WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN. 217 



den this defence from the enemy's view, were by order of the 

 General, all removed within fifteen minutes, behind it, leaving 

 the mere bank of earth, for the enemy to open bis batteries 

 upon. John Bull, however, was determined to fire away his 

 ammunition from these batteries of his, at our fort ; so he fired 

 away during about three days in succession, to no effect 

 upon us. 



Presuming that the enemy would change his position of at- 

 tack to the east side of- the river where he could do us some 

 real injury, our people had prepared such a defence. On the 

 morning of the 3d of May, the enemy opened upon our fort, 

 such a battery, on which he had mounted three pieces of can- 

 non and a howitzer. They were placed on our left up a ravine 

 in some bushes. A few eighteen pound shot drove off this 

 force, and totally silenced their guns, for a while at least. 



On the 4th it rained hard all day. A new battery was dis- 

 covered, though, on the east side of the Maumee. A traverse 

 was instantly made to defend our fort from its artillery. Sev- 

 eral men were killed and wounded, on both sides. A British 

 officer was killed with a rifle ball by'lieutenant Gwynne. The 

 Pittsburgh and Petersburgh volunteers now reduced by death 

 to about one hundred men, were the only disposable force in 

 the garrison; so large were the works, compared with the 

 troops in the fort. These were reserved for any sudden emer- 

 gency, and lay in the centre of the garrison near the General. 

 About midnight, the officer of the day informed the General 

 that some persons were at the gate who wished to see him. 

 Harrison arose and going to the sallying port on the river, 

 there found major Trimble of Kentucky, captain William Ol- 

 iver of Ohio and several privates. They were received with 

 great joy. They had descended the river in a skiff and had 

 left general Clay at the head of the rapids. He wa.s moving 

 downwards in his open boats, and would be at the fort between 

 three and four o'clock in the morning. This was the report of 

 captain Oliver, the safely returned messenger, who had so 

 cheerfully volunteered his services on this occasion. 

 28 



