Show s Jy Notable November Indian fidian Battles r 0 0 1 pv y i 4 1 a ti W WT Wr T J r l ft II L GEM I By Dy y ELMO SCOTT WATSON approach of ot Not November ember brings with It Ui the anniversaries of ot two battles which notable T f II ASH In the Iou long history of ot our wars i f ff with the Indians Indian On Novem 2 0 00 O bet ber 4 one h hundred n and forty o years n nc ago o the tho Indians scored It io ono one of ot their r st successes I against the tt tarn men and andt t brought a slid euid ending to tho the thoI I military career of ot an nn who had an nu honorable record In the He Tw Twenty eaty years Later Inter on November 2 7 the situation was re ro- versed This time It was the tho white men who were triumphant and the victory started their heir leader on the road roud which led to the White House The two battles were the defeat of ot flen Geo Arthur I St. St Clair on the headwaters on the tho river In Ohio near the Indiana Ohio Indiana Ohio boundary line floe November 2 4 1701 liOl nod and the victory of ot Gen fen William Henry Harrison on III tho the river In Indiana on Not NO ember 7 1811 1311 Tho The St. St Clair defeat was ns the Iho climax of ot n a futile attempt by the organized newly-organized rind w weak cak federal government RO to subdue the tho tribes s of ot theold tho the old Northwest 2 who hind had been attacking Immigrants unfit grants along the tho Ohio rh ricer r and ruling raiding settlements settle settle- settlements ments In Ohio and Kentucky An expedition of or regulars and 1100 lIln I and Kentucky Kentucky Ken Ken- tucky militIa led by Gen Oen Josiah had hint teen been f sent lIt against the Indians In ITH li but hind hall mINI ended In fn failure Nut Next the tho United States tried to win pence peace In tho the Northwest t by treaty but hut this failed fabled 11 So another expedition was organized to proceed o against the savages lIVaR This time President Washington Wash ington gave the comma ml to Gen Con Arthur Arlhur St. St ClaIr who ho had lind served with him hum In the Itero- Itero St. St Clair was then sixty years ars of ago no and so seriously ly HI Ill that he lie was unable bitable to tn ride rIlle upon his horse and hind had to be carried In a n Utter litter lit Ut ter tr most of ot tho the time He lie IllUS was US totally Inexperienced Inell In Indian lighting ns as were wr most must of at his and his men composed of ot two small regiments of It newly organized regulars two rl regiments rem reg of ot six month levies Is and a IlIr large 1 body of ot untrained m militia II who were no better fitted for tor forthe forthe the stern task ahead of ot them than their lenders leaders The arms and equipment of ot St St. Chairs Chair's force torre Were of ot tho poorest sort rort the commissary nod and nodI I quartermaster departments wore were and the outlook for tho success of ot the expedition teemed seemed doubtful from the start When St. St Clair to t take ke command and found the miserable miser miser- able stuff of ot the nu- army which ho was wn to lend lead against the Indians tt who ho hail had repulsed Harmar he lie protested vigorously to his superiors Hut But they were wro either helpless to better conditions cr or lr Indifferent So on October 4 1701 the army got under underway underway way ay from Fort Washington St. St t. t Chars Char's troubles Increased as ns he hI advanced Men struggled straggled from the army despite warnings that they would be bo cut off otT by the Indians who were wre hanging on the flanks of ot the army desertions were frequent and there was little It If any discipline Most of the time they had to cut rut their way through the dense damp woods or drag drug their weary feet over oter sodden prairies Sickness Increased and the soldiers were greatly disheartened by the tho constant con con- 6 stant tant sniping t s attacks of ot stray war parties Ity y November NO 3 the army urmy had reached the tho east n t fork of ot the Wabash They were now near nar the principal Miami villages lIIas and It was St. St t. t plan to camp here and erect a small fort tort Here lIre lie he would leave the sick Kick and hl his extra baggage bague and push on to destroy the towns Its Ily now his army was reduced to less than 1400 1900 men They were camped In a n clearing on a narrow rise of ot ground surrounded on every l' side b by dense woods except for a narrow road which they thy had cut through the forest to get It to this place A small email creek ran mn through their camp which was pitched In the form of ot a long hollow square pitched In the tho form of ot n a long hollow square l Early 1 the next morning the tho men were paraded as es usual at sunrise It was a cold raw morning