ii2 The Winning of the West 



bell, 42 was killed; the other, Captain Van Rens- 

 selaer, a representative of one of the old Knicker- 

 bocker families of New York, who had joined the 

 army from pure love of adventure, was wounded. 

 The command devolved on Lieutenant Covington, 

 who led forward the troopers, with Lieutenant Webb 

 alongside him ; and the dragoons burst among the 

 savages at full speed, and routed them in a moment. 

 Covington cut down two of the Indians with his own 

 hand, and Webb one. 



At the same time the first line of the infantry 

 charged with equal impetuosity and success. The 

 Indians delivered one volley and were then roused 

 from their hiding places with the bayonet; as they 

 fled they were shot down, and if they attempted to 

 halt they were at once assailed and again driven 

 with the bayonet. Theyvcould make no stand at all, 

 and the battle was won with ease. So complete was 

 the success that only the first line of regulars was 

 able to take part in the fighting ; the second line, and 

 Scott's horse-riflemen, on the left, in spite of their 

 exertions were unable to reach the battle-field until 

 the Indians were driven from it; "there not being 

 a sufficiency of the enemy for the Legion to play 

 on," wrote Clark. The entire action lasted under 

 forty minutes. 43 Less than a thousand of the Amer- 

 icans were actually engaged. They pursued the 

 beaten and fleeing Indians for two miles, the cavalry 

 halting only when under the walls of the British fort. 



42 A curious name, but so given in all the reports. 



43 Bradley MSS., entry in the journal for August 2oth. 



