eneral, seeing the enemy determined to follow up his first
success by an immediate attack upon Detroit, and being unable with his
very inferior numbers to dispute the occupancy of that post, evacuated
it and Sandwich on the 26th, also destroying the public property at both
posts; and commenced his retreat along the river Thames, with between
900 and 1,000 regulars, chiefly of the 41st regiment. In this reverse of
fortune, Tecumseh still adhered to the British standard with unswerving
fidelity, and with the Indians covered the retreat. On the 2d of
October, General Harrison marched in pursuit with rather above 3,000
men, escorted by three gun-boats and a number of bateaux. On the 4th, he
came up with the rear guard, and not only made some prisoners, but
succeeded in capturing a great part of the ammunition and stores. By
this second reverse, the British were left destitute of the means of
subsistence and protracted defence; and their commander being thus
compelled to stake the fate of his small army on a general engagement,
he took up an excellent position on the right bank of the Thames at the
Moravian town, an Indian village 80 miles from Sandwich, his entire
force now mustering barely 900 regulars and about 600 Indians. The
former were posted in single files in two lines, their left resting on
the river, their right on a narrow swamp, beyond which were the Indians,
reaching obliquely backwards to a second and much broader swamp, so that
neither flank of the allies could be easily turned. The enemy commenced
the attack with a regiment of mounted riflemen, the _elite_ of their
army, formed into two divisions of 500 men each, one of which charged
the regulars with great impetuosity, while the other advanced with a
company of foot against the Indians. The regulars, dissatisfied by
fancied or real neglect, and dispirited by long continued exposure and
privation, made but a very feeble resistance; their ranks were pierced
and broken, and being placed between two fires, they immediately
surrendered, with the trifling loss of 12 killed and 22 wounded, the
British general and a part of the troops seeking safety in flight. But
the Indians carried on the contest with the left of the American line
with great determination, and did not retreat until the day was
irretrievably lost and 33 of their numbers had been slain, including the
noble Tecumseh--a warrior not less celebrated for his courage than for
his humanity, his eloquence, a