“When the Indians entered the American camp from the left, another charge was made with great success by the battalions of Majors Butler and Clark. Several other charges were made with equal effect. These attacks, however, caused a heavy loss of men, particularly of officers. In the charge made by the second regiment, Major Butler was dangerously wounded. All but three of the officers of that regiment fell, and one of these three was shot through the body. The cannon was silenced, and all the artillery officers were killed except Captain Ford who was dangerously wounded. Half the army had fallen; it was necessary to gain the road, if possible, and to make a retreat.
“A successful charge was made on the enemy, as if to turn their right flank, but in reality to reach the road. The militia then commenced to retreat, followed by the United States troops, with Major Clark’s battalion covering the rear. The retreat, as might be expected, soon became a flight. The camp was abandoned and so was the artillery for there were no horses to move it. For about four miles the road was almost covered with the arms and accouterments which the men continued to throw away even after the Indians had stopped pursuing them.
“All of General St. Clair’s horses had been killed, and he was mounted on a broken-down packhorse that could scarcely be forced out of a walk. It was, therefore, impossible for him to get forward to command a halt; and the orders which he dispatched by others for that purpose were not executed. The rout continued until about dark when the remnant of the army arrived at Fort Jefferson, twenty-seven miles from the battleground. The battle had lasted about three hours; it began a half hour before sunrise, and the retreat did not start until nine-thirty in the morning. With only one exception, the troops behaved with great bravery during this time; this accounts for the very large number of casualties.
“Among those killed were Major General Butler, Colonel Oldham, Major Ferguson, Major Hart, and Major Clark. Among the wounded were Colonel Sargeant (the adjutant-general), Colonel Darke, Colonel Gibson, Major Butler, and Viscount Malartie, who served as an aide. In addition to these, the list of officers killed contained the names of Captains Bradford, Phelon, Kirkwood, Price, Van Swearingen, Tipton, Purdy, Smith, Piatt, Gaither, Crebbs, and Newman; Lieutenants Spear, Warren, Boyd, McMath, Burgess, Kelso, Read, Little, Hopper, and Lickins; Ensigns Cobb, Balch, Chase, Turner, Wilson, Brook, Beatty, and Purdy; Quartermasters Reynolds and Ward; Adjutant Anderson; and Dr. Grasson. In addition to the wounded officers whose names are mentioned above, the official list contains the names of Captains Doyle, Truman, Ford, Buchanan, Darke, and Hough; Lieutenants Greaton, Davidson, DeButts, Price, Morgan, McCrea, Lysle, and Thompson; Adjutants Whistler and Crawford; and Ensign Bines. The melancholy result of that disastrous day was felt and lamented by all who had sympathy for private distress or public misfortune.
“The only allegation made by General St. Clair against his army was that the men lacked discipline, a quality which could not have been developed during the short time the men were in the service. That defect rendered it impossible to restore order once the men were thrown into confusion, and this is the chief reason why the loss fell so heavily on the officers. They were compelled to expose themselves to an unusual degree in their efforts to rally the men and to overcome the want of discipline. Although worn down by sickness and suffering from a painful disease, General St. Clair set the example. It was alleged by the officers that the Indians far outnumbered the American troops. That conclusion was drawn, in part, from the fact that the Indians outflanked and forcefully attacked all sides of the American lines at the same time.
“When the fugitives arrived at Fort Jefferson, the first regiment was just returning from its unsuccessful effort either to overtake the deserters or to meet the convoy of provisions. The absence of that regiment at the time of the battle was believed by some men to have been the cause of the defeat. They supposed that had it been present the Indians would have been defeated or would have attacked at another time. General St. Clair seemed to think it uncertain, judging from the superior number of the enemy, whether he ought to consider the absence of that corps fortunate or otherwise. On the whole, he seemed to think it fortunate, for he gravely doubted whether its presence would have changed the fortune of the day. If it had not, the triumph of the enemy would have been more complete, and the country would have been left without means of defense.
“As soon as the troops reached Fort Jefferson, it became a question of whether they ought to stay there or return to Fort Washington. General St. Clair asked the advice of his surviving field officers; these included Colonel Darke, Majors Hamtramck, Zeigler, and Gaither, and Colonel Sargeant. After discussing the subject, they reported unanimously that they believed the troops could not be accommodated in Fort Jefferson nor could they be supplied with provisions there. The officers thought it proper to proceed immediately toward supplies which were known to be on the road not more than two marches distant. This plan was adopted, and the army set out at ten o’clock and marched all night. The next day they met a convoy with a quantity of flour which was one day ahead of a drove of cattle. These supplies were used by the troops on their march to Fort Washington.
“The loss sustained by the country in the fall of so many gallant officers and men was most seriously regretted. General Butler and Major Ferguson were spoken of with particular esteem. The public feeling, however, was in some measure alleviated by the fact that those brave men, officers and privates, fell covered with honor while defending the cause of their country.
“The principal complaint made by the commander was that some of his orders given during the night to Colonel Oldham were not executed. He also complained that some very important information sent during the night by Captain Hough to General Butler was not imparted to him, and he did not hear of it until he arrived at Fort Washington.
“Because of the almost treasonable negligence of the government agents in furnishing supplies, the army had been on short allowances for many days. This had made it absolutely necessary either to retreat or to send the first regiment, which was the flower of the army, to bring up the provisions and military stores. The latter alternative was chosen, and in the absence of that corps the attack was made. In regard to the negligence of the War Department, it is a well-authenticated fact that boxes and packages were carelessly put up and marked. During the battle a box marked ‘flints’ was found to contain gunlocks; a keg of powder marked ‘for the infantry’ was found to be damaged cannon-powder that could scarcely be ignited.