xt76dj58d796 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt76dj58d796/data/mets.xml Denny, Ebenezer, 1761-1822. 1859  books b929701d42812009 English Historical Society of Pennsylvania : Philadelphia, Pa. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Delaware language --Glossaries, vocabularies, etc. Shawnee language --Glossaries, vocabularies, etc. Indians of North America --Wars --1790-1794. United States --History --Revolution, 1775-1783 --Personal narratives. Military journal of Major Ebenezer Denny, an officer in the revolutionary and Indian wars. With an introductory memoir. text Military journal of Major Ebenezer Denny, an officer in the revolutionary and Indian wars. With an introductory memoir. 1859 2009 true xt76dj58d796 section xt76dj58d796 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
MILITARY

JOURNAL

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M AJOR E B E N E Z E R D E N N Y , .

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INTRODUCTORY

MEMOIR.

JJLirror of ancient faith ! Undaunted worth ! inviolable

truth .
D B Y D K M ' S J 5 SHO>.

PHILADELPHIA:

J. B . L I P P I N C O T T
FOR THE

& CO.

HISTORICAL SOCIETY

OF P E N N S Y L V A N I A .

1859.

  
  
MEMOIR.

EBENEZEK

DENNY

w as born i n C arlisle, C u m b e r l a n d He

C ounty, P e n n s y l v a n i a , on the 11th of M a r c h , 1761.

w as the eldest c h i l d of W i l l i a m D enny and Agnes P a r k e r . W i l l i a m , a nd his brother W a l t e r , c ame to C u m b e r l a n d f rom Chester County, i n 1745. W a l t e r D e n n y settled He t wo or three miles south of C arlisle, w here he o wned a l arge tract of l a n d , now d i v i d e d into five farms. k i l l e d a t the battle of the Crooked B i l l e t ; ship. r aised a c ompany f or the Revolutionary struggle, was a nd his son t aken, a nd kept three months on board a Jersey prisonD a v i d Denny, for many years pastor of the P r e s H e was the first Coroner
Avar.

byterian c hurch at Chambersburg, was a son of W a l t e r . W i l l i a m l i v e d i n C arlisle. T he mother Parker. of Ebenezer w est of the Susquehanna, and a Commissary i n the Denny, Agnes, was

the

d aughter of J o h n P a r k e r , and grand-daughter of R i c h a r d R i c h a r d , as early as 1730, acquired lands on T hese t he Cannadaguinnet, three miles w est of C arlisle. i n p ossession of his descendants.

l ands continued for two or three generations afterward I t was there that his

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3

  
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MEMOIR.

g randsons, i n the intervals of their m i l i t a r y s ervice, t urned t heir s words i nto plowshares. t he war. A l l three   Alexander, R i c h a r d and A n d r e w     w e r e actively e ngaged i n A l e x a n d e r furnished two teams, at his own He e xpense, w hen the army was at the W h i t e P l a i n s .

w as commissioned i n Colonel Irvine's regiment, S econd L ieutenant i n Company N o . 1, Captain H a y , J a n u a r y 9 th, 1 776. in M a r c h e d i n A p r i l f ollowing, from Carlisle to N e w Y o r k and Canada   promoted a F i r s t L ieutenant C ompany N o . 4, Captain R i p p e y , June 9th, 1776, I n the first campaign against Q uebec, h e and his a nd C aptain, 31st J u l y , 1 777, i n Colonel Irvine's r e g i ment. c ousin, J o h n P a r k e r , who was one of his sergeants, suffered great hardships, and narrowly e scaped b eing taken p risoners. A t the close of the Revolutionary W a r , w hilst R i c h a r d and A n d r e w emigrated to K e n t u c k y , A l e x a n d e r P a r k e r settled i n W e s t e r n V i r g i n i a , o n lands w hich h e acquired by settlement and purchase, at the m outh of the L i t t l e K a n a h w a , on which is now the town of Parkersburg. H i s only s u r v i v i n g c h i l d , M a r y , whilst On that o ccasion o n a visit to her relative i n P i t t s b u r g h , was married to W i l l i a m R obinson, J r . , of A l l e g h e n y . h er cousin from K e n t u c k y , a grandchild of R i c h a r d P a r k e r , a fterward M r s . T. Crittenden, was her bridesmaid. A gnes, the mother of Ebenezer Denny, was an uncommon woman, of great e nergy a nd intelligence. She was o f middle height, fair complexion, blue eyes, b right s andy h a i r ; beautiful i n her younger clays, attractive at a ll t imes, and prepossessing i n her old age. H e r numerous friends and relatives approached her always w i t h

  
MEMOIR.

