A SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. T T? Jan. 1836. E39 /y .d/Z, a v .1, WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. When a man has been selected from among the people, as a suitable candidate for any important office in their gift, it is no more than common justice to all parties, that his fellow citizens should be supplied with some authentic information respecting his past life. It is right and proper that they should know what services he has rendered to his country, what public stations he has held, and with what fidelity and upright- ness he has discharged the duties of those offices, with which he has been intrusted — that, furnished with this information, they may be enabled to form a fair estimate of his abilities, and of his usefulness and integrity in his future career. At the present time, no one before the public occupies more general attention than William H. Harrison. We therefore think it an acceptable service to those, who are not familiar with the life of this distinguished man, to place before them the follow- ing brief sketch of his biography and public services. We offer them an honest outline of plain facts, gathered from the most authentic sources. Should any of our readers desire more particular information, or wish for detailed evidence of the historic truth of this outline, we refer them to our public documents connected with the events here recorded, to Butler's History of Kentucky, and M'Affee's History of the Late War, and to the excellent biographical works of Dawson and Judge Hall — from which sources, this sketch has been principally drawn. William Henry Harrison was born in Virginia on the 9th of February, 1773. His father, Benjamin Harrison, was one of the patriots of the Revolution. He was a very distinguished member of the first congress of the United States, which met ( 4 ) at Philadelphia in 1774, and was one of the most conspicuous of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He after- wards rendered important services to his country by his ene 1 getic and patriotic measures as governor of his native state, Virginia. This eminent patriot died in 1791 ; leaving his son, William, under the guardianship of his friend, the celebrated Robert Morris. Young Harrison was educated at Hampden Sydney College; and, by the advice of his friends, turned his attention to' the study of medicine. But about the period when he had com- pleted his education, soon after the death of his father, the increased "and barbarous hostilities of the Indians on our north-western borders, began to excite a feeling of indignation throughout the whole country. In this general excitement our young student participated so warmly, that he resolved to relinquish his professional pursuits, and join the army des- tined to the defence of the Ohio frontier. The war in this part of our country was then assuming a very alarming aspect. The Indian tribes, who had been in the service of Great Britain, during our Revolutionary struggle, had not yet laid down the tomahawk ; but still persisted in their ruthless hostilities, and in the almost daily commission of their savage atrocities. From the year 1783, when Great Britain acknowledged our independence, and war with the mother country ceased, up to the year 1791, it was estimated that more than fifteen hundred of our hardy borderers had fallen victims to the rifle and scalping knife of their savage foes. Our north-western frontier presented an appalling scene of rapine, conflagration, and wanton destruction of life and property. Many of our border settlements had been crushed in their infancy, and all had been retarded in their growth. Expedition after expedition, fitted out to oppose them, had met with the most disheartening losses ; and finally a gallant army under Brigadier General Harmer, which had been sent ex- pressly to chastise these savages, had been signally defeated by them, and almost annihilated. Of the few experienced offi- cers who escaped from Harmer's defeat, nearly all, worn out ( 5 ) . with the fatigues of a service so harassing, and shrinking from a warfare of so dangerous and barbarous a nature, had resigned their commissions; and a feeling of dismay began to pervade the whole community. Such was the gloomy aspect of affairs, when the ardent and generous patriotism of young Harrison prompted him to give up the comforts and luxuries that surrounded him at home, and peril his life in defence of his fellow-countrymen. He received the commission of an ensign in the United States' artillery, in the autumn of the year 1791 ; and hastened immediately to join his regiment, which was then stationed at Fort Washington. He arrived at that post a few days after the unfortunate defeat of General St. Clair, near the Miami villages, by the confederated Indians under the command of the celebrated chief, Little Turtle. This disastrous defeat, in which St. Clair's army was destroyed, with the loss of nearly a thousand men, killed or taken prisoners, left the whole of our north-western frontier exposed to the ravages of a merciless enemy, and added greatly to the general consternation before existing. In this state of things, our government saw the necessity of adopting immediate and efficient means to put an end to this savage conflict. Another army was promptly raised, and the command given to General Anthony Wayne — a gallant and skilful officer, who had earned a brilliant reputation in the Revolutionary War. Wayne's Legion, as his army was called in the new organization, assembled at Pittsburg, in the summer of 1792; and in the ensuing month of November, they left that place, and went into winter quarters, at Legionville, on the Ohio, 22 miles below Pittsburg. About this time, Harrison was promoted to a lieutenancy; and shortly after, he joined Wayne's Legion. His fearlessness and energy, with his strict attention to discipline, soon attracted the notice of his commander-in-chief, himself a bold and daring soldier and a rigid disciplinarian; and General Wayne, not long after his arrival, selected him as one of his aids-de-camp. We have entered thus minutely into this detail, because we ( 6 ) wish to point out at how early an age, and in what trying times, young Harrison was thought worthy of honourable dis- tinction. Lieutenant Harrison acted as aid to General Wayne during the whole of the ensuing campaigns; and his bravery and gal- lant conduct throughout were such, that he was repeatedly officially noticed in terms of the highest encomium. The war was conducted by General Wayne with all the cool daring of a veteran soldier, and the sagacity of a prudent general — until finally, on the 20th of August, 1794, he fought the bloody and desperate battle of the Miami, in which the confederated Indians, with their allies, were totally defeated. Their heavy losses in this battle so disheartened the Indians, that, a few months after, they entered into negotiations for a treaty of peace, giving hostages for their good faith — and thus, with the close of this war, were extinguished what may be considered the last embers of our revolutionary struggle. In his des- patch to the Secretary of War, after this decisive victory, General Wayne, in mentioning those whose good conduct made them conspicuous on this occasion, says — " My faithful and gallant aids-de-camp, Captains De Butts and T. Lewis, and