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As soon as General Clark, then at the Falls of the Ohio, who was ever our
ready friend, and merits the love and gratitude of all his country-men,
understood the circumstances of this unfortunate action, he ordered an
expedition, with all possible haste, to pursue the savages, which was so
expeditiously effected, that we overtook them within two miles of their towns,
and probably might have obtained a great victory, had not two of their number
met us about two hundred poles before we come up. These returned quick as
lightening to their camp with the alarming news of a mighty army in view. The
savages fled in the utmost disorder, evacuated their towns, and reluctantly left
their territory to our mercy. We immediately took possession of Old Chelicothe
without opposition, being deserted by its inhabitants. We continued our pursuit
through five towns on the Miami rivers, Old Chelicothe, Pecaway, New Chelicothe,
Will's Towns, and Chelicothe, burnt them all to ashes, entirely destroyed their
corn, and other fruits, and every where spread a scene of desolation in the
country. In this expedition we took seven prisoners and five scalps, with the
loss of only four men, two of whom were accidentally killed by our own army.
This campaign in some measure damped the spirits of the Indians, and made them
sensible of our superiority. Their connections were dissolved, their armies
scattered, and a future invasion put entirely out of their power; yet they
continued to practise mischief secretly upon the inhabitants, in the exposed
parts of the country.
In October following, a party made an excursion into that district called the
Crab Orchard, and one of them, being advanced some distance before the others,
boldly entered the house of a poor defenceless family, in which was only a Negro
man, a woman and her children, terrified with the apprehensions of immediate
death. The savage, perceiving their defenceless situation, without offering
violence to the family attempted to captivate the Negro, who, happily proved an
over-match for him, threw him on the ground, and, in the struggle, the mother of
the children drew an ax from a corner of the cottage, and cut his head off,
while her little daughter shut the door. The savages instantly appeared, and
applied their tomahawks to the door. An old rusty gun-barrel, without a lock,
lay in a corner, which the mother put through a small crevice, and the savages,
perceiving it, fled. In the mean time, the alarm spread through the
neighbourhood; the armed men collected immediately, and pursued the ravagers
into the wilderness. Thus Providence, by the means of this Negro, saved the
whole of the poor family from destruction. From that time, until the happy
return of peace between the United States and Great-Britain, the Indians did us
no mischief. Finding the great king beyond the water disappointed in his
expectations, and conscious of the importance of the Long Knife, and their own
wretchedness, some of the nations immediately desired peace; to which, at
present, they seem universally disposed, and are sending ambassadors to General
Clark, at the Falls of the Ohio, with the minutes of their Councils, a specimen
of which, in the minutes of the Piankashaw Council, is subjoined.
Adventure 20
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