6

c onfidence i n her affection, her sympathy, her g ood t emper and sound judgment. A d evout C hristian     w i t h She never failed to h er B i b l e , i n every s ense, b y heart.

a scribe the m a n y deliverances of her son Ebenezer, to a p articular p rovidence   as other pious persons d i d to the p rayers o f herself, his g ood m other. H e r f ather left his large estate to h i s sons; as was the c ustom i n t hose c lays. A g n e s inherited nothing. Her h usband, a h i g h m i n d e d and gentlemanly m a n , f ell a way i n h is habits and circumstances. t o support himself. e mployment Ebenezer, therefore, f elt t hat he ought to endeavor to assist them, as w e l l as A t the age of thirteen, he obtained bearer of dispatches to the comH e crossed the A l l e g h e n y m o u n His

mandant a t F o r t P i t t .

tains a lone, l y i n g o ut i n the w oods w i t h a ny p a r t y of p ack-horsemen w h o m he o vertook a t n ightfall. f riend i n after years, S a m u e l M u r p h y , of " M u r p h y ' s B e n d , " o n his first v isit f rom B u l l s k i n s t o F o r t P i t t i n 1 774, met h i m at T u r t l e Creek, on his r eturn f rom the f ort: " a slender, f air, b lue-eyed, red-haired boy, two or t hree years younger than himself, between eleven and t hirteen y ears o l d . " M iu*phy e xpressed, at the time, his s urprise t hat the p u b l i c authorities would i ntrust a m ere l a d to carry important dispatches t h r o u g h a wilderness i nfested w i t h s avage e nemies. T w e n t y years afterward, M u r p h y w as a lieutenant i n a m i l i t a r y e xpedition to P rescpi' I sle, commanded by the person who was that n ight at T u r t l e Creek his camp-mate and bed-fellow. O nce d u r i n g that expedition, w h i l s t suppressing a mutiny, a nd a gain, when r eturning, h e f ell o ut of his p erogue, t he

  
6

MEMOIR.

l ife of the commander was saved by that brave and a thletic s oldier. f ort. " W h e n I met h i m at T u r t l e Creek," said M u r p h y , " h e must have been on his return from the I know h i m too w e l l to s uppose t hat he would have On two of these missions to F o r t P i t t , d isclosed to me the nature of his business, u n t i l a fter i t w as executed." a t the L o y a l h a n n a and at Turkey-foot, he was chased i nto F o r t L o u d o n by the Indians. H e w as afterward employed i n his father's store i n C arlisle. F r e s h from his bridle path on Chestnut R i d g e a nd L a u r e l H i l l , a nd f a m i l i a r w i t h i ts clanger, i t was h a r d l y to be expected that he would be content at h ome b ehind a c ounter, whilst his uncles, of w h o m he was j ustly p roud, r i s k e d everything i n the war. A l etter of marque and r eprisal w as about to s ail to the W e s t Indies. as a volunteer. H e repaired to P h i l a d e l p h i a and shipped The captain intended to intercept a B u t entertaining a p a r t y of

B r i t i s h m erchantman, w i t h a v aluable cargo, bound from t he Bahamas to H a l i f a x . friends who accompanied h i m down the Delaware, was u nable to command his ship when, outside the capes, t he expected prize c ame i n sight. s uccessful cruise. H e made amends for t his d isappointment afterward by a v i g i l a n t , d a r i n g a n d H i s ship b ecame n oted i n the G rulf. I n that chase and acO n one occasion, off M a r t i n i q u e , he h a d a r u n n i n g fight w i t h t hree armed B r i t i s h c ruisers. tion, E benezer attracted the notice of the captain by his a lacrity a nd intrepidity, as he h a d throughout the voyage b y his modesty and fidelity. Observing that i n e very emergency he was not less brave than any of the

  
MEMOIR.