Lieutenant Harrison, with the Adjutant-general, Major Mills, rendered the most essential service, by communicating my orders in every direction, and by their conduct and bravery exciting the troops to press for victory." Soon after this battle, Lieutenant Harrison received the com- mission of a captain, and was placed in command of Fort Washington — the most important station on the Western fron- tier. He remained in the army till the close of the year 1797, when, as there was no longer an opportunity to serve his country in the field, he resigned his commission, to commence his career of civil services. He was almost immediately ap- pointed secretary, and, ex-officio, lieutenant-governor of the North-Western territory ; which then embraced the whole ex- tent of our country lying north-west of the Ohio river — thus receiving his first civil appointment in that part of our country which he had perilled his life to defend. ( 7 ) While in this station, he entered so warmly into the interests uf the people, and his intelligence and the kindness and urba- nity of his manners rendered him so popular, that when, in the following year, they became entitled to representation in the councils of the nation, they almost unanimously elected him their first delegate to Congress. Mr. Harrison was, at this time, about twenty-six years of age. He took his seat in the House of Representatives, at the first session of the sixth Congress, in December, 1799. There were then in Congress some of the ablest and most enlightened statesmen, and some of the most eloquent men, our country has ever produced. Yet in this severe ordeal, the abilities and manly energies of Mr. Harrison soon commanded universal respect. At this period, the all-engrossing subject in the West, and one in which our whole country had a deep interest, was the sale of our public lands. The manner in which these lands had been hitherto disposed of, had created great dissatisfaction among the people. They had been sold only in large tracts ; the smallest of which included, at least, four thousand acres. Our hardy yeomanry, with limited pecuniary means, were thus shut out from all chance of competition with wealthy speculators and grasping monopolists, in the purchase of these lands — the poorer emigrants were becoming disheartened at the chilling prospects before them, and the settlement of the new country was ffreatlv retarded. Fullv aware of the im- policy and injustice of this state of things, and true to the trust confided in him, Mr. Harrison's earliest legislative efforts were made to overthrow this pernicious system. He aroused the attention of Congress to the consideration of this important subject, and evinced so intimate an acquaintance with the facts and business details connected with it, that he was appointed chairman of a committee raised to examine into and report on the existing mode of disposing of the public lands. After a proper investigation, he presented a report, accompanied by a bill, the principal object of which was to reduce the size of the tracts of public land offered for sale, to such a smaller number of acres as would place them within the reach of actual set- ( 8 ) tiers. This masterly report, which was the joint production of himself and Mr. Gallatin, together with the great ability and eloquence, with which he defended his bill from the powerful opposition it encountered in the House, gained Mr. Harrison a reputation rarely attained by so young a statesman. The bill was carried triumphantly in the House, and finally, after some amendments, passed the Senate. The result was, that the public lands, instead of being offered only in large tracts, of which four thousand acres was the smallest size, were now to be sold in alternate sections and half sections — the former containing 640, and the latter 320 acres each. The point gained was of immense importance, since, from the low price of these lands, and the small amount of purchase money required to be paid, they were now within the reach of nearly all the poorer emigrants and actual settlers, who felt a natural desire to own the fee simple of their homes, and of the lands they subdued from the wilderness. Thousands of the hardy and industrious farmers of our Northern and Middle States, and many of the poorer planters of the South, availed themselves of the fair field which was now opened for emigration and enterprise; and we may justly consider this happy result, which Mr. Harrison was so instrumental in producing, as one of the leading causes of the rapid settlement and prosperity of our Western country. In the year 1800, the North- Western territory was divided. That part of the old territory, included within the present boundaries of Ohio and Michigan, retained its former name ; and the immense extent of country, north-west of this, was made a separate territory, and received the name of Indiana. Soon after this division had taken place, Mr. Harrison resigned his seat in Congress, and was appointed governor of the new territory. This appointment gave great satisfaction to the people of Indiana, with whom the patriotic exertions of Mr. Harrison had rendered him deservedly popular; and it was, at the same time, the strongest evidence of the confidence, with which the General Government relied upon his integrity, prud- ence, and capacity for civil government. ( 9 ) The extent of Indiana was almost boundless. The small population it then contained was thinly scattered through a vast wilderness, and only three settlements of any note existed within its territory. One of these was at Vincennes, the capi- tal; another at the Falls of the Ohio, one hundred miles dis- tant from Vincennes ; and the third, was on the Mississippi, at a distance of more than two hundred miles from the capital. The communication between these remote points was, at all times, difficult and toilsome, and often attended with great dan- ger. There existed no practicable roads, and nearly all the intermediate country was occupied by the Indians, or overrun by their hunting-parties. Most of those savage tribes, though professing to be friendly, were restless and dissatisfied ; and their leading chiefs still nursed a moody hope of revenge for the mortifying defeat they had sustained, six years before, at the battle of the Miami. Artful and treacherous, numerous, warlike, and thirsting for plunder, they kept this remote fron- tier in continual excitement and alarm. The angry feelings of our hardy borderers were frequently roused by some robbery or atrocious violence committed by the more evil-disposed among their savage neighbours, and quarrels often ensued, which threatened the peace of the whole community. Such was the existing state of things in Indiana Territory, when Mr. Harrison was appointed to the administration of its government. As governor of a frontier territory so peculiarly situated, Mr. Harrison was invested with civil powers of the most important nature, as well as with military authority. Besides the ordinary powers which he held, ex officio, as governor, he had the sole power of dividing the district into counties and townships, and was appointed the general super- intendent of Indian affairs. He had likewise the unusual power of conferring on a numerous class of individuals a legal title to large grants of land, on which they before held merely an equitable claim. His sole signature