to charge; but before they could come near the surviving Indian, he had got into some brush and hid himself. One of Captain Peyton's rangers, being thrown from his horse, on returning, was considerably in the rear, and coming suddenly and unexpectedly on the Indian who had concealed himself, he was fired on and dangerously wounded through the left hip. The Indian then made his escape to a swamp, where he could not be found. At the same time that we set out on the Indian trail, the main force moved on to the lower town. They found no fresh appearance of Indians there, but much of their having, some time previously, frequented it to carry off corn. The lower town had, from appearance, been burnt early in the winter. We found at all the towns from 800 to 1000 bushels of corn; and, discovering that the hostile Indians were making use of it, [we destroyed it?] We conceived it was the more. necessary to do this, as the corn would, if not destroyed, enable considerable bodies of the enemy to fall upon and harass our frontier. Having the wounded man to take care of, who we had to carry on a horse litter, it was thought prudent to return to Valonia, at which place we arrived on the 21st" [June.]

On the 1st of July, 1813, Colonel William Russell, of the 7th United States regiment, having organized a force, amounting to five hundred and seventy-three effective men, at Valonia, marched from that place toward the Indian villages which were situated at, and about, the mouth of the Mississinewa river. A letter which was written at Vincennes, by Colonel Russell, and addressed to Governor Posey, on the 24th of July, contains the following particulars of the movements and incidents of this expedition: "On our route we had much rainy weather, and consequently high waters, which destroyed much of our provisions, and made the route much more disagreeable than otherwise it would have been. The route from this place until we returned, amounts to upward of five hundred miles, the greater part of which is certainly equal (if not superior) to any tracts of country upon the western waters, all of which lies in your territory. We proceeded from Valonia to the Delaware towns; from thence to the Mississinewa towns. There we found four or five distinct villages; one pretty strongly fortified, adjoining which a very considerable encamp

ment of Indians had been kept up-all of which we destroyed. We supposed the Indians had evacuated those towns very early in the spring. From thence we proceeded down the Wabash to Eel river town; from thence to Win-e-mac village; from thence to the Prophet's Town; from thence we re-crossed the Wabash, and took the Winnebago town in our route to Fort Harrison. We went to every place where we could expect to fall in with the enemy, (that our situation would justify,) as our provisions were then very short, and our horses much fatigued. I had a part of six companies of rangers, and a few volunteers from the territory, and was joined by one hundred volunteers from Kentucky. ***The army marched in five distinct columns, with instructions how the front, the rear, and the flanks, were to act in case of an attack on either. The right flank was commanded by General Cox, of the Kentucky volunteers. The extreme left was commanded by Colonel [R. M.] Evans, of the Indiana territory; the other column on the right was commanded by General Thomas, of the Kentucky volunteers; the other column on the left was commanded by Colonel [Walter] Wilson, of this territory; and the center by Major Z. Taylor, of the United States army. All those officers discovered so much zeal for the success of the expedition, as convinced me they would have done themselves credit, had we encountered the enemy. Colonel Bartholomew acted as my aid-de-camp. This veteran has been so well tried in this kind of warfare, that any encomiums from me would be useless. Major J. Allen, from Kentucky, acted as quartermaster; Mr. Hancock Taylor, as quartermaster-sergeant; Major Hardin acted as adjutant, and Homer Johnson, of the rangers, as his assistant. All those gentlemen acted with such promptitude as gave me but little trouble, and that only to check their zeal on certain occasions. General Clever, of Kentucky, commanded the advanced party, and acquitted himself much to my satisfaction. ***Messrs. Barron and Laplante, your Indian inter-、 preters, accompanied us as guides, assisted by Lieutenant Lasselle, who were always on the alert, and discharged the duties assigned them with great promptitude. *** Colonel Bartholomew and Lieutenant Shields, (of Captain Peyton's company of rangers) volunteered and crossed through the country, from below the Prophet's Town to the Ohio, in two places. From

this you will discover that the country has been checkered in all directions, and strange to tell, saw no fresh sign of Indians."

In the latter part of the month of July, 1813, a few Indians were discovered hovering about the settlements on the eastern side of the Wabash, between Vincennes and the mouth of White river. Colonel Russell "despatched rangers in different directions, in order to drive them out-the citizens also assembled to checker the country."* A small number of men, under the command of Captain Dubois, pursued an Indian trail, and recovered three stolen horses, which were abandoned by the Indians, who escaped from their pursuers. A detachment of rangers, under the command of Captain Andre, "discovered a trail of horses making out from the settlement, which they pursued, and soon overtook a spy that was kept in the rear; they pushed on, and dispatched him—which gave notice to those in front, who left their horses and fled with great precipitation." The hostile Indians did not venture, during the remaining period of the year 1813, to make any attacks on the white settlements in the Indiana territory.

