Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-08-07
MEMOIRS
OF THE cAmPIGH OF THE
NORTH WESTERN ARMY,


ERLLow CITIZENS:
In tue second memoir which / pre-
scented for your consideration, ex--
hibited general outline of tho facts
which it was my object to prove in
the subsequent numbers. Ibave en-
deavored faithfully to redeem the
pledge which I then gave. After
having stated the facts and prodaced
the evidence. it was my intention to
have relieved your patience, and sub
united the propriety of my conduct to
your judgment on the facts and evi.
dence contained in those Numbers
without recapitulating them. But as
some of my readers, from the man
ner in which they have been publish
ed. have not been able to obtain the
whole of them and preserve the con-
nsxion, an opinion has been express.
ed that the subject will be more clear
~ and generally understood by com
densing and bringing into one view
ihe material facts which they contain.
In compliance with this opinion. /
will devote this number IN as concise
Gmanner as possible, to the attempt.
In the first place. the reasons are
stated why this communication has
not before been made, aud why the
evidence and documents now pro-
duced were not produced in my de-
fence, This delay, I told you, was
occasioned by the loss of my Papers
and Copies of the Duplicates having
been withheld. though frequently APP
piled to until the autuma of 1898.
when Oh application they we're imme-
dlateIy forwarded me by the present
Secretary of War, Mr.. Calhoun. 1
then disclosed to you the motives
which induced me to accept a militia
ny appointment in the spring of
lsl2, aud take the, command of the
forces which composed the North
Western Army. In consequence of
expectation of war with Great
sBAtain, the savages of the north and
west Rad been excited to hostility by
the military officers and Indian a.
gents of Canada, and it was deemed
by our government both expedient
and necessary to provide a force for
the safety and protection of the de-
fenceIess inhabitants of the frontiers.
To effect this purpose, 1900 militia
from the state of Ohio, and the 4th
VI. S. regiment. then at VincenRes,
were detached by the President. j
was then Governor of the Michigan
Territory, and in connexion with
that Office, accepted the command
of these troops. not by my own wish
or request, bat at the urgent desire of
the administration. About the mid
die of April, left Washington, and
previous to my departure stated to
the President. in repeated communi>
cations through the Secretary of War,
my views with respect to the COM
mand; declared that ! considered the
force not only sufficient in point Of
numbers, but likewise of suitable
character for the object for which
it was designed. That this object
was the protection of the frontier a.
gainst the sayages, appears from the
Instructions ] received from the Sec.
rotary Of War, and in which letter I
was ordered to proceed to Ohio, take
the command of these troops. and
march them to Detroit, where must
make the best arrangements in my
power, for the safety of that part of
the country. 1t was then understood
that in time of peace, Detroit or
some other position on the west part
of lake Erie, was suitable station
for that purpose, because all necessa
ry supplies could easily be passport.
ed over that lake. not only com.
municated to the government nv
views 10 time of peace with Great
Britain, but also in the event of war
with that nation-and stated, in the
most explicit manner, that a navy on
lake Erie, sufficient to preserve the
communication, would be indispensa-
bly necessary, aud that without such
a navy the posts of Detroit, MichilIi-
makanack, and Chicago. could not
be maintained. That likewise, in
such an event, all the savage warri