ed; one hundred and fifty wounded. It is highly probable that their loss was at least, three hundred. Our troops were all sharpshooters, and real backwoodsmen, who were well accustomed to the use of the rifle, in the woods, where they dwelt, when at home. The fate of the enemy would have been much more disastrous, had not our new recruits, half starved, as they were, while pursuing the flying enemy fallen in with a drove of fat hogs, in a corn field. Leaving the pursuit of the enemy, they killed many hogs, until attacked by the Indians, and losing four men killed, they turned on the enemy, and drove him over the river. The British returned to Detroit, and our troops returned to fort McArthur.

MISSISINEWAY EXPEDITION.

On the 25th of November 1812, General Harrison ordered a detachment of six hundred men, mostly mounted, to march from the head quarters, at Franklinton, to attack and destroy the Indian towns, on the Missisineway river, one of the head waters of the Wabash river. The expedition consisted of Simeral's regiment, of Kentucky volunteer dragoons of six months men; Major James V. Ball's squadron of United States dragoons; Captain Elliot's company of the 19th regiment of infan. try; a small company of volunteer riflemen, from about Greensburg, Pennsylvania, commanded by Captain Alexander; the Pittsburgh Blues, volunteer light infantry, commanded by Captain James Butler; Captain Markley's troop of horse, from Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania; Lieutenant Lee's detatchment of Michigan militia; and Captain Garrard's troop of horse, from Lexington, Kentucky. All these troops amounted to six hundred men, who were mounted; and they were commanded, by Lieutenant Colonel John B. Campbell, of the United States 19th regiment, and James V. Ball, a Major of the United States dragoons. Marching from Franklinton, this expedition passed through Xenia to Dayton, where they were delayed some days, before they could procure the horses necessary for them in addition to those they had already. They

here drew their provisions for ten days, which they carried along with them through the forests, in their route. They here too, drew each man an axe, which being made of cast iron, or pot mettle, in some eastern state, broke into many fragments, as soon as used, by the soldiers, in the Indian country. Haying drawn their horses, axes and provisions, for ten days, they marched from Dayton, and passing near where Greenville now is they finally reached the Missisineway. This stream they followed downwards. Having arrived within twenty miles of the Indian town, located highest on the stream, Colonel Campbell, called a council of war, to ask the advice of his officers, what line of conduct it was best for the expedition, now to pursue? This was on the evening of the third day from Greenville. Their advice was, to march all that night, and take the enemy by surprise. The march continued all night, and, had not some Kentuckian given an Indian yell, when the Indian village was entered very early in the next morning, the enemy would have been taken by surprise. As it was, however, eight warriors were killed, and forty two, men, women and children were taken prisoners. This, was the first of a succession of villages.

Monceytown, in Delaware county, Indiana, is near the place, where this, then, Indian town was. Pressing forward, they destroyed three other Indian towns lower down the river and returned to the site of the first destroyed town. They had lost only a few men, and had killed many of the enemy, and had taken forty or fifty prisoners. On this spot, where the first town had been destroyed, early on the morning of the 18th of December, they were attacked by several hundred Indians. The dragoons met the enemy, and dislodged his warriors, from the covert, where he had assailed them, in the edge of a forest, behind some old fallen timbers. Driving him from his position, our troops killed many Indians, and drove off his forces into the woods. Forty dead bodies of the enemy were found, on the battle ground, the remainder were carried off by him. We lost twelve killed and about three times that number were wound

ed. Our dragoons lost a large number of horses, which the enemy shot, in the battle.

The objects of the expedition, having been accomplished, the troops returned, by easy marches, to New Lexington, where leaving the wounded, Campbell returned without molestation. from the enemy, to Greenville, where he arrived on the evening of the 24th of December 1812. The roads were in as horrible a condition as frost, snow, mud and ice could make them, as the weather changed from the time of the commencement to the completion of the expedition. Their horses were almost starved, the soldiers were one and all, more or less frost bitten, so far as their noses, ears and toes were concerned, in the process. They were badly supplied with provisions and even ammunition was wanting. The expedition returned early in January.

In this expedition, among the killed, at Monceytown, was the brave Captain Pierce of Zanesville, who fought bravely and fell on the morning of the 18th of December. Lieutenant Waltz was also slain. He belonged to Markley's troop of cavalry. These officers were deeply lamented, by all who knew them. They had given evidence of capacity, as well as prudence and valor.

