In the Current of the Revolution 127 



During 1779 the Indian war dragged on much 

 as usual. The only expedition of importance was 

 that undertaken in May by one hundred and sixty 

 Kentuckians, commanded by the county lieutenant, 

 John Bowman, 7 against the Indian town of Chilli- 

 cothe. Logan, Harrod, and other famous frontier 

 fighters went along. The town was surprised, sev- 

 eral cabins burned, and a number of horses cap- 

 tured. But the Indians rallied, and took refuge in 

 a central block-house and a number of strongly 

 built cabins surrounding it, from which they fairly 

 beat off the whites. They then followed to harass 

 the rear of their retreating foes, but were beaten 

 off in turn. Of the whites, nine were killed and 

 two or three wounded; the Indians' loss was two 

 killed and five or six wounded. 



The defeat caused intense mortification to the 



7 MS. "Notes on Kentucky," by George Bradford, who 

 went there in 1779; in the Durrett collection. Haldimand 

 MSS., Letter of Henry Bird, June 9, 1779. As this letter is 

 very important, and gives for the first time the Indian side, 

 I print it in the Appendix almost in full. The accounts of 

 course conflict somewhat ; chiefly as to the number of cabins 

 burnt from five to forty, and of horses captured from 

 thirty to three hundred. They agree in all essential points. 

 But as among the whites themselves there is one serious 

 question, Logan's admirers, and most Kentucky historians, 

 hold Bowman responsible for the defeat; but in reality (see 

 Butler, p. no) there seems strong reason to believe that it 

 was simply due to the unexpectedly strong resistance of the 

 Indians. Bird's letter shows, what the Kentuckians never 

 suspected, that the attack was a great benefit to them in 

 frightening the Indians and stopping a serious inroad. It 

 undoubtedly accomplished more than Clark's attack on Piqua 

 next year, for instance. 



