-Peter B.
Memor!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Practice with the LCFDC
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The Bicentennial of the Battle of Mississinewa
We had a great time at Mississinewa! The fall colors were amazing (despite that you can't get a good view of that in the pictures). The weather was great, well...as long as you didn't have to take care of the wet canvas and if your vehicle didn't get stuck. It was great to be back in the atmosphere of the reenactment (campfire smoke and all) and see old friends of ours (some of which are literally old), as well as make new ones. We learned new songs and got to use our C fifes. John learned the battlefield commands and used them during the battles (twice a day). The officers were dignified, and the unit we attached ourself to, the Illinois Territorial Rangers, had a great showing. The dance in the evening was well attended and I got to dance each dance (instead of calling them like I usually do). We sang, we marched, we slept; we almost froze the first night. I wish we could do this more often. Below are some videos and pictures that our "corps mom" took during the event.
Summery of the Event
(With special focus on the military)
Duke of York's March (Short Troop)
Hail Columbia
-Peter B.
Memor!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Mississinewa: Aftermath
In all, even though the battle of Mississinewa itself was an American victory, the campaign as a whole basically failed. The hostile Indians did lose men and lost a few smaller villages, but the main town of Mississenaway had been defended successfully. The end result of the campaign was that the Americans had shown themselves active and saved themselves from a potential disaster, but the situation in the North-west was still to be determined. Gen. Harrison busied himself in making plans for the invasion of Canada, fixing his eyes on the rapids of the Maumee near Lake Erie, which would become Fort Meigs.
In January Gen. Winchester, who was still short of supplies, moved to the Maumee river, awaiting Gen. Harrison. But despite Harrison's orders to stay put, Gen. Winchester sent about 900 regulars and Kentucky militia to Frenchtown (now Monroe, MI), along the Raisin River, to capture supplies and protect friendly Indians in that area. But a larger force of Canadian militia and Indians were sent to attack them and Gen. Winchester was unprepared for their attack. The Americans were completely defeated, about one-third of them were killed. After the battle the British did not control the Indians, and the Indians massacred the many wounded Kentuckians. One report said, "The savages were suffered to commit every depredation upon our wounded. Many were tomahawked, and many were burned alive in the houses." Afterwards the battle cry of "Remember the Raisin!" rallied the troops of the West. It would not be until later in 1813 that the U.S. would be victorious in the Northwest at Fort Meigs, Fort Stephenson, Put-in-Bay (Lake Erie), and the Thames.
-Peter Bringe
Memor!
In January Gen. Winchester, who was still short of supplies, moved to the Maumee river, awaiting Gen. Harrison. But despite Harrison's orders to stay put, Gen. Winchester sent about 900 regulars and Kentucky militia to Frenchtown (now Monroe, MI), along the Raisin River, to capture supplies and protect friendly Indians in that area. But a larger force of Canadian militia and Indians were sent to attack them and Gen. Winchester was unprepared for their attack. The Americans were completely defeated, about one-third of them were killed. After the battle the British did not control the Indians, and the Indians massacred the many wounded Kentuckians. One report said, "The savages were suffered to commit every depredation upon our wounded. Many were tomahawked, and many were burned alive in the houses." Afterwards the battle cry of "Remember the Raisin!" rallied the troops of the West. It would not be until later in 1813 that the U.S. would be victorious in the Northwest at Fort Meigs, Fort Stephenson, Put-in-Bay (Lake Erie), and the Thames.
-Peter Bringe
Memor!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Mississinewa: The Battle
Continuing from last post, the American forces were encamped in some of the out-lying Miami villages they had won the day before, near the junction of the Wabash and Mississinewa rivers. It was December and the men were getting frostbite. At 4:00am on December 18th reveille was played and the officers met to discuss their situation. During their meeting the Indians attacked. Private Nathaniel Vernon of the Pittsburgh Blues was on sentry duty when the attack began,
While the Indian numbers were hard to estimate, there had been approximately 300 warriors, and their casualties were an estimated 100 killed and wounded. The 600 American soldiers had lost 8 killed, 45 wounded, their main loss being the death of 109 horses, shot by the Indians either on purpose to hinder the Americans or because they were simply in the way of the fighting. While the Americans had successfully repelled the attack, they were hindered from continuing their campaign and left to a hard struggle back to Fort Greenville.
