Talk:List of battles fought in Indiana

De Le Balm massacre
Kingdom of France was changed changed to Continental Army as the belligerent in the De le balme massacre. I will leave it as it is, but I wouldn't mind a second opinion. The company moved under the french flag, the leader was a french officer, and the soldiers were primarily french residents of the northwest. Point being, the soldiers involved were mostly, if not exclusively, french. Charles Edward 18:31, 2 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Tricky question! They were under a French officer, but the militia was comprised of French-speaking residents of (modern-day) Illinois and Indiana.  They marched under the flag of France, but they weren't really from France... and they weren't US Army, either.  Historians have never really nailed down exactly which nation they were fighting for.Mingusboodle (talk) 02:25, 8 September 2008 (UTC)

The Tragic Saga of the Indiana Indians
Here's a list of "Major Indian-White Battles and Encounters" from The Tragic Saga of the Indiana Indians by Harold Allison ( ISBN 0-9380-2107-9 ). The list is on page 325; it's a legend for a map on page 324 (which I can't upload because the book is copyrighted), so some of the numbers correspond to more than one event.Mingusboodle (talk) 02:25, 8 September 2008 (UTC)

1. Battle of Trail Creek; 1780

2. Battle of Heller's Corner Hardin's Defeat; 1790

3. Le Balme's Defeat; 1780

4. Capture of Fort Miami; 1741
 * Fort Miami; 1752


 * Fort Miami; 1763

5. Hardin's Defeat; 1790

6. Battle of Misissinewa; 1812

7. Battle of Metocintah; 1812


 * Metocintah was a Munsee Delaware Chief whose village was on the Mississinewa. Allison covers the Battle of Mississinewa from pages 219-228.  He says Metocintah's village was the first one attacked in the Battle of Mississinewa.

8. St. Clair's Defeat; 1791 Happened in Ohio

9. Battle of Tippecanoe; 1811

10. Fort Ouiatenon; 1763

11. Battle of Wildcat Creek; 1812 - AKA Spur's Defeat

12. Hardin's Battle; 1791 called "Battle of Big Pine Creek" in table

13. Vermillion River; 1752

14. Fall Creek Massacre; 1824

15. Siege of Fort Harrison; 1812

16. Plum Grove Attack; 1814

17. Lemotte Prairie Massacre; 1812 see Talk:Battle of Fort Harrison

18. Fairbanks' Defeat; 1812 Same as attack at the narrows. see Talk:Battle of Fort Harrison

19. Ambush at the Narrows; 1813
 * Attack at the Narrows; 1812- 12 dead, Sept 13, 1812. It was a group of men trying to get supplies To Fort Wayne during the siege that were ambushed.


 * Not Fort Wayne, Fort Harrison. I assume "1813" is an error.  I've added this info to the Fort Harrison article, and removed it from the table.  See Talk:Battle of Fort Harrison.


 * Turns out 1813 is not an error. There was another "Attack at the Narrows" in Martin County.   Three pack carriers operating the Martin County ferry were attacked at "The Narrows": two wounded, packs lost in flight.  Pack carriers were hired to operate ferry after killing of John McGowen (see #33 in this list).  Allison, 197-198.

20. Morrison Ambush; 1815

21. Attack on Tanner's Station; 1790

22. Ross Hill Attack; 1781

23. Battle of Laughery Creek; 1781

24. Grant Brothers' Massacre; 1802


 * Modern Switzerland County, Indiana. 1 dead, namesake of Grant County, Indiana. not sure I would classify it as a battle though. I have not added it.  Also in Allison, pg 95.

25. Battle of Tipton's Island; 1813

26. Hinton-Sturgeon-Buskirk-Ketcham Attacks; 1812


 * All attacks on rangers stationed at Fort Vallonia. Allison, pp. 246-253.

27. Solida Killings; 1812


 * Revenge killings of Daniel and Jacob Solida: brothers, vets of 1811 Tippecanoe, who liked to wear "red scalps." Delaware chief Old Ox was moving his village north into Indian controlled territory, but wanted to kill Solida brothers before he left.  Two local boys became captured in the confusion and were adopted into the tribe.  Old Ox's village was chased as far as Bean Blossom Creek in modern Brown County, but were then lost in the hills.  Allison, pp. 237-239

28. Pigeon Roost Massacre; 1812

29. Attack at Steele Prairie; 1812

30. Flinn-Guthrie Attack; 1815

31. Attack on Piankeshaw Village; 1786

32. Assault on Vincennes; 1786

33. Killing of John McGowen; 1812


 * 12 May 1812 - Indian named Popin killed John McGowen near Loogootee. Not a battle, but a homocide of revenge over an insult from McGowen months earlier.  Allison, pp 195-6.

