Wabash 1791

St Clair’s defeat

The battle of Wabash, or St. Clair's Massacre, was the greatest defeat of the American Army by Native American forces. The campaign opened in 1791, when an newly formed American Army, under the command of Revolutionary War hero, Arthur St. Clair, set off into the wilderness of Ohio in an effort to wrest control of the Northwest Territory from the various native tribes. Plagued by logistical problems, bad weather, and native ambushes, the expedition dragged on for months as the American army slowly eroded due to injury, sickness, and desertion. Then, on a cold November day, an allied Native army descended on the Americans. In the ensuing chaos, the Americans were slaughtered, taking over 90% casualties. In this book, author John F. Winkler, re-examines this one-sided victory, analyzing what the American's did wrong and how the Natives achieved a victory that they could never repeat.