Charge of the Dragoons.

It would have been difficult to find more unfavorable ground for cavalry; nevertheless the dragoons rode against their foes at a gallop, with broad-swords swinging, the horses dodging in and out among the trees and jumping the fallen logs.  They received a fire at close quarters which emptied a dozen saddles, both captains being shot down.  One, the commander of the squadron, Captain Mis Campbell [Footnote:  A curious name, but so given in all the reports.], was killed; the other, Captain Van Rensselaer, a representative of one of the old Knickerbocker families of New York, who had joined the army from pure love of adventure, was wounded.  The command devolved on Lieutenant Covington, who led forward the troopers, with Lieutenant Webb alongside him; and the dragoons burst among the savages at full speed, and routed them in a moment.  Covington cut down two of the Indians with his own hand, and Webb one.

    Successful Bayonet Charge.

At the same time the first line of the infantry charged with equal impetuosity and success.  The Indians delivered one volley and were then roused from their hiding places with the bayonet; as they fled they were shot down, and if they attempted to halt they were at once assailed and again driven with the bayonet.  They could make no stand at all, and the battle was won with ease.  So complete was the success that only the first line of regulars was able to take part in the fighting; the second line, and Scott’s horse-riflemen, on the left, in spite of their exertions were unable to reach the battle-field until the Indians were driven from it; “there not being a sufficiency of the enemy for the Legion to play on,” wrote Clark.  The entire action lasted under forty minutes. [Footnote:  Bradley MSS., entry in the journal for August 20th.] Less than a thousand of the Americans were actually engaged.  They pursued the beaten and fleeing Indians for two miles, the cavalry halting only when under the walls of the British fort.

    A Complete and Easy Victory.

Thirty-three of the Americans were killed and one hundred wounded. [Footnote:  Wayne’s report; of the wounded 11 afterwards died.  He gives an itemized statement.  Clark in his letter makes the dead 34 (including 8 militia instead of 7) and the wounded only 70.  Wayne reports the Indian loss as twice as great as that of the whites; and says the woods were strewn with their dead bodies and those of their white auxiliaries.  Clark says 100 Indians were killed.  The Englishman, Thomas Duggan, writing from Detroit to Joseph Chew, Secretary of the Indian Office, says officially that “great numbers” of the Indians were slain.  The journal of Wayne’s campaign says 40 dead were left on the field, and that there was considerable additional, but unascertained, loss in the rapid two miles pursuit.  The member of Caldwell’s company who was captured was a French Canadian; his deposition is given by Wayne.