Not only did the U.S. forces have to march back in the freezing snow, with dwindling supplies (including ammunition), with less horses than they used to have, while taking care of their wounded, and being under orders to safely transport the women or children they had taken captive (thus taking up more valuable horses), but they were also in imminent danger of another, larger Indian attack. They did successfully make it back on December 24th, although 300 of the men were incapacitated for a while from frostbite. (The Indian captives were escorted to Indian settlements at Piqua.)
-Peter Bringe
Memor!
"It was near an hour to daybreak when Mr. I. Davis and myself, who were posted on the river before our quarters, were speaking of the possibility of an Indian attack, he was in a very ill humor, and remarked we have marched a hundred miles into the wilderness through snow and sleet, half leg deep in the bleak month of December, with nothing but what we have carried on our backs, and now, what is worse, we shall have to march back without any fight at all. Scarcely had he ended his remarks, when a ball whistled over our heads, and the next instant a yell prevaded the forest as if all the fiends of the lower regions had been loosed upon us. 'There they are now' was his exultant exclamation, and the next moment we were forming in line."The next couple hours were filled with fighting in the pre-dawn darkness, as the rifle, musket, and tomahawk were all used with lethal effect. Many screams and battle cries filled the air, and horse went wild as they found themselves tied in the middle of a battle. The commanding officers hurried to put the soldiers in the right positions as the Indians attacked different parts of the encampment. Finally, as dawn came the Americans gained accuracy and efficiency. Seeing that the Americans were gaining power, the Indians dispersed.
While the Indian numbers were hard to estimate, there had been approximately 300 warriors, and their casualties were an estimated 100 killed and wounded. The 600 American soldiers had lost 8 killed, 45 wounded, their main loss being the death of 109 horses, shot by the Indians either on purpose to hinder the Americans or because they were simply in the way of the fighting. While the Americans had successfully repelled the attack, they were hindered from continuing their campaign and left to a hard struggle back to Fort Greenville.
Not only did the U.S. forces have to march back in the freezing snow, with dwindling supplies (including ammunition), with less horses than they used to have, while taking care of their wounded, and being under orders to safely transport the women or children they had taken captive (thus taking up more valuable horses), but they were also in imminent danger of another, larger Indian attack. They did successfully make it back on December 24th, although 300 of the men were incapacitated for a while from frostbite. (The Indian captives were escorted to Indian settlements at Piqua.)
-Peter Bringe
Memor!
Friday, October 5, 2012
From Tippacanoe to Mississinewa
From the battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 to the battle of Mississinewa in 1812 many things had been happening. Tensions continued to rise between the United States and the United Kingdom. The British had generally been sympathetic/supportive to Tecumseh and the Indians tribes hostile to the Americans, hoping for an Indian buffer between Canada and the U.S. The British also continued to impress American sailors into their navy and otherwise tread on American sovereignty. Great Britain had been battling with France off and on for fifteen years or so, and the U.S. had tried to maintain neutrality and "isolationist" policies such as Washington had promoted. But the struggle to resist being pulled into the European conflict was difficult, as England and France both wanted the U.S. on their side. The U.S. had almost been brought to war with France, and from 1798-1800 a "quasi-war" had been maintained between France and the US. But by 1812 Great Britain had become the larger problem. (As a side note, America was not the only country to try to be neutral but end up fighting Britain because of Britain's bully-like method of treating neutral countries. Denmark-Norway is another example.)