and they hurried through the parade to prepare their breakfast Suddenly the sound of ot rule ride shots bots was heard hard ahead and und a few tew moments later the firing became general Before St St. ClaIr could form torm his line the advance party of ot the militia had been routed by the tho Indians and came ramI running back buck across the stream tram They dashed through the camp throwing the regulars Into disorder St. St Clairs Clair's hastily rallied their men and poured In two quick volleys which drove the Indians back Into the woods for tor a moment t P tv E nut But the relief was only temporary For within with in a few tew moments St. St Clairs Clair's men found themselves them selves surrounded From c every tide side Ide the he Indians were pouring a n hot lire tire In upon them St St. Clair hind hall two small batteries of ot light ht guns and these were Immediately Hut But as S they roared out their volleys they covered cO the army with dense cloudy clouds of ot smoke through which tho the thomen men Inch tired aimlessly nt at the hlll hidden foe for The Iho soldiers sol sol- Biers diers were becoming more disorganized despite the efforts Torts of St. St Clair Chair and his to hoW boll the lino steady Ordering our one of ot his officers to lead n a charge chargo with the fl regiment of ot regulars he be took hd advantage of ot this diversion to begin his retreat lint Hut the moment that his undisciplined men started to retire along the narrow Durrow road panic struck them thUI In a n moment they lost nil all semblance of ot organ organ- The fhe retreat soon sown became n a rout and then n a wild 1111 light flight for tor safety As the sol soldiers run ran through the lie woods the Indians In followed close on their hel heels whooping 1110 demons They Thy sprang upon the unarmed men with and tomahawk and cut thrill then down with almost no For several miles the pursuit wn was continued The Tho only thin thing that sated n the army from annihilation was the fact tat that the Indians were In a n hurry to return to St. St Clairs Clair's camp cam for tor the rich booty which It contained As It was tins more than GOO COO of the tho Americans were wIre killed and nearly were seriously wounded Greatly encouraged 1 by their success the tribes of It the tho Northwest st continued their depredations and It was not until three thrle years later that the vigorous campaign of ot Mad Anthony Wayne culminating In the Hat Rattle Hattie tie of ot Fallen Timbers broke the tho power of ot the Indians and brought peace to the harried troll frontier tier In Waynes Wayne's army was WIlS a u young Virginian named William Henry Harrison who won the tho praise of ot otane Wayne ane for his bravery lr nUll and coolness at I Fallen alln Timbers Soon oon afterwards Lieutenant Harrison nit although hough he was only twenty three years jears ears old oldUS was US made commander of ot Fort Forta a Washington Wash h ington and later the President appointed him secretary i lIt of f the Northwest est territory Later w when hen the new nl territory of Indiana was vas established hed Harrison was made mallo Its lis lust t governor go and superintendent super of ot Indian affairs II By ISOn the Indian situation had again become critical Angered b by white encroachments upon their lands and by what they Ihy claimed were lre 10 lations of treaties the Indians were ripe for tr re- re volt tolt All they needed was a n leader II and HI this leader der F soon MIl II appeared He III was Tecumseh e 1 t chief of ot the thie es who dreamed again the dream Irlam of ot King Phililp and Pontiac for a n confederation of ot the Indian tribes to resist the advance nd of ot the white man i Tecumseh eh was Ir greatly ully aided In his project by his twin brother the Open Door commonly known as The Prophet who to Tecumseh s genius for tor leadership and organization added a religious appeal to influence the Indians to Join In their scheme Tecumseh did not want war until the Indians were strongly organized and some assurance of ot success was certain Early Karly In 1811 however howe It became apparent that hostilities would soon open The Unit United Id I'd States and Great Britain were on the verge of ot war British spies and agents were busy amon among the Indians seeking to win them to the I cause rause and the savages s were making numerous attacks on the frontier settlements In this emergency the resident President ordered Harrison to prepare for action militia from Ohio and Kentucky Ken tucky tucks and Indiana were called Into service and placed under his command nut But he be was ordered not to assume the offensive unless It was absolutely absolutely necessary Harrison however