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7 November in military history: Battle of Tippecanoe, 1811

Military history · 7 November · Tecumseh's WarFull calendar

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Colored lithograph of a battle in an autumn forest: on the left American soldiers in blue coats fire from a line under the Stars and Stripes, led by a mounted officer waving his hat, while on the right Native warriors with feathers and raised tomahawks charge through gun smoke between the trees.
Battle of Tippecanoe, a lithograph published by Kurz and Allison in 1889. Its printed caption says Harrison was attacked by Tecumseh, but Tecumseh was away in the south at the time. Public domain. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
Quick answer

At dawn on 7 November 1811 warriors of the Native confederacy built by the Shawnee brothers Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa attacked William Henry Harrison's army camped near Prophetstown, in the Indiana Territory, while Tecumseh was away in the south. After about two hours they withdrew, and the next day Harrison burned the abandoned town.1

The Battle of Tippecanoe, 1811: Harrison and Tecumseh's Confederacy

7 November 1811 · 214 years ago

As American settlers pressed west, the Shawnee leader Tecumseh worked to unite the Native nations of the frontier into a confederacy that would resist further land cessions. Its spiritual center was Prophetstown, led by his brother Tenskwatawa, known as the Prophet.

Read the full story of The Battle of Tippecanoe, 1811: Harrison and Tecumseh's Confederacy ›

Battle of Belmont, 1861: Ulysses S. Grant's first battle

7 November 1861 · 164 years ago

Union troops under Ulysses Grant crossed the Mississippi by riverboat and raided a Confederate camp at Belmont, Missouri, his first combat test of the Civil War. They overran the camp, but Confederate reinforcements drove them back to their boats.

Read the full story of Battle of Belmont, 1861: Ulysses S. Grant's first battle ›

Frequently asked questions

Who fought at the Battle of Tippecanoe?

An American army of regulars and militia under Indiana governor William Henry Harrison, and warriors of the Native confederacy built by the Shawnee brothers Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa. Tecumseh himself was away in the south.2

Who won the Battle of Tippecanoe?

Harrison's army held its camp, the warriors withdrew, and the next day the Americans burned Prophetstown. How decisive it was is debated: the Canadian Encyclopedia and the National Park Service doubt Harrison's claim of a great victory.3

How many casualties were there at Tippecanoe?

Estimates run from 189 to about 200 American dead and wounded, about a fifth of Harrison's army, and from 120 to about 130 on the Native side.4

Notes

A number in the text points to a note; each note names the works that paragraph draws on, listed in full under Sources.

  1. American Battlefield Trust, “Tippecanoe”; The Canadian Encyclopedia, “Battle of Tippecanoe”; Erin E. Thompson, “The Battle of Tippecanoe (7 NOV 1811)”; Western Spy, “War! War! War!”. ↩
  2. American Battlefield Trust, “Tippecanoe”; The Canadian Encyclopedia, “Battle of Tippecanoe”; Erin E. Thompson, “The Battle of Tippecanoe (7 NOV 1811)”. ↩
  3. American Battlefield Trust, “Tippecanoe”; The Canadian Encyclopedia, “Battle of Tippecanoe”; National Park Service, “Autumn 1811”. ↩
  4. American Battlefield Trust, “Tippecanoe”; The Canadian Encyclopedia, “Battle of Tippecanoe”; Erin E. Thompson, “The Battle of Tippecanoe (7 NOV 1811)”. ↩

Sources

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