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HARRISON TO EUSTIS

No. 20

Head Quarters Franklinton

15th Novr 1812

Dear Sir

I arrived here from Delaware three days ago for the purpose of meeting Col Morrison and to make some other arrangements which shall be explained in the course of this communication. Upon the day of my arrival the enclosed letter from Genl. Tupper was received. The movement which he had made is extremely hazardous. It was not possible to send him a reinforcement of Mounted Men from hence in time to render him any service. I hope however that Gen Winchester will have descended the Miami as soon as the Inteligence from Genl. Tupper reached him. An Express was also immediately dispatched to Genl Perkins apprising him of the landing of the British at the rapids and directing his advance. Gen Tupper has with him less than 700 Men but they are all Volunteers from his Brigade, they therefore are no doubt determined fellows and I have much confidence in the Generals Talents. I have received no information from Gen Hopkins but there is no doubt of the complete failure of the Mounted Expedition under his command and that Measures must be immediately taken to prevent the Evils which will otherwise flow from it. As soon as the information reached me I determined to direct an expedition against the Miami Towns of Mississiniway. The situation of this Town as it regards one of my lines of operations even if the hostility of the Inhabitants was less Equivocal would render a Measure of t his kind highly proper, but from the circumstance of Gen. Hopkinses failure, it has become indispensable. Relieved from the fears excited by the late invasion of their Country, the Indians from the upper part of the Illinois river and to the South of lake Michigan will direct all their efforts against Fort Wayne and the Convoys which are to follow the Tract of the left Wing of the Army. Mississiniway will be their Rendezvous where they will receive provision and every assistance they may require for any hostile enterprize. From that place they can by their runners ascer- tain the period at which every Convoy may set out from St Mary's and with certainty intercept it previously to its arrival at the "Miami Rapids. But that place being broken up and the provisions destroyed there will be nothing to subsist any Body of Indian nearer than the Puttawattimie Towns upon the waters of the St Josephs of Lake Michigan. The Troop destined for the Mississiniway Expedition are the Dragoons belonging to my Army with the addition perhaps of a single Company of mounted Volunteers. The Dragoons will amount to about 600 but the greater part of them are to be entirely relied upon. The Expedition will be commanded by Lieut Col Campbell of the 19th Regiment. He has not military experience but is brave sensible and judicious and will be ably seconded by the Talents and experience of Major Ball. I am confident that you will not hear of any retrograde movement upon the part of this detachment until the object upon which they are sent is accomplished My preparations for the principal object of the Campaign are pro- gressing not however with the rapidity consonant to my wishes and I think I may say to my personal Exertions. For the route of the left Wing of the Army upwards of one million of rations of Flour have been provided when I had last a report 75000 were at Defiance 30000 on pack Horses going to that place and near to it. 120,000 at St Marys 200,000 at Piqua 100,000 between the latter place and Dayton is going on in Waggons and the balance at Lebannon Franklin and other places on the big Miami. There ought also to be at Fort Jennings on the Auglaize 30 or 40,000 Rations. The great defect is in the means of transportation. Almost all of the fine Teams which were brought from Kentucky have been worn down and discharged and the greater part of the Pack Horses are in the same situation. The roads have become almost impossable for Waggons, foreseeing this I early turned my attention towards the roviding of Water transportation. Some thing considerable has been done in this way but by no means equal to my Ex- pectations and the orders I had given. At St. Marys a Boat and some Per- ogues were prepared a nd will have left that place on the 12 or 13 with nearly 400 barrels, a part of which will be left at Fort Wayne and the balance to Fort Defiance (Fort Winchester) at the latter place Boats and Perogues capable of transporting 350 or 400 Barrels were prepared on the 5 of this Month and others were progressing at Colo Jennings's Block House, also several Batteauz were in a considerable state of forwardness all these were I hope and expect -- ordered up the Auglaize upon the first rise of the water to take in loading at Tawa Town which is only 14 Miles from St Marys. Mr Piatt also informs me that a part of the Flour pur- chased on the Miami has been ordered up the River in Boats to Lorimies. If these means are pushed in the manner they may be I expect in two Weeks to have at Fort Winchester 500,000 Rations of Flour Whiskey and small parts with Salt to lay down the meat part of the ration together with all the Quarter Masters Stores and clothing which have been purchased for that Wing. On the route of the Centre Column at McArthurs Block House 44 Miles advanced of Urbanna there were on the 10th Inst 200,000 Rations of Flour Whiskey a nd small parts deposited there by the Dy Commissary Piatt with Salt sufficient to lay down the meat part of the ration to that amount. Of the supplies ordered to be furnished by Major Denny there are now at Delaware 25 Miles above this place 600 Barrels of Flour at Norton 12 Miles further 100 barrels 4 or 500 Barrels are also ready at the Mills below this.

Having been in ormed in the latter end of September by Gov iieigs that the Contractor Mr Porter had declared his inability to supply provisions for the army as long as the navigation of the lake was controlled by the enemy I thought it unnecessary to call upon him. Finding however that several Boats were suffered to pass in safety from Presqui isle to Huron I addressed a letter to him upon my arrival at Gen Perkinss Camp requiring him if possible to send on 500,000 Rations instead of the 200,000 which had been demanded of him by Gen Wadsworth and w ich he had positively pro- mised that officer to supply. The enclosed copy of a letter from his agent (B) will shew that he has determined not to supply the rations which he promised and which he has on the Margin of the Lake unless he is paid an advanced price for bringing it above Cleveland. I have directed Gen Wadsworth to get hold of the flour if possible and leave it to be settled for by the Government. There is no kind of difficult[y] in pro- curing the meat part of the ration and I have taken care to have salt pro- vided for laying it down, it will be driven to the rapids of Miami and there salted, for which both Gen. Winchester and Gen Perkins have been directed to provide materials for Barrels.

