The Winning of the West, Volume 4: Louisiana and the Northwest, 1791-1807 — John Shaqi
The Winning of the West, Volume 4: Louisiana and the Northwest, 1791-1807Roosevelt, Theodore
History
The Winning of the West, Volume 4: Louisiana and the Northwest, 1791-1807
Roosevelt, Theodore
Northwest, Old -- History; United States -- Territorial expansion; West (U.S.) -- History
defeat.
The Troops Gather at Fort Washington.
As the raw troops straggled to Pittsburgh they were shipped down the
Ohio to Fort Washington; and St. Clair made the headquarters of his army
at a new fort some twenty-five miles northward, which he christened Fort
Hamilton. During September the army slowly assembled; two small
regiments of regulars, two of six months' levies, a number of Kentucky
militia, a few cavalry, and a couple of small batteries of light guns.
After wearisome delays, due mainly to the utter inefficiency of the
quartermaster and contractor, the start for the Indian towns was made on
October the 4th.
The Army Begins its March.
The army trudged slowly through the deep woods and across the wet
prairies, cutting out its own road, and making but five or six miles a
day. It was in a wilderness which abounded with game; both deer and bear
frequently ran into the very camps; and venison was a common food.
[Footnote: Bradley MSS. The journal and letters of Captain Daniel
Bradley; shown me by the courtesy of his descendants, Mr. Daniel B.
Bradley of Southport, Conn., and Mr. Arthur W. Bradley of Cincinnati,
Ohio.] On October 13th a halt was made to build another little fort,
christened in honor of Jefferson. There were further delays, caused by
the wretched management of the commissariat department, and the march
was not resumed until the 24th, the numerous sick being left in Fort
Jefferson. Then the army once more stumbled northward through the
wilderness. The regulars, though mostly raw recruits, had been reduced
to some kind of discipline; but the six months' levies were almost worse
than the militia. [Footnote: Denny, October 29, 1791, etc.] Owing to the
long delays, and to the fact that they had been enlisted at various
times, their terms of service were expiring day by day; and they wished
to go home, and tried to, while the militia deserted in squads and
bands. Those that remained were very disorderly. Two who attempted to
desert were hung; and another, who shot a comrade, was hung also; but
even this severity in punishment failed to stop the demoralization.
St. Clair a Broken-down Man and His Subordinates
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