198 HISTORY OF OHIO. 



ordered Tupper to send out a larger force, but, the troops with 

 their half starved horses, and without a sufficiency of ammuni- 

 tion, refused to go. Winchester, in a rage, ordered Tupper him- 

 self to go with all his mounted men. Obeying this order, as 

 he was just about to march, a Kentucky officer, came to him 

 and offered to join the party, in any situation, which Tupper 

 should assign him. Tupper appointed him, his aid, but, soon 

 afterwards, taking Tupper aside, he showed him Winchester's 

 orders, appointing this Kentuckian, to command the reconoitcr- 

 ing party! This conduct so irritated Tupper and his troops, 

 that they applied to the commander-in-chief to be allowed to 

 serve under him. This was sometime afterwards, as soon as Gen- 

 eral Harrison had assumed the command of all the Northwestern 

 army. Tupper moved down the Maumee near to the lower end 

 of the rapids, where they usually cro.ssed, at a fording place. 

 The Indians in large numbers showed themselves, on the side 

 of the river opposite Tupper's camp. He attempted to cross 

 the river with his troops in the night. The current was rapid, 

 his horses and men were feeble, being half starved, and the 

 rocky bottom was slippery. The current swept away some of 

 the horses and infantry into the deep water. Seeing this, dis- 

 heartened those who were left behind on the eastern bank of 

 the river so that only a small number of men crossed over the 

 Maumee. Those who had crossed, had wetted their airmiuni- 

 tion, and finally all returned back into their camp before day. 

 The Indians were hovering about the camp, and a few were 

 killed on both sides. 



Finally, all the British Indians, along the river, anywhere 

 near by, collected all their forces, and attacked Tupper and 

 his troops on all sides. The enemy had, from one thousand to 

 twelve hundred men, whereas, from sickness, and various casu- 

 alties, our force, amounted to only about eight hundred men, 

 and they were badly supplied with provisions and ammunition. 

 However, they fought bravely, drove off the enemy, and killed 

 and wounded a large number of his warriors. Their own loss 

 was trifling, losing only twenty or thirty in all, in the action. 



The enemy acknowledged the loss of upwards of fifty kill- 



