J2S A SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES WILLIAM H. HARBISON, COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE NORTH WESTERN ARMY, DURING THE WAR OF 1812, &c. HARTFORD: PRINTED BY J. B. ELDREDGE. 1840. A SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OP WIL.L.IAM H. HARRISON, COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE NORTH WESTERN ARMY, DURING THE WAR OF 1812, &c. HARTFORD: PRINTED BY J. B. ELDREDGE, 1840. WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON THE prominent position now occupied by General Harrison before the American people, renders it peculiarly proper that a brief sketch of his life and public services should be laid before his fellow-citizens ; for although his public acts, both in a civil and military capacity, have been tor the lasting glory and honor of our whole country, yet in consequence of his having resided for the greater part of his life among the patriotic and chivalric inhabitants of the Western States, they are more fa miliar with his history than those who reside in the East and North. It was this acquaintance with the man, or rather to make use of the endearing appellation by which he has been universally known it was this acquaintance with the Wash ington of the West, that has there produced such a general and ardent feeling in his favor ; that the people have, in despite of party dictation, borne him triumphantly along, for the highest office in their gift, until there is now no doubt but be will be elected by a most decisive majority. It will be apparent that our efforts to compress the materials of his eventful life, in the compass of a few pages, has com pelled us to omit all those minute illustrations of particular tacts, which have in, reality given to his life all the beauty of romance. To see a youth of eighteen years of age, leaving his kindred, and friends, and paternal roof, and inspired by a lofty patriotism, marching into the savage wilderness, and bat tling with the enemies of his country ; and then in 8 few years to find him in the councils of the nation, exerting himself to promote the civil institutions he had so gallantly defended in the field; and then again leading the armies of our country to victory at the dreadful midnight conflict of Tippccanoc, and at the hard-fought siege of Fort Mcigs, and the still more brilliant victory of the Thames, togetlier opens a field for meditation, which it is impossible to express in the few pages we have devoted to the history of his life. To have pursued a subject of this kind in all its details, would have been grate ful to our feelings, but the brevity of our plan will forbid it. We must leave the reader to fill up for himself the many omis sions we are compelled to make. M179657 We ought to state that this compilation is principally taken from the valuable and authentic history of Me Affee on the late Avar, and from the excellent biographical works of Dawson and Judge Hall. William Henry Harrison was born in Virginia on 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 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 ener 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 Hampdcn 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 northwestern 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 ruthlqps 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 iocs. Our northwestern 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- pressiy to chastise these savages, had been signally defeated by them, and almost annihilated. Of the few experienced officers, who escaped from Harmer s defeat, nearly all, worn out with the fatigues of a service so harrassing, and shrinking from a warfare of so dangerous and barbarous a nature, had re signed 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 1 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, when only eighteen years of age ; and hastened immediately to join his regiment, which w r as 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. Glair s army was destroyed, with the loss of nearly a thousand men, killed or taken prisoners, left the whole of our northwestern 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 sum mer of 1792; and in the ensuing month of November, the} left that place, and went into winter quarters, at Legion ville. en 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 attract ed 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, at the age of nineteen. We have entered thus minutely into this detail, because we wish to point out at how early an age, and in what trying 6 limes, young Harrison was thought worthy of honorable dis tinction. Lieutenant Harrison acted as aid to General Wayne during the whole of the ensuing campaigns ; and his bravery and gallant conduct throughout were such, that he was repeatedly officially noticed in term sof 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 In dians, 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 c.lose of this war, were extinguished what may be considered the last embers of our revolutionary struggle. In his despatch to the. Secretary of War, after this decisive victory, General Wayne, in mentioning those w r hose good conduct made them conspicuous on this occasion, says " My faithful ami gallant aids-de-camp, Captains De Butts and T. Lewis, and LIEUTEA- V.