256 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
his men, all of them being mounted. Van Ilorne marched that day 
as far as the Rivière aux Ecorces, a distance of eleven miles, and 
bivouacked. Trails in the grass next morning indicated that their 
encampment had been reconnoitred by Indians during the night. The 
weather was fair and clear, but a heavy fog hung over thte river, which 
prevented objects from being seen upon it, although the sound of oars 
could be distinctly heard. The march was resumed at an early hour 
with the mounted rangers riding some distance in advance. On pass- 
ing through the small Indian village at Maguaga it was found to be 
entirely deserted by its inhabitants and the houses emptied of their con- 
tents. Some distance further on, the road forked at a place known 
as the Big Apple Tree, where there was a field of well grown corn in 
the fork. Here the rangers separated, Captain McCullough and a 
negro taking the road on the left which led down near the river, while 
the remainder, followed by the advance guard and main body, advanced 
along the other. ‘A few minutes later several shots were heard, and a 
party of Indians rushing from the high corn ran across the road between 
the main body and rear guard firing upon them as they went, and 
escaped into the woods. When the column recovered from the con- 
fusion caused by this incident, it was discovered that McCullough and 
his companion had both been killed and that the former had been scalped. 
The bodies were removed to a house in the village, where they were 
concealed. While this was being done the column came to a halt and 
was overtaken by a detachment of cavalry escorting the mail from 
Detroit, accompanied by some mounted civilians on their way to the 
River Raisin, and a French inhabitant informed them that a body 
of Indians was lying in ambush at Brownstown. A new formation was 
then adopted, in two parallel columns, each headed by three horsemen 
marching in file about one hundred yards apart, leaving the road clear 
for the mail and packhorses carrying supplies. The advance guard was 
composed of twenty-four riflemen under Ensign Roby. Two com- 
panies of riflemen and four of infantry formed the main body, and 
another company of infantry and the remainder of the cavalry followed 
in the rear. In this order they moved forward very slowly and cau- 
tiously for four or five miles. Van Horne had been advised to take 
a by-road on the right and thus avoid passing through the village of 
Brownstown, but failed to obtain any information that would justify 
him in leaving a well-known route! Meanwhile, Tecumseh and Elliott 
with forty Shawnee and Ottawa warriors lay in wait for them at the 
crossing of a miry creek near the village of Brownstown. Here the 
road followed the left bank of the creek for some distance before reach- 
1 Lucas, Journal, pp. 394-8; Walker’s Journal, p. 58. 
