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The Victory with No Name: The Native American Defeat of the First American Army
In 1791, General Arthur St. Clair led the United States army in a campaign to destroy a complex of Indian villages at the Maumee River in northwestern Ohio. Almost within reach of their objective, St. Clair's 1,400 men were attacked by about one thousand Indians. The U.S. force was decimated, suffering nearly one thousand casualties in killed and wounded, while Indian casualties numbered only a few dozen. But despite the lopsided result, it wouldn't appear to carry much significance; it involved only a few thousand people, lasted less than three hours, and the outcome, which was never in doubt, was permanently reversed a mere three years later. Neither an epic struggle nor a clash that changed the course of history, the battle doesn't even have a name.
Yet, as renowned Native American historian Colin Calloway demonstrates here, St. Clair's Defeat--as it came to be known-- was hugely important for its time. It was both the biggest victory the Native Americans ever won, and, proportionately, the biggest military disaster the United States had suffered. With the British in Canada waiting in the wings for the American experiment in republicanism to fail, and some regions of the West gravitating toward alliance with Spain, the defeat threatened the very existence of the infant United States. Generating a deluge of reports, correspondence, opinions, and debates in the press, it produced the first congressional investigation in American history, while ultimately changing not only the manner in which Americans viewed, raised, organized, and paid for their armies, but the very ways in which they fought their wars.
Emphasizing the extent to which the battle has been overlooked in history, Calloway illustrates how this moment of great victory by American Indians became an aberration in the national story and a blank spot in the national memory. Calloway shows that St. Clair's army proved no match for the highly motivated and well-led Native American force that shattered not only the American army but the ill-founded assumption that Indians stood no chance against European methods and models of warfare. An engaging and enlightening read for American history enthusiasts and scholars alike, The Victory with No Name brings this significant moment in American history back to light.
Yet, as renowned Native American historian Colin Calloway demonstrates here, St. Clair's Defeat--as it came to be known-- was hugely important for its time. It was both the biggest victory the Native Americans ever won, and, proportionately, the biggest military disaster the United States had suffered. With the British in Canada waiting in the wings for the American experiment in republicanism to fail, and some regions of the West gravitating toward alliance with Spain, the defeat threatened the very existence of the infant United States. Generating a deluge of reports, correspondence, opinions, and debates in the press, it produced the first congressional investigation in American history, while ultimately changing not only the manner in which Americans viewed, raised, organized, and paid for their armies, but the very ways in which they fought their wars.
Emphasizing the extent to which the battle has been overlooked in history, Calloway illustrates how this moment of great victory by American Indians became an aberration in the national story and a blank spot in the national memory. Calloway shows that St. Clair's army proved no match for the highly motivated and well-led Native American force that shattered not only the American army but the ill-founded assumption that Indians stood no chance against European methods and models of warfare. An engaging and enlightening read for American history enthusiasts and scholars alike, The Victory with No Name brings this significant moment in American history back to light.
214 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
34 people are currently reading
357 people want to read
About the author
Colin G. Calloway
107 books83 followersColin G. Calloway is John Kimball Jr. 1943 Professor of History and Native American Studies at Dartmouth College. His previous books include A Scratch of the Pen and The Victory with No Name.
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September 17, 2022
“As the American lines crumbled and fell back, the Indians squeezed them closer together, subjecting the huddled soldiers to a vicious crossfire. ‘At length our men got into universal confusion,’ reported an account reprinted in the Columbian Centinel. ‘The Indians in the meantime were contracting their circle, and keeping up a constant fire both with rifle and smooth bored muskets.’ Soldiers gathered in knots, ‘having nothing to do but to present mere marks for the enemy. They appeared stupefied and bewildered by the danger.’ Some broke into officers’ tents and devoured the breakfasts the officers had left when they were called to the battle; some of the men were ‘shot down in the very act of eating.’ The ground was covered with the dead. Recalling the scene fifty-five years later, eighty-two-year-old Jacob Fowler remembered, ‘The freshly-scalped heads were reeking with smoke, and in the heavy morning frost looked like so many pumpkins through a cornfield in December.’
