with
Indians, when, on the 30th of October, sixty of the militia deserted
in a body; intending to supply themselves by plundering the convoys of
provisions which were coming forward in the rear. The 1st United
States regiment, under Major Hamtranck, was detached to march back
beyond Fort Jefferson, apprehend these deserters, if possible, and, at
all events, prevent the provisions that might be on the way, from
being rifled. The force thus detached, consisted of three hundred of
the best disciplined men in the service, with experienced officers.

Thus reduced to 1,400 effective rank and file, the army continued its
march to a point about twenty-nine miles from Fort Jefferson, and
ninety-seven from Fort Washington, and fifteen miles south of the
Miami villages, where it encamped, November 3d, on a rising ground
with a stream forty feet wide in front, running westerly. The militia
were encamped beyond the stream about a quarter of a mile in the
advance, on a high flat.

It was the intention of St. Clair to throw up a slight work on the
following day, [Nov. 4th] and to move on to the attack of the Indian
villages as soon as he should be rejoined by Major Hamtranck and the
first United States regiment. But about half an hour before sunrise,
just after the troops had been dismissed on parade, a horrible sound
burst forth from the woods around the militia camp, resembling, says
an officer, the jangling of an infinitude of horse-bells. It was the
direful Indian yell, followed by the sharp reports of the deadly
rifle. The militia returned a feeble fire and then took to flight,
dashing helter-skelter into the other camp. The first line of the
continental troops, which was hastily forming, was thrown into
disorder. The Indians were close upon the heels of the flying militia,
and would have entered the camp with them, but the sight of troops
drawn up with fixed bayonets to receive them, checked their ardor, and
they threw themselves behind logs and bushes at the distance of
seventy yards; and immediately commenced an attack upon the first
line, which was soon extended to the second. The great weight of the
attack was upon the centre of each line where the artillery was
placed. The artillery, if not well served, was bravely fought; a
quantity of canister and some round shot were thrown in the direction
whence the Indians fired; but, concealed as they were, and only seen
occasionally as they sprang from one covert to another, it w