In a similar vein, “Son of an Old Ranger” attacked Van Buren’s record in the War of 1812: while Harrison “was camped in the field or ranging our frontiers, fighting our battles, defending our women and children from the murderous tomahawk and scalping knife, and adding new lusture to the American name with his splendid victories,” at the same time Van Buren “was in the New York Legislature, voting for Rufus King, the federal anti-war candidate for Senator.” When a Democratic campaign paper alleged that Harrison had not behaved heroically at the Battle of Raisin River, a “Kentucky Volunteer” (probably Lincoln) replied: “I have no doubt the writer of the above lines had rather be considered a knave than a fool, and therefore, I shall pitch him on to the first horn of the dilemma, and treat it as a base attempt to deceive the people.”
Source: Abraham Lincoln ∶ A Life ▫𓂃
(echo:: @ ⌗)