On the 7th we crossed and encamped on the west side of the Pikkawa fork, more commonly called Mad river, a powerful branch of the Great Miami. It is a beautiful but rapid stream, running through a pleasant, level country of the greatest fertility. Our course was a little westward of north, and ran through some handsome prairies. Marched about nine miles this day.

We gained about eight miles on the 8th, encamping on an eastern stream of the Great Miami. Course N. N. W. A very low wet glade crossed the route, which being impassible for the pack-horses, they were filed off to avoid it. The country was otherwise very fine.

Advanced on the 9th near eight miles farther, to another stream of the last mentioned river. Our course lay a little west of north. The country was rich and level. Yesterday and to day the weather proved wet and disagreeable.

On Sunday the tenth, it became cool and clear: we marched nearly the same course about ten miles, crossing, at one third of the distance, the Great Miami, where once stood another Chillacothe of the Indians: it was burnt in 1782, by a body of militia from Kentucky. I suppose this place to be what Hutchins calls in his map "The English Tawixtwi." Here are the ruins of an old fort. Extensive prairies skirt both sides of the river: we encamped at night on the east side of a western branch of the Great Miami, which may be computed, according to this route, to lie a hundred miles distant from Fort Washington. The general course of this and the subsequent part of our march to the Omee towns, described the segment of a circle; hence I conclude, that a straight line drawn between those towns and the fort, would not exceed one hundred and ten miles. We now discovered many tracks of the savages.

Thus far the country continued open, generally level, and extremely fertile we found it, besides, abundantly watered. But after this day's march, till the army arrived at the Omee river, it changed to a dead flat, (excepting a solitary eminence,) with a soil much inferior to that we had left; and scarcely a stream of water was any where to be found. The woods were indeed open and free from underwood, and the timber was chiefly white oak. The troops, &c., suffered extremely through the want of water. There is reason to believe, however, that the country thus extending between the Great Miami and Omee, though so dry at this time, is deluged every spring with standing water, and rendered impassable. It is remarkable, that no stones of any kind, (except in one spot,) were seen during the whole march from the place of departure, to the point of destination. This short account will render any farther description, as to the general face of the country, unnecessary in the remaining part of the route.

The army proceeded on the eleventh, about twelve miles N. N. W., and encamped on a small stream running into the Great Miami. Within the first eight miles are the ruins of a French store, which stood on a considerable branch of the same river, and was burnt by the Kentuckians in 1782. This is the utmost point to which, in this direction, they ever penetrated the Indian country.

On the 12th we advanced about seven miles, the general course being

north, to Glaize (or perhaps Glace) river, a branch of the Omee; thence proceeded six miles farther, nearly west.

The next day we gained in about ten miles, on a course W. N. W., the Pikkawa branch of the Omee, commonly named the river St. Mary. The day was cold, moist, and very disagreeable. In the morning, the cavalry took a Shawanee prisoner, and I availed myself of this event, to obtain some intelligence of the force and probable designs of the enemy. The army encamped near what is called La Source's old house.

The following day being the 14th, I detached Colonel Hardin with six hundred men, composed of fifty federal troops, and five hundred and fifty militia, one hundred of whom were mounted. The object was, to reconnoitre the country, and feel, at their towns, the enemy's pulse, while the army advanced. We marched about nine miles this day, pursuing nearly the course of yesterday; the weather rainy.

Advanced on the 15th about nine miles, in a direction somewhat more northerly, to an inconsiderable stream of the St. Mary. We had the pleasure of seeing water several times in the course of this day's march. The weather became clear in the afternoon.

A dispatch arrived on the 16th, from Colonel Hardin, informing me, that the savages and the traders (who are, perhaps, the worst savages of the two,) had evacuated their towns, with appearances of precipitation, and burnt the principal village, called the Omee, together with all the traders' houses. This village lay on a pleasant point, formed by the junction of the rivers Omee and St. Joseph. It was situate on the east bank of the latter, opposite the mouth of St. Mary, and had for a long time past, been the rendevous of a set of Indian desperadoes, who infested the settlements, and stained the Ohio, and parts adjacent, with the blood of defenceless inhabitants. This day we advanced nearly the same distance, and kept nearly the same course as yesterday; we encamped within six miles of the object. And on Sunday, the 17th, entered on the ruins of the Omee town, or French village, as part of it is called. Appearances confirmed accounts I have received of the consternation into which the savages, and their trading allies, had been thrown by the approach of the army. Many valuables of the traders were destroyed in the confusion, and vast quantities of corn, and other grain and vegetables, were secreted in holes dug in the earth, and other hiding places. Colonel Hardin rejoined the army.

