This is probably the origin of the "26 dead" story; the "over 40" being merely a flourish.

Ramsey gives a story about Isaac Shelby rallying the whites to victory, and later writers of course follow and embellish this; but Shelby's MS.
autobiography (see copy in Col.

Durrett's library at Louisville) not only makes no mention of the battle, but states that Shelby was at this time in Kentucky; he came back in August or September, and so was hundreds of miles from the place when the battle occurred.

Ramsey gives a number of anecdotes of ferocious personal encounters that took place during the battle.

Some of them are of very doubtful value--for instance that of the man who killed six of the most daring Indians himself (the total number killed being only thirteen), and the account of the Indians all retreating when they saw another of their champions vanquished.