Page:Messages and Letters of William Henry Harrison Vol. 1.djvu/762

720 days, to move onward, to the goal then distant less than 100 miles, and that the probability was, that before the force re- quired could be at Fort Harrison the object of the campaign would be accomplished, and leave no laurels to be gathered by the reinforcing party. At Fort Harrison the expedition crossed the Wabash and shortly after was joined by Captain Geigers company. At the mouth of Vermillion river, two days were occupied in building a block house, and there were left the water craft, and surplus baggage, under a guard — proceeding up the Wa- bash on the 6th of November about 3 P. M. the force was within 200 yards of the Prophet's town, and was there met by several indians who assured Gov. Harrison that on the morrow a meeting would be arranged and all difficulties ad- justed satisfactorily to his government, and they begged that the troops would be restrained from entering the town and frightening their women and children by occupying their town. Our spies" reported an eligible camping ground a mile distant, and the expedition was directed to it. It is a tongue of land jutting into the prarie (then a swamp) in the form of a sad iron, elevated some 8 feet on the two sides above the lowland and being about 200 yards across the upland at the base of the triangle. It appeared that the indians had been impressed with the idea that the army had cannon, but on the 6th the negro driver of Gen. Harrison's cart mixed among them and informed them that no big guns accompanied the expedition. For this treach- ery, the negro was by a court martial forthwith convicted and condemned to be shot, provided an attack from the indians should ensue — The sentence however was not carried into effect — It is supposed that had the expedition been provided with Cannon, the indians would have been deterred from as- saulting our force. It should be bourn in mind that Gen. Harrisons instructions were to insist upon the fulfilment of treaty stipulations and to avoid hostilities. The expedition having occupied the ground selected by their spies, threw up a breast work across the end of the encamp- ment where it was continued from the upland and the troops being shown their places of parade in case of attack, and . In conjunction with Quarter Master Piatt and Marston G. Clark.