HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
excited them to take up arms; un- 
willing to act aggressively, in so 
dubious a case, he proposed a nego- 
‘tiation for peace; but his offers 
were rejected. He now saw him. 
self constrained either to make a 
retreat, or to engage an enemy, 
whose strength was doubie to his 
own; confiding, however, in the 
bravery and experience of his peos 
ple, he resolved not only to stand 
his ground, but to proceed to an 
immediate attack. ‘The position of 
the Indians, and their auxiliaries, 
was strong and well chosen, and 
they did not imagine that he would 
venture to assail them with an in. 
ferior force: this he did, however, 
with such impetuosity, and so much 
judgment, that they were entirely 
‘defeated, and forced to disperse in 
“several directions. 
So complete a success, obtained 
under the guns of a British fort, oc- 
-casioned its commanding-officer to 
expostulate with the American ge. 
neral, for having made so near an 
approach, and to warn him against 
any att of hostility ; as no war ex- 
isted between Great Britain and the 
United States. The general re. 
plied, that he had of right expelled 
an enemy from the territory of the 
states ; but that an aét of hostility 
had been committed by the British 
_troops, in re-occupying the fort of 
which they were in possession, as it 
stood confessedly on ground belong. - 
ing to the states ; he required him, 
o 
- 
SF. cot 
~ Vou. XXXVI, 
[145 
for that reason, toevacuateit, and 
retire within the British boundaries. 
The answer to this; which was no 
other than a summons to surrender 
the fort, purported, that being com- 
missioned to occupy it, by superior 
authority, he could not deliver it 
up; expressing at the same time, 
his hope of an amicable settlement 
of the matter, by their respective 
governments. 
Such was the substance of the let. 
ters that passed on this occasion, be» 
tween major Campbell, commander 
in the fort, and general Wayne. 
The latter was too prudent to in- 
sist on a compliance with his tes 
quisition from the British officer, 
which might have produced cons 
sequences of a very fatal nature; 
he therefore withdrew; leaving the 
termination of this difference to a 
more friendly mode of decision.. It 
was, however, shrewdly suspeéted, 
from a variety ofcircumstances, that 
inimical designs were in agitation ; 
if not by the immediate dire¢tion 
of the British administration, still 
through the interference of its agents 
among the Indian tribes. Much 
was said and written on this sub. 
je@t by the American ministry, and 
the British resident; but it was 
not finally settled till the next year, 
when a formal embassy was sent 
from America to Great Britain, for 
that purpose, as well as others of 
equal importance. 
{L] CHAP. 
