FIGHTING THE INDIANS OF THE NORTHWEST

John Hutchison Buell was one of the minutemen who in April 1775 marched from their homes in Connecticut to join the patriot army assembling around Boston. Later he joined the Continental Army as an ensign. He served in Washington's army throughout the Revolution, and at the end of the war was a major. After the Continental Army disbanded he became a major in the Second Regiment of Infantry, United States Army. In March 1793 he was ordered to join the force of Major General Anthony Wayne, then stationed on the western frontier. He rode a horse from Connecticut via New York City, Philadelphia, and westward through Pennsylvania to Legionville, twenty miles northwest of "Pittsburgh." Legionville was then the headquarters of Major General Anthony Wayne. Buell was introduced to the general and invited to dine with him.

General Wayne was in the Indian country with a newly organized force called the United States Legion (Legion of the United States, Ed.), to make peace with the hostile Indians, either by negotiation or force. During the decade following the Revolution the United States had suffered a series of military disasters in the Northwest Territory. An increasing stream of immigrants had entered the Ohio region; but England, still sullen towards the United States and anxious to control the fur trade, had, in violation of the treaty of 1785, retained possession of a number of frontier forts.

British agents incited the Indians to murder settlers, until by 1790, the savages were in open war with the Americans. In September of that year General Josiah Harmar, commander of the tiny U.S. Army, campaigned with a thousand troops against the Indians in the Maumee Valley. After being defeated twice, he gave up the effort. These and other Indian victories encouraged the savages to commit further atrocities.

In September 1791 General Arthur St. Clair took command, and built two posts in the Indian country. On November 4 he was attacked in his camp before daylight and his force virtually destroyed. Most of his officers, together with some 900 men, were killed, but St. Clair escaped. Washington appointed Wayne to supplant St. Clair and to rehabilitate the Army and solve the Indian problem.

Major Buell joined Wayne's command just as it was about to occupy a base at Fort Washington (now Cincinnati), where it would await the efforts of government commissioners to make peace with the Indians; or to strike against the hostiles if the attempt failed.

A copy of Buell's diary was furnished by Mr. Walter Maynard, Buell's great-grandson, to the Military Service Institution of the United States, and was published in their Journal in the January-February and March-April 1907 issues. In reproducing portions of the journal, we have shortened the text and converted it from diary form to that of a narrative.-Editor.

We left Legionville on April 30, 1793 and decended the Ohio River in boats. A week later we arrived at Fort Washington and camped at nearby Hobsons Choice. Here we remained four months waiting to learn the results of the Indian treaty.

On September 10 General Wayne heard from the commissioners that the Indians refused to treat. At once he issued march orders; but there was some delay, and the column did not pass fort Hamilton, twenty-five miles north of Fort Washington, until October 9. We camped at Five Mile Spring and fortified our camp- our nightly custom.

On the 12th, while we were camped near Fort Jefferson, I was officer of the day and such commanded the rear guard. A light horseman from one of my flank guards came in and told me that there was heavy firing to the front. At the same time I was four miles to the rear of the main body. Captain Lee likewise came back and told me that the army was under attack. We could hear a rumbling noise; some said it was the wagons, others thought it was the guns. We went toward the sound and had not gone far before we heard guns distinctly- a very heavy fire. We hurried on as fast as possible, expecting every moment to be attacked. But when we got to within two miles of the fort we learned that it was a sham battle engaged in by Colonel Hamtramck's men. The main army had also been alarmed by this, supposing that the front guard was under attack. They had formed for action and loaded their guns.

We camped on the north west side of Miami River six miles from Fort Jefferson, and built a strong work around our encampment. On the 14th Lieutenant Lowery and Corporal Boyd, while on the road with twenty-six wagons five miles beyond Fort St. Clair, were killed by Indians. Thirteen men of their detachment were also killed and twenty others missing. The Indians made off with sixty-two draft horses and the loads from some of the wagons. A detachment went out to bring the bodies to the fort and bury them, and to haul in the wagons.

The next day I was again officer of the day While making my rounds to inspect the guard, and while between two of the guard posts, and looking for a place to cross the creek, I was hailed by Captain Price. He called to me that he had seen several Indians near where I was, but a few minutes earlier. I turned and rode to headquarters to report this. While there, Cornet Blue was attacked, probably by the same Indians. He had thirty men guarding a horse herd while grazing. just after they got into the clearing Blue saw two Indians a little distance away. They ran, whereupon he ordered a charge, riding out in front with two sergeants and one soldier. They had gone about twenty rods when four Indians rose up from behind a log and shot both Sergeants dead. Blue turned his horse, expecting the rest of his men to be right behind him and, but they had all fled and gone to camp.