7

c rew, whilst he was always reliable and trustworthy, the c aptain, o n the v oyage h ome, promoted h i m to the comm a n d of the quarter deck. T o o vercome h is scruples and aversion to what seemed so m u c h l i k e h ighway robbery, that even the love of adventure could not gloss* i t o ver, he was offered the p r i v i lege o f supercargo, to induce h i m to -embark again i n a nother cruise. T h i s tempting offer reached h i m i n the endeavors to dissuade h i m H e decided to go back f a m i l y c abin at C arlisle, s urrounded by his mother and s isters, w hose a ffectionate from i ts a cceptance only increased his desire to earn H e invested his share of the prize money i n

s omething for himself and them. t o sea.

w hiskey a nd flour, and h a d crossed the Susquehanna w i t h h is w agon on his way to P h i l a d e l p h i a , w hen he received a c ommission of E n s i g n i n the F i r s t P e n n s y l v a n i a r e g i ment. H e gladly disposed of his produce at H a r r i s b u r g , T h i s was shortly I n his m i l i a nd j oined the a r m y at L i t t l e Y o r k .

a fter the m u t i n y i n the P e n n s y l v a n i a l ine.

tary j o u r n a l , w h i c h then c ommences, h e describes the p ain h e felt at being obliged to witness the execution. T h e n f ollowed W a y n e ' s forced marches into V i r g i n i a , a nd t he first action of the P e n n s y l v a n i a troops, under L ieutenant-Colonel R i c h a r d B u t l e r , n ear W i l l i a m s b u r g , w here they h a d a desperate encounter w i t h Simcoe; t he B r i t i s h p artisan and his rangers being very m u c h e mboldened by their recent success a t the junction of the R i v a n n a a nd F l u v a n n a rivers, at w h i c h point, w i t h a d etachment of yagers, infantry and hussars, they frightened the B a r o n Steuben into a. night retreat of t h i r t y

  
8

MEMOIR.

m iles, a nd destroyed the greater part of his stores scattered a long the r i v e r b a n k ; although he was at the head o f five hundred V i r g i n i a r egulars, w i t h s ome m i l i t i a , s eparated f rom the enemy by d eep w ater, and the boats a l l o n his own side. arate c ommand. S oon after, W a y n e , who also was credulous, but i n the o pposite way, attempted to surprise Cornwallis. H e expected to find h is a r m y p a r t l y crossed over and d i v i d e d b y the James r iver. O u r young ensign,'the extent of w hose m a r c h i n g of late h a d been the length of his quarter d eck, f r a n k l y confesses t hat he could not keep up w i t h h is company. A s they were coming into action, his c aptain a nd fellow townsman, f a l l i n g b ehind and w a l k i n g b y his side, quietly said to h i m , " N o w , E b . , for the h onor of old C arlisle, do not disgrace yourself." Montgomery made this r a l l y i n g a ppeal to the memory of their n ative p lace, supposing that his young townsman was g oing into his first a ction; probably not k n o w i n g that the y oungster was fresh from the perils of the sea, and f a m i l i a r w i t h t he smoke of gunpowder on the deck of a p r i vateer. The boldness of their commander advanced t hem i nto a position of great danger, from w h i c h they w ere extricated only by s t i l l g reater d a r i n g . C o r n w a l l i s , a stonished at the hardihood of the attack, sent a r e e i ment of infantry to m eet h i m , and cautiously deployed his whole a r m y to the r i g h t and left. The r e g i ment of B r i t i s h i nfantry, i n front of the A m e r i c a n l ine, m arched up i n open order, w i t h p erfect r e g u l a r i t y ; W a y n e reserving his fire u n t i l t hey were w i t h i n a d isT h i s was Steuben's f irst a nd only sep-

  
MEMOIR.

