The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-05-20

at the battle OF lIppecanoe. Naln calculaton'
Vain this premediated purpose of base and bar
barors malace! The God of battles was with
the brave American general, and he was reserved
by wise and far-seeing Providence, to be, in
after times, the proud hope, the high blessings,
the bright prospects, the noble deliverer oil his
country!
Fort Meigs was invested and cannonaded with
bomb shells, and red hot balls for seven days,
during all which time Gen. Harrison was ever at
the point of danger, planning and directing the
defence, and by his manner, his voice, his saga
cious conduct, and his undaunted courage, IN
spring his officers and men with am adding con-
fidence of ultimate victory. Gen. Proctor, was,
at length, driven to confess that he was contend
ing with commander whose courage and mill
tary talents were equal to any emergency; and,
despairing of redeeming the pledge he had given
to his army, to make easy conquest of the
garrison, and being informed by intercepted COM
munication, that Gen. Harrison was in daily ex-
pectation of reinforcements, he determined to
effect that by stratagem, which he now despaired
of accomplishing by open warfare He caiculat-
ed, by timely and well concerted deception, to
| decoy into an Smbuscade, a large detachment of
our gar-ison-then scarcely sufficient elfeetually
10 man the defences. Should he succeed in this,
the ready sacrifice of the Fort would inevitably
| follow. Suddenly brisk and sharp firing was
heard in a thick woods near the Fort, through
which passed the road to the interior. The alarm
strongly represented, it was designed to do, an
| Indian engagement. Shortly afterwards, loud
wailing and groans were heard, as would natu-
rally proceed from wounded and dying men,
The whole garrison, at once, concluded, that an
attack was made ON our brothers in arms on their
way to our relief and who had the strongest
claim to our assistance. Not so, however, with
| General Harrison. He alone incredulous
| Many of his officers waited upon him, and al
most demanded permission to fly to the rescue
For time the greatest excitement prevailed in
the garrison at the idea of the sacrifice of their
gallant comrades, without an attempt to save
them Gen. Harrison's sagacity caught the de-
sign of the enemy in moment, and it required
the exercise of all his powerful influence and au-
thority to subdue the impetuosity of his officers
and men, and to convince them of this cunning
device of the enemy, planned for their destruc-
ton.
About two o'clock on the morning of the 5th
May, 1918, two officers came, expresses from
General Green Clay, who had passed the Indian
lines, under cover of the night, at the most inn
minent hazard of their lives. They brought in
formation that General Clay with his brigade of
Kentucky militia, was encamped on the river,
few miles above the Fort, to which he would
proceed early that morning. This was most
cheering intelligence to General Harrison; and
with this addition to his force, he determined at
once, to commence offensive operations, by at
lacking the enemy at every assailable point, dis
lodge them from their position, destroy their bat
teres, and thus terminate the seige of Fort Meigs
With this view, two officers were Immediately
despatched to General Clay with orders to land
about a mile above the Fort, on the opposite side
of the river, detachment of 500 men under one
of his most Trustworthy officers To move upon
the British batteries, to carry them, spike the
cannon, destroy the ammunition with their car
riages, and Immediately upon the accomplishment
of this to the river to the Fort under cover
OF our artillery.
Nba b-a1 ri Ind in orall
manner, take the British batteries and spiked
some pieces of their cannon but, too confident
of his own strength, and ignorant of that of the
enemy, to be soon made available, he was in
duced in violation of his instructions, to occupy
the ground taken until the enemy had time to
collect their forces in an adjacent wood, into
which he was cunningly enticed by partial fir
ing of few Indians, where, after bloody con-
aidt, the largest of his command was taken.
Gen. Harrison displayed, the Judgment of
all his officers, the highest order of military ia
lent during the seige,-for his efficient plans of
defence, by traveses through and across the en-
campment, as cover for his-the manner of pro-
tecting his magazine, the object of constant at
tack-as well as for the plan, direction, and |
most opportune execution of the grand objects of
the two sorties made by detachments from the |
garrison of Fort Meigs on the 9Th of May 1913.
The first sortie was directed against that por-
ton of the Indians, and Canadian militia, in
vesting the south and west end of the Fort, for
the purpose of drawing them from the river,
whilst Gen. Clay's detachment was efecting
their entrance into the Fort.
The second sortie commenced its movement
just at the moment of the appearance, ON the OPP
posite side, of Dudley's detachment, advancing
upon the British batteries, having the double
effect of engaging the Indians and preventing
them from crossing the river to cooperate
against Dudley, and accomplishing the destruc-
ton of the enemy's batteries on the south east
side Of the river.
On no occasion during the last war, were
greater honors acquired than by Cen Harrison,
who conceived and directed, and the gallant
men who executed his orders III these two bril-
liant sorties.
In both engagements our troops, whilst ut
terly exposed, advanced upon and repulsed the
enemy, sheltered as he was by his position, and
outnumbering our men a to l.
In the last sortie our men marched as firmly as
veterans, to the very mouths of the British can
non, receiving unmoved, their constant fire of
grape shot, accompanied by most CALLING and
destructive fire from thousands of Indians and
militia our front and TANKS. Although large
number of our men fell and persisted upon the bed
of honor, their surviving comrades never paused
in their forward march, until the batteries, with
a large portion of the British regulars in charge
of them, were captured, and the whole Indian
and militia force was dispersed and routed
Thus ended the memorable seige of Fort Meigs
In con fusion, feTlow-citizens, allow me to
say that had the honor of serving under Gen.
Harrison at the battle ofTippecanoe, during the
seige Of Fort Meigs, and at the battle Of the
Thames. l can say that, from the commence
ment to the termination of his military services
in the last war, was almost constantly by his
side. was familiar with his conduct as Gov
ernor and superintendent of Indian affairs of the
Territory of Indiana, and after the the return OF
peace, as Commissioner, to treat with all the
10 of Ia in aekI
for the establishment of permanent reconcilia-
ton and peace. saw also much of Gen. Hair
nson whilst he was in the Congress of the Uni-
ted States,
Opportunities have thus been afforded me Of
knowing him in all the relations of life, as an
officer and as man, and of being enabled to form
pretty correct estimate of his military and civ
il services, well his qualifications and fit |
ness for Office | know him to be open and brave
in his disposition, Of active and industrious hab-