ay, it was ascertained
that the number of warriors with the Prophet, amounted to more than six
hundred men, and there were reasons to apprehend that his influence had
kindled a hostile feeling among several of the tribes to the west and
north of his head quarters. A meeting of Indians having been appointed
to take place about this time, on the St. Joseph's river, governor
Harrison made an appeal to them through the Delawares, in which he
forcibly pointed out the unhappy results that would certainly follow
any attack upon the United States; and cautioned the friendly tribes,
upon the dangers to which they would be subjected, in consequence of
the difficulty of discriminating between friends and enemies, in case a
war should occur. In July the governor was authorized by the Secretary
of War, to take such steps as he might deem necessary for the
protection of the frontier; and, at the same time was informed that
some troops had been ordered to Vincennes to keep in check the hostile
Indians of that quarter.

Fresh apprehensions were now felt for the safety of the frontiers. The
Prophet, it appears, had gained over to his cause the Wyandot tribe,
whose councils had always exerted a strong influence among the Indians.
To this tribe had been committed the preservation of the Great Belt,
the symbol of union among the tribes in their late war with the United
States; and also the original duplicate of the Greenville treaty of
1795. The Prophet sent a deputation to the Wyandots requesting
permission to examine the provisions of that treaty, and artfully
expressing his astonishment that they, who had ever directed the
councils of the Indians, and who were alike renowned for their talents
and bravery, should remain passive, and see the lands of the red men
usurped by a part of that race. The Wyandots, pleased with these
flattering speeches, replied, that they had carefully preserved the
former symbol of union among the tribes; but it had remained so long in
their hands without being called for, they supposed it was forgotten.
They further replied, that weary of their present situation, they felt
desirous of seeing all the tribes united in one great confederacy: that
they would join such a union, and labor to arrest the encroachments of
the whites upon their lands, and if possible recover those which had
been unjustly taken from them. This reply of the Wyandots was exactly
suited to the objects of the Prophet; and he lost no time in