t
Meigs. On the 26th, the advance of the enemy was discovered at the
mouth of the bay; and on the 28th, the British and Indian forces were
found to be within a few miles of the fort. At this time, only a part
of the troops destined for the defence of the place, had arrived; but
the remainder, under the command of general Green Clay, of Kentucky,
were daily expected. So soon as the fort was actually invested by the
Indians, an express was sent by the commander-in-chief, to inform
general Clay of the fact, and direct his subsequent movements. This
dangerous enterprise--for the Indians were already in considerable
numbers around the fort--was undertaken and successfully executed by
captain William Oliver,[A] a gallant young officer belonging to the
commissary's department, who, to a familiar acquaintance with the
geography of the country, united much knowledge of Indian warfare.
Attended by a white man and a Delaware Indian, Oliver traversed the
country to fort Findlay, thence to fort Amanda, and finally met with
general Clay at fort Winchester, on the 2d of May, and communicated to
him general Harrison's instructions.

[Footnote A: Now Major William Oliver, of Cincinnati. It is but an act
of justice to this gentleman to state that, for the voluntary
performance of this service, he refused all pecuniary compensation.
General Harrison subsequently, in a letter to major Oliver, in relation
to this service, says, "To prevent the possibility of these orders
coming to the knowledge of the enemy, they could not be committed to
writing, but must be communicated verbally, by a confidential officer.
The selection of one suited to the performance of this important trust
was a matter of no little difficulty. To the qualities of undoubted
patriotism, moral firmness, as well as active courage, sagacity and
prudence, it was necessary that he should unite a thorough knowledge of
the country through which the troops were to pass, and of all the
localities of the position upon which they were advancing. Without the
latter, the possession of the former would be useless, and the absence
of either of the former might render the latter not only useless, but
in the highest degree mischievous. Although there was no coincidence
between the performance of this duty and those which appertained to the
department of the staff in which you held an appointment, [the
commissariat] I did not long hesitate in fixing on you for this
service."]

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