The Treaty of Paris not only gave the 13 Colonies independence, but also the Northwest Territory (the area between the Ohio River and the Great Lakes). However, the British refused to give up their forts in the area and continued to encourage the Indians to fight against white expansion. Two expeditions to end the Indian threat had been ambushed and wiped out. Congress decided to get serious. Although one of the founding principles of the new nation was fear of a standing army, in 1792 the Legion of the U.S. was created and Anthony Wayne (known as “Mad Anthony”) was given command. Before taking on the Indians, he trained his army and made his soldiers disciplined and good shots. In 1794, he marched north. The Indians were allied to fight white expansion. Chiefs Little Turtle (Miamis) and Buckongalelas (Delawares) were there, but overall command was in the hands of Blue Jacket of the Shawnees. He decided to lay an ambush with the Indians hiding in Fallen Timbers. This was a natural fortress created when a tornado knocked down a bunch of trees. It was near the current day Toledo, Ohio. Wayne’s army had been reinforced by Kentucky militiamen, some on horseback. He had 3,000 men and there were about 1,300 Indians. Wayne’s scouts (Choctaw and Chickasaw) informed him of the Indian position, so there would be no ambush. (This was an early example of using Indians to fight other Indians.) On August 20, 1794, Wayne divided his army into two columns and approached Fallen Timbers. The Indians fired a volley and charged with hatchets. This caused part of Wayne’s army to retreat with panic building. However, their discipline kicked in and Wayne’s charismatic leadership restored the situation. He ordered: “Charge the damned rascals with the bayonet!” This countercharge and some cannister from cannons caused the Indians to flee in a rout. Dragoons chased, cutting some down with their swords. The battle lasted around an hour. Wayne lost 23 killed and the Indians from 25-40. Wayne’s forces then burned Indian villages and crops. The result was the power of the Indians in the Northwest Territory was broken for a while. The British were forced to abandon their forts and their support for the Indians. The Indians were forced to cede most of Ohio and parts of Indiana. Illinois, and Michigan. Mad Anthony added Fallen Timbers to Stony Point on his resume. Not bad for the man who became known as the “Father of the Regular Army”.
https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/battle-of-fallen-timbers
https://armyhistory.org/the-battle-of-fallen-timbers-20-august-1794/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fallen_Timbers
https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Fallen-Timbers
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