Show li T t- t November Notable er Y n Battle So v f. f 1 lt I IJ J j t r I I r J 1 J r I J y h A fi j y- y r I 5 t t 1 i t f tl t W Z u a- a I M S SW ti N t n I II l' l t t j a- a I I R GEM GLN HARRISON KARRISON By ELMO SCOTT WATSON l EID HI approach of November 1 I alt f brings with it theof the anniversaries of two battles which are notable In the long history of our wars r ri lilt i a with the Indians On November Novem Novem- li Q ber her 4 one hundred and forty forte fortyl ft l o 0 years ago the Indians se scored red I 6 one of ot their greatest successes against the white men and t. t L brought a sad ending to thin the theli theli li li military career of an officer who II H H U had lead made an anin honorable record G GErT ST 4 In the Revolution Twenty years later ater on nn November 7 the situation was re- re GEM GLN HARRISON KARRISON By ELMO SCOTT WATSON EID HI approach of November brings with it theof the anniversaries of two battles which are notable In the long history of our wars lilt i a with the Indians On November Novem Novem- ft 0 li Q ber her 4 one hundred and forty forte fortyl l o years ago the Indians se scored red I 6 one of ot their greatest successes against the white men and t. t L brought a sad ending to thin the theli theli li li military career of an officer who U had lead made an anin honorable record 4 In the Revolution Twenty years later ater on nn November 7 the situation was re- re versed d. d This time it was vas the white men who ho were triumphant and the Ule victory started their leader lender on the road which led to the White House The two battles were the defeat of Gen Arthur St. St St St. Clair Glair on the headwaters on the Wabash river river In Ohio near the Indiana Ohio Indiana OhIO boundary line November 4 4 1791 and the victory of ot Gen William Henry Harrison on the TIppecanoe river In Indiana on November 7 1811 1511 The St. St Clair defeat was the climax of n a futile attempt by the organized newly-organized and weak federal government go to subdue the tribes of theold the theold theold old Northwest who ho had been attacking immigrants Immigrants Immigrants grants along the Ohio Oho river ri and raiding settlements settlements settlements settle settle- ments In Ohio and Kentucky An expedition of ot regulars and 1100 Pennsylvania and Kentucky Kentucky Ken Ken- tucky mIlItia led b by Gen Josiah Harmar had been sent against the Indians In 1700 1790 but had ended in failure Next Neat the United States tried to win ln peace In the Northwest by treaty but this failed So another expedition was organIzed to proceed against the savages This Tills time President WashIngton Washington Wash Wash- ington gave the command to Gen Arthur St. St Clair who iho ho had served wIth him In the Revolution Revo Revo- lution St St. Clair was as then sixty years sears of age and so seriously ill that he was unable to ride upon his horse and had to be carried In a litter litter lit lit- ter most of the time He was totally inexperienced Inexperienced inexperIenced in Indian fighting as were most of ot his officers and anu his men composed of ot two t small re regiments of organized newly-organized regulars two regiments reg of six-month six levies and a large body of untrained entrained militia who were no better fitted for forthe forthe forthe the stern task ahead of ot them than their leaders The arms and equipment of St. St Clairs Clair's force were of the poorest sort the commissary and quartermaster departments were inefficient and the outlook for the success of ot the expedition seemed doubtful from the start When St. St ClaIr arrived to take command and found the miserable miserable miserable miser miser- able stuff of or the army which he was to lead against the Indians who had repulsed Harmar he protested vigorously to his superiors But they were either helpless to better conditions or indifferent So on October 4 1791 the arm army got under underway underway underway way from Fort Washington St. St Clairs Clair's troubles Increased as he advanced Men Ien straggled from the army despite warnings that they would be cut off oft by the Indians who were hanging on the flanks of the army desertions were frequent and there was little if any discipline Most of ot the time they had to cut their way through the dense damp woods or drag their weary venry feet over o sodden Bodden prairies Sickness increased and the soldiers were greatly disheartened by the constant con conS stant mant sniping attacks of stray war ar parties By November 3 the army had reached the east fork of the Wabash They were now near tho the principal Miami