General Harrison's Decisions At The Battle Of Tippecanoe

Issued Mission Orders As a hierarchical organization, the Army relies on orders to emphasize desired results to subordinates. “Commanders use mission orders to provide direction and guidance that focus the forces’ activities on the achievement of the main objective, set priorities, allocate resources, and influence the situation” (Wade, 2015, p. 5-5). General Harrison’s army repulsed disparate Indian attacks because of the guidance and orders issued by the general. Harrison initially ordered his men to stay on high alert and to sleep with their weapons loaded and within reach, indicating to his men that a pre-dawn attack was likely. Seeking to maximize the individual initiative of his commanders, Harrison rode the battlefield delivering clear guidance after the initial attack to ensure clarity and minimize the

After marching towards Prophetstown and establishing his encampment, Harrison chose not to emplace reinforcing breastworks. At this stage of the campaign, Harrison chose to focus on improving his army’s living conditions. For sixty days, the men marched through rain, frost, and snow with little protection from the harsh elements. Rather than building breastworks, Harrison ordered his men to employ the available tools to cut firewood and accepted risk (Tunnell, 1961, p. 74). To mitigate the security risk on the encampments perimeter, Harrison “posted the guard in a way that would counter the Indians’ skill and ability to infiltrate a static encampment” (Tunnell, 1961, p. 74). Additionally, Harrison ordered his men to sleep on their arms in positions immediately opposite their posts to facilitate a quick response to an Indian attack. The decision boosted morale among the troops at the risk of security but the mitigation techniques Harrison employed sufficiently made up for the lack of breastworks to protect the