Western Sun, Volume 4, Number 18, Vincennes, Knox County, 1 February 1812 — Page 2

in cafe of a night attack. with th?ir pifbls in their bePs, and la act as a corps de re fcrve. Thl camp was defenJeu by twi company guards, torliltnig each ot tour non Comtnifitoned officf ra a id 42 privates, andtv0 luult rrt guards of twenty no.i comm IH med oficeri and privntes. The whole under the command of a field officer of the dy. The troops were regularly oiled t;p an hour before day, an.l ma le to continue un ler arms Until it WS8 quitt light On the morning of the 7':i 1 hao . ri fen at a OUarttf after o'clock, and the 6gnal tor tailing out the men would havr Lee a given in twotninutca when the attack commenced. It began on the left flank, but a ufrgle gun was fired by the centintL or bv th- nnrJ in that direction which 4 D made no x- fi iLnce, but abandoned their of ficcr and led into the Camp, and the Grfl notice which the troops of that flank had of the dan ;er, WaSg, fro HI the yells ot the favanrs within a Piort drlancr id' the line ; but even under thofe cii cumftances, the men were Dot waO ting to themfelvee, ll to tiie OCCafiOtf Such of them l were awake, or eati'y awak-md, fi itCtt their j-rms and took their itatiom ; others w hich were more urdv, had to contend with the enemv inthe door.- of their tent?. The florm fi t TV fell on Capt. Rirtnn's comi pny of the 4th U. States regiment, and Cap!. Oeigef'S Cdmpany of mounted rifle men, which fornn d the left Ittglt of the rear line I he fire upon th fe Were excef (ivtly iVv re, nd they iutV red confide? ably bef.ire relief Could be brought to them Sme few Indians p iTed into ti e encamp moot near the angle, and one or two penetrattd to fome diftance before they were kill d. I oelieve all the Othef companies were under arm; and tolerably formed before they were fued on. The morning was ark a:d cloudy our fires afforded a partial light which f lt Sive us ;nt oppor t unity of taking our pofititna, WIS Hill more ldeintageoU3 to the enemv, afford Ing them the meim of taking a furer aim. They were therefore extinguilhed as loon as potfible Under all thefe iltlcouraging cirlumilmces, the troops (nineteen twentieth of whom had never been in an action before) behaved in a manner that can never be too much applauded Tin y took their plaies without notfe, and With lefs confufion th .n could haee been eftpe&ed from veterans placed in a Gmilar iituatiou. At toon s 1 could mount my horfe, I rode to the ancle that was attacked I found that Barton's company had uiftered ieveiely and the left of GcigetS entirely broken. I immediately ordered Cook's Company, and the late Cant Wintworths, kindei Lteut. I'etrts, to be brought up fri m the centre of the rt-nr line, where the ground Waj nun h more d-fc-diule, and iormed a crofs th- angle in fupport of Barton's and G i tr's. My attention was then engaged bv a heaef firing upon the left of the front bur, here were Rationed the final I cotnoa

:tnen (th n

ny oi u bi t s i

Irmed with rnuflcets) and the companies ot Ba n, Snelling, and Prefcojtt ot the 4th Regiment 1 found Major Datiefs formwu the Dragoons in the rear of the comEmies, and under (landing that thofe heaviefl fjart of the enemy's fire proceeded tiom fome trees about fifteen or twenty paces in front of th ile companies,! directed the Major t.- diflodge tin ui with i p t of the l)rai otu Unforti e Majoi s gallon. with a fmaller force than was lufficient, which ernl ! -d the enemy to avoid bttn in Iront, and tt.ck h-s tl-iks. i he Major Was mortal? wound d, and his party driven huh. The Indians Weri however int. nif-diatt lv itld H ntlv d Qo : ed frOttl their advantageous politic by (. pt Snelling, at the he id of his company Inthe courfe of a few taiiootes iftei he commencement f attack,the fire -; nded along :ti Ictt