Finally on June 18th, 1812 Congress officially declared "That war be and the same is hereby declared to exist between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the dependencies thereof, and the United States of America and their territories." Although Canada should have been fairly easily taken as the UK was currently busy fighting Napoleon, American troops failed in their attacks during this first year. American Fort Mackinac in northern Michigan was taken by the British. In August, Detroit, with 2,500 American troops, was surrendered to the British by a confused General William Hull to a British/Indian force about half his size. At the same time Fort Dearborn (modern-day Chicago) was abandoned by the US on the condition of safe conduct, but as the American soldiers, civilians, and Miami allies (about 125 total) were leaving the fort (with the fifes and drums playing a funeral march), five-hundred Potawatomi/Winnebago massacred most of them, and took others to torture to death (commanding officer Captain Heald was shot through the hips and Mrs. Heald was shot several times and possibly scalped, but they survived and escaped in a canoe and later settled in St. Charles County, MO).
On October 13th, on the Canadian side of the Niagara River, the battle of Queenston Heights took place. The 1,200 American regulars and militia at first were successful in driving back the Canadians from the heights, especially due to Captain John E. Wool's leadership in taking his men up a narrow path that the British had though unusable. The Canadian hero General Isaac Brock (who had taken Detroit) valiantly led his men to retake the heights, but was killed. Eventually, though, the British and some Mohawks were able to trap the American soldiers, and the American soldiers on the other side of the river did not reenforce them. Thus, this almost-victory turned into a defeat in which the Americans lost 120 dead, 120 wounded, and the rest captured. The British and Mohawks lost about 25 dead, and 85 wounded.
There were a few bright spots amid these disappointments. On the ocean, the USS Constitution, under command of William Hull's nephew, Isaac Hull, had defeated the British frigate HMS Guerriere. On the frontier a few small victories were won. Captain Zachary Taylor successfully defended Fort Harrison with 50 7th Infantry regulars against a much larger Indian force. Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Regiment also successfully defended Fort Madison (Missouri Territory, now Iowa) and Fort Wayne (Indiana Territory) from Indian attacks. In Illinois, Territorial Rangers and Militia defeated some hostile Kickapoos near modern day Peoria, IL.
General William Henry Harrison had successfully led the American army at the battle of Tippecanoe and would later go on to become President of the Unites States. At this point he had been promoted to Brigadier General in command of the U.S. Army of the Northwest (which was mostly in Ohio and Indiana at that time) and was given the task to stop the Indian raids, retake Detroit, and invade Canada. He had launched a three pronged attack in November to retake Detroit and take out a few Indian strongholds on the way. But one prong was ambushed by Shawnees near modern-day Lafayette, IN, another was pinned down at Fort Winchester (north-western Ohio) from lack of supplies because of Miami raids on supply lines, and the other turned back because of the lack of support from the other two. General Harrison realized that to advance on Detroit he would have to do something about the hostile Indian tribes that would cut off his supply line if he moved north.
Thus he sent out Lt. Colonel J.B. Campbell with 600 dragoons and mounted infantry, regulars and volunteers, to take out the hostile Miami villages located near the junction of the Mississenawa and Wabash rivers and destroy some of their food supplies. They left Fort Greenville (north of Dayton, OH) on December 14th and reached some of the villages by the morning of December 17th (near modern-day Marion, IN). Regrettably they had been discovered, and after a brief skirmish they gained possession of a few villages with some women, children, and old men. They destroyed the villages and and set up an encampment. There they spent the night with sentries posted wondering what the morning light would bring. The weather was very cold and some of the men were getting frostbite. At 4:00am in the morning darkness Lt. Col. Campbell, fearing attack, had revile played and had the officers meet to discuss what they would do next.
To be continued...
-Peter Bringe
Memor!
P.S. In case you are confused, the actual battle of Mississinewa happened in December, the reenactment happens October 12-14.
