day to the gate, where he begged "for God's sake" to be admitted. Not being recognized, his attempt was supposed to be a stratagem of the Indians to gain admittance into the fort, and he was fired upon. The shot not taking effect, he ran round to the other bastion where his voice was recognized, and he was directed by Dr. Clark to lie. down close to the pickets behind an empty barrel. He there remained until daylight, when he was admitted. His arm was broken in a shocking manner, and he was otherwise greatly mangled.

While a part of the garrison were thus demolishing the roof, the men below were using every exertion to prevent the destruction of the barracks. They were several times on fire, and extinguished only by the most active efforts. During the whole time, and while laboring at their breastwork, the men were exposed to a heavy fire from the Indians, as well as to a shower of arrows which rained around them in great quantities. Before morning the work was advanced to the height of a man, with the loss of but one soldier killed. The approach of daylight enabled the Americans to aim with more precision and success, and at six o'clock their fire had become so destructive as to cause the Indians to remove from the reach of their guns. At this disappointment of their expected booty, the savages became furious; and driving up the horses and a number of hogs belonging to the citizens, they shot them in front of the fort. They also seized all the cattle belonging to private individuals, amounting to sixty-five head, together with the oxen, which were public property.

As the enemy continued in sight that day, the American commander was busily occupied in repairing the damages of the fort. The vacancy caused by the burning of the blockhouse was filled up by a strong row of pickets, obtained by demolishing the guard house." The other defences were also strengthened, and provision made against a second attempt to fire the buildings.

The Indians, however, had been so severely handled that they did not consider it advisable to renew the attack. They continued within sight until the morning of the 6th, when the garrison were relieved of their presence. The loss of the Indians had been heavy, but as they were very numerous, each dead body was carried from the field. Notwithstanding the apparent friendliness of the Miamis

on the evening of the assault, there is little doubt but that the whole of their tribe was among the Prophet's party.

After the attack the garrison were obliged to subsist upon a scanty supply of green corn, all their provisions having been intercepted or destroyed by the enemy. Captain Taylor used great exertions to forward despatches to General Harrison, but as every road was guarded by strong parties of Indians, his messengers were obliged to return. The following letter will convey some idea of the difficulties under which he labored.

"Fort Harrison, Sept. 13th, 1812.

"DEAR SIR:-I wrote to you on the 10th instant, giving you an account of an attack on this place, as well as my situation, which account I attempted to send by water; but the two men whom I despatched in a canoe after night found the river so well guarded that they were obliged to return. The Indians had built a fire on the bank of the river a short distance below the garrison, which gave them an opportunity of seeing any craft that might attempt to pass, and were waiting with a canoe ready to intercept it. I expect the fort as well as the road to Vincennes is as well or better watched than the river. But my situation compels me to make one other attempt by land, and my orderly sergeant and one other man set out to-night, with strict orders to avoid the road in the day-time, and depend entirely on the woods, although neither of them have ever been in Vincennes by land, nor do they know any thing of the country; but I am in hopes that they will reach you in safety. I send them with great reluctance, from their ignorance of the woods. I think it very probable there is a large party of Indians waylaying the road between this and Vincennes, likely about the Narrows, for the purpose of intercepting any party that may be coming to this place, as the cattle they got here will supply them plentifully with provisions for some time to come.

"His excellency, Governor Harrison."

Please, &c.,

Z. TAYLOR."

At the time of the writing of this letter Colonel Russell was within fifteen miles of Fort Harrison, with a reinforcement of six hundred mounted rangers, and five hundred infantry. He arrived on the 16th, to the utter surprise of Captain Taylor, who had not heard

of even his approach. Some time after the garrison was further reinforced by about 4000 men under Major General Hopkins.

On the 11th of November the army left Fort Harrison on an expedition to the Prophet's town, which they reached on the 19th. They destroyed the town, which consisted of about forty huts, and the Kickapoo village of one hundred and sixty, together with all the standing corn. They also reconnoitered the surrounding country, and constructed several works of defence. In every operation

Captain Taylor took an efficient part, and we find him mentioned in the despatches of Hopkins as an officer who had rendered "prompt and effectual support in every instance."