fi ink, th e whole of th ink, and pi t of the 'j

cer's m anud riflemen, and the right Oi Wrx, k's company which was poftetl on th.e right of the relrline, in was excclutely frvere. Captain Spenter anJ I is firq and fecond Lieotentnts we e killed, and captain Warrick was mortally wounded thofe ibmpanies, howev-r, IMI bravely m intained their polls, but Sp-rcerfs h id full ied fo f vrr-lv. and having rtff;inalW to:i much ground to occupy, I reinf reed them with Robb's Company of rlfl men, which had keen driNMt or bv mifttke ordered from th oiti n. (he! ' 8 nk towards the

ht

'en

thai lad lice:

k j by

v ic incy U 1 lw I -

cott's comp-iny of the 4th U. Stnte? Reginent. My y;ret obj Ct was to keep the

nits entire, to prevent ti e enemy Irom ireakinj into the camp until dy light, ich Ihould enable me to make a genera! ind effectual chaige. With this view 1 nad reinforced every part of the line that had luflfered much ; and as foon as the approach of morning had difcovered itlelf, 1 withdrew from the front line Snclling's, Pofey's (under L.i ut. Mbright) ar d Scotts nd from the rear line, Wilton's companies

uid drew them up upon the left flank, and ti a - .

II ttie lame time 1 ordered Look s and Baen's companies, the former from the rear uid the latter from the front line to reinforce the right flank ; fore feeing that at thefe points the enemy would make their klftefioftt, M ijor Wells, who commanded on the left fl nk, not knowing my intentions precifely, bad taken the command of thefe companies, and had charged the enemy betore I hd formed the body ot I)i agoons with which I meant to fupport the infantry ; a f n 11 detachment of thefe were howevery ready, and proved amply iufiicient lor the purpoie The Indian were driven by the Infantry at thr point of the bay met, and the dragoons purfued and forced them into a rjr(h, where they could not he followed Captain Cook and Lieut. Larabee had, agreeable to my order, marched their companies to the right flank, had formed them under the fire of the enemy, and being then joined by the Riflemen ol that fl.nk, had charged the Indians, killed a number ami put the re ft to a precipitate Bight A favorable opnortunity was here

! off red to puilue the enemy with dragoons,

but being em;a"ed at that time on the other fl nik. 1 did not obferve it until it was t o late. 1 have thus, fir, given you the particui is of an adtion, which was certainly maintain d with the gieateft obllinaiy and perfeveranaC by both parties. i he Indians mtnifeded a ferocity uncommon even to them To their lavage tury, our troops opnofed that cool and dfliberate valor, which is charactrifikic of the chriftian foluier The mofl pleafing part of my duty, (that ct naming to you cic corps and individuals who particularly diliUgulhed themfelves) to be performed There is however conliderable dituculty in it where merit was fo common it it almoit iinpoUiblc todifcriminate The wh ile of the Infantry formed a bngade under the irnmtdiate orders ot Cololltrl Dv-y j. i lie Colonel throughout the ictiv)i man i felled equal zeal and bravery in Carry mg into rxrtu ion my orders, in keep-in-the men to their poll:, and exhorting l hem to light with valor His brigade Maj r Ci.nk, and bis aid de camp, George (1 ghao, were alio vciy ferviceably tinployed Colonel Jofeph Bartholomew, a v.(y valuable officer, commanded under ' I. Boyd the militia infantry j he was wounded tariy in the action and his lerviccs oil to me. Major G.H.C. Floyd, the fenioi of thC 4th U. States Regiment, commanded immediately the battallion of that Regiment which was in the frontline. His tonUuct during the action was entirely to mv fatisfaCtion Lieut. Col. Decker 4 who commanded the battallion of militia on tbe light of t!ie rear line, prelVrved his Command in good order ; he was however but partially art cktd. Ithave before mentioned to you that Maj. Gen. Wells, of the 4th dtvifioti of Kentucky militia, actrd under toy command as a Major, at the head of two companies OI mounted volunteers ; the General maintained the fame which he had already acquired in almofl every campaign and in almo( every battle which has been fought with the Indians Irnce the fettlcment of Kentucky. Of the feeeral corp, the 4th U. States Regiment, a; rj two fmall conipanie? attached to it, were certainly the moft co' fotcuous for und u t -dv.'lor. The companies commanded by CaptCookf Snelling and Barton, ).:-. Peters ind Hawkins, were placed in fituations where thev could render mod fervice nd eucountc r mod dangers, and thofe offi. cert eminently diftingusfhecl themfelves Cpts. Prefcott and Brown performed their duty entirely to my fatisf .ction, ?s did Fofeys company of the 7th Regiment, headed by Lnut. Albright. In Ihort, Rr, they fupported the fame of American Reoillars, and 1 have never heard hit a finglc individual wa? out of the line of his duty Several ot the militia com pa-