\T HARRISON, with the Adjutant-general, Major Mills, ren dered 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 commission 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, 1 797, 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 Northwestern territory ; which then embraced the whole ex tent of our country lying Northwest of the Ohio river thus receiving his first civil appointment in that part of our coun try which he had periled his life to defend. While in this station, he entered so warmly into the inter ests of the people, and his intelligence and the kindness and urbanity 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 ?i!Vft jBrlff IU I . >J5 i B "/HBO V< ) JO him their first delegate to Congress. Mr. Harrison was, at this time, about twenty-six years of age. He took his scat in the House of Representatives, at the first session of the sixth Congress, in December, 1 799. 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 ot 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 greatly retarded. Fully 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 ap pointed 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 ac tual settlers. This masterly report, which was the joint pro duction 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 states man. The bill was carried triumphantly in the House, and finally, after some amendments, passed the Senate. The re sult 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 sect- 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 oi" purchase money required to be paid, they were now within the reach of nearly all the poor 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. Thou sands 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 \ve may justly consider this happy result, which Mr. Harrison was so instru mental iii producing, as one of the leading causes of the rapid settlement and prosperity of our Western country. In the year 1800, the Northwestern 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 Northwest 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, pru dence, and capacity for civil government. The extent of Indiana was almost boundless. The small population it then contained \vas 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 9 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 neighbors, 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 pow er 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 princely fortune ; but the scrupulous sense of honor, 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 pecul iar 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 tempta tions. In 1803, Mr. Jefferson appointed Governor Harrison sole " commissioner to enter into any treaties which may be neces sary with any Indian tribes, Northwest of the Ohio, and with in the territory of the United States, on the subject of their boundaries or lands." By virtue of this, or a similar authori ty, during the subsequent course of his administration, Harri son effected thirteen important treaties with the different 10 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 em bracing 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 eveiy 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 Gov ernor 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 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 of 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 follow ing extract from the resolution, unanimously passed by the House of Representatives of Indiana, in the year 1809, re questing the re-appointment of Governor Harrison, will show the estimate which a long acquaintance had taught them ot his worth: " They (the House of Representatives) cannot forbear re commending to, and requesting of, the President and Senate, most earnestly in their own names, and in the names of their constituents, the re-appointment of their present Governor. William Henry Harrison because he possesses the good wishes and affections of a great majority of his fellow-citizens ; because they believe him sincerely attached to the Union, the prosperity of the United States, and the administration of its government; because they believe him in a superior degree capable of promoting the interests of our territory; from 11 long experience and laborious attention to its concerns, from his influence over the Indians, and wise and disinterested man agement of that department ; and because they have confi dence 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 1S05, 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 dis turbances on the frontiers of Indiana. Tecumthe was a bold and daring warrior ; sagacious in council and formidable in bat tle. 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 Northwestern 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 designs 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 neighbors 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 bors, 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 for- 12 eign 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 integ rity 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 accounts of the perpetration of those atrocious deeds of dep redation and murder, which always give the first intimation of a savage war. From motives of humanity as well as policy. Governor Harrison had always endeavored 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 inarch 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 regu lars and militia in the Indian mode of warfare, he took up his line of march towards the Prophet s tow r n. He left Fort Harrison, on the Wabash, about sixty miles above Vincennes, on the 28th of October, 1811. Profiting by his own early experience, [this was seventeen years after the battle of Miami,] 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- 13 dent, Governor Harrison immediately sent in a flag of truce, t endeavor 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 definitely the terms of peace. But Harrison knew too well the treachery of his artful