WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN. 215 



command, Harrison had left the garrison, instead of obeying 

 his orders to assist with all his power, Wood, the engineer, 

 had done nothing, except to tell the men " they were not 

 obliged to labor!" He even burnt for firewood the timber 

 on hand intended for pickets! Harrison now learned from a 

 messenger from the River Raisin, that the enemy would leave 

 Maiden, on the 7th of April, to invest our fort with a large 

 force, well provided with all the munitions of war. 



THE SEIGE OP FORT MEIGS. 



Learning this fact, every effort was now made to complete the 

 defences of the fort, and prepare for the approaching attack. 

 The intervals of guard and fatigue duty, were employed in 

 practising the troops, and in performing military evolutions. 

 Information arrived, that Tecumseh had reached Maiden, 

 from the Wabash, with six hundred warriors. 



The savages began to hover around the fort, and on the 28th 

 the British army, appeared in Maumee Bay, ascending it in 

 many small vessels accompanied by a large number of open 

 boats. The Indians marched along upon the land, ascending 

 towards the garrison. 



Tecumseh, Walk-in-the-watbe and Splitlog commanded 

 three thousand savages ; and the British regulars and Canadi- 

 ans amounted to one thousand men. The whole force, was 

 commanded by the newly-made major general Proctor. 



Harrison was extremely anxious to send a messenger to 

 general Green Clay, who he knew must be not far off, by this 

 time, coming from Kentucky, and moving forward to strength- 

 en this post. Captain William Oliver of Cincinnati, offer- 

 ed his services as the messenger, whose services were gladly 

 accepted. Accompanied by one white man, and one Indian, 

 and escorted a short distance by eighty dragoons, Captain 

 Oliver made his way towards the object of his destination 

 with sure but rapid footsteps. 



We leave him and go back to the fort, and there find Har- 

 rison addressing all his command, duly assembled in martial 



