66 The Winning of the West 



abandoning the wounded. The broad road by which 

 the army had advanced was the only line of retreat. 

 The artillery had already been spiked and abandoned. 

 Most of the horses had been killed, but a few were 

 still left, and on one of these St. Clair mounted. He 

 gathered together those fragments of the different 

 battalions which contained the few men who still 

 kept heart and head, and ordered them to charge 

 and regain the road from which the savages had cut 

 them off. Repeated orders were necessary before 

 some of the men could be roused from their stupor 

 sufficiently to follow the charging party; and they 

 Jwere only induced to move when told that it was to 

 retreat. 



Colonel Darke and a few officers placed them- 

 selves at the head of the column, the coolest and 

 boldest men drew up behind them, and they fell on 

 the Indians with such fury as to force them back 

 well beyond the road. This made an opening 

 through which, said Van Cleve the packer, the rest 

 of the troops "pressed like a drove of bullocks." 

 The Indians were surprised by the vigor of the 

 charge, and puzzled as to its object. They opened 

 out on both sides and half the men had gone through 

 before they fired more than a chance shot or two. 

 They then fell on the rear, and began a hot pursuit. 

 St. Clair sent his aid, Denny, to the front to try 

 to keep order, but neither he nor any one else could 

 check the flight. Major Clark tried to rally his 

 battalion to cover the retreat, but he was killed and 

 the effort abandoned. 



