Post by Beth on Jul 23, 2015 1:24:03 GMT
Long before the Battle of Little Bighorn, there was Battle of the Wabash, also known as St. Clair's Defeat or Battle of a Thousand Slain.
At the end of the Revolutionary War, the area then known as the Northwest Territory was the scene of a number of battles that pitted the fledgling US forces against the Western Confederacy a loose alliance a number of tribes in the Great Lakes area.
On November 4, 1791 Major General Arthur St. Clair was camped near the headwater of the Wabash River with a force of around 1,120, including the camp followers. He had 52 officers and 868 enlisted and militia men. A force of around 1000 lead by Little Turtle and Blue Jacket surprised the camp with an attack timed to take advantage of the US forces laying down their weapons for a morning meal. The militia soldiers quickly fled while the regulars rearmed with their muskets and formed a battle line and fired a volley to force the Indian forces back.
Little Turtle responded by flanking the regulars and closing in on them. Meanwhile, St. Clair's artillery, consisting of an assortment of eight medium- and- light field pieces stationed on a nearby bluff, was wheeling into position when the gun crews were killed by Indian marksmen, and the survivors were forced to spike their guns.
Colonel William Darke ordered his battalion to fix bayonets and charge the main Indian position. Little Turtle's forces gave way and retreated to the woods, only to encircle Darke's battalion and destroy it.The bayonet charge was tried numerous times with similar results and the U.S. forces eventually collapsed into disorder. St. Clair had three horses shot out from under him as he tried in vain to rally his men.
After three hours of fighting, St. Clair facing total annihilation ordered a breakout charge. A bayonet attack led by Darke allowed those who were able to escape but the wounded and supplies were left behind. St. Clair's surviving forces led a lengthy retreat to Fort Jefferson approximately 30 miles away. They were pursued by Indians for about three miles before the latter broke off pursuit and returned to loot the camp.
The casualty rate was the highest percentage ever suffered by a United States Army unit with over 900 soldiers killed plus a number of women and children who made up the camp followers.
The US
Further Reading
St. Clair's Campaign of 1791: A Defeat in the Wilderness That Helped Forge Today's U.S. Army
Ohio History Central
The Battle of the Wabash: The Forgotten Disaster of the Indian Wars
Archeological Study of the Fort Recovery area
At the end of the Revolutionary War, the area then known as the Northwest Territory was the scene of a number of battles that pitted the fledgling US forces against the Western Confederacy a loose alliance a number of tribes in the Great Lakes area.
On November 4, 1791 Major General Arthur St. Clair was camped near the headwater of the Wabash River with a force of around 1,120, including the camp followers. He had 52 officers and 868 enlisted and militia men. A force of around 1000 lead by Little Turtle and Blue Jacket surprised the camp with an attack timed to take advantage of the US forces laying down their weapons for a morning meal. The militia soldiers quickly fled while the regulars rearmed with their muskets and formed a battle line and fired a volley to force the Indian forces back.
Little Turtle responded by flanking the regulars and closing in on them. Meanwhile, St. Clair's artillery, consisting of an assortment of eight medium- and- light field pieces stationed on a nearby bluff, was wheeling into position when the gun crews were killed by Indian marksmen, and the survivors were forced to spike their guns.
Colonel William Darke ordered his battalion to fix bayonets and charge the main Indian position. Little Turtle's forces gave way and retreated to the woods, only to encircle Darke's battalion and destroy it.The bayonet charge was tried numerous times with similar results and the U.S. forces eventually collapsed into disorder. St. Clair had three horses shot out from under him as he tried in vain to rally his men.
After three hours of fighting, St. Clair facing total annihilation ordered a breakout charge. A bayonet attack led by Darke allowed those who were able to escape but the wounded and supplies were left behind. St. Clair's surviving forces led a lengthy retreat to Fort Jefferson approximately 30 miles away. They were pursued by Indians for about three miles before the latter broke off pursuit and returned to loot the camp.
The casualty rate was the highest percentage ever suffered by a United States Army unit with over 900 soldiers killed plus a number of women and children who made up the camp followers.
The US
Further Reading
St. Clair's Campaign of 1791: A Defeat in the Wilderness That Helped Forge Today's U.S. Army
Ohio History Central
The Battle of the Wabash: The Forgotten Disaster of the Indian Wars
Archeological Study of the Fort Recovery area