Where Did the Battle of Tippecanoe Take Place?

Where did the Battle of Tippecanoe take place? This heated battle between the native American Indian confederation headed by Shawnee chief Tecumseh and United States forces took place in the territory of Indiana outside of Prophetstown in 1811. This town was a settlement and was established by Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa (who was known as the “Prophet”, hence the town’s name) as a hub of resistance to white invasion.

Both groups had made attempts to reach a reconciliation prior to the battle, although the outcome wasn’t favorable to all. Governer William Henry Harrison had began negotiating settlement treaties with resident tribes since his election, hoping that accumulating enough land for the United States would lead to statehood. Harrison also regarded Prophetstown as a danger to his efforts.

Both Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa were angry that their fellow leaders had given into the encroaching forces in the Treaty of Fort Wayne, when about 30,000 acres was sold to the settlers. Tecumseh and Harrison met, and the former warned that he would seek alliance with the British if Harrison’s forces were hostile. This alleged alliance eventually became a catalyst for the War of 1812.

Tecumseh began making allies with other tribes and found himself with less support than he expected. As the United States grew aware of this, troops were rounded up to march on Prophetstown. They set out in October, 1811.

Where Did the Battle of Tippecanoe Take Place?

So where did the Battle of Tippecanoe take place? West of Prophetstown, by Burnett Creek located in between the Tippecanoe and Wabash rivers. Upon entering the field of battle, Harrison was met with one of Tenskwatawa’s men waving a white flag, asking for a ceasefire until the leaders had a chance to meet and hopefully find an alternative. Harrison agreed, albeit skeptically. The United States troops settled by a Catholic mission that was established to educate tribes in the area.

Who Launched the Attack?

However, the close proximity of the armed forces to Prophetstown made the native forces uneasy. Governer Harrison was captured during the night. Although in most circles hold Tenskwatawa as the sole maker of the decision to attack Harrison, there are many accounts that claim that the Winnebago tribes in the camp launched the attack. Accounts describe Tenskwatawa’s attempts to control the allied forces, but these efforts were in vain as panic had set in for most of the groups. Either way, the plot to kill Harrison never came to fruition.

The Beginning of the Battle

Accounts are still elusive as to how the Battle of Tippecanoe began, but the Harrison’s troops found themselves surrounded at dawn. Two waves of American Indian forces hit from the north and the south.

There were about 1,000 individuals fighting for the United States and only about 450 fighting for Tenskwatawa. The United States won, but significantly more causalities, including many officers.

Although the losses of the natives were minimal, they felt deceived by Tenskwatawa after his failed promises of their protection in the efforts, and refused to invade Harrison’s camp again for another wave, even after Tenskwatawa promised to ensure their protection by conducting more rituals.

After the Battle

Harrison was wary of another attack, and set his men to fortify the camp and as they did, they scalped the deceased bodies of his opponents. However, the next day Harrison ordered the inspection of Prophetstown and found it deserted.

They burned the town and took the food that was in storage there, compromising the survival potential of the confederacy dramatically. They also dug up old graves in the town so that even more bodies could be scalped.

Harrison made mass graves outside of Prophetstown for his men and struggled to cloak the graves to prevent interference from the American Indians, but this effort was futile. Tenskwatawa’s people found the graves and scattered the bodies in retaliation for their losses and for the maiming of Prophetstown. So where did the battle of Tippecanoe take place? Close to Prophetstown, which was once a hub for American Indian resistance in what is now Indiana.