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Hardin's Defeat
Part of Northwest Indian War
Date October 19, 1790
Location Ohio, United States
Result Decisive Indian Victory
Belligerents
Western Confederacy United States
Commanders
Little Turtle John Hardin
Strength
1,050 warriors 540 regulars and militia
Casualties and losses
120-150 killed or wounded 129 killed
94 wounded

Hardin's Defeat was a battle in the Ohio Country on October 19, 1790, between the United States Army and two tribes of Indians. The Northwest Indian War (1785&ndash1795 also known as Little Turtle's War and by various other names was a war fought between the United States and Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1790 ( MDCCXC) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Ohio Country (sometimes called the Ohio Territory) was the name used in the 18th century for the regions of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains The Western Confederacy, also known as Western Indian Confederacy, was a loose confederacy of North American Indians in the Great Lakes region The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Little Turtle or Mishikinakwa (c 1747 &ndash July 14, 1812) was a chief of the Miami tribe in what is presently Indiana, and John Hardin (1753&ndash1792 was a Continental Army officer in the American Revolutionary War and a Kentucky Militia commander in the The Ohio Country (sometimes called the Ohio Territory) was the name used in the 18th century for the regions of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1790 ( MDCCXC) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States It was part of General Josiah Harmar's campaign in the Northwest Indian War. Josiah Harmar ( November 10, 1753 – August 20, 1813) was an officer in the United States Army during the American Revolution The Northwest Indian War (1785&ndash1795 also known as Little Turtle's War and by various other names was a war fought between the United States and

Contents

Prelude to battle

President George Washington and Secretary of War Henry Knox ordered General Harmar to launch a campaign into the Shawnee and Miami Indian country in retaliation for the killing of over 1,500 civilians in Kentucky, along the Ohio River, and at the few settlements north of the Ohio from the mid to late 1780s. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Washington (February 22 1732 December 14 1799 served as the first President of the United States of America (1789&ndash1797 and led the The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington 's administration Henry Knox ( July 25, 1750 &ndash October 25, 1806) was an American Bookseller from Boston who became the chief The Shawnee, or Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are a people native to North America. The Miami are a Native American tribe originally found in Indiana, southwest Michigan and Ohio, and now living also in Oklahoma The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. The primary objective of the campaign was the destruction of the large, main Miami village of Kekionga (present-day Fort Wayne, Indiana), where the St. Joseph and St. Marys Rivers join to create the Maumee River. Kekionga, also known as Kiskakon or Pacan's Village was the capitol of the Miami tribe at the confluence of the Saint Joseph, Saint Marys and Fort Wayne is a City in northeastern Indiana, United States and the County seat of Allen The St Joseph River (locally known as the St Joe) is a river approximately 210 mi (338 km long in southern Michigan and northern Indiana in the The St Marys River is a tributary of the Maumee River, approximately 100 mi (160 km long in western Ohio and eastern Indiana in the United States The Maumee River is a River in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States.

The campaign was launched from Fort Washington (Cincinnati) in the southwestern Ohio Territory. At 10:00 a. m. , on October 7, 1790, General Harmar began the march north, along the Great Miami River, with 320 regular U.S. Army troops and 1,133 volunteer militia, for a total of 1,453 men. Events 3761 BC - The epoch (origin of the modern Hebrew calendar ( Proleptic Julian calendar) Year 1790 ( MDCCXC) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Great Miami River (also called the Miami River) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary Citizens to provide defense emergency law enforcement or Paramilitary service Also deployed were three 6-pounder wheel-mounted, horse drawn cannon. | NOTE Throughout this article "cannon" is used as BOTH the || singular and plural By October 14, Harmar's force had marched to within 25 miles of Kekionga (Fort Wayne). Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces At that point, Kentuckians serving as scouts for the army captured a Shawnee. After some intense interrogation (and possible torture), the Indian informed Harmar that the Miami and Shawnee were gathering at Kekionga, preparing for his army's advance. Before dawn on October 15, a detachment of 600 men under Col. Events 533 - Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the John Hardin was dispatched north on a 25-mile forced march to "surprise" the Indians at Kekionga. John Hardin (1753&ndash1792 was a Continental Army officer in the American Revolutionary War and a Kentucky Militia commander in the When Colonel Hardin's detachment arrived, they found the village abandoned and burned it, and camped south of the destroyed town.

Hardin's 1st Defeat

On October 19, Colonel Hardin was given command of a scouting party consisting of 180 militia, a troop of cavalry under Major James Fontaine, and 30 regulars under Captain Armstrong. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. James Fontaine (1757 to 1790 was an officer who served in Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War. The party came within a few miles of Kekionga, where they encountered an Indian on horseback, who fled along a minor trail leading away from the village. Hardin ordered his company to pursue, but sent Major Fontaine's cavalry back to bring up a company that had been left behind. The Indian was a decoy, and led Hardin into a swampy lowland by the Eel River, where he could neither pursue nor easily retreat. There are two Eel Rivers in Indiana. Both are tributaries of the Wabash River. Here, Little Turtle attacked from three sides. The militia fled, warning Major Fontaine's reinforcements to turn around.

The regulars stood their ground with about 9 militia, but only 8 of the 30 regulars survived. Captain Armstrong hid in the marsh and escaped with his life. He blamed Hardin and the militia for the defeat, and claimed that only about 100 Indians had been involved. This was the approximate number of warriors available from Kekionga and Le Gris' Village. Le Gris, was a chief of the Pepikokia band of the Miami tribe in the 18th century [1]

Hardin's 2nd Defeat

On October 20, General Harmar arrived at the camp and immediately sent out a detachment of 300 men under Ensign Phillip Hartshorn northward to reconnoiter the Indian force's trail. Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony Eight miles above Kekionga, Hartshorn was ambushed by a large war party, which killed him and 19 of his men. Instead of advancing immediately to attack the Indian force, Harmar pulled back, several miles south of the village, not even permitting a burial detail to bury their twenty dead. Morale by now had plummeted, and the men were enraged at the cowardice of their commander. Hardin then demanded that he be allowed to take 400 men and attack the Indian force, or at the very least, bury their fallen comrades.

At dawn on October 22, Colonel Hardin, with 300 militia and 60 regulars under Major John P. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus Wyllys, reached Kekionga to find a force of approximately 1,050 warriors encamped there. Hardin immediately sent a dispatch to Harmar requesting reinforcements. When the courier told Harmar (who was rumored to have been drunk) about the size of the enemy force, he became visibly shaken and ordered his 800-900 remaining men into a hollow defensive square and refused to come to Hardin's aid, leaving him alone to face an enemy more than twice his number. Colonel Hardin, expecting reinforcements at any time, formed his troops into a line just under 3/4 of a mile long and waited for the Indian attack that he knew was coming. He did not have long to wait. Soon the Shawnee and Miami force was attacking Hardin from three sides. Still holding out for reinforcements from Harmar, Hardin's men put up a valiant defense, holding the Indians at bay for over three hours before finally falling back to join the rest of the army. 180 men were killed- including Major Wyllys and 50 of the regulars- or wounded. [2]

The army forces reported 129 men killed in action (14 officers and 115 enlisted men) and 94 wounded. Estimates of Indian casualties range from 120 to 150 total. The campaign came to be known as Harmar's Defeat. Harmar's Defeat was a battle of the Northwest Indian War. It took place on October 21 1790 near the Ohio and Indiana border

References

  1. ^ Carter, 92-93
  2. ^ Barnhart, 284

External links

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