The Madisonian., 1840-02-13

ana DTlllsH FORCES uDuer the cOinllldilu VI W.
neral Proctor | believe that nearly the whole
of the enemy's regulars are taken or killed,
Amongst the iormer are all the superior OIL
GERS excepting Gen. Proctor. My mounted
men are now in pursuit of him. Our loss is
very trfing The brave Col. Il. Nj. Johnson
is the only officer whom have heard of that
is wounded--he badly, but hope not danger
ously.
have the honor to be, with great respect,
sir, your obedient humble servant,
WIN. III. HARRISON.
The Hon, John Armstrong, Sec'y at War.
Gen. HARRISON to The Secretary Of Wn.
Head QUARTERS, Detroit, Oct. 8, 1873.
SlR-In my letter from Sandwich of the
26th ultmo, / did myself the honor TO inform
you, that was preparing to pursue the enemy
the following day. From various causes,
however, was unable to put the troops in
motion until the morning OF the I'd inst, and
| then 20 take with me only about one hundred
aud forty of the regular troops, Johnson's
mounted regiment, and such Of Gov. Shelby's
volunteers as were fit for rapid march, the
whole amounting to about three thousand five
hundred men. TO Gen. M'Arthur with
about 100 chcctives) the protecting Of this
place and the sick was committed General
Cass's brigade, and the corps of Lieut.. Col.
Ball, were left at Sandwich, with orders TO fol-
low me as soon as the men received their
knapsacks and blankets, which had been left
on an island in Lake Erie.
The unavoidable delay at Sandwich was
attended with no disadvantage to us. Ger
Proctor had posted himself at Dalsons on
! a.. ~. Il, & AZ Trr
ffiy-six miles from this place, where | was
informed he intended to iorily and wait to
receive me- He must have believed, however,
that had no disposition to follow him, or that
he had secured my continuance here, by the
reports that we're in circulation that the In
dams would attack and destroy this place upon
the advance of the army /; as he neglected to
commence the breaking up Of the bridges un-
til the night Of the I'd inst. On that night
our army reached the river, which is twenty
five miles from Sandwich, and is one Of four
streams crossing our route, over all Of which
are bridges, and being deep and muddy, are
un(ordable for a considerable distance into the
country--the bridge here was found entire,
and in the morning proceeded with John
sons regiment to save if possible the others.
At the second bridge over branch ofthe RI
yer Thames, we were fortunate enough TO
capture Lieutenant Of dragons and eleven
privates, who had been sent by General Proc
tor to destroy them. From the prisoners
learned that the third bridge was broken up
and that the enemy had no certain Information
of our advance. The bridge having been
imperfecty destroyed, was soon repaired and
the army encamped at Drake's farm, four
miles below Dalson's.
The river Thames, along the banks Of
which our route lay, is fine deep stream, ma
vigable for vessels of considerable BURDEN
alter the passage of the bar at its mouth, over
which there is sly and half feet Of water.
The baggage of the army was brought from
Detroit in boats, protected by three gun-boats,
which Commodore Perry had furnished for
the purpose as well as to cover the passage
of the army over the Thames itself, or the
mouths of its tributary streams the banks
being low and the country generally open
(prairies) as high as Dalson's, these vessels
were well calculated for that purpose. Above
Dalson's, however, the character of the river
and adjacent country is considerably changed
The former, though still deep, is very narrow
and its banks high and woody. The Com
modore and myself therefore agreed upon the
propriety of leaving the boats under guard
Of one hundred and fifty infantry, and deter
4 mined to trust to fortune and the bravery Of
1 my troops to effect the passage Of the river.
Below place called Chatham, and four miles
above Dalson's, is the third unfordable branch
of the Thames the bridge over its mouth
had been taken up by the Indians, as well as
that at McGregor's Mills, one mile above
several hundred Of the Indians remained to
dispute our passage, and upon the arrival of
the advanced guard, commenced heavy fire
from the opposite bank of the creek as well
as that of the river. Believing that the whole
force of the enemy was there, halted the
army, formed in order of battle, and brought
up our two six-pounders TO cover the party
that were ordered to repair the brdge-a few
shot from those pieces, soon drove off the
Indians, and enabled us in two hours to re-
pair the bridge and cross the troops. Col.
Johnson's mounted regiment being upon the
right of the army, had seized upon the re-
mains Of the bridge at the mills under sea-
Wy fire from the Indians Our loss on this
occasion, was two killed and three or four
wounded that Of the enemy was ascertained
to be considerably greater. A house near
the bridge, containing very considerable
number OF muskets had been set on fre-bul
1t was eStinsuished by our troops and the
arms saved AT the first farm above the
bridge, we found one Of the cnemy's vessels
on fire, loaded with arms and ordnance stores.
and learned that they were few miles ahead
of US, still on the right bank of the river with
the great body Of the Indians. AT Bowles'
farm, four miles from the bridge, we halted