antagonist to allow himself to be deceived by his specious professions, 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 folio wing 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 valor 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 flight, with great loss, and the battle terminated. During ! all this time, the false Prophet had been seated at a safe dis- j tance from the field of battle, chanting a war-song, and prom- i ising 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. I 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 14 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 Harris on, on this occasion, we cannot refrain from making the fol lowing extracts from a journal published in 1816, by a private soldier, who fought in this battle, and \vho 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 distinguished, giving his orders in the same calm, cool, and col lected manner, with w r hich we had been used to receive them on drill or parade. The confidence of the troops in the Gen eral was unlimited." The same writer, in speaking of Harris on s kindness to the soldiers, and his influence over them, re marks : " He appeared not disposed to detain any man against his inclination; being endowed by nature with a heart as hu mane 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 Govern or s marquee, under very suspicious circumstances. lie 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 induce himself to sign the order for his execution. As the criminal attempt had been made against his own life, he felt himself 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 accord ance with the principles of strict justice, to have allowed the law to take its own course in this instance; but the circum stances of the case were very peculiar, and Governor Harris on s conduct evinced a magnanimity and humanity of heart rarely equalled. The importance of the victory at Tippecanoe, cannot be too 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 destroy ing our scattered border settlements in detail. Had we lost this battle, our army 15 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 honorable mention of this battle : "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 9th ult., Congress will see, with satisfaction, the dauntless spirit and fortitude victoriously displayed by every description of troops engaged, as well as the collected tirmness which distinguished their commander, on an occasion requiring the utmost exertion of valor 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 high encomium came from those whose friends and neighbors 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 Britian in June, 1812. Prior to this event, British agents had, for a long time, been tampering 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 one*- more in the field. Urged on by his savage eloquence, by their own native love for war and plunder, and by the atrocious in trigues of foreign agents, the Northwestern Indians again rais ed the war-whoop, and commenced their barbarous system of warfare. Their cruel murders and depredations became of frequent occurrence, and the wailings of bereaved mothers and orphans, and the bitter complaints of those who had esca ped from the conflagration of their plundered homes, excited the commiseration of our hardy borderers, and roused a gen- noij^irqoq B m i>r/ojn ffoertisll 16 cral 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 Gov ernors promptly adopted every measure in their power, for the defence of their respective States and Territories. But, conscious 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 honors. These public marks of the high estimation in which Harrison was held by the people, were shortly after followed by proofs st ll 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 des tined to march to the aid of their fellow-countrymen on the frontier, than they at once unanimously expressed the most earnest desire 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 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 Clay, and other distinguished citizens of the State ; and by their unanimous advice he gave Harrison a brevet commission of Major-General in the Kentucky mili tia, 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 satis faction to both soldiers and citizens, and one fully warranted by the peculiar exigencies of the case. These facts speak volumes in favor of the remarkable popularity which General Harrison enjoyed in a population of brave and chivalric people. About this time the cowardice ami 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 ar duous nature of Governor Harrison s duties. He immediately organized the brave troops under his command, and commen ced 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, Harris on 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 was an. old revolutionary soldier, and a brave and meritorious officer ; but one who was not, like Harrison, possessed of the enthusiastic confidence of the army. Governor Harrison exerted every effort in his power to recon cile the troops to this change. But soon after he left them, their displeasure at having been deprived of their favorite commander was not confined to murmurs, but created disaffec tion and almost mutiny. No sooner was the President made aw^are 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 Northwestern army. The despatch conveying this appointment, overtook him on his way to Indiana, and he returned without delay to the army. The powers conferred on Harrison, as commander-in-chief of the Northwestern 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 September 