he army. When this fact
was reported to the governor, he determined to consider the Indians as
enemies, and at once march upon their town. He had proceeded but a
short distance, however, before he was met by three Indians, one of
them a principal counsellor to the Prophet, who stated that they were
sent to know why the army was marching upon their town--that the
Prophet was desirous of avoiding hostilities--that he had sent a
pacific message to governor Harrison by the Miami and Potawatamie
chiefs, but that those chiefs had unfortunately gone down on the south
side of the Wabash, and had thus failed to meet him. Accordingly, a
suspension of hostilities was agreed upon, and the terms of peace were
to be settled on the following morning by the governor and the chiefs.
In moving the army towards the Wabash, to encamp for the night, the
Indians became again alarmed, supposing that an attack was about to be
made on the town, notwithstanding the armistice which had just been
concluded. They accordingly began to prepare for defence, and some of
them sallied out, calling upon the advanced corps, to halt. The
governor immediately rode forward, and assured the Indians that it was
not his intention to attack them, but that he was only in search of a
suitable piece of ground on which to encamp his troops. He enquired if
there was any other water convenient besides that which the river
afforded; and an Indian, with whom he was well acquainted, answered,
that the creek which had been crossed two miles back, ran through the
prairie to the north of the village. A halt was then ordered, and
majors Piatt, Clark and Taylor, were sent to examine this creek, as
well as the river above the town, to ascertain the correctness of the
information, and decide on the best ground for an encampment. In the
course of half an hour, the two latter reported that they had found on
the creek; every thing that could be desirable in an encampment--an
elevated spot, nearly surrounded by an open prairie, with water
convenient, and a sufficiency of wood for fuel.[A] The army was now
marched to this spot, and encamped "on a dry piece of ground, which
rose about ten feet above the level of a marshy prairie in front
towards the town; and, about twice as high above a similar prairie in
the rear; through which, near the foot of the hill, ran a small stream
clothed with willows and brush-wood. On the left of the encampment,
this bench of land became wider; on the rig