The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-03-10

,ad discipline II may reasonably be expected that The
GOOD elects Of critical defeat and dispersion Of
combination Of savages which sppears 10 have been
spreading greater extent will DO experienced not
only in The cessation Of the murders, and depreds,ions
committed on frontier, bot IN the prevention o. any
hostile incursions otherwise TO have been sPprshended
Need 90 fartherl No. sir, not for any
! Western man Nothing that can say, can
add aught to their confidence in General Har-
rison, or their undying gratitude for his great
military services.
But, The gentleman from Michigan, 10 not
content with giving us his commentary on the
battle Of Tippecanoe. he stilpursues Gen. Har-
rson with persevering maligniiy that is truly
surprising He complains, with no less seve-
ry, Of the movements Of the General after
that battle. Tecumthe, the great man OF the
Indian tribes-one Of natures great men
noble minded, of high talent of enlarged and
comprehensive views, and with the highest
sense of honor, beholjing the slaughter OF
that fatal field, and feeling deeply the blow
which had been given to the power and fame
Of the red man, planned, in his heart.
mighty revenge He collected large Indian
force and united himself TO the British army
under Proctor. with determination to regain
tbs ground which had been lost. To meet
him and the British General Proctor, General
Harrison concentrated his forces at the
North on Lake Erie, where we next find him
in active operation. The gentleman has
asked why he did not at once, march forward,
recover Detroit, which Hull had surrendered,
and capture Maiden Sir, there were some
very embarrassing circumstances in General
Harrson's situation. Through some infiu-
ence, General Wincester had been associated
with him in command there was in fact col
lision between the authorities Of the two COM
manders, and no man, at all versed In history,
need be told of the injurious effect which has
always followed such an arrangement. In
the present instance, it resulted in the defeat
at the river Raisin In the blame OF that de-
feat, be it remembered, Harrison has no share,
the command was with General Winches-
ter, and the responsibility rested on him
hat defeat reduced the American force TO
less than a thousand men-in fact, to little
over eight hundred. Harrison was thrown
back, and being baffied in the hope of then de-
livering Detroit, he was compelled to retire
on the Manmee, and took post at Fort Meigs,
little above the foot Of the Rapids here he
had TO collect stores, to recall and concentrate
his scattered Iorces-while, at the same time,
he was charged with the defence Of the whole
line Of that northern frontier. ! was then
lad in Ohio, too young myself to join the ar
my, but my neghbors and near relatives were
there. They had left the bosom Of their fami-
lies, but then did il under this consolation,
that those families were now freed from the
/ dread of the torch and the scalpng knife Of
they knew that Harrison was upon the lines,
| ~. IA 81. NAH la
wall between them and danger.
The experienced gentleman from Michigan
charges Gen. Harrison, at this time, with be-
ing slow and diatory. Sir, there are, be-
lieve, in war other claims to merit besides
rash and reckless valor. Had Gen. Harrison,
under the circumstances then existing, rushed
forward as the gentleman would have had him
to do, he would have left behind him an open
avenue through which the savages would have
poured in, spreading havoc and desolation
through all our settlements What the calcu-
iiees a~a tRBscied ' against Maiden,
there certainly was great mistake as to the
forces requisite for such an enterprise.
Hear what his own officers say:
On retiring from service, sir, we are happy in
assuring you Of our fullest confidence, and that Of
our respective commands, in the measures you have
"hSHj tuey nave OtcH cautious ana guarded, such
would at This time have carried our rms to the walls
OF Maiden, had not the unhappy occurrences at the
river Raisin checked your progress and for short
llme lhwarted your plans Of operation. That you
may soon teach the enemy the distinction between an
honorable and savage warfare by planting our
standard In the heart of their country and regain
the honor and territory have lost and as lust
tribute TO valor, tolls and suffering receive the CRATE
iul thanks Of generous and free people, is among
the first, the warmest wishes Of our hearts.
Edward w Topper Brigader General
| Simon Perkins, Brigader General.
Charles Miller, Colonel
/ John Andrews, Lieutenant Colonel
/ William Rayen, Colonel.
Robert Spaford, 1t. Col % Regt Ohio Quota.
| n. Beasley, Major.
| James Galloway, Major
Solomon Bentley, Major
George Darrow, Major.
w. w. Cotgre we, Major
Jacob Frederick, Major.
> His Excellency William Henry Harrison Com
mander-in- Chief Of the Northwestern Army
Da~sons Life of Harrison, page ST.
1t IS impossible to estimate, correctly, the
distressing and perplexing difficulties he had
here to encounter, in transporting the necessa-
ry materials Tor an active campaign and the
defence Of the Northern frontier every article
to be carried through an extensive wilderness,
uninhablted, without roads or canals with
numerous and vigilant enemy before him to
watch and keep in check. Here Harrison
was, aud conducted every thing in person.
The British now approached the line, and
Gen. Harrison was attacked and besieged at
Fort Meigs by vastly superior force. He
had managed to collect about one thousand
effective men, while the force Of Indians and
regulars under Proctor was not less than four
times that number. The historian says, that
sha. NJ