Battle of Fallen Timbers
Battle of Fallen Timbers | |||||||
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Part of the Northwest Indian War | |||||||
Charge of the Dragoons at Fallen Timbers by R. T. Zogbaum, 1895 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States |
Northwestern Confederacy Lower Canada | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Anthony Wayne James Wilkinson Jean Hamtramck Charles Scott |
Blue Jacket Egushawa Little Turtle Buckongahelas William Caldwell | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
3,000 | 1,300 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
33 killed 100 wounded | 25–40 killed[A] | ||||||
The Battle of Fallen Timbers (20 August 1794) was the final battle of the
Major General "Mad Anthony" Wayne's Legion of the United States, supported by General Charles Scott's Kentucky Militia, were victorious against a combined Native American force of Shawnee under Blue Jacket, Ottawas under Egushawa, and many others. The battle was brief, lasting little more than one hour, but it scattered the confederated Native American forces. The U.S. victory ended major hostilities in the region. The following Treaty of Greenville and Jay Treaty forced Native American displacement from most of modern-day Ohio, opening it to White American settlement, along with withdrawal of the British presence from the southern Great Lakes region of the United States.
Prelude
In the 1783
In George Washington's first term as President of the United States, the U.S. launched two major campaigns to subdue the Western Confederacy and protect American colonizers from Indian attacks. The Harmar campaign in 1790 resulted in a significant victory for the confederacy and a U.S. retreat to Fort Washington. In May 1791, Lieutenant Colonel James Wilkinson launched what he thought was a clever raid at the Battle of Kenapacomaqua, Wilkinson killed 9 Wea and Miami, and captured 34 Miami as prisoners, including a daughter of Miami war chief Little Turtle.[3] Many of the confederation leaders were considering terms of peace to present to the United States, but when they received news of Wilkinson's raid, they readied for war.[4] Wilkinson's raid thus had the opposite effect, uniting the tribes against St. Clair. In 1791, a follow-up campaign was led by territorial governor Arthur St. Clair, which was decimated by combined native forces.[5]: 94
Following this devastating defeat, the area was now open to attacks from the British and or their allied native tribes in the west. The U.S. quickly appointed envoys to negotiate peace with the confederacy. Meanwhile, President Washington commissioned Major General "Mad" Anthony Wayne to recruit, and train a more effective, and larger force. If peace negotiations failed, Wayne was to bring U.S. sovereignty to the new borders.[6] Wayne commanded about 2,000 men, with Joseph Bartholomew, Choctaw and Chickasaw men serving as his scouts.[7] In the spring of 1793, Wayne moved the Legion from Pennsylvania downriver to Fort Washington, at a camp Wayne named Hobson's Choice because they had no other options.[8]
When Wayne received news that a grand council of the confederacy had not reached a peace agreement with U.S. negotiators, he moved his army north into Indian held territory. In November, the Legion built a new fort north of
Before departing Fort Recovery, Wayne sent a final offer of peace with two captured prisoners to the leaders of the confederation at
Wayne departed Fort Recovery on 17 August and pushed north, buttressed by about 1,000 mounted Kentucky militia under General Charles Scott. Native American scouts noted that the Legion only marched until early afternoon, then stopped to build a fortified encampment, making attack on camps less practical than in previous US campaigns.
