South Branch intelligencer. [volume], September 03, 1836, Image 1

About South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896

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SOUTH BRANCH INTELLIGENCER.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM HARP EH, ROMNEY, Va.
SATURDAY, SEI^EJIBER 3, 1836.
NO. 11
E-—
Public Services ot Harrison.
lilract from Mr. Burnet’s Speech at
Cincinnati.
The following brief narrative of the
ublic serviees of General Harrison
fas accidentally elicited from the author,
^meeting of tbo citizens, favorable to
e election of General Harrison as
resident, was held, on the evening of
'»rch 26, at the court-house in Cincin
nli. .Mr. Jacob Burnet was present.
, large portion of the citizens in atten
ance had no personal knowledge of the
Incidents connected with the early set
[lemont, in which General Harrison
bore a part. Mr. Burnet was known
|o be conversant with them, from per
sonal intercourse with the actors in all
bl them, and actual participation in ma
py. A wish was felt to have a state
ment from one so competent to make it,
nd 60 familiar with the facts. Upon
he call of the meeting, Mr. Burnet
ddressed them, and, at their request,
urnished this sketch for publication. It
fquires no editorial preface to insure
t an attentive perusal.—Editor Cincin
lati Gazette.
Ms. President : As one of the ob
ects of this meeting is to support and
idvance the claims of our friend and
eI!ow-cilizen, General Harrison,to (he
’residential chair, we may devote, ad
tantageously, a part of the evening to
he recollection of those traits in his
;baracter, and those acts of his life,
tublic and private, which we hove seen
md approved, and which have induc
d us to prefer him to any other can'
lidate who has been named for that
ligh and important station. 1 am a
rare, sir, that no man can recit* the
irominent acts of his life, and enume
ate his virtues, in an hour or a day.
1 volume would not contain them all.
Telit may be useful, at this crisis, to
ake a rapid glanee of some of them,
iut first let me repeat an observation
hat was made by the honrable B. Hai
in, of Kentucky, a few years ago, on
re floor of Congress, when discussing
te bill for the relief of the widow of
I'ommodore Decatur and others. The
II proposed to give a large sum to
e widow, and a small one to his two
eces. Mr. Hardin was opposed to
e bill, but contended for a different
(tribution if it should pass. He would
ve the l^rge sum to the nieces, who
ere of the Decatur blood, and the
taller to the widow. Sir, said he, in
entucky we look to the breed—we
y great stress on it; 1 like the Deca
r breed—it is a good one. Now,sir,
im disposed to adopt the rule of Mr.
ardin, and say, 1 admire the Harri
n breed,and am disposed to patronize
But, sir, what is it ? The inquiry
ly be answered in a few words: Geu.
trrison is the youngest son of the late
:nj. Harrison, of Virginia, formerly
overnor of that state—one of the most
tvoted patriots of the Revolution,
om its commencement to its close.
Whig in I77f>, he opened his breast
1 the storm, and defended' the liberty
f his country till the struggle termina
d in victory, t need only add, that
e was one of the signers of the Dec
ration of Independence. Such is the
Heritage of Harrison, and in the lao
tage ol Air. Hardin,you will respond,
e breed is good—u is worthy o! pat
mage. But Glenerol Harrison does
it look to (he talents or achievements
his ancestors as a foundation on
Inch to build his own fame. He da
res to stand or full on his own merits
he invites a strict scrutiny into bis
m life, the greater portion of which
s been devoted to public duties, and
wn to the inspection of the world, ll
shall be found that he has been defi
ent, either in talent, integrity, or in
al, tor the public good, he is ready to
ndt the consequences; but if, on the
ntraiy, in tha multiplied ottices he
s held, he has discharged his duty to
i country with great fidelity & great
ccess, then he has a right to expect
the hands of bis fellow-cu zans such
award as justice may require. His
pporters, one and all, art prepared
appeal to bis lile, public and private
to exhibit it to the American People
to invite their strictest scrutiny; and
“y do it with a conviction,amounting
certainty, that he will not only pass
t ordeal unseamed, bu. will secure
t approbation aud the plaudits of the
lion.
