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ARMSTRONG TO HARRISON

War Department

11th April 1813.

Sir,

Your dispatch informing me of your return to Fort Meigs and the motives under which you took [torn] step, has been received. That the indians will be trou [torn] on the frontier is to be expected and that your post [torn] take may invite their approaches of the enemy [torn] is not improbable. These last are no doubt your [torn] and require your attention. The enclosed extract from [torn] received this morning from Canada shews however that Col. Proctor is not in condition to carry on any distant or formidable expedition -- While other advices lead to the belief that the present policy of Sir George Prevost is to hazard his western posts, and in the event of their falling, to occupy Kingston on the right of his line of defense. He has now at that point between six and eight thousand men.

The alarm which has for some time spread itself over the Western territories, and the clashing of authorities within them, has induced the appointment of another Brigadier General, who will be specially charged with the duty of countering and describing[?] their military resources and of commanding such auxiliary force as may be assigned to them. My own opinion is that so long as Malden is menaced, the whole [torn] the enemy will be confined to its defense and that the practices of Dixon among the Western tribes, which have produced so much uneasiness in Illinois tr. have an object very froeign from them.

You have recently and in two instances detached [torn] from duties of the most important kind, so [torn] they had been specially assigned by this Departt. [torn] rendered necessary the adoption of the following [torn] that no general officer commanding a District [torn] United States, of a division of the army, shall on any [torn] take an officer from the discharge of duties to which he has been specially assigned by the War Dept. In one of the cases referred to, a substitute was found -- but in that of General McArthur, the business is entirely suspended and the funds deposited in bank. With regard to this office it ought also to have been recollected, that though declared to be exchanged by an Act of our govern- ment, the validity of the exchange is appugued[?] by the British commander in chief and is now under discussion between him and General Dearborn. In any decision of this question, the recruiting service would be a safe one.

I am sir, with great respect, Your Most Obedient Servant

John Armstrong

Gen. Harrison

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