The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-21
BATTLE OF TIPPECANOE.
Estimate of Number of Americans En-
gaged-Letter from Mr.. English.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
In commenting on the proposed monu-
ment inscriptions the Journal says:
1.-The inscription adopted by them to go
on the north side of the monument con-
Nov. Z 1911 Indians defeated by about
eight hundred Americans, mostly Indiana
militia Dillon, in his History of Indiana,
the best authority on the subject, gives the
number of troops engaged in the battle of
Tippecanoe as about $40, of whom. he says
$50 were United States regulars, sixty were
volunteers from Kentucky and six hundred
were citizens of Indiana, meaning. of
course, the Territory of Indiana"
am inclined to think you are not quite
correct in saying. in the above extract,
that Mr.. Dillon in his history OF Indiana
gives ''the number of troops engaged in the
battle OF TiDpecanoe as about 3D."
Neither do / quite agree with you that Mr..
Dillon is "the best authority on the sub
ject" Governor William Henry Harrison
was in command on that great occasion,
and 1 think Governor Harrison much the
best authority If any difference exists in
their statements. But do not think there
is any material difference. Have you not
mistaken the purport of what Mr.. Dillon
says? He does say 'at this time the
military force of the expedition amounted
70 about go men, but the text, where he
says this plainly shows that he is speak
ing of "the force of the expedition" at the
time he was referring to, which was not the
day of the battle, but the time the force
was at Fort Harrison the march,
more than week before the battle and il
is shown that some of these men were so
employed that they were not at Tippecanoe
at all. This is more fully explained by
Governor Harrison himself. In his letter to
Governor Scott, of Kentucky, Oct. 25 1911
which was shortly before or about the time
no i'm tod hot
his enectiye force will not exceed $50
pen, but In another letter to Scott,
Month after The r. b 1s be tte over
Obliged TO march from Fort Harrison (Oct.
2gl with less than SOo.' Then, again, in his
official report of the battle to the general
government, when he would certainly speak
with elaboration and care as to the number
engaged on each side, he says: with re-
spect to the number of Indians that were
engaged against US, am possessed of no
data by which / can form correct state
ment 1t must, however, have been consid-
cradle and perhaps not much inferior to
our own, which deducting the dragons,
who We're unable to do us much service, was
very little over 200 noncommissioned Of
fcers and privates." AS to the Indians, he
adds, II am convinced there were at least
GOO. AS TO the number of Dragons" |
only know that in previous part of his
report he had spoken of two troops of
Dragons, amounting in the aggregate TO
about sixty men," as composing a part of
his force In the various statements the
ulHerenceS are not very great, and Will be
pretty effectually reconcied when it is re-
membered that some of the soldiers were
left to garrison Fort Harrison and a block
house, both built during the march, on the
west bank of the Wabash, few miles be-
low the mouth of Big Vermillion. Besides
it is more than likely that some soldiers
were at other places and not actually in the
battle. L do not see that there is any ma
terial difference in HarriSon's several state
ments, or between his statements and Dill
Ions, as DILLON wrote it; in fact, less than
might be expected, as discrepancies as to
the actual number engaged in battles are
very. common. The inscription referred to
does not undertake TO state the exact num-
Der of Americans in the battle of Tippe-
canoe, but states it at about $780," and
respectfully submit this is a fair estimate
from the authorities i have referred to- and
l know of none more likely to be accurate
L shall be glad to receive any Information
that can be had on the subject, as / am
authorized TO modify the inscription if any
reliable authority can be found that about
S00' is out of the way.
WILLIAM H. ENGLISH
Indiana polls Nov. 49,