“ In the name of my country, and the authority of government, I promise you protection to your persons, property and rights; remain at your homes; pursue your peaceful and customary avocations; raise not your hands against your brethren. Many of your fathers fought for the freedom and independence we now enjoy. Being children therefore of the same family with us and heirs to the same heritage, the arrival of an army of friends must be hailed by you with a cordial welcome. ”

“ The United States are sufficiently powerful to afford every security consistent with their rights and your expectations. I tender you the invaluable blessing of civil, political and religious liberty, and their necessary result, individual and general prosperity; that liberty which gave decision to our councils, and energy to our conduct in a struggle for independence,—which conducted us safely and triumphantly through the stormy period of the revolution—that liberty which has raised us to an elevated rank among the nations of the world ”

“ The troops were in high spirits, and loudly expressed their anxious wish to be immediately led on against the enemy—instead of which, or taking any advantage of the favorable moment offered to strike the important blow, the services of all the carpenters, blacksmiths, and artificers of every kind were put in requisition; building gun carriages, scaling-ladders, and gundolas for the transportation of our heavy ordnance.—In short, the preparations which were making seemed to bespeak some grand and brilliant achievement, unparallelled in the annals of martial prowess. ”

“ The ruins of the fort and the naval buildings were still smoking. All the loyal inhabitants followed the British army in its retreat. The fortifications of Malden must have cost the British government a vast sum. The fort is surrounded by a deep ditch and two rows of heavy pickets: the walls are high, and the adjacent country as level as a lake. What cannon and small arms they were unable to carry away, were sunk in the river. ”

“ The Indians did not leave Detroit till the boats containing the troops were halfway across the river. Just before we landed on the American side, the inhabitants hoisted the United States' flag amid the acclamations of thousands. We were received by the inhabitants with demonstrations of unfeigned joy. They had suffered all that civilized and savage tyranny could inflict, save death. The Indians had lived at free quarters for several months. ”

“ James Johnson broke through the British lines and formed in their rear, the enemy's pieces were unloaded—their bayonets were not fixed—they surrendered at discretion—the whole was the work of a minute. In breaking through their ranks our men killed twelve and wounded 37 of the British regulars. The shock was unexpected. They were not prepared to resist it, some were trampled under the feet of our horses; others were cut down by the soldiers; very few were shot by our men, for our fire was not general. ”

“ I have a force which will look down all opposition, and that force is but the vanguard of a much greater—If, contrary to your own interest and the just expectation of my country, you should take part in the approaching contest, you will be considered as enemies, and the horrors and calamities of war will stalk before you. ”

“ Another Indian who had been wounded, and lay in the woods unable to move from his place, had loaded his rifle and shot down a militia soldier, who was in search of some of his fallen comrades; a party near by heard the report of the rifle, came up and dispatched the Indian while in the act of reloading, for another victim who might pass in his way.—Our killed and wounded were collected before dark and brought to the camp; consisting of 18 killed and 58 wounded. The loss of the British and Indians were 100 killed, and nearly twice that number wounded. ”

“ Had the enemy shown the least symptoms of resistance, after we broke through their lines, the greater part would have been destroyed, but they were as passive as sheep. Never was terror more strongly depicted on the countenances of men. Even the officers were seen with uplifted hands, exclaiming "quarter!" There is no doubt, that they expected to be massacred, believing that the Kentuckians would retaliate the bloody scenes of Raisin and Miami ”

“ Among other reasons assigned to justify the measure, it was alleged that these Indians had been among the foremost in massacring our men at the river Raisin, and that the town, if it was spared, would afford a convenient shelter for the British allies during the winter, and from which they could easily pass into the Michigan territory to rob and murder the inhabitants.
I have yet to learn, that it is either good policy or justice, for the American troops, in every instance, to burn the Indian towns that fall into their power. Are the Indians to be reclaimed by fire? ”

“ The attack soon extended round to the right line, where the troops were formed in complete order, and the assaults of the savages were returned in full measure. One company of Indiana militia fell back in great disorder, but after some arduous exertions of their officers, they were again rallied and fought with a spirit that evinced a determination to escape the odium of cowardice.—The battle had now become general, every musket and rifle contributed its share to the work of carnage. ”

“ The Indians continued a brisk fire from the margin of the swamp and made some impression on a line of Kentucky volunteers, but Gov. Shelby brought up a regiment to its support—the fire soon became too warm for the enemy. A part of Johnson's men having gained the rear of a part of the Indian line the rout became general. A small part of the Indians attempted to gain the village by running up the narrow strip of dry land; they were soon overtaken and cut down. The Indians fought bravely and sustained a severe loss in killed and wounded. The death of Tecumseh was an irreparable loss. ”

“ The garrison was composed of regulars—all Kentuckians, a finer company of men is not to be found in the United States, perhaps not in the world. They are as humane as courageous. This is proved by their unceasing attention to the wounded enemy, after their discomfiture; during the night, they kindly received into the fort, through the fatal port-hole of the block-house, all those who were able to crawl to it ”

