Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-01-20
SPEECH OF JUDGE BURNETT OF OHIO.

IN THE HAkH sBuHG cONVENTfON-rXTACTs
"ln 1893, ihe obeci being accomplished Which
prompted Harrison 10 Join The army he resigned
lils commission and removed 10 his rnL The
next military enterprise ia which we find him en-.
gaged was the expedition to 1ippecanOe The
treat Which he had then recently made with the
Indian tribes he'd been violated. Tccunseh adj.
United ny nv, to he the most intrepid warrior and
the most talented Chief of the age had pre,niled
on the tribes who were parties to that treaty 10
refuse It's execution, and Tor tie burmese of rsur.
ing HE success of lis pro ect was nttcmuIipp Ia
fo'In union among all The tribes from tie lnkes
to the gulf otMexco. lie had visited The North
erl tribes and secured their cooperation, and WINS
negocatng with those Of the South for the same
purpose. Harrison, who was aware of his Ian.
and that lie was actually engaged in the surcessiul
execution OF II, was NOT idle. He communicated
HE Facts to Mr. Madison, stating what would be
we consequence OF permitting il 10 he coz plced
nc president promptly placed t.ie llh regiment
nhher lie command OF Harrison, then Governor
o Indiana; ordered han To raise f,t,r bu,,lrod
volunteers ana proceed to the Indian country The
order was so promptly Oheyud, that our cal put
little army OF 800 uen arrived NJ Tiuperniinr be
re feclnscll had returned from ibe South
When Harrison reached the settlement. Twelve
lundrei warriors had already assembled. lie
sent for the Chiefs thcy came to his cau,p: he
told them Their Great Father hnd rot sent him To
night hut 10 settle their complains nmiraiv: and
he invited thCm 10 meet him in cuunt II ihcy
promised 10 do 80 the next day, aud then returned
10 lh"ir Villnge. As soon ilel were gone, re
told his officers he knew lrom their lunsilag. and
behavior that they lmt'ud, Il to attack him lmlorc
nnring. Confident tiu His was the council tllpy
mrdItated he ent amp d s army in the order Of
battle, and direct his men to liz down with their
cloth on, aud their urncs ut their sides. Ills
productions soon became history an hour or two
before day, i'll dark loggy night. the attack was
mnIe with great fury. The conflict lasted neury
two hours, aud until day lgl. enabled him TO see
the position OF The Indians when vigorous charge
was ordered which terminated in their defeat aud
dispersion. The amy then marched to the ,il.
aec and destroyed it. We may safely affirm hut
this was the first instance in which American
rool,s have sustained themselves against snpe-
rlOr urce OF Indians in n iglt attack of two hours
continuance. As fruit OF Ibis victory the trentv
was presrr ed ard the pence and safety Of The from.
tier secured. Ii was from ibis battle so inruur.
tam to the government and people OF Indiana aud
so hrlIIlnlii IN The mode Gifts achievment against
desperate foe, tina, General Harrison derived the
app.Ilalon Of HE Hero Of Tippccanoc."
The savages the frontier of Indiana havin,
been thus defeated and scattered and Governor
Harrison herring that they were taking scalpes
ana breaking up the settlements ON The frontier of
ONO, resigned his CoInmis ion as Governor and
superintendent of Indian affairs, together with
their emoIuneuts, repaired 10 Cincinnati, and VOL
uneered III our defence. In few months he
succeeded IN scattering the savages on our Dor
Il rs; part OF them he drove 10 the lakes and
the residue he compelled TO remove to II place of
safely within Our settlements BY this operation
the settlers on our frontier relieved from dan
ger and hundreds who had fed to he denser
settlements Of the State for projections returned TO
their Improvements and occupied them IN snleiv
n person VINO ilnS not an accurate knowledge of
lr condition ofthr Northwestern portion Of Ohio.
nj the lime OF The LAT" war, when it was an IInhro.
ken wilderness, without Inhabitants Their ;nu
NH 10 ms I,,;,I
provenIents OF any kind cannot form an idea Of
the Ill ciiIilrs Gen. lInrisun encountered in feed
ns, sustaining and keeping together his army
The diiicuIlles and perpexities which husei lInl
during all his campaigns are known to but few
and cannot he justly appreciated by any; yet by
nncensing activity and 10y the Efforts of his power
lnl mind, he overcame them all. But it is impos-
slb'e to dwell on mnu@-a volume would not
g utaln The hnll of such detail. Pressed down
by all these difficulties he kept the field he new.
er disalred Tor n moment; and such was the con.
iiletce rrposcd in his bravery aud skill, by both
officers AMI soldiers, that their spirits never flag
gei-,her hopes never sunk. IL is not generally
known that the fleet built ut Erie, by which the
command OF the Lakes was Obtained, wasa rrc-
ject OF Gem Harrison, and that il was adopted bv
MIR Madison, in confidence Of his ,nboun led con.
trIence IN the prudence and sound judgement uf
him vii" propose it. Before the period of vi ch
! mn now speaking Grn. Harrison had lren n!-
pointed Major General in the mitin of KEN
turky, by law of ilIat stale, aud had bees ap-
pointed Il Major Gene al in the army of the Uni.
led States, by Mr.. Madison.
Passing overa multitude of affairs of smaller
moment, let me pont your attention 10 the memo.
rabe seige Of Fort Meigs: that work Of defence
CONSISTING Of a mud embarbntut and an enclosure
ol plquels was defended trium pliaBIly and ,uc~
crSsiully hy about n thousand men for many DAYS
IN mistake not seven eighth against the at
tack of Proctor, who commanded an army of
British aud Indians, ut least far times The nuaiLer
OF The beseigcd, whirh was furnished with all the
materials necessary tor the occasion. Such was
The SIKH, The bravery, and tho interchangeable lorrs
OF Gen. Harrison snch WAS The success of The re.
peaie' saliies he made. that hc compelled the en-
EN- to abandon the seige in despair. II is VIC rthy
OF remark, that on the second day of the attack,
Proctor sent an officer with flag, to demand the
surrender OF the post. The grounds of this de-
mnnd were, that the American forces were 100
weak 10 defend the works against the overWhel-
ming force of .he besiegers and that Gen. Proctor
was ahxnns TO the efs on of blood The
ln'reWd liarrlson promptly replied: s. General
Proctor knows the usag OF war, as am hound
To believe he does he must either have considered
me ignorant of them, or he must have intended an
insult. Ii was his duty 10 nuke the command be-
fore he commenced firing on the works But sir,
said he go back and tell your General that know
my own force, and his, and thai shall defend the
works To The last extremity. Tell him further that
Dhe euer p ssesees The Fort, he shall cltain il in
'c0y that cW give him more h1n IN The estimation
tChiS Government than he could derire frdm thou
sand surenderS." Another instance is also wor-
thy ofnolicc: Alter The enemy had retired, n num-
her of the Indians who has, left them came into the
Fort and stated that contract had been entered
into between Proctor and Tecutnseh, that MS soon
MS the fort surrendered, which they considered in
evilahle. Harrison should be given up to the Indi
ans TO he iapnsed of as they might see proper
Harrison replied "Then Gen. Proctor can be
neither n soldier nor man. But fit should ever
he his fate IN surrender me, his life sha be pro-
ected bul will dress him in pelicoar, ami de
liver him over To the squaws, Us being unworthy