Video
Guns Across the Lakes: Episode 4 - River Raisin
Transcript
Hello and welcome to Guns Across the Lakes I'm Joseph Dowd interpretive ranger here at River Raisin National Battlefield Park. The River Raisin battlefield was the site of one of the most significant battles of the war of 1812. It was a crushing defeat for the United States there was tremendous loss of American lives. Wounded Americans were executed inspiring the United States' first war cry "Remember the Raisin." In August of 1812 the war with Britain was only two months old but the Michigan Territory had already been taken over by the British and their native allies. American Brigadier General James Winchester departed from Kentucky with 1,000 Kentucky militiamen and 400 regulars from the 17th and 19th US Infantries. His mission march to Michigan Territory rendezvous with Major General William Henry Harrison and his troops liberate Detroit and invade Canada. It was not an easy journey. In Ohio and Indiana Winchester's troops fought frequently with natives who sided with the British. Disease thinned the ranks. Food and clothing were scarce. In January of 1813 they finally arrived in northwest Ohio they would meet here with Harrison and their combined forces would sweep into Michigan. But before Harrison arrived Winchester met with several fearful citizens of the River Raisin settlement which was just a few miles in Michigan Territory. Canadian occupation troops and their native allies were threatening to burn the settlement. Winchester dispatched forces to save the River Raisin. On January 18, 1813 550 Kentucky militia arrived just outside the River Raisin settlement they were joined by as many as a hundred residents. The Americans attacked forcing the enemy to retreat. The River Raisin settlement had been liberated. General Winchester and his remaining troops then marched from Ohio to the River Raisin settlement. The Kentucky militia set up camp in settlement homes within the protection of a shoulder high sturdy fence. The regular soldiers of the 17th and 19th infantries camped in an unprotected area General Winchester established his headquarters in a home about three quarters of a mile from his troops. Winchester expected no further engagements with the enemy. The enemy however had a different strategy British Colonel Henry Proctor and Wyandotte nation's chiefs Roundhead, Walk in the Water, and Split Log commanded a force of close to 600 soldiers and 800 native warriors from at least a dozen tribal nations. They gathered less than 20 miles away from the settlement. On the morning of January 22nd they advanced to the settlement the british artillery opened fire and the infantry and native warriors attacked. The Kentucky militia were well protected and held fast the vulnerable US 17th and 19th Infantries struggled to hold their ground but were forced to retreat. The retreat became a route. General Winchester was captured. Fearing total annihilation of his troops Winchester sent a message to the still fiercely resisting Kentuckians urging them to surrender. Faced with the overwhelming enemy numbers and dwindling ammunition the Kentuckians surrendered. Of the 934 American troops who heard that morning's revelry only 33 escaped. Roughly 400 were dead and almost 500 were prisoners of war most of them marched off to Canada under guard. Approximately 60 of the wounded who were unable to walk remained at the River Raisin under the care of a few abled-bodied prisoners. On the morning of January 23rd more than 100 native warriors arrived at the River Raisin. For them the battles were not over. They plundered and then they burned the settlers homes they took abled body prisoners captive and methodically they killed the wounded who could not walk. This event was used as propaganda to rally the fledgling nation with the nation's first war cry "Remember the Raisin" a cry that led to tribal nations forced removal and still resonates with tribal nations today. And the story isn't over come learn more at the River Raising National Battlefield Park in Monroe, Michigan. This is Ranger Joseph Dowd hoping that you Remember the Raisin.
Description
Last week at Fort Wayne we witnessed American forces halting the tide of the American Indians. This week River Raisin National Battlefield Park picks up the story.
Duration
5 minutes, 35 seconds
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