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strike the Scioto above Paint Creek. After crossing this creek near where the great road from Maysville to Chillicothe now crosses it, evening came on, and they halted for the night. In a short time they heard a noise, and a little examination disclosed to them that they were in the vicinity of an Indian camp. Their horses were promptly taken back some distance and tied, to prevent an alarm. A council was held, and Captain Baker offered to go and reconnoitre, which being agreed to, he took one of his company and made the examination.

He found the Indians encamped on the bank of the stream, their horses between them and the camp of the whites. After Baker's report was made, the party determined to remain where they were until near daylight the next morning. Captain Baker and his men were to march round and take a position on the bank of the stream in front of the Indian camp; Captain Ward was to occupy the ground in the rear; and Captain Kenton one side, while the river presented a barrier on the other, thus guarding against the retreat of the Indians. It was further agreed that the attack should not commence until it was light enough to shoot with accuracy.

Before Kenton and Ward had reached the positions they were respectively to occupy, the bark of a dog in the Indian camp was heard, and then the report of a gun. Upon this alarm, Baker's

men instantly fired, and Captains Kenton and Ward, with their companies, raising the battle cry, rushed toward the camp. To their surprise, they found Baker and his men in the rear instead of the front of the Indians, thus deranging the plan of attack, but whether from design or acciIdent is unknown. The Indians sent back the war-whoop, retreated a few paces, and took to the trees. It was still too dark to fire with precision, but a few random shots were made, and a terrible shouting kept up by the Indians.

While the parties were thus at bay, Tecumseh had the address to send a part of his men to the rear of the Kentuckians for the horses, and when the animals were brought to the front, which was accomplished without discovery, the Indians mounted and effected their escape, carrying with them John Ward, the brother of Captain James Ward, and the only one of the party who was wounded. One Kentuckian was killed, a member of Baker's company. No pursuit was made of the Indians, nor did they prove to be of the same party who had attacked the Slate Creek station.

The last inroad made by the Indians into Kentucky took place in the course of the summer of this year. The spies, who had been ranging the Ohio below Limestone, discovered where a party of twenty Indians had crossed the river, and sunk their canoes in the mouth of Holt's Creek.

The

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sinking of their canoes and concealing them was evidence of the intention of the Indians to recross the Ohio at the same place.

When Kenton received this intelligence, he despatched a messenger to Bourbon county, to apprize them that the Indians had crossed the river and had taken that direction. He immediately proceeded to collect a number of choice spirits, whom he could depend upon in a case of emergency.

Among the latter was Cornelius Washburn, a man both daring and sagacious. With this party Kenton crossed the Ohio at Limestone, and proceeded down to opposite the mouth of Holt's Creek, where the Indian canoes lay concealed. Here his party lay ambushed for four days before they saw or heard any thing of the Indians.

On the fourth day of their ambuscade, they observed three Indians come down the bank, and drive six horses into the river. The horses swam over. The Indians then raised one of the canoes they had sunk, and crossed the Ohio. When the enemy came near the shore, Kenton discovered that of the three men in the canoe, one was a white man. As he thought the latter was probably a prisoner, he ordered his men to fire at the Indians only; they did so, and the two Indians fell. The headway which the canoe had, ran it upon the shore; the white man in the canoe picked up his gun, and as Kenton ran

down to the water's edge to receive him, he snapped his gun at the whites. Kenton then ordered his men to kill him, and he was immediately shot.

About three or four hours afterward two more Indians and another white man came to the river and drove in five horses. The horses swam over, and the Indians, raising another of their canoes, followed across. As soon as the canoe touched the shore, Kenton's party fired upon the Indians and killed them all. The white man who was with them had his ears cut, his nose bored, and all the marks which distinguished the Indians.

Kenton and his men still kept up their ambuscade, knowing there were more Indians and one canoe behind. Some time during the night the main body of Indians came to the place where their canoes were sunk, and hooted like owls; but not receiving any answer, they began to think all was not right. The two parties who had been killed, the main body expected to find encamped on the other side of the Ohio, but as no answer was given to their hootings, one of the Indians must have swum the Ohio and discovered the ambuscade. Standing on a high hill or knoll in the rear of Kenton, the savage gave three long and loud yells; after which he shouted to his friends on the opposite shore to make their escape.

Not many minutes after he had given them this warning, the Bourbon militia came up. It

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being dark, the Indians broke and run, leaving about thirty horses which they had stolen from the latter neighbourhood. The next morning some attempt was made to pursue the savages; but they had scattered and straggled off in such small parties that the pursuit was soon abandoned.

CHAPTER XIII.

Genet supersedes Ternant as ambassador to the United States -Perplexing position of the government-Washington calls a cabinet council-Proclamation of neutrality resolved upon -High-handed conduct of Genet-His reception by the people-Projects an expedition against the Spanish settlements-Despatches agents to Kentucky to raise volunteersGeorge Rogers Clark commissioned a major-general in the French service-Letter to Governor Shelby from the Secreretary of State-His reply-Democratic societies formedSecond letter to Shelby-His sympathy with the movement -Shelby's letter to the Secretary of State-Reply of Edmund Randolph-Washington issues a proclamation to the people of Kentucky-The recall of Genet solicited-Activity of the democratic associations-Meeting at Lexington-Recall of Genet―The expedition abandoned-Genet marries and settles in New York.

IN the year 1793, the new republic of France being threatened with a sanguinary struggle against the combined monarchical powers of Europe, despatched Citizen Genet to supersede Ternant as ambassador to the United States.

News of the French declaration of war against