Harrison to Secretary of War
Sir:
Your letter of the 18th ultimo I had the Honor to receive yesterday. My views have hitherto been limited to the erection of the Fort which we are now building and to a march by way of feint in the direction of the Prophet's Town as high perhaps as the Vermillion River. But the powers given me in your last letter and circumstances which have occurred here at the very moment on which it was received call for measures of a more energetic kind. I had always supposed that the Prophet was a rash and presumptuous man but he has exceeded by expectations. He has not contented himself with throwing the gauntlet but has absolutely commenced the war. His parties were in our neighbourhood for the first time on the night of the 10th inst. our Centinals were fired on and one of the best men of the 4th U. State Regiment badly tho not mortally wounded. The army was immediately turned out and formed in excellent order in a very few minutes. Patrols were dispatched in every direction but the darkness was such that pursuit of the enemy was impracticable. Other alarms took place in the course of the night probably without good cause but the Troops manifested an alertness in taking their positions which was highly gratifying to me. Previously to my leaving Vincennes I had sent to the Delaware Towns to request some of their Chiefs to meet me upon the march that I might employ them in Missions to the several Tribes which have a part of their warriors with the Prophet. All the Chiefs of this faithful tribe that were able to march set out from their Towns on the 6th Inst. They had proceeded but a few miles when they were met by a deputation from the Prophet's Town requiring from the Tribes a catagorical answer to the question "Whether they would or would not join them in the war against the United States—that they had taken up the Tomhawk and that they would lay it down only with their lives. They had however positive assurances of victory and when they had beaten the Americans, those Tribes who refused to join them would have cause to repent it". The Delaware Chiefs immediately dispatched the Interpreter Mr.
