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McARTHUR TO WORTHINGTON

Fruit hill June 9th 1813

Dear Sir,

I had the honor to receive your letter of the 30th ult. and thank you for the information it contains. I hope you will be able to give us more shortly.

I find that superintending the recruiting service is very laborious and unpleasant, I have rode down several horses already have been in almost every Town and village in tie lower end of the state, since I wrote you last, but my greatest difficulty is in getting correctly weekly reports from the recruiting officers. There is scarcely one of them who can, with the help of a form, make out a report that can be understood. I have been obliged to write and send two or three times to almost every one of them and shall not for some days be able to make a report to the department of war. I scarcely know how to apolo- gize to the officers of that department for the delay. I have had no person to assist me, and have lost about four weeks since I recd. my orders (which was on the 30th of March) first in preparing to go to the Rapids in pursuit of Genl Harrisons orders, and secondly my tour with the mounted volunteers to relieve Fort Meigs. This tour may be considered by the secy of war, as dis- obedience of orders, but those 330 Volunteers would not go without me, and it was then deemed all important to relieve Genl. Harrison, However, I believe every exertion is making by the recruiting officers to obtain men, and many of them have been prety successful, every circumstance considered. All the militia of the first army except three companies were from the lower end of the state. all the mounted volunteers of last summer, those called out by Genl. Foos, and those continually out guarding the posts near the Indian bound- ary, besides all this, the packhorse drivers & those engaged by water and land in the quartermasters employ, have principally been from the lower end of the state. The principal part of the ration and forago,which has been purchased for the army, has been from the lower end, and Middle of the state. In short money is plenty and labour high, common labourers ask, and some receive from 14 to 16$ per month, and altho the monthly pay and bounty of a soldier, is considered high in many parts of the union, yet it is no object, in the lower end of the state of Ohio.

Major Jenkinson has scarcely ever been at home since appointed. he is engaged in Boating Flower and military stores from St. Mary's to the Rapids. I cannot get to see him, and calculate but little on his assistance. Major Trimble is here waiting for orders from the Secy. of War, to consider himself in actual service and be attached to some Regt. for duty. He has, however, talked so much about his claim to promotion, which few can discover but him- self, that I am apprehensive, he has already rendered himself unpopular with the company officers; yet I still think he may do very well as a Major. I have requested Lieut Colo. Van Horne to assist me in the lower end of the dis- trict, and he is now riding the circuit. I hope the secretary of war will consider him in service. Report says, (tho I have not been able to lay my hands on any official regulation to that effect) that no officer above the rank of a subaltern can be employed as an aid. If so, I shall be deprived of the service of Captain Pothuff, which will be a great inconvenience to me. I wish sir, if it would not give you too much trouble, that you would procure and send me a complete set of the military laws and regulations of the war depart- ment.

respectfully yours

Duncan McArthur

Genl Worthington

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