Passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787 sent American settlers into the Ohio Valley area at the rate of 10,000 a year. Problems protecting these settlers were among those that proved the weakness of the Articles of Confederation signed by our Founding Fathers, and led to ratification of the new "Federalist" Constitution that went into effect on June 21, 1788.

By 1790, Congress yielded to the appeals for protection from Indians by the new residents of the Northwest Territory.

Brigadier General Josiah Harmar was dispatched to the new territory with an army and instructions to punish the Wabash and Miami Indians for their raids on river traffic. Harmar commanded 320 regular troops, 1,133 Kentucky militiamen and a battalion of Pennsylvania infantrymen.

On Oct. 22, 1790, four years to the day before the founding of Fort Wayne, Harmar's army was ambushed and soundly defeated by Indians led by Chief Little Turtle.

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The Indians believed they owned the land by moral right and previous treaty.

Harmar's defeat was a national humiliation and a major setback to President Washington's plans for the Northwest Territory. Congress quickly authorized higher troop levels, and another army of men was dispatched to Miami Village, now Fort Wayne, to punish the Indians.

In November 1791 the army was attacked by Indians again led by Little Turtle, around what is now Fort Recovery, Ohio. The general leading the army had been warned by Washington to be careful of surprise attacks. He didn't listen.

More than 700 Americans died in the fighting, including 56 women who had accompanied their soldier husbands to the frontier. By comparison, about 200 soldiers died at Custer's Last Stand in 1876.

The general who failed to heed Washington's warnings was Arthur St. Clair himself, Wayne's Revolutionary War nemesis. The debacle became known as 'St. Clair's defeat.' ''President Washington's western policy was in shambles," G. Danforth Hollins wrote in his "General Anthony Wayne, Northwest Conqueror and Diplomat." ''The citizens of every state questioned the effectiveness of the government and the Constitution. The crisis facing the United States was critical, for the government's credibility was almost destroyed.

"Foreign powers who were aware of the problems were likely to take the opportunity to invade within its borders." Into this arena of national despair strode "Mad Anthony" Wayne, whom President Washington named Commanding General of the newly formed Legion of the United States. Calling the country's newly approved standing army a "legion" seemed more acceptable to much of the nation who still felt a republic should not have a large standing army.

Wayne went to Pittsburg (its correct spelling at the time) in July of 1792 and began training his men. He moved his forces to the Cincinnati area in the summer of 1793 and waited for orders to attack. Washington was still trying to resolve problems through negotiation.

In the fall of 1793 negotiations failed. The United States refused to ban any settlement by its citizens beyond the Ohio River. The Indians refused to allow intruders upon their lands. On September 11, 1793, Wayne received word to attack.

Defying his reputation for impetuosity, Wayne settled in at Fort Jefferson, some 75 miles north of Cincinnati. In the spring he planned to launch attacks against the Indians.

Indian scouts, spying on Wayne, called him "the Chief who never sleeps." Shortly before the Christmas of 1793, Wayne led a small group of men north to the area of St. Clair's defeat and built Fort Recovery. In June of 1794, 2,000 Indians attacked the fort.

"Although the Indians vastly outnumbered the defenders," Hollins wrote, "the well-trained dragoons and riflemen within the professionally built fort held out against overwhelming odds. The Indians were forced to retreat." Their defeat at Fort Recovery shook the Indians' confidence. Little Turtle relinquished his leadership. Two of the Great Lakes tribes decided to return to their camps.

Wayne continued moving north, establishing Fort Defiance (now Defiance, Ohio) in August 1794. Ahead of him were some 1,300 Indians outside of Fort Miami, the British-held stronghold near the present-day Toledo. Wayne sent one more letter to four Indian tribes with a last offer to negotiate. There were no positive responses.

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Wayne's army attacked the Indians at Fallen Timbers, just south of Toledo on Aug. 20, 1794. The battle lasted less than an hour. Fleeing Indians raced toward Fort Miami, where the British had promised protection. They were turned away because the British did not want to risk war with the United States.

Wayne moved south and built a new fort near the three rivers. Fort Wayne was officially dedicated Oct. 22, 1794. Peace with the Indian tribes was achieved with the Treaty of Greenville on Aug. 3, 1795.

Wayne's victory at Fallen Timbers ended for all time the power of the British on American soil. A third American defeat might have led to ceding the area to Great Britain or invasion by Spain or France.

Failure also would have threatened the power of the new government, diminished because of its inability to protect its citizens.

So Wayne's victory in the Northwest campaign had far-reaching implications.

He returned to a hero's welcome in Philadelphia.

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NOTES:

Source: http://earlyamerica.com/review/fall96/anthony.html, 2002/08/17.