riflemen, amounting to about one hundred and twenty men, under the command of Major-general Wells, of the Kentucky militia, who served as major. The right flank was filled up by Captain Spier Spencer's company of mounted riflemen, consisting of eighty men. The front line was composed of one battalion of United States infantry, under the command of Major Floyd-flanked on the right by two companies of militia, and on the left by one company. The rear line was composed of a battalion of United States troops, under the command of Captain Baen, acting as major, and four companies of militia infantry, under the command of Lieutenantcolonel Decker. The regular troops, on the rear line, joined the mounted riflemen, under General Wells, on the left flank; and Colonel Decker's battalion formed an angle with Captain Spencer's company on the right flank. Two troops of dragoons, amounting, aggregately, to about sixty men, were encamped in the rear of the left flank; and Captain Parke's troop of dragoons, which was larger than the other two, was encamped in the rear of the front line. The dragoons were directed, in case of a night attack, to parade dismounted, with their pistols in their belts, and to act as a corps de reserve.

Although strong guards were placed on duty, on the night of the 6th of November, it seems that the principal officers of the expedition did not expect that the Indians would, on that night, make an attack on the army. About two hours before sunrise, however, on the morning of the 7th of November, an attack was made on the left flank of the encamped army, "so suddenly, that the Indians were in the camp before many of the men could get out of their tents.'

The following particulars of the battle of Tippecanoe are copied from the official dispatch which was addressed to the secretary of war, by Governor Harrison, on the 18th of November, 1811, ten days after the battle:

"I had risen at a quarter after four o'clock, and the signal for calling out the men would have been given in two minutes, when the attack commenced. It began on the left flank; but a single gun was fired by the sentinels, or by the guard in that direction, which made not the least resistance, but abandoned

* Governor Harrison's Letter to Secretary of War, November 8, 1811.

their officer and fled into camp; and the first notice which the troops of that flank had of the danger, was from the yells of the savages within a short distance of the line; but, even under these circumstances, the men were not wanting to themselves or to the occasion. Such of them as were awake, or were easily awakened, seized their arms, and took their stations; others, which were more tardy, had to contend with the enemy in the doors of their tents. The storm first fell upon Captain Barton's company, of the 4th United States regiment, and Captain Guiger's company of mounted riflemen, which formed the left angle of the rear line. The fire upon these was excessively severe; and they suffered considerably before relief could be brought to them. Some few Indians passed into the encampment near the angle, and one or two penetrated to some distance before they were killed. I believe all the other companies were under arms, and tolerably formed, before they were fired on. The morning was dark and cloudy. Our fires afforded a partial light, which, if it gave us some opportunity of taking our position, was still more advantageous to the enemy-affording them the means of taking a surer aim. They were, therefore, extinguished as soon as possible.

"Under these discouraging circumstances, the troops (nineteen-twentieths of whom had never been in action before) behaved in a manner that can never be too much applauded. They took their places without noise, and with less confusion than could have been expected from veterans placed in a similar situation. As soon as I could mount my horse, I rode to the angle that was attacked. I found that Barton's company had suffered severely, and the left of Guiger's entirely broken. I immediately ordered Cook's company, and the late Captain Wentworth's, under Lieutenant Peters, to be brought up from the center of the rear line, where the ground was much more defensible, and formed across the angle, in support of Barton's and Guiger's. My attention was then engaged by a heavy firing upon the left of the front line, where were stationed the small company of United States riflemen, (then, however, armed with muskets,) and the companies of Baen, Snelling, and Prescott, of the 4th regiment.

"I found Major Daveiss forming the dragoons in the rear of those companies, and understanding that the heaviest part

of the enemy's fire proceeded from some trees about fifteen or twenty paces in front of those companies, I directed the major to dislodge them with a part of the dragoons. Unfortunately, the major's gallantry determined him to execute the order with a smaller force than was sufficient, which enabled the enemy to avoid him in the front, and attack his flanks. The major was mortally wounded, and his party driven back. The Indians were, however, immediately and gallantly dislodged from their advantageous position, by Captain Snelling, at the head of his company.

"In the course of a few minutes after the commencement of the attack, the fire extended along the left flank, the whole of the front, the right flank, and part of the rear line. Upon Spencer's mounted riflemen, and the right of Warrick's company, which was posted on the right of the rear line, it was excessively severe. Captain Spencer, and his first and second lieutenants, were killed; and Captain Warrick mortally wounded. Those companies, however, still bravely maintained their posts; but Spencer's having suffered so severely, and having originally too much ground to occupy, I reinforced them with Robb's company of riflemen, which had been driven-or, by mistake, ordered-from their position in the left flank, toward the center of the camp, and filled the vacancy that had been occupied by Robb with Prescott's company of the 4th United States regiment. My great object was to keep the lines entire-to prevent the enemy from breaking into the camp, until daylight should enable me to make a general and effectual charge. With this view I had reinforced every part of the line that had suffered much; and as soon as the approach of morning discovered itself, I withdrew, from the front line, Snelling's, Posey's, (under Lieutenant Albright,) and Scott's; and, from the rear line, Wilson's companies, and drew them up upon the left flank; and, at the same time, I ordered Cook's and Baen's companies-the former from the rear, and the latter from the front line-to reinforce the right flank; foreseeing that, at these points, the enemy would make their last efforts. Major Wells, who commanded on the left flank, not knowing my intentions precisely, had taken the command of these companies-had charged the enemy before I had formed the body of dragoons with which