Besides the town of Omee, there were several other villages situate upon the banks of three rivers. One of them, belonging to the Omee Indians, called Kegaiogue, was standing, and contained 30 houses, on the bank opposite the principal village. Two others, consisting together of about 45 houses, lay a few miles up the St. Mary, and were inhabited by Delawares. Thirty-six houses occupied by other savages of this tribe formed another, but scattered town, on the east bank of the St. Joseph, two or three miles north from the French village. And about the same distance down the Omee river, lay the Shawanee town of Chilicothe, consisting of 58 houses, opposite which, on the other bank of the river, were 16 habitations more, belonging to savages of the same nation. All these I ordered to be burnt during my stay there, together with great quantities of corn and vegetables hidden, as at the

principal village, in the earth and other places, by the savages, who had abandoned them. It is computed there were not less than 20,000 bushels of corn in the ear, which the army either consumed or destroyed.

As the name of Chilicothe has been applied to different places in the course of this letter, it may not be improper to remark here, that it is derived from the name of an influential chief, who formerly headed the Shawanese. Whenever his people happened to be driven from their town, they retired to some other spot, and founded a second by the same name, and so a third, a fourth, &c. In like manner the Miami, and some other Indians, have communicated the respective names of their nations, or tribes, to various rivers and places, as they severally happened to remove, or spread themselves over the country. The savages know well how to choose a situation for a town. The site and surrounding country of every Chilicothe is very beautiful.

On the 18th two Indians were killed and scalped by the cavalry; and another was killed at night. We lost a great number of horses at this time, occasioned by the negligence of the militia guards, and their disobedience of orders.

On the 19th Col. Hardin, was detached with 180 men, taken from the Pennsylvania and Kentucky militia, and 30 federal troops, commanded by Lieut. Armstrong. Part of the detachment proceeded about ten miles westerly of the main body of the army, now posted at Chilicothe, (the Pennsylvanians, who formed the left column, having fallen some miles in the rear) when a body of Indians appeared and advanced to the attack; and though the enemy did not, as it is believed, exceed a hundred and thirty, yet the militia made no resistance, but fled, leaving the handful of federal troops to their fate; seven only of whom escaped. The militia lost but few men; among these fell, lamented by his ac quaintance, Capt. Scott, of the militia, son to Gen. Scott, of Kentucky. I am not informed of the loss sustained by the savages; but I conceive it could not be great.

Incensed at the disgraceful conduct of the militia, and determined to prevent, if possible, a repetition of it upon any future occasion, I reprehended it in my next orders with great severity. This measure, though harsh, will appear to have been necessary. It operated as a stimulus to wipe off the foul stain, which the reputation of the militia had incurred.

The great object of the expedition being now completely effected, that is, the destruction of the Omee towns and the provisions laid up for their subsistence. On the 21st, the army began to return towards Fort Washington by the route they came.

It was originally my intention, to have returned by the way of the Ouiattanon, (commonly called the Weeah) towns on the Wabash ; and break them up also. Major Hamtramck, commanding at Fort Knox, Vincennes, had been previously ordered to make a movement towards them with the troops under his command: three hundred militia from Kentucky, were ordered to reinforce him. The movement was intended as well for a divertion to prevent an union of the Indian strength, as for the purpose of effecting a junction with our whole force, in case I should have judged it advisable to enter the country of the Ouiattons. Circumstances, however, rendered it impracticable for me to attempt it, at

this time, with any tolerable prospect of success. The horses of the army were now, by various causes, reduced to two-thirds of their original number, and the remainder so worn down with hard service, as to preclude the possibility of reaping much farther benefit from them. I have not yet received any communication from Major Hamtramck, notwithstanding the long lapse of time since he was ordered to march.

I would beg leave to suggest in this place the propriety of employing oxen, in any future expedition against Indians, where the march may happen to lie in a country whose face, like that of the late route, is level, and either openly timbered, or having little or no timber at all, as in the prairies. Light ox carts, of small value, might be constructed to hold the provisions, stores, and baggage; and the oxen, as either of the former were expended, would supply the army with beef. The only loss would be the cart; but that will be deemed a consideration of no importance, when the enormous expense of pack and bat-horses is taken into view, and the great temptation a savage enemy will ever feel to steal them. Besides, every horse that tires on the march proves a dead loss; and if he return, the hire must be paid, which in an expedition of but moderate duration, would absorb his whole value. If it be objected against oxen, that they are too slow of foot, I would answer, that the progress of an army in this country, can seldom exceed ten or a dozen miles in a day, and oxen are fully competent to this distance.

Kentucky abounds in cattle, and any requisite number of oxen might, doubtless, be obtained thence-but, then, the oxen ought to be well broken, before they are taken, or the end will not be answered; and I conceive it would not be an easy matter, at this time, to procure in Kentucky a sufficient number of trained oxen, for an expedition of consequence.

I beg leave to close this digression with one suggestion more. It has never yet been the practice to keep up a regular body of horse on the frontiers. Cavalry have emphatically been styled the eyes and feet of an army; such they would certainly prove here. Horses are well adapted to scour and cover an extensive country. The rapidity of their movements is such, that the savages would be cautious how they provoked a pursuit. Distance could not operate as a security to the Indian towns. They would always be open to surprise-and hence their warriors would be taught to dread the continuance of a war, in which their wives and children must be momentarily exposed, in common with themselves. Thus the arm of government might be extended and enforced over regions not otherwise to be protected. I mean in that efficient manner which humanity and the interest of the United States seem to require.

I will now return to those operations which followed the destruction of the Omee towns.

On the 21st of October, the army decamped from Chillicothe, returning on the route we had come about eight miles. Here we remained till the morning of the 23d. Finding, in the mean time, that the enemy studiously avoided coming to a general action; and conceiving it improper to leave them in the quiet enjoyment of their late success, I resolved to make an effort to bring on another partial engagement. For this pur

pose I detached, on the 21st, late at night, Col. Hardin and Major Wyllys, with three hundred and sixty men, sixty of whom were federal infantry-the rest being militia, from Pennsylvania and Kentucky. I had some time before, mounted a company of militia, and annexed it to the two troops of Kentucky cavalry, giving the command of the whole to Major Fontaine, a brave and deserving officer, at that time serving as my aid-de-camp. The corps made a part of the present command.

I gave orders to find out and fight the enemy at all events, and to be sparing of no means that might tend to lessen the number of the savages, knowing of what importance the life of every warrior is held among them. The detachment reached the confluence of the Omee and St. Mary, early next morning, and filed off in three columns. The left under Col. Hardin and Major Hall, crossed at Kegniogue, and proceeded along the west bank of the St. Joseph. The centre, consisting of the federal troops, under Major Wyllys, having passed the Omee at the French Village, moved up the east bank of the St. Joseph, at some distance from the river, while Major M'Millan led the right column over the heights on Wyllys' right. The enemy now appeared in different quarters, and the columns were soon and severally engaged with various success. A body of the savages having appeared in Wyllys' front, and cherished the idea of an attack there, suddenly gained the unoccupied heights on the right, and turned his flank. At this crisis fell Major Wyllys, an officer whose long and meritorious services claim the grateful remembrance of his country. With the talents of a cultivated mind, he united the best virtues of the heart. The little party, unsupported, and overpowered by numbers, now gave way, leaving fifty out of sixty dead upon the field. Free use was made of the bayonet, which the savages experienced to their cost. Lieutenant Frothingham, of my regiment, was killed in the action. I have lost in him an useful officer, and a worthy man. While this part of the business was acting, the militia were not idle, they behaved with the spirit of veterans, and slew numbers of the enemy, who met their fate with uncommon bravery. In short, each side seemed emulous to establish a character over the other. The militia every where gave striking proofs of determined courage. The savages were in no instances behind them, and the slaughter was reciprocal.

From the best information the enemy lost in the course of this affair upwards of one hundred of their prime warriors-men who appeared to fear no danger. Not a squaw or a child was seen this day to swell the number of the slain. The enemy's loss cannot be replaced. Ours, too, was heavy. Major Fontaine, commanding the cavalry, was a young gentleman of the most amiable manners, with a soul formed for enterprise. Years only were wanting to moderate his ardor in the field, and unite, in the accomplished gentleman, the character of a good soldier. He fell covered with wounds, in singly charging with his sword about forty of the enemy. Some other officers of the militia were killed, and some few wounded. Our whole loss in killed, wounded, and missing, amounted to one hundred and eighty, including officers.Upwards of twenty of the wounded were brought off.

Among the officers who survived the slaughter, and distinguished