Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-06-15


sell the soldier and the General that OIL The night
Uhe action by his order, silent on oar arms and
rose on our posts that Notwithstanding the dark |
of the night, aud the most consuInnic savage
cunning OF the enemy in eludng our senries, and
in rapidly rushing through the guards wo were
moi found unprepdred; that few ofihem were able
TO enter our camp, and those few doomed never
Ia return that IN pursuance OF his orders, tchich
pee adapted 10 erery emergency, the enemy were de.
jedied 10Th a slaughter almost unparalleled among
sdrGgts.'
Gen. Harrison Ieceived slIo, through the rim
of his hat. In the heat of the action, his voice
was frequently heard and easily distinguished
giving his orders in the SAME calm cool, and col
lected manner with which we ha, been used to
receive them on n drill OF parade. The confidence
Of the troops in the General was unlimited aud
his measures were well calculated to gain the par
tclilar esteem of the 4th Regiment.
"The force of the enemy in the engagement
could never be correctly ascerained hui from the
beet information that could he ol,,ained, 1t was
cnlculnlc, tn amount To between ten and twelve
hundred warriors, hea ed by Winnemac, II Xix
apoo Chief, -und that they lost about four hun
dred in killed and wounded. Our loss nrnounte
To forty one killed, and one hundred forty. seven
wonndcd."- Journal Of mpdigas in the last Var,
by Adam HaIker.
81. "Hnrrison permitted the enemy To select
his camp ground-it was bud ground, ului lac neg
lerted proper dcicnrcs
Ease, false false Read the following:
Major Taylor who himself assisted in selecting
the gronnd, says, "rhe spot for enrampnen
wnS selected Ivy Col Clark twho nrted us Brigade
hlajor to Col Boyd aud myself We were iiyec-
ted by Gen. Harrison TO examine the country up
ard down the creek until we should find II sua
lille place for an cncampmen. Inn short time we
discovered the place on Whirh The ir nv riieunp
ed and tn which IL was conducted by ~ No
animation ieas gircn by HE indians Of their tuish
that zoe Sh md tncamp there; nor roud they pos.
sihIy have known where tho army would cnenlnp
until it took lis position.
"ll hus ever been my belief thai the position we
occupied was the best that could he found ann
,rhere us and believe TINT nine fcnths of the
officers were OF the same opinion.
WALTER TAYLOR.
Feb ", 1917"
~. The affair at Fort Meigs WINS siege and
defence bravely defended too, snys Duncan but
not a battle.
There were, however, frequent sorties by The
Americans, and desperate fights Oh open ground
outside Of the fort and we beg 10 know VIVA,
constitutes battle, If such fighting does not But
as the Doctor comedies that Harrison conducted
himself ipeii, and behared brarely," on this occa-
sion, we will not quarrel about terms.
%. The Battle of the Thames -" Col R. NJ.
johnson is the Hero of the Thames
In direct contradiction 10 The broad assertion
that Harrison never was in battle the Doctor
admits Thai he was ut the Thames-that the affair
there was battle, and that he has fault 10 find
with Harrison's conduct there. Notwithstanding
this, he falsely charges The Wigs with deiracting
from til, fame Of Col. johnson, md endeavors to
show Thai the same Col. Johnson, whom Duncan
IL, H. !
liar, was the hero of the Thames. Col. K. NJ.
Johnson was officer under ilarrison-he acted
under liarrison's orders aud under his direction,
aud by pursuing The course which lie directed,
the Colonel tough, bravely and won noble laurels.
Duncan endeavors to give Col. Richard NJ. John
sou the honor of changing the plan of attack by
which Proctor was defeated. Any man Of COM
mon intelligence knows that no subordinate officer
would dare in this manner to assume RESPONSE
biliiy which belonged to the commander in chief
and ii is an injury Co. Jol,nsonF rcp,rA.'dn as
n soldier TO charge him with conduct 50 repug.
lant TO all the laws Of the field. But the charge
Of Duncan is utterly false; Harrison himself or
dered The method Of attack. 70 this point, Com
niodore Perry. who an aid Of the General,
trstiirs explicitly thus:
"The prompt change made by you, HOrrsoul
in The order of battle, on discovering the position
OF the enemy has always appeared 10 me to have
eyinced u high degree OF military TALENT
Gov. Shelly, who was in this battle, te>tifes
equally strong in the following, addressed to Gen.
Harrison, April 81, l6lG:
During the whole OF this long aud arlluous
pursuit, no nun could make greater exertions, or
,ise more vigilance than YOU did 10 ovrrake Proc
Tor, whilst the skill and prompfiude tOih which you
arranged the troops for bdiile and The distinguish
Ell zeal and brarery you erinced du ing its coninu-
ance, meried and received my highest approba
ZION. In short, sir, from The time joined you
until the moment Of our separation, believe that
no commander ever did or could make greater ex.
crtiohs llan you did, TO effect the great objects OF
the campaign admired your plans. and thought
them erecuted tci greM energy particularly your
order 81 battle and arrangements for landing on the
Canada shore, were caculatedto inspire every man
with confidence that we could not be defeated with
any thing like our own number"
And here il is TO he borne in mind that Col
james Johnson. brother of Richard N.Y. was in
lIa, battle, and it was by him, that the British line
was broken, and routed and thus a signal turn,
given TO The battle. Col. r. NJ. johnson wns at
the same Time engaged in mos, desperate fight
with the Indians which was not concluded until
the British troops had been defeated by his brother
James. II will be ceen that Harrison was the d.
rector of the whole matter.
Adam Walker in his Journal says:
Gas i, was not practicable to turn the enemy in
flank, ii became necessary 10 attack them in front.
General Harrison did mol long hesitate in his choice
Of The mode Of attack. II was US novel as IS WINS
successful"
Again he says explicitly, that Harrison gave the
orders,o Col. Johnson, and in ierson directed The
movements of the cavalry, (Col. Johnsons com
inanh)-