and Ward, with their companies, raising the battle cry, rushed towards the camp.  To their surprise, they found Baker and his men in the rear, instead of the front of the Indians, thus deranging the plan of attack, whether from design or accident is unknown.  The Indians sent back the battle cry, retreated a few paces, and treed.  It was still too dark to fire with precision, but random shots were made, and a terrible shouting kept up by the Indians.  While the parties were thus at bay, Tecumseh had the address to send a part of their men to the rear of the Kentuckians for the horses; and when they had been taken to the front, which was accomplished without discovery, the Indians mounted and effected their escape, carrying with them John Ward, the only one of their party who was shot.  This individual, a white man, had been captured when three-years old, on Jackson, one of the tributaries of James river, in Virginia.  He had been raised by the Indians, among whom he had married, and reared several children.  He was the brother of James Ward, one of the leaders of this expedition, and died of his wound a few days after the engagement, as was subsequently ascertained.  No Indian was killed in this skirmish, and but one of the Kentuckians, Jacob Jones, a member of Baker’s detachment.  No pursuit of the Indians was made from this point, nor did they prove to be the same party who had been engaged in the attack upon the Slate creek station.[A]

[Footnote A:  For the foregoing details of this little expedition, the author is indebted to captain James Ward, of Mason county, Kentucky, who commanded one of the detachments on this occasion.]

In McDonald’s Sketches, it is stated that “three Indians were killed in this action; and that when fired upon by their assailants, they dashed through the creek, and scattered through the woods, like a flock of young partridges.”

On these points, the worthy author of the “Sketches” has undoubtedly been misinformed.  The Indians lost but one man, John Ward; and after having treed, maintained their ground until they had adroitly obtained possession of their horses, and then succeeded in making their escape, carrying off not only the wounded man, but also the women and children who were with them when attacked.  This we learn from authorities before us, on which reliance may be placed.[A] By one of these, it appears that there were but six or seven warriors in the party; and, that when the attack was made, Tecumseh called out to them that the women and children must be defended, and it was owing to his firmness and influence that the assailants were kept at bay until the horses of his party were secured, and the necessary arrangements made for a hasty retreat.

[Footnote A:  Anthony Shane.  Stephen Ruddell.]

After this engagement, it is not known that Tecumseh was a party to any warlike movement, until the summer of the following year.  He returned to the waters of the Miami, and spent his time in hunting, for which he had a great fondness, and in which he was generally more successful than any other member of his tribe.