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McARTHUR TO WORTHINGTON

Fruit hill May 19th 1812

Dear Sir,

I have again the pleasure of addressing you from this place, having ob- tained permission to return home a few days and be about on business. I left Dayton on the 17th Inst where the detachment from my Division were encamped without Blankets or Tents for near two weeks.

On thursday last we were joined by the troops of Gano & Cass, who had con- tinued at Cincinnati until they were provided with camp equipage. Genl. Hull had arived at Cincinnati with about 40 regulars before Gano & Cass left that place. I understand that an express has been sent to Vincens for Boyds Regt. If we have to wait for the arrival of those troops it is hard to conjecture when we shall leave the state.

Every exertion has been made to procure Blankets & linen for tents and in a short time we expect to be supplyed with both. On Saturday last the number of men from each division with an account of the camp equipage &c was made to the Governor: from the second Division there were present and on duty 613 men including officers, 550 of whom were Voluntiers, and 63 drafts from Minary's Brigade. There were many more volunteers enrolled who have not yet joined the army and perhaps never will. From the third Division there are 221 Volunteers under the command of Lewis Cass. he claims the office and rank of Colonel, under an appointment which he recd. from the Governor, with bearly the number of men sufficient to compose a Battalion.

Those from the first Division are a mixed multitude, 150 odd Volunteers for 12 months, something upwards of 200 for 6 months, and about 240 drafts mak- ing in all about 590. Genl Gano is said to be appointed Colonel by the governor. The 200 six months volunteers were brought to Dayton by draft, an order was issued by their Col. informing them that they might volunteer for 6 months under the state law if they thought proper, but if they did it must be under the officers who now commanded them. in this way the second grade of volunteers from the first division were raised they seem to me a good deal like what would be called "Irish volunteers" forced to be so, to give their Genl the command of a volunteer Corps or Regt. without having a voice in his appoint- ment or the appointment of one of the officers. however, I wish not to inter- fere with them, if they will let me and mine alone.

On Saturday last the Governor ordered Gano, Cass, & myself to meet at his room for the purpose of organizing the three Regiments, he proposed to detach part of the troops from my Regt. (which he had previously ordered me to organ- ize in one Regt) and attach them to Cass' regt. to make it up to the legal number. I offered the Governor & Mr. Cass the liberty of volunteering from my Regt.any company or companies which might be willing to leave me, and join him, but observed that I was not willing to order them off after having unani- mously chosen me as their Colonel, at a fair Election where the Governor himself presided. Gano was also unwilling to spare any of his men and consequently nothing was done in that business.

The next proposition which was made by the Governor was to deside the rank of his three Colonels, to wit, Gano, Cass & myself, and left the room to see (as he said) if we could deside this point ourselves. Cass and myself were willing to submit to almost any arangement which had the appearance of pro- priety, but Gano would not. he contended that his rank as Major Genl ought to be regarded. I contended, that in consequence of having a full Regiment of

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