On his return from this expedition Taylor found a package for him from the seat of government. This, on being opened, was discovered to contain a commission from President Madison, conferring on him the rank of brevet major, as a reward for his gallant defence of Fort Harrison, of which it bore the date. This is said to have been the first brevet ever conferred in the American army.

Major Taylor continued actively engaged in the war of 1812 until its close, although in consequence of his not being entrusted with any other separate command it is difficult to trace his progress. The skill and bravery, however, which he displayed in the defence of Fort Harrison, inspired both his comrades and the country with confidence in his superior abilities as an officer; and indeed such a defence under the trying difficulties of desertion, conflagration, and a savage foe, to whose numbers his own were but a handful, was sufficient to establish his reputation as a soldier of sterling qualities.*

Early in life General Taylor married a lady of Virginia, whose family emigrated to Kentucky, and who was some relation to his father. The general is related either by marriage or blood to many of the noblest families of America-Preston, Gaines, Clay, Pendleton, Monroe, and others. He has had five children, one of which died in early life. The eldest daughter is the lady of Dr. Ward, a surgeon of high standing in the army. The second, Sarah Knox, called after General Knox, and always known by her second name, married Lieutenant Jefferson Davis, now a brigadier, and late member of Congress from Mississippi. She was extremely accomplished, both in person and education, but survived her marriage only a few months. Elizabeth, (known only as "Betty Taylor,") was educated at Madame Grelaud's, in Philadelphia, and is now with her mother at Baton Rouge. Richard, the only son, about twenty-four years old, was many years at Cambridge, but is now also at Baton Rouge.

Service in the Florida War. Battle of Okee-Chobee.

open battle, when he entered Florida was obliged, to a certain extent, to learn an entirely new course of tactics. The Indians con cealed themselves within dense swamps, where it was impossible for an army to follow them; and from these they sallied at night, in order to cut up small parties, and devastate the country. The extent of these swamps scattered the operations over so large a space, that it was impossible for an army to defend the country with any degree of efficiency. In a short time the war became unpopular with the soldiers themselves, who were exposed to every

danger, without the power of properly defending themselves; and the command of the army in Forida, became a phrase, whose meaning was a concentration of difficulty and peril.

In this war few officers distinguished themselves more than Colonel Taylor. He was continually in active service, and won for himself the esteem of both officers and soldiers. But his greatest achievement, and that for which he is principally remembered in connection with Florida, was the battle of Okee-Chobee.

This battle was fought on the 25th of December, 1837, between the Americans, under Colonel Taylor, and the Seminoles and Mickasukies, commanded by their chiefs, Alligator and Sam Jones. The United States army had now been in the Florida service for two years, and the colonel commanded the first brigade, stationed at Fort Gardner, south of the Withlacoochee. On the 19th of December he received a communication from Major-General Jesup, informing him that all hopes of bringing the war to a close by negotiation through the interference or mediation of the Cherokee delegation, were at an end, and that Sam Jones, with the Mickasukies, had determined to "fight to the last." It also directed him to proceed with the least possible delay, against any portion of the enemy he might hear of, and to destroy or capture them.

The next morning after receiving this communication, the colonel left an adequate force under two officers, to protect the depot, and marched with the remainder of his command, having with him but twelve days' rations, his means of transportation not enabling him to carry more. His force was composed of Captain Morris's company of the fourth artillery, consisting of thirty-five men; the first infantry, under Colonel Davenport,* one hundred and ninety-seven strong; the fourth infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Foster, two hundred and seventy-four; the Missouri volunteers, one hundred and eighty; Morgan's spies, forty-seven; and thirty pioneers, thirteen pontoniers, and seventy Delaware Indians; making in all, exclusive of officers, one thousand and thirty-two men. The greater part of the Shawnees had been detached, and the remainder refused to accompany him, under pretext that many of them were sick, and the rest without moccasins.