Everything about Battle Of Fort Harrison totally explained
» For the Civil War battle of Fort Harrison see: Battle of Chaffin's Farm/New Market Heights
The
Battle of Fort Harrison was a victory for the
United States against an
Indian force which greatly outnumbered their own.
Background
In 1811, when General
William Henry Harrison marched his army north to meet the Indians at the
Battle of Tippecanoe, he ordered a fort constructed a few miles south of the "
Ten O'Clock Treaty Line" to protect the capital of the
Indiana Territory, at
Vincennes. The site, located in present-day
Vigo County, Indiana, at the northern edge of
Terre Haute, was said to be the location of a historic battle involving the
Illiniwek. Major
Joseph Hamilton Daviess proposed that the stockade be named
Fort Harrison in General Harrison's honor. Leaving the fort under Colonel
James Miller (general), Harrison led his army to the Tippecanoe battleground, where it confronted an army led by the
Shawnee prophet,
Tenskwatawa.
When the
War of 1812 began,
Captain Zachary Taylor, future
President of the United State, was in command of the post. The United States suffered a series of defeats immediately after war was declared, at the hands of the British, Canadians and Indians. These victories helped motivate other native tribes to take up campaigns against remote American outposts.
Battle
A force of 600
Miami,
Potawatomi,
Kickapoo and
Winnebago warriors attacked Fort Harrison on
September 4,
1812. Captain Taylor had only 15 soldiers (5 of whom were sick) and the help of several civilians to defend the fort. Early on
September 4, an Indian warrior crawled up and set the barracks on fire. This set the few defenders into a panic, and the Indian warriors began firing upon the fort. Taylor ordered the fort's surgeon and a handful of defenders to control the fire. The remaining few of the garrison returned the fire of the Indians so fiercely that they were able to hold off the attack. The Indian force withdrew later that day but remained in the area, keeping it under siege to starve the occupants. When reinforcements arrived from Vincennes on
September 15, the Indian force departed.
Aftermath
The Battle of Fort Harrison is considered the first land victory of the United States during the War of 1812. Shortly afterwards, U.S. forces followed up by lifting the
Siege of Fort Wayne, which eliminated the last Indian threat to Indiana for the remainder of the war. For his services at Fort Harrison, Zachary Taylor received a
brevet promotion to major.
Since both
William Henry Harrison and
Zachary Taylor commanded Fort Harrison, Indiana historians later referred to it as "The Fort of Two Presidents."
Further Information
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