13. The British continued to incite Indian attacks in 1781 and 1782
In August 1782, yet another large Indian force crossed the Ohio River into Kentucky. By that time, the settlers and militia had developed a system of supporting each other. Settlements under attack sent messengers at the first sign of trouble to other nearby stations. Each responded with detachments to the trouble spot, usually on horseback. In this manner, troops could be shifted between the stockaded settlements without overly weakening any of them. The system failed when the British brought regulars along with artillery as part of the attack, since none of the stockades were capable of withstanding artillery bombardment for any length of time.
The force which crossed that August was almost entirely comprised by Wyandot and Shawnee, commanded by William Caldwell of Butler’s Rangers. Simon Girty led the Indians, the majority of them Wyandot. Girty was a hated and feared man in the frontier settlements. Though he had at times intervened on behalf of white captives, saving them from torture or death, he was also well known as a ruthless fighter and the taker of many white scalps. The force led by Girty was nominally commanded by American Loyalists, William Campbell, Alexander McKee, and Matthew Elliott. But it was to Girty that the Indians answered, and the size of their contingent for all practical purposes gave him the command of the powerful force of nearly 400 warriors.