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 almost unlimited powers. We refer to this, merely that we may here notice the remarkable fact, that, though vested with unusual powers, General Harrison was never known, during the whole of his command, to exercise his authority in 2 19 an unjust or oppressive manner. His measures were ener getic, but always qualified by his characteristic moderation and humanity, and by a regard for the feelings of even the meanest soldier 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, \vere 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 unfavorable circumstances, l*e was required to defend an immense extent of frontier, stretch ing along the shores of the great northern lakes, whose nu merous harbors 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 hundreds of miles, through a wilderness swarming with hos tile Indians, and through gloomy and dangerous swamps, where the troops, though little encumbered with baggage, could advance but slowly, and with great fatigue. Under all these difficulties, the spirits of the soldiers were sustained by the presence and example of their favorite commander who animated 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, consist ing of a detachment of six hundred men, under Lieut. Colonel Campbell, was sent by General Harrison against a fortified Indian village, from which our troops had suffered nruch an noyance. This enterprise \vas conducted with great skill and success. The village \vas 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 gallant troops the high meed of praise which their bravery had won, he goes on to say, " But the character of this gal lant- detachment, exhibiting as it did, perseverence, fortitude. 19 and bravery, would, however, be incomplete, if, in the midst of victory, 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 tho warriors who ceased to resist ; and that even when vigor ously 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 mur- dured innocence be opened in the records of heaven, against our enemies alone. The American soldier will follow the ex ample of his government ; 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 atrocous conduct of the British General, Proctor who, at the cruel massacre at Rasin River, and elesewhere, basely permitted unresisting prisoners of v*ar 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 Mairni, near the rapids, which was called Camp Meigs,.in honor of the patriotic governor of Ohio. Leaving the army at that station, General Harrison proceeded to Cincinnati, to procure reinforcements of men, arid 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 has tened to his camp, and exerted the most strenuous efforts, to prepare for this threatened attack of the enemy. His pre sence cheered the troops, and he inspired them with fresh ar dor, on the approach of the enemy, by an eloquent address, in which he alluded modestly, but in the most animating man ner, to the neighboring 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, 181<3, the scouts brought in intelli gence of the arrival of the enemy. On the samo day, a strong force of British and Indians ascended the river in boats,, and! disembarked, partly on the southeastern shore, and part- 20 Jy n 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 con summate skill and bravery. On the first of May, the batteries of the enemy being com pleted, they opened a heavy cannonading, w T hich was return ed with equal vigor from the Fort. This connonading 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 Kentuck- ians, under General Clay, fought their way to the camp ; and Harrison availing himself of this fortunate occurrence, prompt ly ordered a sortie to be made from the Fort to destroy the batteries of the enemy. The detachment ordered to this ser vice, consisted of three hundred and fifty men, a part of whom were regulars, 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 se vere struggle, they drove the enemy from the batteries. They spiked the cannon, took a large number of prisoners, and hav ing fully accomplished their object, returned in triumph to the. Fort. This sortie was one of the most sanguinary and des perate actions fought during the whole war and its brilliant success was richly merited, by the intrepid gallantry of the brave troops engaged in it. 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 im portant 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 <iege of Fort Meigs had been abandoned, the Indians assem- 21 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 expos ed frontier. About the period when the enemy invested Fort Meigs for the second time, they mad9 a desperate attack on Fort Ste- phcnson, a temporary depot at Lower Sandusky, which was bravely and successfully defended by Major Croghan, of the regular service. We lay 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 offi cers 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 correct his opinion in the school of experience. "On a review of the course then adopted, we are decided ly 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 acquies cence, beyond the mere claims of military duty, we are pre pared to obey a general, whose measures meet our most delib erate approbation, and merit that of his country." The chivalrous and noble spirited Croghan, who was one of the signers of the above address, about the same time publish ed another paper on this subject, dated from Lower Sandus ky, in which he says : "I have with much regret seen in some of the public prints such misrepresentations respecting my re fusal to evacuate this post, as are calculated not only to injure me in the estimation of