howe was Inclined to disregard these orders Tecumseh was then busy with hIs bis plans plana for the Indian confederation among the tribes of ot the South nut lint large num num- ISI fJ 1 1 B pl ST. ST CLAIR hers bers of ot warriors from the various northern tribes triLls hind hall assembled at nt The Prophets Prophet's Town on the banks of ot the Tippecanoe river r In Indiana Indian outrages s 's were lre Increasing and Harrison decided that the hie time had come for tor him to act net When It became known knO that he Intended to march against T The Prophets Prophet's Town volunteers volunteer from all nil over OHr the west wen t began blan pouring Into Harrl soli's solis ump camp nt at VIncennes Icy Ily the first of ot Novem o em her his Lis force torce consisted ld of nine companies of ot regulars regulars reg reg- ulars eight companies of ot Indiana militia and dragoons three thre companies of ot mounted riflemen mostly from Kentucky and n a small company o ot of scouts to cover lr his advance Harrison had hac learned well wIll his lessons In Indiana fighting from Wn Wayne nl and would not make the mistake that lint St St. Clair did dill After a march of ot five lI days s 's Harrison with hi his army of ot approximately 1100 men mn reached th the vicinity of ot The Prophets Prophet's Town not far from th the present city of ot Lafayette lad Ind On the night o of Not ember o 0 G he pitched his camp on a n piece o ot of high ground surrounded by hy a n swamp s He lIe Intended intended In In- tended to hold a n conference with The Prophet the next morning Fearful of ot treachery by th the Shawnee leader Harrison on posted n u strong guard gunn under experienced officers about his camp nn and ordered his men to sleep with their guns loaded and bayonets fixed Harrison's Harrisons experience In Indian warfare had taught him that It was ns n a wise precaution t to awaken his men mn early In the morning so as t to be prepared In to case the Indians Indian should attack lie Ile had Just arisen at about four o'clock In th the morning and was wn pulling on his boots when ashot n a shot broke the stillness s of the larl early morning It was followed a n moment later latr by a n volley olly o of shots One of ot the lie sentries had hall discovered ered n a number of ot Indian warriors creeping through th the underbrush towards to him He lie Immediately fired fire and his shot opened the battle The IndIans Indian Immediately charged but hut Harrison's Harrisons men were ready for tor them The line of ot militia wavered n nn and threatened to break anti run but hut the regulars regular stood firm and soon there was fighting on every side Harrison rode and down up lip the line on a white while horse encouraging his men nail and giving them a n fine example of ot coolness under fire Th The charge of ot the Indians was met mN by a withering tire from the deadly squirrel rifles of ot the Ken They Thy fell back but hut came on again a few minutes later Again aln Harris's Harriss me men lou poured I In a deadly volley tolley and as the savages savage watered wa and halted the Americans charged wit with the ba bayonet onet The Thie Prophets Prophet's braves brav's broke an and run ran In every direction The fierce firce little battle had line lasted less than titan two hours but Iut In that time nearly near near- ly Iy of Harrisons Harrison's n army ny were re killed or wound wound- Ill f-d. i The losses loss's of th the Indians were never neter learned but they were probably equally heavy y The battle buttle of ot Tippecanoe had hall far far rea re re- re It not only broke the up confederacy wh whIch ch Tecumseh lh had nearly completed bu It als also which Tecumseh had nearly completed but It als also united force re of Indians as ns their allies in th the comIng corn com tug tag war with the Americans Had hind Harris Harrison suffered the fate tate of ot St. St Clair the War of ot 1812 81 might have hate had a different ending But It t Is fa certain that lint another Indian triumph would have hate delayed white while settlement In this re re- gion Ion many years jears The Thc battle also had Important Im- Im political results it made HarrIson popular hero and In 1810 when the e w Whigs a that thit the saw w they had a chance to win the Presidency after afler the panic year of ot isiT 1837 had bad weakened the Democratic party larty they persuaded HarrIson to become their ran candidate The slogan an ot of TIp and Tyler too and the symbols ot of lob cabin the coon skin the and the lie hard elder barrel bar bar- rel proved to be potent ones and Harrison swept Into the White house HauFe was vas on a wave ot of char ular pop enthusiasm I Q t postern N v paper Union |