Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1840-04-09

of the general and several of the State govern
ments, were presented to governor Harrison, hi
officers and troops
] IL the following December, deputies from
several of the hostile tribes Appeared at Vincen
ues to cndeavor to accom- modate matters, and il
March another delegation arrived. They repre-
sen.ed that the influence of the Prophet hat
greatly dimin shed since the battle OF Tippecanoe
that he was wanderer without adherents, ant
that there was nothing to prevent a satisfactory
settlement OF ali difficulties. OUT iseuihSeh re
turned at this time from the South and took the
lea, Of the Indians, stirring theIR up TO '"'''e
aggress,ons upon the whites. His efforts wei
succe sstUl The more so, war had then broken
Out between Ia. United States and Great Britain,
and as he found in the latter an olly eager to
second his plans and assist his enterprises against
tie Americans. War was declared between the
United States and Great Britain the 18th of
juno, 1919. 1t found the Northwestern frontier
of the former with but one garrisoned post of
any Importance -Detroit-and without military
stores and depots. But the people lacked Meth
ser zeal nor energy, and i. became an object of
primary importance to turn this zeal and energy
to tn, proper account Governor Harrison inn
IT. ediateiy took all the measures in his power to
put the territory m the best condition for Defence
and he left Yncennes to visit the Eastern part in
order to review and provide for disciplining the
military. While engaged in this work he received
a letter from governor Scott of Kentucky ear
nestly requesting him to repair to Frankfort for
the purpose of consulting as to the disposition of
the volunteers raised in Kentucky for the pro-
lection of the frontier. He complied with the in
vitaton, and was received by the citizens with the
greatest enthusiasm. While at Frankfort; Of
ders arrived from the war department, placing at
his control portion of these troops--the remain
der being dictated to reinforce general Hull at
Detroit Aboutthe same time letters were re.
ceived from severa officers at Detroit, express
ing their entire want of confidence in General
Hull and stating il to be the wish of the troops
that governor Harrison should accompany the
expected reinforcement and take the command.
This wish on the part CT the army at Detroit was
ardently seconded in Kentucky, and governor
Scott generally besought to constitute Har-
rison the commander of the forces of that State
But as he not citizen Of Kentucky, it was
hard 10 perceive how this could be done howev-
er, by the advice of many distinguished gentle
men-among whom were Mr.. Clay, then speaker
Of the house in Congress, Mr. Shelby, the Gov.
elect, Mr.. Todd, judge Of the Circuit Court, and
others-governor Scott conferred upon him a
brevet commission of Major General in the Ken
4
of the detachment for Detroit
Harrison accepted the appointment, and while
he was diligently engaged in the duties annexed
to it, there came the news of Hulls surrender at
Detroit, which was shortly followed by orders
from the department, written in Ignorance both
of this circumstance and of what had been done
in Kentucky, al pointing General Winchester of
the re yuar army to the command of the reinforce
ment for Hull, and making Harrison Br gader
General in the service ofthe United States. Uni
versal disappo ntment easued on the reception of
these orders, but Harrison declined to accept the
rank ofHrgader General, being DESTROYS that the
department Of war should first be informed of the
arrangements by which he had been appointed to
the command OF the Kentucky troops. Mean
q nile these forces had proceeded on their march
under Har iscn, who succeeded in relieving Fort
Wayne then besieeed by the Indians and in de-
stroying .hc Indian towns on the Wabash, and
,iaI re ached tie North western frontier of Ohio,
where Harrison gaze up the command to Gen.
Winchester WHO joined them there. To the
troops especially this change caused severe dis
satisfaction. They had confidently expected that
Harrison would be confirmed in the command,
and it required the exertion of his utmost infu-
ence over them to induce them to march under
Winchester. They were persuaded at last, but
only in the belief that, as as the circumstan-
ces of the case were understood at Washington,
Harrison would be renstated. They were not
disappointed.
After having resigned the command to General
Winchester, governor Harrison set out on his re-
turn to Indiana, but was met at Piqua by de-
spatch, from which he learned that the president,
on becoming acquainted with the actual state of
affairs, had invested him with the chief command
of the Northwestern army. His orders directed
hm--lst, to protect the frontier; End, to retake
Detroit Sd, to destroy the British establishments
at Maiden and 4th, to penetrate as far into Can
ada as the forces under his command would, in
his Judgment, justify. Broad authority was given
him, to appoint officers, to draw from the public
stores, to command all practicable means, to ex-
ercise his own discretion, and to act in all
according to his avn Judgment. The army al
his disposal consisted Of about ten thousand men
being made up to a very limited extent, Of regu-
daJYp ot If mIl ND mi