Thomas Cabeen Letter Regarding the Draft   Save
Ohio History Connection
Description: In this letter of August 20, 1812, Thomas Cabeen of Saltcreek Township, Washington County, Ohio writes to his brother Samuel in Bristol, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, asking if he has been drafted to fight in the War of 1812. He writes of another man who was drafted in Washington County and had to decide whether to report for duty or hire a substitute. Cabeen also comments on the "good harvest" in Washington County. He harvested wheat, rye, corn, oats, and flax. Finally, Cabeen encourages his brother to come to Ohio to settle. The letter is three pages and measures 7.5" x 8" (19.05 x 20.32 cm). The United States, angered by British attempts to impress American sailors into the British Navy and fearing the British presence in Canada, declared war on Great Britain in June 1812. William Henry Harrison, commander-in-chief of the Northwestern Army, built Fort Meigs, named for the governor, near present-day Perrysburg. In one of the most significant battles of the war, Colonel Oliver Hazard Perry defeated the British at the Battle of Lake Erie in September 1813. The British Captain Robert Barclay surrendered his entire fleet. Harrison learned that Perry had effectively cut the British supply line through Perry's message: "We have met the enemy and they are ours." The War of 1812 destroyed American Indian military power and confined them to reservations. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1409_1146582_001
Subjects: Military Ohio; Agriculture; Farming; Draft
Places: Saltcreek Township (Ohio); Washington County (Ohio)