St. Clair and Wayne 59 



them save the incessant rattle of their fire, as they 

 crept from log to log, from tree to tree, ever closer 

 and closer. The soldiers stood in close order, in the 

 open; their musketry and artillery fire made a tre- 

 mendous noise, but did little damage to a foe they 

 could hardly see. Now and then through the hang- 

 ing smoke terrible figures flitted, painted black and 

 red, the feathers of the hawk and eagle braided in 

 their long scalp-locks; but save for these glimpses, 

 the soldiers knew the presence of their sombre 

 enemy only from the fearful rapidity with which 

 their comrades fell dead and wounded in the ranks. 

 They never even knew the numbers or leaders of the 

 Indians. At the time it was supposed that they out- 

 numbered the whites ; but it is probable that the re- 

 verse was the case, and it may even be that they were 

 not more than half as numerous. It is said that the 

 chief who led them, both in council and battle, was 

 Little Turtle, the Miami. At any rate, there were 

 present all the chiefs and picked warriors of the 

 Delawares, Shawnees, Wyandots, and Miamis, and 

 all the most reckless and adventurous young braves 

 from among the Iroquois and the Indians of the 

 Upper Lakes, as well as many of the ferocious 

 whites and half-breeds who dwelt in the Indian vil- 

 lages. 



The Indians fought with the utmost boldness 

 and ferocity, and with the utmost skill and caution. 

 Under cover of the smoke of the heavy but harmless 

 fire from the army they came up so close that they 

 shot the troops down as hunters slaughter a herd of 



