228 On the Correspondence of Governor D. D. Tompkins. 



chusetts to raise funds for a military expedition to Maine, nothing was 

 done. But Governor Tompkins raised $300,000 again in the emergency 

 and placed it under the orders of General Dearborn who was then com- 

 manding in Massachusetts. James Monroe, Secretary of State, and 

 acting as the Secretary of War, wrote to Governor Tompkins in 1814: 

 "It is in the power of your State to make an exertion that will no! 

 ouly save those armies " (those of Generals Brown and Macomb), but 

 crush tbe British force employed against them. * * * It is the 

 object of the enemy to overwhelm us in this campaign, and I have 

 satisfactory reason to believe that they indulge the presumptuous hope 

 of penetrating from the lakes by Albany to the city of New York. 

 A vigorous and manly exertion is therefore necessary on your part." 

 There ivas an intention to repeat the scheme of the Burgoyne cam- 

 paign of 1777. in which year was foughi what constitutes in this world's 

 history one of its fifteen decisive battles. If we did not have another 

 as decisive a battle it was because we had a must decisive man who by 

 his energies forestalled the occurrence of such a battle. To effect this 

 result, he added "to his ordinary duties of chief magistrate and to all 

 the anxieties growing out of this alarming state of public affairs, the 

 labor and perplexity of calling into service 25,000 militia — the care 

 of raising the large sums of money necessary for the National govern- 

 ment, which was almost penniless, the fatigue of personal command 

 blended with questions of rank among the fiery spirits he had 

 awakened into action." 



" It seemed however that he grew with the emergency. And it is 

 delightful to witness the ease with which he carried the burden." In 

 less than forty days, without assistance in money from the National 

 government, he brought into the field at various points of danger 

 50,000 men who were armed and equipped and organized, bore the toil 

 and expense of commanding 20,000 of them in person, and in less 

 than sixty days, the National credit being at its lowest point of depres- 

 sion, when interest could not be provided for, he raised $1,000,000 for 

 the public service "and he writes, " I made myself personally liable 

 for the whole amount." I have not given on these topics my own 

 opinions, but simply quote his own words and give the opinions of histo- 

 rians who have treated of the theme. 



He entered upon the vice-presidency with his accounts unsettled 

 and therefore liable to imprisonment. During his eight years in that 

 office, he was in conflict with the financial officers of the State and the 

 nation, on whose ledgers he was made. to appear as a defaulter. 



