d the Indians, attentive to occurrences, finding
out the weakened condition of their adversaries, rushed upon them and
compelled a retreat, after Captain Estill and eight of his men were
killed. Four others were badly wounded, who, notwithstanding, made their
escape; so that only nine fell into the bands of the savages, who
scalped and stripped them, of course.

It was believed by the survivors of this action that one half of the
Indians were killed; and this idea was corroborated by reports from
their towns.

There is also a tradition that Miller, with his detachment, crossed the
creek, fell in with the enemy, lost one or two of his men, and had a
third or fourth wounded before he retreated.

The battle lasted two hours, and the Indian chief was himself killed
immediately after he had slain Captain Estill; at least it is so stated
in one account we have seen. This action had a very depressing effect
upon the spirits of the Kentuckians. Yet its results to the victors were
enough to make them say, with Pyrrhus, "A few more such victories, and
we shall be undone." It is very certain that the Indians would not have
been willing to gain many such victories, even to accomplish their
darling object--the expulsion of the whites from Kentucky.

The grand army, destined to accomplish the conquest of Kentucky,
assembled at Chillicothe. A detachment from Detroit reinforced them, and
before setting out, Simon Girty made a speech to them, enlarging on the
ingratitude of the Long-knives in rebelling against their Great Father
across the water. He described in glowing terms the fertility of
Kentucky, exhorting them to recover it from the grasp of the Long-knife
before he should be too strong for them. This speech met with the
cordial approbation of the company; the army soon after took up its
march for the settlements. Six hundred warriors, the flower of all the
Northwestern tribes, were on their way to make what they knew must be
their last effort to drive the intruders from their favorite
hunting-ground.

Various parties preceded the main body, and these appearing in different
places created much confusion in the minds of the inhabitants in regard
to the place where the blow was to fall. An attack was made upon the
garrison at Hoy's Station, and two boys were taken prisoners. The
Indians, twenty in number were pursued by Captain Holden, with seventeen
men. He overtook them near the Blue Licks, (that fatal spot for the
settlers