William Wells (soldier) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Wells
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Captain William Wells
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| Birth name | William Wells |
| Other name(s) | Apekonit |
| Born | 1770 Pennsylvania |
| Died | 1812 (aged 41–42) Fort Dearborn (Chicago) |
| Allegiance | Miami, United States |
| Service/ |
Legion of the United States United States Army |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Unit | Legion of the States |
| Battles/wars | St. Clair's defeat, Northwest Indian War; Battle of Fort Dearborn, War of 1812 |
| Relations | Little Turtle, Samuel Wells |
William Wells (born around 1770 – died August 15, 1812) was also known as Apekonit, which means "Carrot top." He was the son-in-law of Chief Little Turtle of the Miami people. William Wells fought for the Miami during the Northwest Indian War. Later, he became an officer in the United States Army and also served in the War of 1812.
Contents
Early Life and Capture
William Wells was born in Pennsylvania in 1770. His father, Samuel Wells, was a captain in the Virginia militia during the American Revolutionary War. In 1779, when William was nine, his family moved to Louisville, Kentucky. Sadly, his mother died shortly after.
In 1782, William's father was killed in an attack. Young William then went to live with the family of William Pope. Two years later, in 1784, when he was 13, William and three other boys were captured by a group of Eel River Miami and Delaware warriors. They were taken to Indiana.
Life with the Miami People
Wells was adopted by a chief named Gaviahate, which means "Porcupine." He grew up in the village of Kenapakomoko, located on the Eel River in northern Indiana. His Miami name was "Apekonit," possibly because of his red hair.
William Wells seemed to fit in well with the Miami way of life. He joined war parties and even helped trick boats along the Ohio River. Around 1788 or 1789, his brother Cary found and visited him. William visited his family in Louisville but chose to stay with the Miami. This was likely because he had married a Wea woman and had a child.
In 1791, his first wife and daughter were taken during a raid by General James Wilkinson. They were taken to Cincinnati. Meanwhile, William Wells led a group of Miami sharpshooters under the great Miami war chief Little Turtle. They fought at St. Clair's defeat in 1791. This was a major victory for Native Americans against the U.S. Army.
The next year, Wells returned to Louisville to help free Native Americans who were being held. His brother Sam encouraged him to meet with Rufus Putnam in Cincinnati. Putnam hired Wells to help make a treaty with Native Americans in Vincennes, where the hostages were freed. Wells was then hired to spy on Native American meetings along the Maumee River in Ohio.
While his first wife was held, Wells married Little Turtle's daughter, Wanagapeth, also known as "Sweet Breeze." They had four children: Anne, Mary, Rebecca, and Jane Turner. They also had a son named William Wayne Wells, who later graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Serving the United States
On September 11, 1793, Wells arrived at Fort Jefferson. He brought news that a major Native American council had failed. He warned that over 1500 warriors were ready to attack Fort Jefferson and the Legion of the United States.
Wells became like a Captain in the Legion of the United States. He led a special group of spies and worked as an interpreter. He agreed to follow General Anthony Wayne's orders. Captain Wells led the First Sub-Legion to the site of St. Clair's Defeat. He found several U.S. cannons that Native Americans had buried. General Wayne ordered his soldiers to bury the bones found there and build Fort Recovery on the battle site.
Wells's scouts led the way when Wayne's army marched toward the Maumee in 1794. When Native American forces attacked Fort Recovery on June 30, 1794, Wells warned of the danger. Afterward, he led a scouting mission that found British officers who had brought cannonballs and powder.
Wells was injured a few days before the Battle of Fallen Timbers. He had dared to lead his spies into a camp of 15 Delaware warriors. When they were discovered, the spies ran, but Wells was shot in the hand. Despite his injury, he gave General Wayne important advice about when to attack. This advice helped the U.S. Army win the battle.
The next year, Wells was an interpreter for several Native American tribes at the Treaty of Greenville. In this treaty, the Native American group gave up most of Ohio. Wells stood between his father-in-law, Little Turtle, and General Wayne. Little Turtle was the only chief who strongly disagreed with the treaty's terms. Little Turtle, who was the last to sign the treaty, asked that Wells be sent as an Indian agent to Kekionga. This Miami stronghold was now under American control and renamed Fort Wayne.
William Wells as a U.S. Indian Agent
After the Treaty of Greenville, Chief Little Turtle asked that Wells be made a U.S. Indian Agent for the Miami. The U.S. built a house for the agent in Fort Wayne. William, Sweet Breeze, and their children moved there to live with the Miami.
General Wayne suggested that Little Turtle and Wells visit President George Washington in Philadelphia. They were welcomed warmly. Washington gave Little Turtle a special sword. Wells received a pension of $20 a month for his injuries at Fallen Timbers. In 1797, they traveled east again to visit the new president, John Adams.
