Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-09-25
HEAR GEN, GAINES.

Upwards Of four columns of the st. Louis
New Era Of the Sd inst. are occupied with
letter from the veteran Gen. Gaines, of the u.
s. Army, addressed to Ex-Governor Cannon, of
Tennessee, chiefly concerning his system Of de-
fence, which, it appears, has been misrepresen-
ted Having disposed Of this subject, he takes
occasion to correct some misrepresentation Of
his views Of Gen. Harrison; and we ask atten-
ton the following full and explicit declaration Of
his exalted estimate of the man and his serv.
ces:
served under of Gen. Harrison in tho Northwest
ern army during the principal part of the summer and
autumn Of the year 1913, during part of which time
held the appointment of Adjutant General, which
brought into daily and often hourly intercourse with
him; and though never with him in battle, had ma
ny opportunities of witnessing his vigilance and de-
voon TO the service, and Of odmlring the energetic
simplicity and systematic accuracy Of his views and
the zeal and promptitude with which he marched to
and from Fort Melgs, through the deep swanps from
post to post, when momently expecting to enter a
combined savage and British ambuscadc of from four
to five thousand red and white savagcs from whose
cannon rifle and tomahawk, Gen. Harrison WINS often
protected by fewer men than the life guards who ac-
compancd our distinguished Gen. Jackson upon his
Seminole campaign in the year 1918, while the force
opposed to him was not half great that by which
Gen. Harrison was mcnaced. With an equal know
be unjust to both and false my country did no,
declare that upon the occasions here alluded to- more
trying to the real soldier than any thing the battle field
often presents, have never known Gen. Jackson,
whose military honors are beyond all dispute, to
evnce more chccrulness under the prvatons of food
and rest, and more intrcpdty Of purpose in danger
than Harrison uniformly exhibited And although
had the deep modification 10 be unable to accompany
him from Detroit in pursuit of Tccumseh and Proctor
which terminated in the battle Of the Thames, Octo.
Der s. 1913, yeti was assured by Gov. Shelby, and
Com Perry than whom there never lived truer or
more chivaric spirits that Harrison proved himself
to be an able General, without fear and without re-
pfoach.
It is true that in the early part of the warm the
nl and winter of lSl2l3-l felt and expressed freely
the apprehension, that Gen. Harrison possessed toe
much of the milk Of human Kindness and too much
caution in his movements for an efficcn, U. S. Com
r1ander chief ! strongly inclined to bam.
him for not sustaining the gallant army headed by on
esteemed Winchester, defeated ut the river Raisin
and for not controlling and saving the brave Dudley
and his regiment on the 9Th of May, at Fort Mcigs.-
But careful investigation of the circumstances thai
surrounded him, convinced me that his discipline
though mild and paternal, was strictly conformahls
! to our military law; and that without great caution
such as put out of his power to reinforce Wnches
ter or save Dudley the principal part Of his dsposabl
force would probably have been sacrificed in these OF
i'll other unsvaing efforts to bring the war in tn,
northwest to speedy termination by great battle
when at any time before Perrys victory, great bat
tie lost by Gen. Harrison would have exposed hun
uTeuS vi ~ d1OSt CertRln massacre on nun
dr,ds of miles of frontier difficult 10 defend thar
asy other part Of the national frontier not excepting
that Of Fordaa frontier where from the great depth
ofrch soil and muddy roads, forced march Of few
successive days often resulted in loss of eRec,v.
strength nearly equal to that Of n well fought battle
| have often admitted what could not now eonces
without fns,an. Injustice to the snndered patriot tina
ever learned in the of war against savage foe
lessons precisely such in 1915 found Gen. Jack 20,
zeaousy employed in teaching to his volunteers il
Gens'as personally known to me, I have no doub
but that Harrison was and is the mos, highly quafie
for the command Of large army and consequent
the greatest and best for the Office Of constitutions
commander in chief