follow detached parties than the main army.

The few shots which were fired by the Indians as the whites were
forming the line of retreat, were viewed by many as evidence that
their purpose had been discovered, and that these were signal guns
preceding a general attack. Under these impressions, the men in
front hurried off and others following the example, at least one
third of the army were to be seen flying in detached parties, and
in different directions from that taken by the main body, supposing
that the attention of the Indians would be wholly turned to this
point. They were not permitted to proceed far under this delusive
supposition. Instead of following the main army, the Indians pursued
those small parties with such activity, that not many of those
composing them were able to escape;--one company of forty men under
a Captain Williamson,[8] was the only party detached from the
principal body of the troops, fortunate enough to get with the
main army on its retreat. Late in the night, they broke through the
Indian lines under a heavy fire and with some loss, and on the
morning of the second day of the retreat, again joined their comrades
in the expedition, who had marched off in a body; in compliance
with the orders of the commander-in-chief.

Colonel Crawford himself proceeded at the head of the army for some
short distance, when missing his son, his son-in-law (Major Harrison)
and two nephews,[9] he stopped to enquire for them. Receiving no
satisfactory information respecting either of them, he was induced
through anxiety for their fate to continue still, until all had
passed on, when he resumed his flight, in company with doctor
Knight[10] and two [243] others. For their greater security, they
travelled some distance apart, but from the jaded and exhausted
condition of their horses could proceed but slowly. One of the two men
in company with the Colonel and doctor Knight, would frequently fall
some distance behind the others, and as frequently call aloud for them
to wait for him. Near the Sandusky creek he hallooed to them to halt,
but the yell of a savage being heard near him, they went on and never
again was _he heard of_. About day, Colonel Crawford's horse gave out
and he was forced to proceed on foot, as was also the other of the two
who had left the field with him and Knight. They continued however to
travel together, and soon overtook Captain Biggs, endeavoring to
secure the safety of himself and Lieu