of the French Republic had been wrested from the hands of those from whom he had received his appointment, did not venture to return to his own country, but consoled himself for the change by marrying an American lady, and settling in New York.

CHAPTER XIV.

Commissioners sent to the Indians to treat for peace-Refusal of the savages to treat-The army under Wayne-Fort Greenville built-St. Clair's battle-ground reoccupied-Fort Recovery built-Wayne joined by the Kentucky volunteers -Commences his march-Indian villages abandoned-Builds Forts Adams and Defiance-Intelligence of the Indians-A flag sent to them-Their answer-Fort Deposit built-The enemy discovered-Battle of Fallen Timbers-Defeat of the Indians-Wayne encamps near the British fort-Altercation with Major Campbell-Conduct of the Kentuckians-Fort Wayne built-Treaty with the Indians-Feeling in Kentucky-Marshall elected to the Senate of the United States -Attempt to remove Judges Muter and Sebastian-Courts of quarter sessions and oyer and terminer abolished-Other laws.

In the mean time, in order to bring the Indians to terms, without the effusion of blood, Washington had despatched commissioners to them empowered to frame a treaty of peace. Elated by their previous successes over the several armies which had been sent against them, the savages not only refused all pacific overtures, but prepared to meet a renewal of hostilities with the utmost confidence.

WAYNE IN COMMAND.

189

While this negotiation was pending, the troops under Wayne remained at Fort Washington, where they suffered greatly from an epidemic influenza. When it was known that the commissioners had failed in effecting a treaty, Wayne marched with his army, and leaving garrisons behind him at the intermediate posts, established himself with twenty-six hundred regulars, in a fortified camp at Greenville, six miles in advance of Fort Jefferson. Wayne had previously made a requisition upon the state of Kentucky for mounted volunteers. The great reluctance of the militia to serve with regulars was soon observed by the commander-in-chief, from the tardiness with which they responded to his call. On the 20th of September, 1793, Wayne earnestly urged General Charles Scott, commandant of the militia at Georgetown, to advance by the 1st of October with all the force he could collect in the mean time.

On the 28th of September, Governor Shelby ordered a draft from the militia to supply the deficiency of volunteers; and on the 24th of the following month, Scott, with a force of one thousand mounted men, was encamped on a prairie, nearly midway between Fort Jefferson and the head-quarters of General Wayne. The season being too far advanced to render military operations effective, Wayne dismissed the volunteers until the opening of spring, and, building Fort

Greenville, went into winter-quarters with his regulars.

It was during this enforced suspension of hostilities, that Wayne ordered a part of the legionary cavalry remaining in Kentucky to obey any call made upon them by Shelby for the suppression of the French expedition against Louisiana. The passive encouragement given to the agents of Genet, by the Governor of Kentucky, prevented the latter from making use of the power thus placed in his hands, but the offer was not the less honourable to the vigilance of Wayne.

The necessity of transporting provisions on pack-horses, through seventy miles of wilderness, rendered the support of the troops at Fort Greenville very expensive to the general government. It, however, afforded occupation to the army in guarding the supplies by the way, and in keeping open the communication between the various posts which had been established along the line of

route.

During the winter several Indian chiefs visited the fort. The first impression created by their appearance was, that the savages were at length disposed to sue for peace; but those pleasing anticipations were soon dissipated. After satisfying their curiosity, and holding with Wayne and his officers several idle talks, they departed as suddenly as they had come, and without making any proposals.

WAYNE ADVANCES.

191

As the winter advanced, Wayne pushed forward a strong detachment to build and occupy Fort Recovery, on the site of the battle-field where St. Clair had met with so disastrous a defeat.

In May, 1794, intelligence being received that the British and Indians were posted on the Miami, near the villages at the Rapids, Wayne determined to commence operations as early as possible, and renewed his requisition upon the Governor of Kentucky for additional troops.

The action of Shelby was, in this instance, prompt and efficient; by the middle of July, General Scott had assembled sixteen hundred volunteers. With this force he immediately marched from the rendezvous at Georgetown, for headquarters.

On the 26th of the month, the first division joined the regular army at Fort Greenville, and without waiting till the remainder of the volunteers came up, Wayne commenced his march for Fort Recovery.

The Indians had already opened the campaign by a vigorous assault upon Fort Recovery during the latter part of June. After two days' hard fighting, they suffered a repulse; but were not altogether unsuccessful. They captured three hundred pack-mules, and inflicted a loss of fifty men, upon an escort of one hundred and fifty, which had just guarded a provision train, and lay encamped outside the fort.

After leaving Fort Recovery, Wayne advanced to St. Mary's, by an unfrequented route, with the view of taking the Indians by surprise; but on his arrival at the villages he found them abandoned. This was the more mortifying to the general, since, in order to divert the attention of the Indians from the route he intended to pursue, he had caused two roads to be opened from Greenville in the direction of St. Mary's; while he. marched by the obscure way already mentioned. The treacherous conduct of a volunteer, who, while the army was secretly approaching the Indian settlement, escaped to the enemy and warned them of their peril, rendered a stratagem entirely useless, which, at the outset, offered the most favourable prospects of success.

At this place Wayne built Fort Adams, and at the confluence of the Au-Glaize and the Miami, he erected a strong stockade, which he named Fort Defiance.

On the 12th of August, he learned from several prisoners who had been taken, that the main body of the Indians had retired down the Miami about thirty miles, where they occupied a camp at the foot of the Rapids, and in the vicinity of a new fort recently built by the British.

Having in his camp a man by the name of Miller, who had been a prisoner among the Indians and understood their language, Wayne determined to send him to them once more with