l
the United States property contained in the fort, and the United States
factory or agency, among the Indians in the neighborhood and repair to
Fort Wayne." Winnemeg having delivered his dispatches to Captain Heald,
and stated that he was acquainted with the purport of the communication he
had brought, urged upon Captain Heald the policy of remaining in the fort,
being supplied, as they were, with ammunition and provisions for a
considerable time. In case, however, Captain Heald thought proper to
evacuate the place, he urged upon him the propriety of doing so
immediately, before the Pottawatomies (through whose country they must
pass, and who were as yet ignorant of the object of his mission) could
collect a force sufficient to oppose them. This advice though given in
great earnestness, was not sufficiently regarded by Captain Heald; who
observed, that he should evacuate the fort, but having received orders to
distribute the public property among the Indians, he did not feel
justified in leaving it until he had collected the Pottawatomies in its
vicinity, and made an equitable distribution among them. Winnemeg then
suggested the expediency of marching out and leaving every thing standing;
"while the Indians," said he, "are dividing the spoils, the troops will be
able to retreat without molestation." This advice was also unheeded, and
an order for evacuating the fort was read next morning on parade. Captain
Heald, in issuing it, had neglected to consult his junior officers, as it
would have been natural for him to do in such an emergency, and as he
probably would have done had there not been some coolness between him and
Ensign Ronan.

[Illustration: CAPTAIN HEALD IN COUNCIL WITH THE POTTAWATAMIES.]

The lieutenant and ensign, after the promulgation of this order, waited on
Captain Heald to learn his intentions; and being apprized; for the first
time, of the course he intended to pursue, they remonstrated against it.
Heald, however, deemed it advisable to assemble the Indians and distribute
the public property among them, and ask of them an escort thither, with
the promise of a considerable sum of money to be paid on their safe
arrival; adding, that he had perfect confidence in the friendly
professions of the Indians, from whom, as well as from the soldiers, the
capture of Mackinaw had studiously been concealed. From this time forward,
the junior officers stood aloof from their commander, and, considering his
project a