was sufficient, without any other formality, to give a valid title to these extensive and valuable tracts of land. Possessed of this immense power, opportunities were continually before him of accumulating a 2 ( io ) princely fortune ; but the scrupulous sense of honour, which has always characterized Mr. Harrison, would never permit him to speculate in lands over which he had any control. And it is a fact worthy of note, that, during the whole time that he held this important trust, he never availed himself of his pecu- liar advantages to acquire a single acre of land; — no shadow of suspicion ever doubted his disinterestedness, and not a murmur ever accused him of partiality, or even of unnecessary delay, in the performance of this delicate duty. We mention this only to show, that the integrity of Mr. Harrison is not merely theoretical but practical ; and that it has always shone with the purest lustre when assailed by the strongest temptations. In 1803, Mr. Jefferson appointed Governor Harrison sole " commissioner to enter into any treaties which may be neces- sary with any Indian tribes, north-west of the Ohio, and within the territory of the United States, on the subject of their bounda- ries or lands." By virtue of this, or a similar authority, during the subsequent course of his administration, Harrison effected thirteen important treaties with the different tribes, on the most advantageous terms ; and obtained from them, at various times, the cession of large tracts of land, amounting, in all, to more than sixty millions of acres, and embracing a large portion of the richest region in our country. In their frequent intercourse with Governor Harrison, the Indians had learned to respect his undaunted firmness, and were, at the same time, conciliated by his kindness of manner and considerate forbearance. This, with his intimate know- ledge of the Indian character, is the true secret of the remark- able success that has uniformly attended every treaty he has attempted to effect. The various and arduous duties of the governor of Indiana required, for this office, a man of very superior abilities — one possessed of stern integrity and prudent moderation, accom- panied by the most unwavering firmness. Such a man Go- vernor Harrison, in the long course of his administration, fully proved himself to be. The plainest evidence of this, to those who are not familiar with the history of Indiana during ( H ) this period, is the fact, that, for thirteen years, at every suc- cessive expiration of his term of office, he was re-appointed, at the earnest solicitation of the people of the territory, and. with the public expression of the most flattering approbation on the part of our chief executive. And this too, notwith- standing the entire change which had taken place within that time in the ruling politics of the country — his first appointment having been made by Mr. Adams, his second and third by Mr. Jefferson, and his fourth by Mr. Madison. The following extract from the resolution, unanimously passed by the House of Representatives of Indiana, in the year 1809, requesting the re-appointment of Governor Harrison, will show the estimate which a long acquaintance had taught them of his worth: — " They (the House of Representatives) cannot forbear recom- mending to, and requesting of, the President and Senate, most earnestly in their own names, and in the names of their con- stituents, the re-appointment of their present governor, William Henry Harrison, — because he possesses the good wishes and affection of a great majority of his fellow-citizens ; — because they believe him sincerely attached to the Union, the pros- perity of the United States, and the administration of its go- vernment; — because they believe him in a superior degree capable of promoting the interest of our territory, from long experience and laborious attention to its concerns, from his influence over the Indians, and wise and disinterested manage- ment of that department ; and because they have confidence in his virtues, talents, and republicanism." If necessary, we might fill a goodly volume with extracts from public documents of a similar nature; but what stronger proof than this could we have of the popularity of Governor Harrison, and of the entire confidence with which the people relied on his integrity and ability as a statesman ? In the year 1805, the celebrated Indian chief, Tecumthe, and his notorious brother, the Shawanese prophet, Ol-li-wa-chi-ca, (sometimes called Els-kwa-taw-a,) began to create disturb- ances on the frontiers of Indiana. Tecumthe was a bold and darino- warrior; sagacious in council and formidable in battle. ( 12 ) The prophet was a shrewd impostor ; cunning, artful, and treacherous ; — and they were leagued together by the tie of mutual interests, and a common hatred to the whites. The object of these crafty intriguers was to form, by their own in- fluence and the aid of foreign emissaries, a combination among all the North-Western tribes of Indians — with the hope, that by a simultaneous attack, they might destroy all the whites, or force them from the Valley of the Mississippi. But their de- signs were soon known to Governor Harrison, and, aware of his dangerous situation, his prudence and wise policy enabled him, for several years, to hold his savage neighbours in check. The following extracts from a speech, which he delivered to the legislature of Indiana, in 1809, will serve to show that he fully understood the nature and cause of the excitement then existing among the Indians — " Presenting, as we do," said Governor Harrison, " a very extended frontier to numerous and warlike tribes of the aborigines, the state of our relations with them must always form an important and interesting feature in our local politics. It is with regret that I have to inform you, that the harmony and good understanding which it is so much our interest to cultivate with those our neigh- hours, have, for some time past, experienced a considerable interruption, and that we have indeed been threatened with hostilities, by a combination formed under the auspices of a bold adventurer, who pretended to act under the immediate inspiration of the Deity. His character as a prophet would not, however, have given him any very dangerous influence, if he had not been assisted by the intrigues and advice of foreign agents, and other disaffected persons, who have for years omitted no opportunity of counteracting the measures of the government with regard to the Indians, and filling their natu- rally jealous minds with suspicions of the justice and integrity of our views towards them." Two years subsequent to this, in 1811, from petty aggres- sions, the Indians proceeded to more open violence, and acts of decided hostility. The war whoop was again heard yelling within the limits of the territory, and every day brought fresh ( 13) accounts of the perpetration of those atrocious deeds of depre- dation and murder, which always give the first intimation of a savage war. From motives of humanity as well as policy, Governor Harrison had always endeavoured to avoid a war with the Indians ; but when this result became unavoidable, he promptly adopted the most energetic measures within his limited resources, to place the territory in a posture of defence. At his own earnest request, and at the solicitation of the peo- ple, the