The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-02-25
THE AUTHOR OF THE "PElTICOAT"
STORY.

THE AUTHOR OF THE "PE lTICOAT"
STORY.
As The loco foco federalists have stereo-
typed this epithet, for tho purpose Of efecting
by falsehood and ridicule what they cannot
effect by fair argument, and candid appeal
TO history, il is due to outraged justice that
the individual who originated the pitiful SLAM
der should be held up to that contempt he
richly merits.
At the gallant defence Of Fort Meigs by
General Harrison with one thousand men
against the attacks of Proctor with his army
Of red coats and Indians of jJur fines the
nu.iber, and which had occupied seven or
eight days, and after General Harrison had
sent that heroic reply to Proctor's demand Of
surrender, ''that if he ever possessed the fort,
he should obtain it in way that would give him
more honor in the estimation of the Govern
ment, than he could derive from thousand
surrendcrs," some Indians informed Harrison
that Proctor had determined that, as soon as
the fort surrendered, which they considered
inevitable, Harrison should be gipen up 10
The snrages. To this barbarous declaration,
General Harrison promptly replied: "Then
General Proctor can be neither soldier nor
man. But If il shall ever be his fate to sur
render to me, his life shall be protected, BUT /
WILL DRESS HIM IN A PETTIcoAT, and deliver
him over to the squaws, as being unworthy to
associate with men,"
II seems that this interesting occurrence, so
highly credtable TO General Ilarrisoi's mag
nanimity and courage, furnished a suggestion
to the very original honorable and gallant
mind of MIR. WILLIAM ALLEN, now Senator
Of the q. S., from Ohio upon which to found
an infamous SANDER on General HARRISON,
and base insult to the ladies OF Chilicothe.
II is said in the Memphis Enquirer. that,
at Van Buren, State Convention, held in
Chlicothe, Ohio on the 9Th Of January, 1884,
Mr. ALLEN stated that the ladies of Chilco-
he, after the gallant defence Of Fort Steven
son by Major Croghan, presented him with
sword, and Gen. Harrison with petticoat.
General Murphy, Of Chilicothe, Immediately
pronounced il to be vile Islander, under his
own hand, in the Scioto Gazette, and called
on Allen to subsantiate his calumnious charge
by naming the time and place, when and where
it occurred. Allen never replied The ladies
of Chiieothe, also, soon after Allen made the
charge, called meeting, and passed resolu-
tons pronouncing Aliens charge to be q base
unlounded calumny and demanded Of him to
name one lady who participated in the alleged
affair; and that if he did not, his silence
would be received as proof of his having
uttered vile and calumnious falsehood.. AL
len never opened his mouth, and, from that
time, he has been looked upon in the con-
tempt and derisioh he merited, by the honor
able Of both parties, apd the boys to this day,
when he passes them in the. streets, cry out
~" there goes peiticoat ALLEN"
At the great Convention of the people at
Cleaveland, Ohio, a few days ago, one of the
farmers wagons bore a new broom labelled
on the brush, The WHITE House." Around
the handle was stretched red flannel p ott-
coat, appropriately labelled, COVERING
FOR PROCTOR, ALLEN s. Co. 1t was
furnished by the patriotic LADIES of Chagrn
Falls!
The venerable Judge Burnett speaks of
the author Of this base proclamation of history
as :" a person whose name will not stoop to
mention"
Let Mr.. ALLEN, or, as his friends call him,
the young Demos,henes of Ohio" and his
party, reap the harvest Of glory to which his
distinguished genius and their constancy en-
title them, and take their true position with
Proctor and the Indians as enemies of the
war, enemies of the American soldery, and
decorators Of American history.