[Footnote: St.Clair's Letter to the Secretary of War, Nov.

9, 1791.] Parties of Indians were seen during the afternoon, and they skulked around the lines at night, so that the sentinels frequently fired at them; yet neither St.Clair nor Butler took any adequate measures to ward off the impending blow.

It is improbable that, as things actually were at this time, they could have won a victory over their terrible foes; but they might have avoided overwhelming disaster.
The Indians Surprise the Camp at Dawn.
On November 4th the men were under arms, as usual, by dawn, St.Clair intending to throw up entrenchments and then make a forced march in light order against the Indian towns.

But he was forestalled.

Soon after sunrise, just as the men were dismissed from parade, a sudden assault was made upon the militia, who lay unprotected beyond the creek.