The life of William Henry Harrison, (of Ohio,) the people's candidate for the presidency
•■\ Ss -^ \\' ".^ ' (J ^ >. " \ ' ^ 'O -^^>\ ,^^ "^ : \0 ^^. ^ ^-i*^ '\ \\' a: A ^^^^ ^ V I 8 ^ '^ - -^ "" \^ ^ r '^, '' -0^ ^ I \ 0 a ^'^ o 0 H -r " a ^ _\X.' ■a ,V^^ <^- ^ "S VL / ^^ .^<■^^ o. a 0 '^ •> \ -^ vV aN ^ >N^^ cl. > '^6 aV </^. -n/ A' 00' '^^ '^ o ■ 7 ^' 'X^ •\ -^ s ^ ,v" -^^ '"3 0^ o ■« ' M S" '^^. ^ , ,^^ ^V # ^, ^\ \ c*-^ ''. -^. <^^ ^ V 1 B. ^. Z <•- (^ ^ ^ '^ » /- ''c c^. C!^. 0 .0 0 v; 0 ' N, <^'' ^^ .-^' ^ ^■^^ -^^ Z ^' "/'^^^' 0 .^^ "'c.^. ->. * ., -^ ,<^^" X>\ ^ .^^ ■V ^ a , >. ^ .A ^^^. ^N .',.5^^ ,* x>'^ -u % %^> \ H <. «! THE LIFE r « OF WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, (OF OHIO,) THE PEOPLE'S CANDmATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY. WITH A HISTORY OF THE WARS WITH THE BRITISH AND INDIANS ON OUR NORTH-WESTERN FRONTIER. BY ISAAC R. JACKSON FOURTH EDITION. PHILADELPHIA: MARSHALL, WILLIAMS «fc BUTLER, 1840. ^ Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1840, BY I. R. JACKSON, in the clerk's office of the district court of the eastern district of Pennsylvania. STEREOTYPED BY J. FAGAN PHILADELPHIA. PRINTED BY C. SHERMAN AND CO. (4) PREFACE. The principal aim and object of the following biography, is to place before its readers a fair and impartial narrative of the life of one of our most eminent fellow-citizens, the history of whose pub- lic services, both civil and military, is, for many years, closely and inseparably interwoven with that of our country. The many responsible offi- ces held by General Harrison, the numerous im- portant treaties made by him with the Indians, and the prominent part he took in all the wars and negotiations on our North-western frontier, during one of the most exciting and eventful periods of our national existence, render his life one of gene- ral and absorbing interest. Indeed we look upon the political and moral history of such a man as belonging to his country, and as constituting one of those bright beacon-lights destined to shine as long as the annals of our nation endure. To the character of such a man, justice is rarely done during his life-time. The carpings of envy or jealousy, and the misrepresentations of political opponents taint the public mind to a certain degree, (5; w^. VI PREFACE. and cast a shadow over the most brilliant actions and the purest and most virtuous motives. But long after the stormy waves that now agitate the great ocean of political strife shall have subsided, when all personal opposition shall have shared the fate of its originators and have sunk into a mer- ited oblivion, the page of history will still record, with perennial fame, the good deeds and noble ac- tions of the patriot, the hero and the statesman ; and grateful generations shall point to his example as a bright and unclouded load-star to guide them in the true course to honest and honourable dis- tinction. The author of this little work has made no at- tempt at an eulogium. From a long personal ac- quaintance with General Harrison, and a know- ledge as well as admiration of his character, he has certainly felt at liberty to express himself on some points relating to his private life, more fully than he would otherwise have ventured. Still his sole endeavour has been to discharge his duty faithfully to his fellow-citizens, and render them at the present time an acceptable service by offering within as brief a space as possible, a clear, candid, and comprehensive narrative of the life of Gene- ral Harrison, and of the wars and negotiations on our North-western frontier, in which he took so active a part, from the date of St. Clair's defeat to PREFACE. VU the close of our last contest with Great Britain — a period embracing a portion of our general his- tory, full of exciting and thrilling interest, and yet but little known to the great mass of the people. Many of the materials for this biography have been derived from " Dawson's Narrative of the Civil and Military Services of General Harrison," a large octavo published in Cincinnati, in 1824, but long since out of print ; from " Butler's His- tory of Kentucky ;" and from " M'Afee's Histo- ry of the Late War in the Western Country." " Hall's Memoir of the Public Services of William Henry Harrison" has likewise occasionally been consulted. And to ensure the necessary accuracy on many leading points of history, a due reference has also been made to our public documents and state papers connected with the events here re- corded. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Harrison's birth and parentage. — Sketch of his father's public life and services. — Harrison's education. — His determination to enter the army. — Situation of our North-western frontier at that time. — British intrigues. — Defeat of General Harmar -- Page 15 CHAPTER n. Harrison enters the United States' army with the commission of an ensign.— Defeat of St. Clair. — Appointment of General Wayne. — Organiza- tion of the United States legion. — Harrison is . promoted to a lieutenancy. — Is appointed aid to the commander-in-chief. — Wayne's cam- paigns.