Battle of the Mississinewa The Battle of the Mississinewa , also known as Mississineway , was an expedition ordered by William Henry Harrison against Miami Indian villages in response to the attacks on Fort Wayne and Fort Harrison in the Indiana Territory . The site is near the city of Marion , Indiana . Today , the location is the site of " Mississinewa 1812 " , the largest War of 1812 reenactment in the United States , which is held every October . The annual festival draws thousands of visitors from all over the world . In 2004 , a large memorial was unveiled and is currently on display near the Mississinewa River in downtown Marion . Expedition . After receiving permission from Secretary of War William Eustis , Harrison ordered Lieutenant Colonel John B . Campbell to lead an expedition into Indiana . Campbell ' s objective was to destroy the Miami villages along the Mississinewa River . If possible , he was to avoid harm to Miami chiefs Pacanne , Jean Baptiste Richardville , White Loon , or Lenape Chief Silver Heel . Campbell ' s force of 600 mounted troops departed from Fort Greenville on December 14 and traveled 80 miles ( 130 km ) and reached Silver Heel ' s village on December 17 and took 42 Lenape prisoners . The mounted force then moved down the Mississinewa River , attacking at least two Miami villages . The Indians were taken by surprise and had not evacuated . A large number of Miami were killed , and 76 were taken prisoner , including 34 women and children . Later that day , having accomplished his objective , Campbell considered returning to Fort Greenville on account of severe frostbite among his troops . The next morning , December 18 , as Campbell returned to Silver Heel ' s village , a sizeable Native American force counterattacked . The American Indians were outnumbered , but fought fiercely to rescue the captured villagers being held by Campbell . A joint cavalry charge led by Major James McDowell and Captains Trotter and Johnston finally broke the attack . The American loss was 8 killed and 48 wounded ( of whom 4 later died ) . Campbell claimed that 8 Indians were killed on December 17 and that at least 30 were killed on December 18 . 8 warriors and thirty - four women and children were captured . One of the captured villagers told Campbell that Tecumseh was nearby and was coming with hundreds of men , so Campbell began the return march to Fort Greenville , taking with him the 42 prisoners . It was a costly victory . During the return trek , the American force was plagued greatly by frostbite , and by the time they reached Fort Greenville on December 28 , some 300 of Campbell ' s troops were suffering from frostbite and rendered unfit for duty . An entire regiment , under Colonel Simrale , was disbanded due to frostbite . Aftermath . The Indian force was only concerned with protecting their lives and winter food supplies . In order to ensure this , they needed to stop Cambell ' s expedition and force it to return to its base , which they did . Harrison claimed the expedition as a victory because of the prisoners that were taken , and he contemplated sending another expedition down the Mississinewa despite the fact that over half his cavalry was incapacitated either from battle wounds or frostbite . Harrison received approval and appointed Campbell a full Colonel in the Regular Army . Harrison ordered another attack on the Mississinewa villages the following July . Although crops and houses were again destroyed , the Miami had evacuated and escaped further casualties . Three active battalions of the Regular Army ( 1 - 3 Inf , 2 - 3 Inf and 4 - 3 Inf ) perpetuate the lineages of the old 19th Infantry Regiment , which had elements that participated in the Battle of the Mississinewa .