The troops at my disposal consisted of about one hundred and twenty regulars of the 27th regiment, five brigades of Kentucky volunteer militia infantry, under his excellency Governor Shelby, averaging less than five hundred men, and Col. Johnson's regiment of mounted infantry, making in the whole an aggregate something above three thousand. No disposition of an army, opposed to an Indian force, can be safe unless it is secured on the flanks and in the rear. I had therefore no difficulty in arranging the infantry conformably to my general order of battle. General Trotter's brigade of five hundred men, formed the front line, his right upon the road and his left upon the swamp.— General King's brigade as a second line, one hundred and fifty yards in the rear of Trotter's, and Chile's brigade as a corps of reserve in the rear of it. These three brigades formed the command of Major General Henry; the whole of General Desha's division, consisting of two brigades, were formed en potence upon the left of Trotter.

Whilst I was engaged in forming the infantry, I had directed Colonel Johnson's regiment, which was still in front, to be formed in two lines opposite to the enemy, and, upon the advance of the infantry, to take ground to the left and forming upon that flank to endeavor to turn the right of the Indians. A MOMENT'S REFLECTION, HOWEVER, CONVINCED ME THAT FROM THE THICKNESS OF THE WOODS AND SWAMPINESS OF THE GROUND, THEY WOULD BE UNABLE TO DO ANY THING ON HORSEBACK, AND THERE WAS NO TIME TO DISMOUNT THEM AND PLACE THEIR HORSES IN SECU RITY; I THEREFORE DETERMINED TO REFUSE MY LEFT TO THE INDIANS, AND TO BREAK THE BRIT ISH LINES AT ONCE BY A CHARGE OF THE MOUNTED INFANTRY; THE MEASURE WAS NOT SANCTIONED BY ANY THING THAT I HAD SEEN OR HEARD OF, BUT I WAS FULLY CONVINCED THAT IT WOULD SUCCEED. The American backwoodsmen ride better in the woods than any other people. A musket or rifle is no impediment to them, being accustomed to carry them on horseback from their earliest youth. I was persuaded too, that the enemy would be quite unprepared for the shock, and that they could not resist it. Conformably to this idea, I directed the regiment to be drawn up in close column, with its right at the distance of fifty yards from the road, (that it might be in some measure protected by the trees from the artillery) its left upon the swamp, and to charge at full speed as soon as the enemy delivered their fire. The few regular troops of the 27th regiment under their Colonel (Paul) occupied, in column of sections of four, the small space between the road and the river, for the purpose of seizing the enemy's artillery, and some ten or twelve friendly Indians were directed to move under the bank. The crotchet formed by the front line and General Desha's division was an important point. At that place, the venerable Governor of Kentucky was posted, who at the age of sixty-three preserves all the vigor of youth, the ardent zeal which distinguished him in the revolutionary war, and the undaunted bravery which he manifested at King's mountain. With my Aid-de-camp, the acting assistant Adjutant-General, Captain Butler, my gallant friend Comniodore Perry, who did me the honor to serve as my volunteer Aid-de-camp, and Brigadier Gen

eral Cass, who having no command, tendered me his assistance, I placed myself at the head of the front line of infantry, to direct the movements of the cavalry, and give them the necessary support.― The army had moved on in this order but a short distance, when the mounted men received the fire of the British line and were ordered to charge; the horses in the front of the column recoiled from the fire; another was given by the enemy, and our column, at length getting in motion, broke through the enemy with irresistible force. In one minute, the contest in front was over; the British officers, seeing no hopes of reducing their disordered ranks to order, and our mounted men wheeling upon them and pouring in a destructive fire, immediately surrendered. It is certain that three only of our troops were wounded in this charge. Upon the left, however, the contest was more severe with the Indians. Colonel Johnson, who commanded on that flank of his regiment, received a most galling fire from them, which was returned with great effect. The Indians still further to the right advanced and fell in with our front line of infantry, near its junction with Desha's division, and for a moment made an impression upon it. His excellency, Governor Shelby, however brought up a regiment to its support, and the enemy receiving a severe fire in front, and a part of Johnson's regiment having gained their rear, retreated with precipitation. Their loss was very considerable in the action, and many were killed in their retreat.

