er Oliver had started on this enterprise, the gunboats of the
enemy approached the site of old fort Miami, on the opposite side of
the river, about two miles below fort Meigs. In the course of the
ensuing night they commenced the erection of three batteries, opposite
the fort on a high bank, about three hundred yards from the river, the
intermediate space of ground being open and partly covered with water.
Two of them were gun batteries, with four embrasures, and were situated
higher up the river than the fort; the third was a bomb battery, placed
a short distance below. Early the next morning, a fire was opened upon
them from the fort, which, to some extent, impeded the progress of the
works. On the morning of the 30th, the enemy, under a heavy and
somewhat fatal fire from the guns of the fort, raised and adjusted
their cannon, while at the same time, a number of boats filled with
Indians were seen crossing to the south-eastern side of the river.

On the morning of the first of May, the British batteries were
completed; and about ten o'clock, the enemy appeared to be adjusting
their guns on certain objects in the fort. "By this time our troops had
completed a grand traverse, about twelve feet high, upon a base of
twenty feet, three hundred yards long, on the most elevated ground
through the middle of the camp, calculated to ward off the shot of the
enemy's batteries. Orders were given for all the tents in front to be
instantly removed into its rear, which was effected in a few minutes,
and that beautiful prospect of cannonading and bombarding our lines,
which but a few moments before had excited the skill and energy of the
British engineer, was now entirely fled; and in its place nothing was
to be seen but an immense shield of earth, which entirely obscured the
whole army. Not a tent nor a single person was to be seen. Those canvas
houses, which had concealed the growth of the traverse from the view of
the enemy, were now protected and hid in their turn. The prospect of
_smoking us out,_ was now at best but very faint. But as neither
general Proctor nor his officers were yet convinced of the folly and
futility of their laborious preparations, their batteries were opened,
and five days were spent in arduous cannonading and bombarding, to
bring them to this salutary conviction. A tremendous cannonading was
kept up all the rest of the day, and shells were thrown until 11
o'clock at night. Very little damage, however, was d