President, soon after, directed him to march with an armed force towards the principal place of rendezvous of the hostile Indians, the Prophet's town, on the Wabash, near the mouth of the Tippecanoe — where this crafty impostor had assembled a body of more than a thousand fierce warriors, ready to obey his will. Governor Harrison immediately assembled five hundred of the militia and volunteers of Indiana. These, with a regiment of United States infantry, consisting of three hundred and fifty men, commanded by Colonel Boyd, and a small body of volun- teers from Kentucky, constituted his whole available force — amounting in all to about nine hundred effective men. As soon as he had disciplined these troops, and trained both the regulars and militia in the Indian mode of warfare, he took up his line of march towards the Prophet's town. He left Fort Harrison, on the Wabash, about sixty miles above Vincennes, on the 28th of October, 1811. Profiting by his own early experience, and the remembered example of his old friend and commander, General Wayne, his march through a wild country to Tippecanoe, was conducted with so much skill and prudence, that he avoided all danger of ambuscade or surprise from the savage foe. On the 6th of November, the army arrived within five or six miles of the Prophet's town. According to the instructions he had received from the Presi- dent, Governor Harrison immediately sent in a flag of truce, to endeavour to open an amicable negotiation with the hostile Indians. To this overture, the Prophet returned a deceitful reply — he professed the most pacific intentions, and agreed to meet Harrison the next day in council, with his chiefs, to settle ( 14) definitely the terms of peace. But Harrison knew too well the treachery of his artful antagonist, to allow himself to be de- ceived by his specious pi'ofessions, or lulled into any fancied security. He carefully selected the most eligible and defensi- ble position for his encampment, and ordered his troops to lie upon their arms all night, that they might be in readiness, at a moment's warning, to repel any sudden attack of the enemy. The sequel proved that these precautions were wisely adopted. An anxious night passed away without interruption ; but about four o'clock, on the following morning, two hours before daylight, a sentinel at one of the outposts discovered an Indian creeping stealthily towards the camp. He immediately gave the alarm, and almost at the same instant, a strong body of the enemy rushed towards the encampment, with the most savage yells. They made a furious charge on the left of the camp ; and so sudden and desperate was their onset, that the guard stationed in that quarter, gave way, at first, to their fierce as- sailants. But these brave troops soon rallied, and retrieved the ground they had lost. The camp-fires were extinguished with all possible haste, and the battle was now waged on more equal terms. Our gallant troops fought with the most daring intrepidity, and their savage foes evinced a desperate valour worthy of a better cause. The battle raged with great fury till the dawn of day, when a simultaneous charge was made upon the enemy, on either flank, and they were speedily put to flio-ht, with ereat loss, and the battle terminated. During all this time, the false Prophet had been seated at a safe distance from the field of battle, chanting a war-song, and promising victory to his deluded brethren. The battle of Tippecanoe was one of the most spirited and best fought actions recorded in the annals of our Indian wars. The numbers and the weapons on either side were nearly equal; and the Indians, contrary to their usual custom, fought hand to hand, and with the fiercest bravery. Every man in this battle encountered his share of danger, but no man was in more personal peril than Governor Harrison himself— well known to many of the Indians, and the object of their peculiar ( 15 ) attack — his fearless and unshrinking exposure, makes it seem almost a miracle that he should have escaped unwounded. In referring to the coolness and intrepidity of Governor Harrison, on this occasion, we cannot refrain from making the following extracts from a journal published in 1816, by a private soldier, who fought in this battle, and who could have had no interested motives for his publication: — "General Harrison," he says, " received a shot through the rim of his hat. In the heat of the action his voice was frequently heard, and easily distin- guished, giving his orders in the same calm, cool, and collected manner, with which we had been used to receive them on drill or parade. The confidence of the troops in the General was unlimited." The same writer, in speaking of Harrison's kind- ness to the soldiers, and his influence over them, remarks : — " He appeared not disposed to detain any man against his in- clination ; being endowed by nature with a heart as humane as brave, in his frequent addresses to the militia, his eloquence was formed to persuade ; appeals were made to reason as well as feeling, and never were they made in vain." An incident that occurred at this time, is worth recording. The night before the battle, a negro man belonging to the camp, who had been missing, was arrested near the Governor's marquee, under very suspicious circumstances. He was tried by a court-martial for desertion to the enemy, and for an attempt to assassinate the Governor. {Sufficient evidence was found to convict him, and he was sentenced to death ; yet such were the humane feelings of Harrison, that he could not in- duce himself to sign the order for his execution. As the cri- minal attempt had been made against his own life, he felt him- self privileged to exercise his benevolence towards the offender, and the misguided wretch was suffered to escape the just pun- ishment of his crime. It would have been more in accordance with the principles of strict justice, to have allowed the law to take its own course in this instance — but the circumstances of the case were very peculiar, and Governor Harrison's conduct evinced a magnanimity and humanity of heart rarely equalled. The importance of the victory at Tippecanoe, cannot be too ( 16 ) highly estimated. It quelled the haughty spirit of the discon- tented and hostile Indians, and defeated the plan, which they had almost matured, of attacking and destroying our scattered border settlements in detail. Had we lost this battle, our army must have been annihilated — the whole extent of our defence- less frontier would have been left to the mercy of sanguinary and unsparing savages, and the consequent loss of life, and de- struction of property would have been almost incalculable. The President, in his message to Congress, dated December 18th, 1812, makes the following honourable mention of this bat- tle : — " While it is deeply to be lamented," says Mr. Madison, " that so many valuable lives have been lost in the action which took place on the Oth ult., Congress will see, with satisfaction, the dauntless spirit and fortitude victoriously displayed by every description of troops engaged, as well as the collected firmness which distinguished their commander, on an occasion requiring the utmost exertion of valour and discipline." The Legislature of Kentucky, at their ensuing session, ex- pressed their high sense of Governor Harrison's good conduct on this occasion, by the