A Letter From General Gano In Cincinnati To Major Van Horne

A letter from John Gano to Thomas Van Horne, dateline Cincinnati, was found among the Gano Papers:

Ohio River Near Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Jany 17th 1813.

Dear Sir,

I expected to have had the pleasure of seeing you before this which prevented, or was the cause of my not answering your acceptable letter before this. I am glad you are one of the committee appointed to revise the Militia Law. It certainly is very deficient in many parts. I requested several officers that I conceived most competent to make their observations and send them forward, which I presume they have done. The Mode of ordering Militia on Duty on the frontiers has caused much complaint as you will see by the enclosed copy of a letter recd from Genl Whiteman, and Genl Munger complains there is and has been so many of this Brigade on Duty that he has not been able to get a return of the Brigade to forward to me. The Governor ordering detachments out in small detailed parties without any return to the Major, Colonel, or Comdt of Brigade, puts it out of the Officer's power, whose duty it is, to do justice to his Command, as he does not and cannot know who is on duty or who has performed his tour, and it throws the whole into confusion. A Militia Office is truly an arduous, troublesome, expensive, and unthankful one if strictly and properly attended to. I have wrote to Govr Meigs suggesting the propriety of the Upper Brigades being struck off into a Division. The 3 Lower Brigades will form a compact Division and can be thus better disciplined and attended to, and the Governor may then have assistance to regulate and bring to some kind of order and regulation the BULL WORK OF THE COUNTRY.

My little Mary has broken her arm very badly, and I am in haste.

Your sincere friend & Humble Servt,

John S. Gano.