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187 views8 pagesWabashing 1791
The document details the events leading up to and including the Battle of Wabash on November 4, 1791, where Major-General St. Clair's US Army faced a coalition of Indian tribes. St. Clair's forces were hampered by poor logistics, inexperience, and a lack of proper training, leading to a devastating defeat against the more adept and strategically superior Indian warriors. The battle highlighted the challenges faced by the US in asserting control over the Northwest Territory following the American War of Independence.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
187 views8 pagesWabashing 1791
The document details the events leading up to and including the Battle of Wabash on November 4, 1791, where Major-General St. Clair's US Army faced a coalition of Indian tribes. St. Clair's forces were hampered by poor logistics, inexperience, and a lack of proper training, leading to a devastating defeat against the more adept and strategically superior Indian warriors. The battle highlighted the challenges faced by the US in asserting control over the Northwest Territory following the American War of Independence.
Uploaded by
Andrew SmithCopyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
PP Se Te eR oe Ten
WABASEEING!!
MAJOR-GENERAL ST CLAIR AND THE — US ARMY GETA
THRASHING ON THE WABASH RIVER, OHIO - 4 NOVEMBER, 1791
ye
m= By Graham Burke
A
‘The Treaty of Paris, w1
had concluded the American War of
Independence in 1783, saw the British cede the area between the Ohio
River and the Great Lakes to the newly formed United States of America.
‘The Ohio Indians had not been a party to these talks and they had the
military ability to hamper US forces taking real control over the area. By
1789 George Washington and his government had stabilised the US so
that it could now think about pushing into the ‘Northwest Territory’ and
claim what it had been given at the negotiating table.
In 1790 a small US Army under Brigadier
Josiah Harmar had conducted offensive
‘operations against the Indians. These had
not only failed to secure the area forthe
Americans but had also unleashed a sharp
backlash from the outraged Indian tribes,
By January 1791 there was a real fear that
the United States could be pushed out of
both the Northwest Teritory and possibly
Kentucky by the Indian offensive raids,
Which were destroying all the outlying
setJements. Washington appointed
“Major-General St Clair s commander of
the US Army and secured funding for a
force of 4,000 regular troops and 2,000
alta, St Clair was tasked to advance to
the main Indian centre at Kekionga, build
fort aad effectively control the ground.
Te was this expedition that was to face the
Indian tribes at Wabash,
‘THE AMERICAN ARMY
‘The US Amy was commanded by
‘Major-General Archur St Clair. A Seot
by birt, he had served with distinction
inthe British Army and was rewarded
for bravery atthe battle of Quebec in
1759, After the Seven Years War had.
ended he retired and became a landowner
in the colonies. He had raised his own
Pennsylvania regiment and fought
agains the British in the American War
battle stration by Peter Dennis
of Independence and had become one of
‘Washington's senior commanders. Many
of his officers were also veterans ofthe
‘American War of Independence
‘The infantry consisted ofthe Ist and 2nd
Regular Regiments and the Ist and 2nd
Levy Regiments that were composed of
six-month volunteers. They were armed
‘with smoothbore muskets and bayonets
and trained in the line infantry tactics of
von Steuben’s 1777 Regulations
The anllery consisted of three 6-pounder
‘cannons and three 3-pounder cannons,
‘manned by well tained regular crews, In
the thickly-wooded wilderness they would.
‘be most effective at close range when
fcing canister, which effectively tured
them into huge shotguns, spreading a
swatho of musket balls at the enemy. “There were about 100 mounted dragoons
med with swords and cabines who could
_uard the flanks and pursue routing enemies.
‘The militia have been described
as belonging to two very separate
categories. There were the experienced
frontiersmen. They were generally
armed with rife as well as tomahawks
and knives. They fought in skirmish
fashion and preferred to be mounted.
‘Various groups of these men had got the
better of Indian tribes during @ number
of skirmishes. They were however
extremely reluctant to become infantry
auxiliaries to US regulars and few
(umed up fo aid the regular army in this
campaign. The majority of militia who
ought inthis campaign were recent
settlers to the area who had litle oF no
military experience, There were probably
only around 200 rife-armed men at
‘Wabash, with the majority ofthe militia
using governmentissue muskets.
Despite competent commanders and
some good quality troops, the US
Army had some major weaknesses.
‘The logistic and training were poor
‘The gunpowder was of variable quality,
the tents leaked and there was rarely
enough food, Some of the Levy and
militia troops had never even practised
firing their weapons through a ack of
ammunition t train them with, These
shortcomings, along with the bad
‘weather and a complete ignorance ofthe
local geography, meant that St Clair’s
forces were severely hampered by the
1 batle took place.
