James Madison Papers
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To James Madison from Henry Dearborn, 17 October 1815

From Henry Dearborn

Washington Octobr. 17th. 1815

Sir

From my own knowledge of Majr. Harris’s charactor and services, and from information received from many officers of distinction, I have no doubt of the correctness of the accompanying narative, and I think his claim to rank, as stated by Genl. Ripley, no more than he is clearly entitled to.1 His highly respectable standing in society, added to his faithfull and distinguished services, form such a strong claim for an addition grade, to that of Majr. by brevett, as I most sincerely hope will meet with due attention.2 I am Sir very respectfully your Obedt. Servant

H. Dearborn

RC (InU-Li: War of 1812 Manuscripts). For enclosure, see n. 1.

1Dearborn probably enclosed a manuscript memoir written by Capt. Samuel D. Harris, describing his contributions to the northern campaigns of the U.S. Army during the War of 1812 (29 pp.; NBuHi: Samuel D. Harris War of 1812 and Boston Fire Dept. Papers, 1812, 1828; published as “Service of Capt. Samuel D. Harris,” Publications of the Buffalo Historical Society 24 [1920]: 325–42). The document included a reported avowal by Maj. Gen. Eleazer W. Ripley that he “should certainly recommend [Harris] for a Lt. Colonelcy in one of the new regiments” (ibid., 340).

2Harris had been breveted a major, effective 5 July 1814, for distinguished service at the Battle of Chippawa; he received a second brevet to the rank of lieutenant colonel, effective 25 July 1814, for his conduct at the Battle of Lundy’s Lane (Heitman, Historical Register, description begins Francis B. Heitman, Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, from Its Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903 (2 vols.; 1903; reprint, Baltimore, 1994). description ends 1:504).

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