Logan fought against the United States in the Northwest Indian War (1786–1795). This war was about land in the Ohio Valley. After the war, he lived near the Shawnee town of Wapakoneta. He worked there as a trader. Logan married a Shawnee woman named Rebecca, and they had four children. He was not a village chief, but he was a war chief. He attended important meetings in Wapakoneta. In 1806, he helped translate for leaders like Blue Jacket and Tecumseh. They went to Chillicothe, the capital of Ohio, to tell the governor that the Shawnees were not a threat to American settlers.

War of 1812 and Death

Captain Logan on his deathbed, with his friend Major Martin D. Hardin (1953 illustration).

During the War of 1812, Tecumseh's group of Shawnees joined forces with the British. However, most Shawnees did not. In June 1812, as the war got closer, Logan guided American General William Hull and his soldiers through Ohio towards Detroit. In July 1812, Logan visited a British fort in Canada. He tried to convince Tecumseh to stop working with the British, but it didn't work.

Historian John Sugden wrote about their meeting. He said Tecumseh and James Logan were friends. They both ended up dying in this war, fighting for different sides. They argued for a long time about what was best for Native Americans. Logan felt Tecumseh would lose with the British. Tecumseh believed joining forces with the British was the only way to save their lands and culture. Sadly, they parted ways for the last time, each committed to a different path.

General Hull's trip to Detroit ended with his surrender in August 1812. This left American forts like Fort Wayne open to attack. A U.S. official named John Johnston asked Logan to help. Logan brought 25 women and children from Fort Wayne to safety. Johnston then hired Logan to be a guide and scout for a new American army. This army was led by General William Henry Harrison.

In September 1812, Logan went to Fort Wayne again. He passed through enemy lines. He told the Americans that Fort Wayne was under attack. Then, he guided Harrison's army to rescue the fort. Logan refused to join Harrison's attacks on nearby Native villages after the fort was safe. But he continued to scout for Harrison's army.

In November 1812, Logan's scouting group was scattered by a larger enemy force. He escaped and reached the American army led by General James Winchester. Some Americans there wondered if Logan and his Shawnee scouts could be trusted. On November 22, 1812, Logan decided to prove his loyalty. He led another scouting mission towards the Maumee River.

While scouting on foot, Logan and two Shawnee friends were captured. They were taken by a group led by Winamac, a Potawatomi war chief. After being led for a few miles, the men tried to escape. Gunfire broke out. Winamac was killed, and Logan was shot in the stomach. He returned to Winchester's camp, badly wounded. He asked his friend Martin D. Hardin to make sure his children were educated "as whites." After he died, his body was taken to Fort Winchester. He was buried there with military honors. General Winchester told Harrison about Logan's death. He wrote that Logan showed "more firmness and consummate bravery" than was often seen in war.

Legacy

To honor Captain Logan's service, the 1817 Treaty of Fort Meigs gave his children 640 acres of land. This land was on the east side of the Auglaize River in what is now Auglaize County, Ohio. In 1848, this area became Logan Township, named after Captain Logan. In 1828, Logansport, Indiana, was also named for him.

Allan W. Eckert's 1983 novel Johnny Logan: Shawnee Spy is based on Spemica Lawba. However, Eckert called his main character "Johnny." John Logan was the name of a different Shawnee. He fought on the opposite side in the War of 1812. He was a young Shawnee interpreter who fought with Tecumseh. He was killed in the Battle of Brownstown on August 5, 1812. This John Logan was not related to Captain Logan.