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Show £0 LIFE OF GEN. JACKSON. CHAP. the consequence, therefore, of a strict compliance I. with the secretary's order, must have been, that rna- ~ ny of the sick would have perished, whilst most of the rest would, from necessity, have b~en compelled to enlist in the regular army, under general Wilkinson. Such alternatives were neither congenial with their general's wishes, .nor such as they had expected, on adventuring with him ; he had carried them from home, and, the fate of war and disease apart, it was his duty, he believed, to bring them back. Whether an expectation, that, by this plan, many of them would be compelled into the regular ranks, had formed any part of the motive that occasioned the order for their discharge, at so great a distance from home, cannot be known ; and it would be uncharitable to insinuate so serious and foul an accusation, without the strongest evidence to support it. Be this as it may, general Jackson could not think of sacrificing or injuring an army that had shown such devotedness to their country ; and he determined to disregard the order, and march them back to their homes, where they had been embodied ; rather than discharge them where they would be exposed to the greatest hardships and c)angers. To this measure he \vas prompted, not only by the reasons ;Uready mentioned, but by the consideration, that many of the troops under his command were young men, the children of his neighbours and acquaintances, '~ho had delivered them into his hands, as to a guardian, who, with parental solicitude, would \vatch over and protect their weWrre. To have abandoned them, therefore, at such a time, and under such circum~ tances, would have drawn on him the merited censure LIFE OF GEN. JACKSON. 21 of the most deserving part of his fellow-citizens. Add CHAP. to this, those young men themselves, who were con- 1· fined by sickness, learning the nature of the order he~ lmd received, implored him, with tears in their eyes, not to abandon them in so great an extremity, remind-ing him, at the same time, of his assurances that he would be to them as a father, and of the implicit C()nfidence they had placed· in his word. This was an appeal, which it would have been difficult for the feel-ings of Jackson to lmve resisted, had it been without the support of other weighty considerations ; but, influenced by them all, he had no hesitation in coming to a determination. Having made known his resolution to the field officers, it met, apparently, their approbation ; but those officers, amongst whom were colonels Martin, Allcorn~ and Bradley, and those attached to the platoons, after retiring from his presence, assembled late at night, in secret caucus, and recommended to him an abandonment of his purpose, and an immediate discharge of his troops. Great as was the astonishment, which this measure excited in the general, it produced a still higher sentiment of indignation. In reply, he urged the duplicity of their conduct, and reminded them, that although to those who possessed funds and health, such a course could produce no inconvenience, yet to the unfortunate soldier, who \vas destitute of both, no measure could be more calamitous. He concluded by telling them, that his resolution not having been hastily fmmed, nor bottomed on light considerations, was unalterably fixed; and that immediate preparations must be made for carrying it into execution. |
