Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-10-11
me with nm answer. to have it published
With respectful consideration.
Your obedient servant.
..... ROBERT SMITH.
Major Gen. THos. S. JEsup,
Washington City, D. c.
WAsH1NaroN Cry. Sept. 25, ls4s

SIR: have received your letter, dated
the 23d inst. calling my attention to cer-
tain charges said 10 have been made by
the Hon. Thomas Butler King agains,
General Cass, in speech lately delivered
by him at Paterson, New Jersey, in the
following words, viz: "Geas Cass as the
hero Of Halrs Surrender. Ordered aaoay
by Gen. Hall before the attack upom De.
troit By the British, Gen. Gass receired
no intelligence Of the disaster till he soas
Summoned by single British officer,
fourteen miles rom Detroit, to yield; and
he did yield. With taoo or three regi-
n,ents of men, Gen. Cass surrendered to
single British officer, fourteen miles
from any other enemy" And in compli-
ance with your reques, that | should give
such information as possess in regard to
the situation Of the detachment referred to
by Mr.. King, at the time Of Hull's capitu-
lation, sand the position Of General Cass
in relation to it, and whether the General
was in any way guilty of anything unbe
coming brave and gallant officer"
have the honor to state, in reply, that the
charges made by Mr.. King relate to the
surrender Of Z detachment sent by order Of
General Hull,on the 14th Of August. 1912,
to meet n convoy of provisions, under the
command Of Captain Henry Brush, Of o.
hio, supposed them to be on the route from
the River Raisin to the army at Detroit.
As the acting Adjutant General of the
arm :, detailed that detachment, and. by
the order Of Gen. Hull, placed Col. Nc
Arthur, (not Col. Cass) in command Of it.
The General directed that the detachment
should consist of one hundred and fifty
men from Col. McArthur's and the same
number from Col. Cass's regiment, and a
few mounted men were directed to accom-
pany it. Before the detachment marched,
number of volunteers joined it from both
regiments, so the aggregate force when ii
lett the camp was about four hundred men.
Col Cass was not part Of the detail he
Joined as volunteer, When understood
that he desired to 60, objected 10 two
Colonels going with SO small a detachment;
but the service was considered by US all as
extremely perilous. Col. Cass claimed it
as right to share the dangers with his
men, and he was permitted by the General,
not ordered, to accompany them.
On the 10th of August, Gen. Hull sur
rendered the fort and army by capitulation,
to the British forces under the command of
Major General Brock, and included Col.
McArlhur's detachment in the caplulation.
The Colonel had been ordered by express
to return to Detroit, and he was within
three or four miles Of the fort, when he re-
ceived intelligence of the surrender. He
foil ,cly
Huron, where he received the articles of
captulation, with an order from General
Hull 10 surrender. The Col. was | be
lieve, bound in good faith to surrender; but
whether he was or not, he was compelled 10
submit, for he had not days subsistence,
nor dozen rounds Of ammunition for his
command. He was as gallant a soldier,
and as patriotic citizen, as the country
could boast; and he did all that was posi-
Die under the circumstances, but whether
the surrender of the detachment was right
or wrong, he alone was responsible for it.
Colonel (now Generalj Cass, had no more
to do with it, than the honorable gentleman
who makes the charges against him.
From the foregoing statement you por-
ceive that there was not even a single reg
iment to surrender, nor was Colonel Cass
in command ut the time and on the OCCASION
referred to by Mr.. King. That gentleman
| has been so unfor,unale in the random
staten ent Of his facts, as not to have stun.
bled upon single truth, Ills charges |
know 10 be utterly upfounded from begin
ming to end. There is nothing in the his
tory Of the conntry, written or unwritten,
to justify any one ofthem in the smallest
degree. AS to General Cass, served him
in two campaigns, part Of the time under
his orders, and attached to his brigade.
have seen him in situations and undsr cir.
cumstances that would ies, the courage oI
any man, that he never faltered; bu, al.
ways acted in accordance with the dictates.
of high courage,and patriotism. Whatso
ever may be the course of others, he is
never the apologist of the enemy, but is al.
ways found'son the side Of the country.
am sir, with grea, respect,
Your obedient servant,
| TIL s JFSIIP