Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1840-09-10
COL. CROGHAN'S LETTERS TO
GEN. HARRISON.

SIR: Gould | calculate on seeing yoT
within any reasonable time, this Letter
would not be written; but as there is nc
prospect of this, | deem it, therefore
most proper in this way to state to you
with candOr, that reports, or rather state.
ments, have been made to me of such a
nature, and from sources so direct and
apparently so authentic, as to cause me
to hesitate in the language should bear
towards you; and which will, unless posi-
lively denied by you, call from me such
contradiction as would be extremely un-
pleasant to me, and, perhaps, moytifying
to you.
1t is stated that you revised and correct
ed the work entitled &" War in the West,"
(of which McAfee is the ostensible au-
thor,) preparatory to its going to press,
thus giving your sanction and authority TO
the publication of statement in relation
to the defence Of Lower Sandusky, most
positively incorrect, and which you at the
time knew to be in direct contradiction of
the language which you held in the Camp
of Seneca during the bombardment Of
Sandusky by the enemy. "General Har-
rison, says the author, " discovering from
the fire of the enemy that he had nothing
but light artillery, which could make no
impression on the works, felt no appre-
hension for the safety Of the garrison, we'll
knowing that a breach could not be eff
fected, and that without forming breach,
every attempt at esculade could be sue
cessfully repelled by the garrison" or
words to this amOunt--a statement as void
of truth as possible, as you very well
know, recollecting as you must your un-
easiness during the whole continuance of
the cannonade, for the safety of the gar
rison, and which more than once wrung
from you this strong language of censure
of my conduct: wash my hands oft
the blood be on his own ead"-language
which you had no right to use, and which
would have damned my reputation as an
officer, had fallen on that occasion.
Fam informed that very lately at din
ner in Philadelphia, when the subject of
the defence of Sandusky has brought up,
you expressed yourself in substance thus
"The officers and soldiers of that garri-
son are not so deserving of distinction for
its defence as it is generally thought: to
the blindness and folly of the enemy,
more than to any extraordinary exertions
or skill of theirs, is to be ascribed his de-
feat and their safety; it is true they did
very well, but not better than any other
like number of troops from my army would
have done," &C., thus continuing on in
such an exposition of the affair, as made
me, says my informant, and others at the
table, express an astonishment that the
merits ofthe defence of the Sandusky had
been so far overrated, and that the CON-
manding officer had received for such SER
vices such applause. Did such conver-
sation ever take place! or have you ever
expressed yourself in such manner Of
the defence Of Sandusky, as to induce the
belief in any one that its garrison receiv-
ed warmer plaudits than it was deserving
of ? And in asking this, may I at the
same time, require of you an equally can
did denial or admission of the statement
your having revised the work of which
McAfee is the ostenslble authorY If it
is made to appear from your answer that
my informants have reported falsely, they
shall know it to their confusion and cost;
but if on the other hand there is an affir-
nation on your part of the truth of their
statement, | will Immediately take it up
on myself to correct the false impression
you may, have created. will be in New
York until the first of October next, to
which place | beg that your answer may
be directed.
! have the honor to be
Your obedient servant,
G. CROGHAN.
To Gen. VIM. H. Harrison,
Cincinnati, Ohio.