ues eie in no wile inferior to the Regu Lie. Speoiers Gcicr's and Wtrjrick'a

roaintained their pofrs amiuft. a monttrous carn-age, as indeed did Robb's alter it was polled on the left flank ; its loli of men (17 killed and wounded) and keeping its ground is fufficent evidence of its firmnefs Wilton's and Scott's CottipaoiOi charged with the Regular troops, and proved theiiir felves worthy of doing fo. Nona's cvin pany alfo behaved well ; Hargroves rd VVilkmS company were placed in a utua tin where they had no opportunity of diftinguifhing hemfclves, or I am fattisned they would have done it. This was the cate with the iquadrc n of Dragoons alio. After Major Davie fa had received his wound, knowing it to he mortal, I promoted Capt. Paike to the majority, than whom there is no better officer. My two aiu-de-camps, Majors Hurfl Sc Taylor, with Lieut. Adams, of the Fourth Regiment, afforded me the mod effential aid, as well in the action, as throughout th" campaign. The arrangements of Capt. Piatt in the quarter matter department were highly judicious, and his exertions oo all occalions, partitulaily in bringing; off' the wounded, delerve my warmeii thanks. Bu.t in giving merited praife to the living, let me not forget the gallant dead. Col. Abraham Owen, commandant of the 18th Ken. regt. joined me a few days before the action as a piivatc in capt. Geiger's company , he accented the appointed oi volunteer aid-dc camp to me ; he fell caily in the action. The reprefentatives of liis Itate will iriform you that ilie polVtlVed not a better citizen nor a braver m?n. Major J. H. Daveifs was known as an able lawyer, iJ a great orator ; he joined me as a private volunteer, and on the recommendation of the officers ol that corp, was appointed to command the 3d troop of dragoons. His conduct in that capacity iuftified their choice ; never was there an officer po'Teffed of more ardor and his duties with propriety, and no man would have encountered greater danger to pui chafe military fame. Captain Baen of the 4th U. States Regiment, was killed early in the action ; he was unueftionably a good officer and valiant foldier. Capts Spencer and Warrick, and Lieut. Mc'Mahan and Berry were all my particular friends; I have ever had the utmoff confidence in their valor, and I was not deceived. Spencer was wounded in the head he exhorted his men to fight valiantly he was (hot through both thighs, and fell, ffill continuing to encourage them he was raifed up, and received a ball through the. body, which put an immediate end to his exillence 1 Warrick was (hot immediately through the body ; being taken to the Surgery to be dreffed, as foon as it was over, (being a man of great bodily vigor, and. It ill able to walk) he infilled upon going back to head his company, although it was evident he had but a few hours to live. All thefe gentlemen, fir, Capt. Baen ex cepted, have left wives, and five of them large families cf children ; tins h the die too with mai y of the privates among the militia who fell in the atium, or who have (inf du'd of their wounds. Will the bounty of Vheir country be withheld from

their helpftfs orphans, many of whom will be in tiie molt deftttute condition and perhaps want even the nAMTarie ot hie i With retpetSt to the number of Indians that were engnged agaifdl us, I am poflelfed of no data by which 1 can form a correal (Vatement It rrnlt however, have beer o .iiderdtde and perhaps rot much in. fencr to our lwo ; Which deducting the Dragooi I, who were unable to do Us much fervice Was very little above 700, hen commiliion, officers r.d privates ; I am convinced there were at lelt fx hundred The Prophet had three weeks before 450 of his v. n pVper followers, I am induced to believe that he was joined by a number of the lawlefs vagabond; who live on the Illinois river, as lage tr;!o were fern com ing from that direction. Indeed I (iul! not e furpijtfed to find ti t fome oi thofe wl.t; rot ln-d tie warmeii friendihip for us were nr.ayed again (1 -as 'tis certain that one this deicription canjsc out from the town a:)d fpoke to me the niiht before the i&iin. l'iic Potawattimie chief wHom 1 menti '.ted to have been woui.de ! nd 1 1ken prifouer, in n y letter of the Sih io(l 1 left oti the battle ground, after having taken ail the care ct him in mv power, I