following complimentary resolution: " Resolved, That in the late campaign against the Indians, on the Wabash, Governor W. H. Harrison has, in the opinion of this legislature, behaved like a hero, a patriot, and a gene- ral; and that for his cool, deliberate, skilful, and gallant con- duct, in the late battle of Tippecanoe, he deserves the warmest thanks of the nation." This hisrh encomium came from those whose friends and O neighbours had participated in the late campaign, and who were consequently familiar with its details, and with the merits of the commander. War was declared against Great Britain in June, 1812. Prior to this event, British agents had, for a long time, been tamper- ing with the discontented Indians within our territory, and had bribed them with presents, and furnished them with fire-arms, to induce them to renew their hostilities against our country. The crafty and daring Tecumthe, too, was once more in the field. Urged on by his savage eloquence, by their own native ( 17 ) love for war and plunder, and by the atrocious intrigues of foreign agents, the north-western Indians again raised the war- whoop, and commenced their barbarous system of warfare. Their cruel murders and depredations, became of frequent oc- currence, and the wailings of bereaved mothers and orphans, and the bitter complaints of those who had escaped from the conflagration of their plundered homes, excited the commise- ration of our hardy borderers, and roused a general feeling of indignation. Such was the state of excitement in our frontier settlements in the summer of 1812. Immediately after the declaration of war, our western go- vernors promptly adopted every measure in their power, for the defence of their respective states and territories. But con- scious of the great abilities and experience of Harrison, they placed the utmost reliance on his counsels, and looked to him as the leader, under whom they might hope for success against the common enemy. He aided Governor Edwards in placing the frontier of Illinois in a posture of defence, and soon after, was invited by Governor Scott, of Kentucky, to a conference in relation to the Kentucky troops, which had been raised for the defence of the frontier. He accepted this invitation, and met Governor Scott at Frankfort; where he was received with the acclamations of the people, and with the highest civil and military honours. These public marks of the high estimation in which Harrison was held by the people, were shortly after followed by proofs still more flattering, of their confidence in his patriotism, his abilities, and his military skill. Governor Scott had levied an armed force of more than five thousand militia and volunteers, commanded by some of the ablest men and most experienced officers in the state. Two thousand of these troops were ordered for immediate service; and they had no sooner learned that they were destined to march to the aid of their fellow countrymen on the frontier, than they at once unanimously expressed the most earnest de- sire, to be placed under the command of Governor Harrison. This desire was responded to by the wishes of the people throughout the state. The laws of Kentucky, however, would 3 / (18) \ not permit any other than a citizen, to hold a command in the state militia. In this dilemma, Governor Scott consulted with the venerable Shelby, (the governor elect), the Hon. Henry Clav, and other distinguished citizens of the state; and bv their unanimous advice he gave Harrison a brevet commission of major general in the Kentucky militia, with express authority to take command of the gallant troops, about to march to the frontier. This was a bold and unprecedented measure, but one that gave unbounded satisfaction to both soldiers and citi- zens, and one fully warranted by the peculiar exigencies of the case. These facts speak volumes in favour of the remarkable popularity, which Governor Harrison enjoyed in a population of brave and chivalric people, boasting an unusual proportion of talented and distinguished men. About this time, the cowardice and imbecility of General Hull, tamely surrendered to the British, the important post of Detroit, with the gallant force which composed its garrison. This event spread consternation, far and wide, through the western country, and greatly increased the difficulty and ardu- ous nature of Governor Harrison's duties. He immediately organized the brave troops under his command, and com- menced 'a course of rigid discipline and military training; with the confident hope of retrieving the disasters, consequent upon the cowardly surrender of Detroit. Soon after, he was appointed a brigadier general in the ser- vice of the United States. But, as the chief command of the western army was conferred on General Winchester, Harrison declined accepting the commission tendered him, and gave up his command, to return to Indiana and resume the duties of his territorial government. General Winchester, who had thus superseded Governor Harrison, was an old revolutionary soldier, and a brave and meritorious officer ; but one who was not, like Harrison, pos- sessed of the enthusiastic confidence of the army. Governor- Harrison exerted every effort in his power, to reconcile the troops to this change. But soon after he left them, their dis- pleasure at having been deprived of their favourite commander. ( 19) was not confined to murmurs, but created disaffection and al- most mutiny. No sooner was the President made aware of the condition of the army, and of the almost unanimous wishes of the west- ern people, than he immediately appointed Harrison, in place of Winchester, commander-in-chief of the north-western army. The despatch conveying this appointment, overtook him on his way to Indiana, and he returned without delay to the army, and was reinstated in his command. The powers conferred on Harrison, as commander-in-chief of the north-western army, were of great extent, and he was left to exercise them according to his own unrestricted judg- ment. In the despatch containing this appointment, dated Sep- tember 17th, 1812, the Secretary of War says: — "You will command such means as may be practicable — exercise your own discretion, and act in all cases according to your own judgment" — thus conferring upon him extraordinary and al- most unlimited powers. We refer to this, merely that we may here notice the remarkable fact, that, though vested with un- usual powers, General Harrison was never known, during the whole of his command, to exercise his authority in an unjust or oppressive manner. His measures were energetic, but always qualified by his characteristic moderation and huma- nity, and by a regard for the feelings of even the meanest sol- dier in his camp. The duties that devolved on General Harrison, in his new station, were arduous beyond description. The troops under his command, though brave, were mostly inexperienced and undisciplined recruits; and the army was badly equipped, and nearly destitute of baggage and military stores. With these limited means, and under these unfavourable circumstances, he was required to defend an immense extent of frontier, stretch- ing along the shores of the great northern lakes, whose nume- rous harbours and rivers were easy of access to the enemy. In addition to this, the roads leading to those points which most required defence, were nearly