He spent the winter at Cincinnati. When spring opened, he and Duke—wanderers upon the face of the planet—drifted into Kentucky, where General Green Clay was raising a regiment of militia to re-enforce the garrison of Fort Meigs, upon the Maumee. Douglas joined the command in his old capacity of scout and guide, and with it marched toward the seat of war. [Illustration] CHAPTER XIV. In the latter part of April, 1813, General Harrison, commander-in-chief of the Western troops, was at Fort Meigs, upon the Maumee. War between the United States and Great Britain had been declared in June, 1812. In July, Fort Mackinaw had fallen into the hands of the English; in August, Hull had basely surrendered at Detroit, and the Americans had met defeat at the River Raisin. In the early autumn—September—the Prophet’s braves had laid siege to Forts Wayne and Harrison, but had been unsuccessful at both places. Thus had closed the year. In the early part of 1813, the Western campaign had opened in earnest. In January, General Winchester had been defeated and captured at Frenchtown. Immediately following this battle—or massacre, rather—General Harrison had moved forward to the rapids of the Maumee, and begun the construction of Fort Meigs. Here he had assembled all the troops at his disposal, intending to recover the ground lost through Hull’s cowardice and Winchester’s incapacity. But the weather had continued unfavorable; and the commander had returned to the interior of the state, with the view of raising re-enforcements. Hardly had he set to work, however, when he received word that a large force of the enemy was marching to attack the garrison upon the Maumee. The general had returned with all possible expedition, arriving at the fort on the twentieth of April. Fort Meigs—so named in honor of the illustrious governor of Ohio—was situated upon the south bank of the Maumee, at the foot of the rapids. It stood upon high ground, about sixty feet above the surface of the river; and its walls of earth and heavy timbers inclosed nearly ten acres. In outline it resembled an irregular “D”—the curved portion of the letter facing the stream. At each of the angles of the outer wall, was a strong blockhouse; and traverses of earth were thrown up inside of the inclosure, to protect the occupants from the shells of an attacking army. The fort was a depot of stores of all kinds, for the approaching campaign; and at the time of General Harrison’s return from the interior was garrisoned by about five hundred men—regulars and volunteers.