Battle
The Legion advanced early the next morning, 20 August, while the Native Americans were on their 3rd day of fasting.[26] Due to morning rains, many warriors in the confederacy assumed there would be no battle, and retired to Fort Miami to break their fast.[32] Suspecting contact, Wayne ordered the Legion to march in compacted columns, and distributed the dragoons and artillery in the center of the column so that they could respond to an attack from any direction. A battalion of mounted Kentucky militia led the column, and had difficulty with the terrain.[33] The lead scouts were only about 100 yards into the center of the chosen battlefield when the Odawas and Potawatomis under Little Otter and Egushawa[34] fired their first volley, scattering the militia. Behind the militia were two companies of infantry from the 4th Sub-Legion under Captain John Cook, and he directed their initial volley at the Kentuckians, whom he considered to be fleeing the battle.[35] Soon, however, Cook's detachment fled the scene as advancing warriors initiated hand-to-hand fighting.[35]
The fleeing U.S. forces ran towards the left wing of the Legion's column, where Lieutenant Colonel
Captain Robert Campbell charged first, leading his company of dragoons across 60–100 yards with sabres drawn. Nearly a dozen of the dragoons were shot in the attack, and Captain Campbell was killed.[39] Wilkinson's dismounted infantry made a slow advance to support the dragoons, and the Odawas and Potawatomis ran and fled back to their positions. The pursuit was so lightly challenged that Wilkinson feared they were being led into a trap, and he paused to await instructions from Wayne.[40]
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Hamtramck advanced at trail arms and encountered the Wyandots, Lenape, and Canadians. A heavy exchange of fire ensued, and the confederate forces attempted to flank the 4th sub-legion. Instead, a brigade of Kentucky militia under Brigadier General Robert Todd moved quickly through the swamp and flanked the Canadians.[40] The 4th sub-legion pursued with fixed bayonets. The confederated forces retreated from their original positions, and were unable to effectively re-form in the rough terrain.[40]
Wilkinson eventually resumed a cautious advance along the ridge high above the Maumee River. On route to Fort Miami, the Native forces had to cross a ravine. The Odawa and Potawatomi attempted to regroup here. Egushawa was in command, but was wounded when he was shot through the eye. Little Otter was severely wounded, and was thrown on the back of a white horse and evacuated so he could not be captured by the Legion. Another Odawa chief, Turkey Foot, stood atop a large rock and urged the warriors to make their stand, but he was shot in the chest and died almost instantly.[41] According to Alexander McKee, the loss of so many confederate leaders made the Native American losses seem greater than they actually were, and many warriors fled to Fort Miami.[citation needed]
Beyond the ravine, the landscape was much more open, allowing the Legion to advance more quickly and giving dragoons a frightening advantage over dismounted warriors.[41] McKee, Matthew Elliot, and Simon Girty tried to rally the retreating forces one last time, but they were largely ignored. The retreat became a disorganized rout, except for the rear guard protection provided by the Canadians and Wyandots.[41]
The entire battle lasted an hour and ten minutes.
Wayne's army had lost 33 men and had about 100 wounded. They reported that they had found 30–40 dead warriors.[1] Alexander McKee, a official of the British Indian Department, reported that the Indian confederacy lost 19 warriors killed,[1] including Chief Turkey Foot of the Ottawa.[43] Six white men fighting on the Native American side were also killed, and Chiefs Egushawa and Little Otter of the Ottawa were wounded.[2]
Post hoc
Wayne's army encamped for three days in sight of Fort Miami. When Campbell asked the meaning of the encampment, Wayne replied that the answer had already been given by the sound of their muskets and the retreat of the Indians.[44] General Wayne had already determined that he could not take Fort Miami by force, because his howitzers were underpowered and he did not have enough provisions for an extended siege. Instead, to illustrate that the U.S. controlled the region, he rode alone to the walls of Fort Miami and slowly conducted an inspection of the fort's exterior.[45] The British garrison at Fort Miami debated whether or not to engage the Americans, but in the absence of orders and being already at war with France, Campbell declined to fire the first shot at U.S. forces.[45] The Legion, meanwhile, destroyed Indian villages and crops in the region of Fort Deposit, and burned Alexander McKee's trading post within sight of Fort Miami.[46] Despite the provocations, the British refused to open the gates to the fort. Wayne was as unwilling to start a war with Britain as Campbell was to start a war with the United States, and so finally, on 26 August, the Legion departed for Fort Recovery.[47]
