a retreat. They were vigorously pursued
for near two miles. The Indians on the left were commanded by Tecumseh,
and fought with great bravery, but were forced to retreat. Our loss in
this severe and well fought action was ten killed and thirty-two
wounded of the regular troops, and eight killed and twenty-eight
wounded of the Ohio and Michigan militia. The full extent of the force
of the enemy is not known. There were four hundred regulars and
Canadian militia, under command of major Muir, and a considerable body
of Indians under Tecumseh. Forty of the latter were found dead on the
field: fifteen of the British regulars were killed and wounded, and
four taken prisoners. The loss of the Canadian militia and volunteers,
was never ascertained, but is supposed, from the position which they
occupied in the action, to have been considerable. Both major Muir and
Tecumseh were wounded. The bravery and good conduct of the latter, in
this engagement, are supposed to have led to his being shortly
afterwards appointed a brigadier general, in the service of the British
king.

When Detroit was captured, on the 16th of August, Tecumseh was at the
head of the Indians. After the surrender, general Brock requested him
not to allow his men to ill-treat the prisoners, to which he replied,
"no! I despise them too much to meddle with them."[A]

[Footnote A: Book of the Indians, by S.G. Drake.]

"Tecumseh was an excellent judge of position; and not only knew, but
could point out the localities of the whole country through which he
passed. His facility of communicating the information he had acquired,
was thus displayed before a concourse of spectators. Previously to
general Brock's crossing over to Detroit, he asked him what sort of a
country he should have to pass through, in case of his proceeding
farther. Tecumseh, taking a roll of elm bark, and extending it on the
ground by means of four stones, drew forth his scalping knife, and with
the point presently etched upon the bark a plan of the country, its
hills, rivers, woods, morasses and roads; a plan which, if not as neat,
was for the purpose required, fully as intelligible as if Arrowsmith
himself had prepared it. Pleased with this unexpected talent in
Tecumseh, also by his having, with his characteristic boldness, induced
the Indians, not of his immediate party, to cross the Detroit, prior to
the embarkation of the regulars and militia, general Brock, as soon as
the business was over,