9

t ance of seventy paces, when both lines enchanged shots f or a few minutes. The hero of Stony P o i n t was i n f u l l H e seemed u niform   his h orse prancing i n front of the P e n n s y l v a nia i nfantry, his face g lowing w ith p leasure. t o E n s i g n Denny, who stood near h i m , to be amused w i t h t he loss of his plume, w h i c h was cut off by a b a l l o n the first fire. N e a r l y a l l the field officers were dismounted. A y oung officer, acting i n the staff, w hose p antaloons w ere rubbed by s ome b leeding horse, i m a g i n i n g himself w ounded, fainted, and was carried off the field. Being v ery handsome, one of the few young men of fortune i n t he a r m y who could afford to dress w ell, h e was envied b y his brother officers, who made the most of the accident to laugh h i m out of the service. Ensign Denny w as the only officer i n the company who was not wounded. T he captain and lieutenant were disabled at the first fire. The troops retreated by companies. Montgomery's f ell to the command of the ensign. T h e y recrossed the

s wamp b y the narrow causeway, i n g ood o rder, but w i t h s uch expedition, that he could again h a r d l y keep up w i t h t he men. B u t " thanks to the veteran first sergeant, t he most important officer," he remarked, " i n a company, t hey were kept together." T he unexampled hardihood of "Wayne, persisting to a dvance, b een and actually that the fighting whole after he British must havo at an The aware a r m y were

h and, p erplexed Cornwallis, made h i m apprehend a mbuscade, and hesitate i n his pursuit. W a y n e and a l l his f orce w ould have been taken.

Otherwise,

l oss of the A m e r i c a n s i n this battle, according to M r .

  
10

MEMOIR.

D enny's account, was one hundred and eighteen k i l l e d w ounded and prisoners, i n c l u d i n g ten officers. S ubsequently, at the s iege of Y o r k , on the night of t he 14th October, E n s i g n D e n n y was i n the advance attack on the redoubts, i n w h i c h the P e n n s y l v a n i a troops d istinguished t hemselves under the lead of H a m i l t o n . I n t he ceremony of the surrender, Lieutenant-Colonel R i c h a r d B u t l e r , ( afterward General B u t l e r , k i l l e d at S t. C lair's defeat,) i n honor of his recent services and the s ignal p art his regiment had taken i n the capture of the r edoubt, was appointed to plant the first A m e r i c a n flag u pon the B r i t i s h p arapet. C olonel B utler, w ho was a short heavy person, detailed f or this service his youngest ensign, i n his figure and s tature a c ontrast to h i m s e l f ; probably p artial to h i m , as coming from his own town, C arlisle. t hree armies, and was T he young of the officer mounted the parapet, i n the presence

i n the act of p l a n t i n g the The

f lag-staff, when the B a r o n Steuben r ode o ut of the lines, d ismounted, t ook t he flag, and planted i t himself. b ut submit. d isappointed and mortified subaltern had nothing to do B u t not so his colonel, the hero who had H e , that night, a venged the Baron's flight from Simcoe.

s ent the arrogant foreigner a message, as every one expected, and it t ook a l l the influence of Rochambeau and W a s h i n g t o n to prevent a hostile meeting. P erhaps there was s ome e xcuse f or the P r u s s i a n m a r tinet, i n the fact, that a dispute on a point of m i l i t a r y e tiquette had arisen among the general staff at headquarters, i n which Lafayette and Rochambeau t ook o p-

  
MEMOIR.