— Battle of the Maumee Rapids, and final defeat of the Indians. — Harrison's appoint- ment to the command of Fort Washington. — His marriage ----- 22 CHAPTER III. Harrison resigns his commission in the army. — Is appointed Secretary and Lieutenant Governor / of the North-western Territory. — Is elected De- legiate to Congress.— Introduces a bill to regu- (8) CONTENTS. IX late the disposal of the public lands. — Its justice and true policy. — Its success. — The North- western Territory divided. — Harrison resigns ' his seat in Congress. — Is appointed Governor of Indiana Territory -- - -42 CHAPTER IV. Condition of Indiana Territory. — Harrison is ap- pointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs and Commissioner for treating with the Indians. — His extensive jurisdiction and powers. — Harri- son's address to the territorial legislature. — The cession of Louisiana to the United States - - 48 CHAPTER V. Intrigues of Tecumthe and the Prophet. — The Prophet's visit to Vincennes and interview with Harrison. — ^Treaty of Fort Wayne. — Dissatisfac- tion of Tecumthe. — Tecumthe's interview with the Governor. — The Governor's firmness and intrepidity. — Harrison's Message to the Legisla- ture.— Triumphant refutation of slander - - - 62 CHAPTER VL Commencement of hostilities. — Harrison assembles the Militia and Volunteers. — He organizes his forces. — March to the Prophet's town. — Battle of Tippecanoe. — Its results 81 CHAPTER VII. Declaration of War with Great Britain. — Mea- sures adopted to defend our North-western fron- tier.— Governor Harrison is appointed Major X CONTENTS. General in the Kentucky militia. — He receives the commission of Brigadier General in the service of the United States. — He is made Com- mander-in-chief of the North-western army. — His extensive powers and arduous duties. — Plan of the Campaign. — Massacre at the River Raisin. — Expedition against the Indian towns - 104 CHAPTER VIII. Opening of the second Campaign. — Siege of Fort Meigs. — Its gallant Defence. — Brilliant sortie. — Defeat of Colonel Dudley. — The Siege aban- doned.— Second Siege of Fort Meigs. — Attack on Fort Stephenson 133 CHAPTER IX. Harrison advises the construction of a fleet on Lake Erie. — Perry's Victory. — Embarkation of the army. — Invasion of Canada. — Pursuit of the enemy. — Battle of the Thames and capture of the British army. — Close of the campaign. — Resignation of General Harrison ----- 149 CHAPTER X. Appointment of General Harrison as Commissioner to treat with the Indians. — His election to Con- gress.— Is chosen a Senator of the State Legis- lature.— His election to the Senate of the United States. — Is appointed Minister to Colombia. — His Letter to Bolivar. — His recall. — His personal appearance and private ll^haracter. — His Letter to Harmar Denny ----- 170 LIFE OP WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. CHAPTER I. Harrison's birth and parentage. — Sketch of his father's public life and services. — Harrison's education. — His determination to enter the army. — Situation of our North-western frontier at that time. — British m- trigues. — Defeat of General Harmer. William Henry Harrison was born in Virginia, on the ninth day of February, 1773, at Berkeley, an estate on the James River, in the county of Charles City. The family from which he is descended settled in Virginia in the year 1640. At an extremely early period in the history of that province, the name of Harrison appears among the most prominent mentioned in their pubhc annals, and the honourable station which it then held has de- scended unsullied to our own times. (15) 16 LIFE OF Benjamin Harrison, the father of the subject of this memoir, was one of the foremost and most conspicuous patriots of our country. Before he had attained his twenty-first year, he was elected to the provincial legislature, and took his seat in the House of Burgesses, where he continued to represent his native district, with much honour, for many years. He, on every occasion, manifested a sincere devotion to the interests of the province, and was one of that patriotic band of members who united, heart and hand, in opposing the op- pressive measures of the mother country. On the fourteenth of November, 1764, he was ap- pointed with several other distinguished mem- bers of the house, to prepare an address to the king, a memorial to the lords, and a remon- strance to the house of commons, in opposi- tion to the odious Stamp Act — a bill in favour of which had already been proposed to parlia- ment by George Grenville, the British minister of finance. These papers were accordingly prepared by this committee, and Mr. Harrison thus evinced, several years before the date of our revolution, his determination to side with the people in their struggle to defend their sa- WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 17 cred rights, and in their resistance to the rapa- cious tyranny of the crown. In August, 1774, Mr. Harrison was ap- pointed one of the delegates from Virginia to the first Continental Congress,, which assem- bled in Philadelphia, on the first of the ensuing September : and on that day, he had the grati- fication of seeing his colleague and brother-in- law, Peyton Randolph, placed in the presiden- tial chair by the unanimous choice of the assembled delegates. At the Congress of the following year, 1775, afler the death of Mr. Randolph, it was the wish of nearly all the southern members, that Mr. Harrison should succeed him in the presi- dency ; but as the patriotic John Hancock of Massachusetts had likewise been nominated, Mr. Harrison, to avoid any sectional jealousy or unkindness of feehng between the northern and southern delegates, at so momentous a crisis, with a noble self-denial and generosity relinquished his own claims, and insisted on the election of Mr. Hancock, who accordingly had the honour of being unanimously chosen to that high office. Mr. Harrison still, how- ever, continued one of the most active and influential members of the Continental Con- 18 LIFE OF gress. On the tenth of June, 1776, as chair- man of the committee of the whole house, he introduced the resolution which declared the independence of the colonies, and on the fol- lowing ever-memorable fourth of July, he reported the more formal Declaration of In- dependence, to which celebrated document his signature is annexed. The Legislature of Virginia returned Mr. Harrison four times as a delegate to Congress. On the expiration of his last term of congres- sional service, he was immediately elected to the House of Burgesses from his own county, and was at once chosen speaker of that body ; an office which he held uninterruptedly until the year 1782, when he was elected governor of Virginia, and became one of the most popular officers that ever filled the executive chair. This eminent patriot died in the year 1791. William Henry Harrison was left by his father under the guardianship of his friend, Robert Morris, the distinguished financier of our revolution. He was educated at Hamp- den Sydney College ; and, by the advice of his friends, turned his attention to the study of medicine. But about the period when he WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 19 had completed his education, soon after the death of his father, the increased and barba- rous hostilities of the Indians on our north- western borders, ben^an to excite a feelinsr of indignation throughout the whole country. In this general excitement our young student par- ticipated so warmly, that he resolved to rehn- quish his professional pursuits, and join the army destined to the defence of the Ohio frontier. The service was then neither popu- lar nor inviting, but on the contrary was ex- ceedingly toilsome and fraught with great danger and hardships ; and nothing but high courage and elevated motives, could have induced him to form such a resolve at so gloomy a period. This determination was. warmly opposed, too, by many of his friends ' as well as by his prudent guardian. But his generous design was cordially approved and encouraged by one whom he thought entitled to even more influence — by General Wash- ington, who had been his father's intimate friend, and who was, at that time, president of the United States. The war in our western country was then assuming a very alarming aspect. But few , of the warlike Indians on the frontier had at 2 20 LIFE OF that time declared in our favour, while the powerful tribes of the MiamieSy the HuronSf or Wyandots, the Delawares, the Shawnees, the Kickapoos, the Potowatomies, the Ottawas, and the JVinnehagoes, who occupied all the borders of our northern lakes, and were scattered through the whole immense extent of our north- western territory, were engaged in active hostility against the United States. Most of these Indian tribes had been in the service of Great Britain during our revolution- ary struggle ; and they were no doubt urged to the course they now pursued, in some mea- sure, by their own savage love for war, but still more by the instigations of the British authorities in Canada, who, contrary to the provisions of the treaty of peace, still held for- cible possession of Detroit, Mackinac, Niagara, and other forts in our acknow^ledged territory, and continued to tamper with the Indians within our limits, and to supply them freely with arms and ammunition to carry on the war against our country. Thus incited, they still persisted in their barbarous hostilities, and accounts were almost daily received of their having perpetrated some ruthless aggression or outrage of unexampled ferocity. From the WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 21 vear 1783, when Great Britain acknowledged our independence, and war with the mother country ceased, up to the year 1791, it was estimated that more than fifteen hundred of our hardy borderers had fallen victims to the rifle and scalping-knife of their savage foes. Our north-western frontier presented an appal- ling 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 expressly to chastise these sa- vages, after destroying some of their towns, had been signally defeated by them, and al- most annihilated. Of the few experienced officers who escaped from Harmer's defeat, nearly all, worn out with the fatigues of a service so harassing, and shrinking from a warfare of so dangerous and barbarous a na- ture, had resigned their commissions ; and a general feeHng of dismay began to pervade the whole of our exposed frontier. Such was the gloomy aspect of aflJairs, when 22 LIFE OF the ardent and generous patriotism of young Harrison prompted him to give up the com- forts and luxuries that surrounded him at home, and enter his country's service in die- fence of his fellow-citizens. CHAPTER II. Harrison enters the United States' army with the com- mission of an ensign. — Defeat of St. Clair. — Appoint- ment of General Wayne. — Organization of the United States legion. — Harrison is promoted to a lieutenancy. — Is appointed aid to the commander-in- chief. — Wayne's campaigns.— Battle of the Maumee Rapids, and final defeat of the Indians. — Harrison's appointment to the command of Fort Washington. — His marriage. In the autumn of the year 1791, Harrison received the commission of an ensign in the United States artillery, from the hands of the president. General Washington, whose warm approval had greatly cheered him in his de- sign. He hastened immediately to join his regiment, which was then stationed at Fort Washington, which occupied the present site of the city of Cincinnati, where he arrived a WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 23 few days after the unfortunate defeat of General St. Clair, near the Miami villages, by the confederated Indians, under the com- mand of Meshecunnaqua, the Little Turtle, a celebrated Miami warrior, and Buckongelas^ head chief of the Delawares. This disastrous defeat, in which St. Clair's army was de- stroyed, with the loss of nearly a thousand men, killed or taken prisoners, left the whole of our north-western frontier exposed to the ravages of a merciless enemy, and added gfeatly to the general consternation before existing. The whole defence of our extensive frontier now devolved on the broken fragments of an army panic-struck and dispirited by their re- cent defeat, while the Indians, flushed with victory, had grown still more daring and au- dacious than ever. Winter was approaching, and the privations to be anticipated by those who were stationed at our remote posts were so great, that Harrison, young, slender, and apparently of a delicate constitution, was ad- vised by his friends to resign his commission, and avoid hardships which he seemed but little fitted to encounter. But he rejected this ad- vice without hesitation, and by an almost 2* 24 LIFE OF reckless exposure of his person to danger and fatigue, soon proved himself well qualified for the arduous service he had chosen. Not long after his arrival at Fort Washing- ton, his courage and good conduct were put 'to the test, by his being appointed to the com- mand of an escort having in charge a supply of provisions and munitions of war, destined for Fort Hamilton. The perilous duty of conducting this escort through a wilderness infested by hostile Indians, required an un- common degree of personal exposure, as well as constant watchfulness, and a greater share of prudence and military sagacity than is usually found in so young an officer. But he acquitted himself of this duty with so much skill and success as to elicit the warm appro- bation and encomium of his commander, General St. Clair. At this time, the degrading vice of intem- perance was unhappily but too common among the officers of our army. Removed from the wholesome restraints of civilized society, and deprived of the comforts of domestic life, the extreme hardships they were often compelled to endure, predisposed the young officers, in their moments of relaxation, to indulge in de- WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 25 ^asin-g excesses, to the great injury of their reputation and the frequent destruction of their health. But Harrison had the good sense to see the danger to which he was exposed, and the firmness of character to resist the entice- nments of dissipation. And in the midst of these temptations, he laid the foundation of those habits of temperance, which subsequently enabled him to support so well the severe fa- tigues and hardships of a border warfare, and which have adhered to him through life, giving him, even to the present day, a remarkable degree of health and vigour. In the unfortunate state of things existing after St. Clair's defeat, our government saw the necessity of adopting immediate and effi- cient means to put an end to this savage con- flict. Another army was promptly raised, and the command given to General Anthony Wayne of Pennsylvania, a gallant and skilful officer, who had earned a brilliant reputation in the revolutionary war. The United States Legion, as Wayne's army was called in the new organization, assembled at Pittsburgh, in the summer of 1792 ; and in the ensuing month of November, they left that place, and went into winter quarters, at an eligible position on 26 LIFE OF the Ohio, 22 miles below Pittsburgh. This place they called Legionville. Our illustrious President, Washington, guid- ed by his customary humanity, had instructed General Wayne to endeavour, if possible, to conciliate the Indians, and prevent the further effusion of blood. In pursuance of these in- structions. General Wayne invited several dis- tinguished chiefs of some of the principal tribes to visit him at Legionville. Accordingly, in March, 1793, Corn planter, a noted warrior, Guasthiia, an aged chief, JVeiv Arrow, Big Tree, and several others, made their appear- ance at the encampment. But after a council with these chiefs, it soon became evident that no honourable terms of peace could be esta- blished with the Indians. Excited by their recent victories, and stimulated by the intrigues of the British, they had become exceedingly unreasonable in their demands. They now insisted that the American government should relinquish all claim to the immense extent of territory north-west of the Ohio river, not with- standing it had been obtained by open and re- peated treaties and by fair purchase, and had already been partially disposed of to actual settlers, whose rights, emanating from our WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 27 government, we were, in common justice, bound to protect. They further declared that nothing would now satisfy them but the estab- lishment of the Ohio river as a permanent boundary, beyond which our settlements should never be permitted to extend. Terms so haughtily demanded, and so stern- ly opposed to our national honour and good faith, as well as to our interest, were, of course, wholly inadmissible ; and General Wayne was now compelled to prepare for the only alter- native offered him, a savage and desolating war. This was, therefore, on our part, strictly a war of self-defence — since we had no other honourable means of defending our border settlements from the fierce aggressions of the Indians, or of uprooting the influence of the British authorities, who, in defiance of the de- claration of peace, were still warring against us through their former savage auxiliaries. On the 30th of April, 1793, General Wayne broke up his winter quarters at Legionville, and conveyed his army in boats down the Ohio to Fort Washington. At this place Har- rison, having been promoted to a lieutenancy, joined the Legion. His fearlessness and en- ergy, with his strict attention to discipline, soon 28 LIFE OF attracted the notice of his commander-in-chief, himself a bold and daring soldier and a rigid disciplinarian ; and General Wayne, not long after his arrival, selected him as one of his aids-de-camp. It will thus be seen at how early a period, and in what trying times, young Harrison was thought worthy of honourable distinction ; and how soon, too, he attracted the attention and especial notice of a man and a soldier like Wayne, whose well-known independence of character was such, that no influence save that of intrinsic merit was ever with him of any avail, and whose daring and almost reckless intrepidity had won him, in our revolutionary war, the singular appellation of " Mad An- thony." The ensuing summer was occupied by Gen- eral Wayne in disciplining his troops, and in obtaining reinforcements and supplies, prepar- atory to the next campaign. Having at length received instructions from the Secretary of War to commence active operations, early in October he left Fort Washington, and ad- vanced with his army eighty miles along the south-western bank of the Miami. But as the season was now too far advanced to permit WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 29 him to carry the plans he had formed into exe- cution, he strongly fortified a position which was called Greenville, where his army went^ into quarters for the winter. But the winter was not suffered to pass in idleness. On the 23d of December, the com- mander-in-chief sent a detachment of eight companies of infantry and a battalion of artil- lery, to take possession of the ground on which St. Clair's army had been defeated. A strong post, called Fort Recovery, was built on this mournful battle-field, and the bones of our gal- lant soldiers, who w^ere there slain, were care- fully collected and interred with military hon- ours. The artillery used on this interesting occasion, to pay the last tribute of respect over the graves of those who fell on the bloody 4th of November, 1791, were the same that were lost on that fatal day, but which were now recovered bv this detachment. In the general order issued by the com- mander-in-chief, on the return of these troops, he particularly notices Lieutenant Harrison, who accompanied the expedition — and tenders him " his best thanks for his voluntary aid and services on this occasion." We thus find Har- rison, though at an early age, and young in 30 LIFE OF * the service, foremost in volunteering his aid on every occasion where danger was to be encountered or duty performed. On the 30th of June, 1794, Fort Recovery was fiercely assailed by a large body of In- dians, aided by British and Canadian auxili- aries. But though their assaults were unusu- ally bold and daring, and repeatedly renewed, they were each time bravely repulsed, and were finally compelled to retreat with great loss. About two weeks subsequent to this at- tack on Fort Recovery, General Wayne was reinforced by a body of mounted volunteers from Kentucky, under the command of Gene- ral Scott. On the 8th of the following Au- gust, having, by a rapid movement, advanced seventy miles beyond Greenville, he encamped at Grand Glaise, in the very heart of the In- dian country. In his dispatch to the War Department on this occasion, the commander- in-chief says,— ''We have thus gained posses- sion of the grand emporium of the hostile In- dians in the west, without loss of blood. The very extensive and highly-cultivated fields and gardens show the work of many hands. The margins of those beautiful rivers, the Miami of the Lake, and Au Glaise, appear like one > WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 31 continued village for a number of miles above and below the place ; nor have I ever before beheld such immense fields of corn in any part of America, from Canada to Florida." A strong work, called Fort Defiance, was immediately erected by our troops at the con- fluence of the rivers mentioned in the above despatch. General Wayne now felt himself fully prepared for decisive operations ; but be- fore striking the final blow, he, in compliance with his instructions, renewed his endeavours to conciliate and effect some amicable negotia- tion with the Indians. " I have thought pro- per," he said, " to offer the enemy a last over- ture of peace ; and as they have every thi^g that is dear and interesting at stake, I have reason to expect they will listen to the propo- sition mentioned ip the inclosed copy of an ad- dress dispatched yesterday by a special flag, under circumstances that will insure his safe return, and may eventually spare the eflfusion of nauch human blood." " But should war be their choice, that blood be upon their own heads. America shall no longer be insulted with impunity. " We have beaten the enemy," said he, " twice, under separate commanders. We cannot ex- pect the same good fortune to attend us al- ways. The Americans are now led by a chief who never sleeps : the night and the day are alike to him. And during all the time he has been marching upon our villages, notwithstand- ing the watchfulness of our young men, we have never been able to surprise him. Think well of it. There is something whispers me it would be prudent to listen to his offers of peace." General Wayne had, in the meantime, left Fort Defiance, and advanced within a short distance of the Rapids of the Miami, (now generally known as the Maumee,) where the British had recently erected a strong fort for WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 33 the purpose of encouraging and controlling the neighbouring Indians. On the 19th of August our troops were em- ployed in making a temporary fortification, which they called Fort Deposite, for the pro- tection of their military stores and baggage, and in reconnoitring the position of the In- dians who were encamped behind a thick, bushy wood, and near the British fort. On the following day was fought that mem.orable battle, which we cannot better describe than by quoting a portion of the graphic account of General Wayne himself, in his official let- ter to the Secretary of War. " At 8 o'clock on the 20th," said General Wayne, " the army advanced in columns, agreeably to the standing order of march ; the legion on the right flank, covered by the Mi- ami,— one brigade of mounted volunteers on the left, under Brigadier General Todd, and the other in the rear, under Brigadier Gen- eral Barbee : — a select battalion of mounted volunteers moved in front of the legion, com- manded by Major Price, who was directed to keep sufficiently advanced — so as to give timely notice for the troops to form, in case of action — it being yet undetermined whether 34 LIFE OF the Indians would decide for peace or war. After advancing about five miles, Major Price's corps received so severe a fire from the enemy, who were secreted in the woods and high grass, as to compel them to retreat. " The legion was immediately formed in two lines, principally in a close, thick wood, which extended for miles on our left ; and for a very considerable distance in front, the ground being covered with old fallen timber, probably occasioned by a tornado, which ren- dered it impracticable for cavalry to act with effect, and afforded the enemy the most favour- able covert for their savage mode of warfare, they were formed in three lines, within sup- porting distance of each other, and extending nearly two miles, at right angles with the river. /* I soon discovered, from the weight of the fire, and extent of their lines, that the enemy were in full force in front, in possession of their favourite ground, and endeavouring to turn our left flank. I therefore gave orders for the second line to advance, to support the first, and directed Major General Scott to gam and turn the right flank of the savages, with the whole of the mounted volunteers, by a WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 35 circuitous route : at the same time I ordered the front line to advance with trailed arms, and rouse the Indians from their coverts at the point of the bayonet ; and, when up, to deliver a close and well directed fire on their backs, followed by a brisk charge, so as not to give them time to load again. I also ordered Captain Campbell, who commanded the legionary cavalry, to turn the left flank of the enemy next the river, which afforded a favourable field for that corps to act in. " All these orders were obeyed with spirit and promptitude ; but such was the impetuos- ity of the charge of the first line of infantry, that the Indians and Canadian militia and volunteers were driven from all their coverts in so short a time, that although every exer- tion