Battle of Tippecanoe
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| Battle of Tippecanoe | |||||||
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| Part of Tecumseh's War/War of 1812 | |||||||
 19th century depiction of the battle by Alonzo Chappel |
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| Combatants | |||||||
| Tecumseh's confederacy | United States | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Tenskwatawa | William Henry Harrison | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 550-700 | 1,000 regulars and militia | ||||||
| Casualties | |||||||
| 50+ killed 70+ wounded |
62 killed 126 wounded |
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| Detroit frontier |
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| Tippecanoe – 1st Mackinac Island – Maguaga – Fort Dearborn – Detroit – Fort Harrison – Fort Wayne – Mississinewa – Frenchtown – Fort Meigs – Fort Stephenson – Lake Erie – Thames – Longwoods – Prairie du Chien – 2nd Mackinac Island – Lake Huron – Malcolm's Mills |
The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought in 1811 between United States forces led by Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory and forces of Tecumseh's growing American Indian confederation. The battle took place outside Prophetstown, near present-day Battle Ground, Indiana, and was part of what is sometimes known as Tecumseh's War, which continued into the War of 1812. Although Harrison's side suffered greater casualties, the battle is generally considered an important victory for his army.
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[edit] Background
On November 6, 1811, approximately 1,000 Regulars and militia under the command of Harrison approached Prophetstown. Their march intentionally coincided with Tecumseh’s absence; he was traveling through the southern states in an attempt to recruit more warriors to his alliance. Tecumseh left Prophetstown under the leadership of his younger brother Tenskwatawa, who was also known as the Prophet. Fewer than one thousand warriors plus women and children occupied the village.
[edit] Battle
When Harrison's forces approached the town late on November 6, a young Indian on horseback rode out from the town waving a white flag. He carried a message from the Prophet requesting a cease fire until the next day when the two sides could hold a peaceful meeting. Harrison agreed but was wary of the Prophet's overture and kept sentinels on duty over night.
Although existing accounts are unclear about exactly how the skirmish began, Harrison’s sentinels encountered advancing warriors in the pre-dawn hours of November 7. As the soldiers awoke to scattered gunshots, they discovered themselves almost encircled by the Prophet’s forces. Fierce fighting broke out as the Indians broke through Harrison’s lines and entered the camp. As the sentinels fled back to camp, the volunteers quickly regrouped and repulsed the advance while securing their own lines. Throughout the morning Harrison's troops fought off several charges before the Indian forces finally retreated. Harrison had 68 men killed or mortally wounded, and about 120 less seriously wounded. The number of Indian casualties has been variously given, but historians estimate that 50 or more were killed and about 70-80 were wounded.[1]
Fearing Tecumseh's imminent return with reinforcements, Harrison ordered his men to fortify their position. The next day, November 8, he sent a small group of men to inspect the town, which was deserted, as the defeated Aboriginal forces had retreated during the night. Eventually Harrison's troops burned down Prophetstown and left.
[edit] Aftermath
The Battle of Tippecanoe was a crushing blow to Tecumseh's dream of a unified Indian confederacy. The Prophet, having prophesied that the weapons of Harrison's men would not be able to hurt his warriors, was disgraced by his failure and fled to Canada. Although the battle was crushing, it was not until 1813 at the Battle of the Thames and the death of Tecumseh that his confederation was eliminated. When William Henry Harrison ran for President of the United States during the election of 1840, he used the slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" to remind people of his heroism during the battle.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Casualty figures and force sizes from Sugden, pp. 235-6, and Edmunds, p. 115.
[edit] References
- Edmunds, R. David. The Shawnee Prophet. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1983. ISBN 0-8032-1850-8.
- Sugden, John. Tecumseh: A Life. New York: Holt, 1997. ISBN 0-8050-4138-9 (hardcover); ISBN 0-8050-6121-5 (1999 paperback).
