; but he rallied fifty, who drove off the
Indians, killing two and wounding others. Of his own men six were killed
and five wounded. [Footnote: Am. State Papers, IV., 335. Adair to
Wilkinson, Nov. 6, 1792.]

Defeat of a Detachment.

Wayne's own detachments occasionally fared as badly. In the fall of
1793, just after he had advanced to Greeneville, a party of ninety
regulars, who were escorting twenty heavily laden wagons, were surprised
and scattered, a few miles from the scene of Adair's misadventure.
[Footnote: Bradley MSS., Journal, entry of October 17, 1793.] The
lieutenant and ensign who were in command and five or six of their men
were slain, fighting bravely; half a dozen were captured; the rest were
panic struck and fled without resistance. The Indians took off about
seventy horses, leaving the wagons standing in the middle of the road,
with their contents uninjured; and a rescue party brought them safely to
Wayne. The victors were a party of Wyandots and Ottawas under the chief
Little Otter. On October 24th the British agent at the Miami towns met
in solemn council with these Indians and with another successful war
party. The Indians had with them ten scalps and two prisoners. Seven of
the scalps they sent off, by an Indian runner, a special ally friend of
the British agent, to be distributed among the different Lake Indians,
to rouse them to war. One of their prisoners, an Irishman, they refused
to surrender; but the other they gave to the agent. He proved to be a
German, a mercenary who had originally been in Burgoyne's army.
[Footnote: Canadian Archives, Duggan to Chew, February 3, 1794.
inclosing his journal for the fall of 1793. American State Papers, IV.,
361, Wayne to Knox, October 23, 1793. The Americans lost 13 men; the
Indian reports of course exaggerated this.] Later one of the remaining
captives made his escape, killing his two Indian owners, a man and a
woman, both of whom had been leaders of war parties.

Another Detachment Defeats a Body of Indians.

In the spring of 1794, as soon as the ground was dry, Wayne prepared to
advance towards the hostile towns and force a decisive battle. He was
delayed for a long time by lack of provisions, the soldiers being on
such short rations that they could not move. The mounted riflemen of
Kentucky, who had been sent home at the beginning of winter, again
joined him. Among the regulars, in the rifle company, was a young
Kentuckian, Captain William C