The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1848-07-07
Historical Truth vimdica.cd.

Colonel Cass was attached to The army
under General Hull, at the ime Of its DIS
q glacefu and disastrous surrender; aud the
only act of heroic 'alor claimed tor INN by
hi, political friends, IS desperate charge
upon stump.
General Hull, in his official despatch,
gave asa reason for the cowardly surrender,
among others, that his amy was out Of pro
visions, surrounded BY Indians, and a supe.
rior British force, the only alternative was
Icapitulallon or starvation and Slaughter
After the surrender, Col. Cass FASTENED Oh
to Washington, prepared and published
letter throwing the whole blame upon Gen
Hull. In this celebrated letl er Col : Cass says
"The state of our provisions has not been
generally understood. On the day OF surren.
der we had fifteen days provision oi every
kind. Ofmeat there was plenty in the coun
II try, and arrangements had been made tor
purchasing and grinding -four. ltwas cal
culaled we could readily procure months
provisions, independent Of l3O barrels of
fl 'ur and 1900 head of cattle, which had
been forwarded from Ohio, and which re-
mained at the River Raisin, under Capt
Brush within reach ofthe army"
This was the statement after the surren
der; now we wish TO cali attention 10 Col.
Cass' statement before-onIy four days be-
fore the surrender. In letter to his bro
ther in law, Willis Sllllman, August 18th,
Colonel Cass says
"Our situation Is bGconiing critical. II
things get worse, you will hear from me
gving particular account of this business
Bad as you may think our situation is, it is
still worse than you believe. | cannot de
scend into particulars, lest this should fall
into the hands of the enemy"
Again in another letter 10 Gov. Meigs
OF same date, he says:
The letter of the Secretary Of Var tc
you, copy ofwhich ] have seen, authorI
zes you to preserve and keep open the con
munication from the State of Ohio to De-
troit 1t is all important that it should be
kept open. Our very erisieHce depends up.
on il. Our supplies must come from OIL
State (Ohio), This country does not furnish
Them. In this existing state, nothing but a
large force, of 2O00 men at least. will effect
the object"
This was the opinion of Col. Cass fou,
days before the surrender. A fight her
seemed "ncyitabe," and the heroic Colo
mel was either so frightened as to magnify
their "critical siiuutiOn," or else lie .torgo
all about it when the dangers were past.
Four days before the captulatlon, his sit
uation had become crltcal--so "bad" tina
he dare not particularize, lest the enemy
might find it out. He writes the Governor
, that their supplies must come from Ohio, al
''lhis country docs not furnish hem," ant
communication Tust be kept open--'OuI
pery erisience depends upon it" and not less
than 1000 men would effect it. Now if thi'
: were not true, then Col. Cass must have
been "prodgiously frightened" and if i
we're true, how can it be reconeled will
his letter after the surrender, or with hi
; testimony on the trial Of Gen. Hull, whei
he stated "that the situation olthe army il
respect to provisions was subject Of fre
quent conversations between General Hui
and the ofices--that he nerer kne,o or undct
stood that The army was in t0ant, or likely &
,oant'"-- Cincinnati Gaxete.