Analysis Of Major General Wayne's Victory At The Battle Of Fallen Timbers

Fallen Timbers “Charge the damned rascals with the bayonet!” Major General Anthony Wayne bellowed this order to his troops at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. (Fleming, 2009) Although Major General Wayne probably was not thinking about the far reaching ramifications of that battle when he shouted the order, the resulting victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers was the most enabling event for expansion to and settlement of the Northwest Territory. Major General Wayne’s victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers accomplished three objectives that shaped the United States: the breaking of the Western Confederacy, the demoralizing expulsion of British from the Northwest Territory, and the approval of the standing, professional Army of the United

(Fleming, 2009) President Washington yelled these words in extreme frustration after receiving word that the Western Confederacy had decisively defeated Major General St. Claire and destroyed the Western Army in the Northwest Territory. The Western Confederacy, led by Miami chief Little Turtle, consisted of Indian warriors from the Miami, Shawnee and Potawatomi tribes. (Henretta, 2012) These tribes united to keep American “whites” from settling their lands, which they claimed north of the Ohio River. The Confederacy used raids and violence to instill fear and unrest in the Northwest Territory. For the United States to claim the Northwest Territory in reality and not just as stated in the Treaty of Paris, the Indians had to be dealt with. President Washington sent Major General St. Claire to quell the Indians and secure the region. Major General St. Claire failed in a defeat so large, that the whole army was destroyed. President Washington, knowing that more than just a few settlements were on the line, turned to one of his most capable and trusted officers of the Revolutionary War to get the job done, Major General Anthony

The attack gave the United States a much needed victory and morale boost during one of the most troubling times of the war. Major General Wayne’s reputation in combination with his temperament earned him the nickname “Mad Anthony”. To accomplish the task set before him of defeating the Western Confederacy, Major General Wayne had to leverage his reputation to train a legion and turn it into a well-disciplined fighting unit. It is important to note that the unit was a legion and not an army, as the United States didn’t allow itself to keep a standing army. Major General Wayne launched his campaign from present day Cincinnati, Ohio and marched into disputed territory. Wayne constructed a series of forts and won skirmishes as he pushed his legion deeper into Indian held territory. The campaign culminated at the Battle of Fallen Timbers near present day Toledo Ohio. Wayne’s strategy and the discipline he instilled in his men won the fight in under an hour. The defeated Indians retreated to the British Fort Miamis but the British would not aid nor open the gates to the fort for them. The Indians signed the Treaty of Greeneville later as the result of their defeat. The treaty secured the Northwest Territory from the Western Confederacy and allowed the rapid expansion and settlement into