St. Clair and Wayne 95 



tucky, but in one or two cases striking through the 

 woods to Detroit. The bands of auxiliary militia 

 that served now and then for short periods with the 

 regulars, were of course much less well trained and 

 less dependable. 



The Indians were always lurking about the forts, 

 and threatening the convoys of provisions and mu- 

 nitions as they marched slowly from one to the 

 other. Any party that left a fort was in imminent 

 danger. On one occasion the commander of Fort 

 Jefferson and his orderly were killed and scalped 

 but three hundred yards from the fort. A previous 

 commander of this fort while hunting in this neigh- 

 borhood had been attacked in similar fashion, and 

 though he escaped, his son and a soldier were slain. 

 On another occasion a dozen men, near the same 

 fort, were surprised while haying; four were killed 

 and the other eight captured, four of whom were 

 burned at the stake. 24 Before Wayne moved down 

 the Ohio a band of Kentucky mounted riflemen, 

 under Major John Adair, were attacked under the 

 walls of one of the log forts Fort St. Clair 

 as they were convoying a large number of pack- 

 horses. The riflemen were in camp at the time, 

 the Indians making the assault at dawn. Most of 

 the horses were driven off or killed, and the men 

 fled to the fort, which, Adair dryly remarked, 

 proved "a place of safety for the bashful" ; but 

 he rallied fifty, who drove off the Indians, killing 



94 Bradley MSS., Journal, entries of Feb. n, Feb. 24, June 

 24, July 12, 1792. 