“ Harrison having learnt that a body of Indians were collected at Presque Isle, near the mouth of the Miami, marched from his camp at the rapids, on the 9th of February, at the head of a detachment of his army, to attack them; The enemy fled—our troops pursued them almost to the river Raisin, but finding it impossible to overtake them, the troops returned to camp much exhausted with fatigue. Such was their desire to come up with the foe, that they marched sixty miles in twenty one hours. ”

“ If the dictates of reason, duty, justice and humanity cannot prevent the employment of a force which respects no rights, and knows no wrong, it will be prevented by a severe and relentless system of retaliation. ”

“ Aug. 23d.—We were landed, and informed that an armistice had been concluded between the two governments.—We tarried here but a short time—drew provisions for the day, and at ten o'clock we were formed, and under a guard proceeded on our march for Fort George. As we passed Black Rock, the American fort on the opposite shore, we beheld many of our country soldiers viewing us from the ramparts. ”

“ On the 22d they were attacked by a combined British force under Tecumseh and Proctor. The attack commenced on the right wing at beating of reveille. Our troops were immediately ready for the reception of the enemy. The right wing sustained the shock for about twenty minutes, when overpowered by numbers, they retreated over the river and were met by a large body of Indians who had been stationed in their rear. This party finding their retreat cut off, resolved to sell their lives as dear as possible, and fought desperately—few of these escaped. ”

“ A great number of horses were killed, several officers were wounded: lieutenant Waltz, of the Pennsylvania troop was shot through the arm, but not satisfied, he again attempted to mount his horse, and in making the effort was shot through the head.—The prisoners were treated with humanity, even the warriors who ceased to resist, were spared, which is not the usual custom in expeditions against the Indians. The sufferings of the men from cold, hunger and fatigue, on their retreat from Mississinway, were beyond measure. ”

“ One reason why our troops did not sustain a greater loss in the fort was, because the men had contrived a kind of bomb proof retreat all along the ditch immediately behind the pickets. They would watch the enemy's fire and knew when to squat into their hiding places. ”

“ When we went to sleep it was on two logs laid close to each other, to keep our bodies from the ground. Good God! what a pliant being is man in adversity. "The loftiest spirit that ever inhabited the human breast would have been tamed amid the difficulties that surrounded us."
[6] It is worthy of remark that but two soldiers were shot in the north-western army; and so unfrequent was desertion that from the time I joined it, till its departure from Fort George, not a solitary instance occurred ”

“ Our troops had one killed and ten wounded, besides several others slightly touched with Indian bullets. The enemy this day fired 457 cannon shot.
The next day commenced with a very brisk and fierce firing of bombs and cannon balls, and continued at intervals all day. They opened two batteries upon the fort, which they established on this side of the river within two hundred and fifty yards of the rear right angle of the camp, one of which was a bomb battery. An Indian who had ascended a tree, shot one of our men through the head, and six were killed by the enemy's bombs. ”

“ This address converted every man into a hero; it inspired them with a zeal, courage and patriotism never surpassed.
On the 28th the enemy commenced a very brisk fire of small arms—in the evening the Indians were conveyed over the river in boats and surrounded the garrison in every direction. Several of Col. Ball's dragoons volunteered to reconnoitre the enemy's camp, but before they had got far from the fort they were fired on by the Indians and compelled to return. ”

“ Pleurisy and bad colds afflicted almost the whole corps. Why the Indians suffered them to escape total destruction, is unaccountable. Perhaps the death of their celebrated Prophet, who is supposed to have been killed in this affair, was the cause of their not harrassing our men in their retreat.
The officers of Major Ball's squadron, who sustained the brunt of the action and who were complimented by General Harrison, in a general order, for their valor and good conduct, were Major Ball, Captains Hopkins and Garrard of Kentucky; Captains Markle and M'Clelland, of Pennsylvania. ”

“ April 30—the besieged kept up a well directed fire against the enemy's batteries and considerably impeded their progress. Boats filled with men were seen to pass to the Fort Meigs' side of the river; this induced the Gen. to believe that their intention was to draw his attention to their batteries, and to surprise and storm the camp in the rear. Orders were therefore given for one third of the men to be constantly on guard, and the remaining two thirds to sleep with their muskets in their arms, and to be constantly prepared, at a moment's warning, to fly to their posts. ”

“ It was customary each morning, an hour before day-break, to rouse the troops from their slumbers, with three solitary taps of the drums of each line, when they turned out and formed in front of their tents, which was the line of battle in case of an attack; in this manner they stood to their arms until the beating of the Reveille.—This precaution was deemed a very necessary one, knowing it to be the time that the Indians generally choose to make their attacks, as the troops sleep more sound, and the sentinels become wearied and sleepy, and consequently less vigilant. ”

“ Vast quantities of rain fell during the siege—the soil within the pickets is clay, and the constant treading of the men and horses caused the whole area of the fort to become a perfect bed of mortar, half leg deep—the frequent bursting of shells caused it to fly in every direction, covering officers and men with mud. ”