When Thomas Jefferson became president, Wells asked him to set up a trading post at Fort Wayne. This was to help build good relationships with the local Native Americans. Jefferson did set up the post, but he appointed John Johnston as its manager. Wells was supposed to carry out Jefferson's plan for Native Americans. This plan involved "civilizing" them while also quickly gaining their land through treaties. Johnston and Wells did not get along well.
At first, Governor William Henry Harrison supported Wells. He made Wells a Justice of the Peace. Wells was also in charge of setting up a mail route between Fort Wayne and Fort Dearborn. However, Wells's good standing with Harrison changed. Wells sided with Little Turtle against the 1804 Treaty of Vincennes. This treaty gave large amounts of land to the Americans. Harrison then accused Wells of opposing the Quaker Agriculture missions to the Miami. Wells asked General James Wilkinson for help, but Wilkinson sided with Harrison and Johnston.
In 1805, Governor Harrison sent General John Gibson and Colonel Francis Vigo to investigate Wells and Little Turtle. They were suspected of misusing money and causing trouble between the Miami and the United States. Their report said that Wells "seems more attentive to the Indians than the people of the United States."
After Sweet Breeze died in 1805, William sent his daughters to live with his brother, Samuel Wells, in Kentucky. He and Little Turtle traveled to Vincennes. Harrison wrote that they showed a "friendly disposition ... toward the government." Harrison added, "With Captain Wells, I have had an explanation, and have agreed to a general amnesty and act of oblivion for the past." William and Little Turtle signed Harrison's Treaty of Grouseland.
However, in 1808, Wells led a group of Native American chiefs, including Miami Chiefs Little Turtle and Richardville, to Washington, D.C.. They met directly with President Jefferson. This made Secretary of War Henry Dearborn very angry. He fired Wells and replaced him with John Johnston.
In 1809, William married his third wife, Mary Geiger. They and Wells's four children returned to Fort Wayne. That autumn, the Treaty of Fort Wayne was signed. This new land deal led to a more aggressive stance from Tecumseh and his brother. Wells warned the government about this dangerous development. However, he was largely ignored in Washington, D.C., and earned the hatred of Tecumseh and his followers.
Wells had the support of the Miami chiefs and Kentucky Senator John Pope. He went to Washington, D.C., to challenge Johnston's decision. In the end, Wells's job was left up to Governor William Henry Harrison. Even though Harrison did not fully trust Wells, he sided with the Miami. He feared they might join Tecumseh if provoked. William Wells continued to work as a United States Indian Agent in Fort Wayne. He was able to keep the Miami out of Tecumseh's alliance. He was the first to warn Secretary of War Henry Dearborn in 1807 about the growing movement led by Tecumseh and his brother. William's oldest brother, Colonel Samuel Wells, and his father-in-law, Frederick Geiger, were both at the Battle of Tippecanoe. Geiger was injured in the first attack.
Wells also started and managed a farm in Fort Wayne with his friend Jean François Hamtramck. In 1807, he asked Congress for a 1,280-acre (5.2 km2) piece of land where the St. Joseph and St. Mary rivers meet. President Jefferson approved this request. Little Turtle died in Wells's home in 1812 and was buried nearby.
The Battle of Fort Dearborn
In 1812, the U.S. government did not tell the frontier that it was about to declare war on Great Britain. Because of this, the British and Native Americans knew about the war several days before the Americans. Hundreds of Potawatomi warriors surrounded Fort Dearborn (which is now Chicago). They demanded that the fort surrender.
Wells led a group of Miami Indians from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to help with the evacuation of Fort Dearborn. Among the Americans at Fort Dearborn was his niece, Rebekah Wells. She was the wife of the fort's commander, Nathan Heald. Wells wanted to protect the soldiers and their families as they left the fort. There were about 96 people, including many women and children. They planned to walk east to Fort Wayne.
Wells negotiated with the Potawatomi, who surrounded the fort along the Chicago River. The Americans were allowed to leave the fort. However, the destruction of whiskey and guns made the Potawatomi very angry. They attacked once the Americans had marched south from the fort. This difficult battle is known as the Battle of Fort Dearborn. Nathan and Rebekah Heald were both injured. They were taken captive by the Potawatomi but were later paid to be set free by the British.
Wells was scouting ahead of the group. He knew the Native Americans would attack. He had painted his face black, a sign of bravery and a sign that he knew the danger was great. As the evacuated group walked down the beach, Wells rode ahead to watch the Potawatomi. He was one of the first to fall when they attacked. The battle happened in the sand dunes along Lake Michigan, about a mile south of the Chicago River. This area is now downtown Chicago. Wells was shot and killed by the Potawatomi.
Wells had a will from 1810 that said his wife Mary "Polly" and five of his children should "share and share alike." Polly remarried in 1817 to Robert Turner in Louisville.
Legacy
The following places are named after William Wells:
- Wells Street in Chicago, Illinois
- Wells County, Indiana
- Wells Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana
