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111-on !■
adopted measures for the relief of
their friends in Natchez. This awful
calamity has created a sensation here
in New Orleans that will not soon be
forgotten.
’ MORfTvVHIG TESTIMON Y.
Let the reader hear in mind that the
Author of the following letter, Gover*
ior Duncan, of Illinois, it a decided
Whig:
Letter of Gen. Duncun, Gov • of Illinois.
“Washington City, March 25,1 HAG.
Dear Sir: Your letter of the 20th
has been received, and I most cheer
fully comply with your request, in
giving such an account of the transac
tions at Sandusky, as my memory, at
this period, and my time, will enable
me to do.
“About the 20th of July 1813,Gen
eral Hariison,then at Lower Sandusky
heaitng that the British army had
crossed Lake Erie, to Fort Meigs,
being about live thousand strong, im
mediately changed his head quarters
to Seneca, seven or eight miles up the
Sandusky river, where he assembled
his forces, then on the march from the
interior, leaving Major Croghan, with
about 150 men,to defend Fort Stephen
son, with an understanding, at the
time, that the fort, then in a weak and
wretched condition, wag to be aban
doned, should the enemy advance with
artillery, but if not, to be.defended to
the last extremity.
“Harrison, with his force,then small
had scarcely left us, before Croghan
commenced putting the fort (which was
only a stockading of small round logs,
and a few log store houses) in a proper
state of defence, in which he evinced
the most admirable judgment and the
most untiring perseverance.
“During the last ten or twelve days
that intervened between the time that
Gen. Harrison left us and the appear
ance of the enemy, a ditch was dug,
four feet deep and six feet wide,entire
ly round the fort,outside of the stockad
ing, the ground for 200 yards round
< the fort was cleared of timber and
brush, and many other preparations
made for the enemy.
“About this time Gen. Harrison re
ceived information tha* the enemy had
raired the siege at Ko; t Meigs, and had
started in the direction ol Sandusky
and Camp Seneca. On receiving this
intelligence he determined to letreat
from lus position, and immediately sent
an express to Fort Stephenson, which
arrived about sum-iae, ordering Maj.
Croghan to burp the fort, with all the
munitions and stores, end retreat without
delay to head quarters,giving also, some
precautionary instructions about the
route, &c.
“On receiving this order, Croghan
instantly placed it in the hands of the
officers, who were all present, and re
quired them to consider it and express
an opinion of the propriety of obeying
or disobeying it.—The board was
formed, and on putting the question,
beginning, as usual with the youngest
officer,it was ascertained that a majori
ty of us were for disobeying the order.
Croghan returned to the room, and
being informed of our directions,said,
u lam glad of it\ I had resolved to
pisobey at ALL hazards,” and imme
diately despatched an express to Gen.
Harrison, giving him that information.
Immediately on the arrival of this Ex
press Gen.* Harrison despatched Lt.
Col. Ball,with his squadron of dragoons
with orders to arrest Croghan, and bring
him to head quarters,(which was done,)
and sent another officer to take com
mand. By this time, in consequence
of his not arriving agreeably to his ex
pectations and orders, the General
abandoned all idea of a retreat, al
though his munitions and stores were
piled up ready to be set on tire as soon
as Croghan snould reach Seneca; and
it is not to be doubted that if Croghan
had arrived according to orders
Harrison would have re
treated instantly, leaving the whole
frontier, our fleet at Erie, end the
stores at Cleveland—the destruction
of which was the object of the invasion I
and movements down the lake— at the
mercy of the enemy ! ! !
“Alter being detained one night
Croghan returned to Sandusky, and
was reinstated in his command, an oc
casion which gave indescribable joy to
the officers and soldiers in the fort, and
which on'y could be equalled.in intern
sity of feeling, by the chagrin and
mortification felt at his arrest. Es
pecially was the event pleasing to
those officers who had sustained him
in disobeying the order, resolved as
they were, when he was arrested, to 1
shire his fate, be good or evil.
“Soon after his return, the enemy so
long-expected made his appearance, &
demanded a surrender. Croghan an
swered, by directing Ensign Shipp to
assure General Proctor that it would
be blown to fust.
“I need baldly say, after what has
been related, that their appearance,
* lieving us from our long suspense,
was hailed with seeming joy by the
Major, and most, if not all his. com
mand.
“The excitement produced by what
had occurred, and Ins return just in
lime to meet the enemy, inspired his
command with an enthusiasm rarely if
ever surpassed, and which alone ren
ders men invincible.
“The fort was forthwith besieged,
cannonaded, and bombarded, from the
gunboats and the batteries on land, for
nearly four hours, without cessation;
duiing all which time every oflkernnd
soldier appeared to be animated by
the cool and manly bearing of the,
commander.
“I well remember his expression at
the first sound of the bugle, given by 1
the enemy as the signal for thetharg- j
ing upon the woiks. We were silting !
together; he sprung upon his feet, say- ’
ing,‘Duncan, every man to his post,
for in twenty minutes they will attempt
to take us by storm. Recollect, when
you hear my voice crying relief, come
to me with all the men that can he
spared from your part of the line.”
He instantly parsed up the line,repeat
ing to every officer, and had scarcely
got the men in place before the whole
British army, divided into 3 columns
marched upon the fort, and made a
desperate assault, continuing it for
near an hour,when they were repulsed
with a loss of killed and wounded,
estimated at that lime to be near,
double the nnmber in the fort, and is
stated by English writers to be about
ninety.
“During the engagement, I saw
Croghan often and witnessed with de
light his intrepid and gallant conduct,;
which, I firmly believe, never has been
surpassed at any time, on any occasion.
“In the heat of the action, I fre
quently heard him exclaim, ‘huzza my
brave fellows, we are hewing them to
pieces; five minutes more, and we’ll
blow them to —. By M— n every
officer and soldier has immortalized
himself,” &c. And throughout the
whole affair, he evinced the greatest
solicitude for the safety of every one
but himself.
“The sagacity displayed in arrang
ing the cannon, so'as to open a mask
embrasure to rake the enemy in the
ditch, at a point evidently selected by
them for the breach—in placing the
logs on pins near the top of the picket,
which could be tilted off by one man,
and from twenty to thirty long,
of heavy timber, swept every thing
before them—his activity in piling
bags ol sand against the pickets
wherever the enemy attempted to
make a* breach with their cannon, by
which means each.point of attac k grew
stronger from the moment it was assail
ed, a. e worthy of any general of any
age.
“You are right,sir, in my judgment
in saying that the Government has not
done justice to Col. Croghan for his
conduct in that affair, which is without
a parallel in the military annals of our
country. ■*
“M’Affee, the historian of the late
war, and Dawson, the biographer of
Gen. Harrison, have studiously kept
out of view, that the object of (he in
vasion was (he destruction of our ships,
under Com. Terry, at Presque Isle,and
boats and stores at Cleave land these
were looked upon with solicitude by
the British—weie reconnoitered—and
on one or two occasions,were attempted
to be destroyed by landing on board
their fleet. They have also failed to
account foi the movement of the Brit
ish forces down the lake, in the direc
tion of Clcaveland and Erie, before
their defeat at Sandusky, which was
attacked to satisfy their Indian allies,
who demanded the scalps and plunder
of the place. They have kept out of
view the fact, that Gen. Harrison had
determined to retreat to the interior,
after burning all the supplies which
he had collected; OCT that he ordered
Major Croghan to abandon and burn
Fort Stephenson; that his refusal to
obey, isnd failure to arrive at head,
quarters, pre vented this retreat and I
consequent destruction of our fleet,
millions of public stores, and exposure,
ofsoo miles of frontier to the combined
enemy !
e**Both have stated that Gen. Harri- !
son never doubl'd that Major Croghan
would he able to repulse an enemy of
near two thousand and which (hey say
lie understood to be five thousand, with
one hundred and thirty men, his aflec-,
five force on the day of battle, one six
pouinder with ammunition for only
seven shots, and about forty rounds for
the small arms; when the fact was no-!
tcrious that General Harrison wa g
•heard to say duiing the siege, when
i the firing could be heard in his camp’
| speaking of Croghan, “the blood be on
• ha own head ; l wash my hands of it!!”
not doubting for a moment, nor did
any oue with him, that the garrison
would be cut off.—With great respect
your obedient servant,
JOSEPH DUNCAN.
Col. Preston, Military Com. Senate.”
from the Globe.
THE VICE PRESIDENCY.
The Convention friendly to the pres
ent Administration, which met at Balti
more on the sth of May, to recommend
candidates at the next election foi
President and Vice President, having
adjourned after declining to nominate
for the Vice Presidency, 1 consider
myself authorized to inteifere in that
question so far as I have been made
personally interested in it.
I The Union party in Georgia, which
did me the honor very unexpectedly,
jto make an unconditional nomination
of me for that office, last year, had the
kindness, in conformity to my wishes,
, to change that nomination into an ex
jpressionof preference, and to refer the
subject to the decision of those who
were expected,fairly representing their
political friends, to decide upon it.
No decision having been made, un
ion and concert of action are not now
to be anticipated. According to the
present stale of things, no friend of the
Administration can hope for an elec
tion by the people. The for
tunate can be thrown only high enough
on the electoral poll to secure the
chance of being chosen by the Senate.
Whoever succeeds, then, will occupy
his place with the perfect knowledge
| that lie owes his elevation to the par- j
| tialily of a fragment of his own parly, j
and holds it against the decision of a
majority of his fellow-citizens.
Withhold the sustaining power of;
public approbation,and the honor and !
emoluments of public office in all free!
countries, and particularly in this, are ;
but poor recompenses for the labor
performed, the reponsibilities incurred
and the gross misrepresentations inevit
ably encountered in fulfilling its duties.
During a large and not unsuccessful
public career, I have never yet been
placed in a situation to doubt that the
position 1 occupied was agreeable to
the wishes of the great majority of
those to whom belonged the right to
control it. I desire public station on
no other terms. Without denying to
the Union party in Georgia, or to any
other portion of my fellow-citizens, the
right to use my name, if, in their opin
ion, it will be beneficial to the public,
it will not be further mixed up in this
contest if mv wishes are respected.
While the contest continues, it would
be a source of vexation to me, and
I would be considered a success
ful result, if attainable, would utford
me no personal gratification.
JOHN FORSYTH.
From the Globe, Miy 1 1 .
To the Public. —Finding it impossi
ble,in consequence ofenfeebled health,
to perform the duties of Postmaster
General in a satisfactory manner, I
have lesigned that office, to take effect
as soon as my successor can be appoint
ed.
Not having been fortunate enough
to accumulate wealth in a public office
I am under the necessity of resorting
to 6uch private employment as is suit
ed to my strength and condition, for
the purpose of meeting the current ex
penses of a considerable family.
A few hours each day devoted to the
pen, leaving an abundance of time for
relaxation and exercise, I have found
by experience, for the excitement of
composition, to be rather conductive
to health than injurious; and this ir
the occupation, above all others, most
agreeable to my taste and my present
inclination.
Messrs. Blair and Rives have kindly
c fife red me the profits of suehsubenp |
tion to the Exit a Globe f<>r the present
season, as may be raised on my account
and I have consented to contribute ‘o
it until November next, if such a num
her of subset ihers shall be obtained as
will warrant that step.
lam the more inclined to this devo
tion of my time from a desire to pre
vent any misconstruction of the mo
i lives which have led to my resigna
tion. I wish to satisfy the whole world
that no dissatisfaction with the Presi
dent or his administration, no indisposi
tion to render it the utmost support in
my power, no distrust of its measures
or its designs, has had any effect in de
termining me to prefer a private to a
public station. On the contrary', my
confidence in the President, in his in
: tegiity, his principles, and his firmness
have increased from the day 1 was first
officially associated with him; my re
lations with every member of his Cabi
net have been uniformly of a most
friendly character, and my devotion to
the gieat measures which have been,
and still are sustained by the Admans
(ration, knows no abatement. The
leading principles avowed by the Pre
sident I look upon as essential to the
preservation of liberty and a Govern
merit of (hepeopl;: and if I had sup
pooed that my resignation could eu
danger Petr success, I should have
clung to office as I would to life.
A3 soon as the necessary arrange
ments are made, proposals, with a
more extended addreat,will be present
ed to the friends of the Administration.
AMOS KENDALL.
xMay 11,1810.
From tht Southern Banner.
GEN. HARRISON’S MILITARY
ACHIEVEMENTS.
The Whig partisans of Gen. Harri*
son, appear to rest their strongest
hopes of his succeeding to the Presi
dency,upon the evidence,they endeavor
to adduce in support of his claim to the
title of a military hero. And in produc
ing this evidence, they are by no means
scrupulous as to the source from whhh
they derive it,or whether it agiees with
or falsifies authentic history. Notwith
standing their horror heretofore of mili
tary cheiftains—notwithstanding they
would a few years since, have prefered
“war, pestilence and femine,” to the
elevation of a military man to the Pres
idency, all their energies are now di
rected to prove that Gen. Harrison
was an able General, and will conse
quently make a good President. Al
though we are not among those who be
lieve that a military man cannot pos
sess civil qualifications in an eminenl
degree,as did Gen. Jackson, yet we
I have never considered that mere mill
jtary services or capacity, ought to en
title any one to a high civil station,
j Hence, were the Whigs able to show
j their candidate to be the greatest Gen
! eral of the age, we should contend that
he must possess sound political princi
ples and great capacity as a statesman
I before he should claim or be entitled
|to the suffrage of the people. But it
happens, unfortunately for them, that
the reputation of their favorite as a
warrior, is not so transcendantly brilli
ant as they effect to believe. His ca
pacity even in (his respect, has been
questioned, not only since he became
the Whig candidate for President, but
before an aspiration so high, probably
entered his mind or that of any of his
friends. We would not pluck from his
brow one well earned laurel: we
would not detract from him one iota ol
the commendation he deserves; but
when his exploit are so magnified by
the partialities of Federal whiggery;
when he is attempted to be proven to
be so much the superior of a Washing
ton and Jackson, and even ofan Alex
ander and a Bonaparte, it becomes the
duty of those wfe© have some regard for
the reputation of our other great com
manders, which is in danger of being
eclipsed by the newly discovered fame
ol Gen. Harrison, to place him in his
true light before the people. This
we shall endeavor briefly to do.
The battle of Tippecanoe is the one
from which the General obtained his
name, and one probably m which he
saw harder fighting than it was ever
his lot to witness on any other occasion.
This wag an Indian battle, and happen
ed in the year 1811. He had been
sent to procure redress for injuries
done by the Sli.iwanese Indians, to the
white inhabitants in their neighbor
hood. It is unnecessary to give an ac
count of the march of his troops—it is
to be found in every history of the Uni
ted Slates; and that, as well as the in
cidcnts connected with (lie battle, an
piobably familiar to the reader. The
error he has been accused ofcommit
ting, was in permitting the Indians to
select his camping ground on the night
of the bhltle. This has been strenuous
ly denied, and some, (at least our
“Whig” neighbor,in their anxiety to
defend him, declare that the Indians
could not have known where he encamp
ed, although they found and attacked
him before morning?
To rebut thesd Whig declarations on
this point, we would refer to Ramsay’s
History of the United Stales, vol. 3
page 143, where the historian, in giv- J
ing an account of the battle, says, “'/’Ac:
army was encamped upon the ground that
had been designated by the Indians .”
But if this is not deemed proof enough
let us hear Geneial Harrison himself.
