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Show Harmar's Harmars Harmar 'Harmar's , ' ' s Defeat ' Was alas First Fruits ofMilitary of ofMilitary ofMilitary Military Policy Which Has SacrificedAmericans Sacrificed SacrificedAmericans SacrificedAmericans Americans on Altar ol Of o Unpreparedness By ELMO SCOTT WATSONIRele WATSONReleased WATSON WATSONReleased IRele ( Released sed by Western Newspaper Newsoaner NewSJ > Der Union ) N THE month of October October,1790 October1790 , DN IN I 1790 , the present site slte of ofFort ofFort ofFort Fort Wayne , IndI Indwas Ind I , was the thescene thescene thescene scene of two significant slgmficant mlll mini mllltary minitary milltary tary engagements They not notonly notonly notonly only were the first of a senes series senesof seriesof seriesof of disasters WhlChovertook whichovertook which WhlCh overtook overtookour overtookour overtookour our regular army during durmg a acentury acentury acentury century of conflict with the theIndIans theIndians theIndians IndIans but they marked the thebegmnmg thebeginning thebeginning begmnmg beginning of a blundermg blundering blundermgmlhtary blunderingmilitary blunderingmilitary mlhtary military policy that repeatediy repeat repeatedly repeatedly edly sacnficedAmencan sacrlficedAmencan sacrificedAmerican lIves lIveson liveson liveson on the altar of unprepared unpreparedness unpreparedness unpreparednessThese ness nessThese These two engagements have havecome havecome havecome come down m in history as ' Har Ear Harmar Earmar Harmar mar s Defeat ' Thus for a cen century century century tury and a half the name of the thefirst thefirst thefirst first general m in chief of the Umted United UmtedStates UnitedStates UnitedStates States army and the beginning begmnmg of ofour ofour ofour our permanent pennanent military mlhtary estabhsh establish estabhshment establishment establishmcnt ment have been linked Imked with the theideas theideas Ideas of failure fallure and disasterJosiah disasterJosiah disaster disasterJosiah Josiah Harmar , born in Phil Philadelphla Philadelphra Philadelphia adelphla adelphra on July 25 1753 hadserved had hadserved served servedm m the Revolution Revoluhon under underWashmgton underWashington underWashington Washmgton Washington and Greene His war warrecord warrecord warrecord record although not bruhant brillIant had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen been an honorable oneIn oneIn one oneIn In the year 1784 the Contmen Continen Contmental Continental Contmental tal congress after ha\mg ha mg hating \ set the thestrength thestrength thestrength strength of the permanent mill mrli milltary mrlitary milltary tary forces of the new nation nahon at at80 80 men asked four states to tofurnish tofurnish furmsh furnish forthwith from their mlh milr milrtia milltia tIa 700 men to serve for 12 12months 12months months unless sooner dls dis dlscharged discharged discharged charged ' Thus was maugurat inaugurat maugurated inaugurated maugurated ed our system of depending dependmg uponmilitia upon uponmlhtla uponmilitia mlhtla militia for providing provldmg the bulk of ofour ofour ofour our armed forces a system whIch whIchwas whichwas whichwas was repeatedly to prove such a adismal adismal adismal dismal failure fallure in m war time emer emergencles emergencies emergencies gencles gencies Harmar was made heu lieu heutenant lieutenant lieutenant tenant colonel commandant and andassumed andassumed andassumed assumed command of the troops troopson troopson on August 12 1784 His rank rankmade rankmade rankmade made him the senior semor officer m in mthe inthe inthe the service of the United Umted States Statesso Statesso so he automatically became becamegeneral becamegeneral becamegeneral general m in chieff chiefz chiefa chief chiefGEN f z a 4 4GEN GEN JOSIAH JOSIAII IIARMARAfter HARMAR IIARMAR HARMARAfter After the adoption of the Con ConstItutIon Constitution ConEtitution stItutIon and the election of Wash Washmgton Washington