The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 139 



amis, and many others; and they had as allies all 

 the fiercest and most adventurous of the tribes fur 

 ther off, the Chippewas, the Winnebagos, the Sacs 

 and Foxes. On the side of the whites the war was 

 still urged by irregular levies of armed frontiers 

 men. The Federal garrisons on the Ohio were as 

 yet too few and feeble to be of much account; 

 and in the South, where the conflict was against 

 Creek and Cherokee, there were no regular troops 

 whatever. 



The struggle was at first one of aggression on 

 the part of the Northwestern Indians. They were 

 angered and alarmed at the surveyors and the few 

 reckless would-be settlers, who had penetrated their 

 country; but there was no serious encroachment on 

 their lands, and Congress for some time forbade any 

 expedition being carried on against them in their 

 home. They themselves made no one formidable 

 attack, sent no one overmastering force against the 

 whites. But bands of young braves from all the 

 tribes began to cross the Ohio and ravage the set 

 tlements, from the Pennsylvania frontier to Ken 

 tucky. They stole horses, burned houses, and killed 

 or carried into a dreadful captivity men, women, 

 and children. The inroads were as usual marked 

 by stealth, rapine, and horrible cruelty. It is hard 

 for those accustomed only to treat of civilized 

 warfare to realize the intolerable nature of 

 these ravages the fact that the loss and dam 

 age to the whites was out of all proportion to the 

 strength of the Indian war parties, and the extreme 



