m the conduct of the
agents of Great Britain in this country. In vain is it, then, for its
administration in Britain to disavow having given orders which will
warrant such conduct, whilst their agents go unpunished; whilst we have
a thousand corroborating circumstances, and indeed almost as many
evidences, some of which cannot be brought forward, to know that they
are seducing from our alliance, and endeavoring to move over the line,
tribes that have hitherto been kept in peace and friendship with us at
heavy expense, and who have no causes of complaint, except pretended
ones of their creating; whilst they keep in a state of irritation the
tribes who are hostile to us, and are instigating those who know little
of us or we of them, to unite in the war against us; and whilst it is an
undeniable fact that they are furnishing the whole with arms,
ammunition, clothing, and even provisions to carry on the war; I might
go farther, and if they are not much belied, add men also in disguise."
The President also called on the British minister, Mr. Hammond, for an
explanation. Hammond, while admitting the authenticity of Dorchester's
speech and the construction of the British fort on the Maumee, pointed
to pretended acts of hostility on the part of the United States. This
was the insolent tone assumed toward a government considered to be too
weak to defend its lawful rights.

The British were now busy in assembling a savage army to oppose Wayne's
advance. Two Potawatomi captured on the fifth of June, said that a
message had been sent to their tribe to join in the war against the
United States; that the British were at Roche de Bout on the Maumee with
about four hundred troops and two pieces of artillery, exclusive of the
Detroit militia, and that they "had made a fortification around Colonel
McKee's house and store at that place, in which they had deposited all
their stores and ammunition, arms, clothing and provisions with which
they promised to supply all the hostile Indians in abundance, provided
they would join and go with them to war; that about two thousand
warriors had been assembled, and that Governor Simcoe had promised that
fifteen hundred British troops and militia would join them in the attack
on the Americans." They further related that this same Governor Simcoe
had sent them four different invitations to join in the war, promising
them arms, ammunition, provisions and clothing, and everything that they
wanted. "All th