The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-09-25
TESTIMONY OF GEN. GAINES.

In the ST. Louis New Era of September 3,
we find letter from Gen. E. p. GAINES, ad-
dressed 10 Gov. CANNON, Ex-Governor OF the
State Of Tennessee, under date OF ST. Louis,
August l5 The main purpose Of this letter APP
pears to have been to vindlcate the General $
pian of a System Of National Defence, by means
FLOATING steam batteries and national rail- roads,
suggested by the universal introduction OF steam
power in contrast with the old expensive system
of defence by permanent fortihcations ana
standing armies After concluding what he had
10 saw TO Gov. CANNON on that subject, ne takes
occasion to give the following testimony, valu-
able as coming from an experienced soldier, IN
relation to the merits of Gen. HARRISON:
Having disposed Of the subject of my sys-
TEN of national defence until the meeting OF the
next Congress, will now proceed to notice the
efforts made BIZ some Of the party facficidns,
sappers and miners, to misrepresent my views
in respect to Major General WILLIAM HENRY
HARRISON, and, without attempting to repeat
my answers to numerous questions asked me in
reference to that distinguished individual, will
here state such facts as, according to the best of
my recollection, will afford an accurate outline
of what have said in my answers.
81 served under the orders of Gen. Harrison
in the Northwestern army during the principal
part of the summer and autumn of the year 1913,
during part of which time held the appoint
ment of Adutant General which brought me
into daily and often hourly intercourse with him.
and though never with him in battle, had ma
nv opportunities of witnessing his vigilance and
devotion to the service, and Of admirng the en-
ergetic simplicity and systematic accuracy Of
his views, and the zeal and promptitude with
which he marched to and from Fort Meigs,
through the deep swamps, from post to post,
when momently expecting to enter combined
savage and British ambuscade of from four to
five thousand red and white savages; from
whose cannon, rife, and tomahawk General
Harrison was often protected and escorted by
fewer men than the Life Guards who accom-
panied our distinguished Gen. Jackson upon his
Seminole campaign in the year 1918, while the
force opposed to him was not halt as great as
that with which Harrison was menaced. With
an equal knowledge of Jackson and HARRISON
should be unJ ust to both and false to my coun-
try, if did not declare that, upon the occasions
here alluded to, more trying to the real soldier
than any thing the field of battle often presents
/ have never known Gen. Jackson, whose mill
tary, honors are beyond all dispute, to evince
more cheerfulness under the privations of food
and rest, or more intrepidity of purpose in dan
ger, than Harrison uniformly exhibited. And,
although had the deep modification to be I'M
able to accompany him from Detroit in the pur-
suit of Tecumseh and Proctor, which terminated
in the battle Of the Thames, October 5, 1919,
yet | was assured by Gov. Shelby and Com.
Perry, than whom there never breathed truer or
more chivalric spirits, that Harrison proved him
self to be an able General, without fear and
without reproach.'
" II is true that, in the early part of the war
in the fall and winter of lSl2-13--I felt, and ex-
pressed freely the apprehension, that Harrison
possessed too much Of the milk Of human kind
ness, and too much caution in his movements,
for an efficient United States COMMANDMENT
Chief / was strongly inclined to blame him fol
not sustaining the gallant army headed by our
esteemed Winchester defeated at the river Raj
sin; and for not controlling and saving the brave
Dudley and his regiment on the 9th of May, al
Fort Meigs. But careful investigation of the
circumstances that surrounded him convinced
me that his discipline, though mild and paterna
was strictly conformable to our military law; and
that without great caution, such as put II out Of
his power to reinforce Winchester, or save bud
ley, the principal part of his disposable force
would probably have been sacrificed in these OF
in other unavaiing efforts TO bring the war il
the Northwest TO a speedy termination by q
great battle, when, at any time before Perry
victory, great battle lost by General Harrison
would have exposed to almost certain massacr,
hundreds of families, on hundreds of miles of Q
frontier more difficult to defend than any othe
part of the national frontier not excepting tina
of Florida frontier where, from the grea
march OF few successive days often resulted ii
loss of effective strength nearly equal to that o
a well-fought battle.
81 have often admitted, what could not now
conceal without fragrant INJUSTICE to the slanderec
patriot, that learned in 1913 from Gen. Harri
son the best lessons had ever learned in the ar
OF war against savage foe--lessons precisely
such as in 1918 found General Jackson zeal
ousy employed in teaching to his volunteers il
the fret Spminola Wa To fhaop Loo anf
more especially to that terrible theatre Of savag,
and British war, am indebted for the first i'm
pressions OF my system of national defence by
railroads and floating batteries. With railroad
from Cincinnati to Fort Meigs, with another
from Pittsburgh TO Cleaveand and Sandusky
General Harrison would have triumphed owe
the British and Indians at one tenth part of tn,
expense of life and money which attended hi:
operations without such roads
'.In the expression Of my admiration of Harri
son military commander, am by no mean.
disposed to compare him with Washington Of
Napoleon who stand alone, unrivalled in III,
history of their respective countries. Compared
with these extraordinary men, we can boast o
no great Generals. Nor shall we probably eve
see such men in our country until we see on
principal seaports in the hands Of foreigners
which we may very soon be obliged to witness
That n seven years war against England
France, and Russia. or civil war, such as raget
IN France prior to the advent of Napoleon, woult
produce such men as Washington and Napo
leon have no doubt. But few months, or
year or two of actual service, alternately agains
savage or civilized foe, disregarding all the ap
proved principles of the art Of war, can neve
produce great General, save only the gred
by comparison. Compared with all the livini
Generals personally known TO me, have NJ
doubt but that General Harrison was and is tn
most highly qualified for the command Of larg
army and consequently the greatest and tn
best for the office of constitutional commander
in-rhief