“How soon can you be ready?”
“We’re ready now—if we only had guns an’ ammynition. You see, when we got away from the Winnebagoes we hadn’t nothin’ but the clo’es on our backs—which ain’t much to speak of.”—And Joe glanced ruefully at his tattered garments.—“We lived on roots an’ barks, on the road here. Give us guns an’ ammynition, an’ we’re with you.”
“You shall have what you want,” was the decided reply. “Call your friend and come with me.”
A half hour later, Captain Oliver and his chosen guides passed out at the western gate of the fort, and disappeared in the dense woods upon the southern bank of the river.
An hour after the departure of the brave dispatch-bearer and his two comrades, the enemy put in an appearance upon the opposite shore of the stream. General Harrison pushed the work upon the grand traverse. This was a wall of earth and timbers, running through the center of the inclosure, the full length of the fortification. It was nine hundred feet long, twenty feet wide at the base, and twelve feet high; and was intended to serve as a protection against the shells of the British. Anticipating the fact that the enemy would erect powerful batteries on the opposite shore, the American commander ordered that numerous excavations be made in the south side of the grand traverse, to which his men could retreat in time of danger from exploding missiles.
All the afternoon, the Indians annoyed the soldiers of the garrison with a desultory rifle-fire; but as they fired at long range, their shots did little except to cause the Americans to reply in like manner. Late in the evening, two or three boat-loads of savages landed upon the south bank of the river, and, taking up positions among the neighboring trees, poured a more effective fire upon the fort. The soldiers answered briskly; and the fusillade was kept up until nightfall.
In the meantime, the Americans had trained two eighteen-pounders upon their enemies across the river, causing them to retire to cover; and the British had succeeded in crossing the stream and throwing up earthworks for the protection of their fieldpieces, a short distance from the southeastern angle of the fort. The place was completely invested. Preparations were active, on the one side, to storm the garrison; on the other, to repel the most vigorous assault.
On the morning of the twenty-ninth, General Harrison issued a general order, appealing to the patriotism of his men.