11

p osite sides; the M a r q u i s contending that he should " t a k e t he flag," and the Count c l a i m i n g the r i g h t for t he B a r o n Steuben. I n no part of his d i a r y or correspondence does h e allude to the subject of two duels, i n which he was concerned as s econd. One of these affairs grew out of s ome offense g iven t o the surgeon of the regiment, by a brother officer. The a ggressor, as was his custom, when he thought he h a d o ffended an officer of. lower grade, was seen i n camp n ext day without his epaulets, to show that he w a i v e d h is r a n k , and was ready to give satisfaction. The surgeon, l i k e m a n y other surgeons i n the R e v o l u t i o n a r y a rmy, w as a brave m a n , and expert w i t h t he p i s t o l ; nevertheless, at the hostile meeting w h i c h followed, they e xchanged shots without effect, v e r y m u c h to the surprise o f the challenged party, who at f irst a ccused his f riend of h a v i n g loaded the pistols only w i t h p owder; b ut on being shown the trees directly behind them, f reshly b arked by the balls, recovered his g ood h umor, a nd r equested h i m to " p r i m e and l o a d . " Lieutenant D enny, i nstead of doing so, assured his friend that he w as i n the wrong, and s ucceeded i n reconciling the combatants b efore t hey left the f ield. t hat h e h a d not k i l l e d h is doctor. I t w i l l b e recollected that they were officers of the a r m y     a t a t ime when dueling was more than now the f ashion   were on the s oil o f V i r g i n i a , w here the custom w as indigenous   and i n the presence of our a llies, t he French chivalry. T h e y w a l k e d back to t he camp, a r m i n a r m , the officer congratulating himself

  
12

MEMOIR.

E n s i g n D enny, as appears from his j o u r n a l , was afterw a r d w ith L ieutenant-Colonel Josiah H a r m a r , and the F i r s t P ennsylvania regiment, i n the C a r o l i n a s     u n d e r t he command of General St. C lair, a nd at Charleston, d uring i ts investment, and after its evacuation. I n t he order b ook of Lieutenant-Colonel H a r m a r , of d ated P h i l a d e l p h i a , A u g u s t 27th, 1784, we find h i m arranged as ensign i n Captain M ' C u r d y ' s company i nfantry! F r o m that time, throughout the campaigns of

H a r m a r a nd St. C lair, a nd his own expedition to P r e s q u ' I sle, h is diary is a sufficient sketch of his life for that p eriod. The A d j u t a n t of H a r m a r and the A i d - d e - c a m p of St. C lair, no one had better opportunities of obtaining a uthentic i nformation. W h e n t he U n i t e d States Commissioners were at F o r t F i n n e y , w aiting for the Shawanees to c ome i n to the treaty, G eneral C l a r k k ept aloof from his colleagues. There a ppeared to be some j ealousy and c oolness b etween them. B u t t o the young commandant, Lieutenant D e n n y , he w as l ike a f ather. o wn adventures. H e i n v i t e d h i m to pass his evenings H e told h i m that frequently, at night, a t his tent; threw off his reserve, and t a l k e d about his w hen his soldiers lay upon their arms, he has crept, on a ll f ours, to the neighboring l ick, w i t h o nly his tomahawk, f or fear of a l a r m i n g the Indians, watched for the d eer t o p ass, and selecting a young one, k i l l e d i t , and carried i t b ack to the bivouac for the supper of his men. H e was a s tout, rather short, square m a n , w i t h a h i g h , broad forehead, sandy h air, b lue e yes, a nd heavy, shaggy e ye-brows. W i t h h is personal prowess, hardihood and capacity for

  
MEMOIR.

13

d etail, t here was always comprehensive wisdom i n his p lan a nd purpose. p romptly. H e raised his f orce a nd supplies H e marched quietly to his There was no H e knew exactly, and therefore never over-

rated t he dangers i n the way.

d istant o bject a nd t ook i t by surprise.

m a r t i a l p ageant, no ostentatious and p ompous p arade. H e t hreaded the forest s i l e n t l y     o r on his Chickasaw p onies galloped across the prairies, and g ave t he first n otice of his presence to the savages by his flag supplanting t hat of their great allies. Hence that prestige, W h e n he was other t hat r enown amongst them w h i c h was of such value to c arry o n hostilities or dictate a p eace. G eneral. T he night on w h i c h his l ittle p a r t y from K e n t u c k y r eadied the K a s k a s k i a r i v e r at M e n a r d ' s C a p , they saw o n the opposite bank the Jesuits' seminary lighted up, a nd h eard issuing from i t the sounds of the v i o l i n . C l a r k , l eaving his horses and most of his men on the e astern side, waded across at the w a r m ford. itants. I t was a b a l l g iven by the B r i t i s h officers to the F r e n c h i n h a b H e placed one of his men quietly at each d oor, H e himself, wrapA n Indian o utside, w i t h o rders to let n one p ass. p resent, the great warriors never noticed any

ped i n his blanket capot, his arms folded, leaning against t he door-cheek, looked i n upon the dance. AVIIO l a y on the floor of the entry, intently gazing at his f eatures i n the l i g h t reflected from the room, suddenly s prang to his feet a nd g ave t he war-whoop. t o the d oor. The dancing ceased, the ladies screamed, and the Frenchmen rushed C l a r k , w ithout m o v i n g from his position,