This expedition was commenced and carried on during the same time, that Bonaparte, was retreating from Moscow. The weather was so severe in Ohio and Indiana, when our troops were on their return, that they suffered severely. Not toes and ears only, were frost bitten, but the very soles of the soldiers' feet suffered. Not less than one hundred and eighty men, of this expedition, were thus frost bitten. We had forgotten, inadvertantly, to mention the wounded, they were, captain Trotter, lieutenants, Hedges, Basey and Hickman.

The object, of this expedition, was to prevent the enemy from having a place of safety, from whence, he could issue, and interrupt the intercourse between our settlements and Fort Wayne, then occupied by our troops. It was to drive him farther off on to the St. Joseph's of Michigan, so that he could

not waylay our parties, as they were passing and repassing, between our settlements and troops, then concentrating on the Maumee river. These, in short, were the reasons, (and very sound ones, too,) which General Harrison assigned in his letter to the secretary of war, dated 15th November 1812, for sending out this expedition. The result answered his expectations in full.

ry

Having determined on a winter's campaign, for the recoveof Detroit and Michigan Territory, it was the commanding General's intention, to occupy a line of posts, from Fort Wayne, to the foot of the Maumee rapids, inclusive. For this purpose, Winchester occupied Forts Wayne and Defiance. With this view, Perkins's brigade, in part, had been marched forward to Lower Sandusky. This brigade was from the northern counties of Ohio. They repaired an old stockade, which had been erected to protect an old United States store-house there. This was done early in December. By the tenth of that month, a battalion of Pennsylvanians arrived at UpperSandusky, under the command of Lieutenant Hukill, bringing twenty-one pieces of artillery from Pittsburgh. General Harrison, immediately thereafter, sent a regiment, of the same troops, to the same place. He also ordered there, some companies of Virginians, and on the twentieth he arrived there in person, and there established his head quarters. It was there, that he received Campbell's official account of the Missisineway expedition. This news and other circumstances necessarily drew the General into the interior, to Chillicothe, to consult with Governor Meigs, about the means to be used, to keep open a communication between the Upper Miami, and the Maumee river, and to hasten forward, men and provisions. In expectation of information from General Winchester, that he had descended the Maumee to its rapids, and taken post there, by General Harrison's orders, the army at Upper Sandusky, was now employed in cutting roads, erecting bridges, and moving forward, towards the Maumee, the cannon, provisions, and heavy baggage. General Harrison, returning from the interior to head quarters, hearing nothing

from Winchester, ordered Charles S. Tod, a judge advocate in the army, to reach Winchester, ascertain his position, and what he was doing, to deliver, also, the orders of Harrison to him. Tod, our late minister to Colombia, taking along with him, two or three gentlemen of Michigan, and as many Wyandot Indians, proceeded directly across the country, through "the black swamp," with secrecy and despatch, eluding all the scouts of the enemy, and reached Winchester in safety. He then delivered his orders from General Harrison to Winchester: "that as soon as he had twenty days provisions, to move forward to the rapids; to erect block houses, as if he intended to winter there; to build sleds as if to bring on provisions from the interior, for the support of his army, during the winter."

On the 10th of January, 1813, General Winchester, with his little army arrived at the rapids, having previously sent forward a detachment of six hundred and seventy men under General Payne, to attack a body of troops belonging to the enemy, which he understood were posted where Toledo now stands on Swan creek.

Having descended the Maumee below the old British garrison, at the foot of the rapids, General Payne ordered some spies forward to reconnoiter the ground where he understood the enemy was posted, but finding no enemy there, these spies returned to the detachment, to which they belonged. The whole command under Payne now returned to Winchester, at a place, opposite the middle of the rapids. On the northern bank of the Maumee, Winchester, posted himself. His position was just above Wayne's battle ground, and precisely opposite, the spot where Hull's road struck the rapids. On an eminence surrounded by woods, and beyond them, prairies, the encampment was of an oval form, and well chosen. A few Indians were discovered by our army, routed and driven off, on the tenth. On the 11th of January, Winchester sent a despatch, to General Harrison, informing him, of all he had done, but, being sent, by some men who were taking back some of Tupper's worn out horses, the message, went to Fort McArthur,