midnight
The militia had no tents , but slept with their clothes and bullet pouches on , and their guns under them , to keep them dry . The order of the encampment was a line of battle to resist a night attack ; and so , as every man slept opposite to his post in the line , there was nothing for the troops to do , in case of an assault , but to rise and take their position a few steps in the rear of the fires around which they had reposed . The guard of the night consisted of two captains ' commands of forty-two men and of four non-commissioned officers each and two subalterns ' guards of twenty men and non-commissioned officers each -- the whole amounting to about one hundred and thirty men , under command of a field officer of the day . The night was dark and cloudy , and after midnight there was a drizzling rain . At four o'clock in the morning of Nov. 7 , 1811 , Governor Harrison , according to practice , had risen , preparatory to the calling up of the troops , and was engaged , while drawing on his boots by the fire , in conversation with General Wells , Colonel Owens , and Majors Taylor and Hurst . The orderly drum had been roused to sound the reveille for the troops to turn out , when there came the report of a sentry 's rifle on the left flank , followed by a score of shots , and the morning air rang loud with the wild war-whoops of savages . In an instant the army was in line , the campfires were extinguished , and the governor mounted his horse and proceeded to the point of attack .