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You have most likely never heard of the Battle of Wabash or General Sinclair. This is one of the most significant battles in the history of the United States Army despite the engagement having happened almost 225 years ago. In fact, it was catastrophic to say the least, ridden with plagues of bad decisions, lack of motivation, training and leadership. Was the Battle of Wabash in 1971 the most catastrophic defeat of the United States Army battle in history? Indeed it was. There was a great lead-in to this battle foreshadowing the defeat to come. Although the United States Army was not very large at the time, the aftermath of this battle resulted in a loss of a quarter of the entire Army in a time of less than 4 hours!
Setting the stage
Set in the middle of the Chickamauga Wars between 1776 and 1794 in which the Native American Tribes attempted to halt the expansion of American settlers into their territories, the Battle of Wabash took place in the fall of 1791. Just two years after the ratification of the United States Constitution in 1788, there were challenges the United States faced. The challenges were taking place in the area of the Old Northwest Territory. This territory was occupied by the Western Confederacy, comprised of the Native American Tribes; Ottowa, Ojibwe, Pottawatomi, Miami, Shawnee, Delewares, Wyandot, Mingo and Cherokee. The vital goal of the Native Tribes was to stop the westward expansion of the American settlers. After the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1786 ending the American War of Independence where the United States gained the territories where the Indians occupied. The natives in this territory, however, did not recognize this treaty and were greatly opposed to the incoming ...
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...regulars. At the beginning of the expedition, General St. Clair had the option to wait further until proper supplies were acquired and soldiers properly trained and taken care of, however, this was ignored at a grave expense.
An unfortunate placement, General St. Clair’s forces were discouraged, malnourished, over worked and complacent setting the stage for the upcoming defeat. They had setup camp on the frigid night of the 3rd of November, 1791 without fear of any enemy, even though there had been spotting of enemy along their route. The next morning, as complacency in full gear, Soldiers stacked their arms and commenced to eat breakfast, completely unaware they were being watched and about to come under attack. Apart from their arms, they were either bunched up or scattered while eating, unorganized and unprepared for the assault that was about to take place.
At the beginning of the Philadelphia Campaign, General Washington was not sure of General Howe’s plan. That changed when General Howe ...
In “Battles of Lexington and Concord”, the goals of the British were hindered due to American preparation. One of the goals of the British was “capturing pat...
To set the stage for this battle, we must first understand what the British were thinking at the time. The British had not ...
In the next pages I will explain why Fredericksburg was such a tragedy. Why it was a big morale booster for the South, but a disappointment for the North?
On October 11, Arnold and 1,100 men set off to aid General Philip Schuyler at Quebec. Their journey was riddled wit...
The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought during the early morning hours of November 7, 1811, on a tree-covered knoll just outside of modern day Prophetstown, Indiana. American forces, under the command of William Henry Harrison, were attacked by a band of Indian tribes unified by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh. A relatively minor battle, in comparison to others remembered in American History, this small battle proved to play a significant role in the shaping of the newly formed country. Debatable among historians regarding the constructive effects of the battle against its negative repercussions , its importance is unmistakable. Ultimately, the results of this day would bring to an end any prospect for a United Indian Confederation, and never again would the Native Americans be able to effectively challenge American expansion.
The Canadian Corps had just been given a new lease on life, whether they knew it or not. Canadian Major-General Arthur Currie and Lt.-General Sir Julian Byng and the entire Corps had been tasked with an impossible task in some opinions. Tasked they were with ...
The French and Indian war took place between 1754 and 1763. Here between these nine years would serve as the blue print to America’s history and future. “What began as a struggle over territorial rights between British colonist and French settlers became part of an international war between the great powers” (Schwartz, 1). To truly understand the French and Indian war, many must take a look into the past events that caused the dispute between the British and the French. During the year 1498, the British claims to the continent were based on the London Company and the sailing of the waters under the rule of King James I. This is where the British company in the latter half of the seventeenth century, under the crown established a reign or province, extending from seas to sea.
For many years "The Battle of Paducah" has been grossly under-stated. There is no mention of the battle in most history books. The latest Kentucky History book has no mention of the battle at all. Without a doubt, Paducah has been overshadowed by the massacre at Fort Pillow on April 12, 1864, some eighteen days later. In fact, if the Battle of Paducah had not turned out the way it did, the Massacre at Fort Pillow may have never taken place. With over thirty-thousand rounds exchanged between the Union and Confederate forces, and the death of one of the South's foremost Colonels, the "skirmish" at Paducah's significance should not be overlooked. .
The Treaty of Fort Stanwix was a treaty completed on October 22, 1784, between the United States and Native Americans from the six nations of the Iroquois League, a coalition of six tribes, the Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, and Tuscarora Nations, whose lands covered western Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia, and New York. The need for the treaty of 1784 is related to the Treaty of Paris in 1783 in that the Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War, but there were no terms within it relating to the Native American Indians which required the Treaty of Fort Stanwix as a means for the American Indian nations to negotiate treaties of their own concerning peace between them and the United States government. Following the effective conclusion of peacetime discussions at the end of the Revolutionary War the United States government addressed challenging anxieties with the Native American Indian Nations.
As white settlers poured across the mountains, the Cherokee tried once again to compensate themselves with territory taken by war with a neighboring tribe. This time their intended victim was the Chickasaw, but this was a mistake. Anyone who tried to take something from the Chickasaw regretted it, if he survived. After eleven years of sporadic warfare ended with a major defeat at Chickasaw Oldfields (1769), the Cherokee gave up and began to explore the possibility of new alliances to resist the whites. Both the Cherokee and Creek attended the 1770 and 1771 meetings with the Ohio tribes at Sciota but did not participate in Lord Dunnmore's War (1773-74) because the disputed territory was not theirs.
Not many know about Dragging Canoe and the battle he fought during the American Revolutionary War. The Native American’s role in the Revolutionary War was very important, but not well known. As a result, the Revolutionary War can come across as one-sided. Dragging Canoe fought for the Native American’s existence in the colonies. First, he was strongly opposed to Henderson’s Purchase or also called the Transylvania Purchase. Secondly, Dragging Canoe’s raid at “Battle of the Bluffs” became an issue for the colonists. And lastly, there was negotiating done between the British and Colonists would somehow effect Dragging Canoe, his warriors, and the future for the Native Americans.
America had a newfound fervor for land already occupied by the Indians. Although the Treaty of Paris ended the war, in the west, war continued. In the treaty the British gave up all claims to the lands, but declared the Indians still owned their lands. America thought the Indians had no real claims to the land so they made treaties to legitimize American expansion.
Wilkinson, Stephan. “The Worst Battlefield Blunders: Five Battles That Ended Badly.” History.net, Weider History Group. Web 30. March 2014.
Though originally the Prussian General Von Steuben had decided to turn down working for the continental army, he had to reconsider, upon learning that European authorities were going to sexually persecute him. However, Baron Von Steuben changed his mind and agreed to train the soldiers in the America Continental army, as an unpaid volunteer. He wasn’t yet aware of the hard work to be done. After some small lies by George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, word of Steuben’s past employments preceded him to Congress, gaining him quick acceptance. He then quickly joined the troops at Valley Forge in 1778, along with his servants Karl Vogel, Thevenaud de Francy, and Pierre Etienne du Ponceau, who remained Steuben’s adjutant until 1779 (American Revolution Vol. 2.). He saw the cold, disease-stricken, starved, and half- clothed, poorly supplied men, and became aware that changes needed to be made.