impassable, and lay, for hun- dreds of miles, through a wilderness swarming with hostile (20 ) Indians, and through gloomy and dangerous swamps, where the troops, though little encumbered with baggage, could ad- vance but slowly, and with great fatigue. Under all these difficulties, the spirits of the soldiers were sustained by the pre- sence and example of their favourite commander — who ani- mated them in their fatigues, and cheerfully endured the same hardships and privations which they encountered. The autumn and early part of the winter were spent in ac- tive and laborious preparations for the approaching summer campaign — roads were cut, depots formed, forts built, and a few expeditions were sent out to protect our out-posts, and keep the enemy in check. One of these expeditions, consisting of a detachment of six hundred men, under Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, was sent by General Harrison against a fortified Indian village, from which our troops had suffered much an- noyance. This enterprise was conducted with great skill and success. The village was attacked in the most gallant man- ner, and, after a desperate action of more than an hour, was carried at the point of the bayonet. From the general order issued by Harrison, on the return of this expedition, we make the following extract, which will convey some idea of the hu- mane and generous feelings, that have always characterized both his public and private conduct. After awarding these gal- lant troops the high meed of praise which their bravery had won, he goes on to say, — "But the character of this gallant detachment, exhibiting as it did, perseverance, fortitude, and bravery, would, however, be incomplete, if, in the midst of vic- tory, they had forgotten the feelings of humanity. It is with the sincerest pleasure that the General has heard, that the most punctual obedience was paid to his orders, in not only saving all the women and children, but in sparing all the warriors who ceased to resist ; and that even when vigorously attacked by the enemy, the claims of mercy prevailed over every sense of their own danger, and this heroic band respected the lives of their prisoners. Let an account of murdered innocence be opened in the records of heaven, against our enemies alone. The American soldier will follow the example of his govern- ( 21 ) ment ; and the sword of the one will not be raised against, the fallen and helpless, nor the gold of the other be paid for the scalps of a massacred enemy." What a contrast do these noble sentiments present to the atrocious conduct of the British General, Proctor — who, at the cruel massacre at Raisin River, and elsewhere, basely permitted unresisting prisoners of war to be butchered, by his savage allies, in cold blood. Late in the season the army went into winter quarters at their strongly fortified position on the banks of the Miami, near the rapids, which was called Camp Meigs, in honour of the patriotic governor of Ohio. Leaving the army at that station, General Harrison proceeded to Cincinnati, to procure reinforcements of men, and supplies of provisions and military stores, for the approaching campaign. But early in the spring, intelligence was received that the British were making extensive preparations, and concentrating a large force of regular soldiers, Canadians, and Indians, to besiege Fort Meigs. On obtaining; this information, General Harrison hastened to his camp, and exerted the most strenuous efforts, to prepare for this threatened attack of the enemy. His presence cheered the troops, and he inspired them with fresh ardour, on the approach of the enemy, by an eloquent address, in which he alluded modestly, but in the most animating manner, to the neighbouring battle-field, where General Wayne had gained the brilliant victory of the Miami, and where he himself had won the brightest of his earlier laurels. On the 28th of April, 1813, the scouts brought in intelligence of the arrival of the enemy. On the same day, a strong force of British and Indians ascended the river in boats, and disem- barked, partly on the south-eastern shore, and partly on the opposite side of the river. Here they immediately commenced the construction of three powerful batteries. Corresponding traverses were made within the Fort, and every approach of the enemy was met and foiled, with consummate skill and bravery. On the first of May, the batteries of the enemy being com- pleted, they opened a heavy cannonading, which was returned ( 22 ) with equal vigour from the Fort. This cannonading was continued without intermission for five days ; but owing to the skilful dispositions of General Harrison, it was attended with very little loss on our side. On the fifth of May, a gallant reinforcement of Kentuckians, under General Clay, fought their way to the camp; and Har- rison, availing himself of this fortunate occurrence, promptly ordered a sortie to be made from the Fort to destroy the batte- ries of the enemy. The detachment ordered to this service, consisted, of three hundred and fifty men, a part of whom were reo-ulars, and the remainder volunteers and Kentucky militia, under the command of Colonel Miller, of the United States army. These brave troops attacked a body of British regulars and Indians, of more than double their number; but the impetuosity of their charge was irresistible, and after a severe struggle, they drove the enemy from the batteries. They spiked the cannon, took a large number of prisoners, and having fully accomplished their object, returned in triumph to the Fort. This sortie was one of the most sanguinary and desperate actions, fought during the whole war — and its brilliant success was richly merited, by the intrepid gallantry of the brave troops engaged in it. Another attack had, in the mean time, been made upon the British batteries on the opposite side of the river. The enemy were taken by surprise, and their batteries carried with great ease, but the result proved unfortunate. The detachment ordered to this service had received instructions from General Harrison, to return to the Fort as soon as they had accom- plished the object of the enterprise — but unhappily, the new and inexperienced, though brave, troops, that composed this detachment, instead of obeying their orders, imprudently lin- gered till they were entirely surrounded by the enemy; and many of them were cut to pieces, without the possibility of lending them any aid from the Fort. Had the commands of their general been obeyed, this misfortune could not have occurred, and the day would have been one of unclouded suc- cess and triumph. ( 23 ) Thwarted by the skilful dispositions of Harrison, and by the battle, or rather succession of battles, fought on the fifth, Proc- tor was compelled to abandon the siege of Fort Meigs — and on the eighth of May, he broke up his camp, and retreated in disappointment and disgrace. Thus terminated the glorious defence of Fort Meigs. Har- rison, soon after, left General Clay in command of that impor- tant post, and, unwearied in his exertions, proceeded to more difficult and arduous duties, at other exposed stations. The unceasing efforts of the British, and the restless spirit of Tecumthe, allowed our troops but little time to recover from their severe fatigues. In less than two months after the siege of Fort Meigs had been abandoned, the Indians assem- bled a formidable body of more than five thousand warriors, under their most noted chiefs, and again threatened an attack on that fortress. On receiving this intelligence, General Har- rison, with a small body of regulars, hastened to Fort Meigs, by forced marches, and fortunately arrived there before the enemy. Leaving a reinforcement with General Clay, he re- turned without delay to his more active duties. During the whole of this interesting campaign, the vigilance and the intrepidity of General Harrison, with the bravery of his soldiers, enabled him to keep a far superior force of the enemy in check, and to protect the wide extent of our exposed frontier. Our forts were ably defended, and our troops gal- lantly repelled every attack of the enemy, except in some few instances, where they were assailed by an overwhelming force. At about the period when the enemy invested Fort Meigs for the second time, they made a desperate attack on Fort Stephenson, a temporary depot at Lower Sandusky, which was bravely and successfully defended by Major Croghan, of the regular service. We particularly mention this event in the campaign, as a noble action worthy of note, and because we wish to advert to the illiberal and unjust remarks, which have been made by some of General Harrison's political enemies, in relation to the defence of this fort, and the subsequent mea- sures of the commander-in-chief. At the date of this attack on ( 24 ) Fort Stephenson, the enemy had nearly seven thousand men in the field — two thousand of whom were British regulars and Canadians, and the remainder were warriors of the fiercest Indian tribes. The army under General Harrison was greatly inferior in numbers, and it became his duty, as a skilful com- mander, to withdraw his unimportant outposts, to avoid risking unnecessarily the loss of a single soldier, and to enable him, by concentrating his forces, to hold the enemy in check at least, if he should not prove strong enough to give him battle. Fort Stephenson was a temporary and unimportant station ; and so commanded by the high ground in its neighbourhood, as to be utterly indefensible against heavy artillery — and such, from their command of the lake, the British could easily trans- port to its attack. Fully aware of this, from having reconnoi- tered the ground in person, General Harrison, on learning that this station was about to be assailed, thought it proper to with- draw the garrison. He accordingly despatched an order to Major Croghan, directing him to abandon Fort Stephenson, and repair, if practicable, to Head Quarters — which were then at Seneca Town, nine miles further up the river. This order was not received by Major Croghan until the following day — when flying parties of the Indians had become so numerous round the Fort, that, as Croghan himself stated, it was too late to carry the order into execution, and he decided on maintain- ing the place. In consequence of this disobedience of orders, Colonel Wells was immediately sent, with a strong escort of cavalry, to take command of Fort Stephenson, and Croghan was ordered to repair forthwith to Head Quarters. But on his arrival there, he made such satisfactory explanations to the commander-in-chief, of the situation of the Fort, and of his own respectful intentions, that General Harrison at once rein- stated him in his command. He returned to his duties the fol- lowing morning, and on the same day, July 31st, this station was invested by a force of thirteen hundred British regulars and Indians. They attacked the Fort with great vigour, and repeatedly attempted to take it by assault — but they were each time defeated, and were at length forced to abandon their (25 ) attempt, and retreat in confusion, having lost, in killed and wounded, nearly as many as the entire number of the gallant spirits who defended the Fort. ' (This defence of a position, which General Harrison had or- ^jjl dered to be abandoned, and the fact of his not having imme- diately advanced upon the enemy, were seized upon, with avidity, by the ignorant and malicious among his political op- ponents, who industriously circulated the falsest statements and most perverted misrepresentations, relative to these occur- rences. But fortunately, the plain truth soon became so well known, that General Harrison's fair fame suffered no injury from these unfounded calumnies. So many gallant officers as well as honourable and high-minded men bore witness, of their own accord, to the military wisdom of his measures, that the stigma, with which his calumniators had endeavoured to darken his unsullied reputation, only rebounded, to add a still deeper stain to their own. We lav before our readers the following short extracts from an address to the public, relative to this affair, which was voluntarily published by the general, field, and staff-officers, of General Harrison's army. After expressing their " regret and surprise, that charges as improper in form as in substance, should have been made against General Harrison, during the recent investment of Lower Sandusky," they go on to say : — " He who believes that with our disposable force, and under the circumstances which then occurred, General Harrison ought to have advanced upon the enemy, must be left to cor- rect his opinion in the school of experience. "On a review of the course then adopted, we are decidedly of the opinion, that it was such as was dictated by military wisdom, and by a due regard to our circumstances and to the situation of the enemy.* * * * And with a ready acquiescence, beyond the mere claims of military duty, we are prepared to obey a general, whose measures meet our most deliberate ap- probation, and merit that of his country." The chivalrous and noble-spirited Croghan, who was one of 4 ( 26 ) the signers of the above address, about the same time published another paper on this subject, dated from Lower Sandusky, in which he says: — " I have with much regret seen in some of the public prints such misrepresentations respecting my refusal to evacuate this post, as are calculated not only to injure me in the estimation of military men, but also to excite unfavourable im- pressions as to the propriety of General Harrison's conduct relative to this a flair. " His character as a military man is too well established to need my approbation or support. But his public service enti- tles him at least to common justice. This affair does not fur- nish cause of reproach. If public opinion has been lately mis- led respecting his late conduct, it will require but a moment's cool, dispassionate reflection, to convince them oj' its propriety. The measures recently adopted by him, so jar from deserving censure, are the clearest proofs of his keen penetration and able generalship.''' We have dwelt on this passage in the life of General Har- rison, somewhat longer than is consistent with the brevity of this sketch ; but the political opponents of General Harrison can find so few points in his whole life, that afford them the slightest apology for censure, that they have been driven to pervert and misrepresent an affair of so simple a nature as this, and one that, in truth, entitled him, as the gallant Croghan justly says, to the highest commendation. We have therefore thought it no more than common justice to him and to our readers, to lay before them this plain exposition of facts. The wisest and best actions are often misunderstood or perverted by the ignorant or the malicious. We trust and believe that the former constitute the larger portion, of those who have sought to shadow the fair fame of General Harrison; but while mean and sordid spirits exist, envy and detraction will always pursue exalted merit. Even Washington, the Father of our country, was intrigued against and calumniated. Disappointed in their hopes of plunder, and dispirited by the numerous defeats they had sustained, the savage allies of the British had become discontented ; the second siege of Fort ( 27 ) Meigs had been abandoned, and gradually the enemy entirely withdrew from our territory, and concentrated their forces at Maiden, their principal stronghold in Upper Canada. It will thus be seen, that the skill with which General Harrison had conducted his defensive operations, the only resource left him in the face of a superior foe, had been eminently successful ; and had not only protected our widely extended frontier, but had eventually forced the enemy to retire, mortified and hum- bled by defeat, from our country. The activity and enterprise of General Harrison, did not long permit the enemy to rest, after their retreat from our ter- ritory. He immediately commenced preparations for carrying the war into their own country, and formed his plan for the capture of Maiden, and the conquest of Upper Canada. Commodore Perry had been instructed to co-operate with General Harrison, with the fleet under his command, and by a happy coincidence, that gallant hero gained his glorious victory on Lake Erie, and captured the entire squadron of the enemy, just about the time when General Harrison had matured his plans for the invasion of Canada. On the 27th of September, the troops embarked at Sandusky Bay, and advanced towards Maiden, expecting to find the British and Indians encamped there in full force. But upon landing on the Canada shore, they found that Proctor, dishear- tened by his recent defeats, had abandoned that stronghold, after having destroyed the fort and navy-yard; and had re- treated with his regulars and savage allies to Sandwich. Our army encamped at Maiden, and the patriotic troops could not restrain their exultation, on having gained possession of the fortress from which had issued, for years past, those ruthless bands of savages, which had swept over our extended frontier, like the wing of the destroying angel, leaving death and de- struction only in their path. Our army advanced rapidly in pursuit of the enemy, and overtook them on the 5th of October, at a place which is destined to be remembered, as the battle ground of one of the most remarkable and decisive actions fought during the war. ( 23 ) General Proctor, having had his choice of ground, occupied a strong position, flanked on the left by the river Thames, and on the right by a swamp, beyond which were posted two thou- sand Indians, under Tecumthe. But Proctor committed an irretrievable error, in placing his regular soldiers in open or- der, and extending his line by placing the files at a distance ot three or four feet from each other. The American army advanced in order of battle, and when in the immediate neighbourhood of the enemy, the reconnoiter- ing parties brought in intelligence of the dispositions Proctor had made. Harrison, with the rapid decision of an able ge- neral, instantly availed himself of the error of his opponent, and ordered Colonel Johnson to charge the enemy's line in co- lumn, with his regiment of mounted Kentuckians. The ex- tended and weakened line of the enemy could offer but a feeble resistance to the charge of these gallant troops; who dashed through their ranks, with overwhelming impetuosity, and form- ed and attacked them in the rear. Panic-struck by this bold and unexpected manoeuvre, and at being assailed both in front and rear, the British threw down their arms in dismay, and the whole army was captured, with the exception of a few who escaped by an early flight with Proctor. The Indians attacked our troops on the left, and fought with great fierceness and daring, until their renowned chief Tecumthe was slain, as is supposed, by Colonel Johnson, when they fled from the contest. This decisive and important battle was thus fought and won, in a space of time almost incredibly short, and with a very tri- fling loss only on our side. All the baggage of the enemy, and their valuable military stores, together with the official papers of Proctor, fell into our hands ; and several pieces ot brass cannon, which had been taken from the British in our revolu- tionary victories, but which Hull had shamefully surrendered at Detroit, were again captured from our ancient foe. The united force of the British regulars and Indians engag- ed in this battle, amounted to more than 2800— the number of our troops was less than 2500— and those were principally mi- litia and volunteers. The venerable Governor Shelby com- ( 29 ) manded the Kentucky volunteers in this battle, and General Cass, the present secretary of war, and the heroic Perry, act- ed as volunteer aids to General Harrison. This brilliant vic- tory, following up the capture of their fleet on Lake Erie by the gallant Perry, entirely destroyed the force of the enemy in Upper Canada, and put an end to the war on our northwest- ern frontier. On receiving the news of this glorious event, the thanks of Congress were expressed to General Harrison in the warmest manner. Among many others, whose grateful feelings found utterance on this occasion, the Hon. Langdon Cheves ob- served, on the floor of Congress, that — " The victory of Har- rison was such as would have secured to a Roman general in the best days of the Republic, the honours of a triumph." A sentiment which was?fully responded to, in the complimentary notices which he received from every part of the union. Having entirely defeated the enemy in Upper Canada, Gene- ral Harrison advanced with a part of his army, to the Niagara frontier, and thence to Sackett's Harbour, where he left the troops, and proceeded to the seat of government. On his way thither, he passed through New York and Philadelphia; in which cities he was received with the most flattering marks of public honour and distinction. After the necessary delay of a few days at Washington, General Harrison proceeded to Ohio, where important duties required his presence. In the plan for the ensuing campaign, to the surprise and regret of the public, General Harrison was designated for a service, far inferior to that which he had a right to expect. Regardless of the memorable victories which this gallant and experienced officer had won, and unmindful of the various and important services which he had rendered to his country, the Secretary of War saw fit to assign to him the command of a district, where he would be compelled to remain inactive, while others were appointed to those more arduous duties, which he had heretofore fulfilled with so much honour to himself, and to the nation. As if still unsatisfied with this egregious insult which he had offered to General Harrison, the secretary of ( 30 ) war, on the 25th of April, 1814, appointed a subordinate of- ficer to a separate command within his district, and notified him to that effect. On the receipt of this notification, General Harrison instantly addressed a letter to the secretary, tender- in