was used by the officers of the second line of the legion, and by Generals Scott, Todd, and Barbee, of the mounted volunteers, to gain their proper positions, yet but a part of each could get up in season to participate in the action ; the enemy being driven, in the course of one hour, more than two miles, through the thick woods already mentioned, by less than one-half their numbers. " From every account, the enemy amount- 3* 36 LIFE OF ed to two thousand combatants ; the troops actually engaged against them were short of nine hundred. This horde of savages, with their allies, abandoned themselves to flight, and dispersed with terror and dismay, leav- ing our victorious army in full and quiet pos- session of the field of battle, which terminated under the influence of the guns of the British garrison. " Inclosed is a particular return of the kill- ed and wounded — the loss of the enemy was more than double that of the federal army. The woods were strewed for a considerable distance with the dead bodies of the Indians, and their white auxiliaries ; the latter armed with British muskets and bayonets. "We remained three days and nights on the banks of the Miami, in front of the field of battle, during which all the houses and corn-fields were consumed and destroyed for a considerable distance, both above and below Fort Miami, as well as within pistol-shot of that garrison, who were compelled to remain tacit spectators of this general devastation and conflagration — among which were the houses, stores, and property of Colonel M'Kee, the British Indian agent, and principal stimu- WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 37 lator of the war now existing between the United States and the savages." The success of this brilliant action, so strongly in contrast to our previous contests with the Indians, was owing, undoubtedly, to the high state of discipline of the army, and to the consummate skill and judgment dis- played by General Wayne, in the entirely novel system of tactics originated by him. He not only adopted the old and approved mode of extending his line and forming his troops in open order, to lessen their exposure to the deadly aim of the enemy, but he intro- duced, likewise, his favourite plan of charg- ing rapidly upon the Indians, and rousing them from their coverts at the point of the bayonet, and then pouring in a close and heavy fire, before they could again shelter themselves. This system, which proved so effectual at the battle of the Maumee Rapids has since been almost universally adopted in our warfare with the Indians. In his dispatch to the Secretary of War after this decisive action. General Wayne, in mentioning those whose good conduct and intrepidity were particularly conspicuous on this occasion, says — " My faithful and gallant 38 LIFE OF aid-de-camp, Lieutenant Harrison, rendered the most essential service by communicating my orders in every direction, and by his con- duct and bravery exciting the troops to press for victory." We hold it not to be amiss here tx) remark, that in addition to the acknowledged services of General Wayne in the camp and field, time has proved that that fearless soldier and dis- tinguished commander has placed our country under a still deeper debt of gratitude— since the instructions he gave his favourite aid in his severe school of disciphne, the example he showed him, and the experience he led him to acquire in the arduous campaigns they en- countered together, subsequently in still more trying and perilous times, enabled Harrison ,0 fight the battles of his country against the same savage foe with such signal success, that though more frequently in conflict with the enemy than any other general in our ser- vice, and though often attacked by vastly su- Derior numbers, he never yet has been defeated. The heavy losses suffered by the confede- Tated tribes"^n the battle of the Maumee Ra- oids, greatly disheartened the Indians, and Jieir dissatisfaction was much increased by WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. ' 39 the vacillating conduct of Colonel Campbell, the commander of the British fort, who, after their defeat, refused to take any part on their behalf. The distinguished and powerful chiefs, Little Turtle and Buckongelas, doubting the power of Great Britain to protect them, and now taught to respect our strength, openly declared in favour of the United States, and by their influence, a negotiation for peace was opened on the first of January, 1795. After some delay, a council was held at Greenville, between General Wayne and a numerous delegation of chiefs and warriors from the principal tribes, and an honourable and highly advantageous treaty was finally effected with our Indian neighbours. And thus, with the close of this war were extinguished what may be considered as the last embers of our revolutionary struggle. The impression produced in London by the news of this final defeat of the Indians, is said to have had much effect in hastening to a conclusion the protracted negotiation, which had been so long pending between Mr. Jay and Lord Grenville, and which was now ter- minated successfully and advantageously to our country. 