Copus massacre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Copus Massacre
Part of the War of 1812
Date September 15, 1812 Location Ashland County, Ohio Result United States victory
Belligerents
Lenape people Wyandot people Mohawk people	United States
Commanders and leaders
Strength
Lenape people Wyandot people Mohawk people	Ohio Militia and settlers
Casualties and losses
2-11 killed	4 killed 3 wounded

The Copus massacre was a fight that happened on September 15, 1812. It was between American settlers and Native American tribes like the Lenape, Wyandot, and Mohawk. This event took place in Ohio during the War of 1812.

The fight started because of a misunderstanding. A minister named James Copus was asked to convince the Native American tribes to move to a special area called the Piqua Reservation. He was told this would happen before the United States military forced them to move.

Even after the tribes agreed to leave, American soldiers burned their village. The Native Americans thought that Reverend Copus had tricked them. So, they fought back. The event is named after Reverend James Copus, who died when his home was attacked.

What Led to the Attack

In the 1700s, European settlers arrived in places like Pennsylvania and New York. This land was home to the Lenape, Wyandot, and Mohawk tribes. Settler groups sometimes forced these tribes to move west. This led to some Lenape, Wyandot, and Mohawk settlements in Ohio. However, some Lenape and Wyandot people were already living in Ohio.

Around the year 1800, Ohio was mainly Native American land. White missionaries and trappers would sometimes visit.

The War of 1812 made things more tense between Native Americans and the growing number of settlers. The military worried that the British Army would ask Native Americans to join them as allies. Colonel Samuel Kratzer was ordered to move the Native Americans, mostly from the Delaware tribe, to the Piqua Reservation. He gave this job to Captain Douglas.

Reverend James Copus lived in Ohio with his family. He was a trusted friend to the Native Americans. Captain Douglas asked Copus to convince the Native Americans to move. At first, Copus did not want to get involved. He said he would be responsible for their actions. But Captain Douglas told him that if the Native Americans did not move, there would be fighting.

Copus then agreed to go with the soldiers to Greentown, a Native American village. He spoke with the elders, but only after being promised that the tribes' lives and property would be safe if they agreed to leave. After much talking, the elders agreed to leave their village.

After the soldiers started marching the Greentown Natives away, some soldiers stayed behind. They searched the village and then burned it down. When the Native Americans saw smoke from their burning homes, they felt that Copus had betrayed them.

Reverend Copus and his family moved to a safe building called a blockhouse after some of his neighbors were attacked. After a few days, Copus thought it was safe to go home. On September 14, 1812, nine soldiers went with him and his family back to their house. Everything seemed fine. Later that day, Copus's daughter, Nancy, saw a Native American at the edge of the woods but did not tell anyone.

The Attack at the Copus Home

The next day, seven of the soldiers went to a nearby spring to wash. They left their weapons near the house. Native Americans then attacked the men at the spring. Three soldiers ran into the woods. Two of them, Private George Shipley and Private John Tedrick, were killed. The third man, Private Robert Warnock, was shot and badly hurt.

Only one soldier, George Dye, made it back to the cabin. He fought alongside John Shambaugh, a neighbor. George Dye was shot in the leg. As he entered the door, Reverend Copus was shot in the chest.

There were hills behind the cabin, covered with trees and large rocks. This gave the attackers a good place to hide and shoot down at the cabin. The Native Americans surrounded the cabin from the hill. The soldiers pulled up floorboards and put them against the door to stop bullets from coming inside. Nancy Copus, a young girl, was shot in the knee by a bullet that went through the door. John Shambaugh shot and killed the attacker who wounded Nancy. Another soldier, George Launtz, had his arm broken by a bullet and reportedly killed the attacker who hurt him.

The soldiers fought from early morning until midmorning. As many as eleven Native Americans were killed. The Native Americans then left, killing Copus's sheep as they went. As soon as the attackers were gone, one of the soldiers crawled out through the roof. He went to the blockhouse for help. Captain Martin and his second in command, Sgt. John Bratton, were supposed to have stayed at the Copus cabin the night before. But they had been scouting all day and thought there was no danger. So, they camped nearby and arrived at the Copus cabin late on the morning of the attack. They helped the wounded, but the attackers were not found.

Reverend Copus and the dead soldiers, Shipley, Tedrick, and Warnock, were buried near the cabin. Seventy years after the attack, a monument was put up at the site by the Ashland County Pioneer Society. On September 15, 1882, 10,000 people attended the unveiling of the monument, including Copus's daughter, Sarah Vail. Another monument was built nearby to remember the victims of the Zimmer massacre.

Remembering the Event

On September 15, 1882, people from Perrysville, Ohio, revealed the Copus Monument. This monument remembers the white soldiers who died. A special memorial for John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman was also added to the monument. This was suggested by a local writer named Rosella Rice, even though Johnny Appleseed was not involved in this fight.