red savages. Only
five Americans were wounded, while of the Indians thirty-two were slain,
as they fought or fled, and forty-one prisoners, chiefly women and
children, were brought in, either by Scott himself or by his detachments
under Hardin and Wilkinson. Several towns were destroyed, and the
crowing corn cut down. There were not a few French living in the town,
in well-finished log-houses, which were burned with the wigwams.
[Footnote: American State Papers, IV., 131, Scott's Report, June 28,
1791.]

Raid of Wilkinson.

The second expedition was under the command of Wilkinson, and consisted
of over five hundred men. He marched in August, and repeated Scott's
feats, again burning down two or three of the towns, and destroying the
goods and the crops. He lost three or four men killed or wounded, but
killed ten Indians and captured some thirty. [Footnote: _Do_.,
Wilkinson's Letter, August 24, 1791.] In both expeditions the volunteers
behaved well and committed no barbarous act, except that in the
confusion of the actual onslaught two or three non-combatants were
slain. The Wabash Indians were cowed and disheartened by their
punishment, and in consequence gave no aid to the Miami tribes; but
beyond this the raids accomplished nothing, and brought no nearer the
wished-for time of peace.

St. Clair's Difficulty in Organizing his Campaign.

Meanwhile St. Clair was striving vainly to hasten the preparations for
his own far more formidable task. There was much delay in forwarding him
the men and the provisions and munitions. Congress hesitated and
debated; the Secretary of War, hampered by a newly created office and
insufficient means, did not show to advantage in organizing the
campaign, and was slow in carrying out his plans; while there was
positive dereliction of duty on the part of the quartermaster, and the
contractors proved both corrupt and inefficient. The army was often on
short commons, lacking alike food for the men and fodder for the horses;
the powder was poor, the axes useless, the tents and clothing nearly
worthless; while the delays were so extraordinary that the troops did
not make the final move from Fort Washington until mid-September.
[Footnote: St. Clair Papers, II., 286, Report of Special Committee of
Congress, March 27, 1792.]

Wretched Condition of St. Clair's Army.

St. Clair himself was broken in health; he was a sick, weak, elderly
man, high minded, and zealous to do his duty,