On this date in 1791 the Battle of the Wabash was fought in the Northwest Territory between the United States and the Western Confederacy of American Indians, as part of the Northwest Indian War. It was a major Native American victory and remains the greatest defeat of the US Army by Native Americans. The Native Americans were led by Little Turtle of the Miamis, Blue Jacket of the Shawnees, and Buckongahelas of the Delawares. The war party numbered more than one-thousand warriors including a large number of Potawatomis from eastern Michigan and the Saint Joseph. The opposing American force of about the same size was led by General Arthur St. Clair. In proportional terms of losses to strength, it was the worst defeat the United States forces have ever suffered in battle with only 48 soldiers escaping unharmed. As a result, President George Washington forced St. Clair to resign his post and Congress initiated its first investigation of the executive branch.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 10:12:36 +0000