  
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MEMOIR.

o r changing his grave expression, desired them to go on w i t h t he dance. " T h e only difference i s , " said he, " y o u At n ow dance under V i r g i n i a , i nstead of Great B r i t a i n . "

d ay-light h e and his mounted men were opposite to F o r t C hartiers, o n the crest of the bluff, and by m a r c h i n g along i ts p rofile so as to be seen from the fort, countermarchi n g o ut of sight and again showing themselves i n a continuous file, h is force a ppeared so large that the m u c h m ore numerous enemy capitulated without a shot. T he massacre of the B l u e L i c k s r ecalled h i m to K e n tucky. H e described to Lieutenant D e n n y the panic i n t he settlements, i n the face of which he beat up for v o l unteers; and what no other m a n could have d one, h e p romptly raised a party and h u n g on the bloody flanks of the enemy. H i s masterly march on the W a b a s h and c apture of Post St. Vincent, he related somewhat different from, and without the flourish of history. A f t e r h is conquest of I llinois, h e was voted a sword b y the State of V i r g i n i a . T he bearer of i t met the grave He a nd d iscontented hero on the bank of the W a b a s h .

w as anxiously waiting for news that the House of Delegates had passed his accounts, and had voted money to pay t hem, to enable h i m to make g ood h is engagements, on s udden emergencies, for supplies to his men. d isappointed. H e was H e t ook t he sword   drew i t from its scab-

bard, a nd placing the point to the ground, thrust it d eep i n t he soil he had conquered, and broke it off by the h i l t . T h r o w i n g a way the glittering handle, he said, " I asked V i r g i n i a f or bread, and she sent me a sword! " D u r i n g t he campaign of 1790, and at the battle of the

  
MEMOIR.

15

M a u m e e towns, the J o u r n a l a nd letters of M a j o r Denny, w ho was i n fact the acting A d j u t a n t - G e n e r a l of the a r m y , s tate so f ully, e very m i l i t a r y o ccurrence, and his deposition b efore t he court of i n q u i r y , on the c onduct of the c ommander, is so clear a summary, that i t is only n ecessary to refer to them. T he reader w i l l see that there runs through the whole a v e i n of loyal attachment to the gallant and a ccomplished H a r m a r , w h i c h has the r i n g a nd lustre of the p ure metal, and does h onor to them both. O n t he 14th December, 1790, President W a s h i n g t o n c ommunicated to Congress a m i l i t a r y d ispatch from the G overnor of the N o r t h - W e s t e r n Territory, elated N o v e m ber 6th, i n w h i c h General St. C l a i r s a y s : " M r . D e n n y , t he gentleman who takes General H a r m a r ' s dispatches, I b eg leave to mention to you i n a particular m a n n e r ; a nd i f you w i l l b e pleased to do so to the President i n h is f avor, y o u m a y be assured he w i l l n ot disappoint any e xpectations that m a y be formed. m ake the a r m y his profession. H e has every quality There are, however, t hat I c ould w i s h a young m a n to p ossess, w ho meant tu s ome o ther traits i n his character as a m a n , that are not g enerally k n o w n , that would endear h i m . p arents for a long t i m e . "
1

Out of the

l ittle p ittance he receives, he has maintained two aged I n B r i g a d i e r - G e n e r a l H a r m a r ' s dispatch to the Secretary of W a r , dated November 4, 1790, after g i v i n g an a ccount of the battle, he says: " T h e bearer, Lieutenant D e n n y , is m y A d j u t a n t .
1

I t w i l l a fford me great satisfac-

A merican State Papers, vol. iv. on Indian Affairs, page 1 04.

