St. Clair's DefeatPublic Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County
History
St. Clair's Defeat
Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County
St. Clair's Campaign, 1791
“Among those killed were Major General Butler, Colonel Oldham, Major
Ferguson, Major Hart, and Major Clark. Among the wounded were Colonel
Sargeant (the adjutant-general), Colonel Darke, Colonel Gibson, Major
Butler, and Viscount Malartie, who served as an aide. In addition to
these, the list of officers killed contained the names of Captains
Bradford, Phelon, Kirkwood, Price, Van Swearingen, Tipton, Purdy, Smith,
Piatt, Gaither, Crebbs, and Newman; Lieutenants Spear, Warren, Boyd,
McMath, Burgess, Kelso, Read, Little, Hopper, and Lickins; Ensigns Cobb,
Balch, Chase, Turner, Wilson, Brook, Beatty, and Purdy; Quartermasters
Reynolds and Ward; Adjutant Anderson; and Dr. Grasson. In addition to
the wounded officers whose names are mentioned above, the official list
contains the names of Captains Doyle, Truman, Ford, Buchanan, Darke, and
Hough; Lieutenants Greaton, Davidson, DeButts, Price, Morgan, McCrea,
Lysle, and Thompson; Adjutants Whistler and Crawford; and Ensign Bines.
The melancholy result of that disastrous day was felt and lamented by
all who had sympathy for private distress or public misfortune.
“The only allegation made by General St. Clair against his army was that
the men lacked discipline, a quality which could not have been developed
during the short time the men were in the service. That defect rendered
it impossible to restore order once the men were thrown into confusion,
and this is the chief reason why the loss fell so heavily on the
officers. They were compelled to expose themselves to an unusual degree
in their efforts to rally the men and to overcome the want of
discipline. Although worn down by sickness and suffering from a painful
disease, General St. Clair set the example. It was alleged by the
officers that the Indians far outnumbered the American troops. That
conclusion was drawn, in part, from the fact that the Indians outflanked
and forcefully attacked all sides of the American lines at the same
time.
“When the fugitives arrived at Fort Jefferson, the first regiment was
just returning from its unsuccessful effort either to overtake the
deserters or to meet the convoy of provisions. The absence of that
regiment at the time of the battle was believed by some men to have been
the cause of the defeat. They supposed that had it been present the
Indians would have been defeated or would have attacked at another time.
General St. Clair seemed to think it uncertain, judging from the
superior number of the enemy, whether he ought to consider the absence
of that corps fortunate or otherwise. On the whole, he seemed to think
it fortunate, for he gravely doubted whether its presence would have
changed the fortune of the day. If it had not, the triumph of the enemy
would have been more complete, and the country would have been left
without means of defense.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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