ii4 The Winning of the West 



Americans ; in killed they probably lost two or three 

 'times as many. Among the dead were white men 

 from Caldwell's company; and one white ranger 

 was captured. It was the most complete and im- 

 portant victory ever gained over the Northwestern 

 Indians during the forty years' warfare, to which 

 it put an end ; and it was the only considerable 

 pitched battle in which they lost more than 

 their foes. They suffered heavily among their 

 leaders; no less than eight Wyandot chiefs were 

 slain. 



From the fort the British had seen, with shame 

 and anger, the rout of their Indian allies. Their 

 commander wrote to Wayne to demand his inten- 

 tions ; Wayne responded that he thought; they were 

 made sufficiently evident by his successful battle 

 with the savages. The Englishman wrote in resent- 

 ment of this curt reply, complaining that Wayne's 

 soldiers had approached within pistol shot of the 

 fort, and threatening to fire upon them if the of- 

 fence were repeated. Wayne responded by summon- 

 ing him to abandon the fort; a summons which he 

 of course refused to heed. Wayne then gave orders 

 to destroy everything up to the very walls of the 

 fort, and his commands were carried out to the let- 

 ter; not only were the Indian villages burned and 

 their crops cut down, but all the houses and build- 

 ings of the British agents and traders, including 

 McKee's, were leveled to the ground. The British 

 commander did not dare to interfere or make good 

 his threats ; nor, on the other hand, did Wayne dare 



