The Coolidge examiner., 1934-08-31


and Wayne expected the British 10 Join In the
attack upon the Americans when the time was
ripe. and Wayne made plans TO receive the Brit
ish with his horsemen: the Indians with the
infantry.
The long ngexpected battle came on the morn
iug OF August 20. As Wayues army advanced
cautiously along the western banks OF thc Mau-
NEE. the American general saw that the Indian
general Little Turtle had chosen his battlefield
with great skin. Here a tornado had swept
through the forest covering the ground with
fallen trees The left dank OF the Indians posi-
ton was covered by the Maumee and their front
by tanrle Of logs which, in the words OF
Wayne rendered Il impractlcabe for cavalry 10
act with effect and afforded the enemy the most
favorable covert Tor their savage method OF
warfare"
Undaunted By this Wayne at once deployed
his forces Ia two lines with bis Kentucky yolun-
ieer cavalry on his left hank and sent these
Under General Scott TO gain ard turn their
right with spirit and promputude" wayne's
official report u the battle that followed Is a
hconic account Of this battle which was over
almost before II began lie says:
4 ordered the front tine TO advance with
trailed arms. rouse the Indians from their Gov
deliver close and vel directed FIRE on their
backs followed by a brisk charge as not to
give time 20 load again Such was the
impetuoslty ~ the charge by the FIRST line OF
infantry that the Indian and Canadian militia
and volunteers were driven from all their Gov
eris 10 so short a time that although every
exertiou was used by officers % the second line
ot the legion. and by Generals Scott. Todd and
Barber of the Mounted Volunteers 70 gain their
proper positions, yet but a part o. each could
get up In season 20 participate In the action.
the enemy being driven In the course OF an hour
more than two miles through the thick woods
ALREADY mentioned by less than one-haf of their
numbers From every account the enemy
amounted TO two thousand combatants and the
troops actually engaged against them were
short OF nine hundred"
The rout of the Indians was complete and
they fed toward the British fort whose gates
they expected would be opened 10 them. Instead.
the British kept their outer wall tightly closed.
and the confused Indians closely followed By
the American rIhemen. abandoned their camp
and equipment. and fed 10 the woods.
The next day Wayne marched his men so
close to the fort as TO bring from its naughty
commander a demand TO know ''as speedily as
possible In what light am to view your making
such near approaches 10 this garrison" To this
Mad Anthony sent characteristic reply
without questioning the propriety. Sir OF your
iaterrogatory | may observe to yon that were
you entitled 10 answer the most full and
satisfactory one announced to you from the
tauzzles OF my small arms yesterday morning in
the actions against the hordes OF savages In the
vicinity OF your post {. But had II continued
until the Indians etc had been driven under
the Influence OF the post and guns you mention
they would not have much impeded the progress
a..
Later Wayne fell back to Fort Defiance. but
the next month he advanced 10 the Miami vIl.
lagos near the scene OF Harmar's defeat and for
the next month his men were busly engaged In
the destruction OF the villages and crops OF the
Indians Next he built post to which he gave
the name OF Fort Wayne (from which grew the
modern city OF that name) and then retired 70
Fort Greenvllle TO 90 into winter quarters
The last act OF the drama came In the summer
OF 1875 when Chief Little Turtle who had
warned the indians against trying to oppose this
~chief who never sleeps" and advised them n
make peace while there still was time led his
/ defeated tribesmen and their allies 10 the fort
/ to engage in the negotiations which resulted in
the historic Treaty OF Fort Greenylne
| In the words OF a recent historian CBeverley
w Bond. Jr.. author OF The Civilization of the
Old Northwest" published by the Macmillan com
| pany). "this treaty marked the first important
victory over the Indians In the Old Northwest
/ by its terms, all of Ohio. except approximately
the section west OF the Cuyahoga was opened
10 settlement as well as the elongated strip In
southeastern Indiana known as the gore The
treaty also included cession of small strate
gically located areas In the Indian country fol-
military posts. with lines OF communication be
tween them and thus made 1t possible to estab
lsh such posts as Fort Wayne at the head oi
the Maumee and Fort Dearborn at the mouth
of the Chicago. =. The surrender of Detroit
| the center Of British influence among the Indl
ans, in 1896 after Jays treaty had been ratified
rounded out the results OF Waynes victory
! Gt- Western Newspaper Union.