the fire from Kenton’s party.  When Downing and his detachment had approached close to the camp, an Indian rose upon his feet, and began to stir up the fire, which was but dimly burning.  Fearing a discovery, Downing’s party instantly shot him down.  This was followed by a general fire from the three detachments, upon the Indians who were sleeping under some marquees and bark tents, close upon the margin of the stream.  But unfortunately, as it proved in the sequel, Kenton’s party had taken “Boone,” as their watch-word.  This name happening to be as familiar to the enemy as themselves, led to some confusion in the course of the engagement.  When fired upon, the Indians instead of retreating across the stream as had been anticipated, boldly stood to their arms, returned the fire of the assailants and rushed upon them.  They were reinforced moreover from a camp on the opposite side of the river,[A] which until then, had been unperceived by the whites.  In a few minutes the Indians and the Kentuckians were blended with each other, and the cry of “Boone,” and “Che Boone,” arose simultaneously from each party.

[Footnote A:  M’Donald, in his interesting “Biographical Sketches,” of some of the western pioneers, says this “second line of tents” was on the lower bottom of the creek and not on the opposite side of it.]

It was after midnight when the attack was made, and there being no moon, it was very dark.  Kenton perceiving that his men were likely to be overpowered, ordered a retreat after the attack had lasted for a few minutes; this was continued through the remainder of the night and part of the next day, the Indians pursuing them, but without killing more than one of the retreating party.  The Kentuckians lost but two men, Alexander McIntire and John Barr.[A] The loss of the Indians was much greater, according to the statements of some prisoners, who, after the peace of 1795, were released and returned to Kentucky.  They related that fourteen Indians were killed, and seventeen wounded.  They stated further, that there were in the camp about one hundred warriors, among them several chiefs of note, including Tecumseh, Battise, Black Snake, Wolf and Chinskau; and that the party had been formed for the purpose of annoying the settlements in Kentucky, and attacking boats descending the Ohio river.  Kenton and his party were three days in reaching Limestone, during two of which they were without food, and destitute of sufficient clothing to protect them from the cold winds and rains of March.  The foregoing particulars of this expedition are taken from the manuscript narrative of general Benjamin Whiteman, one of the early and gallant pioneers to Kentucky, now a resident of Green county, Ohio.

[Footnote A:  The father of the late Major William Barr, for many years a citizen of Cincinnati.]