Meanwhile, the rest of the American army was impatiently awaiting their opportunity. When Jackson, as eager as they, had placed his troops in position, he sent forward a flag of truce, with an interpreter to summon Weatherford to surrender. The moment the flag came within range, the Creeks fired upon it. The bearer hurried back with a report of his inhospitable reception. The battle which opened lasted for five hours, and was fought with the fierceness that marked the great Swamp Fight in New England, more than a hundred years before. The triumph of the Americans was overwhelming. They had twenty-five killed and more than a hundred wounded, while the loss of the Creeks reached the fearful total of six hundred, besides two hundred and fifty women and children prisoners. The blow was one of the most crushing ever delivered in the history of Indian warfare. None of the Creeks was so blind as not to see that the only escape from utter destruction was by making peace on the best terms possible, with the whites. Chiefs and warriors began coming into the American camp and offering their submission. Whenever they did so, the eagle-eyed Jackson scanned each dusky face, and asked the name of the leader before him. He wanted to secure Weatherford, and left no doubt of his purpose to shoot him for the horrible crime of Fort Mimms. He was willing to accept the surrender of any and all chiefs, with the one exception of the arch-fiend, who had placed himself outside the pale of civilized warfare. But Weatherford did not appear. He may have been too proud to surrender, but it is as likely he feared to put himself in the power of the stern leader of the Americans. Afraid the Creek sachem would not appear, and determined to get him, Jackson told several chiefs that he would accept their submission, but, before doing so, they must prove their earnestness by bringing Weatherford to him, securely bound. When these chiefs, at Jackson's command, went to Weatherford with the message, he replied: "I shall never be delivered to him bound a captive." Some time later General Jackson was busy with certain papers, when a tall, fine looking Indian stalked into his tent. "I am Weatherford," said he; "I am the chief who commanded at Fort Mimms; I have come to ask peace for my people." "I am surprised that you should appear in my presence," replied the general, studying the visitor from head to foot; "I know of your wicked conduct at Fort Mimms, for which you deserve death; my orders were that you should not be seen here until you were bound; had that been done, I should have known how to deal with you."