following the relief army to fort harrison was a party of thirteen soldiers under lieutenant fairbanks of the seventh infantry escorting a supply wagon loaded with flour and meat. on september 13, 1812, the supply wagon was ambushed by a potawatomi war party at a section of the trail known as the narrows, an area near modern fairbanks, indiana, which has many ravines that serve as tributaries to prairie creek. when the ambush was launched, the draft horses panicked and ran away with the wagon. only two men – the wagoneer, john black, and private edward perdue – managed to escape back to fort knox alive, although perdue was discharged due to the severe wounds he received. luckily for the two survivors, the potawatomi gave chase to the runaway supply wagon. eleven soldiers and all the provisions were lost to the united states, and several potawatomi warriors had been killed or wounded.