supposed to defend it when defending
themselves.

Colonel David Shepherd was lieutenant in charge of the
pan-handle--which at that time included a slice of Pennsylvania on the
east. He had under him a number of small block-houses. From these and
the settlements he summoned eleven companies of militia. He also
worked hard to put Fort Henry in good repair.

Had the Indians struck at once, they might have scored heavily, in
spite of the fighting Zanes, Wetzels, McCollochs, and all. But they
delayed, and by the last week of August Colonel Shepherd reported to
General Hand:

"We are well prepared. Fort Henry is Indian proof."

He relaxed, and dismissed nine of the militia companies, so that only
two remained: the companies of Captain Joseph Ogle and Captain Samuel
Mason, composed mainly of Wheeling men. There were about sixty, in all.

The night of the last day of August Captain Ogle returned to the fort
from a scout with twelve of his men. He had been watching the trails.

"Never a sign of Injun anywhere around," he and Martin Wetzel and the
others declared.

The warning by White-eyes seemed to have been a false alarm, or else
the Indians had learned of the preparations and had backed out.

That very night, however, the Indians cunningly crossed the Ohio below
the fort, instead of above; there were almost four hundred of
them--Shawnees, Wyandots, Mingos, accompanied by a white man
interpreter. They saw the lights in the fort, and planned their
favorite morning surprise instead of a direct attack.

So they formed two lines from the river to a bend in the creek, facing
the fort and surrounding the settlers' cabins. A corn field hid them.
The main road from the fort down through the corn field led right
between the two lines. Then they posted six warriors, who should show
themselves and decoy the garrison out.

Some of the militia-men were in the fort; others were with their
families in the cabins, for after the first alarm the cabins had been
used again. Wheeling slept well this night of August 31, with no
inkling that three hundred and eighty or more red enemies were
occupying its own corn fields.

A heavy fog dimmed the sunrise. Andrew Zane, Samuel Tomlinson, John
Boyd (a mere lad) and a negro slave started out to hunt the horses of
James McMechen, who had decided to leave. All unsuspecting, they
passed right through the first line of Indians. They met the six
decoys.

For a few minutes there