MAJOR CAMPBELL TO GENERAL WAYNE.

Fort Miami, 22d August, 1794.

SIR-I have this moment the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, in answer to which I have only to say, that being placed here in the command of a British post, and acting in a military capacity only, I cannot enter into any discussion, either on the right or impropriety, of my occupying my present position. Those are matters that I conceive will be best left to the ambassadors of our different nations. Having said this much, permit me to inform you that I certainly will not abandon this post, at the summons of any person whatever, until I receive orders for that purpose from those I have the honor to serve under; or the fortune of war should oblige me. I must still adhere, sir, to the purport of my letter, this morning, to desire that your army, or individuals belonging to it, will not approach within reach of my cannon, without expecting the consequences attending it.

Although I have said, in the former part of my letter, that my situation here is totally military, yet let me add, sir, that I am much deceived if his Majesty, the King of Great Britain, had not a post on this river at and prior to the period you mention.

I have the honor to be, sir, with, the greatest respect,
Your most obedient and very humble servant,

TO MAJOR GENERAL WAYNE.

WILLIAM CAMPBELL,

Major 24th regiment, commanding at Fort Miami.

The only notice taken of this letter, was by immediately setting fire to, and destroying every thing of value within view of the fort, and even under the muzzles of its guns.

The object of the expedition to the foot of the Rapids, having been fully accomplished, the army returned by easy marches, to Grand Glaise, where they arrived on the 27th of August, laying waste on their route, the villages and corn-fields of the enemy, for about fifty miles on both sides of the river. There remained, however, several villages and a quantity of corn, on the Au Glaise and the Miami, above the junction, to be used or destroyed, as the subsequent movements of the army might render expedient.*

* The desire felt by Gen. Wayne, to ascertain as accurately as possible, the number of the enemy-the nations to which they belonged-the aid furnished them by the British-and the influence exerted by the agents of that

After the troops arrived at Defiance, an escort was sent to Forts Greenville and Recovery for supplies, necessary for the army; and in the interim, Fort Defiance and its appendages were improved and strengthened.

As soon as the escort returned, the army proceeded to the Miami villages, which had been laid waste by General Harmar, in 1790. At that place, they constructed a strong fort, which was called Fort Wayne."

nation, to prevent the Indians from entering into a treaty with the United States, induced him, after his return to Greenville, to examine at his leisure, the prisoners taken both before and after the battle; and also such other persons as were likely to have knowledge on that subject, and on whose veracity he could rely.

With that view, a Shawanee prisoner was examined, taken by Captain Wells near the foot of the Rapids, on the 11th of August, nine days before the battle. He stated that the first information received by the Indians of the advance of the army to the Au Glaise, was from a white man, who came in, of his own accord. He stated also that the Indians, at that time, were assembled at Col. McKee's-that the British were in a fort, about one mile below McKee's, on the north side of the river-and numbered when he was taken, about two hundred-that they had four or five great guns-that there were about six hundred warriors at McKee's, who had abandoned the Au Glaise on the approach of the army to that place; of whom, about one hundred were Shawanees, three hundred Delawares, one hundred Miamies, and about one hundred of other tribes-that in addition to those who were then at the foot of the Rapids, three hundred Wyandots, and two hundred and fifty Ottawas, were expected.

Being asked, what number of white men were to join them, and when, he answered that Captain Elliott set out for Detroit six days before-that he was to be back in five days with all the militia and an additional number of regular troops, which with those already there, would amount to one thousand men that, he said, was the general conversation among the Indians. He said also, that Captain Elliott promised them to bring that number, and that Colonel McKee's son, and the deserter from the American army, went with Elliott. On being asked when, and where, the Indians meant to fight the American army, he answered, "at the foot of the Rapids;" adding, that the white man who came in, told the Indians and Colonel McKee, that the army was destined for that place.

On the 28th of August, Antoine Lassell, captured in the action of the 20th, was examined. He was a native of Canada, and a volunteer in Captain Caldwell's company of refugees; friends and allies of the hostile Indians. He stated, that he had resided twenty-nine years in Upper Canada-twenty-one

On the 14th of October, the mounted volunteers marched from that place on their way to Fort Washington; where General Scott was instructed to muster and discharge them. In a few days after, the General, leaving a sufficient garrison at Fort Wayne, proceeded with the skeleton of the legion to Greenville. They reached that spacious encampment on the 2d of November, with a view of making it