villages and It was St. St Glair's Clars plan to camp here and erect a small fort Here he would leave the sick and his extra baggage and push on to destroy the towns By now his army was reduced to less than 1400 men They were camped romped in a clearing on a narrow rise gist of ground surrounded on every ery side by dense woods except for a narrow road which they had cut ut through the forest to get to this place A small email creek ran through their camp which was pitched In the form of a long hollow square pitched In the form of a long hollow square Early the next neat morning the men were paraded as usual at sunrise It was a cold raw morning and they hurried through the parade to prepare their breakfast Suddenly the sound of ot rifle shots was heard ahead and a few moments later the firing became general Before St St. Clair could form his line Une the advance party of the militia had been routed by the Indians and came running back bacle across the stream They dashed through the camp throwing the regulars into disorder St. St Clairs Clair's officers hastily rallied their men and poured in two quick volleys which drove dron the Indians back into the woods for a moment v. v But the relief was only temporary For within within within with with- in a few moments St. St Clairs Clair's men found themselves themselves themselves them them- selves surrounded From every side the Indians were pouring a n hot fire In upon them St St. Clair Glair had two small batteries of ot light guns and these were immediately unlimbered But Dut as they UleY roared out their volleys olle s 's they covered the army with dense clouds of smoke through which themen the tho thomen themen men fired aimlessly at the hidden foe The soldiers soldiers sol sot diers diem were ere becoming more disorganized despite the efforts of St. St ClaIr and his to hold the line steady Ordering one of his officers to lead a charge chare with the regiment of regulars he took advantage antage of this diversion erslon to begin his retreat But the moment that his undisciplined men started to retire along the narrow road panic struck them In In Inn a n moment they lost all semblance of organ organ- The retreat soon became a rout and then a wild ild flight for safety As the soldiers ran through the woods the Indians Indians In In- followed close on their heels whooping like demons They sprang upon the unarmed men with l nife and tomahawk and cut them down with almost no For several miles the pursuit was continued The only thing that sa saved sayed od the army from annihilation was the fact that the Indians were ere In a hurr hurry to return to St. St Clairs Clair's camp for the rich booty which It contained As It was more than GOO COO of ot the Americans were killed and nearly were seriously wounded Greatly encouraged by their success the tribes of the Northwest continued their depredations and it was not until three years later that the vigorous campaign of ot Mad Iad Anthony Wayne culminating In the Battle of ot Fallen Timbers broke the power of ot the Indians and brought peace to the harried frontier In Waynes Wayne's army was a young Virginian named William Henry Harrison who won the praise of Wa Wayne ne for his bravery and coolness at Fallen Timbers Soon afterwards Lieutenant Harrison although he was only twenty three three years Jears old oid was made commander of or Fort Wash Wash- Washington Washington ington and later the President appointed him secretary of the Northwest territory Later when the new territory of ot Indiana was established Harrison was made its first governor and super- super l i of Indian affairs By 1809 the Indian Indan situation had again become critical Angered by y white encroachments upon their lands and by what the they claimed were violations vio lations of treaties the Indians were ripe for tor re- re volt All they needed was a leader and this leader soon appeared He was Tecumseh chief of the Shawnees who dreamed again the dream of King Phillip and Pontiac for a confederation of ot the tho Indian tribes to resist the advance of the white man Tecumseh was vas greatly aided In his project by his twin brother the Open Door commonly known as The rhe Prophet who to Tecumseh's genius for tor lea 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 I Early In 1811 however It became apparent that hostilities would soon open The United States and Great Britain were vere on the verge of war British spies and agents were busy among the Indians Indans seeking to win them to the English cause and the savages were making numerous attacks on the frontier settlements In this