- Colin G. Calloway, The Victory With No Name: The Native American Defeat of the First American Army
One of the most lopsided thrashings in all of American military history took place in present-day Ohio in 1791. Known variously as the Battle of the Wabash or St. Clair’s Defeat, it pitted four American regiments and an artillery battalion against a coalition of Indian tribes including the Shawnee, Miami, and Lenape, led by famed warriors Blue Jacket and Little Turtle. The results were distinctly one-sided. For a handful of killed and wounded, the Indians inflicted over a thousand casualties upon the First American Army, including approximately 600 deaths.
Despite the thoroughness of the rout – or perhaps because of it – this bloody engagement near the headwaters of the Wabash is not very well known. While George Armstrong Custer and the Little Big Horn have seeped into mainstream relevance – through movies, books, a television miniseries, songs, poems, bad jokes, and Far Side cartoons – the central event of this book doesn’t even have an agreed-upon name.
In The Victory With No Name, Colin Calloway tries to change all that, seeking to bring attention and relevance to a gory speedbump struck head-on by the early American Republic. For the most part, Calloway succeeds. Though his writing sometimes exudes all the energy of a business audit, this is an efficient (164 pages of text), well-researched, and cleanly presented volume.
***
For good reason, Calloway writes and structures this book with the expectation that you might never have heard of Arthur St. Clair, Blue Jacket, or the Wabash. It is, in other words, a very accessible book about a somewhat obscure subject.
In a series of short introductory chapters, Calloway lays out the context of the “battle with no name.” He describes a newly-formed United States that is deeply in debt following the American Revolution and the failures of the Articles of Confederation. George Washington and others plan to make up that shortfall by selling public lands in the west. The only problem, of course, is that these public lands are already occupied by Indian tribes. These tribes had formed a confederation with extremely capable leadership to oppose white encroachment. As we progress, Calloway alternates points of view, switching between Indian and American perspectives in the struggle for Ohio.
***
The backdrop to the battle is as interesting as the battle itself, providing a nice sketch of an infant nation struggling to find its feet. To that end, Calloway touches on many of the interesting quirks and facets of the nascent United States. For instance, there is a strenuous debate over the First American Army, and whether or not it should exist at all. It’s hard to believe now – with American military spending surpassing the total of the next seven countries combined – but there was once strong opposition to a standing army. Eventually, land-hunger trumped concerns that a permanent military might be used for internal suppression, and a force was raised, and marched off to its doom.
There is also a discussion of the corruption and self-dealing rampant in the fledgling government. Military contracts were awarded to those with friends in high political office. The best lands were bought up by speculators with inside assistance, bilking the treasury and padding their own bank accounts. As a result, a poorly trained and shoddily equipped army went to fight a war to help make other men rich. It is a stark case-study of high revolutionary ideals melting like wax before the flame of individual profit and greed.
***
As you know from the title, the debut of the First American Army was a disaster. Indian forces overwhelmed them in their encampment, sowing terror and confusion. Making matters worse, the American troops – following old tradition – had brought many camp followers, including women and children. While there were individual and group acts of heroism, the American defense turned quickly to a route.
***
The Victory With No Name is competently written and well researched. The primary quotations are well chosen, often with an eye towards a bit of wry humor. Still, this is a book that I respected more than I enjoyed. It doesn’t have the extra, intangible oomph that is baked into my favorite histories. The disorganized battle is ably recounted, but there is no vivid sense that you are there.
There are limitations, of course, that come from a lack of primary sources, and I can’t blame Calloway for that. He is a serious and renowned historian of this era, and I don’t expect him to mimic Allan D. Eckert, whose Winning of America series unveiled a riveting, novelistic, and factually nonsensical account of the battle.
