force his way over the undefended palisades.
Into this immense mass of dusky bodies, the garrison poured several
rapid volleys of rifle balls with destructive effect. Their consternation
may be imagined. With wild cries they dispersed on the right and left,
and in two minutes not an Indian was to be seen. At the same time, the
party who had sallied out on the Lexington road, came running into the
fort at the opposite gate, in high spirits, and laughing heartily at the
success of their maneuvre."

After this repulse, the Indians commenced the attack in regular form,
that is regular Indian form, for they had no cannon, which was a great
oversight, and one which we would not have expected them to make, after
witnessing the terror with which they had inspired the Kentuckians in
Byrd's invasion.

Two men had left the garrison immediately upon discovering the Indians,
to carry the news to Lexington and demand succor. On arriving at that
place they found the men had mostly gone to Hoy's Station. The couriers
pursued, and overtaking them, quickly brought them back. Sixteen
horsemen, and forty or fifty on foot, started to the relief of Bryant's
Station, and arrived before that place at two o'clock in the afternoon.

To the left of the long and narrow lane, where the Maysville and
Lexington road now runs, there were more than one hundred acres of green
standing corn. The usual road from Lexington to Bryant's, ran parallel
to the fence of this field, and only a few feet distant from it. On
the opposite side of the road was a thick wood. Here, more than three
hundred Indians lay in ambush, within pistol-shot of the road, awaiting
the approach of the party. The horsemen came in view at a time when
the firing had ceased, and every thing was quiet. Seeing no enemy, and
hearing no noise, they entered the lane at a gallop, and were instantly
saluted with a shower of rifle balls, from each side, at the distance
of ten paces.

At the first shot, the whole party set spurs to their horses, and rode
at full speed through a rolling fire from either side, which continued
for several hundred yards, but owing partly to the furious rate at which
they rode, partly to the clouds of dust raised by the horses' feet, they
all entered the fort unhurt. The men on foot were less fortunate. They
were advancing through the corn-field, and might have reached the fort
in safety, but for their eagerness to succor their friends. Without
reflecting, that fr