Finally on June 18th, 1812 Congress officially declared "That war be and the same is hereby declared to exist between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the dependencies thereof, and the United States of America and their territories." Although Canada should have been fairly easily taken as the UK was currently busy fighting Napoleon, American troops failed in their attacks during this first year. American Fort Mackinac in northern Michigan was taken by the British. In August, Detroit, with 2,500 American troops, was surrendered to the British by a confused General William Hull to a British/Indian force about half his size. At the same time Fort Dearborn (modern-day Chicago) was abandoned by the US on the condition of safe conduct, but as the American soldiers, civilians, and Miami allies (about 125 total) were leaving the fort (with the fifes and drums playing a funeral march), five-hundred Potawatomi/Winnebago massacred most of them, and took others to torture to death (commanding officer Captain Heald was shot through the hips and Mrs. Heald was shot several times and possibly scalped, but they survived and escaped in a canoe and later settled in St. Charles County, MO).
On October 13th, on the Canadian side of the Niagara River, the battle of Queenston Heights took place. The 1,200 American regulars and militia at first were successful in driving back the Canadians from the heights, especially due to Captain John E. Wool's leadership in taking his men up a narrow path that the British had though unusable. The Canadian hero General Isaac Brock (who had taken Detroit) valiantly led his men to retake the heights, but was killed. Eventually, though, the British and some Mohawks were able to trap the American soldiers, and the American soldiers on the other side of the river did not reenforce them. Thus, this almost-victory turned into a defeat in which the Americans lost 120 dead, 120 wounded, and the rest captured. The British and Mohawks lost about 25 dead, and 85 wounded.
There were a few bright spots amid these disappointments. On the ocean, the USS Constitution, under command of William Hull's nephew, Isaac Hull, had defeated the British frigate HMS Guerriere. On the frontier a few small victories were won. Captain Zachary Taylor successfully defended Fort Harrison with 50 7th Infantry regulars against a much larger Indian force. Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Regiment also successfully defended Fort Madison (Missouri Territory, now Iowa) and Fort Wayne (Indiana Territory) from Indian attacks. In Illinois, Territorial Rangers and Militia defeated some hostile Kickapoos near modern day Peoria, IL.
General William Henry Harrison had successfully led the American army at the battle of Tippecanoe and would later go on to become President of the Unites States. At this point he had been promoted to Brigadier General in command of the U.S. Army of the Northwest (which was mostly in Ohio and Indiana at that time) and was given the task to stop the Indian raids, retake Detroit, and invade Canada. He had launched a three pronged attack in November to retake Detroit and take out a few Indian strongholds on the way. But one prong was ambushed by Shawnees near modern-day Lafayette, IN, another was pinned down at Fort Winchester (north-western Ohio) from lack of supplies because of Miami raids on supply lines, and the other turned back because of the lack of support from the other two. General Harrison realized that to advance on Detroit he would have to do something about the hostile Indian tribes that would cut off his supply line if he moved north.
Thus he sent out Lt. Colonel J.B. Campbell with 600 dragoons and mounted infantry, regulars and volunteers, to take out the hostile Miami villages located near the junction of the Mississenawa and Wabash rivers and destroy some of their food supplies. They left Fort Greenville (north of Dayton, OH) on December 14th and reached some of the villages by the morning of December 17th (near modern-day Marion, IN). Regrettably they had been discovered, and after a brief skirmish they gained possession of a few villages with some women, children, and old men. They destroyed the villages and and set up an encampment. There they spent the night with sentries posted wondering what the morning light would bring. The weather was very cold and some of the men were getting frostbite. At 4:00am in the morning darkness Lt. Col. Campbell, fearing attack, had revile played and had the officers meet to discuss what they would do next.
To be continued...
-Peter Bringe
Memor!
P.S. In case you are confused, the actual battle of Mississinewa happened in December, the reenactment happens October 12-14.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Mississinewa: The Event
Soon I hope to post some history of the the War of 1812 leading up to the battle of Mississinewa, and of the history of the battle itself. The Mississinewa reenactment, while it does commemorate the battle, also gives a glimpse of life during that time beyond the battle. While the historic battle was not especially important in the grand scheme of the things, the reenactment does a great job of portraying the War of 1812 in general. It is the largest War of 1812 living history event in the United States (or at least its website claims). It not only has battles (two a day), but also military encampments, civilian "Rivertown," an Indian village, and more. (See their website for more information and more pictures.)
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| In 2008 when we went last. |
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| The American Forces |
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