The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1840-10-29
G. cRoGnAN.
81. Louis. oe,sber "a. 1870.

81. Louis. October "a. 1870.
Dear Colonel: AT your reques, Estate
10 you ihs substance OF our several con.
versaIions touching yonr opinion VI Gen
ersi Harrison. and your unhappy differ
snes wiih that distinguished officer.
The firsl conversation which took place
bstwsen Ne vas Of Fnn Stevenson,
where you commanded in the early pa,l
Of september. 1919. when Major Wood
end myself ~ere on our gay 10 recon.
noisrs ihe Ssndusky Bay. and 10 have
q conference with Commodore Perry. On
The subjec, Of our joint opers.ions agsias,
The enemy. That conversation % per-
haps The better recalleclsd. inasmuch ss
II has Often been referred 10 in our sub
sfquent conversations since the war |;
and from the facs that you did me the
omplsment 10 say that y"u msde me.
morandum OF the prineipls upon which !
bad acted IN respect 10 meeting VI ihs
Geld ofieers. with Brig. Gen. Csss.
.ass sSsi s iss ~: :sa' ass ~ . sr
ai,ef your gallant defence ~ For Ssessn.
son, which took place while vas al
Fort MeIgs.
In reply 10 my inquiries respecting
General Hauison's plan Of operations Al
Tippecanoe. you replied that the selec.
lion Of his position was the bes, 10 be
found near the place Of encsmpmeni; that
he formation Of The diferen, crops Of his
army in the enesmpmsni wss made with
view to huld every officer and every
nan ready for action upon The ernunJ
where they slept Ths, Gen. Harri
sons vigilance had previously bren ,he
subject II remark and admiration among
the troops. aud II vas Iha, nigh, increased.
Thai you had several opportunities Of see.
ing him in the forepaa Of the night. and
81 or near the time The battle commenced.
Thai you saw him frequently in the
snurse Of The bs.lle, and heard him CAV.
hg his orders. aud with gres, disnnei
less anims,ing his iroops-and that no
nan could have been more collected or
fearless in battle Than Harrison was up
bn that occasion.
In spesking Of the battle Of For,
MeIgs. Major Wood aud yourself concur
red in the opinion tia, General ilsrrison's
plan Of defence was unexcep,ionable. and
that the victory Of that place was fer more
important in ils immediate results and
ultimste consequences than had been con.
coded. even by many Of The friends Of the
General; that shade had been cast over
that victory. by the untoward disaster oi
The loss "f Col. Dudley aud his regiment;
who, after defeating III. Brush On the LEFT
bank Of The river, were led into an ambus.
csds Of T'ecumseh's Indians, where they
we're cut of in an attempt TO do mors
than they had been ordered to 10. II was
not possible. as Wood and yourself be.
lieved. for The General 10 restrain or save
them, occupied IS he vas on the righ,
bank Of the river. in the hottest OF The bat.
lie, near . mile from The point where the
ambuscsde was formed on the lett. You
both assured me that The moyemen, Of
Col. Dudley and his regimen, was con.
Hsry to the orders Of the General, Who
had no means Of correcting the fatal error
into which the impesuslty Of this fine
corps Of brave Kentucky volunteers had
led them.
In respect 10 Fort Stevenson, you and
Major Wood-,hsn whom ] have never
known a more gallant, nor . more pro-
missing officer, and who af.srvsrds repea,
sdly covered himself with imperishable
fame in ba.sle under my command ct
Fort Erie,-concurre iully 10 the opin.
ion ,hs. il would. OF might have been, At.
tended with fatal consequences to the
North western frontier for General Har.
rison 10 have broken up The nucleus Of