ourselves in an especial manner. The rise of the waters, from the heavy fall of rain preceding our march, and some large creeks, left us no doubt of considerable difficulty and embarrassment; insomuch that not until the 14th did we pass Sugar creek, three miles above the road. From every information, I had no hesitation in moving on the east side of the Wabash. The Vermillions, Pine creek, and other impediments on the west side, superadded to the presumption that we were expected, and might more easily be annoyed and ambuscaded on that route, determined me in this measure. The boats, too, with provisions of rations, forage, and military stores, could be more easily covered and protected, as the line of march could be invariably nearer the river. Lieutenant-colonel Barbour, with one battalion of his regiment, had command of the seven boats, and encamped with us on the bank of the river, almost every night. This so protracted our march, that we did not reach the Prophet's Town until the 19th. "On the morning of this day, I detached three hundred men to surprise the Winnebago town lying on Ponce Passu [Ponceau pichou] creek,* one mile from the Wabash, and four below the Prophet's. This party, commanded by General Butler, surrounded the place about break of day, but found it evacuated. There were, in the main town, about forty houses, many of them from thirty to fifty feet in length, besides many temporary huts in the surrounding prairie, in which they had cultivated a good deal of corn. "On the 20th, 21st, and 22d, we were embarked in the complete destruction of the Prophet's Town, which had about forty cabins and huts, and the large Kickapoo village adjoining below it, on the west side of the river, consisting of about one hundred and sixty cabins and huts-finding and destroying their corn, reconnoitering the circumjacent country, and constructing works for the defense of our boats and army. Seven miles east of us, on the Ponce Passu creek, a party of Indians were discovered. They had fired on a party of ours, on the The name of "Wild Cat creek" was afterward given to this stream. "General Hopkins," says an officer who was attached to this expedition, "caused his camp to be strongly fortified, and an inner work of strong picketing to be erected for the reception of our sick, and the security of our stores." 21st, and killed a man by the name of Dunn, a gallant soldier in Captain Duval's company. On the 22d, upward of sixty horsemen, under the command of Lieutenant-colonels Miller and Wilcox, anxious to bury their comrade, as well as gain a more complete knowledge of their ground, went on to a point near the Indian encampment, fell into an ambuscade, and eighteen of our party killed, wounded and missing. *** On the return of this party, and the information of a large assemblage of the enemy, who, encouraged by the strength of their camp, appeared to be waiting for us, every preparation was made to march early and engage the enemy at every risk; when, from the most violent storm and fall of snow, attended with the coldest weather I ever saw or felt at this season of the year, and which did not subside until the evening of the 23d, we were delayed until the 24th. Upon arriving on the ground, we found the enemy had deserted their camp before the fall of the snow, and passed the Ponce Passu. I have no doubt but their ground was the strongest I ever have seen. The deep, rapid creek spoken of was in their rear, running in a semicircle, and fronted by a bluff one hundred feet high, almost perpendicular, and only to be penetrated by three steep ravines. If the enemy would not defend themselves here, it was evident they did not intend fighting at all. "After reconnoitering sufficiently, we returned to camp, and found the ice so accumulated as to alarm us for the return of the boats. I had fully intended to have spent one more week in endeavoring to find the Indian camps; but the shoeless, shirtless state of the troops, now clad in the remnants of their summer dress-a river full of ice-the hills covered with snow-a rigid climate, and no certain point to which we could further direct our operation-under the influence and advice of every staff and field officer, orders were given and measures pursued for our return on the 25th.* "We are now progressing to Fort Harrison, through ice and The destitute condition of the troops, with respect to clothing, was very truly stated by General Hopkins. Pierre Laplante, a citizen of Vincennes, who accompanied the expedition, said, "We all suffered very much; but I pitied the poor Kentuckians. They were almost naked and barefoot-only thin linen hunting shirts-and the ground covered with snow, and the Wabash freezing up." snow, where we expect to arrive on the last day of this month. ***Before I close this, I can not forbear expressing the merits of the officers and soldiers of this command. After leaving [at] Fort Harrison, all unfit for duty, we had, in privates of every corps, about one thousand-in the total, twelve hundred and fifty, or thereabout. At the Prophet's Town, upward of one hundred of these were on the sick report. Yet, sir, have we progressed in such order as to menace our enemy, free from annoyance; seven large keel boats have been covered and protected to a point heretofore unknown in Indian expeditions; three large Indian establishments have been burnt and destroyed, with near three miles of fence, (and all the corn, etc., we could find,) besides many smaller ones. The enemy have been sought in their strongholds, and every opportunity afforded them to attack or alarm