Page:Messages and Letters of William Henry Harrison Vol. 1.djvu/136

98  Respecting the relative situations of the Several settlements which compose a district.

I have no means of ascertaining correctly the number of Militia, but from the proportion which that description of persons generally have to the whole population. If they can be estimated at one fifth the number of men capable of bearing arms in the several Districts as I have described them will be nearly as follows Viz In the 1st District 40 whites & 3 blacks in the 2nd 200 Whites & 25 blacks in the 3rd 300 Whites & 75 blacks in the 4th 494 whites & 130 blacks, in the 5th 934 whites & 166 blacks total 1968 Whites & 399 blacks. I understand from Captn [Amos] Stoddard that he has formed the whole Militia of the Country into 24 Companies of which there is in Arkansas one—within the bounds of the 2nd District four, in the 3rd three—in the 4th five & in the 5th eleven. In making this arrangement he says that he attended not so much to the number of men in each Company as to the Contiguity of the Inhabitants & that in some Companies there are nearly 100 men in others not more than 50. The Militia of Louisiana have never been formed into Battalions or Regiments—Companies were the largest divisions & a captaincy the Highest grade. This arrangement ought in my opinion no longer to exist. The prospect of promotion is one of the greatest inducements to men of enterprise to accept of Military appointments & the most effectual stimulus to urge them to a prompt & faithful discharge of their duties I beg leave therefore to recommend that the Militia in the most populous Districts should be formed into Regiments composed of two or more Battalions with a Colonel for the Regiment & a Major for each Battalion. In such of the Districts as are unable to furnish two Battalions a Major might Command.

I am sorry that it is not in my power to give you a more detailed account of the relative situations of the several Settlements in Louisiana—but the information which I have been enabled to procure on that subject is not as perfect as I could wish. & I did not think it proper to delay writing to you until it could be received from a More Authentic Source.

The law providing for the Government of Louisiana directs that the Country should be laid off into "Districts". As the whole Country is called the District of Louisiana it appears to