Soon after our return from Fort Madison runners came to our village
from the Shawnee Prophet. Others were despatched by him to the
village of the Winnebagoes, with invitations for us to meet him on the
Wabash. Accordingly a party went from each village.

All of our party returned, among whom came a prophet, who explained to
us the bad treatment the different nations of Indians had received
from the Americans, by giving them a few presents and taking their
land from them.

I remember well his saying: "If you do not join your friends on the
Wabash, the Americans will take this very village from you!" I little
thought then that his words would come true, supposing that he used
these arguments merely to encourage us to join him, which we concluded
not to do. He then returned to the Wabash, where a party Of
Winnebagoes had preceded him, and preparations were making for war. A
battle soon ensued in which several Winnebagoes were killed. As soon
as their nation heard of this battle, and that some of their people
had been killed, they sent several war parties in different
directions. One to the mining county, one to Prairie du Chien, and
another to Fort Madison. The latter returned by our village and
exhibited several scalps which they had taken. Their success induced
several parties to go against the fort. Myself and several of my band
joined the last party, and were determined to take the fort. We
arrived in the vicinity during the night. The spies that we had sent
out several days before to watch the movements of those at the
garrison, and ascertain their numbers, came to us and gave the
following information: "A keel arrived from below this evening with
seventeen men. There are about fifty men in the fort and they march
out every morning to exercise." It was immediately determined that we