Letter from William Henry Harrison to Thomas Bodley, 2 November 1817

Northbend 2nd. Novr. 1817

Dear Bodley

In searching amongst my papers forI found 12 letters from Col. Barber 11 of them written from St. Marys whilst he Commanded there

They are all in the most friendly stile & all but one commences "Dear Genl." Several conclude "yr. friend, so that he could not have thought so badly of the attempt I made to corrupt him until after his return home - I am really unable to recollect the circumstance to which Barbers letter to Winchester aludes - Why I should wish them to certify sign a Declaration that they were under my command & not under Winchesters I cannot [imagine] unless it was to enable me to reclaim them if I should think proper to march them to Indiana for which they were first destined - But at any rate there was not the smallest impropriety in the thing as they were really & truly exclusively under my command & not under that of Winchester - Barber Jennings & Porasur[?] were no more a part of Winchesters Command than they were Genl. Smiths -

I cannot find what day I arrived at St. Marys from Ft. Wayne But I know that you were there before me - I have found my order to Jennings Dated the 24th Sept. to march with his Regt. immediately to open the road & push our provisions to Defiance

Barber says he came to St. Marys by my

order on the 22nd. Sept. I find a letter from him of that date at Piqua reporting his arrival there & requesting to be ordered on - I wish you to give me information as to these dates - Certain I am that Jennings was pushed on as farr as possible after my arrival

I find several very friendly letters from Jennings to me continued to the time of his leaving the army - if you are in want of any explanation from him would it not be well to write to him -

How came it to pass that the provisions did not go on farther to Defiance?

It will be material for me to know what number of Pack Horses & Waggons were employed to convey Subsistence to the troops under Winchester - In order to show the folly of his attempting to advance particularly with the [?] of [force?] which he [tried it ??d] ie to add Barbers & Jennings' Rgts. to those he had with him. The number of [fine teams?] distroyed on that line & the great evils produced by Winchester [stoping?] 50 of those which were [soon?] on [winter?] provisions will not be forgotten by you.

I have gotten a precious moral for the [Rutu...?] - Which they shall [?] -

Winchester made two Reports to me of the affair of the River Raisin, the first dated at [Landc...?] the latter at Niagara - In the first he says in a post script that practice requires him to state that the Provisions officers as well as privates explained

the most humane & polite the [?] from Col. Procter, What think you of this - Because he was feasting with Procter - He must Eulogise him at the time that his allies were burning his poor wounded fellow soldiers at Raisin & the rest of the prisoners with sick & wounded driven into a wood yard like a [parcel?] of Hogs with out shelter from the cold & rain

I shall leave him [?] note about the 15th if Mrs Harrison is well enough for me to leave her - but I wish you to continue to direct to me there until you hear of my departure - as the letters will follow me -

Yr. friend Willm. H Harrison

PS I do not wish the above observations of Winchester wher Procter to be made public until I bring them out

Be pleased to give the enclosed to the Editors of the Reporter

Genl. Bodley

[?] Willm. H. Harrison

General Thomas Bodley Lexington Ky

Genl. Harrison [written at 90 degrees to address]

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