military men, but also to excite unfa- 22 \orable impressions as to the propriety of General Harrison s conduct relative to this affair. "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 of its propriety. The measures recently adopted by him, so far from deserving censure, are the clearest proofs of his keen penetration and able generalship" Disappointed in their hopes of plunder, and dispirited by the numerous defeats they had sustained, the savage allies of the British had become discontented f the second siege of Fort 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 humbled 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 territory. He immediately commenced preparations for car rying the war into their own conntiy, 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 co-incidence, that gallant hero gained his glorious vic tory 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 upon the Canada shore, they found that Proctor, dis heartened 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 33 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 des tined to be remembered, as the battle ground of one of the most remarkable -and decisive actions fought during the war. 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 of three or four feet from each other. The American army advanced in order of battle, and when in the immediate neighborhood of the enemy, the reconnoi- tering parties brought in intelligence of the dispositions Proctor had made. Harrison, with the rapid decision of an able gene ral, 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- fended and weakened line of the enemy could offer but a feeble resistence to the charge of these gallant troops ; who dashed through their ranks with overwhelming impetuosity, and formed 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 In dians attacked our troops on the left, and fought with great fierceness and daring, until repulsed with great slaughter. The decisive and important battle was thus fought and won, in a space of time almost incredibly short, and with a very tri fling loss 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 of 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. -%> **. !J:<-: < ; - fj J>v?nioqa;, t M8i <lhqA lo ilJoS 3iij no t i 24 The united force of the Bitish regulars and Indians engag- ged in this battle, amounted to more than 2800 the number of our troops was less than 2500 and those were principally militia and volunteers. The venerable Governor Shelby com manded the Kentucky volunteers in this battle, and General Cass, our present Minister to France, 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 gaflfatt Perry, entirely destroyed the force of the enemy in Upper Canada, and put an end to the war on our northwestern frontier. On receiving the news of this glorious event, the thanks oi 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 observ ed, on the floor of Congress, that -"The victory of Harrison was such as would have secured to a Roman general in the best days of the Republic, the honors of a triumph." A sen timent 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 thithe, he passed through New T -York and Philadelphia; in which cities he was received with the most flattering marks of public honor 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 war, on the 25th of April, 1814, appointed a subordinate of- 25 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 ing his resignation, with a notification thereof to the president. " As soon as Governor Shelby heard of the resignation of Ge neral Harrison, he lost no time in addressing the president in his usual forcible terms, to prevent his acceptance of it ; but unfortunately for the public interests, the president was then on a visit to Virginia, to which place the letters from General Harrison and Governor Shelby were forwarded, and that of the latter was not received until after the Secretary ,Armstrong, without the precious consent of the president, had assumed to himself the high prerogative of accepting the resignation. The president expressed his great regret that the letter of Governor Shelby had not been received earlier, as in that case the valu able services of General Harrison would have been preserved to the nation in the ensuing campaign."* In this resignation, General Harrison evinced the true patri otism and disinterestedness, which have always marked his conduct. He would cheerfully have devoted his services to his country, even in an appointment inferior to that which should have been assigned to him but he was too high-prin cipled to retain his rank, by yielding assent to a measure, which he considered to be subversive of military order and discipline ; and though his own fortune had been shattered by the neglect of his private affairs, for the benefit of the public, yet he scorn ed to receive the pay and emoluments of his office, when he was no longer permitted to perform its duties actively and hon ourably. It would be difficult, at this period, to trace out the true motives that induced the secretary of war to the unjustifiable course he pursued in this affair. But some knowledge of those events of the war in which he bore a part, with a little insight into human nature, w r ould suggest that the leading causes which prompted him, were the envy and jealousy, which a narrow- minded man would naturally teel, on contrasting his own feeble efforts, and abortive attempts, with the consummate skill, the brilliant victories, and the almost uniform successes of another. That he had acted in an arbitrary and unwarrantable manner, was afterwards clearly proved. And in the investigation * Dawson. 