. On the Correspondence of Governor D. D. Tompkins. 237 



while all others have been breveted and complimented, General Porter 

 and bis little band alone are neglected and are not mentioned by the 



President in his message He had done it with respect to Scott and 



Gaines, which makes his omission of Porter more unjust and cruel. . . . 

 I see resolutions have been proposed in Congress to eumpliment Brown, 



Scott and Gaines carefully omitting General Porter again. Now 



with this repetition of cold neglect, I am compelled to suppose that 

 some personal or local prejudice withholds the meed of praise " 



" In noticing the affair at Pittsburgh, the President seems care- 

 fully to have avoided the mention of New York The militia both 



in retreat and pursuit suffered most The common militia of N. 



Y., assembled in haste, has behaved gallantly in the late sortie at 

 Erie. The storming of strong works by militia certainly demands 

 unbounded applause. * * * Now with the exception of Brown, 

 who commanded the army, not a New Yorker is praised or even 

 mentioned ; and with respect to Brown, even the honor of mention is 

 greatly impaired by coupling subordinate officers with him. Nor is 

 the patriotism of the volunteers, nor militia of the State mentioned, 

 although at the time. . . .nearly 30,000 of the yeomanry of this State 

 were in the service of the U. S., arid without whom two of their armies 

 would probably have been lost ; and the metropolis of the State before 

 this time have been in the possession of the enemy." 



" Should the complimentary resolutions introduced into Congress 

 exclude Porter and his brave comrades, I am satisfied that our legis- 

 lature will feel themselves called upon to do him justice by recitals and 

 resolutions, which will give your great men at Washington a Roland 

 for your Oliver. 



D. D. TOMPKINS. 



This letter was probably not without effect. On October fourteenth, 

 Gen. Porter received from President Madison the commission of Com- 

 mander-in-chief of the army of the United States. 



It surely awakens in your minds a thrill of grateful pleasure to listen 

 to this disinterred record of a manly defense of an honorable and hon- 

 ored citizen by Gov. Tompkins. 



New York, October 9, 1816. 

 To Peter Hagner, Third Auditor of the Treasury. [Regarding 

 his accounts.] 



It is almost impossible for any one to realize the^ embar- 



ply and equipment of undisciplined militia. 