In the year 1791 the public life ol
prison commenced. ne had then
istied his collegiate cents*, and to
_
gaged in the study of a profession—the
profession of Medicine. In that year
tfie veteran St. Clair was defeated, his
army routed, and almost annihilated,
and, as a consequence, the infant set
llemenls in the Northwestern Territory
were left to the inercy of the savages.
At that gloomy period the Attention of
Harrison wa3 turned to the West. He
saw the danger of the pioneers; his
sympathy was excited in their behalf,
and he resolved without delay to join
them, and share their fate. Through
his friends, K. Morris and Tnomis
Willing, he applied to the President
for a commission in the Army, as the
most efficient mode of contributing to
their safety. Washington then at the
head of the Government, informed his
frieods that the Army was full, and
that he had nothing to offer worthy the
acceptance of Harrison. A subaltern’s
commission was all that he 4ould give.
They reported the result, and advised
their young friend to abandon the pro
ject and continue his studies. He re
jected their advice, and told them he
was willing to accept of any thing the
President could give, as his resolution
was unalterably made to go to the
West. From that moment be threw
I aside his books, quit his studies, and,
with the comniissiun of an ensign in
his pocket,hastened to Cincinnati. In
the succeeding winter, the Siberian
winter of 1791-’2, he marched from
i thjs place on foot, with his knapsack
; on his back, at the head of a sm ill d -
I lachment, through an uninhabited wil
r derness, infested with hordes of sava
ges, to one of the frontier posts. This
was the commencement of his military
career. Shortly after this, General
Wayne arrived and look command ol
the Army. His penetrating eye soon
discovered the talents and merits of
Harrison, and he appointed him one ol
his aids. In the scnool of that veteran
commander,and with his example con
stantly before him, during the period
of four years of constant uctive service,
he acquired the rudiments of military
tactics, end learned the must perfect
system of conducting a campaign in
an Indian country mat has ever been
practised. On that system Wayne
entered the Indian country, and pass
ed through it at his leisure, with entire
; salety to his atony, as his pupil, prac
tising oil his plans nas often done since.
We oil leuieniber the victory obtained
by Gen. Wayne,in 1791, over the In
dians at the rapids of too Miami,of the
Like,which led to the treaty of Green
ville in (he succeeding y ear. In (hat en
gagement Harrison was in “the fore
most front of the hottest battle;” his
person was exposed from the com
mencement to the close of the action.
Wlietevei duty called, he hastened, re
gardless of danger, and his efforts and
example contributed as much to secure
the fortune ol the day as any other of
ficer subordinate to the cammauder
iu-chief. Tnese facts l learned from
(he lips of Lieneral Wilkinson, Col.
Snamburg, and others, who weie on
the ground, and took part in the en
gagement. The results of that victory
were important. By it the Indians
were disheartened, and sued for peace.
, Safety was given to the frontier settle
I meats, and me Britisn posts at the foot
of the rapius, at Detroit, and at Mack
| mack were surrendered to (he United
[ States.
i he object of the war being thus ac
complished, and the Army having no \
more lighting to do,tiauison, unaccus
tomed to a life of indolence, and un
willing to contract mat habit, tesolveo
not to remain in camp when lie had no
active duty to perlurm, and resigned
his commission.
Auout that lime lie purchased a
j larm on Mill crees, near this city, and
I became an operative (aimer. He ex
I changed the sword and itie cpauletie
ot the soldier for the plough and the
plain garb ol the farmer, and commen
ced cultivating the soil for the mainie
nance of his family.
In the spring of 179S, Col. Sargent
was appointed Governor of Mississtp*
pi, and resigned the office of Secretary
to the Northwestern Territory. Har
rison was appointed to the vacancy,
and (St. Clair being absent from me
Territory) discharged the delicate and
responsible duties of Governor of the
Northwestern Territory to the appro
bation ol the people. In the succeed
ing year, it was ascertained thut the
Territory (which then extended fron
the Pennsylvania line to the river Mn
sissippi) and Iroin the Ohio to tie
Lakes) contained 5000 free males of
fail age i which, by the ordinance ol
1787, authorized us to enter on tie se
cond grade of territorial gove^rment:
under that giade, ve w'fe entitled to a
\
Legislature consisting of a Council and
House of Assembly, and also to have
a Delegate in Congress, to be appuint
ed by a joint ballot of the two branches
of the Assembly.
It so happened that I was a member
of the Legislative Council, and, of
course, entitled to a vote in the choice
of the Delegate. Harrison was a can
didate £ and here let me say, he was
my intimate friend. Some years be
fore, when I arrived at Cincinnati, 1
found myself in the society of strangers;
not a face presented itself that I had
ever before seen. I brought letters tn
Captain Harrison, then commandant j
of tort Washington ; he received me
with open arms and a warm heart,and
l became almost an inmate of the fam
ily. Oil this statement you are prepar
ed to hear me say I voted for him. Sir,
I did not ; i voted against him,and u
was the most distressing vote to my
feelings that I ever gave. But he soon
became acquainted with my motive,
appreciated it correctly, and our for
mer friendship was restored. And
now lei me exonerate myself from the
charge of ingratitude on that occasion,
which, without an explanation, would
naturally fall upon me. h is general
ly known that Judge Symmes had con
tracted with the United States lor the
purchase of a million of acres of land ;
that he h id obtained a patent for about
three hundred thouiand acres ; that he
had (no doubt under, a full conviction
that 1119 contract would be completed)
sold a large quantity of land, bcyonu
the limits of his patent to actual settlers
who paid the purchase money, and
were then improving the hod they had
bought. Prior to the year 1799, Con
gress had refused to execute the con
tract with Symmes,by which that nu
merous and industrious class of men
were liable to be dispossessed. They
had ju8l obiaiued some indulgence
from Congress as pre-emptioners, and
were anxious to have it continued and
extended. The vendor had, and still
did oppose their views, from a .belie)
that it might prevent him from obtain
ing a fulfilment of his contract, and it
was supposed that his son-in-law had
taken the same view of the subject, &,
under a belief that the contract would
be confi-med.and the purchasers there
by confirmed in their titles, would al
so oppose them. Under that impress
ion, the purchasers were alarmed, and
besought the Legislature to elect a per
son an whom they could rely with con
fidence. Tims you see the situation
in which l was placed * on the one
hand, were these unfortunate persons,
numerous and meritorious, presenting
tneir grievances ; on the other, mv bo
som friend, expecting ray vote. With
me, it was a struggle between duty and
friendship s 1 could not hesitate ; I vo
ted against my friend. He was, how
ever, elected; and what was the result?
Under a sense of duty, he became the
Iriend and advocate of those very per
sons who had feared and opposed him;
and gave proof to the world that his
integrity could not be moved by con
siderations of personal interest. His
integrity had never before been probed
to the bottom. But, sir, this is not all:
he had seen the injustice of the mo.
nopoly introduced into the land sys
tem of the United Slates; by which the
poorer class of citizens were effectu
ally excluded from its benefits. The
public lands were sold in tracts so
large, that none but the wealthy could
purehasc. The poor man was com
pelled to buy second-handed, and,
consequently; at an advanced price:
he was at ttie mercy of the speculator.
Harrison had witnessed the oppress
ive opperatiun of that principle, and
resolved to correct the evil. He
brought the subject before congress,ex
posed the injustice and iniquity of the
plan, and obtained the passage of a
law directing the lands to be subdivi
ded and sold in small tracts. Tnij al
teration in the system placed the poor
man on a footing with the man ol
wealth, and put it in the power of the
entire West to become freeholders and
independent farmers. If that had been
the last act of his life—if he had then
been gathered to his fathers—his fame
would have survived—tiis name would
have been loved and cherished—and
his country, at lest the Western coun
try, would have erected a statue to his
memory ; but he survives, and hun
dreds of thousands who are now en
joying the fruits of that beneficent
measure, planned and carried through
oy him, know not by whose agency
mey obtained it. Ttie records ol Con
gress show, and many witnesses si ill
can testify, that it was Harrison, He
secured me boon; and injustice to him,
the I’ublic should be aavised of the
fa c—every man in the nation ought to
know it.
* * # * a
Let ua now fellow him to Indiana,
and take a concise view of his conduct
whilst at the head of the Government
of that Territory. Time will not ad
mit of much detail. Itmu9t suffice to
say, that he was Governor of the Ter
ritory about twelve years, and during
ihe whole of that time superintended
Indian affiirs. The duties of those
Oilices were discharged with intelli
gence and integrity, and secured the
unqualified approbation both of Jeffer
son and Madison, under whose admin
istrations he served. During that lime
he made more Indian treaties and ob
tained for the U. States, larger districts
of land, and on better terms, than any
other agent in the employ of Govern
ment. Plain and Republican in his
manners and intercourse, and vigilant
and intelligent in the discharge of his
duty, be secured the confidence is af
fection ofthe great miss of the people.
F tom the necessity of the case, great
discretionary powers have always
been vested in territorial governors;
such as the people of no State have
trusted to their Chief Executive Mag
istrate—powers easily abused is per
verted to purposes of oppression
powers tempting to an ambitious mind,
and grateful to a tyrannical one.
Hence the frequent and bitter quarrels
between such officers and the people
whom they govern, it may be affirm
ed with safety that Govornor Harrison
was the first of that description of offi
cers who applied his discretionary
powers exclusively to the public good,
rendering them blessings instead ot
curses—he was the first territorial Go
vernor who retired from office with the
praises of those whom he had governed
resting upon his head. For ihe truth
of this statement, we may appeal to liv
ing witness* in every part of Indiana.
Since that period the powers of such offi
cers have been greatly diminished, by
acts of Congress. In thie way he passed
through 12 years of arduous duty >n the
service of Government, and ofthe people
of Indiana. As superintendent of Indian
affairs, very large sums of money passed
through his hands every year, and such
was the nature of that office, ofthe man
ner in which tho money was necossarily
dcsborsod, and of the impossibility, m ma
ny cases, of obtaining vouchers, that the
Government was compelled to rely on
the integrity of their ngeula for the cor
rectness of their accounts. Such being
the nature of that agency,Governor Har
rison might have saved an ample fortune
without the possibility ot detection. Hut
such Was noi the tact. When ho retired
trjm the office, he settled and balanced
his accounts, and not a dollar of public
money remained m his hands. He was
as poor then as when he accepted the a
geuey.
Towards the close of his term of ser
vice in Indiana, the difficulty with Te
cumaeh, and the Indians under his in
fluence, took place. That highly gift
ed chiel had formed a plan to uniie the
Indians from Florida to the lakes, a
gaiust the United States, for the pur
pose of causing a recession of a part of
the lands granted by the treaty, and of
restricting the settlements of the whites
within certain limits ; and with that
view he visited the tribes in person, and
was on the eve of succeeding in his
project, i t far, hi least, as related to
the union he sought. But Harrison
was not asleep; such a movement
eould not escape his vigilant eye. lie
penetrated the scheme of the wary
chief, and communicated it to the (Jo
veruni ;nt in time to defeat it. As soon
as the information was received by the
President, he directed Harrison to raise
a force of about eight hundred men,
to consist of the 4th regiment and mi
litia volunteers ; and to march to the
Propnett’s towu, on the river Tippe
canoe, for the purpose of securing
peace. That order was executed so
promptly,and the troops marched with
such despatch, that our little army
reached ttieir destination before the re
turn ofTecumseh. it was the special
order of the President that General
Harrison should carry the olive branch
—invite the Indians to a treaty, assure
them of the friendly disposition of their
great father, and on no account to pro
voke or molest them, unless he should
ue actually attacked. That order was
obeyed. The little army reached the
village in the afternoon. The Indians
were invited to meet the Governor in
council, and were assured that no hos
tility was meditated towards them.
They promised to meet him the nexi
day ; out he was confident, from then
manner aod conduct, that tbey iuieu
ded to meet him in combat, and not
in the council house, and made his ar
rangements accordingly. He ordereu
the encampment to be so rn_.de as to
form (he line of battle ; he dictated the
plan and overlooked in execution $ be
caused each corps to occupy the ground
on which it was to fight, in case of an
attack, and the men were ordered to
sleep in their clothes and on their arms.
The result proved his sagacity. As
he had predicted, the Indians attacked
hift line an hour or two before day*
light, and one of the most desperate
battles ensued that the records of In
dian warfare contain. The enemy
kept their ground two hours, and what
is unusual with them, made repeated
charges on our troops. During the
whole of the battle Governor Har
rison was on horseback, in the midst
of the conflict, directing every move
ment in person. At length me Indi
ans gave way, and fled. Our troops
took possession of the town, burnt it,
destroyed the corn-fields, and then lei
surely returned to Vincennes. By that
movement the deep-laid plan of Te
cumseh was frustrated,^ Indians dis
heartened, and the entire frontier of
Indjana obtained security.
Notwithstanding the important re
sults of that victory were manifest,there
were those who attempted to rob the
victor of his well-earned laurels. A
mong other things it was alleged that
his force was greatly superior in num
bers to the Indians. This falsehood
was easily put down. As soon as the
report began to circulate, 1 wrote to
my friend, Captain Wells, Indian A
gent at Fort Wayne, requesting infor
mation on the subject. He answered
me promptly that a number of his own
tribe (Miamis) had returned from the
battle, some of them wounded ; that
he had seen a number belonging to the
tribes, on their way home from the
battle, some of them badly wounded ;
that he had conversed with them, and
that, from their reports, the number
engaged against Harrison was at least
twelve hundred. Sir, I vyill venture
to affirm, twelve hundred Northern In
dians were never before defeated and
routed by eight hundred white men.
Harmar and St. Clair outnumbered
their opponents, yet both were defeat
ed, and the victory of Wayne was ob
tained over an Indian force much infe
rior to bis own. It will be recollected
that the battle of Tippecanoe was
fought and won shortly before the
commencement of the late war with
Great Britain. Harrison had scarcely
rested from the fatigues of bis recent
campaign, when the war commenced.
He had just obtained security for the
frontier of Indiana, when his attention
was attracted to the exposed situation
of ours. Hull had marched to De
troit, without establishing posts on hit
route, to secure supplies. The Indi
ans were between him and our frontiei
settlements, which, of course, were ex
posed to depredations. Harrison saw
our danger, and hasteaed to our relief.
He resigned the government of Indi
ana, came to this place as a private ci
tiztn and a volunteer in our cause,rea
dy to throw himself between us and
the danger that threatened. This move
ment excited general attention, and all
eyes were turned to him as the defen
der of Ohio. As yet, however, he was
a private citizen,without military rank,
or command. Our sister State, Ken
tucky, knew him thoroughly, and, ha
ving entire confidence in Ins talents,
prudence, and courage, created him a
Major General in their militia. About
the same time, tbe President appointed
him a Brigadier, and soon after a Ma
jor General, and gave him the com
mand, in ctiief, of the Northwestern
army. From me time he assumed the
command,the frontier settlers felt them
selves sale, and those who , had let.
their cabins and retreated with then
families to the more dense settlements
for safety, left their block-houses, and
returned to their tarms. Such was the j
confidence inspired by the presence of
Harrison.
It is impossible to estimate, correct
ly, the distressing, perplexing diffisul
ties he had to encounter in collecting
and transporting to the neighborhood
of the like the material necessary to
mike a descent on Canada. Ever)
article was to be carried over an ex
tensive wilderness, then uninhabited,
without roads or canals of any descrip
tion. It frequently happened that wa
gons started (rom the settlements, loa
ded with provender, which was almost
entirely consumed by tire teams which
drew it, before they reached their des
tination. During the time these pre
parations were in progress, Hull hav
ing surrendered, Hamsun had a nu
merous and vigilant enemy before him
to wutfh and aeep in ciieck. Witness
their attempt on Fort Wayne—thei
attack and deleat of Winchester, at
Raisin—the assault on Fort Stephen
son, and the memorable siege of Fort
Meigs. The defence of the latter was
one of the most brilliant achievements
that occurred during the war. Har*
rison commanded the garrison andcon
ducted the defence in person. The
work was temporary—thrown together
in haste,the principal security of which
was picket* of wood. The garrison
consisted of a few hundred militia, and
the fort was invested by an army of
British and Indians, the former com
manded by Proctor, the latter by Te
cumseh, amounting to three thousand.
They were furnished with every engine
of w tr necessary to their enterprise.
Yet, with that fearful odds against him,
Harrison maintained his ground, re
paired the breaches made ia the works,
as fast as they were made, and was a
ble successfully to resist their efforts
| for twelve days, when the enemy, in
despair, raised the siege and retired.
It was afterwards ascertained that
Proctor had made a solemn contract
with Tecuraseh, to deliver Gen. Har
rison to the Indians; to be put to the
torture. That stipulation was deman
ded by the savages as the only condi
tion oa which he would join the ex
pedition.
After the siege was raised, Harrison
again directed hia energies to the work
of preparation for a descent on Canada.
The moment that object was accomp
lished, he struck his long-meditated
blow. In a few weeks he captured Fort
Malden; retook Detroit, with the terri
tory surrendered by Hull; pursued the
British and Indians ; overlook them at
the river Thames; forced them to a
battle, in which he routed and diapers*
’ ed the Indians, and captured the en
tire British army, with their artillery
and baggage.
That decisive victory closed the war
in the West. Tne victor then went
down the lake in pursuit of another
opportunity of fighting for the glory
and safety of his country ; but, find
ing none, he returned to his family ;
and the Government having no farther
need for his services, he resigned his
commission, and, Cincinna.tus like, he
returned to the plough, and became a
■ gain the humble, unassuming farmer of
North Bend. ,
If time permitted, it would be a plea
sant task to trace his subsequent .ca
reer in political life; to view him in
the Legislature of Ohio; in Congress
on the fioor of the House of Represen
tatives, and subsequently in the Se
nate Cnamber, wnere he maintained
1 the same principles and the same fidel
ity to the interests of his constituents,
that has marked his whole life. To
the complaint of the war-worn soldier
his ear was ever open ; that meritori
ous class of sofferers never sought his
aid, or called for the exertion of his ta
lents in vain. lo short, his time and
I the energies of hit mind were devoted
I to the business he was sent to perform.
We might follow him on his mission
to Bogota, and see the firm, yet conci
liating manner in which he maintained
the rights, and sustained the dignity of
his Government. In that land of su
perstition, where priestcraft and mili
tary rule were predominant, and all
the powers of government concentrat
ed in one man,our envoy did not cease
to be a republican. Tne principles
he had learnt in infancy, and practis
ed in manhood, became more valuable
in his estimation, by witnessing the ef
fects of arbitrary power op the, unfor
tunate people around him. Bold and
daring in the performance of what he
considered a duty, and teeling com
passion for the oppressed inhabitants
of the country,as ne heard them groan
under the yone of miluaiy despotism,
he resolved to make an elfart in their
behalf, by a direct appeal to tne hon
or, interest, and patriotism of ihe Dic
tator, Bolivar. Tne letter whicn he
wrote on that occasion is in print, and
docs honor to his head and neart. Jt
is replete with sound republican prin
ciples, and contains an able argument
in favor of civil liberty, intended 10
show the usurper that his cuurs; wag
as destructive uf bis own happiness and
fame, as it was of tne happiness of tne
people. We all know me rude, insul
ting in inner of Uen. Harrison’s recall
from that mission, whicn again con
signed him to private life. * # •
A terrible event took place lately at St
Petersburg, on occasion of a wL<Ur>»
Alter the corom iay Ihe bri(lb2toam waV
ria.-.- w !a C‘1UrCr,! V5iiili!'3 ,Qr lh0lr «r
ri t;waen a man tuanod through n,a
eruwa and Hashed n.m with a (fnarer.
it w«a a colonel, w iuse s s.er hid ooan
eeunueu by u,e bridegroom under a pro.
thine ol manage.