98 The Winning of the West 



a smart skirmish put the savages to flight. They 

 left behind one of their number dead, two wounded, 

 and seven rifles; Clark lost two men killed and two 

 wounded. 29 



On the last day of June a determined assault was 

 made by the Indians on Fort Recovery, which was 

 garrisoned by about two hundred men. Thanks 

 to the efforts of the British agents, and of the runners 

 from the allied tribes of the Lower Lakes, the Chip- 

 pewas and all the tribes of the Upper Lakes had 

 taken the tomahawk, and in June they gathered at 

 the Miami. Over two thousand warriors, all told, 30 

 assembled; a larger body than had ever before 

 marched against the Americans. 31 They were eager 

 for war, and wished to make a stroke of note against 

 their foes; and they resolved to try to carry Fort 

 Recovery, built on the scene of their victory over 

 St. Clair. They streamed down through the woods 

 in long columns, and silently neared the fort. With 



29 Do. Also Canadian Archives, Duggan to Chew, May 30, 

 1794. As an instance of the utter untrustworthiness of these 

 Indian or British accounts of the American losses, it may be 

 mentioned that Duggan says the Indians brought off forty 

 scalps, and killed an unknown number of Americans in addi- 

 tion ; whereas in reality only two were slain. Even Duggan 

 admits that the Indians were beaten off. 



30 Canadian Archives, McKee to Chew, July 7, 1794. 



31 Am. State Papers, IV, 488, Wayne to the Secretary of 

 War, 1794. 



He says they probably numbered from 1500 to 2000 men, 

 which was apparently about the truth. Throughout this 

 campaign the estimate of the Americans as to the Indian 

 forces and losses were usually close to the facts, and were 

 often under rather than over statements. 