In a report of the battle, written elev
en days after it occured, we have proof
positive of the correctness of the charge
against him, under iiis own hand. We
make the following extract from his
report:
“During the whole of the last
day’s inarch, parties of Indians weie
constantly about us, and every ef
fort was made by the interpreters to
speak to them, hot in vain-—new
attempts of the kind were now made
hut proving equally mffectual, a
Captain Dubois, of the spies and
guards, offering to go with a flag to
the town, I dispatched him with an
j mtepreter to request a conference
with the prophet— in a few moments
u inos-ojo was scut by Cupt. Dubois
to inform me ihntin his attempts to*
advance, the Imans appeared in
both his flanks an although he had
spoken to them i the most friendly
manner they refued to answer, but
beckoned to him o go forward and
constantly endevoting to cut him
off fiom the amy. Upon this in
formation, I realled the captain,
and determine* to encamp for the
night and take ome other measures
for opening the conference with the
prophet. Whie 1 was engaged in
tracing the liies for the encamp
ment, Maj. Da tes, who commanded
the dragoons, eme up to inform ine
that he had peietrated to the Indian
fields, that the ground was entirely
open & favonble— that the Indians
in front had mmifested nothing hut
hostility, and had answered
attempt to briig them to a parley
with contemp and insolence. It
was immediately advised by all the
officers around me to move forwaiAjiil
A similar wish indeed, pervaded un|n
the army—itwis drawjv“%Jn excel
lent order and every appeared
eager to decide the contest imme
mediately.
We had not advanced above four
hundred yards, when 1 was informed
that three Indians had approached
the advance guard and had expres*
sed a wish to speak o me. I iound
upon their arrival that one of them
was a man in great estimation with
the lie informed me that
the chiefs were much surprised 1 1
my advancing upon them so rapidly
—that they were given to understand
by the Delewars and Miamies whom
I had sen! to them a few days before
that I would not advance to their
town, until 1 hud received an answer
to my demands made through them.
I answered that I had no intention
of attacking them until I discovered
that they would not comply with the
demand which I had made—that I
would go on and encamp at the
Wabash, and in the morning would
have an interview with the prophet
and his chiefs,and to explain to them
the determination of the President
that in the mean time no hostilities
should ho committed.
1 informed him that rry object for
the present was to procure a good
piece of ground to encamp on, where
we could get wood &l water—-he in
formed me theie was a creek to the
northwest which he thought would
suit our purposes. * * * I found
the ground destined for the encamp
ment not altogether such as I could
wish it—it was indeed admirably
calculated for the encampment of
regular troops thut were opposed to
tegulars, but it afforded great facili
ty to the approach of savages. It
was a piece of dry oak land, rising
about ten feet above the level of the
mat shy prairie in front (U>w..r.!
the Indian town,) and neatly twice
that height above a similar prairie
in the rear, thro’ which, and near to
this bonk ran a small stream clothed
with willows und other brush wood.
Towards the left lank this bench of
highland widened considerably, but
became gradually narrower in the
opposite direction,and at the distance
of one hundred and fifty yards from
the right flank, terminated in the
übrupl point.”
Here we have the General’s ad’
mission, that although the Indians
“manifested nothing but hostility,”
he yet allowed them to select the
ground for his encampment; and
giound too,whichfhe saysjiimself,“af
forded great facility to the approach
of savages.” The savages did ap
proach, and in the encounter, we had
62 killed and 126 wounded, while
the Indians left from 36 to 40 dead
| upon the field. Then General had
more than 700 men engaged in tha
battle, while the Indian force was
450 or 500. yv&a this a great vic
tory? Was glory enough acquired in
it, to entitle the commander to the
Presidency If the Gen. had been well
acquainted with the Indian character
when he had arrived at the prophet’s
, town,with an army burning to < ngage
the enemy he would have proceed
! ed at once to execute the obji ct of his
missions. He would have n ade his
demands forthwith and compelled tl.o
Indians to yield to them, or chastised
them on the spot. He certainly show
ed very poor talent at generalship,in
adopting the course he did. Would
Jackson oi Gaines have done so,
think you readei? Would they have
confided in savages, distinguished a*
they are for treachery? No one will
believe it for a moment; and no
candid man can award the meed of
talent, prudence or sagacity to Gen.
Harrison iu this utTuir.