40 LIFE OF Soon after the close of this campaign, Lieu- tenant Harrison received the con\mission of a captain, and was placed in command of Fort Washington, under circumstances which evinced the high estimation in which his ta- lents and discretion were held by General Wayne. i\.t this period France was at war with Spain ; and certain agents of the French government had been sent to Kentucky by Genet, the French minister, and w^ere then diligently employed in exciting the gallant people of that state to an invasion of Louisi- ana, by which means they hoped to embroil our country in a war with Spain. One of our distinguished officers. General Clark, had artfully been prevailed upon to take command of the proposed expedition, and commissions were offered, and money and munitions of war freely promised, to induce the adventurous spirits of the West to engage in a campaign for the purpose of wresting Louisiana from the Spaniards. This project was peculiarly attractive to the Kentuckians, who had long felt aggrieved by the refusal of t«he Spaniards to allow them the free navigation of the Mis- sissippi river. Our government was soon made aware of this scheme, and serious apprehen- WILLIAxM HE.\RY HARRISON. 41 sions were entertained that some hasty and rash act of hostility would involve us in a war with Spain. General Wayne received in- structions to adopt every precaution to pre- vent the occurrence of such a result ; and in giving the comnnand of Fort Washington to Captain Harrison, he left with hinn extensive discretionary powers in relation to the ma- nagenfient of this delicate responsibility. About this time, too, in compliance with the terms of Jay's treaty, the military posts, which, in defiance of good faith, had been established by the British on our northwestern frontier, were given up to the United States ; and Captain Harrison was charged with the im- portant duty of dispatching from Fort Wash- ington the troops destined to take possession of the surrendered forts, and of forwarding through the wilderness the stores and muni- tions of war necessary for these remote posts. These various duties were discharged by Captain Harrison with so much fidelity, skill and prudence, as fully to prove the judicious discrimination of General Wayne in his selec- tion of the commander of so important a sta- tion as Fort Washington, and to justify his unusual confidence in so young an officer. 42 LIFE OF While in command of Fort Washington, Captain Harrison married the daughter of John Cleves Symmes, the celebrated founder of the Miami settlements — a lady who com- mands the esteem and respect of all who know her. CHAPTER III. Harrieon resigns his commission in the army. — Is ap- pointed Secretary and Lieutenant Governor of the North-western Territory.— Is elected Delegate to Congress. — Introduces a bill to regulate the disposal of the public lands. — Its justice and true policy. — Its success. — The Northwestern Territory divided. — Harrison resigns his seat in Congress. — Is appointed Governor of Indiana Territory. Captain Harrison remained in the army till near the close of the year 1797; when, soon after the death of his friend General Wayne, as peace had been established with the In- dians, and 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 appointed Secretary, and, ex-officio^ Lieutenant Governor of the Northwestern Territory; WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 43 which then embraced the whole extent of our territory lying north-west of the Ohio river — thus, by a just award, receiving his first civil appointment, in that part of our country which he had first perilled his life to defend. While in this station, he entered so warmly into the interests of the people, and his intelli- gence, and the kindnesfe and urbanity of his manners rendered him so popular, that, when, in the following year, the Northwestern Ter- ritory entered the second grade of govern- ment, according to the system which then prevailed, and the inhabitants became entitled to representation in the councils of the nation, they almost unanimously elected him their first delegate to Congress. Mr. Harrison was, at this time, about twenty-six years of age. He took his seat in the House of Represent- atives at the first session of the sixth Con- gress, in December, 1799. There were then in Congress some of the ablest and most en- lightened statesmen, and some of the most elo- quent men our country has ever produced. Yet in this severe ordeal, the abilities and manly energies of Mr. Harrison soon com- manded universal respect. At this period, the all-engrossing subject in the west, and one in 4 44 LIFE OF which our whole country had a deep interest, was the sale of the pubHc 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 ; and as the minimum price was at that tim^ two dollars per acre, a great majority of the new settlers were utterly precluded from becoming possessors of land by an original purchase from the government. Our hardy yeomanry, with limited pecuniary means, were thus entirely shut out from all chance of competition with w^ealthy specula- tors and grasping monopolists, — the poorer emigrants were becoming disheartened at the chilling prospects before them, and the settle- ment of the new country was greatly retarded. 