I do not think that it will be safe to advance from the Miami Rapids until we can have there one million of Rations. Of these I calculate 500,000 to be taken by the route of the left wing. The 200,000 at Mc- Arthurs Block House can be transported at three Trips by 600 Pack Horses. And I calculate upon getting to lower Sandusky by the means [of] providing here 300000 Rations. The deposits directed to be made by Major White at McArthurs Block House at Fort Jennings and at Upper Sandusky and by Mr. Porter at lower Sandusky are not to be relied upon a part however will be received sufficient perhaps to supply what may fall short in my calculations from the Commissarys department. You can scarcely form an Idea Sir of the difficulty with which land transportation is effected North of the fortieth degree of latitude in this Country. The Country beyond that is almost a continued swamp to the lakes When the Streams run favourable to your course a small strip of better ground is generally found, but in crossing from one river to another the greatest part of the way at this Season is covered with water. Such is actually the situation of that space between the Sandusky and the Miami Rapids and from the best information I could acquire whilst I was at Huron the road over it must be causwayed at least half the way. This difficulty great as it may seem is not however insuperable the timber of the proper size grows so thick upon it that Gen Perkins and other persons accustomed to that Kind of Work assure me that a Causeway sufficiently wide for the purpose can be made there with as much ease as a road of 4 rods wide can be opened and cleared in heavy timbered up land - Gen Perkins has undertaken to effect it with his Brigade and Govr Meiggs has agreed that the Money which has been appropriated by Government for making the road in that direction shall be distributed amongst his men. If this plan should fail there is yet another way to go from lower Sandusky to the main is much narrower than it is laid down on the Maps and is much nearer to the former [illeg.] at the Sandusky Rapids, in fact it is a mile and a half from the Bay to the mouth of Portage River on the lake from thence to the Miami Bay 18 or 20 Miles. Throughout this distance the swamp borders the Beach of the lake but the beach itself is a beautiful sand sufficiently firm it is supposed near the water to bear waggons. From the Mouth of the Miami Bay to the rapids of the ground is good. I have sent to Cleveland to purchase some Boats that are there and have directed them to be loaded with any thing that can be procured for the subsistance of the army or the Horses belonging to it. I had calculated on drawing a considerable quantity of Forage from the Connecticut reserve but I am informed the supply to be obtained there will be very limited.

The Virginia Brigade has been for some days at Delaware, previously to their arrival there desertions had been very common 10 or 12 had come off in one Night. The dissatisfaction was supposed by the General and Field Officers to be produced by the want of Clothing particularly Blankets. I have at the instance of their Commander agreed that they shall remain there until Blankets arrive which have been sent for and are now coming on from Cincinnati. The delay is productive of no injury to the Service as the Contractors are not ready for them at Upper Sandusky and I employ detachments in improving the roads in their front and read. The Pennsyl- vania Brigade will arrive at Mansfield to day its march has been retarded by high Waters w hich has also subjected them to some little embarrass- ment on the score of provisions. They will proceed by the most direct route to upper Sandusky and be there joined by the Virginia Troops. The road which was ordered to be opened to lower Sandusky by Gov. Meiggs has not been effected through the obstructions of Gen Wadsworth. Indeed this old Gentleman with the best intentions and animated by the most ardent patriotism has done much mischief. He has arrested Ben Beal for obeying the Governors Orders with respect to opening the road to Sandusky and is delaying the March of the Detachment under Gen Perkins for the purpose of trying him. To put a stop to his farther interferance I have procured an order from Gov. Meiggs to Gen Perkins no longer to regard the orders of Gen Wadsworth.

Col Morrison arrived here yesterday he is very uneasy upon the Sub- ject of funds for his Department. I fear that the expence of this Expedi- tion will greatly exceed the calculations which have been made the grounds for the appropriations of funds for the Quarter Mastere use. A Single fact will at once shew the difficulty of the undertaking and the expence which will attend it. We are now purchasing corn here to be transported to upper Sandusky. Col. Morrison believes that it will require two Waggons with corn to support their own teams and one other with flour to that place and back again -- And yet there must be a deposit there of grain for the support of all the Horses and oxen of the Ordnance Quarter Masters and Commissarys departments in the advance of the army from thence and which must amount to at least two thousand. The object to be accomplished is however considered of great national importance and expence must not be regarded. The Government may however be per- fectly satisfied that every dollar that is appropriated will be faithfully and as oconomically employed as possible.

The long experience of Col Morrison in affairs of this kind is a pledge for the former as his high character and unblemished reputation is for the latter.

It will be impossible to use the Dragoons in the advance to Detroit this Winter from the want of forage. I shal establish their quarters in the heart of a settled Country where forage is very cheap and employ them in desultory Expeditions In this manner they may be eminently useful, in a short time it will be an elegant Corps. Capt Hopkins has an hundred Men in his troop. Major Ball informs me that Capt Cummings is at Pittsburg with 8 or 10. If he were to come on here with those and the surplus of Hopkins's a complete Troops could be formed for him. Will you be pleased to order him to do so? I am persuaded that a Body of Dragoons employed in the manner I have proposed will not only be more useful but more oconomical than Mounted Riflemen found in this Country

I have the Honor &c Willm Henry Harrison

P S Colo Morrison has just called and informed me that the Corn which has been forwarded from this place to Delaware has averaged one dollar and fifty Cents per Bushel.

W.H.H.

Honbl
W. Eustis
Secy of War.

50, 51, 52