Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-12-25

w drWlck was shot lmlntaidtSy luio"StA 49,
body being taken to the surgery to be Dress
ed, as soon as il was over tbeing man Oh
great bodily vigor and still able to Walk ne
insisted upon going back to head his conipa-
nv, although it was evident that he had Out
few hours to live.
All these gentlemen, sir, capt. Bacn ex-
cepted, have left wives, and five OF them large
families of children; this is the case too with
many of the privates among the inll!tla who
fe, in the action or VINO have died since OF
their wounds. Will the bounty of their coun-
try, be withheld from their helpless orphans,
many of whom will be in the most destitute con-
dition * .rhdps want even the necess"rics Oh
life. With respectto the numbered indians that
were engaged against Us, am possessed OF no
data bg which CAM form q correct statement
|. must, however, have been considerable,
and perhaps not much inferior to our own );
winch, deducting the Dragons, who were uh-
able to do us much service, was very little a
boye 700 non-commiss officers and Prl-
Yates: am convinced there were at least
six hundred. The Prophet had taree weeks
before $50 of his own proper followers. am
induced to believe that he was joined by
number of the Iawless vagabonds who live on
the Illinois river as large trails were seen
coming from that direction. Indeed shall
not be surprised to find that some OF those VINO
protested the warmest friendship tor Us were
arrayet against us-'tis, certain that one OF tins
description Came out from the town and spoke
TO me the hight before the action. Tie Po-
towa,irnic chief, whom | mentioned to have
been wounded and taken prisoner in my letter
of the 9Th inst. / left on the battle ground, al
ter having taken all The care OF him IN my
power, r. ouested him to inform those OF mis-
own tribe who had Joined the Pr't and the
Kickapoos and Winehagoes, that 1t they
would Immediately abandon the Prophet and
return to their own tribes their past conduct
would be forgiven and that VIC would treat
them as we formerly had done. lie assured
me that he would do so, and that there was no
doubt of their compliance. indeed ne said
that he was certain that they would put the
Prophet to death. | think upon the whole
that there will be no further hostilities but
OF this snail be enabled TO give you SOME
more certain Information in few days.
The troops left the battle ground on the
9th n&tant 1t took every Wagon to trans
port the wounded. We managed, however,
to bring off the pubic propertY, although
almost all the private bag age OF the otncers
was necessarily destroyed.
1t may perhaps be imagined, sir, that some
means might have been adopted to have made
a more early discovery OF the approach oi the
enemy to our camp the morning OF the 9TH
rlstsnt; but if had employ two thirds of
the army as out posts it would have been IN
eifcctugl; the Indians in such night would
gave found means to have passed between
thenl-piaced in the situation that we we've,
there is no other mode Of avoiding a surprise,
than by chain of centinels so close together
that the enemy cannot pass between without
discovery, and having the army in such rea-
diness that they Can get to their alarm posts
at q moments warning. Our troops could not
have been better prepared than they were,
unless they had been kept under arms the
whole night, as they laysw!th their accoutre-
ments Oh, and their arms by their sides, and
! the moment they were up they were at their
/, posts. If the centnels and the guard had
/ done their duty even the troops OF the f flank
/. would been prepared to receive the Indians.
| | have the honor to enclose you correct
/ return OF our killed & wounded. The wound
(, ed suffered very much before their arrival
! here, bul they are now comfortably fixed and
| every attention has been and shall continne to
/ be paid 10 them. Doctor Foster is not only
| possessed of great professional merit, but is
! moreover man of feeling and honor.
! Iamcoayinced, SIR, that the Indians lost many
more men thm we did-thcy left from thirty
/ six to forty Oh the field. They were seen to
!: take off not only the wounded but the dead.
! An Indian that was killed and scalpcd in the
(; beginning of the action by one of our men,
was found in a house lii the town several o.
/; Tiers were also found in the houses, and many
7, graves which were fresh dug one of them
!; was opened ard found to contain three dead
/, bodies.
| Our infantry used principally cartridges
containing twelve buck shot which were adni-
raby calculated for "a night action.
have before informed you, sir, that Col
| Miller was prevented by illness from going
| on the expedition-he rendered essential SER
vice in the command of Fort Harrison he is
an officer of great merit
There are so many circumstances which it
!, is important for YOU to know, respecting the