Tecumseh present at the second attack on fort Meigs—­his stratagem of a sham-battle to draw out general Clay—­is posted in the Black swamp with two thousand warriors at the time of the attack on fort Stephenson—­from thence passes by land to Malden—­compels general Proctor to release an American prisoner—­threatens to desert the British cause—­urges an attack upon the American fleet—­opposes Proctor’s retreat from Malden—­delivers a speech to him on that occasion.

After abandoning the siege of fort Meigs, general Proctor and Tecumseh returned to Malden, where the Canadian militia were disbanded, and the Indians, who had not already left the army, for their respective villages, were stationed at different cantonments.  The Chippewas preferred going home; the Potawatamies were placed six miles up the river Rouge; the Miamis and Wyandots at Brownstown and up the Detroit river, as far as Maguaga.  They were successively employed by the British commander as scouts, a party being sent regularly, once a week, to reconnoiter fort Meigs, and other points in that vicinity.  They planted no corn and hunted but little, being regularly supplied with provisions from Detroit and Malden.

Early in July, the allies of the British again made their appearance in the vicinity of fort Meigs.  Dickson, an influential Scotch trader among the Indians, having returned from the north-west with a large body of savages, general Proctor was urged to renew the attack on the fort, and it was accordingly done.

Late on the evening of the 20th of July, the garrison discovered the boats of the British army ascending the river.  On the following morning general Clay, now in command of this post, despatched a picket guard of ten men to a point three hundred yards below the fort, where it was surprised by the Indians, and seven of the party either killed or captured.  The combined army of British and Indians, were soon afterwards encamped on the north side of the river, below the old British fort Miami.  For a short time, the Indians took a position in the woods, in the rear of the fort, from which they occasionally fired upon the garrison, but without doing any injury.  In the night, captain William Oliver, accompanied by captain M’Cune, was sent express to general Harrison, then at Lower Sandusky, with information that fort Meigs was again invested; and, that the united force of the enemy did not fall far short of five thousand men.  The general directed captain M’Cune to return to the fort, with information to the commander, that so soon as the necessary troops could be assembled, he would march to his relief.  The general doubted, however, whether any serious attack was meditated against the place.  He believed, and the result showed the accuracy of his judgment, that the enemy was making a feint at the Rapids, to call his attention in that direction, while Lower Sandusky or Cleveland, would be the real point of assault.  On the 23d Tecumseh, with about eight hundred Indians,