Battle of Fort Harrison

:"For the Civil War battle of Fort Harrison see: Battle of Chaffin's Farm/New Market Heights"Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Fort Harrison
partof=the War of 1812


caption=
date=September 4 – September 5, 1812
place=Terre Haute, Indiana
result= American victory
combatant1=Native Americans
Miami, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, Winnebago
combatant2=United States
commander1=Joseph Lenar
commander2=Zachary Taylor
strength1=600
strength2=15
casualties1=Unknown
casualties2=3 killed, 3 wounded

The Battle of Fort Harrison was a victory for the United States against an Indian force which greatly outnumbered their own.

Background

In 1811, when General William Henry Harrison marched his army north to meet the Indians at the Battle of Tippecanoe, he ordered a fort constructed a few miles south of the "Ten O'Clock Treaty Line" to protect the capital of the Indiana Territory, at Vincennes. The site, located in present-day Vigo County, Indiana, at the northern edge of Terre Haute, was said to be the location of a historic battle involving the Illiniwek. Major Joseph Hamilton Daviess proposed that the stockade be named Fort Harrison in General Harrison's honor. Leaving the fort under Colonel James Miller (general), Harrison led his army to the Tippecanoe battleground, where it confronted an army led by the Shawnee prophet, Tenskwatawa.

When the War of 1812 began, Captain Zachary Taylor, future President of the United States, was in command of the post. The United States suffered a series of defeats immediately after war was declared, at the hands of the British, Canadians and Indians. These victories helped motivate other native tribes to take up campaigns against remote American outposts.

Battle

A force of 600 Miami, Potawatomi, Kickapoo and Winnebago warriors attacked Fort Harrison on September 4, 1812. Captain Taylor had only 15 soldiers (5 of whom were sick) and the help of several civilians to defend the fort. Early on September 4, an Indian warrior crawled up and set the barracks on fire. This set the few defenders into a panic, and the Indian warriors began firing upon the fort. Taylor ordered the fort's surgeon and a handful of defenders to control the fire. The remaining few of the garrison returned the fire of the Indians so fiercely that they were able to hold off the attack. The Indian force withdrew later that day but remained in the area, keeping it under siege to starve the occupants. When reinforcements arrived from Vincennes on September 15, the Indian force departed.

Aftermath

The Battle of Fort Harrison is considered the first land victory of the United States during the War of 1812. Shortly afterwards, U.S. forces followed up by lifting the Siege of Fort Wayne, which eliminated the last Indian threat to Indiana for the remainder of the war. For his services at Fort Harrison, Zachary Taylor received a brevet promotion to major.

Since both William Henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor commanded Fort Harrison, Indiana historians later referred to it as "The Fort of Two Presidents."

ee also

*Fort Benjamin Harrison near Indianapolis
*List of battles fought in Indiana

External links

* [http://www.countyhistory.com/history/ Indiana history]