The battle was such a disaster that that it caused the first congressional hearings in U.S. history. But in the end, America wanted to forget it. In fact, historians over the centuries disagree over what to call it.
It's sometimes known as the Battle of the Wabash or the Battle of the Wabash River. But more often, it's known simply as St. Clair's Defeat. And it remains the most severe defeat ever inflicted on United States forces by Native Americans.
The action came about when Americans began moving into what was then known as the Northwest Territory. Native American tribes armed by the British, resisted violently and the U.S. moved to pacify them with military force.
The first expeditions, led by Gen. Josiah Harmar in 1790, met defeat. So President George Washington ordered Gen. Arthur St. Clair, the governor of the Northwest Territory, to launch another campaign. And Washington wanted St. Clair to press it with greater vigor than Harmar.
St. Clair was to establish a chain of forts along the Ohio River, with the eventual destination being Kekionga, a village of the Miami nation.
St. Clair Expedition Troubled from Start
The campaign had been planned to begin in July of 1791, but St. Clair ran into a variety of problems. Recruits were slow to come in, and when they finally did, there weren't enough supplies for them.
Finally, on Sept. 17, St. Clair set out from Fort Washington, near modern-day Cincinnati, with some 2,000 men. They marched 20 miles, built Fort Hamilton (now Hamilton, Ohio), then marched 45 more north and constructed Fort Jefferson, near modern-day Greenville, Ohio.
Supply problems continued. There weren't enough horses, food was sparse, and the soldiers had not been equipped with tents sufficient to protect them from cold temperatures. Morale was low and discipline was poor. St. Clair, meanwhile, was ill, stricken with gout, and feuding with his second-in-command, Gen. Richard Butler.
But St. Clair pressed on, heading 20 miles northwest. His force had originally consisted of more than 2,000 men. But some men had been left behind to garrison the forts, and many more had deserted.
When the army set up camp on a slight rise near the Wabash River, it consisted of some 1,400 troops – 600 regulars and 800 militia – as well as a couple hundred camp followers. Just after sunrise on Nov. 4, the Native Americans attacked.
Blue Jacket, Little Turtle Lead Devastating Attack
The Native American force consisted of an estimated 1,000 men from a confederation from Northwest nations – including the Miami, Delaware, Shawnee, Potawatomi, Ottawa, Chippewa and Wyandot nations. The leaders were Little Turtle of the Miami and Blue Jacket of the Shawnee.
Also in the fight was a young Shawnee who would later gain great fame leading another Native American confederation against the U.S. His name was Tecumseh.
Scores of poorly trained militia fled after taking the brunt of the early attack, and the Native American promptly surrounded St. Clair's main body. Sharpshooters showed deadly accuracy, picking off officers as well as artillery crewmen.
St. Clair's men mounted a series of bayonet charges, but the Native Americans would simply melt away into the wilderness and circle back to wreak havoc on the flanks. Finally, after three hours of fighting, one last bayonet charge managed to break through the encirclement.
The survivors fled to Fort Jefferson, leaving many of the wounded to their fate on the field.
St. Clair Suffers Catastrophic Losses
St. Clair survived, although he had several horses shot out from under him and a half-dozen bullets rip into his clothes. His army was, for all practical purposes, destroyed as an effective fighting force.
The U.S. lost more than 600 soldiers killed and over 250 were wounded. Most of the camp followers – teamsters, laborers and wives – were slaughtered, so total American losses likely surpassed 1,000. Butler, the second in command, was among the dead.
Native Americans losses were probably less than 100.
News of the defeat shocked the nation, and caused great repercussions, including a congressional investigation. St. Clair was forced to resign by President Washington.
The Native American confederacy remained a threat until a better-trained, better-equipped force led by Anthony Wayne broke it apart with a victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794.
Sources:
Edel, Wilbur. Kekionga!: The Worst Defeat in the History of the U.S Army. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1997.
Goff, Alan D.; Bayonets in the Wilderness: Anthony Wayne’s legion in the Old Northwest, University of Oklahoma Press, 2004
Hulbert, Archer Butler; The Ohio River: a course of empire, G.P. Putnam & Sons, 1906
Downey, Fairfax, Indian Wars of the U.S. Army 1776-1865, Doubleday & Co., 1963
St. Clair's Defeat, Ohio History Central.org
Jon Matsune - Jon Matsune is a free-lance writer based in Northern California. He has 25 years of experience in newspaper journalism, mostly as a sports ...
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