of which he had passed at Detroit, and on the Miami river; and that he had constantly traded with the Indians-that he resided at the Miami villages, nineteen years before Harmar's expedition; during which time he kept a store at that place, and used to supply the traders with goods-that he has since chiefly lived on Bean creek, at the Little Turtle's town-that having lived, so long, among the Indians, he was perfectly acquainted with the tribes and their numbers that the Delawares had about five hundred men, including those who lived on White river and Bean creek-that the Miamies were about two hundred warriors; part of them on the St. Joseph's, eight leagues from Au Glaise that the men were all in the action; the women having been left at that place—that the number of warriors belonging to that place, when all together, amounted to about forty-that the Shawanees had about three hundred warriors-the Ottawas, on that river, two hundred and fifty-and the Wyandots, about three hundred-that those Indians were, generally, in the action of the 20th, excepting some hunting parties-that a reinforcement of regular troops, and two hundred militia, arrived at Fort Miami, a few days before the American army appeared-that the regular troops, within the fort, amounted to two hundred and fifty, exclusive of the militia-that about seventy of the militia, including Captain Caldwell's corps, were in the actionthat Colonel McKee, Captain Elliott, and Simon Girty, were in the field; but at a respectful distance, and near the river-that Colonel McKee's existence then depended upon the exertion he could make, to retrieve the loss, and the disgrace of the Indians-that he would use every exertion and influence in his power, to raise the distant nations, to come forward immediately and assist in the war. That, should they not be able to collect a sufficient force, to fight the American army, their intention was to move on the Spanish side of the Mississippi, where part of their nations then lived-that Blue Jacket told him, he intended to move to Chicago, or the Illinois-that the Indians had wished for peace for some time, but that Colonel McKee always dissuaded them from it, and stimulated them to continue the war.

John Bevin, a drummer in the 24th regiment, commanded by Colonel England, on his examination stated, that there were four companies of the 24th, at Fort Miami, averaging about fifty men, officers included-that there was a part of Governor Simcoe's corps in the garrison, with about sixty Canadiansthat the whole number of men in the garrison, including officers, etc. exceeded

their winter quarters, after an arduous and fatiguing tour of ninety-seven days; during which they marched and counter-marched upwards of three hundred miles through the heart of an enemy's country, cutting a wagon road the whole way, besides erecting three fortifications, to wit: Fort Adams, at the St. Mary's; Fort Defiance, at Au Glaise; and Fort Wayne, at the Miami villages.

four hundred-that the number of Indians, Canadians, etc. engaged in the action, was at least two thousand, according to the report made by Colonel McKee and Captain Elliott, to Major Campbell, after the action-that there were four nine-pounders, two large howitzers and six six-pounders mounted in the fort, and two swivels that the Indians were regularly supplied with provisions, by Colonel McKee, from the British magazine in the garrison—that a certain Mr. Newman, a deserter from the American army, arrived at Fort Miami, about eight days before the army made its appearance, and gave information to Major Campbell that the object of the Americans was to take that fort and garrison-that General Wayne told the troops not to be uneasy about provisions, for there was plenty in the British garrison-that Governor Simcoe was expected at that post every hour, in consequence of an express sent to Niagara after the arrival of Newman, the deserter, but had not arrived when he came away-that the distance from Fort Miami to Detroit was sixty miles, which was generally performed in two days-that the militia of Detroit and its vicinity, amounted to near two thousand-that he has seen a great number of wounded Indians pass the fort, but did not learn what number were killedthat the retreating Indians appeared much dejected, and much altered from what they were in the morning, before the action-that he knew one company of volunteers commanded by Captain Caldwell, who were all white men armed with British muskets and bayonets, and were in the action.

John Johnston, a deserter from General Wayne's army, who fought in the action on the 20th against the Americans, spoke of it as a complete defeat on the part of the Indians, who lost a great many men; but he could not tell the number and further, that after the Indians were defeated, they wanted to take refuge in the British fort, but were refused admittance, and were greatly exasperated.

Other examinations were made to ascertain the strength of the enemy-the interference of the British, at and before the battle, and the efforts they were still making to induce the Indians to continue the war, and carry on a winter campaign-which went strongly to corroborate the facts previously stated.

CHAPTER IX.

Weakness of the American army.-Intrigues of the English agents with the Indians. Communications to Gen. Wayne from Chiefs of different tribes.— His answers. Proposals for a conference at Greenville.-The Shawanese propose to remove west of the Mississippi.

In consequence of the continued fatigue and exposure of the campaign, during the most unhealthy season of the year, the sick list was greatly enlarged, and numbers were reported unfit for duty. In connection with this, the discharge of the mounted volunteers, and the expiration of the period of enlistment of many of the Legion, had so reduced and weakened the army as to produce serious apprehensions that the fruits of the brilliant campaign, then just terminating, were in jeopardy, and might be lost, should the enemy ascertain the true condition of the army, and resolve to carry on an active winter campaign. That such might be the case, was rendered probable, by information received through a channel entirely to be relied on.

The General was assured of the fact, that on the 30th of September, Governor Simcoe, Colonel McKee, and Captain Brandt, arrived at Fort Miami, at the foot of the Rapids, accompanied by a hundred Mohawk and Massasagoe Indians, and had sent for the chiefs of the different hostile tribes to meet them, and hold a treaty at the mouth of the Detroit river, eighteen miles below the town. He was also advised that Simcoe, McKee, and Brandt, with Blue Jacket, Buckongehelas, Little Turtle, Captain Johnny, and several chiefs of the Delawares, Miamies, Shawanees, Ottawas, and Pottawattamies, had set out for the place assigned for the treaty, about the 1st of October.

He was also informed that the Indians were abundantly