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HARRISON TO EUSTIS

Cincinnati

28th July 1812

Sir

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of yr favor of the 18th of July Inst. together with the enclosed Duplicate of the 9th. I have lately received some Information through Conner the Deleware Inter- preter which induces me to believe that the Indians who were assembled on the Illinois River had dispersed from the want of provisions. But as the Green Corn will soon be in a state to supply them, it is more than pro- bable that they will Collect again unless they should be detered by the impression which our army may make on Canada & even in the event of our complete Success in that Country it is possible that the follwers of the Prophet may make a desperate effort previously to their retiring to the Country between Lake Michigan & Superior and the Mississipi when it is said the British have made deposits for supplying them.

In your letter of the 9th Inst: you observe that should offensive measures become necessary the Command within the Indiana Territory will devolve on me & with the Consent of Govr Edward May be extended to the Illinois Territory. In the present situation of our Country I should think myself highly censureable if I suffered my individual opinions & feelings to counteract the intentions of the Government & I shall cert- ainly endeavour most zealously to discharge any duty which the president may think proper to assign me, that candour however with which I have been permitt[ed] to express my sentiments induces me to say that if a military expedition is carried on against the Indian Tribes composed of Regular Troops & militia it appears to me that it is important that it should be Commanded by a Regular officer -- That kind of military rank which the Governor of a Territory acquires by being designated to command in a letter is submitted to with reluctance by Many of the Re- gular officers and indeed I have been told that some of them who are most respectable for military informaton have ventured to doubt its legality. An Authority which is thus questioned is by no means sufficient to support that rigid subordination which is so essential in an army. And experience has convinced me that under such circumstances a Simple Michevious individual may jeapordizethe safety of an army & defeat the object ofa campaign. to the employment of a Regular officer there can be but two objections the one derivedfrom his want of local information & the other arising perhaps from a regard to my feelings. If the latter has had any effect in inducing my nomination to Command in case of offen- sive operations I must request that it should no longer stand in oposition to what I consider the Public interest & I beg you to believe Sir that my Communications with any officer who may be employed near us [?] shall be as frank & all the information I possess as faithful Communicated "as I would purge my of my Sins to heaven"

The Multiplicity of Yr. duties & the absolute impossibility of yr being able to complete every arrangement emboldens me to observe that as it is probable that an expedition may be necessary from the Wabash as soon as the season will permit the person who is intended tocommand it should be immediately authorised to make the necessary Arrangements which must necessarily be incomplete if they are postponed until the event shall happen which will call the Troops immediately to the field. In the arsenal at New Port there are but a few hundred Cartouch boxes & no rifles or Rifle equipments -- Supposing that the Kentucky Volunteers would want all the Cartouch boxes that were in the Store I would not take but a small part of those which were wanted for the Indiana Militia. It is necess- ary also that the Contingencies which would justify offensive measures should be defined And to what extent those measures should be carried -- whether they are to be desultory expeditions or whether the country under certain Circumstances is to be taken possession of -- I do not wish by any means Sir to avoid any responsibility which the Government may think proper to impose but as far as I am to be concerned I wish to Know for I am to take upon myself the responsibility of acting & what cases I am to wait for definite & positive instructions.

From the information lately received from Genl. Hulls Army I hope & expect that he will succeed in reducing Malden but it is said that he is not well supplied with provisions & I fear that the several Convoys of which are sent from the frontiers of this state will be not only inadequate but that they may be cut from the [illeg.] of the escort. Indeed nothing but the ignorance of the British as to their movements can save them -- With proper information upon this subject they can send across the lake in 6 hours a force sufficient to take the block house erected at the Rapids of Miami intercept the convoy & return before there is a possibility of their being counteracted --

I have the honor to be with great Respect Sir your Humble Servent Wm Eustis Esqr

Secy of War

15, 16