justify a detachment, having barely five hundred and twenty-three rank and file, and being then in the bosom of the Ouiatenon country, one hundred and eighty miles removed from succor and not more than one and a half days forced march from the Pottawattamies, Shawanese and Delawares. "Not being able to discover any path in the direct course to the Kickapoo towns, I marched by the road leading to Tippecanoe, in the hope of finding some diverging trace which might favor my design. I encamped that evening about six miles from Kenapacomaqua, the Indian name for the town I had destroyed, and marched next morning at four o'clock. My course continued west till nine o'clock when I turned to the north-west on a small hunting path, and at a short distance I launched into the boundless prairies of the west with the intention to pursue that course until I could strike a road which leads from the Pottawattamies of Lake Michigan immediately to the town I sought. "With this view I pushed forward, through bog after bog, to the saddle skirts in mud and water, and after persevering for eight hours I found myself environed on all sides with morasses which forbade my advancing and at the same time rendered it difficult for me to extricate my little army. The way by which we had entered was so much beat and softened by the horses that it was almost impossible to return by that route, and my guides pronounced the morass in front impassable. A chain of thin groves extending in the direction of the Wabash at this time presented to my left; it was necessary I should gain these groves, and for this purpose I dismounted, went forward, and leading my horse through a bog to the arm-pits in mud and water, with great difficulty and fatigue I accomplished my object, and changing my course to S. by W. I regained the Tippecanoe road at five o'clock and encamped on it at seven o'clock, after a march of thirty miles, which broke down several of my horses. "I am the more minute in detailing the occurrences of this day, because they produce the most unfavorable effect. I was in motion. at four next morning, and at eight o'clock my advanced guard made some discoveries which induced me to believe we were near an Indian town. I immediately pushed that body forward on a trot and followed with Major Caldwell and the second battalion, leaving Major M'Dowell to take charge of the prisoners. I reached Tippecanoe at twelve o'clock, which had been occupied by the enemy, who watched my motions and abandoned the place that morning. After the destruction of the town in June last, the enemy had returned and cultivated their corn and pulse, which I found in high perfection and in much greater quantity than at L'Anguille. "To refresh my horses and give time to cut down the corn, I determined to halt until the next morning, and then to resume my march to the Kickapoo town, in the prairie, by the road which leads from Ouiatenon to that place. In the course of the day, I had discovered some murmurings and discontent among the men, which I found on inquiry to proceed from their reluctance to advance further into the enemy's country; this induced me to call for a state of the horses and provisions, when, to my great mortification, two hundred and seventy horses were returned lame and tired, with barely five days provisions for the men. "Under these circumstances, I was compelled to abandon my designs upon the Kickapoos of the prairie; and with a degree of anguish not to be comprehended but by those who have experienced similar disappointments, I marched forward to a town of the same nation, situate about three leagues west of Ouiatenon. As I advanced to that town, the enemy made some show of fighting me, but vanished at my approach. I destroyed this town, consisting of thirty houses, with a considerable quantity of corn in the hills, and the same day I moved on to Ouiatenon, where I forded the Wabash, and proceeded to the site of the villages on the margin of the prairie, where I encamped at seven o'clock. "At this town and the villages destroyed by Gen. Scott, in June, we found the corn had been replanted, and was now in high cultivation, several fields being well ploughed, all which we destroyed. On the 12th, I resumed my march, and falling into Gen. Scott's return trace, I arrived without any material incident at the rapids of the Ohio, on the 21st inst., after a march by accurate computation of four hundred and fifty-one miles from Fort Washington. "The volunteers of Kentucky have, on this occasion, acquitted themselves with their usual good conduct, but as no opportunity offered for individual distinction, it would be unjust to give one the plaudits to which all have an equal title. I cannot, however, in propriety, forbear to express my warm approbation of the good conduct of my Majors M'Dowell and Caldwell, and of Col. Russell, who, in the character of a volunteer, without commission, led my advance; and I feel myself under obligations to Major Adair and Capt. Parker, who acted immediately about my person, for the services they rendered me, by the most prompt, active and energetic exertions. "The services which I have been able to render, fall far short of my wishes, my intention and expectation; but, sir, when you reflect on the causes which checked my career, and blasted my designs, I flatter myself you will believe everything has been done which could be done in my circumstances; I have destroyed the chief town of the Ouiatenon nation, and made prisoners the sons and sisters of the King; I have burnt a respectable Kickapoo village, and cut down at least four hundred and thirty acres of corn, chiefly in the milk. The Ouiatenons, left without houses, home or provision, must cease to war, and will find active employ to subsist their squaws and children during the impending winter." Aside from the official reports of Scott and Wilkinson, a very interesting account of their expedition, as well as of the country they invaded, as it then appeared, is furnished in the letter of an officer in Wilkinson's campaign.