Washmgton mgton ington as President Presldent Harmar was waskept waskept waskept kept in command of the army by byGen byGen byGen Gen Henry Knox Kno'C KnoC ' secretary of ofwar ofwar ofwar war With most of bf f its ltS domeshc domestic domeshcproblems domesticproblems domesticproblems problems on the way to a solu solutIon solutron solution tIon tron Washington Washmgton s admlnlstratIon administration administrationwas admlnlstratIonwas was able to turn its attentIon attentIontoward attentiontoward attentiontoward toward the Indian problem in m the theWest theWest theWest West The wave of emIgratJon emigration emIgratJonthat emigrationthat emigrationthat that had begun to pour into mto Ken Kentucky Kentucky Kentucky tucky then seep north into mto the theOhio theOhio theOhio Ohio country was bitterly resist resisted resistad resisted ed ad by the IndiansGen IndiansGen Indians IndiansGen Gen Arthur St Clair governor governorof of the Northwest Territory Terntory had hadtned hadtried hadtried tned tried in vain vam to bring brmg peace pl.ace place pace . to tothe tothe tothe the harried frontier by negotJ negotia negotiations negotiations tIons with the Indians Whenthese When Whenthese Whenthese these efforts failed falled Washmgton Washington Washingtonappealed Washingtonappealed appealed to congress for money moneyenough moneyenough moneyenough enough to carryon carry on a successful successfulcampaign successfulcampaign successfulcampaign campaign against agamst the hoshles hostiles hostilesBut hostilesBut But that body jittery over the theunagmary theimaginary theimaginary unagmary imaginary dangers of a large'standmg largestanding large standing 'standmg standmg ' army declined declmed to tomake tomake tomake make the necessary appropna approprfa appropnatIons approprfatrons appropnations tIons trons So when General Harmar Harmarset Harmarset Harmarset set out for the West with an ex expedlt expedit expedit pedlt pedit onary force to whip the theindians theIndians theIndians indians into mto submission it was waspItIfully waspitifully waspitifully pItIfully inadequate madequate for that taskAlthough taskAlthough task taskAlthough Although it numbered more morethan morethan morethan than 1 400 men only 320 of these thesewere thesewere thesewere were regulars and the remamder remainder remamderwere remainderwere remainderwere were mllItla-three mllItla three militia-three militia militia - three battalions of ofVIrgmlans ofVirginians ofVirginians VIrgmlans Virginians one of Pennsylva Pennsylvamans Pennsylvamans Pennsylvamans mans , and one of mounted lIght lIghttroops lighttroops lighttroops troops from Kentucky h.entucky hentucky . Not only onlywere onlywere onlywere were the majority maJonty of these troops troopswretched troopswretched troopswretched wretched stuff for the stern t3sk'e.head task'ahead task t3sk taskahead ahead 'e.head e.head ehead 'ahead ' . ' > of them but their equIp equIpment equipment equipment ment was deplorableSuch deplorableSuch deplorable deplorableSuch Such was the army that was wassent wassent wassent sent against agamst the hundreds of Wy Wyandot Wyandot Wyandot andot Shawnee and Miami war warrIors warMors warnors rIors Mors ( their exact number is un unknown unknown unknown known ) who had repeatedlyproved repeatedly repeatedlyproved repeatedlyproved proved themselves fonnldable formidable fonnldablefighters formidablefighters formidablefighters fighters , skilled skllied in m the type of ofViarfare ofwarfare ofwarfare Viarfare warfare that had overwhelmedBraddock overwhelmedBraddock overwhelmed overwhelmedof Braddock m in 1756 and led by one oneof oneof of the greatest chieftains chleftams this trlS con contment continent contment tment tinent ever produced he was wasLittle wasLittle wasLittle Little Turtle of the MiamisOn MiamisOn Miamis MiamisOn On October 4 Harmar s army left armyleft Fort Washington Washmgton ( site of the thepresent thepresent thepresent present city of Cincinnati Cmcmnatl ) and andmoved