[Footnote A:  M’Afee’s History of the Late War.]

[Footnote B:  Ibid.]

The encampment was about three-fourths of a mile from the Prophet’s town; and orders were given, in the event of a night attack, for each corps to maintain its position, at all hazards, until relieved or further orders were given to it.  The whole army was kept during the night, in the military position which is called, lying on their arms.  The regular troops lay in their tents, with their accoutrements on, and their arms by their sides.  The militia had no tents, but slept with their clothes and pouches on, and their guns under them, to keep them dry.  The order of the encampment was the order of battle, for a night attack; and as every man slept opposite to his post in the line, there was nothing for the troops to do, in case of an assault, but to rise and take their position a few steps in the rear of the fires around which they had reposed.  The guard of the night consisted of two captain’s commands of forty-two men, and four non-commissioned officers each; and two subaltern’s guards of twenty men and non-commissioned officers each—­the whole amounting to about one hundred and thirty men, under the command of a field officer of the day.  The night was dark and cloudy, and after midnight there was a drizzling rain.  It was not anticipated by the governor or his officers, that an attack would be made during the night:  it was supposed that if the Indians had intended to act offensively, it would have been done on the march of the army, where situations presented themselves that would have given the Indians a great advantage.  Indeed, within three miles of the town, the army had passed over ground so broken and unfavorable to its march, that the position of the troops was necessarily changed, several times, in the course of a mile.  The enemy, moreover, had fortified their town with care and great labor, as if they intended to act alone on the defensive.  It was a favorite spot with the Indians, having long been the scene of those mysterious rites, performed by their Prophet, and by which they had been taught to believe that it was impregnable to the assaults of the white man.

At four o’clock in the morning of the 7th, governor Harrison, according to his practice, had risen, preparatory to the calling up the troops; and was engaged, while drawing on his boots by the fire, in conversation with general Wells, colonel Owen, and majors Taylor and Hurst.  The orderly-drum had been roused for the purpose of giving the signal for the troops to turn out, when the attack of the Indians suddenly commenced upon the left flank of the camp.  The whole army was instantly on its feet; the camp-fires were extinguished; the governor mounted his horse and proceeded to the point of attack.  Several of the companies had taken their places in the line within forty seconds from the report of the first gun; and the whole of the troops were prepared for action in the course of two minutes; a fact as creditable