us; a march on the east side of the Wabash, without road or cognizance of the country, fully one hundred miles perfected; and this has been done with a naked army of infantry, aided by only about fifty rangers and spies. All this was done in twenty days. No sigh, no murmur, no complaint. "I certainly feel particular obligations to my friends General Butler and Colonel Taylor, for their effectual and ready aid in their line; as also to Captain Z. Taylor, of the seventh United States infantry; Messrs. Gist and Richeson, my aids-de-camp, and Major J. C. Breckinridge, my secretary, for prompt and effectual support in every instance. The firm and almost un-paralleled defense of Fort Harrison, by Captain Z. Taylor, has raised for him a fabric of character not to be effaced by my eulogy. To Colonel Barbour, for his officer-like management in conducting and commanding the boats, my thanks are due; as also to Colonels Miller and Wilcox, and to Majors Hughes and Shacklet, and to the captains and subalterns of the army generally. From Lieutenants Richeson, Hawkins, and Sullivan, of the United States troops, I have to acknowledge my obligations for their steady and uniform conduct; as well as Captain Beckes, of the rangers; Captain Washburn, of the spies; and the staff generally." The detachment which fell into an ambuscade, on the 22d of November, was composed of Captain Beckes' company of rangers, several officers of the army, and a small number of mounted militia. The surprise and defeat of this corps may be ascribed, notwithstanding the forbearing silence of General Hopkins, to the imprudence and rashness of some of the officers and privates who belonged to the detachment. In a letter written at Vincennes, on the 30th of November, 1812, Lieutenant Little, one of the party who fell into the ambuscade on the 22d, said "The presumption was that the army would march next morning; but when the morning came, the rangers were ordered out, with what volunteers could be raised *** in order to bury the dead man. Prior to starting that morning, each man drew a pint of whisky. They had not drawn any for some time before. *** We marched in three lines. Colonel Miller had the command, and commanded the right line; Lieutenant Teabold, the center line; and Colonel Wilcox commanded the left line; and I was in the rear of that line. We marched about six miles, when Colonel Miller discovered an Indian ahead. He pursued the Indian, without giving any other notice than raising the yell, and rode as hard as they could ride. The center line followed in the same disorder. I pressed our line to follow, to keep with the main body; they would not. I left the line, with one of my men only. We rode on rapidly, about a mile and a quarter, when we found ourselves among and surrounded by Indians in hundreds. They fired on us from all directions, as thick as hail. We immediately found that we were not able to fight them. *** I was shot in the body, near the hip bone. * * * We retreated, in every kind of disorder, the best way we could. I was still able to ride, and got to camp, where we found that we had lost sixteen killed, and three wounded." On the 18th of December, 1812, General Hopkins announced, in general orders issued at Vincennes, his determination to retire from military life. He said "The commander-in-chief now closes his command, and, in all probability, his military services for ever. With tender and sincere affection he bids. his brother officers and soldiers farewell-their virtue, courage and patriotism, he has justly represented to their country." MOVEMENTS OF GENERAL HARRISON-COLONEL CAMPBELL'S MISSISSINEWA EXPEDITION. DURING the months of October, November, and December, 1812, the commander-in-chief of the northwestern army continued to use extraordinary exertions to establish at the Rapids of the Maumee a grand deposit of provisions and military stores; and to concentrate, in the vicinity of that place, a force fully sufficient to recover the possession of Detroit from the British, and to invade the country of Upper Canada. In the making of necessary preparations to accomplish these objects, General Harrison was embarrassed by the constant presence of great difficulties. It was, during this period, his duty to "provide for the safety of the whole northern and western frontier, from the confines of Ohio and Pennsylvania to the territory of Missouri, inclusive." His movements against the enemy were' retarded, by the building of forts, the opening of wagon roads through forests and swamps, the establishing of magazines of provisions at suitable points in the wilderness, and the want of arms, ammunition, blankets, and winter clothing for the troops under his command. In a letter, dated "Franklinton, October 13, 1812," addressed to the secretary of war, General Harrison said "I am fully sensible of the responsibility vested in me by your letter of the 23d ultimo. I accepted it with full confidence of being able to effect the wishes of the President, or to show, unequivocally, their impracticability. If the fall should be very dry, I will take Detroit before the winter sets in; but if we should have much rain, it will be necessary to wait at the Rapids until the Miami of the lakes [the Maumee] is sufficiently frozen over to bear the army and its baggage." In a letter of the 22d of October, 1812, addressed to the secretary of war, General Harrison said "I am not able to fix any period for the advance of the troops to Detroit. It is pretty evident that it can not be done upon proper principles * Dawson's Life of Harrison, p. 300. |