CHAPTER XLIII.

GOVERNOR POSEY'S VIEWS-TERRITORIAL LEGISLATION-TREATIES OF

PEACE WITH INDIANS.

THE general assembly of the Indiana territory met at Corydon, on Monday the 6th of December, 1813; and Governor Posey, on that day, delivered his first message to the two houses. In this message the following passages appear: "The present crisis is awful, and big with great events. Our land and nation is involved in the common calamity of war. But we are under the protecting care of the beneficent Being who

*Letter from Colonel Russell to Governor Posey, dated "Vincennes, August 4, 1813."

† Ib.

has, on a former occasion, brought us in safety through an arduous struggle, and placed us on a foundation of independence, freedom, and happiness. He will not suffer to be taken from us what he, in his great wisdom, has thought proper to confer and bless us with, if we make a wise and virtuous use of his good gifts. *** Although our affairs, at the commencement of the war, wore a gloomy aspect, they have brightened, and promised a certainty of success, if properly directed and conducted, of which I have no doubt; as the president and heads of departments of the general government are men of undoubted patriotism, talents, and experience, and who have grown old in the service of their country. *** It must be obvious to every thinking man, that we were forced into the

Every measure consistent with honor, both before and since the declaration of war, has been tried, to be on amicable terms with our enemy. If they will not listen to terms of reciprocity, and be at peace with us, where is the man, who is a friend to his country, that will not give a helping hand, and use his best exertions to preserve and maintain, inviolate, the just rights of his country? It is to be hoped there is none such." * * *

In the closing part of his message of the 6th of December, 1813, Governor Posey said: "I will now call to your attention such subjects as require the deliberations of your present meeting. Much depends upon you, gentlemen, in bringing to maturity such laws as will have a tendency to render equal justice to each individual of the community and promote the general welfare of the territory. You who reside in various parts of the territory have it in your power to understand what will tend to its local and general advantage. The judiciary system would require a revisal and amendment. The militia law is very defective, and requires your immediate attention. It is necessary to have good roads and highways in as many directions through the territory as the circumstances. and situation of the inhabitants will admit of-it would contribute very much to promote the settlement and improvement of the territory. Attention to education is highly necessary. There is an appropriation made by congress, in lands, for the purpose of establishing public schools. It comes now within your province to carry into operation the design of the appro

priation. *** I wish you a pleasant session, recommending harmony and dispatch of business."

The legislative council and the house of representatives, severally, addressed appropriate replies to the message of Governor Posey. The members of the legislative council concurred with the governor, in "regretting that the American nation had been forced into a war with Great Britain." They declared that "the catalogue of vices attendant on a state of war ultimately tend to unnerve the energies of virtue, and finally reduce the nation to slavery;" but, they said, "it is better for a nation to submit to this evil than basely shrink from her post of honor and duty, and not recoil at the indignities practiced upon it by a foreign nation." The following, sentiments were expressed in the reply which was addressed to the governor, by the house of representatives: "While, sir, with you, we deprecate the horrors of war, we rejoice at many of its effects-that a period has arrived which has called forth talents venerated in the world-successful in the contests by land and sea. That the unjust, envious, and jealous policy of England forced us into the war, no unprejudiced mind can doubt; and we rejoice to find that, in so advanced a period of your life, you have borne the sword of your country. * * * With you, sir, we abhor that cringing and detestable policy which would submit to British aggression, and cherish a hostile colony-a scourge on our borders. We are astonished at the mistaken and obstinate policy of the New England States, in opposing the junction of the Canadas to the Union. It would add weight and influence to the northern States in the councils of the nation-would check the progress of the seat of government toward the Isthmus of Darien, and more fairly balance the two great interests of our country-the commercial and agricultural."

The most important part of the general legislation of this session, which was closed, by adjournment,* on the 6th of

* On the 27th of December, 1813, Governor Posey, in an official communication addressed to the president of the legislative council, said: "I wish you to communicate to your honorable body, that the delicate state of my health will not admit of my longer continuance at this place, [Corydon.] I find myself badly situated on account of the want of medical aid. My physician is at Louisville, and I have taken the medicine brought with me. The