Resurrecting the First American West

and always do more than he did,) about one hour by sun we marchd & fell in the rear of the [foot] about 8 miles thru a thick settled country of fine farms & Houses on the bank of Detroit River & lake St. Clair the foot then Halted & we took the front and after marching about twenty miles up the border of Lake St. Clair over a fine level sandy road, we were met by six deserters who informed us that Genl Proctor and his army with Gnl Tecumsseh & twelve hundred Indians were about 15 miles above the mouth of the River Trench or Thames that they had left him about one oClock onyesterday. it was near sunset when we g ot this information but it infused new life into our Regiment and we marchd on four miles farther & [illegible] in a skirt of Woods between the Lake of [Prararie?] below the mouth of a large Creek with five or six good Houses and farms in sight 24 miles above Sandwich the foot troops encampt immediately in our rear in two long lines on the borders of the Lake -- Great exertions were made by the whole army to overtake the British and Indians, three schooners loaded with provisions & about fifty boats accompanied us with a fine breeze in their rear two of our large ships had passed us the day before & had anchord at the mouth of the River Thames so that Providence seems to aid

88 us in all our movements. I had a remarkable Dream last night which I communicated to my [Mrs?] in the morning assuring them that I had a firm confidence in taking either Tecumseh or Proctor but I believd that we would only get one of them it was as follows that I was annoyed by a Rattlesnake that had been considerd as an old offender in a certain place, that after a considerable struggle we caught and killed him and cut off his head, this little circum: :stance impressed itself so strong upon my mind that I felt a complete confidence in having a battle I thot we would have a victory which would [illegible] in the destruction of one of our old enemies, Id frequently assured my men not to dispair that I fully believed that we would overtake & conquer them - - - - October 3d. we marchd at day Light having first sent back 100 men to guard and bring up our artillery consisting of two six pounders drawn oncarriages we marchd very Rapidly 12 miles to the mouth of the River Thames around which is an open [prairie?] for several mils. Just above which there is two bad craeks [illegible[ over which is placed two bridges [here?] our Spies with Genl Harrison & Col Johnson with