nts. When the first gun was heard he sprang to his feet, and
calling upon Sinnamatha[A] to follow his example and charge, he rushed
forward, and killed one of the whites[B] with his war-club. The other
Indians, raising the war-whoop, seized their arms, and rushing upon
Kenton and his party, compelled them, after a severe contest of a few
minutes, to retreat. One of the Indians, in the midst of the
engagement, fell into the river, and in the effort to get out of the
water, made so much noise, that it created a belief on the minds of the
whites that a reinforcement was crossing the stream to aid Tecumseh.
This is supposed to have hastened the order from Kenton, for his men to
retreat. The afternoon prior to the battle, one of Kenton's men, by the
name of McIntire, succeeded in catching an Indian horse, which he tied
in the rear of the camp; and, when a retreat was ordered, he mounted
and rode off. Early in the morning, Tecumseh and four of his men set
off in pursuit of the retreating party. Having fallen upon the trail of
McIntire, they pursued it for some distance, and at length overtook
him. He had struck a fire and was cooking some meat. When McIntire
discovered his pursuers, he instantly fled at full speed. Tecumseh and
two others followed, and were fast gaining on him, when he turned and
raised his gun. Two of the Indians, who happened to be in advance of
Tecumseh, sprung behind trees, but he rushed upon McIntire and made him
prisoner. He was tied and taken back to the battle ground. Upon
reaching it, Tecumseh deemed it prudent to draw off his men, lest the
whites should rally and renew the attack. He requested some of the
Indians to catch the horses, but they, hesitating, he undertook to do
it himself, assisted by one of the party. When he returned to camp with
the horses, he found that his men had killed McIntire. At this act of
cruelty to a prisoner, he was exceedingly indignant; declaring that it
was a cowardly act to kill a man when tied and a prisoner. The conduct
of Tecumseh in this engagement, and in the events of the following
morning, is creditable alike to his courage and humanity. Resolutely
brave in battle, his arm was never uplifted against a prisoner, nor did
he suffer violence to be inflicted upon a captive, without promptly
rebuking it.

[Footnote A: Or Big Fish, the name by which Stephen Ruddell, then
fighting with Tecumseh, was called.]

[Footnote B: John Barr, referred to in a preceding note.]