The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1843-08-02
SPEECH OF COL. r. NJ JOHNSON.
AZ fhs reception gires 10 lim IL Springfield
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"a Col. Johu4on then ascendeu the plntfort
ur occupied by the chair OF The Speaker, an
d addressed the assembly, in reply who
(. did not seem 10 US TO occupy more tina
/. half an hour, so deeply interesting wor
his remarks. The old hero did not attemr
d 10 make any display Of oratory o. eicquencs
G He was acknowledgement in his language
o IN the daring deeds be described, 10 ,h
e justice be rendered to his brave commando
r and his brother soldiers, and his very up
i pearance spoke TO the heart Of every be
0 holder 10 terms Of patriotic eloquence which
/. no language can describe.
Il We cannot undertake 10 follow Colone
r Johnson through bis speech. We took nC
noie Of it, and the speaker himself did no
: make the slightest preparation. lie begar
by returning his most sincere and mosl
heartfelt thanks to the persons present for
the honor they bad conferred upon him
and TO the orator Of the day for The clio
quent and faltering speech to which We
had oil listened. lie ssid he had left his
home in Kentucky abou. 45 days previous,
without the leas, expectation or wish oil
I making any parade through the country.
In fact he had approached every place he
visited without nolice-he was actually in
81. Louis, he said, before the people there
knew of his presence. He could not but
feel The deeper gratitude, and the higher
! qualification, in having become the objec,
Of such high distinction and honor wher.
ever he seui.
During the course OF his speech, Col.
johnson would often refer 10 mauy we'll
known persons IN the crowd from "Old
ken.uck." who had len good country fos
a betior--as he was compelled TO say, since
he bad passed over the rich and beautiful
prairies Of Illinois. Ia the scenes which
he described during TIE last war, he would
often refer 10 Col. Craig and several other
brave and meritorious soldiers in that war,
Who confirmed every statement made BY
Col. johnson. The old hero said that,
while he was a member of Congress, IN
1912, news OF 'ss massacre at the river
Raisiu, by Proctor and his numbering
bands, had thrown all Kentucky into mourn.
ing. He applied to President, Monroe, who
gave him commission to raise 1000
mounted volunteers, and Join the army un.
der Gen. Harrison. He performed The
duty. The regiment was raised. Every
man in it was made out OF the right stuff.
The massacre of three hundred Of their
countrymen at the river RaIsin--whero
they were enclosed in bullock pen, and
shot down in cold blood, enc by one, under
the eye Of Proctor, the British General
had created spirit in his troop, which
caused them oil 10 make their wills before
they left Kentucky, resolving never again
to return, unless they came back couque.
rors over the butcherly muyderers of their
counirymen. Each man was mounted, and
was armed with rifle and pistols, good
sword, and sharp knife, similar TO the Ia.
diaBs. Ia fact, these men knew what they
had to contend with. They did DOT go out
TO eight by the day, bu, by the Job. When
they arrived a! the American camp, IN
Canada, Harrison was on tho watch for
Proctor. ooh bow did wont to catch
that fellow" said Col. johnson: " never
,hirsied for msus blood but Proctor was
q monster. Even Tecunseh, an Indan
warrior, whose nature was savage, end
whose education taught bin that a scalp
was honorable, no matter how obiaiced,
was shocked Al the conduct of the cowardiy !
assassin. " bile Proctor was silenily look. |
ing on at The massacre of our men in The +
bullock pen, Tecumseh came up and put /
stop to the cold blooded murders, telling
Proctor yea could haye pre-, enled this, bu. /
did not
We all van, TO catch Proctor, said Col. /
johnson. lasked permission Of Gen. Har
rison to 90 IN search Of him. shall never
forget the FIRE in bis eyes as he replied
TO, Colonel, but remember discipline
The rashness Of your brave hentuckiaos
has heretofore destroyed themselves. Be
cautious, SIR, as well as brave aud active. az
know you oil are. We were near that
beautiful river Of Canada, the Thames. |
departed With my regiment 10 search Of
Proctor. In shor, time we caught spy,
Who begged hard for is life. | told hun
that 1t he did not tell US where Proctor was.
! would instantly shoe, him. | talked big,
said Johnson, 20 scare hun; don't know
whether should have killed him or not
ho"eVer, he SAID be was an American, and
had been compelled by Proctor 10 come on,
as spy. He said that The British army
was o0ly within a Few milrs Of us. IN
siantly sent ord TO Gen. Harrison of what
this spy had developed and afterward. IN
marching to the spot designated, sure
enough there was Proctor and his soldiers,
drawn up IN beautiful order on rising ground,
sbou! 700 strong. again sent word 10
General Harrison tba, "we had freed
Proctor; = and IN a very short time Gen.
Harrison came up with the main body of
the army on foot. | again asked permIs.
SION OF General Harrison TO begin the bat
tie. lie granted that permission and here
let me say that General Harrison behaved
throughout the engagement like brave
oihcer. lie was where he ought to have
been--ln the place where duty called him.
As TO my regiment, II was a pious reci
ment-ihat ls, we had many religious men