any would
hesitate to disobey his command, there would be no united resistance.
Besides, the Prophet had been left in charge, and a victory over him
would destroy the Indians' faith in his supernatural power. This faith
Harrison had come to regard as the backbone of the Indian alliance.
Moreover, the British were not in a position to give the Indians open
assistance and they would learn from a few battles fought without their
aid how little trust was to be put in British promises.

For these reasons, Harrison wrote to the War Department urging immediate
action and asking for troops and authority to march against Tippecanoe.
The troops were granted, but with the instruction that President
Madison wished peace with the Indians preserved if possible.

X. THE BATTLE OF TIPPECANOE

In August, in the year 1811, Governor Harrison sent stern "speeches" to
the Indian tribes, threatening them with punishment if they did not
cease their preparations for war and comply with his demands.

On September the twenty-fifth the Prophet's reply arrived at Vincennes.
He gave repeated assurances that the Indians had no intention of making
war on the settlers, and he promised to comply with whatever demands the
Governor might make. To this message Harrison sent no answer.

The Governor was now ready for action. He had a force of about a
thousand fighting men. The militia were reinforced by three hundred
regulars, and one hundred and thirty mounted men, under a brave
Kentuckian, J. H. Daveiss, who wanted a share in the glory of an
encounter with the Indians. Later two companies of mounted riflemen were
added to this force. Harrison sent a detachment of men up the river to
build a fort on the new land. By this act he took formal possession of
it.

He felt his hands tied by the President's instructions to avoid war with
the Indians if possible, and awaited developments with impatience. He
expected the Indians to oppose in some way the building of the
fort--and his expectations were at length realized. One of the
sentinels who kept guard while the soldiers worked on the fort was shot
and severely wounded. Harrison thought this might be regarded as the
opening of hostilities, and determined to march upon the Prophet's town.
A letter from the War Department received at about this time left him
free to carry out his plans.

It was late in October before the new fort, named Fort Harrison in honor
of the Governor, was finished, and the