26 which took place in Congress in the winter of 1816-17, it be* came so evident that General Harrison had been treated with great injustice by the war department, that a resolution giving him a gold medal and the thanks of Congress, was passed, with but one dissenting voice in both houses of Congress. The leading events in the campaigns of 1812-13, the gal lant defence of Fort Meigs, and the decisive victory of tlie Thames, are lasting memorials of General Harrison s military genius. Yet, for these isolated actions, he deserves far less praise than for the skilful operations, and the Fabian policy, which led to these and other successes. The prudent care and indefatigable exertions, by which he provided for his army in a wild and devastated country the promptness and unwearied activity, with which he met and defeated the schemes of his an tagonists and the admirable skill, with which he held in check an enemy far superior in numbers, and with a small force pro tected an extended line of frontier, and guarded the lives and property of thousands of his fellow citizens, betokened a gen ius of the highest order, with a vigorous mind constantly on the alert. Soon after his resignation, in the summer of 1814, Mr. Mad ison evinced his unabated confidence in the abilities and integ rity of General Harrison, by appointing him to treat with the Indians, in conjunction with his old companions in arms Gov ernor Shelby and General Cass. And in the following year, he was placed at the head of another commission, appointed to treat w T ith the northwestern tribes. The advantageous treaties made in both these cases, afforded new instances of the unfailing success, that has always attended General Har rison s negotiations with the Indians. In 1810, he was elected, by a large majority, a member of the House of Representatives in Congress, from Ohio. In this station he served, greatly to his own honor, and to the: satisfaction of his constituents, until 1819 ; when, on the expi ration of his term of service, he was chosen to the Senate of the State Legislature. In 1824, he was elected a Senator of the United States from Ohio. While serving in this high station, he commanded uni versal respect. His views as a statesman were liberal and ex tended, his remarkable readiness in debate soon rendered him a prominent member, and the nervous and impassioned e.k>~ 27 qucncc, and classical felicity of illustration with which he en forced his arguments, gained him much influence. In 1828. he was appointed by Mr. Adams Envoy Extraor dinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Colom bia. He accepted this appointment, and repaired, without delay, to the scene of his duties, where he was received with every demonstration of respect. He found this unhappy country in a deplorable condition the people ignorant of their rights, and almost in a state of anarchy, and Bolivar apparent ly about to assume the despotic power of a military dictator. Shocked at this state of things, with the frankness of an old soldier, he wrote his celebrated letter to Bolivar, from which, as we have not space for the whole letter, we take the liberty of quoting the following extracts : "I contend," said General Harrison, "that the strongest of all governments is that which is most free. We consider that of the United States as the strongest, precisely because it is the most free. It possesses the faculties, equally to protect it self from foreign force, or internal convulsion. In both it has been sufficiently tried. In no country on earth would an armed opposition to the laws be sooner or more effectually put down. Not so much from the terrors of the guillotine and the gibbet,, as from the aroused determination of the nation, exhibiting their strength, and convincing the factious that their cause was hopeless." * * * * "In bestowing the palm of merit, the world has become wiser than formerly. The successful warrior is no longer re garded as entitled to the first place in the temple of fame. Talents of this kind have become too common, and too often used for mischievous purposes, to be regarded as they once were. In this enlightened age, the mere hero of the field, and the successful leader of armies, may, for the moment, attract attention. But it will be such as is bestowed on the passing meteor, whose blaze is no longer remembered, when it is no longer seen/ To be esteemed eminently great, it is necessary to be eminently good. The qualities of the hero and the gen eral must be devoted to the advantage of mankind, before he will be permitted to assume the title of their benefactor ; and the station which he will hold in their regard and affections will depend, not upon the number and splendor of his victo ries, but upon the results and the use he may make of the in fluence he acquires from them." 28 "If the fame of our Washington depended upon his military achievements, would the common consent of the world allow him the pre-eminence he possesses ? The victories at Trenton, Monmouth, and York, brilliant as they were, exhibiting as they certainly did the highest grade of military talents, are scarcely thought of. The source of the veneration and esteem which is entertained for his character, by every description of politicians, the monarchist and aristocrat, as well as the republican, is to be found in his undeviating and exclusive devotedness to the interest of his country. No selfish consideration was ever suffered to intrude itself into his mind. For his country he conquered ; and the unrivalled and increasing prosperity of that country is constantly adding fresh glory to his name." We regret that our limits will not permit us to insert the whole of this vigorous and