andmoved andmoved moved north Near the St Marys Marysriver Mary s srIver sriver rIver 10 days later Harmar sent sentColonel sentColonel sentColonel Colonel Hardin Hardm with a company , I of regulars and 600 militia mlhtla to topush topush topush push on to the Miami villagesat vIllages I at the head of the Maumee rIver rIverHardm riverHardin riverHardin I Hardm Hardin found the Indian towns on onboth onboth onboth both banks of the St Joseph de deserted desered deserted serted sered but the red men had hadleft hadleft hadleft left behind behmd a number of cows and andgreat andgreat andgreat I great stores of vegetables and andgram andgrain andgrain gram grain including mcludIng 20 000 bushels of ofcorn ofcorn ofcorn corn Hardin Hardm s men Immediate immediately , ly began plundering plundermg and it was waswIth waswith waswith . wIth great difficulty that their of officers officers officers I ficers brought them under controlOn controlOn control controlOn On October 19 the general sent senta a detachment of 300 men under underColonel underColonel underColonel Colonel Hardin Hardm at his request to tolocate tolocate tolocate locate the encampment of the re retreatmg retreating retreating treatmg treating Indians and bring brmg them themto themto themto to battle battleInto Into an AmbuscadeFive Ambuscade AmbuscadeFive Five miles from the village the thesoldiers thesoldiers thesoldiers soldiers came upon an abandoned abandonedIndian abandonedIndian abandonedIndian Indian camp where Hardin Hardm de deployed depioyed deployed ployed pioyed his forces but neglected neglectedto to arrange for any real co ordma ordrna ordmatlOn ordrnation ordination tlOn tion of their movements Three Threemiles Threemiles Threemiles miles further on they discovered discoveredtwo discoveredtwo discoveredtwo two Indians on foot who tried to toescape toescape toescape escape in m the underbrush and andthrowmg andthrowing andthrowing throwmg throwing caution to the winds wmds the thesoldIers thesoldiers thesoldiers soldIers plunged forward in m pur purSUit pursuit pursuit SUit The result was that Har Hardm Hardin Hardm dm din s command was drawn mto into mtoan intoan intoan an ambuscade that had been pre prepared prepared prepared pared by Little Turtle whose war warnors warriors warnors nors riors opened up with a fuslllade fusillade fusilladeof fusllladeof of musketry that threw the sol soldlers soldeers soldiers dlers deers into mto confusIOnAt confusionAt confusion confusionAt At the first fire of the savages savagesthe savagesthe savagesthe the militia mllltIa with the exception e\.ceptlon e.ceptlon e .ceptlon ceptlon " \ . of ofmne ofnine ofnine mne nine men fled without firing firmg a ashot ashot ashot shot These nine nme joined the httle little httledetachment littledetachment littledetachment detachment of 30 regulars , , , led by byCaptam byCaptain byCaptain Captam Captain Armstrong and Ensign EnsignHartshorn EnsignHartshorn EnsignHartshorn Hartshorn who were standmg standing standmgtheIr standingtheir standingtheir theIr ground and returning returnmg the thesavages thesavages thesavages savages fire which was now con concentrated concentrated concentrated centrated upon them The nme nine nmemilItIamen ninemilitiamen ninemilitiamen milItIamen were shot down but butthe butthe butthe the regulars made a brave resist resistance resistante resistance ance ante with their bayonets until untll 22 22of 22of 22of of the 30 had been kIlledThe killedThe killed killedThe The next morning mormng Harmar IS ISsued issued issued sued a general order beratingthe beratingthe berating beratingthe the shameful cowardly conduct conductof conductof of the militia mlhtla who ran away and andthrew andthrew andthrew threw * ' down their arms wIthout wIthoutscarcely withoutscarcely withoutscarcely scarcely firing firmg a shot Next the thecommander thecommander thecommander commander ordered orderedan an advanceagainst advance advanceagamst advanceagainst agamst against the Shawnee village of ofChllhcothe ofChillicothe ofChillicothe Chllhcothe Chillicothe to destroy that town townand townand townand and the supplies stored thereThIs thereThis there thereThis This was successfully accom accomphshed accomplashed accomplished phshed plashed but Harmar was so dls dis dlsheartened disheartened disheartened heartened by the evident demor demoralIzatlOn demoralization demoralization alIzatlOn alization of his army that he de declded detided decided clded tided upon an immediate retreat retreatto to Fort Washington The move movement movement movement ment began on the morning of ofOctober ofOctober ofOctober October 21 and by evening evemng the thearmy thearmy thearmy army had gone into mto camp seven sevenmlles sevenmiles sevenmiles mlles miles southeast of the present presentcity presentcity presentcity city of Fort Wayne Then Colonel ColonelHardm ColonelHardin ColonelHardin ' Hardm Hardin still chagnnedover chagrinedover chagrined chagnned over his hisfailure hisfailure hisfailure I failure two days earlier earher went to tothe tothe tothe the commander and outlined a aplan aplan aplan ' plan for snatching snatchmg victory from fromdefeat fromdefeat fromdefeat defeat Believing Behevmg that the Indl Indlans Ind Indians ( I ans would swarm back to theIr theIrburned theirburned theirburned burned villages he would make makea pickedforce a swift swilt night mght march with a pIcked force of men and fallupon fall upon the theunsuspectmg theunsuspecting theunsuspecting unsuspectmg unsuspecting sa\ sa sax sa\ages sa ages saages saagesHarmar \ ages agesHarmar agesHarmar Harmar was dubious of the WIS WISdom wisdom wisdom dom of the scheme but Hardm Hardmwas Hardmwas Hardinwas pleadingthat pleadmgthat was so persistent m In his pleadmg pleading that the commander finally gave gavehis his consent Accordingly Accordmgly latethat late latethat latethat that night mght a force of 340 pIcked pIckedmlhtlamen pickedmilitiamen pickedmilitiamen mlhtlamen militiamen and 60 regulars com corn commanded cornmanded cornmanded manded by Maj John P Wyllys Wyllysset Wyllysset Wyllysset set out for the Miami vIllages villagesThey They reached their objective soon soonafter soonafter soonafter after sunrise undiscovered by the theIndians theIndians theIndians Indians who were busily engaged engagedin engagedm m in trying trymg to salvage some of their theirproperty theirproperty theirproperty property from the burned village villageA A Plan That FaIled FailedThe FailedThe The plan of battle was a good goodone goodone goodone one and probably would have havesucceeded havesucceeded havesucceeded succeeded had it not been for foran foran foran an action characteristic of undls undis undlsclplmed undisciplined undisciplmed clplmed ciplined troops Major Hall with witha a battalion battahon of militia mlhtJa was to totake totake totake take a circuitous route to the thev thewestward thewestward v . estward westward cross the St M3ry Mary Marysriver s srIver sriver rIver at the ford and theie thele there m in mthe inthe inthe the rear of the village wait untIl untIlthey untilthey untilthey they heard the noise of the attack attackby attackby attackby by Major McMullen s battahon battalion battahonMajor battalionMajor battalionMajor Major Fontaine s mounted rifle riflemen riflemen riflemen men and the regulars under Ma MaJor Mabor Major Jor bor Wyllys The latter l3tter would then thenmove thenmove thenmove move across the Maumee and anddrIve anddrive anddrive drIve the surprised savages s3vages against agamst the guns of Hall Halls s bat battalIon battalion battalion battalionHall talIon talIonHall Hall reached his position unob unobserved unobserved unobserved served But one of his men dls dis dlsobeyed disobeyed disobeyed obeyed orders fired at a lone In Indlan Indian Indian dlan dian and alarmed the village vlllage be before before before fore the other troops were m in pOSI pose pOSItlOn posetion position tlOn tion The aroused savages qUIck qUIckly quickly quickly ly |
