The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-03-05
Vol. I....No. 40.

tic folly ordered the chivalrous Da-
vless to charge them. Mai. Daviess
was on foot, and commanding the
Dragons, was only with pistols; he
was thus most wantonly sacrificed to
Tue incapacity of his commanding
General. Boyd and his regulars
STOOD their ground with the GOODNESS
which marks the well trained soldiers
beat off the enemy until light, and
saved the army from humiliation. As
the day daWned the Indians retired.
having shed much of the best blood
OF the West, and almost DESTROYED
the gallant army under Governor
Harrison's command"
An individual who could write and
publish so dastardly calumny as the
above against the man who was
fighting for his country before the
scribbler was born, or while he was
yet luxuriating in the soft appliances
of the diaper is an Arnold at heart,
and deserves the execration of every
friend of that liberty for which the
old hero has SO bravely fought.
There are some points to which we
wish to draw particular attention.
As to the frst-that Gen. Harrison
was led by the Indians to encamp on
the ground which was their choice
we submit the following extract from
the account of the battle by the gal
liant M'AFEE, an accomplished and
noble hearted Kentuckian. Having
detailed the conduct of the Governor
in marching his troops prepared for
an attack, Mr. M'A. proceeds:
Governor Harrison deeming this
last effort to open negotiation sufli-
cient to show his wish for an accom-
mediation, land his compliance with
the positive instructions of the Presi-
denD resolved no longer to hesitate
in treating the Indians as enemies.
He therefore recalled Capt. Duboise,
and moved on with a determination
to attack them. He had not proceed
ed far, however, before he was met
by three Indians, one of them prin-
cipal counsellor of the prophet. They
were sent, they said, to know why
the army was advancing upon them,
that the prophet wished, Impossible, to
avoid hostilities; that he had sent
pacific message by the Miami and
Pottawattomie chiefs, who had come
to him on the part of the Governor,
and that those chiefs had unfortunate
! ly gone down on the south side of the
Wabash.
"A suspension of hostilities was ac-
cordingly agreed upon; and meeting
was to take place the next day be-
tween Harrison and the chiefs, to
agree upon the terms of peace. The
Governor further informed them,
that he would go on to the Wabash,
and encamp there for the night. Up
on marching short distance further
he came in view of the town, which
was seen at distance up the river,
upon commanding eminence. Ma
jor Daviess and Adjutant Floyd had
mistaken some scattering houses in
the field below for the town itself.
| The ground below the town being UNI
favorable for an encampment, the ar
my marched in the direction of the
town, with a view to obtain a better
situation beyond it. The troops
were in an order of march, calculated
by single conversion of companies,
to form the order of battle which it
had last assumed, the dragons being
in front. This corps, however soon
became entangled in the ground COW
cred with brush and tops of fallen
trees. A halt was ordered and major
) Daviess directed to change position
with Spencer's rifle corps, which oc-
cupied the open fields adjacent to the
river. The Indians seeing this man
oeuvre, at the approach of the troops
towards the town, supposed that they
intended to attack it, and Immediate
:. ly prepared for defence. Some of
them sailed out, and called to the adj
vanced corps to halt. The Govern
or, upon this, rode forward, and re-
quested some of the Indians to come,
to him, assured them that nothing was
: farther from his thoughts than to at
tack them-that the ground below the
: town on the river was not calculated
for an encampment, and that it was
] his intention to search for better
: one above. He asked if there was
t any other water convenient besides
: that which the river afforded; and an
! Indian with whom he was well ac-
!, quainted, answered, that the creek
e which had been crossed two miles
!. back, ran through the prairie to the
: north of the village. Ahalt was then
. ordered, and some officers sent back
q to examine the creek, as well as the
# river above the town. In half anhour
It Brigade Major Marston Clark and
It Major Waller Taylor returned, and
II reported that they had found on the
: / 4. l, ~, :. IL L -