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How Did St. Clair’s Defeat Happen

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====American Weaknesses====

A good commander will do everything in his power to win a battle before a shot is even fired. This is accomplished through proper intelligence of the enemy, planning, and ensuring proper logistics. General St. Clair failed on all of these counts. The lack of intelligence that St. Clair’s forces gathered about their enemy and the terrain they were in was woefully inadequate and totally lacking in some respects. They were not sure which chief was in charge of the Indian army they faced and even worse, they did not have any idea of their enemy’s numbers and St. Clair was not even sure about the name of the river. <ref> Eid, Leroy V. “American Indian Military Leadership: St. Clair’s 1791 Defeat.” <i>Journal of Military History</i> 57 (1993) pgs. 76-77</ref>

The camp division between the regular army and the militia was indicative of more significant divisions and problems within the American force. About half of the men on the battlefield were backcountry militia, many from Kentucky, who were poorly trained and had problems with the authority of the regular army officers. <ref> Williams, p. 156</ref> Not long after the force left Fort Washington, the lack of discipline among the militia members was exacerbated by illnesses that afflicted the troops, including St. Clair. Many of the militia members deserted and St. Clair was forced to send regular army soldiers to retrieve them, decreasing the size of the American force to about 1,000 men on the eve of the battle. <ref> Williams, p. 154</ref> The American force was beset by numerous problems, while on the other hand the Indians had many advantages going into the battle.

~~<div class~~=~~"portal" style~~=~~'float~~==Western Indian Confederacy Strengths====[[File:~~right; width:35%'~~ArthurStClair.jpg|250px|thumbnail|left|Arthur St. Clair (1737-1818)]]Militarily speaking, the tribes of the Western Confederacy valued individualism and generally eschewed dictatorial type leadership on the battlefield. This philosophy generally cost them against the Americans, even when they had British supplied guns, but they were able to change their outlook when they faced St. Clair temporarily. The leaders of the Western Indian Confederacy all came together to assign their campaign against the Americans as a tribally mandated one, which made it a national or even a racial war. <ref> Eid, p. 82</ref>

~~====Related Articles===={{#dpl:category=18th Century History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=7}}</div>~~ ~~====Western Indian Confederacy Strengths====~~Militarily speaking, the tribes of the Western Confederacy valued individualism and generally eschewed dictatorial type leadership on the battlefield. This philosophy generally cost them against the Americans, even when they had British supplied guns, but they were able to change their outlook when they faced St. Clair temporarily. The leaders of the Western Indian Confederacy all came together to assign their campaign against the Americans as a tribally mandated one, which made it a national or even a racial war. <ref> Eid, p. 82</ref> It was, therefore, a war that transcended individual glory and one where victory was more important than taking scalps or booty. It is believed that Little Turtle of the Miami tribe was the primary war chief and he was supported by Blue Jacket of the Shawnee tribe and Buckongahelas of the Delaware. <ref> Tanner, p. 20</ref> The chiefs relinquished some of their authority over their warriors to Little Turtle, who in turn listened to their council before and during the battle.

Little Turtle and the other chiefs probably shadowed St. Clair’s army for some time, gauging its strengths and weaknesses in the process and picking the time and place to strike. Finally, on the evening of November 4, 1,000 warriors from the Western Indian Confederacy emerged from the forests of the headwaters of the Wabasha River and attacked the Kentucky militia camp. The militia was caught off guard and quickly retreated to the other side of the river, which caused even more confusion among the Americans. The Americans responded with their own charge, but the Indian warriors did a feigned retreat to the woods, where more warriors were waiting.

====Conclusion====

Depending on one’s perspective, St. Clair’s defeat was the greatest victory by an Indian force against the Americans or the worst defeat by the American military at the hands of an Indian adversary. Although the outcome of the battle shocked many Americans at the time, an examination reveals that the factors that led to the Indian rout were apparent. The American force had severe problems with a lack of intelligence, logistical problems, and ~~morale~~ moral issues. On the other hand, the Indian force was better prepared and much more motivated. Although the Western Indian Confederacy would lose the Northwest Indian War, their victory over General Arthur St. Clair became one of the most important battles in early American history. <div class="portal" style='float:right; width:35%'>====Related Articles===={{~~MediaWiki~~#dpl:~~AmNative~~category=18th Century History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=7}}</div>

====References====

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