WAYNE'S SCOUTS.

963

intrepid hero of Stony Point, General Anthony Wayne. This selection was made despite the opposition of, or as Governor Lee of Virginia puts it, "to the extreme disgust among, all orders in the Old Dominion." But the President had selected Wayne not hastily, nor through partiality or influence, and no idle words affected him.

In June, 1792, Wayne moved westward to Pittsburgh, and proceeded to organize the army, which was to be the ultimate arbitrator between the Americans and the Indian confederation. Through the summer of 1792 the preparations of the soldiers were steadily attended to. " Train and discipline them for the service they are meant for," said Washington, "and do not spare powder and lead, so the men be made marksmen." In December, 1792, the forces, now recruited and trained, were gathered at a point about twenty-two miles below Pittsburgh, on the Ohio, in a camp which was called Legionville, the army itself having been denominated the Legion of the United States.

While Wayne's army was gathering and practicing target-shooting, the peace measures of the United States were pressed with equal perseverance. In the first place, an expedition was sent to examine the field of the late disastrous conflict. This body reached the place of their destination in February, 1792, and from the letter of Captain Buntin to St. Clair, relative to what was found there, we take the following passage: " In my opinion, those unfortunate men who fell into the enemy's hands with life were used with the greatest torture   having their limbs torn off; and the women have been treated with the most indecent cruelty, having stakes as thick .as a person's arm drove through their bodies." Next there were peace commissioners sent to the various tribes. In the spring of that year Colonel Trueman repaired to the Miami villages with friendly messages, offering reasonable terms. Other peace messengers were sent to the Indians on the lower Wabash, accompanied by the Moravian missionary, John Heckewelder, to effect a friendly adjudication of the difficulties with the tribes.