rfouutrd him to inform tluie oi his own j 1 a

trioe who bad j ;ned the rrpphet, and tne Kichpjos aiid Winebagoes, tlsat if tl'.ey would immediately abandon the Prophet, and return :a the if own tiib:s their p.)il

conduct would be fcrgiver, and that we would treat them as we icrmerJy had done. He afTured me that he -would do fo, and that tht-re was no doubt of their compliat re. Indeed he fa id he was certain they would put the Prophet to death. I think upon the whole there will br no further holhlities ; but rf this I fhall be enabled to give you fome mre certain information in a few days. The troops left the battle ground on the 9th infl. it took every waggon fo tranfport the wounded. We manned however to bring o2 the public propcityv although almolt all the private baggtee of the clFuers w as Beceffarify eeftroved. It mny porhaps be imagined, fir, that fome me'?!i migiit hate bten ac'opted to have made a moreeailv d fcovery of the approach ot the enemy to cur camp on the jnorning of the 7th infl. but if 1 hbd em. ployed two thirds of the army as outpolls it would have been ineffectual ; the Indians in inch a right would have found means to have pa (Ted between them placed inthe fitoation that we were, there is no other mode ol avoiding a furprize than by a chain ofcentincls fo dole together that the enemy cannot pafs between without difcovery and having the army in fuch readinels that they can get to their alarm pofts at a moments warning Our troops tould net: have been better prepared than they were, ' nh fs they had been kept under arms the whole night, as they lay with their accoutrimems on, and their arms by their fides, and the moment thry were up they were at their pofls. If the fentinels and the guards had done their duty, even the troops on the lelt flank would have been prepared to leceive the Indians I have the honor to encofe ycu a correct return of our killed and wounded. The wounded fufTcred very much before their arrival here, but they were comfortably f.xed, and every attention has been and (hall continue to be paid to them. Doctor Fuller is not only poffefied of profelfional merit, but is moreover a nun of feeling and honor. I am not convinced, fir, that the Indians loft any more men than we did they left from thirty fix to forty on the field. They were fcen to take off not only the wounded but the dead. An Ind ian that was killed and fcalped in the beginning of the action by one of our men was found in the hoales, and many graves which were frefl) dug ; one of them was opened and found to contain three dead bodies. Our infantry ufed principally cartridges containing twelve buck (hot, which were admirably calculated for a night aftion. I have before mentioned you, fir, that Col. Miller was prevented from illnefs going on the expedition he rendered ellential fervice in the command of Fort Har rifon ; he is an officer of great merit. rl here are fo many circumllances which it is important for you to know, refpecling the fitoation of this country, that I have thoueht it bell to commit this difpatcfa to my aid-de-camp Major Taylor, who will have the honor of delivering this to you, Hi d who will be able tog?ve yon more fatisf action than I could do by writing. Major Taylor (who is alfo one of our Supreme Judge) is a nnn of integrity and honor, and you may rely upon 5ny ftateaaenta he may make. With the higheft refpecr, I have the honor to be, Sir. your humble lervant, WILLIAM H. HARRISON'. P. S. Not a man of ours was taken prifoner, and of three fcalps which were taken, wo of them were recovered. The Hon. Wm. Et stis, Secretary at War.

A General Return of the killed and wounded of the Army under' the command of His Excellency Yril!idm Henry Harrii n, Governor and Commander in Chief t the Indiana Territory, in the tfion With the Indiana, near the Prppbot'l Town, Nov. 7, IS! 1. Kii.r.KD Ore Aid-de-camp, one Captain, two Subalterns, one Sergeant, two Corporals, thirty Privates. WoBSfDCB, s:ncc dead One Major, two Captains, twenty two Privates. W OUNQKD Two E.rut. Colonel?, one Adjutant, one Surgeon's Mate, two Captaii , three Subalterna, nine Sergeants, five Corpora.I, one Mufici.m, one hundred and two Pt ivates. Totil of k i I led and wounded 181.