under General Green Clay. Procter, now a brigadier-general, embarked
at Amherstburg with 1,000 white troops and all available artillery.
Tecumseh, who had returned to headquarters, led his Indians overland.
The result of his mission among the tribes now manifested itself.
As he advanced, his force was greatly augmented, many warriors
joining him at the mouth of the Maumee, until at last he commanded
not fewer than 1,200 men. The British forces reached the vicinity
of Fort Meigs on April 28, and went into camp opposite the fort;
but heavy rains delayed operations until the 1st of May. Procter
erected a battery a short distance above his camp; another battery
was soon added: but the fire from both proving ineffective, a
third was established across the river just below Fort Meigs.

The expected American reinforcements reached the head of the rapids,
and on the night of May 4 a messenger from Harrison made his way
through the British lines to Clay, instructing him to land eight
hundred men on the left bank of the Maumee to carry the British
batteries there, and spike the guns, afterwards crossing to the
fort. The remainder of the troops were to land on the right side
of the river and make their way through the Indians to the fort.
According to orders, Colonel Dudley landed with the specified force,
rushed the batteries, which were manned only by a few gunners, and
spiked the guns. The main body of British were at the camp a mile
and a half distant. But, contrary to orders, Dudley did not return
immediately to his boats and cross to the fort; instead, he left
the greater part of his men at the batteries under Major Shelby
and set off with the rest in pursuit of some Indians.

The routed artillerymen, reaching the British camp, made known the
loss of guns, and Tecumseh led his warriors to retake them through
a downpour of rain. Dudley and the smaller body that accompanied
him were drawn into an ambuscade and annihilated, Dudley himself
falling beneath the tomahawk; while the larger force left in
possession of the captured batteries was assailed by Major Muir,
with fewer than two hundred men, and put to rout. The Americans
fled for refuge to the woods, only to be confronted there by the
Indians. Thus caught between two fires, they were utterly destroyed.

Clay's force of 450 men had landed on the opposite side of the
river, where they were attacked by the Indians. But they were soon
reinforced by a detachment sent from