‘St Clair was an experienced soldier
‘but had limited knowledge of frontier
fighting. He would deploy his forces
in conventional close order batle Hines
in the European manner. In 1755, a
British force of 1,300 men coasisting of
‘wo under-stength regular battalions,
augmented by recruits ftom America
land George Washington's Virgiia
mila, under General Braddock, had
been shot to pieces by a force of Indians
(wihF reach support) at Monongahela,
‘but St Clair chose to ignoze this. He
considered his force large enough forthe
Indians to do no more than snipe around
the edges, so their attack would eateh him
completely off balance.
"THE INDIAN ARMY
‘The force that opposed the American
Army was a loose confederation of many
ifferenteibal groups. At the tactical level
they were grouped into units of around
20 warriors led by a warrior who could
‘command the loyalty ofthe others. They
Were all veterans of the endemic raiding
‘warfare aad expert at skirmishing and
using cover to best advantage. In fact
they fought ina very ‘modern’ way and
their tactics would not be out of place on
today’s battlefield. As their experience
of war between themselves often led
to conficts of extermination between
‘mall tribal groups, they were considered
extremely merciless and callous by
European standards. They were happy
te kill women and children as well as
combatants and almost used savagery as
psychological wespon to undermine
stam i il AMM ch ee sto ois
ate Rt Pet
the morale of their opponents before the
battle had started, On the other hand they
were more zeluctant to sustain casualties
and would disengage if things became
“too hot
Al warriors caried fieatms. Some
had sifles, but many were supplied with
British “Brown Bess’ muskets. The
British also supplied gunpowder for this
engagement. A warrior would also have
‘tomahawk and a knife, and some stil
carried clubs and bows and arows.
F
F
Zz
FE
r=}
Es
“There was no formal command structure
as this was an informal gathering of
tides, which could not be sustained for
long as there was no logistical back wp.
Some warriors held a certain amount of
sway with tribal leaders such as Litle
‘Turleand Blue Jacket being evedited with
“command” in some accounts. The Indian
army also had two British Officers from
the 24th Foot present as advisors, to assist
‘them with dealing with the US arllry. b
‘THE CAMPAIGN
St Clat's orders were for him to build a
{orton top of the main Indian settlement
at Kekionga and control the ground.
‘There were a number of old ‘roads’ that
hhad been cut through the forests to take
circuitous route there, but St Clair
decided that if a permanent garison was
tw be supplied he would need to build
‘anew direct route straight from Fort
Washington (modem day Cincinnati)
‘Thus, starting on 4 October, he advanced
slowly as he had to cut his way through
virgin territory.
“The American army soon began to face
serious problems. The logistics were so
‘poor that there were insufficient tools,
tents and food supplies. Most of the
‘troops were very inexperienced and
‘unused to the wilderness, There were
problems with desertion. Things got so
bad that St Clair was forced to use some
‘of bis best troops to retum dovn the
trail to ensure tht the food supplies got
through, infact his best regiment (Ist
Infantcy) would not fight in the main
engagement at Wabash due to this reason,
StClair had been well aware of the
logistical weaknesses ofthe venture and.
was strugling to eope with them. He was
still ofthe opinion that the Indians would
not risk battle with his forces. “The Indian forces had been waiting for
the Americans at Kekionga, They had
been supplied with muskets and powder
by the British and two officers of the
24th Foot were attached to them fo aet as
advisors, They grew tired of waiting for
‘the Americans to show and so the farce
of around 1400 warriors started to make
their way towards the enemy. They were
within half mile by the evening of 3
November, but due tothe late
day delayed ther attack until the morning
of the ath
ssi the
‘THE BATTLE
The American forces, now numbering
around 1,700, had reached the Wabash
River late on 3 November, St Cla had
{decided to setup his main camp on an
area of high ground. He set up in a thin
rectangular formation, confident that
his two longest flanks would have the
Jirepower to deter any Indian incursion,
He pushed around 260 of his militia
across the river so they were divided
from the main camp by the river and the
ravine it flowed through, St Clair also
sent out a number of pickets (totaling
around 220 men in detachments of
around 40) around the camp, but these
‘were isolated by the thick woodland,
Due to the exhaustion and hunger of the
‘Americans they didnot clear the ground.
around the encampment. The atillery
was divided into two and each half
pointed in opposite directions down the
trace, There was no thought of defences
or entrenchments
“The Indians were fully aware of the
American deployment. twas based on.
Fighting s European-style enemy rather
‘han an Indian one. They decided on a bold
encirclement by wrapping around both
flanks. I they could knock out the militia
and the pickets they would then be able
to skirmish against the densely packed
American ranks Whilst aking advantage of
the cover offered by the forest.
“The Amecicans had an inkling that the
Indian forces were not far away: a
