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!