In Pursuit - Miami War Party by Todd Price

Click HERE to see larger size image

In 1790, Josiah Harmar, commander of the American army in the Northwest Territory was stationed at Fort Washington (present day Cincinnati, Ohio). Henry Knox, the Secretary of War, ordered Harmar to end the threat of Indian attacks in western Ohio. Harmar marched from Fort Washington with 320 regular soldiers and 1,100 militiamen. Harmar’s goal was to destroy the native villages near modern day Fort Wayne Indiana. He intended to attack the Miami, Shawnee and Delaware Indians along with other native tribes located in western Ohio.

On October 20, 1790, the natives, led by Little Turtle, war leader of the Miami, attacked a detachment from Harmar’s army led by Colonel John Hardin. Hardin’s force consisted of several hundred militiamen and a few regular soldier. Harding led his detachment directly into an ambush. The regular soldiers put up a brief resistance but a majority of them were killed outright. Most of the militiamen fled the battle without firing a shot and were pursued by the Miami until they crossed the Ohio River back into Kentucky. Two days later, Harmar sent out another detachment of troops and once again, the natives inflicted heavy casualties upon the Americans. Now Harmar, after losing 183 men killed or missing, retreated to the safety of Fort Washington. This Ohio campaign of 1790 later became known as “Harmar’s Defeat”.