The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-06-22

1
then the British fort ended, the sanguinary conflict
in which Mad Anthony, aided by Harrison and the
gallant spirits under his command, wiped out the dis
grace Of 81 Glars defeat broke the Indian power IN
the Northwestern territory and put fnal tefInna-
| ton TO the of the Revolution. Few localities in
our country richer in historic recollections OF en-
crossing interest," and the grandeur and beauty OF the
scene were worthy the sentiments which It served to
excite We had time, however TO indulge in re-
minscences The of artillery from the shore and
the boats, the reclamation of the thousands who had
preceded u.s. which rent the air nearcd the shore
and We're echoed back from those on board soon dis
PEELED the recoectons of the past and created emo
tons OF different though not less exciting character.
Immediately on landing we repaired TO the old
green fort Independent of the associations which
VIII ever render the spot haowed ground in the
heart of all true, patriotic Americans, place
eminenty beautiful, better fitted for a cecbra
uon Ike that IN which about to participate
could not be found in our broad land The site of the
tort Is on the brow of the right bank of the river
| nearly hundred feet above the water, TO which the
descent though covered with the greenest sward is
almost precipious, On the land side sweeps round in
a crescent form ravine, which, together with the
river partially insulaes the fort, and must have
tnbutcd essentially TO the defence Of the place. The
iosse, or ditch the gacs the saypor though over
grown with short thick grass, all distinctly de-
hned, Beneath, for many mile stretches the luxu-
rant valley Of the Maumec the broad river, dotted
with islands, fading away into the dim hay distance,
and rejecting like polished silver the bright rays Of
unclounded sun The banks present most charm
ing view They are in high state of cultivation in
the vicinity Of Perrysburg and Maumee and with the
neat yialike houses of the propretors browning the
heights, and relieved by the fine specimens of the
primeyal forest which good taste has allowed re-
man, the back ground filled up with the dark, silent
and solemn woods made picture Of surprising beau
ty.
1t having been understood that General Harrison.
who, with his companions and former aids Colonel
Todd and Ma ors Clarkson and Oliver had spent the
night preceding at Sandusky would arrive in the boat
of the same name at Toledo, in the afternoon the
committee of arrangements delegated to a committee
consisting Of Messrs, Taylor, Choules, Clapp and
Stagg, of this city, and detachment OF the Buffalo
Volunteer Military Corps under command Of Capt
Vaughn, the pleasing task of receiving the hero and
cscorting him to Perrysburg They left in the Perry
| soon after our arrival The interval between their
departure and return spent IN viewing the localities
about the fort and noting the fresh arrivals Immense
muttudcs'were already the ground, and they CON
tinued to pour in by thousands More than five hun
bred wagons came in one single procession. The van
of the line formed by the Ricand county dele
CATION, who came distance of more than one hnn-
dred miles, in hundred and twenty three wagons
We attempted first to partcularize each different
delegation with their equipages, banners notices and
| badges, but we were sobl obliged to give up IN de
spair. description Of these things would alone
more than fill our whole paper Many Of them We're
capital, some whimsical others sarcastic but none
|
About & o'clock the steamboats, Sandusky and Per
| ny came in sight and they approached the town
the trees the roofs Of houses the decks and rigging
the steamboats, lying at the wharves covered BY
the lhronging thousands anxious 10 Obtain view d
the venerable chief lie landed under salute OF l.
i guns fired by detachment of the Buffalo Flying Ar
tillery, which was responded to by the OF
board each Of the ten dozen steamboats, and tn,
still louder cheers OF the immense multitude TIL,
general was deeply affected but the lateness Of tn
| hon, and ha IF thn Oh a,u
thing more than simple acknowledgement Of the de
monstratons of afectionate attachment with which h
was greeted. Entering a barouche, and preceded b
his escort, he Immediately repaired 10 the fort foowe
| by the thousands who had assembled to see his d,
barkation There he welcomed by another ia
late OF II guns from the Buffalo Artillery. Twenty
seven years had elapsed since General Harrison Ia
visited the fort and he viewed the OF niue
privation suffering and triumph and marked in the
turn the spots where the desperate struggle or sue
cessful sally had been made all will pardon the sens
bilty that could not restrain tear for the memory
those who CALAMITY with him maintained the homo
and defence of the country in It's hour Of most nnm
nent peril After riding slowly round the fort an
passing in review the troops drawn up TO receive hin
the general, in company with his suite, returned
town and took up his quarters at the hosptabc man
sion of Judge HOLSTER
As night came on the old fort presented one Of tn
most picturesque views imaginable Great number
of peape had come in during the afternoon from tn
neig hborng states of Indiana and Michigan, and IN
| more distant counties of Ohio and by 9o'clock, Their
could not have been less than 20 600 the ground :
These were divided into groups of from 900 TO 900
! men listening to and cheering favorite speaker
or singing Tippecanoe songs II is surprising the spi
| rit with which their hymns are sung. A know tn,
words and the tunes and when hears them chaunc,
| as by a common impulse by many thousands of far
mers mechanics, and hard working artisans of ever,
description he will be pretty thoroughly convinced
that spirit Is abroad that cannon DC stayed or pn
down,
On the brow of the bank, and the edge Of tn.
neyhbornp forest were ranged the white tents .
the military and citizens The heavens were withou
a cloud the moon up, and under the soitened an,
mellow radiance of its blessed light the river, the val
lev and the whole seemed reposing in que
beauty forming strange contrast to the sights am
/ sounds which met the eye and ear on every side lie
our readers suppose ten twenty of the argcs
camp meetings they ever attended, all thrown int
one with all the accompanying cxhortations and sing
ing these heightened in effect by the music of innu
merable bands and they will be able to form bette
idea of the aspect of Fort Meigs the night of the 10th
than we could give by the most abored description
Indeed the feeling which seemed to pervade each on
of the mighty host therein assembled akin to, am
apparently not less iervent or sincere, thai
the most exalted religious sentiments in peri
cd of great excitement About midnight the cam
was aroused by attack from some hundred Indians
The drums beat TO quarters skrmshers were driver
in the roar of cannon mingled with volleys O
muskctry and during an hour more many of tn
most stirring events of the siege acted DER will
an air of startling reality The Indians were final
driven back, some were captured, the sentincls wer
placed and the camp sank into profound rcposc,
By early dawn the morning of the lth, tn
whole population of the valley of the Maumee an
the country in a circuit of 20 or 80 miles, began
pour in the hundred bands which accompanied til
different delegations playing, men mustered b
hundreds and thousands under their respective bar
ners, and all proceeded to the fort where at abou
10 o'clock the vast assemblagc was organ zed
convention by the appointment of the following off
GERS
President
Hon THOMAS EWING of OHIO.
Vice Presidents