The Events that Led to the Last Battle of the American Revolution

The Events that Led to the Last Battle of the American Revolution

Larry Holzwarth - February 1, 2020

The Events that Led to the Last Battle of the American Revolution
Indian raids continued despite military efforts to eliminate their towns north of the Ohio River. Wikimedia

11. George Rogers Clark invaded Ohio to exact revenge upon the Indians for the Bird Invasion

In August 1780, a militia force of just under 1,000 men, led by George Rogers Clark, crossed the Ohio River and marched up the Little Miami and Mad Rivers, determined to destroy the primarily Shawnee and Miami towns along them. He also wanted to destroy what crops the Shawnee had in the fields. The Shawnee town of Chillicothe was discovered abandoned and burned to the ground. On August 8 the expedition arrived at the Shawnee town of Piqua (not the same site as modern-day Piqua, Ohio). They discovered a well-established village surrounded by a fortified wooden wall, occupied by about 3,000 Shawnee men, women, and children. A bit over 400 of the inhabitants were warriors; Shawnee, Delaware, and Wyandot were among them.

Clark positioned artillery on a bluff above the village and bombarded the stockade, breaching it in several places. He then assaulted the village. The Shawnee fled after heavy fighting, and their ranks were decimated. The number of Indians killed was unknown, Clark reported light casualties to the American force, which were later disputed by other participants. Hundreds of acres of corn were burnt in the fields surrounding the village. The Shawnee fled to the west and north, settling on the Great Miami River where they established a town in the vicinity of present-day Piqua, and the militia returned to the south of the Ohio River. Daniel and Israel Boone both served in the expedition.

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