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in front 12 yards wide; col. Drake with the left formed the second line, covered by artillery and piquets; and a space of 70 yards was left between them; while the militia advanced 400 yards beyond the creek, where they encamped in two lines. A few Indians fled with great precipitation as soon as they were seen. It was intended to throw up a slight work, where the baggage might be left, and whence they, when joined by the regiment left behind, might proceed with great celerity to the Miami villages.

The Indians did not wait for these tardy operations. About half an hour before sunrlse, the next morning, the enemy attacked the advanced militia, the moment they were dismissed from the parade. These fled in utter consternation upon the regular troops, who had formed the moment the first gun was heard. The officers, who had seen service, used every effort to restore order and excite courage, but without effect; while the savages were pressing on at the very heels of the flying and affrighted militia. The firmness of general Butler did what man could do. In a moment, the whole army seemed enveloped in a blaze, and the rear as well as the front was attacked with great fury. The enemy was visible only, when he rose to fire, or to pursue. The cannon, therefore were of little use; while the artillerists, not possessed of other means of defence, became the principal objects of their irresistible fury, and were mowed down in a few moments. The ferocious savages rushed up to the very mouths of the field pieces, acting with the skill and intrepidity of those, whose trade is war.

The American officers made noble exertions, and suffered great losses. General Butler, although his leg had been broken in the conflict, yet mounted his horse and directed the storm of war. Gen. St. Clair, though unable through disease to mount his horse without aid, yet was in the midst of his men, giving his orders with great coolness, while his clothes were pierced with 8 balls. The concealment of the enemy behind trees or among bushes rendered a change of the mode of attack necessary. The Americans now rushed upon the Indians with fixed bayonets; before the force of these they were obliged to fly. The want of riflemen, however, rendered it impossible to press this advantage to any great extent. Whenever the Americans withdrew they were sure to be pursued with great and often increased vigor. The left wing was broken, the artillerists were killed, 7 cannon were taken,

and the camp already penetrated by the ferocious enemy. A new charge was made with the bayonet, and the Indians were again driven back. But in every charge, the officers were sure to fall; and, if the attack were abated in one place, it was only to be renewed in another with more fatal effect. The soldiers now flocked together in crowds, as if there were a comfort in dying with multitudes. This, instead of adding to their security, only afforded the enemy a fairer opportunity to cut them down to greater advantage.

After such a contest for three hours, and in such a state of things, nothing more was to be done than to save the remnant of the army. By this time, however, they found that their retreat also was intercepted. The second regiment under Col. Drake succeeded at length in forcing a passage, when the army covered by Major Clark's battalion, betook themselves to the most disorderly flight. The speed of General St. Clair's wearied horse was not sufficient to enable him to keep up to give the usual orders. Intent on the spoils of the enemy, fortunately, the Indians did not pursue them far. Leaving their sick at the first fort, the Americans burried on to one at a greater distance from the dreaded foe. They threw away even their arms. At night, they reached a fort at the distance of 30 miles through the woods from the scene of action.

In this disastrous battle, thirty-eight commissioned offiers were killed, and twenty-one wounded; 593 privates were killed, and two hundred and forty wounded. The savages have been estimated from fifteen hundred to four thousand, who were actually in this engagement. While the wounds of general Butler were dressing, an Indian chief broke thro' those who stood around the veteran and brave general, and struck his tomahawk into him, before the troops could kill him. Seven cannon, all the baggage of the army, and two hundred oxen, besides a great number of horses were taken,

In a few weeks, these misfortunes were in part retrieved. The Indians, in the fullness of their triumphs, were discovered diverting themselves with the plunder they had taken, riding the cattle, and mostly intoxicated with liquor. In this situation, general Scott fell upon them; killed two hundred upon the spot; recovered the cannon, as well as most of the stores; and, with the loss of only six men, returned in triumph to the fort. The general reviewed the field of the late dreadful

battle. Hundreds of the mangled bodies of the slain strewed the ground; while the woods and the roads towards the forts were covered with remains of human beings unburied, muskets thrown away, and promiscuous ruins.

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CHAPTER XV.

Preparations for war slow. New attempts at peace ineffectual. General Wayne succeeds St. Clair. Plan of a new campaign. New forts built. British encourage the savages. New offers of peace. Strength and position of the forces. Battle on the Miamis of the lake. Victory of general Wayne. Indian villages destroyed. The return of peace, 1794.

THE several disasters and defeats experienced by the American troops were not calculated to inspire the minds of savages either with fear or respect, nor incline them to listen to overtures of peace. Hostilities had not abated among the northwestern Indians, and the friendship of the southern was more than suspected. Partisan wars, in which the savages excelled, were carried on against all the new settlements. Congress also seemed unwilling to increase the army. The law, which authorized the raising of troops, offered such inconsiderable inducements as well to officers as to men to engage in the service as well nigh to discourage all attempts at a levy. Nothing, of course, could be done, during the first season, but to make preparations with a most tardy progress.

Such other interesting events were taking place both in the relations of the United States and on the European continent as to place an Indian war among secondary objects of regard. Attempts were yet making to effect treaties with the several Indian tribes; but all offers were rejected with disdain. At last, they proceeded so far as to put to death the ambassadors of peace, who had been sent into their country, till no hope of reconciliation could remain. Nor could a nation possessed of any spirit bear longer with the injuries which were offered it. Volumes could not recount all the massacres, ravages and miseries which the frontier towns endured. It was apparent, that something must be done, since forbearance became a new motive for new injuries.

Anthony Wayne had now succeeded St. Clair as general of the American army. The intelligence of the utter rejec

tion by the tribes of savages of all pacific overtures was not received till September, 1794, when an eruption into the country of the enemy would be too late to promise much success. Preparations were made to achieve something effectual in the course of the season ensuing. Three thousand American troops were already stretched along an extensive line. Kentucky was to furnish a proportion of men; but these were willing only to turn out at the expense of the general government. The plan of the campaign was to drive out the savages from their country, and, by a permament line of forts from the Ohio, reaching to the lakes, to prevent their

return.

The army, at length, marched 6 miles in advance of fort Jefferson, where they built fort Greenville, after which they proceeded to the spot where the Americans had been defeated under Arthur St. Clair in 1791, where they built fort Recovery. Being advanced within a short distance of the Indian villages, it was expected this advantage would arise, that no depredations would be hazarded against the American settlements, when influenced by fears nearer at home.

At the same time, the conduct of the British in Canada was not without suspicions, not only that they encouraged the savages, and supplied them with the means of warfare, but also that by a detention of the posts south of the great lakes, they intended in the end to lay new claims to enlarged territories. This jealousy was strengthened by the establishment of a new fort 50 miles still further south on the Miamis of the lake, entering into lake Erie. New evidènces were given of such intentions by finding English people among the Indian parties which were taken prisoners in several skirmishes with the enemy.

Influenced by such suspicions, general Wayne proceeded up Au Glaize and the Miamis of the lake, and encamped near the British posts. The richest and the most extensive settlements were at this place. To defend these, the Indians had collected all their forces, amounting to nearly two thousand men. The continental troops were about equally numerous, while more than one thousand militia from Kentucky gave the Americans a great superiority.

It had been previously ascertained that the enemy was determined to give battle. But in order to exhaust all the means of reconciliation, a new messinger of peace was sent, to whom they returned an evasive answer. The Americans

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