The party of scouts soon overtook him and led the way.

As they approached the spot through the silent trails which threaded the wide solitudes, they came upon many signs of Indians being around.

The scouts gave the alarm, and the main body of the army came up.

The troops under Jackson amounted to about one thousand men.

It was the evening of January 23d, 1814.
The camp-fires were built, supper prepared, and sentinels being carefully stationed all around to prevent surprise, the soldiers, protected from the wintry wind only by the gigantic forest, wrapped themselves in their blankets and threw themselves down on the withered leaves for sleep.