St. Clair and Wayne 405 



head into camp, proclaiming that it should at least 

 be worth the price of a wolf scalp. 



Next day was spent by the army in completing 

 the destruction of all the corn, the huts, and the be 

 longings of the Indians. A band of a dozen war 

 riors tried to harass one of the burning parties ; but 

 some of the mounted troops got on their flank, killed 

 two and drove the others off, they themselves suffer 

 ing no loss. 



The following day, the 2ist, the army took up the 

 line of march for Fort Washington, having de 

 stroyed six Indian towns and an immense quantity 

 of corn. But Hardin was very anxious to redeem 

 himself by trying another stroke at the Indians, who, 

 he rightly judged, would gather at their towns as 

 soon as the troops left. Harmar also wished to re 

 venge his losses, and to forestall any attempt of the 

 Indians to harass his shaken and retreating forces. 

 Accordingly that night he sent back against the 

 towns a detachment of four hundred men, sixty of 

 whom were regulars, and the rest picked militia. 

 They were commanded by Major Wyllys, of the 

 regulars. It was a capital mistake of Harmar's to 

 send off a mere detachment on such a business. He 

 should have taken a force composed of all his regu 

 lars and the best of the militia, and led it in person. 



The detachment marched soon after midnight, 

 and reached the Miami at daybreak on October 22d. 

 It was divided into three columns, which marched 

 a few hundred yards apart, and were supposed to 

 keep in touch with one another. The middle column 



