of the militia had left their commands to pursue a lone
Indian on horseback. As the militia emerge on the northern bank of the
Maumee a few warriors expose themselves, and the Kentuckians
disregarding all orders, instantly give chase. The Indians fly in all
directions, the militia after them, and the regulars are left alone.
This is the opportune moment. As the regulars cross the ford and climb
the opposite bank, the painted and terrible warriors of the Miami chief
arise from their hiding places and fire at close range. Wyllys falls,
his officers fall, all but a handful are remorselessly mowed down,
scalped and mutilated, and the day is won. Thus for the second time has
the cunning Little Turtle completely outwitted his paleface antagonists.

The remaining details of this disordered conflict are soon told. The
parties of militia under McMullen and Fontaine, sweeping up the east
side of the St. Joseph, drove a party of Indians into the river near the
point of the old French fort. Fontaine was hit by a dozen bullets and
fell forward in his saddle. The Indians were now caught between Hall's
battalion on the west and McMullen's riflemen and Fontaine's cavalry on
the east. A brief massacre ensued, and Captain Asheton and two soldiers
killed a number of the savages in the water with their bayonets. The red
men finally charged on Hall's battalion--it gave way--and they made
their escape.

Captain Joseph Asheton in commenting on this last battle at the Maumee,
makes the following observation: "If Colonel (Major) Hall, who had
gained his ground undiscovered, had not wantonly disobeyed his orders,
by firing on a single Indian, the surprise must have been complete." The
question of whether there was any surprise at all or not, remains in
doubt. The Fort Wayne Manuscript, which possesses some historical value
at least, says that about eight hundred Indians were present; three
hundred Miamis under the Little Turtle, and a body of five hundred more
savages, consisting of Shawnees, Delawares, Potawatomi, Chippewas and
Ottawas. That the Shawnees were commanded by Blue Jacket, and the
Ottawas and Chippewas by an Ottawa chief named Agaskawak. The battle
itself, was skillfully planned on the part of the savages. They must
have known that the militiamen were in the vanguard and would cross the
Maumee first. They rightly calculated that the impetuosity of the
Kentuckians and their lack of discipline, would lead them at once into a
headlon