[CRUIKSHANK] HARRISON AND PROCTER 149 
would be compelled to make strong detachments to escort his trains. 
His former experience of Indian warfare had taught him that it would 
be unsafe to send a detachment either to the front or rear which was 
. not strong enough to repel the enemy’s whole force. One third of his 
troops had already become ineffective from exposure and disease. A 
fine body of recruits from Ohio and Kentucky, composing the 17th 
and 19th regiments of United States Infantry had been nearly destroyed 
through want of proper clothing. A suspension of hostilities might 
become inevitable, and he reminded the Secretary that General Wayne 
after an entire summer spent in preparation, had been unable to advance 
more than seventy miles from the Ohio River, when he went into win- 
ter quarters, by Washington’s advice.' 
Having put his right wing in motion, he had returned to Frank- 
linton with the intention of urging forward the centre column, which 
seemed inert and demoralized since Tupper’s return from the Miami. 
Lack of direct lateral communications seriously imperilled the success 
of his arrangements. 
On December 20 the weather turned so cold that the Miami was 
frozen, thus putting an end to Winchester’s expectations of being able 
to advance by water. Since the 10th he had been entirely without 
flour, and his men had been subsisting upon lean beef, fresh pork and 
hickory roots. His supply of salt had long since been exhausted. 
Many men were suffering acutely from want of shoes and winter cloth- 
ing. Probably one hundred had died from disease, and the sight of 
the sufferings of between three and four hundred sick made the camp 
“a loathsome place’? His effective force had been thus reduced to 
less than sixteen hundred of all ranks. Two days later a good supply 
of flour, salt, and woollen clothing arrived. With undaunted resolution 
Winchester began building sleds and ordered forward the effective men 
of Jennings’ regiment from the posts in rear to enable him to resume 
his advance. While thus employed he received Harrison’s letter of 
the 18th, which had been brought through the woods from Sandusky 
by an officer conducted by Indian guides. In a week each company 
was provided with three sleds which might be drawn by one horse or 
three men. On December 29, one regiment was sent forward six miles, 
followed next day by the remainder of the effective men in camp. A 
despatch was sent to Harrison by the roundabout route of Hull’s road, 
which, owing to stormy weather, did not reach him at Upper Sandusky 
until January 11th. As some of his sleds were drawn by hand, Win- 
chester’s progress was slow, seldom exceeding six miles in a day, and 

‘ Harrison to the Secretary of War, 4th and 8th January, 1813; McAfee, 192-9; 
Dawson, 342. 
* Darnell, Journal; Atherton; McAfee, 183-4. 