emergency the President ordered Harrison to prepare for action militia from Ohio and Kentucky Kentucky Ken Ken- tucky and Indiana were called Into service and placed under his command But he was ordered not to assume the offensive unless It was absolutely absolutely absolutely necessary Harrison however was Inclined to disregard these orders Tecumseh was then busy with his plans for tor the Indian confederation among the tribes of the South Sooth But large num bers s of warriors from the various northern tribes had assembled at The Prophets Prophet's Town on OD the banks of the Tippecanoe river In Indiana Indian outrages were increasing and Harrison decided that the time had hind come ome for him to act acl When It became known that he Intended to march against The Prophets Prophet's Town volunteer volunteers from all ov over r the west began pouring Into Harrisons Harrison's HarrIsons Harrlson's HarrI Harrl sons son's camp at VIncennes By the first of Novem November November ber his force consisted of nine companies of regulars regulars reg reg- ulars eight companies of ot Indiana militia and dragoons three companies of mounted riflemen mostly from Kentucky and a small company of 01 scouts to cover his advance Harrison arrison had learned well his lessons In In Indiana ana fighting from Wayne Vayne and would not make the mistake that St St. Clair Glair did I After Alter a march of ot five days Harrison with his army of approximately 1100 men reached the vicinity of The Prophets Prophet's Town Iown not far from the present city of ot Lafayette Ind On the night of November G 6 he pitched his camp on a piece of ot high ground surrounded by a swamp He De Intended In tended to hold a conference with The rhe Prophet the next morning Fearful of treachery by the Shawnee leader Harrison posted a strong guard und under r experienced officers about his camp and ordered his men to sleep with their guns loaded and bayonets fixed Harrisons Harrison's experience In Indian warfare had taught him that it was a wise precaution to awaken his men early In the morning so as to be prepared In case the Indians should attack He had ju Just t arisen at about four o'clock In the morning and was pulling on his boots when a 11 ashot shot broke the stillness of ot the early morning It was followed a moment later by a volley of ot shots One of ot the sentries had discovered n a number of Indian warriors creeping through the underbrush towards him He Ie Immediately fired and his shot opened the battle The Indians Immediately charged but Harrisons Harrison's men were ready for them The line of ot militia wavered and threatened to break and run but the regulars stood firm and soon there was fighting on every side Harrison rode up and down the line on a white horse encouraging his men and giving them a fine example of ot coolness under fire The charge of ot the Indians was met by a withering fire from the deadly squirrel rifles of the Ken Ken- They fell back but came on again a few v minutes later Again Harrisons Harrison's men poured In a deadly volle volley and as the savages wavered and halted the Americans charged with wIth the bayonet ayon t. t The Prophets Prophet's braves broke and ran In ever every direction The fierce little battle had lasted less than two hours but in that time nearly near near- ly of Harrisons Harrison's army were killed or wound wound- ed The losses of the Indians radians were never learned but they were probably equally heavy The battle of Tippecanoe had far reachIng re re- re- re suits It not only broke up the confederacy which Tecumseh had nearly completed bu it also which Tecumseh had nearly completed but it also united force of ot Indians as their allies In the COming com corn ing lag war with the Americans Had Harrison suffered the fate of St. St Clair Glair the War of ot 1812 might have had a different ending But It Is certain that another Indian trIumph would have dela delayed ed white settlement in this r region re- re gion glen many years The battle also had im- im Important important Im- Im political results It made Harrison popular hero and In 18 10 when the n a that they y had a chance to win the Whigs Presidency saw sa w after the panic year of or 1837 had weakened th the e Democratic party they persuaded Harrison to become their candidate The slogan of ot Tin TIp pe anoe and Tyler too and the s symbols gels of ot Vh the lob cabin the coon skin and the hard cider barrel barrel bar bar- rel proved to be potent ones and Harrison swept into the tho White House on a wave o ot of wn Was ular enthusiasm pop POD bj bl Western N Newspaper r Culo |