Battle of Tippecanoe

This November 5-7, the Western Plains Fife and Drum Corps will be traveling to the Bicentennial Reenactment of the Battle of Tippecanoe near Laffeytte, IN. We will be portraying the field music of the Indiana Militia and/or Indiana Rangers in the army of William Henry Harrison. The Battle of Tippecanoe happened on November 7, 1811. Though it was not a very large battle compared to those in the next three years (Harrison only had 1,100 men), it played a very important part in the beginning of the War of 1812.

Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa, "the Prophet" had led a religious movement of unification among the Indian tribes to destroy and drive out the Americans from the land. After a bit of unsuccessful negotiation, in order to protect their families and farms, Gen. William Henry Harrison gathered an army of Indiana Militia and Rangers, Kentucky Volunteers, and a small band of U.S. Regulars to advance upon the encampment of Tecumseh's followers to more directly negotiate with the Prophet while Tecumseh was gone on a recruitment trip to the south. Very early in the dark, the morning of November 7, while the army camped near the Prophet's camp, the Indians made a surprise attack. The Prophet had told his men that they were invincible to bullets and so they attacked very fiercely. The battle went on desperately for two hours, but as it was getting light the Indians fell back defeated. They went on to strip the Prophet of his power and lost the optimism that they formally had.

As a consequence of the battle the Indian confederation broke apart, and the tribes had to take sides, either British or American (mostly British). This made the War of 1812 more inevitable. William Henry Harrison was made popular by this important victory which would later end up in his short Presidency.

Come and join us at the Bicentennial of this important event. Here is the website you can get more information from: http://www.tcha.mus.in.us/battlefield.htm.

-Peter B.
Memor!

Elizabethan Fife and Drum

Since we live in Elizabeth, CO, and are hence "Elizabethan" I was delighted to see the following quote. It is taken from the book, Connecticut's Fife and Drum Tradition, by James Clark.

"Both fife and drum are recorded among the instruments providing dinner music for Elizabeth I (regnant 1558-1603)...According to a contemporary report, 'Elizabeth used to be regaled during dinner with twelve trumpets and two kettle-drums; which, together with fifes, cornets, and side drums [the military snare drum played on the drummer's left side], made the hall ring for half an hour together'".

-Peter Bringe
 Memor!

Newspaper Clip

Here is a clip from a newspaper in Illinois that has a picture of me and my mom at the Homestead Harvest Days in Highland, IL a year ago.

-Peter Bringe

Memor!

The Mercer Blues

Here is an interesting description of a Pennsylvania militia company during the War of 1812. (Taken from the website of the First Regiment Volunteers.)

"The History of Mercer County" in reference to the "Mercer Blues" who served with Harrison in 1812 and 1813.

"This company was remarkable in many respects. With scarce an exception they were Presbyterians, and connected with some one or other of the organizations of that faith. In camp every tent, with the exception of two, in which the officers officiated occasionally, family worship was regularly kept up. They numbered eighty-four persons, wore their own uniforms, carried their own rifles, powder horns, shot pouches, tomahawks, knives, blankets, bibles and psalm books."

"So we buckled on our armour, which was composed of a Good Rifle gun, shot Pouch, powder horn, tomahawk, butcher knife, and our uniform at this time was yellow hunting shirts and leggings trimmed with fringe of the same which was made of good strong tow cloth dyed with hickory bark. The head dress was a black hat with a strip of bear skin - the width of the crown passed from the rim in front to the rim behind, with the longest deer's tail we could get, a stick stuck in it which was fastened to the right side of the hat, the but of which was covered with Cockade of blue and white ribbon, with an eagle in the center."
-Joseph Junkin, Mercer Blues

-Peter Bringe
 Memor!