* "General Scott, at the head of eight hundred Kentucky volunteers, marched from opposite the mouth of the Kentucky river, about the beginning of June; the course he steered was about north 20° west, and in about fifteen days he struck and surprised the lower Weaucteneau (Ouiatenon) towns, on the Wabash river, and the prairie adjoining; but unfortunately, the river at that time was not fordable, or the Kickapoo town, on the north-west side, with the Indians who escaped in their canoes from the Weau town on the south, must have fallen completely into our hands; however, about twenty warriors were killed in the Weau (Ouia) villages, and in the river crossing the Wabash, and forty-seven of their squaws and children taken prisoners. "Immediately after the engagement, a council of war was called, when it was determined that Wilkinson should cross the Wabash under cover of the night, with a detachment of four hundred men, and endeavor to surprise the town of Kathtippacamunck, which was situated upon the north side of that river, at the mouth of Rippacanoe creek, (Tippecanoe,) and about twenty miles above the Lower Weau towns. This expedition was conducted with so much caution and celerity, that Wilkinson arrived at the margin of the prairie, within a mile, and to the west of the town, about an hour before the break of day; whilst a detachment was taking a circuit through the prairie, to co-operate with the main body on a given *Imlay's America, p. 402. signal; day appeared, and the volunteers rushed into the town with an impetuosity not to be resisted. The detachment in advance reached the Rippacanoe creek* the very moment the last of the Indians were crossing, when a very brisk fire took place between the detachment and the Indians on the opposite side, in which several of their warriors were killed, and two of our men wounded. "This town, which contained about one hundred and twenty houses, eighty of which were shingle roofed, was immediately burnt and leveled with the ground; the best houses belonged to French traders, whose gardens and improvements round the town were truly delightful, and, everything considered, not a little wonderful; there was a tavern, with cellars, bar, public, and private rooms; and the whole marked a considerable share of order, and no small degree of civilization. "Wilkinson returned with his detachment, after destroying the town, and joined the main army about seven in the evening; and the day following our little army were put in motion, with their prisoners; and steering about south, in twelve days reached the rapids of the Ohio, with the loss only of two men, who unfortunately were drowned in crossing Main White river. "The success of this expedition encouraged government to set another on foot, under the command of Colonel Wilkinson; which was destined to operate against the same tribes of Indians; whose main town, near the mouth of Ell river, on the Wabash, had not been attacked in the first excursion; and accordingly, on the 1st of August following, the colonel, at the head of five hundred mounted volunteers, marched from Fort Washington, north sixteen degrees west, steering, as it were, for the Manmic villages, on the Picaway fork of the Manmic, (or Miami of the lake,) and St. Mary's river. This movement was intended as a feint, and the Indians, who afterward fell upon our trail, were completely deceived; nor did we change our course until by the capture of a Delaware Indian, we ascertained that we were within thirty miles of the principal of the Manmic villages, and having marched down our northing, at the very time we received the information, shifted our course to due west, and at the distance of one hundred and eighty miles from Fort Washington, we struck the Wabash within two miles and a half of Longuille, or, as the Indians call it, Kenapacomaqua. It was about 4, P. M. when we reached that river, and crossing it im Rather the Wabash. mediately, we marched in four columns across the neck of land, formed by the junction of the Wabash and Ell (Eel) rivers, passing several Indian war posts that had been fresh painted, we arrived completely concealed on the south bank of Ell river, and directly opposite the town of Kenapacomaqua. "The surprise of this town was so very complete, that before we received orders to cross the river and rush upon the town, we observed several children playing on the tops of the houses, and could distinguish the hilarity and merriment that seemed to crown the festivity of the villagers, for it was in the season of the green corn dance. "The want of daylight, and a morass, that nearly encircled the town, prevented us from suddenly attacking, which enabled several of the Indians to escape, and in some measure obscured the brilliancy of the enterprise, by limiting the number of warriors killed to eleven, and capturing forty squaws and their children, after burning all the houses, and destroying about two hundred acres of corn, which was then in the milk, and in that stage when the Indians prepare it for Zoffomanony. This success was achieved with the loss of two men, who were killed. "About four o'clock in the afternoon we mounted our prisoners, and took a west and by north course toward the Little Kickapoo town, which the colonel hoped to surprise on his way to the Great Kickapoo town, in the prairie, on the waters of the Illinois river; but the difficulties we encountered in this march, through these almost boundless prairies, were such, that upon our arrival at the Little Kickapoo town, we found one half the horses in the army noneffective, and unlikely to reach the Ohio by the nearest course we could take, which consideration induced the colonel to relinquish the enterprise against the Great Kickapoo town; and, accordingly, after destroying about two hundred acres of corn at Kathtippacanunck, Kickapoo, and the lower Weaucteneau towns, we gained General Scott's return tract, and on the 21st of August, after a circuitous march of four hundred and eighty-six miles, arrived with our prisoners at Louisville." The expeditions of Harmar, Scott and Wilkinson were directed against the Miamies and Shawanese, and served only to exasperate them. The burning of their towns, the destruction of their corn, and the captivity of their women and children, only aroused them to more desperate efforts to defend their country, and to harass their invaders. To carry on the war more vigorously, Little Turtle, the chief of the Miamies, Blue Jacket, the chief of the Shawanese, |