Wayne expected a new attack, and even hoped for it while the Legion was at full strength. Although the Native Americans did not reform into a large army, small bands continued to harass the Legion's perimeter, scouts, and supply trains.[48] Although they resented the assignment, Wayne assigned the mounted militia to carry supplies between the chain of forts.[49] On 12 September, Wayne issued invitations for peace negotiations, but they went unanswered. Finally, on 15 September, Wayne led the Legion from Fort Defiance and marched unopposed for two days to the Miami capital of Kekionga, where they constructed Fort Wayne.[50] Wayne appointed Hamtramck as commandant of Fort Wayne and departed in late October, arriving at Fort Greenville on 2 November.[51] That winter, Wayne also reinforced his line of defensive forts with Fort St. Marys, Fort Loramie, and Fort Piqua.[citation needed]
Aftermath
Throughout the campaign, Wayne's second in command, General James Wilkinson, secretly tried to undermine him. Wilkinson wrote anonymous negative letters to local newspapers about Wayne and spent years writing negative letters to politicians in Washington, D. C. Wayne was unaware as Wilkinson was recorded as being extremely polite to Wayne in person. Wilkinson was also a Spanish spy at the time and was even hired as an officer.[52] Despite the significant US losses, Wilkinson regarded Fallen Timbers as a mere skirmish, saying the short battle "did not deserve the name of a battle."[42] Years later, a Native American warrior reflected that Little Turtle had warned that the Great Spirit would hide in a cloud if they did not make peace with Wayne. The rainy start to the day was a sign that they would lose.[42]
Parties began suing for peace in December. Antoine Lasselle arrived at Fort Wayne on 17 December with a group of Native Americans and
Henry Knox eventually alerted Wayne about Wilkinson's letters, and Wayne began an investigation. Wayne's suspicions were confirmed when Spanish couriers were intercepted with payments for Wilkinson. He attempted to
For decades following the battle, Odawas visited the battle site and left memorials at Turkey Foot Rock.[56]
The Northwest would remain largely peaceful until the
Many veterans of the Battle of Fallen Timbers would become known for their later accomplishments, including
Legacy
On 14 September 1929, the United States Post Office Department issued a stamp commemorating the 135th anniversary of the Battle of Fallen Timbers. The post office issued a series of stamps referred to as the 'Two Cent Reds' by collectors, issued to commemorate the 150th Anniversaries of the many events that occurred during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and to honor those who were there. The Fallen Timbers stamp features an image of the Battle of Fallen Timbers Monument, which was dedicated that same year.
National Park
For 200 years, the site of the Battle of Fallen Timbers was thought to be on the floodplain on the banks of the Maumee River, based upon documentation such as the map above and to the right (location of Fallen Timbers Monument). Dr. G. Michael Pratt, an anthropologist and faculty member at Heidelberg University (Ohio), correctly surmised the battlefield was 1/4 mile above the floodplain after considering documentation that described a ravine. The City of Toledo owned the area which was desirable for development. Although the City of Toledo initially refused archaeological exploration, in 1995 and 2001, Pratt was able to conduct archaeological surveys, which relied primarily on metal detection, which revealed musket balls, pieces of muskets, uniform buttons and a bayonet, confirming that major fighting had taken place at the site.[60][61]
Because of Pratt's archaeological work and advocacy the Fallen Timbers Preservation Commission, the land was granted
Fallen Timbers State Monument
The
References
Notes
Citations
- ^ a b c Gaff 2004, p. 327.
- ^ a b Sugden 2000, p. 180.
- ^ "Little Turtle (1752 – July 1812)". The Supreme Court of Ohio & The Ohio Judicial System. Archived from the original on 24 February 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
- ^ Sword 2003, p. 159.
- ^ )
- ^ Scott, Joseph C. "Anthony Wayne". George Washington's Mount Vernon. Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- ^ Pratt, G. Michael (1995). "The Battle of Fallen Timbers: An Eyewitness Perspective". Northwest Ohio Quarterly. 67: 5.
- ^ Gaff 2004, pp. 109–110.
- ^ Gaff 2004, pp. 173–175.
- ^ Gaff 2004, p. 184.
- ^ a b Nelson 1985, p. 252.
- ^ Gaff 2004, p. 234.
- ^ Hogeland 2017, p. 323.
- ^ Gaff 2004, pp. 288–289.
- ISBN 978-1598843446. Archivedfrom the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ a b Hunter, Frances (23 February 2012). "The Frontier Forts of Anthony Wayne, Part 2". Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ^ Hogeland 2017, p. 369.
- ^ Gaff 2004, pp. 293–294.
- ^ a b Sword 2003, p. 296.
- ^ Carter 1987, p. 133.
- JSTOR 3122915.
- ^ Loosing 1868, p. 55.
- ^ Gaff 2004, pp. 285–287.
- ^ Stockwell 2018, p. 298.
- ^ Gaff 2004, p. 209.
- ^ a b Sword 2003, p. 297.
- ^ Stockwell 2018, p. 264.
- ^ Sword 2003, p. 298.
- ^ Linklater 2009, p. 137.
- ^ Gaff 2004, p. 297.
- ^ Gaff 2004, p. 299.
- ^ Sword 2003, pp. 301–302.
- ^ Sword 2003, pp. 299–301.
- ^ a b c Sword 2003, p. 302.
