ory to delight to dwell on. Actuated by this holy impulse, Kentucky would enjoy not only theatres in which should be displayed the high moral and intellectual influences of education; but the land would be overspread with school houses and teachers, that should consecrate society by spreading suitable lights of science and of learning, to every log cabin in the Commonwealth.

Indian depredations continued with the succeeding year, and became particularly aggravated upon the Ohio river, where many boats were taken and the people killed or taken prisoners. Notwithstanding these enormities, of our savage neighbors, the Governor of Virginia on the complaint of Governor St. Clair of the North Western Territory, that incursions were made from Kentucky on Indians in amity with the United States, directed that should it be necessary on any occasion to repel the attack of an enemy within the limits of the State; the most positive orders should be issued, that no party should upon any pretence whatever, enter into the territory either of the United States or of any Indian tribe. The execution of such instructions would have been nearly tantamount to surrendering the western country to the Indians; as no offensive expedition, (which were the only effectual ones,) and no pursuit could have been carried over the Ohio river. The fact of these Kentucky incursions is however denied on the authority of the Kentucky Gazette, the files of which on being examined contained no notice of any expedition at or any way near the times alluded to by the Governor of the North Western Territory.* Yet had any parties of this description have been instituted, the news was too deeply interesting to the whole country to have been omitted.

Political Transactions, page 47.

CHAPTER XII.

Gen. Harmar's Campaign-Eighth Convention of the District-Separation from Virginia agreed upon-Col. Hardin's battles-Captain Hubbel's defence against the Indians Gen. Scott's Expedition-Col. Wilkinson's Expedition-Gen. St. Clair-Board of War in Kentucky-St. Clair's defeat-Pretended retaliation by Gen. Scott.

The continuance of these aggressions, at length aroused the people to rely upon their own energies and again to pursue their wily and fugitive enemy, into his own forests and towns. For this purpose Gen. Scott with two hundred and thirty volunteers crossed the Ohio at Limestone, and was joined by General Harmar with one hundred regulars of the United States. The party proceeded to the Scioto against a camp of Indians, but they found it abandoned. A small detachment of thirteen men however surprised a party of four Indians, who were all killed by the first fire. Such particulars are too paltry and too bloody for further detail. By the 13th of April, the Secretary at War wrote to Harry Innes, (who had been appointed a judge of the United States for the District of Kentucky) authorizing him to call forth scouts for the protection of the frontier.

On the 30th of the month, Governor St. Clair arrived at the falls of the Ohio on his way to concert with General Harmar an offensive expedition against the Indians; and an assemblage of people at Danville resolved, "that the frequent depredations of the Indians on persons and property, made it necessary to march against their towns." A meeting of the field officers of the militia was therefore proposed at the same place, on the 26th of the month. On this day, the eighth convention assembled, and after making George Muter President, for the eighth time renewed the resolution in favor of separation from Virginia on the terms prescribed in her act for that purpose; accepted the conditions specified in that act, as a solemn compact between the two States, and appointed the 1st day of June, 1792, for the existence of the State of Kentucky "as separate from and independent of the State of Virginia." Thus were brought to a close, six years labor of Kentucky to become a separate State; which, if they are not perfectly parallel with the labors of Hercules,

afford the most provoking and tantalizing series of disappointments, that were ever calculated to try the temper, and prove the love of social order, in any community. Such a scene of political trials would explode the forbearance of any portion of the American people at this day; and still, they were two years off the fruition of their reiterated wishes. Addresses were voted to the President of the United States and to Congress, praying for admission into the Union agreeably to the time prescribed by Virginia; they moreover directed the election of a convention for the formation of a Constitution, in the month of December, 1791, allotting five representatives to each of the nine counties without regard to their population, and limiting its existence to seven months, and to assemble on the first Monday in April at the town of Danville.

