70 THE BATTLE OE BUSHY RUN. [1763, Aug. 



had abandoned the siege, and marched to attack 

 him. From this time, the garrison had seen noth- 

 ing of them until the morning of the tenth, when, 

 shortly before the army appeared, they had passed 

 the fort in a body, raising the scalp-yell, and dis- 

 playing their disgusting trophies to the view of the 

 English.^ 



The battle of Bushy Run was one of the best 

 contested actions ever fought between white men 

 and Indians. If there was any disparity of num- 

 bers, the advantage was on the side of the troops ; 



1 Extract from a Letter — Fort Pitt, August 12 (Penn. Gaz. No. 1810) : 

 " As you will probably have the Accounts of these Engagements from 

 the Gentlemen that were in them, I shall say no more than this, that it 

 is the general Opinion, the Troops behaved with the utmost Intrepidity, 

 and the Indians were never known to behave so fiercely. You may be 

 sure the Sight of the Troops was very agreeable to our poor Garrison, 

 being penned up in the Fort from the 27th of May to the 9th Instant, and 

 the Barrack Rooms crammed with Men, Women, and Children, tho' provi- 

 dentially no other Disorder ensued than the Small-pox. — From the 16th 

 of June to the 28th of July, we were pestered with the Enemy ; sometimes 

 with their Flags, demanding Conferences ; at other Times threatening, 

 then soothing, -and offering their Cordial Advice, for us to evacuate the 

 Place ; for that they, the Delawares, tho' our dear Friends and Brothers, 

 could no longer protect us from the Fury of Legions of other Nations, 

 that were coming from the Lakes, &c., to destroy us. But, finding that 

 neitlier had any Effect on us, they mustered their whole force, in Num- 

 ber about 400, and began a most furious Fire from all Quarters on the 

 Fort, which they continued for four Days, and great Part of the Nights, 

 viz., from the 28th of July to the last. — Our Commander was wounded 

 by an Arrow in the Leg, and no other Person, of any Note, hurt, tho' the 

 Balls were whistling very thick about our Ears. Nine Eank and File 

 wounded, and one Hulings having his Leg broke, was the whole of our 

 Loss during this hot Firing; tho' we have Reason to think that we killed 

 several of our loving Brethren, notwithstanding their Alertness in skulk- 

 ing behind the Banks of the Rivers, &c. — These Gentry, seeing they 

 could not take the Fort, sheered off, and we heard no more of them till 

 the Account of the above Engagements came to hand, when we were 

 convinced that our good Brothers did us this second Act of Friendship. — 

 What they intend next, God knows, but am afraid they will disperse in 

 small Parties, among the Inhabitants, if not well defended." 