  
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MEMOIR.

t ion to know that some m a r k of honor w i l l b e shown him. H i s long and f aithful s ervices merit it. There is I f there a v ast deal of business i n this western country. h i m to be the person." h e says: o fficer."
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i s no impropriety i n g i v i n g me an aid-de-camp, I w i s h A t the foot o f the General's letter " N . B . M y A d j u t a n t is really and t r u l y a n

M a j o r D e n n y ' s , h abitual r eserve on the .events of his m i l i t a r y l ife, w as by no means lessened on the subject of t he melancholy scenes o f the 4th of November, 1791. A s h e says i n his J o u r n a l , h e recurred to them w i t h p a i n a nd r eluctance. T he unfortunate commander himself, modest and d i g nified as he was, more frequently conversed on the subject, i n his retirement at Chestnut R i d g e . To his neighbor, s till l i v i n g , t he venerable A l e x a n d e r Johnston, he s aid t hat nothing h a d ever given h i m more concern t h a n h is h a v i n g dispatched his aid-de-camp, M a j o r D e n n y , w hose w orth, and the value of w hose l ife, n o one more a ppreciated, upon a most desperate mission, from w h i c h , o n reflection, he had no h ope o f ever seeing h i m r eturn a live. T h i s was probably at the commencement of the a ttack o n the 4th of November, when w i t h C olonel O l d ham h e r ode f orward to the creek, where the Indians h a d d riven i n the m i l i t i a , a nd v a i n l y endeavoring to arrest t heir f light, that brave K e n t u c k i a n was shot b y his side a nd f ell f rom his horse, execrating the cowardice of his m en.
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D ocuments, Legislative and Executive, Congress U nited S tates, 1st to

3 d Session of the 13th Congress.

  
MEMOIR.

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I n t he confusion of the battle, when the officers were n early a l l k i l l e d o r wounded, a sked for orders. J o h n M o r g a n , the a i d of the disabled B u t l e r , r ode u p to M a j o r D e n n y and H i s horse, covered w i t h b lood, rubbed T h i s was h is w ounded face o n the M a j o r ' s pantaloons.

n ot noticed at the t i m e ; and afterward General St. C l a i r o bserving the blood, said to his aid-de-camp, " M a j o r , y ou are wounded." The latter dismounted, drew off his b oot, b ut finding no wound, recollected M o r g a n ' s horse. T he General smiled and said, " D o n ' t you remember the I r i s h b e a u t y ? "     a l l u d i n g to the young officer at the battle of James R i v e r , who perceiving his pantaloon stained i n t he same way, supposed himself wounded, and was c arried off the field. T h i s was told tp the writer by his f ather, as an instance of Genei'al St. C lair's c oolness a nd s elf-possession i n the midst of the panic. A f t e r G eneral B u t l e r h a d received his first wound, he c ontinued to w a l k i n front c lose a long the l ine, w i t h h is c oat off and his a r m i n a s ling, e ncouraging the men, and r etired o nly after receiving a second wound i n the side. T he Commander-in-chief sent M a j o r D e n n y , w i t h h is c ompliments, to inquire how he was. H e found h i m i n t he m i d d l e of the camp, i n a s itting p osture, supported b y knapsacks     the r ifle b alls of the Indians, who now s urrounded closely the whole camp, concentrated t hat p oint. t wo of his horses were shot there. upon One of the wounded General's servants and H e seemed, however, W h i l s t making

t o have no anxiety, and to the i n q u i r y of the aid-decamp, he answered that he felt w ell. 2 t his r eply, a young cadet from V i r g i n i a , w ho stood at his

  
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MEMOIR.

