The Prairie Fire Panic
the United States while their friends and kinsmen beyond the river were dying in foreign territory. The militia won their argument, while every solitary American who had already crossed the river was either killed or forced to surrender—250 killed and wounded, and 700 prisoners. The British lost 16 killed and 69 wounded. The total British force was estimated at 600 regulars with 500 militia and Indians. The Americans had 900 regulars and 2,270 militia.
A little later Gen. Proctor, who apparently succeeded Gen. Brock in command of the British, had penned up Gen. Harrison in Fort Meigs on the east bank of the Miami River. Proctor’s 983 regulars and militia with twelve hundred Indians, occupied both banks of the river. Twelve hundred Kentucky militia under Gen. Clay were moving down the Miami to Harrison’s support. Harrison sent orders for Clay to land eight hundred men on the west bank, spike the enemy’s cannon, and return to their boats—which eight hundred Americans easily accomplished. But instead
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