The letter concludes with the following paragraphs, alike honorable to the soldier and the gentleman :

"It would be insincere to say that I am not flattered by the many handsome things which have been said about the defense which was made by the troops under my command; but I desire no plaudits which are bestowed upon me, at the expense of General Harrison.

"I have at all times enjoyed his confidence, so far as my rank in the army entitled me to it. And on proper occasions received his marked attention. I have felt the warmest attachment for him as a man, and my confidence in him as an able commander remains unshaken. I feel every assurance that he will at all times, do me ample justice; and nothing could give me more pain than to see his enemies seize upon this occasion to deal out their unfriendly feelings and acrimonious dislike— and as long as he continues (as in my humble opinion he has hitherto done) to make the wisest arrangements and most judicious disposition, which the forces under his command will justify, I shall not hesitate to unite with the army in bestowing upon him that confidence which he so richly merits, and which has on no occasion been withheld."

As soon as this invasion of the territory of Ohio was known, Governor Meigs called upon the militia of the state to repel the enemy. The appeal was promptly and nobly responded to, but the abandonment of the siege of Fort Meigs, and the gal lant defense of Fort Stephenson, rendered their services unnecessary. When the militia were disbanded, without an opportunity of meeting the foe, or being employed in the main expedition against Canada, there was much discontent among them. To allay this feeling, General Harrison met them at Upper Sandusky; and, through the governor, made known the reasons for their being disbanded. These were, mainly, that to retain in camp all the Ohio troops then embodied, was impossible, as

the embarkation on the lake could not be effected under fifteen or eighteen days, and so large a force, even for a short time, would consume the provisions provided for the support of the campaign. The delay in moving upon Canada arose from a cause which General Harrison could not then publicly explain, lest it should reach the enemy. Under the plan of the campaign, he was not to cross the lake until he had the full co-ope ration of Commodore Perry's fleet. The period when this could be obtained, was uncertain. Under such circumstances, the retention of so large a body of militia, in camp, would have defeated the plan of the campaign. At the same time, the commander-in-chief bore his testimony to the fact, that the exertions made by Governor Meigs to assemble the militia, and the promptitude with which the call had been met, was truly astonishing, and reflected the highest credit on the state.-Some of the disbanded officers, however, met together, notwithstanding this explanation, and in a moment of popular dis content, passed resolutions to the effect, that they were greatly disappointed in not being kept in service, and that there was something mysterious in the conduct of General Harrison.The cool reflection of these officers, and a subsequent knowledge of the whole plan of the campaign, have long since caused them to regret their course on this occasion; and, to admit with a frankness honorable to their character, that they had done great injustice to the commander-in-chief.

Active preparations for the expedition against Upper Canada were now making. The call by General Harrison, on the governor of Kentucky, for volunteers, was promptly responded to, by the venerable Shelby, who, in a patriotic appeal to the people of that state, appointed the 31st of August for the rendezvous of the troops at Newport. Public attention was now directed with great intenseness, to the rival fleets on Lake Erie. About the 2d of August, the vessels under Commodore

Perry were finally equipped. On the 5th, General Harrison visited the fleet, and furnished the commander with a company of soldiers, to act as marines, who were afterwards acknowledged to have performed a valuable service. Col. Johnson, with his mounted regiment, was recalled from Kentucky to the frontiers. Every exertion was made along the whole line from Cleveland to Fort Meigs, to hasten on the stores, while Governor Shelby was steadily advancing with a strong body of mounted men towards the scene of action. In the midst of these active preparations, in which the energy of the commander-in-chief was everywhere perceptible, he received, on the 12th of September, at Seneca, a note in which Commodore Perry says:

"We have met the enemy and they are ours-two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and a sloop."

This important and glorious news spread, with the rapidity of an electric shock, throughout the whole line of the army, and as it reached the various detachments, pressing on to the shore of the lake, it quickened their speed, and awakened a burning desire to achieve a victory equally brilliant, over the enemy under Proctor.

On the 20th, the embarkation commenced from the mouth of Portage river. On the 26th, the army reached the Middle Sister having touched at Put-in-bay, where a general order of debarkation, of march and of battle, was issued by the commander-in-chief, which, for lucid minuteness and military acumen, has been pronounced by competent judges, to be unsurpassed in its kind. On the morning of the 27th, the final embarkation of the army commenced, in sixteen vessels, and upwards of eighty boats. The sun shone in all his autumnal beauty, and a gentle breeze hastened on the ships to that shore, on which it was anticipated the banner of our country would have to be planted, amid the thunder of British arms, and the

yells of ferocious Indians. the lake every eye enchanted with the magnificence of the scene, and every heart panting for the coming opportunity of avenging their country's wrongs-the beloved commander-inchief caused the following address to be delivered to his army:

While moving over the bosom of

"The general entreats his brave troops to remember, that they are the sons of sires whose fame is immortal; that they are to fight for the rights of their insulted country, while their opponents combat for the unjust pretensions of a master.— Kentuckians! remember the River Raisin; but remember it only whilst victory is suspended. The revenge of a soldier cannot be gratified upon a fallen enemy."

When this stirring appeal was read, on each vessel, and in each boat, the shouts of "Harrison and victory," rose, successively, from an army of freemen, and went booming over the rippling waters. The landing was effected at four o'clock, with a celerity and an order, as remarkable as the spectacle was beautiful and grand; and, about sun-down, the army entered Malden in triumph, heralded by the national air of "Yankee Doodle."*

*Life of Harrison.

CHAPTER VIII.

Attempt to assassinate Gen. Harrison-James Montgomery-Pleasant township-Fort Seneca-Peter Pork--William Spicer-Bloom township-Elizabethtown-Bloomville-Silver creek-Scipio townshipRepublic-Seneca county Academy.

WHILE Gen. Harrison was at Camp Seneca, he narrowly escaped being murdered by an Indian. It appears that the friendly Indians of the Delaware, Shawanese, and Seneca tribes had been invited to join him. A number had accepted the invitation, and had reached Seneca before the arrival of the Kentucky troops. All the chiefs, and no doubt the greater part of the warriors, were favorable to the American cause; but before their departure from their towns, a wretch had insinuated himself among them, with the intention of assassinating the commanding general. He belonged to the Shawanese tribe, and bore the name of Blue Jacket, but was not the celebrated Blue Jacket, who signed the treaty of Greenville with Gen. Wayne. He had formerly resided at the town of Wapakonetta; he had, however, been absent for a considerable time, and had returned but a few days before the warriors of that town set out to join the American army.

He informed the chiefs, that he had been hunting on the Wabash, and at his request, he was suffered to join the party which were about to march to Seneca. Upon their arrival at McArthur's block-house, they halted and encamped for the pur