The administration of the general government now began to be convinced of the perfidy of the Indians, and the impossibility of relying upon treaties alone to preserve the peace of the frontiers. The Executive was indeed in favor of more energetic measures than Congress would sanction,* after having exhausted magnanimous offers of peace. So soon as the failure of negotiation with the Indian tribes was ascertained, the government took the most effective means in its power, to make them feel the force of arms. Brigadier General Harmar “an intelligent and gallant officer" of the revolutionary army, who had been appointed under the Old Congress, was placed at the head of the United States troops. These amounted to 320 men. The General was authorized to call upon Virginia and Pennsylvania for detachments of militia, which made his whole force amount to 14 or 1500. Insignificant as this may now appear, it was at that day, an imposing force for Indian

operations. The march commenced on the 30th of September, 1790, from Fort Washington, now the site of the flourishing city of Cincinnati, with a view of attacking the Miami towns, often called Omi by a corruption of the French Au, the seat of the present Fort Wayne, on the south side of the Maumee at the junction of its head branches. After seventeen days'

* Marshall's Washington, vol. 2, p. 193, 208.

march the army reached the great Miami village, which they found set on fire by the Indians. The enemy, Parthian like, with their usual agility kept out of the way of the unwieldly movements of the main body; till they found their own time and opportunity. The destruction of the town with that of large quantities of corn and other provisions was completed. These are the most fatal blows, which can be struck against such a foe, next to his personal destruction.

While our troops were encamped at the Indian towns a trail of the enemy being discovered, a detachment of one hundred and fifty Kentucky militia with some thirty regulars under Captain Armstrong and Ensign Hartshorn, commanded by Col. Hardin, set out in pursuit. After having marched about six miles the detachment was surprised by a body of Indians, who were concealed in the thickets on each side of a large plain; which they had effected by going on, in their trail for some time, and then returning on each side of it, to lay in ambush for their pursuers. When these had fairly got between the Indian lines, a fire was received "as by a signal, from* about seven hundred Indians on both sides of the ambuscade, which put the militia to disgraceful flight, without firing a single shot, and left the handful of regulars to meet the whole brunt of the action. The Indians, under the command of the celebrated Little Turtle, whose Miami name was Michikinaqwan or Mechecunaqua, as they did at the Blue Licks, now rushed upon the overpowered remnant of regulars, which defended itself "at their bayonet points with the greatest possible obstinacy," till they were all killed except the two officers and two or three privates. Ensign Hartshorn was saved by falling behind a log in the retreat, which screened him from the eye of his purwhile Captain Armstrong was preserved by plunging into a swamp, in which, he sank up to his neck within two hundred yards of the field of action. Here he remained the whole night a spectator of the war dance performed over the dead and wounded bodies of the poor soldiers, who had fallen the previous day, amidst which, the shrieks of the wounded

suers;

* Captain Wells, who was with the Indians-Western Review, vol. 2, p. 181.

were mixed with the horrid yells of the savages. A circumstance, which seems to imply most unusual bravado on the part of the Indians; only equalled by the unaccountable inactivity of the main army but six miles from the scene of action, and after many fugitives must have come in from the flight. Indeed the two officers, so wonderfully preserved, came into camp in the course of that very night. In the mean time the Indians poured in from the contiguous towns, to reinforce their countrymen. Some skirmishing then ensued with Harmar's scouts, but nothing material happened until two days after the army had left the Miami village; when at seven or ten miles' distance, the General ordered a halt, and on the night of the 21st* detached four or five hundred militia with about sixty regulars under Major Willis, again placed under the chief command of Col. Hardin, who was ordered to march back and endeavor to surprise the town. On entering it, a small body of Indians was discovered, which immediately fled and decoyed the militia in front, into a pursuit in different directions, leaving the regular soldiers by themselves. When the dispersion of the militia was thus effected, the main body of the Indians under the same distinguished chief as before, which had reserved itself for this blow, attacked the regulars with the utmost fury, notwithstanding the return of some of the militia on their rear. Nothing could exceed the intrepidity of the savages on this occasion; with all undauntedness conceivable, they threw down their guns, and with their tomahawks rushed upon the bayonets of the soldiers; a destructive warfare to them and very different from their usual economy of life; but with their relative superiority, which our tactics of fighting by detachment had given them, still more destructive to the whites. While a soldier had his bayonet in one Indian, two others would sink their tomahawks in his head. The defeat of the regular soldiers was most bloody and fatal, not one escaped; they all fell with * Marshall's Washington, vol. 2, p. 208-Metcalf's Collection, p. 108.

↑ The father of the late Gen. Martin D. Hardin of distinguished abilty and worth. Judge Marshall represents this action to have taken place on both banks of the St. Joseph's; one column under Col. Hardin marched on the west bank, and two others on the eastern side under Major Willis with the regulars and Major McMillan with the militia-volume 2d, page 208.

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