s ide, was hit on the caj) of the knee by a spent b all, a nd c ried so loudly w i t h the pain and a l a r m , that General B u t l e r a ctually s hook h is wounded side w i t h laughter. T his s atisfied M a j o r Denny that the s econd w ound was n ot mortal, that the General being very fleshy, the b a l l m ight not have penetrated a v i t a l p art. l ife s aved. H e always believed that he might have b een b rought away and his P r o b a b l y his own aid-de-camp, M a j o r J o h n M o r g a n , m ay have offered to b r i n g h i m off, as was his d uty, and the wounded General declined, c onscious t hat h is w eight and helplessness would only encumber s aving himself. I t is among the traditions of the f a m i l y at C arlisle, t hat as their relative r ode i n the rear of the retreating a rmy, a woman caught his h orse b y its long t a i l , a nd h eld on, although threatened w i t h h oof a nd sword. w as rewarded for her c onfidence i n his generosity J efferson. T he first intelligence of the disastrous termination of S t. C lair's c ampaign was brought to P h i l a d e l p h i a by his a id-de-camp, who r ode d own M a r k e t street on the g a l lant l ittle h orse w hich had b orne h is tired rider night a nd day from F o r t P i t t , a nd now reined up, b espattered with m u d , at the President's mansion. General A officer W a s h i n g t o n had a party at dinner that evening. s ervant c ame u p stairs, and said that a young She by his b rave young friend for no use, and hinder h i m from

b eing taken up behind, and carried i n safety to F o r t

f rom the army had a letter for the President. The private s ecretary, M r . Tobias L e a r , was sent down to r eceive i t .

  
MEMOIR.

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T he officer said that his orders w ere t o give the dispatch to t he President only, Avhich b eing told to W a s h i n g t o n , h e c ame d own to the ante-room and received i t. H e had n ot read m ore t han a few lines, u n t i l h e perceived its i mport, and broke out i n expressions, which the young officer d i d not set down i n his diary, but which M r . T obias L e a r , the private secretary, recorded i n his private j o u r n a l , to be published at this late day, and cited i n c onfirmation of the probable t ruth of the allegation, that W a s h i n g t o n s wore p rofanely at that traitor, Lee, i n the b attle of M o n m o u t h . I n a m ost v iolent passion, says the secretary, he exclaimed, " D i d I not i n t he last w ords I s aid to h i m , w a r n h i m a gainst a surprise?''' A s i f a surprise w as the only t h i n g to be feared, the only advantage n eeded b y an e nemy, b rave by nature, and trained to w ar from c h i l d hood, to enable them to vanquish an equal number of u ndisciplined t roops, raw from the j a i l s of t he cities, p oorly equipped, h u r r i e d off, late i n the season, to fight t hem, united i n their f orest h ome   and to b e "surprised "   as indeed they were   only b ecause t he s econd i n c ommand, the officer of the day, would not permit the i nformation, regularly had, that the e nemy w ere n ear the c amp i n unusual numbers, " t o go b eyond h is own tent." H i s b ravery, his exertions d u r i n g the day to r edeem i t f rom the c onsequences of his fault, and his fate, m ade s ome a tonement. B u t t here was no e xcuse f or t he P resident attaching to the e xpedition a n officer of his h i g h r a n k and pretensions, without g i v i n g h i m t he command -in -chief. There

  
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MEMOIR.

w as no excuse f or his sending against the Indians, a l l u nited u nder B rant, a force n ot m ore n umerous t h a n t hem, a nd so irregular and mutinous that i t t ook t he b est r egiment to protect the c onvoys of provisions from the d eserters. A fter M a j o r Denny's resignation and retirement to c i v i l l ife, h e married, on the first of J u l y , 1 793, N a n c y W i l k i n s , a lso a native of C a r l i s l e ; t he youngest daughter, b y the first wife, of J o h n W i l k i n s , S r., formerly of that place, who was a captain of a volunteer company i n t he Revolution and at the battle of B r a n d y w i n e . f or s ome t i m e , at Bedford, and represented C onstitution of P e n n s y l v a n i a . geon's m ate i n the Before r emoving to P i t t s b u r g h , Captain W i l k i n s r esided Bedford c ounty i n the Convention of 1777, which formed the first M r s . D e n n y was the sisarmy, afterward ter, b y the same mother, of J o h n W i l k i n s , J r . , a surRevolutionary Q uarter-master G e n e r a l ; of Charles W i l k i n s , of L e x i n g ton, K e n t u c k y ; and of the H o n . W i l l i a m W i l k i n s , o