Wheeling Times And Advertiser

Coolness on the Field of Battle.—Connected with the movement of the north western armies, in 1813 and previously, are many incidents which, though too unimportant for the pages of general history, are nevertheless highly interesting, and well worthy of preservation. Some of these have been related by General Tipton, and other brave officers; several are recorded in the narratives of Dawson and Hall; a few may be found in the newspapers of the times in which they occurred; but the greater number of them dwell merely in the recollections of the surviving soldiers who witnessed them. Some of them display an intrepidity unsurpassed in the history of warfare: others exhibit a coolness in the moment of imminent danger, indicative of the most determined resolution and the most extraordinary nerve. Of this latter character are the two incidents mentioned below. We find them related in a letter from Colonel John Speed Smith, (a prominent friend of the Administration, in Kentucky,) to a gentleman of this city. Col. Smith, it will be recollected, was one of the Aides of Gen. Harrison in the battle of the Thames.

The writer states, that a moment before the battle commenced, Gen. Harrison rode up to a majestic Seneca Chief, and took his powder-horn to reprime his pistols. Upon witnessing this, Lieut. Smith asked him if he expected to come in personal contact with the enemy—to which the General replied, that it was proper to be prepared for any event—that he commanded an army of better materials than Proctor's, and that he was determined not to survive a defeat; adding with a smile, to Lieutenant Smith, "You had better fresh prime, too, as I shall expect my Aides to die around me!"

Whilst at the crotchot, after the left wing had recovered from its momentary confusion, and was joined in the front, Gen. Harrison ordered Lieutenant Smith to bring down Chile's command to support it. While he was giving this order, the necks of their two horses were interlocked; and doing twice of a tree above them, which had gathered and retained a cluster of leaves, and around which the Aid had to look at his Commander, were cut down by the enemy's balls. Near the spot at the same moment, a soldier was shot through the thigh; and seeing the Commander-in-Chief as he swung round and fell, he cried out, 'did you see that General? They have shot me again!'

This man had been wounded the day before at the bridge. General Harrison directed him to be taken back to have his wounds dressed; but finding that his thigh was not broken, the brave fellow bandaged it with his handkerchief to stop the bleeding, clutched his gun, swore he meant to have satisfaction, and continued to fight. A few moments afterwards, a young man dashed up to the Commander, holding a scalp in his hand and sung out, "Look here, General! I've got it! My Father was an old Kentucky Indian Fighter: and when I left home, he made me promise to bring him the scalp of a red skin killed by myself. And here it is—this is for the old man. Now I want one for myself."

and off he sprang in search of another enemy.

These anecdotes, Colonel Smith says, greatly amused Commodore Perry when related to him at the close of the battle and the gallant Commodore could not be conquered, and he frequently afterwards, on similar truly said, that an army of such men could share soldier's solar no mtg with the hicors of would repeat
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