Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-06-28

Under these circumstances, we were compehet
to await the arrival of our supplies, as well as o
our horses, aud the mounted regiment command
ed by Col Johnson, which had necessarily iaker
the route by land, around the hend of the Lake
This delay gave the British General the iaircst OPP
portunily TO escape, and il he had not been utter
ly incompetent to his task, he would have placed
himself beyond our reach. - lilo was several days
in advance of us, and was moving through Il
friendly country. Bu, instead of diycsiing him
self of lis s,periluoue baggage, and leaving his
invalids and non.combaants to our mercy, nnc
thus gaining by rapid march the hcad Of Lake
Onarln, whe'c lie would have been IN safety
lie moved slowly, cncumbered with IN immense
train Of baggage, public and private and by {
largo number of women and children. While IL
waiting NJ Sandwich the arrival of our supplies
The probability Of overtaking the retiring enemy
was frequently the subject Of convers llion, and
may he That Gen. Harrison may hive expressed
an opinion Or Il tenr that Proctor would es-
cape us. do not recollect ever 10 have heafo
him do so, but such circumstance would explalI
the otherwise inexpliceoble assertion, oitcn re
pcnlcd, that he was opposed 10 the movement h'
adopted. For myself, am free to say, that
while | never hesitned, respecting al immediate
pursuit. was not nj all snngune as TO its result
] believed the British General was sufficiently
master OF his mi To elude our attack, aud cou't
not suppose that, with five days advance Of us
and after destroying and abandoning the only two
fortified positions he held in the country, h'
would suffer himself to hc overtokcn within n
miles of his point Of departure, and stake his eX
istence OH the chance OF battle
know this was the sentiment, or rather tht
apprehension Of others And ] well rccoileci
when he had commanded our march, was ridin:
along The Detroit River, with the late Gen. Aduir
with whose native powers of mind was pro
ioundly impressed, when tho success of our eX
petition became the subject of conversation. II,
dwell with ,I,n nrapo N
the British General, and expressed his apprehen
sion HAT he would escape us. l am not certain
but iil under the impression that Mr.. Crtcn
den now the Attorney General, then an abide
camp Of Governor Shelby, was present, and tool
part III the conversation. But justice requires
sboild state that such was not lhe opinion OF tho
venerable Governor of Kentucky, lie was iul
OF confidence, appearing 10 have an innate con
vlcon that we should o,erakc The enemy. Tn,
emphatic declaration he made in the council, pow
erluiiy mpres, ed me at the time, ana has remAln
ed grared upon my memory ever since. he
lleve car repeat it, word for word " Let u,
pursue The enemy said the veteran, with the cx
rercncr Of age and the fire Of youlh--"let IL
pursue the enemy: | feel that the Lord has de
livered them INFO our hands" And so it wns
There IS pcrliaps no element of human uctioi
which has contributed more powerfully Ia militia
ny success than The confidence of obtaining it,
AT The battle of the Thames, Il small portion
only of my proper command had arrived, All,
were slatlone; at the right of our line, with or
ders to charge aud capture the British artillery
which was placed Cpl osi,o 10 their position. The
Colonel Of the regiment, Pnule an able Office
being present, left TO him the immediate direc
ton OF this detachment coneitng myself will
the general supervision. In company with Com
modorc Perry, and the proper staff Of the Gcner
III, perlormcufthe functions of aid-de-canp, as
sls;lng in The arrangement OF The troops and III,
roo trp fI,no pty i . ,ar,
fore without II definite command, aspcclator ratI
er ,lHn an actor in the scene OF The day, bu
well situated 10 observe and Judge The varioin
movements. ! shall briefly audc to tho princi
pal incidents. so far rs these bear upon the con
trovered points in the conduct OF tho General.
w hen the advance party, which preceded us
fell back and reported that they had discovered
the enemy, drawn up across our line of march
General Harrison pushed forward to reconhoite
their position, and the nature OF the ground, il
order to adapt his dispositions to these circrm
Stances. lie had often inculcaed upon his off
GERS, as II cardinal principle in Indian warfare
that the TANKS should be secured, us to proven
their being turned by an enemy, who become s.
terrible, especially TO raw troops, when they cal
assu their rear With caution in view, the prop
or arrangements of his force was s~on indicates
Ia the commanding Genera, by rapid survey o
the ground
Gen. Proctor had reueated by the rive
1HlllleS, WHICH ldil5 llltO Luxe ~ Cltli, uHON
Detroit, and along which, was the principal com
munication with the head Of Lake Ontario, tlT
the British army sought TO gain. We had fol
lowed them, pursuing the usual route, upon III
left bank of the river 10 Il considerable dlsanc
from lis mouth, where we reached deep fore
which the horsemen passed upon their horses
and the infantry III canoes, and continued The pun
suit uIon the opposite sank The cultivate
country here ceased, and we entered beech ioI
est, having n river upou cur right, and swan
upon our left, and in the intermediate distance,
road, such as is found in new settlements, an
which was lite more than path, with some
the larger trees ci, down. In II short time "
found ourselves in the presence of the British al
my. The disposition adopted by General Proc
tor, was as simple as II could have been, III III
earliest ages of the art OF war. His rcgul'
troops were drawn up in two lines, III open ordc
their left resting upon The river, and their rlgl
extending toward the swamp. From this poll
the Indians were in position, stretching INTO III
woods, in their Irregular manner, ready 10 sel2
any circumstances which might occur, favomb
10 their mode Of warfare. Near the road The 'e
Of The line was srengthed by, think, three p
ccs Of artillery.
| have alr aoy said, dat by rapid glance
! round him, General Harrison instantly determine
upon the disposition he sho-4 ndopt. &fe place
his rigln upon the river, and extending his line
| the swamp, lc there formed il, as it is technics
ly called, en- potence, that Is, lie turned 1t at ny
angles ~ thus presented two fronts to the euen,
have since examined with some care, u
field Of bnlilc, hut | did not discover any lurtic
/ lay advUnlag" which il offered 10 the Brush Ge
cral, nor do know Why he selected that pariic
lar spot. There is but little change in the chur,
ter Of the country for some miles and It's ienur
are distinctly marked. These have been alreat
described. II is possible TINT tins is the pol
where the swamp md the river approach enc
other the nearest. leaving the uarrOWpSt SINCE
firm ground TO he defended But why the Rr
ISL General stopped ut all, is problem still mo
difficult 10 be solved. And if II were not, ms
port enid ut the time that he was compelled
TAKE this step. by the menaces OF Tecumseh, |
conduct may lie cited M example of militia
iniatunllon, rarely 10 be found in the annals
| war.
Our troops were all new, sent from their HON
by that ardent patriotism, which, in seasons of 4
al. makes rarl Of our national character. al