War with the Western Indians
The settlement of the valley of the Ohio, and of the adjacent regions north and south, steadily continued in the period succeeding the Revolution, the hardy frontiersmen pushing back the aborigines step by step, and daring all the terrors of savage reprisal in their unflinching advance. The assault on the fort at Boonsborough was succeeded by other actions, in several of which the Indians were victorious. On August 18, 1782, the whites suffered a bloody repulse at a point on the Licking River near the Blue Licks. Boone took part in this battle. Soon after, General Clark defeated the victorious savages, and burned their towns. From this time till 1790 the Indians continued hostile, and committed such ravages that General Harmer was sent, in the latter year, to punish them. The result was disastrous. Two actions took place, in both of which he was defeated, with severe loss in killed and wounded. Of the succeeding events we select a description from Steward's "History of America," more generally known, from an edition of it having been published by Henry Trumbull, as Trumbull's "History of the Indian Wars."
IN the fall of 1791, General St. Clair took command of the Western army, and marched against the Indians, who had assembled in great force on the Miami River. He met with a total defeat. The particulars of the fight, which was very sanguinary, will be given in his own words, which is taken from his letter to the Secretary of War:
"Yesterday, the remains of the army under my command got back to this place [Fort Washington]; and I have now the painful task to give an account of as warm and as unfortunate an action as almost any that has been fought, as every corps was engaged and worsted, except the First Regiment; this had been detached upon a service that I had the honor to inform you of in my last despatch, and had not joined me.
"On the 3d instant, the army had reached a creek about twelve yards wide, running to the southward of west, which I believed to have been the river St. Mary, that empties into the Miami of the lake; arrived at the village about four o'clock in the afternoon, having marched near nine miles, and were immediately encamped upon a very commanding piece of ground, in two lines, having the above-mentioned creek in front. The right wing, composed of Butler, Clark, and Patterson's battalions, commanded by Major-General Butler, formed the first line; and the left wing, consisting of Bedinger and Gaither's battalions, and the Second Regiment, commanded by Colonel Drake, formed the second line; with an interval between them of about seventy yards, which was all the ground would allow.
"The right flank was pretty well secured by the creek, a steep bank, and Faulkener's corps. Some of the cavalry, and their pickets, covered the left flank. The militia were sent over the creek, and advanced about a quarter of a mile, and encamped in the same order.
"There were a few Indians who appeared on the opposite side of the creek, but fled with the utmost precipitation on the advance of the militia. At this place, which I judged to be about fifteen miles from the Miami village, I had determined to throw up a slight work, the plan of which was concerted that evening with Major Ferguson, wherein to have deposited the men's knapascks, and everything else that was not of absolute necessity, and to have moved on to attack the enemy as soon as the First Regiment came up; but they did not permit me to execute either, for on the 4th, about half an hour before sunrise, and when the men had just been dismissed from parade (for it was a constant practice to have them all under arms a considerable time before daylight), an attack was made upon the militia, who gave way in a very little time, and rushed into camp through Major Butler's battalion, which, together with part of Clark's, they threw into considerable disorder, and which, notwithstanding the exertions of both these officers, was never altogether remedied. The Indians followed close at their heels; the fire, however, of the front line checked them, but almost instantaneously a very heavy attack began upon that line, and in a few minutes it was extended to the second likewise. The great weight of it was directed against the centre of each, where the artillery was placed, and from which the men were repeatedly driven with great slaughter. Finding no great effect from the fire, and a confusion beginning to spread from the great number of the men who were falling in all quarters, it became necessary to try what could be done with the bayonet.
"Lieutenant Drake was accordingly ordered to charge with a part of the second line, and to turn the left flank of the enemy. This was executed with great spirit, and at first promised much success. The Indians instantly gave way, and were driven back three or four hundred yards; but, for want of a sufficient number of riflemen to pursue this advantage, they soon returned, and the troops were obliged to give back in their turn. At this moment they had entered our camp by the left flank, having pursued the troops that were posted there.