400 The Winning of the West 



ders were committed every day in Kentucky, or 

 along- the Wabash and Ohio. Writing to the Sec 

 retary of War, a prominent Kentuckian, well know 

 ing all the facts, estimated that during the seven 

 years which had elapsed since the close of the Revo-" 

 lutionary War the Indians had slain fifteen hundred 

 people in Kentucky itself, or on the immigrant routes 

 leading thither, and had stolen twenty thousand 

 horses, besides destroying immense quantities of 

 other property. 28 The Federal generals were also 

 urgent in asserting the folly of carrying on a merely 

 defensive war against such foes. All the efforts of 

 the Federal authorities to make treaties with the 

 Indians and persuade them to be peaceful had failed. 

 The Indians themselves had renewed hostilities, and 

 the different tribes had one by one joined in the war, 

 behaving with a treachery only equaled by their fe 

 rocity. With great reluctance the National Gov 

 ernment concluded that an effort to chastise the hos 

 tile savages could no longer be delayed; and those 

 on the Maumee, or Miami of the Lakes, and on the 

 Wabash, whose guilt had been peculiarly heinous, 

 were singled out as the objects of attack. 



The expedition against the Wabash towns was 

 led by the Federal commander at Vincennes, Major 

 Hamtranck. No resistance was encountered; and 

 after burning a few villages of bark huts and de 

 stroying some corn he returned to Vincennes. 



The main expedition was that against the Miami 



S8 American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. I. Innes to 

 Sec. of War, July 7, 1790. 



