Delaware journal. [volume] (Wilmington [Del.]) 1827-1832, 1827-06-12
MISCELLANY

the war of the Revolution, there were thousands of
our Militia men who left the camp. many of them if
IN the face OF the enemy and returned home before
the expiration of the time for which they had been
drafted; yet in all that perilous time, during that
seven years war, hegreat, the gallant, the generous
Washington never had an American Militia man o
shot, His noble soul recoiled from such wanton v
barbarity. There are, notwithstanding, guilty
Of the gross injustice of comparing General Jackson
with Washington DEM Press. e
To Major General .4,adreO Jackson. "
GRAcIous SIn--Condescend to listen, dear Gen
era to the humble prayer of your poor petitioner,
John Harris, lying under sentence of death, by
conviction of court martial. Permit your poor !
trendless fellow creature, most gracious General,
humbly to approach, on his knees, before you, and
state his hard case. Oh ! do not despise a poor
Militia man, because he has no friend to plead his
cause And oh, dear blessed General, degn to have
mercy on me- My head is SO confused with this
terrible sentence of death, that am fearful shall
| not be able to state my case properly: but dear
General if a poor creature, on the brink of the
grave, and condemned t. suffer an ignominious pun
ishment should fail to plead his fully, let him
not perish cruelty for his neglect--And may gra-
cious God, through the merits of an ever blessed
Saviour, have mercy upon you, dear and noble Cen
eral, at the day OF Judgment, you shall have mer
cy upon poor condemned agonized militia man.
Your poor forlorn petitioner, most gracious Gen
eral, is private in Capt Strother's company of
Militia. Our company was drafted out, by Cover
nor Blount, in the month of May last left my
poor sick wife and little child at home, and God
knows where they have found bread. And my dear
General your warrant should come to take my life,
what shall become of my poor wretched wife and ia
therless child We reached our randvoos on the
Goth Of June, and though we had been cut some
weeks, it then, they said, the tour of service be-
gan. Dear General. always behaved we'll, as a
good soldier: Lieut.. Bennett testified to my good
behaviour, on the trial, and did Ensign Kelly.
And truly, dear General, as God shall Judge me,
did sincerely believe, that we could not be drafted
. out for more than three months-and Gen. Wash
ington, of Tennessee, told the Court Martial, that
he did not know whether the men was ordered out
for tour of six months only three and the Cen
= era said he had written to Governor Blount to
" know, but the Governor has not answered him. BE-
sides this, dear General, was told by several of
the officers, that there no law for the militia to
serve more than three months and they SAID, the
Presidents orders to Governor Blount was to draft
out the militia according to the old law OF 1895;
and the officers told us, the old was for tour OF )
months So when the three months were up, dear
General, we thought we had the right and the law
on our side, to go home. And though we was poor
m militia men, we thought if we had the law on our
il side we was safe, especially as the officers said
,e had right to CO. And the officers that told us there
r. was no law to keep us, only broke and dismiss
ne ed the service, and your poor wretched petitioner
v. and five other poor militia men is condemned to
at dreadful death.
n. Dear Gracious General, have mercy upon US
n. Take pity ON your poor, tormn, friendess fellow
be creatures. We have just heard of the glorious bat
he tie which you have gained over the enemy Oh
dear General, though we hav'nt fought under you
we are from your native State, Tennessee, and we
have served faithfully for that the officers testified
for us. Let the only blood you shed, dear Genera
be the blood of the enemy. Spare great and gooe
,e general, for the sake of your own glory. You cal
pardon u.s. dearest General, even if the law wa
against U.S. and God knows, we thought we had thu
law on our side. No body would think of finding
fault with you, dear General, if you was to pardon
us. After such great victory as you have gained
the President of the United States and all the PEG
pie of America will be very happy to let you par
don six poor friendless militia men, who though
they had the law on their side.
Perhaps, dear General, there will soon be peace
The officers that told we had the law with us salt
five had gone out to make peace; and Great Britain
had got fighting enough, and wasn't likely, whethe
or no, we should be wanted in the service any more
!. And oh, dear blessed General, should it turn out
y that the peace was signed already, how it woult
grieve your noble heart, to thnk.yo had signed
ar in time OF peace to take the lives OF
poor militia men from Tennessee?
But if, dear and gracious general, you shoult
a deign to spare the life of poor Wretched eilov
m creature if he must be shot down, like sick beast
,n although he thought he had the law on his sde' the
'' for the love of God, dear General, allow we fey
short weeks to repent of my sins, and g. home an'
see my poor wretched wife and my only cild1Tak
nc; me not out of the world, dear General, till hav
anu begged my way back to Tennessee to see my dear
dear wife and one only poor little child, who mus
uc soon be an orphan. Orf you cannot dear General
zap, blessed General hermit YOUR poor suffering broker
At hearted fellow creature to 20 home and the blu
hills and the green fields of Tennessee, and his poo
miserable wife and child before he is shot, at leas