beautiful production. But the few passages we have quoted, contain a fair specimen of the noble sentiments which characterize this letter, and give evidence of the pure republican principles, which have ever distinguished this eminent statesman. General Harrison remained in Colombia but a short time, having been recalled by General Jackson, soon after he came into power. Smce his return from this mission, he has lived in compara tive retirement, in Ohio, the state of his adoption. With the most enticing opportunities of accumulating wealth, during his long government of Indiana, and superintendency of Indian affairs, he acquired none ; his honest and scrupulous integrity was proof against the golden temptations. His time and best energies were devoted to the service of his country, and his own interests were ever, with him, a secondary consideration. He therefore retired without the spoils of office, and with on ly a competency barely sufficient for his support ; but rich in a reputation undimmed by a single tarnish, and in the honor and respect of all his fellow citizens. General Harrison is now sixty six years of age ; (about six years younger than President Jackson ;) but such have been the activity and temperate habits of his past life, that he enjoys his moral and physical energies in remarkable vigor. In per son he is tall and thin ; his features are irregular, but his eyes are dark, keen and penetrating ; his forehead is expansive ; his mouth peculiarly indicative of firmness and genius ; and his countenance is highly expressive of intelligence and benevo- 29 lonce. His manners are plain, frank and unassuming, and his disposition is cheerful, kind and generous, almost to a fault. In his private intercourse, he is beloved and esteemed by all who know him. In the various civil and military offices he has held, he has always been moderate and forbearing, yet firm and true to his trust. No other commander has ever been more popular with our militia, and the true secret of this can not be better explained than by his own reply, when asked how he had gained his influence : "By treating them" said he, "with affection and kindness, by always recollecting that they were my fellow citizens, whose feelings I was bound to respect; and by sharing with them, on every occasion, the hardships which they were obliged to undergo." Jn the republican institutions of our country, birth and pa rentage are comparatively of very little impartance ; and no candidate for public favour can found thereon the slightest claim to the respect or support of his fellow citizens. We have happily shaken off the the thralling prejudices of the old world, and a title to office and honorable distinction is not with us hereditary ; but every man must earn his own good name, and his claim to the favor of the people, by his own good deeds. Yet, aware, as every one must be, of the power ful influence of early education, it is worthy of remark, as well as gratifying to know, that a candidate for public office, in whom we feel an interest, passed all the early years of his life with the brightest examples constantly before him ; and under the parental tuition of one of those illustrious patriots, whose memory is revered by every true-hearted American. It is pleasing to know, that his first political sentiments were imbib ed in a school of the purest republican principles. And when we trace up the career of this individual, from the spring-time of his youth, to the summer of his manhood and to the early autumn of his years, and see those principles closely adhered to throughout, we can scarcely resist the conviction, that his future course will be consistent with the past ; and that, with matured abilities, he will be still more conspicuous for his re publican principles, his moderation in office, his firm integrity, and his extended and enlightened views as a statesman. Such were the early advantages of William Henry Harrison ; such has been his course thus far through life ; and such is now the bright promise, to a realization of which we may safely look forward, should the people see fit to place him in office. 30 The friends of General Harrison found no claim on his mil itary services. His own sentiments on this subject we have already quoted ; and his friends would scorn, as much as ho would, any attempt to dazzle a single one of his follow citizens by the glory of his military renown, brilliant though it be. They would rather point to his numerous civil services, in the forty years he has devoted to his country ; to the various and im portant offices he has so ably filled in the territorial govern ments, in the Legislature of his own state, and in the House of Representatives and Senate of the United States ; and to the high order of abilities displayed in his speeches in Congress, in his public acts, and in his voluminous public correspondence. And we here take occasion to say, that all his letters and pub lic papers have been exclusively written by himself; and that so far from his having called in the mental aid of another, to prepare his messages and despatches, as some of our distin guished men have condescended to do, he has never even em ployed an amanuensis, to perform the manual labor of his correspondence. His ruling principles through life, appear to have been, an ardent love for his country, and an earnest desire to serve her best interests ; with a devotion to the pure republican maxims of the Revolution, always unwavering and consistent : unlike the schem ng politicians of a more modern school, whose o\vn interest is the polar star that guides them, whatever may betide their country. With tried patriotism, with abilities of the highest order, with integrity pure as the unsullied snow, and with the truest republican principles, William Henry Harrison is now before his fellow citizens, as a candidate for the highest office in their gift. In the long course of his public life, he has always been a staunch advocate of popular rights, and is therefore truly the candidate of the people. He comes before them, not with a crowd of pampered and still-grasping officials to in trigue and bribe for him, but with the noble frankness of an hon orable and high minded man, willing and desirous to be judged impartially by his fellow citiz.ers, arcl rcndy to ab^de by their he-nest decision. 