I can give no satisfactory information of the number of Indians that were in the action, but they must have been considerably upwards of one thousand. From the documents in my possession, (General Proctor's official letters, all of which were taken) and from the information of respectable inhabitants of this territory, the Indians kept in pay by the British were much more numerous than has been generally supposed. In a letter to General de Rottenburg of the 27th instant, General Proctor, speaks of having prevailed upon most of the Indians to accompany him. Of these it is certain that fifty or sixty Wyandot warriors abandoned him.*

The number of our troops was certainly greater than that of the enemy, but when it is recollected, that they had chosen a position that effectually secured their flank, which it was impossible for us to turn, and that we could not present to them a line more extended than their own, it will not be considered arrogant to claim for my troops the palm of superior bravery.

In communicating to the president through you, sir, my opinion of the conduct of the officers who served under my command, I am at a loss how to mention that of Governor Shelby, being convinced that no eulogium of mine can reach his merit. The Governor of an independent State, greatly my superior in years, in experience and in military character, he placed himself under my command, and was not more remarkable for his zeal and activity, than for the promptitude and cheerfulness with which he obeyed my orders. The Major-Generals Henry and Desha, and the Brigadiers Allen, Caldwell, King, Chiles and Trotter, all of the Kentucky volunteers, manifested great

* A British officer of high rank assured one of my Aid-de camps, that on the day of our landing. General Proctor had at his disposal upwards of three thousand Indian warriors, but asserted that the greatest part had left him previous to the action.

zeal and activity. Of Governor Shelby's staff, his Adjutant-General, Colonel McDowell, and his Quarter-Master General Colonel Walker, rendered great service, as did his Aids-de-camp, General Adair and Majors Barry and Crittenden. The military skill of the former was of great service to us, and the activity of the two latter gentlemen could not be surpassed. Illness deprived me of the talents of my Adjutant-General, Colonel Gaines, who was left at Sandwich. His duties were however ably performed by the acting assistant AdjutantGeneral, Captain Butler. My Aids-de-camp, Lieutenant O'Fallon and Capt. C. S. Todd, of the line, and my volunteer aids, John Speed Smith and John Chambers, Esq. have rendered me the most important service from the opening of the campaign. I have already stated that General Cass and Commodore Perry assisted me in forming the troops for action. The former is an officer of the highest merit, and the appearance of the brave Commodore cheered and animated every breast.

It would be useless, sir, after stating the circumstances of the action, to pass encomiums upon Colonel Johnson and his regiment.— Veterans could not have manifested more firmness. The Colonel's numerous wounds prove that he was in the post of danger. Lieutenant-Colonel James Johnson and the Majors Payne and Thompson were equally active, though more fortunate. Major Wood of the engineers, already distinguished by his conduct at Fort Meigs, attended the army with two six pounders. Having no use for them in the action, he joined in the pursuit of the enemy, and with Major Payne of the mounted regiment, two of my Aids-de-camp, Todd and Chambers, and three privates, continued it for several miles after the rest of the troops halted, and made many prisoners.

I left the army before an official return of the prisoners, or that of the killed and wounded, was made out. It was however ascertained that the former amounts to six hundred and one regulars, including twenty-five officers. Our loss is seven killed and twenty-two wounded, five of which have since died. Of the British troops twelve were killed and twenty-two wounded. The Indians suffered most-thirtythree of them having been found upon the ground, besides those killed on the retreat.

On the day of the action, six pieces of brass artillery were taken, and two iron twenty-four pounders the day before. Several others were discovered in the river and can be easily procured. Of the brass pieces, three are the trophies of our revolutionary war that were taken at Saratoga and York, and surrendered by General Hull. The number of small arms taken by us and destroyed by the enemy must amount to upwards of five thousand; most of them had been ours and taken by the enemy at the surrender of Detroit, at the river Raisin and Colonel Dudley's defeat. I believe that the enemy retain no other military trophy of their victories than the standard of the fourth regiment. They were not magnanimous enough to bring that of the forty-first regiment into the field, or it would have been taken.

You have been informed, sir, of the conduct of the troops under my command in action; it gives me great pleasure to inform you, that they merit also the approbation of their country for their conduct, in submitting to the greatest privations with the utmost cheerful

ness.

The infantry were entirely without tents, and for several days, the whole army subsisted on fresh beef without bread or salt.

I have the honor to be, &c.

WILLIAM H. HARRISON.

LETTER FROM GOVERNOR SHELBY TO GENERAL HARRISON.

Frankfort, April 21, 1816.

DEAR GENERAL-Your letter of the 15th instant, has been duly received, in which you state that a charge has been made against you, "that you were forced to pursue Proctor from my remonstrances;" and that I had said to you upon that occasion, "that it was immaterial what direction you took, that I was resolved to pursue the enemy up the Thames." And you request me to give you a statement of facts, in relation to the council of war held at Sandwich.