34. Battle Forks of White River; 1779

35. Attack at White Oak Springs; 1813

36. Ambush of Lieutenant Armstrong; 1786

37. Ambush of Lieutenant Spears; 1788

38. Meek Tragedy; 11 May 1811


 * Warrick County - Revenge killing on Meek family cabin by local Shawnee sub-chief Set-te-tah (or Set-te-down), his son, and another Shawnee named Big Bones. Atha Meek Jr and his mother wounded, Atha Meek Sr and Big Bones killed at cabin.  Set-te-tah and son fled; captured near Patoka River in modern Dubois County; held at cabin of Uriah Lamar near Grandview.  William Meek (son of Atha Meek Sr) guarded prisoners and killed Set-te-tah.  Set-te-tah's wife begged for life of her son, and they were released; fled to Indian country in northern part of territory.  Allison, pp 169-171.

39. Diamond Island Massacre; 1803 According to Wikipedia, this island is part of Kentucky.

40. Ambush of Lieutenant Peters; 1788

41. Canebrake Massacre; 8 April 1793
 * Allison, pg 91-93: Five boys from Henderson, Kentucky crossed the Ohio into a Canebrake in modern Union Twp, Vanderburgh County, Indiana.  Two were killed (Peter Sprinkle tried to run away, Jacob Upp became hysterical and wouldn't stop screaming), and three captured by a party of 6 Potawatomi and 2 Kickapoo.  The three boys were adopted and eventually reunited with their families.  Not added to article - is this a battle?

That's great! Tomorrow I can start adding them in. I will try to find some casuality figured, exact dates and such too. Thanks! Charles Edward 02:29, 8 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Some of the battles are referenced in articles, already. For example, I recently added information about (34) Battle Forks of White River to Leonard Helm, since he was in command. I'll help you go through these and see if there are others. Mingusboodle (talk) 03:08, 8 September 2008 (UTC)
 * For now, I'm going to change the list above so that the battles not on the list are in red . Items in black are already included.  Items in red should probably be researched before including them. Mingusboodle (talk) 01:10, 9 September 2008 (UTC)
 * For "Capture of Fort Miami 1741", I used the date 1747, which is the date given in the text of the same book (pg 24). Mingusboodle (talk) 02:12, 9 September 2008 (UTC)


 * Here's one from the Allison source (pg 95-96) that's not on the list: McClure family massacre, 1803. Family of 6 travelling by flatboat down Ohio to settle on frontier when a white woman screamed for help on the Indiana bank, about 10 miles West of Laughery Creek in modern Ohio County, Indiana.  They landed and were boarded by Indians, who killed 5 members of the family and took the oldest daughter to Canada.  She was recovered from the English in 1813 at the Battle of the Thames.  This may not be a battle in the strict sense, but it's a fascinating story and worth more research. Mingusboodle (talk) 22:49, 30 December 2008 (UTC)


 * I found, from another source, that the Attack at the Narrows (1812) was the supply train following the relief efforts to the Battle of Fort Harrison. I added it to the Fort Harrison article.  We could create a new article at the current dead link, create a redirect, or just change the link to the Fort Harrison article. Mingusboodle (talk) 05:53, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Beaver Wars
I have found a source talking about a large battle near south bend in 1680 between the Iroquois and Miami (and allies), during the Beaver Wars. But it gives the battle no name. It is based on a french account. Stories of Indiana, by Maurice Thompson, p. 35-37. I would like to include it, but I am unsure what to call it.. Charles Edward 23:51, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

White River Battles
Here's a quote below about two actions along the White River, prior to the French & Indian War. I hesistate to put them on the list for a few reasons: 1) I can find no other reference to these actions, 2) I'm not sure they resulted in military "battle", and 3) there is some confusion about what "White River" refers to in older texts. I'll put the quote here, in case someone else can find some information on it. Mingusboodle (talk) 02:34, 1 January 2009 (UTC)

"During the 1740's, there was a notable expansion of English trade with the Indians of this region. Twice- in 1739 and again in 1744 the French commander of Detroit, M. de Longueuil, led strong expeditions along the Maumee-Wabash against British traders on the White river near the center of the present state of Indiana. While he succeeded in his immediate objective, this display of military power no longer held the Indians in check."*

1812 Bicentennial List
http://www.visit1812.com/history/

Here's a timeline that might be worth comparing to our list. Mingusboodle (talk) 03:14, 29 January 2009 (UTC)