with Indians, being such as to prevent the wings from being turned, general Harrison made arrangements to concentrate his forces against the British line.  The first division, under major general Henry, was formed in three lines at one hundred yards from each other; the front line consisting of Trotter’s brigade, the second of Chiles’, and the reserve of King’s brigade.  These lines were in front of, and parallel to, the British troops.  The second division, under major general Desha, composed of Allen’s and Caldwell’s brigades, was formed en potence, or at right angles to the first division.  Governor Shelby, as senior major general of the Kentucky troops, was posted at this crotchet, formed between the first and second divisions.  Colonel Simrall’s regiment of light infantry was formed in reserve, obliquely to the first division, and covering the rear of the front division; and, after much reflection as to the disposition to be made of colonel Johnson’s mounted troops, they were directed, as soon as the front line advanced, to take ground to the left, and forming upon that flank, to endeavor to turn the right of the Indians.  A detachment of regular troops, of the 26th United States infantry, under colonel Paul, occupied the space between the road and the river, for the purpose of seizing the enemy’s artillery; and, simultaneously with this movement, forty friendly Indians were to pass under the bank of the stream to the rear of the British line, and by their fire and war-cry, induce the enemy to think their own Indians were turning against them.  At the same time, colonel Wood had been instructed to make preparations for using the enemy’s artillery, and to rake their own line by a flank fire.  By refusing the left or second division, the Indians were kept in the air, that is, in a position in which they would be useless.  It will be seen, as the commander anticipated, that they waited in their position the advance of the second division, while the British left was contending with the American right.  Johnson’s corps consisted of nine hundred men, and the five brigades under governor Shelby amounted to near eighteen hundred, in all, not exceeding two thousand seven hundred men.

In the midst of these arrangements, and just as the order was about to be given to the front line to advance, at the head of which general Harrison had placed himself with his staff, colonel Wood approached him with intelligence, that having reconnoitered the enemy, he had ascertained the singular fact, that the British lines, instead of the usual close order, were drawn up at open order.  This fact at once induced general Harrison to adopt the novel expedient of charging the British lines with Johnson’s mounted regiment.  “I was within a few feet of him,” says the gallant colonel John O’Fallon, “when the report of colonel Wood was made, and he instantly remarked, that he would make a novel movement by ordering colonel Johnson’s mounted regiment to charge