“Below a place called Chatham, and four miles above Dalson’s, is the third unfordable branch of the Thames:  the bridge over its mouth had been taken up by the Indians, as well as that at M’Gregor’s mills, one mile above—­several hundred of the Indians remained to dispute our passage, and upon the arrival of the advanced guard, commenced a heavy fire from the opposite bank of the creek, as well as that of the river.  Believing that the whole force of the enemy was there, I halted the army, formed in order of battle, and brought up our two six pounders, to cover the party that were ordered to repair the bridge.  A few shot from these pieces soon drove off the Indians, and enabled us in two hours to repair the bridge and cross the troops.  Colonel Johnson’s mounted regiment being upon the right of the army, had seized the remains of the bridge at the mills, under a heavy fire from the Indians.  Our loss upon this occasion was two killed, and three or four wounded; that of the enemy was ascertained to be considerably greater.  A house near the bridge, containing a very considerable number of muskets, had been set on fire; but it was extinguished by our troops and the arms saved.”

Tecumseh and his party overtook they main army near the Moravian towns, situated on the north side of the Thames.  Here he resolved that he would retreat no further; and the ground being favorable for forming the line of battle, he communicated his determination to general Proctor, and compelled him, as there is every reason for believing, to put an end to his retreat, and prepare for meeting the pursuing army.  After the Indians were posted in the swamp, in the position occupied by them during the battle, Tecumseh remarked to the chiefs by whom he was surrounded, “brother warriors! we are now about to enter into an engagement from which I shall never come out—­my body will remain on the field of battle.”  He then unbuckled his sword, and placing it in the hands of one of them, said, “when my son becomes a noted warrior, and able to wield a sword, give this to him.”  He then laid aside his British military dress, and took his place in the line, clothed only in the ordinary deer-skin hunting shirt.[A]

[Footnote A:  Anthony Shane, and colonel Baubee of the British army.]

The position selected by the enemy was eminently judicious.  The British troops, amounting to eight or nine hundred, were posted with their left upon the river, which was unfordable at that point; their right extended to and across a swamp, and united them with the Indians, under Tecumseh, amounting to near eighteen hundred.  The British artillery was placed in the road along the margin of the river, near to the left of their line.  At from two to three hundred yards from the river, a swamp extends nearly parallel to it, the intermediate ground being dry.  This position of the enemy, with his flank protected on the left by the river and on the right by the swamp, filled