I will, in the first place, freely declare, that no such language ever passed from me to you, and that I entertained throughout the campaign too high an opinion of your military talents, to doubt, for a moment, your capacity to conduct the army to the best advantage.

It is well recollected, that the army arrived at Sandwich in the afternoon of the 29th of September, and that the next day was extremely wet. I was at your quarters in the evening of that day; we had a conversation relative to the pursuit of the enemy; and you requested me to see you early next morning. I waited on you just after daybreak, found you up, apparently waiting for me. You led me into a small private room, and on the way observed, "we must not be heard." You were as anxious to pursue Proctor as I was; but might not have been entirely satisfied as to the route. You observed, that there were two ways by which he might be overtaken; one was down the lake by water, to some port or point (of the name of which I am now not positive,) thence to march across by land twelve miles to the road leading up the Thames, and intercept him-the other way by land, up the Strait and up the Thames. I felt satisfied by a pursuit on land that he could be overhauled, and expressed that opinion, with the reasons on which it was founded, and we readily agreed in sentiments; but you observed that as there were two routes by which he might be overtaken, to determine the one most proper, was a measure of great responsibility; that you would take the opinion of the General officers as to the most practicable one; and you requested me to collect them in one hour at your quarters. I assembled them accordingly, to whom you stated your determination to pursue Proctor, and your object in calling them together, and after explaining the two routes by which he might be overtaken, you observed, "that the Governor thinks, and so do I, that the pursuit by land up the Thames will be most effectual."

The General officers were in favor of a pursuit by land; and in the course of the day, Colonel Johnson, with his mounted regiment, was able to cross over from the Detroit side to join the chase. He might, however, have been ordered the day before during the rain, to cross over with his regiment, but of this I have not a distinct recollection. The army I know was on its march by sun-rise on the morning of the 2nd of October, and continued the pursuit (often in a run) until the evening of the 5th, when the enemy was overtaken. During the

whole of this long and arduous pursuit, no man could make greater exertions or use more vigilance than you did to overtake Proctor, whilst the skill and promptitude with which you arranged the troops for battle and the distinguished zeal and bravery you evinced during its continuance, merited and received my highest approbation.

In short, sir, from the time I joined you to the moment of our sepa ration, I believe that no commander ever did or could make greater exertions than you did, to effect the great objects of the campaign. I admired your plans and thought them executed with great energy: particularly your order of battle, and arrangements for landing on the Canada shore, were calculated to inspire every officer and man with a confidence that we could not be defeated by any thing like our own number.

Until after I had served the campaign of 1813, I was not aware of the difficulties you had to encounter as commander of the North-Western army. I have since often said, and still do believe, that the duties assigned to you on that occasion, were more arduous and difficult to accomplish, than any I had ever known confided to any commander; and with respect to the zeal and fidelity with which you executed that high and important trust, there are thousands in Kentucky, as well as myself, who believe it could not have been committed to better hands. With sentiments of the most sincere regard and esteem, I have the honor to be, with great respect, your obedient servant,

MAJ. GEN. WM. HENRY HARRISON.

ISAAC SHELBY.

DEATH OF TECUMSEH.

"It is proper to mention, that an account, variant from the one in the text, has been extensively circulated and believed. It is, that Tecumseh was killed by a private soldier by the name of King, in the company of Capt. James Davidson. Another purports that Col. Whitley killed him. In regard to the former account it is stated (in a communication requested by the author)" that wounded as he was the officer (my informant) accompanied David King, at his request, to a place where there lay an Indian chief, afterwards ascertained to be Tecumseh, killed, as King said, by himself. Before we came as near as seventy or eighty yards of the place, where the Indian was, he (King) pointed out the tree particularly, and the manner in which the savage had been shot. When we arrived at the tree we found every thing precisely as King had represented it; and then and there the tomahawk was taken by King." In this statement of an officer present in the battle, the principal deficiency of proof is, that the body of the Indian killed by King, is not identified to be that of Tecumseh. On this pivot must turn the force of the testimony. The proof of the identity of the Indian killed by Col. Johnson with Tecumseh is the declaration of Anthony Shane, himself an Indian, to Col. G. Wall on the evening of the same day, on which the battle was fought; the repetition of that declaration to the Rev. O. Brown of Washington city, and its continuation to Mr. Cummins within the last four years of his life. The second representation is confuted by Col. Davidson, who saw Col. Whitley kill