This Detachment Roughly Handled.
The detachment marched soon after midnight, and reached the Miami at
daybreak on October 22d. It was divided into three columns, which
marched a few hundred yards apart, and were supposed to keep in touch
with one another. The middle column was led by Wyllys in person, and
included the regulars and a few militia. The rest of the militia
composed the flank columns and marched under their own officers.
Immediately after crossing the Miami, and reaching the neighborhood of
the town, Indians were seen. The columns were out of touch, and both of
those on the flanks pressed forward against small parties of braves,
whom they drove before them up the St. Joseph. Heedless of the orders
they had received, the militia thus pressed forward, killing and
scattering the small parties in their front and losing all connection
with the middle column of regulars. Meanwhile the main body of the
Indians gathered to assail this column, and overwhelmed it by numbers;
whether they had led the militia away by accident or by design is not
known. The regulars fought well and died hard, but they were completely
cut off, and most of them, including their commander, were slain.
Pages:
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401