Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1840-09-10

British was to destroy the preparations
for invasion on the lake shores, and open
the whole sweep of its arch in Ohio to
the depredations of the Indians support
ed by the British feet and sustained by
the land forces as a rallying point in
their incursions. To relieve himself
from Harrison's force, which he did moi
doubt would be employed to cover Cleve.
land, PROCTOR made feint of besieging
Fort Meighs second time. This, he
supposed, would withdraw Harrison from
Seneca westward, to succor Fort Meigs,
and leave his designs upon the boats and
stores at Cleveland, and the feet at Erie,
unobstructed. Harrison did not march
to the reliefof fort Meigs. Proctor then
came down the bay to Sandusky, in the
prosecution of his real object. Harrison
no sooner heard of his approach, than he
ordered Croghan to burn his fort and re-
treat, and he had all his own provisions
and preparations for the Canada cam
paign piled for conAagration, and a re-
treat into the interior as soon as Croghan
joined him. Proctor would thus have
obtained, from the fears of Harrison,
what his fent on Fort Meigs was inten-
ded to effect, by provoking his valor, had
not Croghan's courage disappointed
Proctor and saved Harrison. Armstrong,
then Secretary, thus sums up, in his no
tees of the war, the conduct of Harri-
son at this point of time:
"Having on the Goth, sufficiently as
sured himself with regard to the number
and equipment of Proctor's force and sus-
pecting that this formidable array might
be directed against his own entrenched
camp at Seneca: he at once determined
'to collect and destroy his surplus stores,
abandon his present position and make
J good a retreat to Upper Sandusky'-lea-
y, ,rg TO the fate that might await them,
the settlements on the southern shore
Of the LaEe; the boats built and stores
collected at Cleveland; and Perry's fleet,
then fitting out and nearly ready for ser
vice, at PFesque Isle, But though will
ling and prepared to make these sacrih'
ces, he could not but perceive that a
mere presumption of danger TO MS own
camp, would not justify the abandonment
of Croghan's detachment, without SoHe
effort on his part, to extend to it the
eventual security he sought for himself,
On this point, however, the Generals
sense of duty was soon satisfied; forget
ting alike the admonition contained in
his first order to Croghan, "nOt to hazard
retreat in the face Of an Indian Unrest
ment," and the fact, now perfectly known
to himself that such investment did ex-
list; he despatched to that officer a Sec
ond order, for tan immediate retreGt' at
all hazards; indicating the route by
which he was to make it, but taking no
step to cOver, or otherwise Sustain the
movement. And, as if the task thus i'm
posed was not in itself sufficiently peril
Gus, he farther prescribed, that the gar
rison, instead of employing all possible
means TO mash the operation, should be-
gin "by setting fire to their stores and
barracks" and thus virtually announce
their intention to the surrounding enc
my.
"FOrtunately, the great disposer of the
events of this world, not unfrequently
converts evil into good, and folly into
wisdom. On the present occasion, we
have seen. that by the first order given
to Croghan, he was assigned to the de-
fence of a post, which, in the Generals
opinion, 'cOUId not be sGUed,' and at the
same time, forbidden to retreat, in the
face of an Indian Investment; and that
by second, he was ordered to abandon
this untenGbIe post, and make good re-
treat Of nine miles, through continuous
forest filled 'Oith SGuGges, sOithOUt aid or
support Of any kind"
The circumstances connected with
Croghan's refusal to obey the order to
burn and retreat, are told for the first
time truly in his letter, which we now
publish. The result is forcibly told by
the Secretary, Armstrong, in the follow
ing passage:
"In making this selection. the young
and gallant Croghan did not hesitate; and
to the demand of surrender, enforced
by the usual menace of indiscriminate
slaughter in case of refusal, he answered
substantially, that the defence of his post
was point of honor, which could only
be satisfied by an actual experiment of
the relative force and fortune of his an
tagonist and himself
awhile this negotiatian was in pro-
gress, Proctor was employed In landing
his artillery and giving it posititiOn in
aid of his gun-boats; from which, on the
delivery of CrOghan's answer, a heavy
fire was opened and continued on the
fort, with little if any intermission during
the night. AT daybreak, asecOnd bate
ry of three six Founders was established
within two hundred and fifty yards of the
pickets; and about four o'clock, p. M it
was found that the whole fire of the
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