- ^ a b Sword 2003, p. 301.
- ^ Sword 2003, pp. 302–303.
- ^ Gaff 2004, p. 304.
- ^ Stockwell 2018, p. 266.
- ^ a b Sword 2003, p. 303.
- ^ a b c Sword 2003, p. 304.
- ^ a b c Sword 2003, p. 305.
- ^ a b c d Sword 2003, p. 306.
- ^ "Me-sa-sa – Ohio History Central". ohiohistorycentral.org. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ Hogeland 2017, p. 350.
- ^ a b Hogeland 2017, pp. 350–351.
- ^ Hogeland 2017, p. 351.
- ^ Nelson 1985, pp. 267–268.
- ^ Nelson 1985, p. 269–270.
- ^ Nelson 1985, p. 269.
- ^ Nelson 1985, p. 270.
- ^ Nelson 1985, p. 271.
- ^ "This Day in History: The Secret Plot Against General Mad Anthony Wayne". Taraross. 25 January 2019.
- ^ Gaff 2004, p. 364.
- ^ "Wayne Buried in Two Places". Paoli Battlefield. Independence Hall Association. Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2019 – via ushistory.org.
- ^ Nelson, 1999
- ^ Winkler 2013, p. 62.
- ^ Wood, 2009, pp. 130–133
- ^ "President Jefferson and the Indian Nations". Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ Stockwell 2018, p. 267.
- ^ Pratt, G. Michael (2004). "Remote Sensing Surveys at the Fallen Timbers Battlefield National Historic Site" (PDF). Ohio Valley Historical Archaeology. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ Keller, Christine; Boyd, Colleen; Groover, Mark; Hill, Mark (2011). 2011 Archaeology of the Battles of Fort Recovery, Mercer County, Ohio: Education and Protection (Report). Ball State University. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ Kaptur, Marcy (2000). "Fallen Timbers Battlefield". Local Legacies. Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "The Battlefield [Fallen Timbers] Today". Metroparks Pamphlet. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- ^ Vezner, Tad. "Change Bears Down on Historic Battlefield". The Blade. Toledo Blade. Archived from the original on 15 August 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- ^ "Turkey Foot Rock". The Historical Marker Database. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historic Site, General Management Plan May 2006" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
Bibliography
- Carter, Harvey Lewis (1987). The Life and Times of Little Turtle: First Sagamore of the Wabash. Urbana: ISBN 0-252-01318-2.
- ISBN 978-0-8061-3585-4. Archivedfrom the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
- Hogeland, William (2017). Autumn of the Black Snake: the creation of the U.S. Army and the invasion that opened the West. New York: LCCN 2016052193.
- Linklater, Andro (2009). An Artist in Treason. The Extraordinary Double Life of General James Wilkinson. New York: ISBN 978-0-8027-1720-7.
- Loosing, Benson (1868). The Pictorial Field-Book of the War of 1812. Harper & Brothers, Publishers. p. 55.
- Nelson, Paul David (1985). Anthony Wayne, Soldier of the Early Republic. Bloomington: ISBN 0-253-30751-1.
- Sugden, John (2000). Blue Jacket: Warrior of the Shawnees. Lincoln: ISBN 978-0803242883.
- Stockwell, Mary (2018). Unlikely General. "Mad" Anthony Wayne and the Battle for America. New Haven: Yale University Press. LCCN 2017953580.
- Sword, Wiley (2003) [1985]. President Washington's Indian War: The Struggle for the Old Northwest, 1790–1795. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-2488-9. Archivedfrom the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
- Winkler, John F. (2013). Fallen Timbers 1794: The US Army's first victory. ISBN 978-1-7809-6377-8. Archivedfrom the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
- Wood, Gordon S. (2009). Empire of liberty: a history of the early Republic, 1789–1815. Oxford New York: ISBN 978-0195039146.
External links
- Battle of Fallen Timbers – Chickasaw.TV
- Battle of Fallen Timbers Battle of Fallen Timbers – Encyclopædia Britannica
- Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historic Site from National Park Service
- The Fallen Timbers battlefield today
- Maumee Valley Heritage Corridor
- Ohio History Central
- Captain Moses Porter's Company of Artillery of the 3rd Sub-Legion
- Battle of Fallen Timbers – The Toledo Metroparks
- , retrieved 15 November 2021 – via Cornell University Library