isa-normaladvance-1913-00240

Description:	240THE NORMAL ADVANCEto take out land in the ranges just west of theSecond Principal Meridian5 (See map.) Thissame year, 1812, Hugh McGary made the firstpermanent settlement at the site of P]vansvilie.sThus, the reaction on the frontier and the increased immigration, began to concentrate settlements more in the older regions—regions ingreat part which were little settled.Since 1807 the lands in Indiana had been onsale at three land offices—namely, Cincinnati,established in 1800 Vincennes, established in1804, and Jeffersonville, established in 1807. In1812 the land sales at these offices decreased.The lands were sold in mininum tracts of 160acres each at a minimum price of $2.00 anacre. Supposing that for each 160-acre tractsold at Vincennes in 1812, one family settledin the Vincennes district (all of Indiana westof the Second Principal Meridian and part ofIllinois), then about twenty-four families settled in the district and about one hundred andeighty-four families would have settled in theJeffersonville District. In 1811 the numberwould have been somewThat greater. Not everyfamily of settlers, however, bought land of thegovernment, so the land sales cannot be usedto determined precisely the number of newsettlements.The war along the Canadian border continued half heartedly. Governor Harrison wasgiven command of the Army of the Northwest,while John Gibson acted as governor of Indiana Territory. The Indians along the Wabash, as has been seen, became so threateningthat the legislature decided to move the government from Vincennes. In his message tothe legislature, February 2, 1813, acting Governor Gibson referred to the frontier dangersas follows: At your last assemblage (November 11, 1811), our political horizon seemedclear, our infant territory bid fair for rapidand rising grandeur our population was highly flattering: our citizens were becoming prosperous and happy, and security dwelt everywhere, even on our frontiers. But alas! thescene has changed * * * The aborigines,our former neighbors and friends, have becomeour most inveterate foes. They have drawn thescalping knife and raised the towahawk, andshouts of savage fury are heard at our thresholds. Our frontiers are now wiles, and ourinner settlements have become frontiers.7The war was not yet supported very enthusiastically in the territory. Gibson lamentedthe lack of patriotism shown by the men, andurged that a better spirit be shown to meet theattacks of the enmies, and to carry the war intothe enemies camps. The following advertisement in the Western Sun, January 30, 1813, illustrates one of the difficulties in keeping afrontier army together.ten dollars reward.Deserted from Fort Harrison, on the 3rdof December, 1812,William A[ ]a private soldier of the United States Army,aged 21 years. * * Desertions were frequent, especially when thecampaigns were extended, so the problem ofdiscipline was raised to a maximum.About a week after Gibson addressed the legislature on the poor support given the army,the people of the Northwest, and, in fact of allthe United States, were shocked at the following awful news from the commanding general :headquartersCamp on Carrying Creek, fifteen miles fromthe Rapids of the Maumee River, January 24,1813.My Dear Sir (Governor Shelby of Kentucky), * * The greater part of Col.Wellss regiment U. S. infantry, and 5th regiment Kentucky infantry, and Allens rifle regi.under the immediate orders of General Win-Hbid, P. 587.Vanderburg County, (1889) P. 94.Western Sun, (Vincennes) Feb. 6, 1813.
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/34685
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

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