ht they
succeeded in catching the horses outside of the fort; and taking off
their bells, carried them into the woods, some distance off. They then
concealed themselves in the prairie grass, along a path leading from
the fort, and in the morning commenced rattling the bells, at the
farther extremity of the line of ambushment, so as to induce the
belief that the horses was there to be found. The stratagem succeeded.
Sixteen men were sent out to bring in the horses. Allured by the sound
of the bells, they kept the path, along which the Indians lay
concealed, until they found themselves unexpectedly in the presence of
an enemy, who opened upon them a destructive fire from front and rear.
Fourteen were killed on the spot, and the remaining two were taken
prisoners.

On the evening of the day on which this unfortunate surprise took
place, the Indian army, consisting of eight hundred and forty-seven
warriors, painted and equipped for war, marched in single file through
a prairie near the fort and in full view of the garrison, and encamped
on an adjacent elevation on the opposite side of the river. From this
situation, frequent conversations were held by them with the whites,
in which they deprecated the longer continuance of hostilities, but
yet protested against the encroachment made upon their territory by
the whites, the erection of a fort and the garrisoning soldiers within
their country, not only unpermitted by them, but for some time before
they knew any thing of it. For these infringements on their rights,
they were determined on prosecuting the war, and continued the
investure of the fort, for six weeks. In this time they became
straitened for provisions, and aware that without a fresh supply of
them, they would be forced to abandon the siege, they sent word to the
commander of the garrison, by a Delaware [192] Indian, calling himself
John Thompson, (who, though with the whites in the fort, was permitted
by both parties to go in and out, as he choose) that they were
desirous of peace, and were willing to enter into a negotiation, if he
would send them a barrel of flour and some tobacco. Scarce as these
articles had actually become in the garrison, yet Col. Gibson complied
with their request, hoping that they might be induced to make peace,
or withdraw from the fort, and hopeless of timely succours from the
settlements. Upon the receipt of those presents, the Indians raised
the siege and marched their army off, much t