31 GENERAL HARRISON. At the la te enthusiastic public meeting in the city of New- York, to respond to the Ilarrisburg nominations, which was attended by an immense concourse of people, the following appropriate tribute to the Civilian and Soldier, HARRISON, was read to the meeting, from his friend and neighbor Na thaniel G. Pendleton of Ohio, who was in the city, but pre vented from illness from attending the meeting. Let the Farmers and yeomanry of Connecticut read it. * L/UFA YETTE PLACE, N. Y. DeC. 12, 1830. I regret exceedingly that a cold which confines me to the house, will deprive me of the pleasure of meeting the Whigs of New- York, this evening, at the National Hall ; and express ing to them in person, the gratification with which the Whigs of Ohio will learn of the enthusiasm and unanimity with which the nomination of General Harrison has been received and responded to here. General Harrison s life from the early age of nineteen, has been spent ia the West, then a vast and unbroken wilderness ; and there his talents and services are known and appreciated. There is no important event connected with its early history, or subsequent advancement, with which his name has not been identified. At the age of nineteen he received his first commission from General Washington; he was aid-de-Camp to General Wayne whoee sagacity in discovering military talent was never at fault. After five or six year s service he resigned his corn- mission, and was appointed Secretary of the North Western territory, and during the absence of General St. Clair, which was almost continual, he acted as Governor. From this same territory in 1799 he was appointed delegate to Congress, and there introduced and carried through a law for the sub-divis ion of the public lands, by reducing the surveys from 4000 to 1GO acre tracts. This law, I have no doubt, has made more people happy than any other single act of any other public man, as it placed in the power of every man to become, a freeholder. In 1801, he was appointed by Mr. Jefferson, Go vernor of Indiana, and continued in that office till 1812, when he was appointed by Mr. Madison, Maj. General in the army of the United States. After two years service, he a second time resigned his commission. After the war he represented his 32 district in the House of Representatives, and his State in the Senate of the United States. By Mr. Adams he was appoint ed Minister to Columbia; since that period, 1829, a scientific and practical farmer, he has resided on his farm, dependent al together upon its produce for the support and education of a numerous family. You will perceive from this brief sketch, that General Har rison is now in his 67th year, and that of those about eight, years only have been spent in the camp. Up wards of thirty years have been devoted to the civil service of his country. lie has frequently been elected by the people to the State Legislature and to Congress, and has received important public appointments from General Washington, Mr. Jefferson, Madi son and Adams, certainly, not questionable proof of merit on his part. Ills habits of industry, early acquired, are still retained. The sun never finds him in bed. His rnind is active as his body ; he loses no time, and every hour not employed in the active duties of his farm, is devoted to his books. If you will permit an intimate friend of General Harrison, who knows him thoroughly, and acknowledges his attachment, to be a disinterested witness, I will say that there is no man in our country, who from education, experience, information, and temper, is better qualified usefully to discharge the high duties of President of the United States. I am, very respectfully, yours, &c. N. G. PENDLETON. f COI,. RICHARD OT. JOHNSON S OPINION OF GENERAL, HARRISON. 03- " Who is GENERAL HARRISON ? The son of one of the sign! Fthe Declaration of Independence, who spent the greater part of his laf fortune, in redeeming the pledge he then gave, of his < fortune, life, and sacl honor, to secure the liberties of his country. " Of the career (} : General Harrison I need not speak the History of 1 West, is his history. For forty years he has been identified with its interei its perils, and its hopes. Universally beloved in the walks of peace, and | tinguisfaed by his ability in the councils of his country, he has been yet ml illustriously distinguished in the field. "During the late war, he wag longer in actual service than any other G| eral Officer ; he was perhapg oftener in action than any one of them, and nel sustained a defeat." Col Johnson s Speech in Congress. 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED LOAN DEPT. This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed. Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. ~ j 8 19TS 1 6 r R 2 8 1935 rcccinc MAR" n APR 2 5 1996 R 2 MC26 C^CULATiOr-4 DEPT, LD 21A-50m-4, 59 (A1724slO)476B General Library University of California Berkeley GENERAL LIBRARY - U.C. BERKELEY BOD07S3323 M179657 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY