Annexed is a view of the cottage at Martin's Ferry in which, March 1, 1837, was born WM. DEAN HOWELLS, who is considered "America's Leading Writer of Fiction." The structure was of brick and was destroyed to make way for the track of the Cleveland and Pittsburg railway. It was drawn at our de

lars per week, which was the first money he earned and received as his own. This he turned into the uses of the family to help fight the wolf from the door. While there, conjointly with a brother compositor, John J. Piatt, he put forth a volume of poetry. Later he contributed poems to the Atlantic

sire from memory by the venerated father of the author, who built it and is now living in a pleasant old age at Jefferson, Ashtabula county.

The Howells away back were of literary tastes, of Welsh stock and Quakers. When the boy was three years of age the family removed to Butler county, where his father published a newspaper, the Hamilton Intelligencer, and William while a mere child learned to set type. From thence they removed to Dayton, where the elder Howells purchased the Dayton Transcript and changed it into a daily. His sons aided him in the type-setting, William often working until near midnight and then rising at four o'clock to distribute the paper. The enterprise illustrated industry against ili fate. After a twoyears' struggle Mr. Howells one day announced to his sons the enterprise was a failure, whereupon they all went down to the Big Miami and took a good swim to freshen up for another tug with fate.

In 1851, when fourteen years of age, he got a position as compositor on the Ohio State Journal at Columbus. His pay was four doi

WM. DEAN HOWELLS.

Monthly, was a newspaper correspondent, wrote a campaign life of Lincoln: from 1861 to 1864 was consul at Venice; from 1866 to 1872 was assistant editor of the Atlantic Monthly, and then until 1881 editor-in-chief. Mr. Howells works in a field which is preeminently his own-that of social life. He has a happy home, wife and children in Beacon St., Boston, where he devotes his mornings to writing, usually completing at a sitting a trifle more than what would make one-anda-half pages as this in which our printer sets these lines-say 1500 words a day.

Battle with Tecumseh.-In the month of March, 1792, some horses were stolen by the Indians, from the settlements in Mason county, Ky. A party of whites, to the number of thirty-six, was immediately raised for the purpose of pursuing them. It embraced Kenton, Whiteman, M'Intyre, Downing, Washburn, Calvin and several other experienced woodsmen. The first named, Simon Kenton, a distinguished Indian fighter, was placed in command. The trail of the Indians being taken, it was found they had crossed the Ohio, just below the mouth of Lee's creek, which was reached by the pursuing party towards evening. Having prepared rafts, they crossed the Ohio that night, and encamped. Early next morning the trail was again taken and pursued, on a north course, all day, the weather being bad and the ground wet. On the ensuing morning, twelve of the men were unable to continue the pursuit, and were permitted to return.

The remainder followed the trail until eleven o'clock A. M., when a bell was heard, which they supposed indicated their approach to the Indian camp. A halt was called, and all useless baggage and clothing laid aside.

Whiteman and two others were sent ahead as spies, in different directions, each being

followed by a detachment of the party. After moving forward some distance, it was found that the bell was approaching them. They halted, and soon perceived a solitary Indian riding towards them. When within one hundred and fifty yards, he was fired at and killed. Kenton directed the spies to proceed, being now satisfied that the camp of the Indians was near at hand. They pushed on rapidly, and after going about four miles. found the Indians encamped on the southeast side of the east fork of the Little Miami, a few miles above the place where the town of Williamsburg has since been built. The indications of a considerable body of Indians were so strong, that the expediency of an attack at that hour of the day was doubted by Kenton. A hurried council was held, in which it was determined to retire, if it could be done without discovery, and lie concealed until night, and then assault the camp. This plan was carried into execution. Two of the spies were left to watch the Indians, and ascertain whether the pursuing party had been discovered. The others retreated for some distance, and took a commanding position on a ridge. The spies watched until night, and then reported to their commander that they had not been discovered by the

enemy. The men being wet and cold, they were now marched down into a hollow, where they kindled fires, dried their clothes, and put their rifles in order.

The party was then divided into three detachments,-Kenton commanding the right, M'Intyre the centre, and Downing the left. By agreement, the three divisions were to move towards the camp, simultaneously, and when they had approached as near as possible, without giving an alarm, were to be guided in the commencement of the attack, by the fire from Kenton's party. When Downing and his detachment had approached close to the camp, an Indian rose upon his feet, and began to stir up the fire, which was but dimly burning. Fearing a discovery, Downing's party instantly shot him down. This was followed by a general fire from the three detachments, upon the Indians who were sleeping under some marquees and bark tents, close upon the margin of the stream. But unfortunately, as it proved in the sequel, Kenton's party had taken Boone," as their watch-word. This name happening to be as familiar to the enemy as themselves, led to some confusion in the course of the engagement. When fired upon, the Indians, instead of retreating across the stream, as had been anticipated, boldly stood to their arms, returned the fire of the assailants, and rushed upon them. They were reinforced, moreover, from a camp on the opposite side of the river, which, until then, had been unperceived by the whites. In a few minutes, the Indians and the Kentuckians were blended with each other, and the cry of Boone," and "Che Boone, arose simultaneously from each party.

It was after midnight when the attack was made, and there being no moon, it was very dark. Kenton, perceiving that his men were likely to be overpowered, ordered a retreat, after the attack had lasted for a few minutes; this was continued through the remainder of the night and part of the next day, the Indians pursuing them but without killing more than one of the retreating party. The Kentuckians lost but two men, Alexander M'Intyre and John Barr. The loss of the Indians was much greater, according to the statements of some prisoners, who, after the peace of 1795, were released and returned to Kentucky. They related that fourteen Indians were killed, and seventeen wounded. They stated further, that there were in the camp about one hundred warriors, among them several chiefs of note, including Tecumsch, Battise, Black Snake, Wolf and Chinskau; and that the party had been formed for the purpose of annoying the settlements in Kentucky, and attacking boats descending the Ohio river. Kenton and his party were three days in reaching Limestone, during two of which they were without food, and destitute of sufficient clothing to protect them from the cold winds and rains of March. The foregoing particulars of this expedition are taken from the manuscript narrative of Gen. Benjamin Whiteman, one of the early

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and gallant pioneers to Kentucky, now a resident of Greene county, Ohio.

The statements of Anthony Shane and of Stephen Ruddell, touching this action, vary in some particulars from that which has been given above, and also from the narrative in

McDonald's Sketches.' The principal difference relates to the number of Indians in the engagement, and the loss sustained by them. They report but two killed, and that the Indian force was less than that of the whites. Ruddell states, that at the commencement of the attack, Tecumseh was lying by the fire, outside of the tents. When the first gun was heard, he sprang to his feet, and calling upon Sinnamatha to follow his example and charge, he rushed forward and killed one of the whites (John Barr) with his war-club. The other Indians, raising the war-whoop, seized their arms, and rushing upon Kenton and his party, compelled them, after a severe contest of a few minutes, to retreat. One of the Indians, in the midst of the engagement, fell into the river, and in the effort to get out of the water made so much noise that it created a belief on the minds of the whites that a reinforcement was crossing the stream to aid Tecumseh. This is supposed to have hastened the order from Kenton for his men to retreat.

The afternoon prior to the battle one of Kenton's men, by the name of M'Intyre, succeeded in catching an Indian horse, which he tied in the rear of the camp, and, when a retreat was ordered, he mounted and rode off. Early in the morning Tecumseh and four of his men set off in pursuit of the retreating party. Having fallen upon the trail of M'Intire, they pursued it for some distance and at length overtook him. He had struck a fire and was cooking some meat. When M'Intyre discovered his pursuers he instantly fled at full speed. Tecumseh and two others followed and were fast gaining on him, when he turned and raised his gun. Two of the Indians, who happened to be in advance of Tecumseh, sprung behind trees, but he rushed upon M'Intyre and made him prisoner. He was tied and taken back to the battle-ground. Upon reaching it Tecumseh deemed it prudent to draw off his men, lest the whites should rally and renew the attack. He requested some of the Indians to catch the horses, but they hesitating, he undertook to do it himself, assisted by one of the party. When he returned to camp with the horses, he found that his men had killed M'Intyre. At this act of cruelty to a prisoner he was exceedingly indignant, declaring that it was a cowardly act to kill a man when tied and a prisoner. The conduct of Tecumseh in this engagement and in the events of the following morning is creditable alike to his courage and humanity. Resolutely brave in battle, his arm was never uplifted against a prisoner, nor did he suffer violence to be inflicted upon a captive without promptly rebuking it.

McDonald, in speaking of this action,

says: