light of day to begin the assault, the
Lieutenant discovered that there was a greater force of Indians with
whom he would have to contend than was expected, and prudently
resolved to withdraw his men without coming into collision with them.
Orders for this movement were directly given, and the party
immediately retired. There was however, one of the detachment, who had
been posted some small distance in advance of the others with
directions to fire as soon as the Indians should be seen stirring, and
who, unapprized of the withdrawal of the others, [309] maintained his
station, until he observed a squaw issuing from a camp, when he fired
at her and rushed up, expecting to be supported by his comrades. He
fell into the hands of those whom he had thus assailed; but his fate
was far different from what he had every reason to suppose it would
be, under those circumstances. It was the hunting camp of Isaac Zane,
and the female at whom he had shot was the daughter of Zane; the ball
had slightly wounded her in the wrist. Her father, although he had
been with the Indians ever since his captivity when only nine years of
age, had not yet acquired the ferocious and vindictive passions of
those with whom he had associated; but practising the forbearance and
forgiveness of christian and civilized man, generously conducted the
wanton assailant so far upon his way, that he was enabled though alone
to reach the settlement in safety. His fate was different from that of
those, who had been taken prisoners by that part of the company which
remained at the first camp with the Captain. When the Lieutenant with
the detachment, rejoined the others, disappointment at the failure of
the expedition under him, led some of the men to fall upon the Indian
prisoners and inhumanly murder them.

Notwithstanding that preparations for an active campaign against the
savages was fast ripening to their perfection, and that the troops of
the general government had penetrated as far as to the field, on which
had been fought the fatal battle of the fourth of November, 1791, and
erected there Fort Recovery,[6] yet did they not cease from their
accustomed inroads upon the settlements, even after the winter of
1793.--In March 1794, a party of them crossed the Ohio river, and as
they were advancing towards the settlements on the upper branches of
the Monongahela, met with Joseph Cox, then on his way to the mouth of
Leading creek on Little Kenhawa, for a load of fu