As had been anticipated by general Harrison, immediately after the siege was raised, the British troops sailed round into Sandusky bay, while a portion of the Indians marched across the land, to aid in the meditated attack upon fort Stephenson, at lower Sandusky.  Tecumseh, in the mean time, with about two thousand warriors, took a position in the great swamp, between that point and fort Meigs, ready to encounter any reinforcement that might have been started to the relief of general Clay, to fall upon the camp at Seneca, or upon Upper Sandusky, according to circumstances.  The gallant defence of fort Stephenson by captain Croghan, put a sudden stop to the offensive operations of the army under Proctor and Tecumseh; and very shortly afterwards transferred the scene of action to a new theatre on the Canada shore, where these commanders were, in turn, thrown upon the defensive.

Immediately after the signal defeat of general Proctor at fort Stephenson, he returned with the British troops to Malden by water, while Tecumseh and his followers passed over land round the head of lake Erie and joined him at that point.  At this time, an incident occurred which illustrates the character of Tecumseh, while it shows the contumely with which he was accustomed to treat general Proctor, who did not dare to disobey him.  A citizen of the United States, captain Le Croix, had fallen into the hands of Proctor, and was secreted on board one of the British vessels, until he could be sent down to Montreal.  Tecumseh had a particular regard for captain Le Croix, and suspected that he had been captured.  He called upon general Proctor, and in a peremptory manner demanded if he knew any thing of his friend.  He even ordered the British general to tell him the truth, adding, “If I ever detect you in a falsehood, I, with my Indians, will immediately abandon you.”  The general was obliged to acknowledge that Le Croix was in confinement.  Tecumseh, in a very imperious tone, insisted upon his immediate release.  General Proctor wrote a line stating, that the “king of the woods” desired the release of captain Le Croix, and that he must be set at liberty; which was done without delay.[A]

[Footnote A:  Alden Collection.]

Discouraged by the want of success, and having lost all confidence in general Proctor, Tecumseh now seriously meditated a withdrawal from the contest.  He assembled the Shawanoes, Wyandots and Ottawas, who were under his command, and declared his intention to them.  He told them, that at the time they took up the tomahawk and agreed to join their father, the king, they were promised plenty of white men to fight with them; “but the number is not now greater,” said he, “than at the commencement of the war; and we are treated by them like the dogs of snipe hunters; we are always sent ahead to start the game:  it is better that we should return to our country, and let the Americans come on and fight the British.”  To this proposition his followers agreed; but the Sioux and Chippewas, discovering his intention, went to him and insisted that inasmuch as he had first united with the British, and had been instrumental in bringing their tribes into the alliance, he ought not to leave them; and through their influence he was finally induced to remain.[A]