To James Madison from Daniel Parker, 20 August 1813
From Daniel Parker
War Office August 20th. 1813
Part of the information required by the President has been communicated in the extracts from General Harrison’s letter to the Secretary of War.1 Mr. Parker now has the honor to make an extract from the letter of the Secretary to the Genl. of July 14h.
“Of the militia you are authorized to take what in your judgment will be necessary—Such of the Kentuckey militia as are in readin[es]s, would be better than a new draft. There are of the Pennsylvania militia, one Regt. at Erie—armed, equiped &c. These are subject to your command.”2
Probably the information given will satisfy Governor Blount.3
A letter similar to that addressed to the President has been sent to the Secy of War by Mr. Leary of Queen Ann’s County Maryland.4 He is probably a detached soldier & any order or explanation from the War Dept. might cause collision between him & his officers. No notice has been taken of his letter to the War Dept.
The gallantry of Major Croghan in defending the fortress of Lower Sandusky appears to stand unrivaled in the present War.
Is it not desirable to distinguish & reward such men?
A blank Commission has been filled for breveting the Major to rank from the day on which his conduct will render him conspicuous in the Army.5 He was in the expedition on the Wabash in 1811 & distinguished himself by his intelligence, activity, bravery & zeal in the service.6
Should the President sign the commission it can be sent to the Secretary of War and communicated to Croghan in time to have its effect on the Army this campaign.
RC and enclosure (DNA: RG 59, ML). RC filed at 28 Aug. 1813. For enclosure, see n. 3.
2. John Armstrong to William Henry Harrison, 14 July 1813 (DNA: RG 107, LSMA; printed in Esarey, Messages and Letters of William Henry Harrison, Indiana Historical Collections, 2:491).
3. Parker referred to the enclosed copy of his letter to Tennessee governor Willie Blount of 20 Aug. 1813 (2 pp.), on which he noted: “The above is a copy of a letter I have this morning sent for the information of Govr. Blount—Daniel Parker.” He wrote in response to Blount’s letters to Armstrong of 30 July and 1 Aug. 1813 (for the letters, see JM to Parker, ca. 18 Aug. 1813, n. 2). Parker stated that since troops from Georgia, Mississippi Territory, and the U.S. Army would be cooperating against the hostile Creeks, a 1,500-man force from Tennessee would be sufficient, that Blount was free to use Jackson’s volunteers to complete it, and that extracts of Blount’s letters had been sent to JM and Armstrong, who would provide the governor with instructions “in time to make the arrangements should they be deemed expedient.”
4. See James P. Leary to JM, 11 Aug. 1813. Leary’s letter to Armstrong of the same date is in DNA: RG 107, LRRS, L-135:7.
5. For Croghan’s defense of Fort Sandusky, see Parker to JM, 11 Aug. 1813, and nn. 1 and 2. The enclosed commission has not been found, but was listed under the date of 21 Aug. 1813 in American Book Prices Current 1974 (New York, 1975), 80:1074.
6. Parker referred to the Battle of Tippecanoe.