[CRUIKSHANK] HARRISON AND PROCTER 125 
sufficient provisions for two days’ consumption although his whole force 
had been put upon short allowance several days before. A party had 
been sent back to the rapids to procure cattle but had not yet returned. 
Next morning one hundred and fifty more Indians came up, increasing 
his force to more than a thousand men but at the same time adding to 
his embarrassment in providing food. Concluding that the approach of 
so large a force indicated an immediate intention to advance upon 
Detroit or Amherstburg, Muir sent off a despatch to warn Procter and 
boldly determined to attack Winchester on his line of march if he gave 
him an opportunity. Captain Caldwell and Lieut. Askin went forward 
to reconnoitre with sixty militia and Indians. They returned after 
a brisk skirmish in which they lost two men and reported that the 
enemy’s advanced party was already within two miles. The guns were 
placed in a position to command the approaches to the ford and by which 
the Americans must cross the river, with the regulars and militia in sup- 
port; but the Indians positively refused to fight at that place and Muir 
was obliged to retire to his boats. The guns and stores were embarked 
and sent away in charge of Lieut. Troughton. Muir then went to the 
Indian camp where a council of the chiefs was assembled to decide 
upon their future course. He was soon informed that they had deter- 
mined to fight in the morning at some advantageous spot. An hour 
before daylight to his great surprise he received a message from Colonel 
Elliott stating that their soothsayers had been busy conjuring all night 
and in consequence the Mackinac and Saginaw Indians were preparing 
to return home at once. Assuming that he had then no alternative to 
an immediate retreat, Muir gave orders for his baggage and cattle to 
be sent off. Shortly afterwards he received a second message from 
Elliott informing him that the Indians had changed their minds and were 
determined to fight. On marching his troops to their encampment he 
found that they were not yet ready to move, but that small parties 
were going off in every direction. The chief of the Mackinac Indians 
came to take leave of him saying that as the Indians could not agree 
among themselves he would take his young men home; but he was willing 
that those who had horses should remain if they chose, as they could 
easily escape in case of a defeat. He then went away followed by most 
of hisband. Muir observed to some of the interpreters that the number 
of Indians that remained seemed very small. Overhearing this a young 
Huron exclaimed that there would not be half as many by the time 
they reached the ground they had selected to fight on, which lay in the 
fork of the river about three miles above Fort Defiance where both their 
flanks would be protected by branches of the Miami. The movement 
was begun and Muir rode forward with Elliott to examine this position. 
On their return a prisoner was brought in who gave his name as 