Still, there were things Calloway could have legitimately done to make this account sizzle, at least a bit. He could have asked a reenactor to fire off an 18th century musket, so that he could properly describe the sound of the flint hitting the frizzen, the boom of its report, and the smell of burnt powder. He might have talked to elders of the Shawnee or Delaware nations, to see if they have any oral histories or insights. Heck, even a critical analysis of Eckert’s portrayal would have livened things up.
***
When it comes to the Battle of the Wabash, there are simply not a lot of reading options. Faint praise or not, I give Calloway credit for writing this at all. And though it provokes no visceral thrills, it provides a fascinating snapshot of a United States in the midst of an identity crisis, deciding what kind of power it would be, where that power would reside, and how that power would be deployed. In a real sense, this collision of indigenous and American forces would set the tone for the continental expansion to come, a seismic movement that ended some ninety-nine years later, in the snow alongside Wounded Knee Creek.
- Colin G. Calloway, The Victory With No Name: The Native American Defeat of the First American Army
One of the most lopsided thrashings in all of American military history took place in present-day Ohio in 1791. Known variously as the Battle of the Wabash or St. Clair’s Defeat, it pitted four American regiments and an artillery battalion against a coalition of Indian tribes including the Shawnee, Miami, and Lenape, led by famed warriors Blue Jacket and Little Turtle. The results were distinctly one-sided. For a handful of killed and wounded, the Indians inflicted over a thousand casualties upon the First American Army, including approximately 600 deaths.
Despite the thoroughness of the rout – or perhaps because of it – this bloody engagement near the headwaters of the Wabash is not very well known. While George Armstrong Custer and the Little Big Horn have seeped into mainstream relevance – through movies, books, a television miniseries, songs, poems, bad jokes, and Far Side cartoons – the central event of this book doesn’t even have an agreed-upon name.
In The Victory With No Name, Colin Calloway tries to change all that, seeking to bring attention and relevance to a gory speedbump struck head-on by the early American Republic. For the most part, Calloway succeeds. Though his writing sometimes exudes all the energy of a business audit, this is an efficient (164 pages of text), well-researched, and cleanly presented volume.
***
For good reason, Calloway writes and structures this book with the expectation that you might never have heard of Arthur St. Clair, Blue Jacket, or the Wabash. It is, in other words, a very accessible book about a somewhat obscure subject.
In a series of short introductory chapters, Calloway lays out the context of the “battle with no name.” He describes a newly-formed United States that is deeply in debt following the American Revolution and the failures of the Articles of Confederation. George Washington and others plan to make up that shortfall by selling public lands in the west. The only problem, of course, is that these public lands are already occupied by Indian tribes. These tribes had formed a confederation with extremely capable leadership to oppose white encroachment. As we progress, Calloway alternates points of view, switching between Indian and American perspectives in the struggle for Ohio.
***
The backdrop to the battle is as interesting as the battle itself, providing a nice sketch of an infant nation struggling to find its feet. To that end, Calloway touches on many of the interesting quirks and facets of the nascent United States. For instance, there is a strenuous debate over the First American Army, and whether or not it should exist at all. It’s hard to believe now – with American military spending surpassing the total of the next seven countries combined – but there was once strong opposition to a standing army. Eventually, land-hunger trumped concerns that a permanent military might be used for internal suppression, and a force was raised, and marched off to its doom.
There is also a discussion of the corruption and self-dealing rampant in the fledgling government. Military contracts were awarded to those with friends in high political office. The best lands were bought up by speculators with inside assistance, bilking the treasury and padding their own bank accounts. As a result, a poorly trained and shoddily equipped army went to fight a war to help make other men rich. It is a stark case-study of high revolutionary ideals melting like wax before the flame of individual profit and greed.
***
As you know from the title, the debut of the First American Army was a disaster. Indian forces overwhelmed them in their encampment, sowing terror and confusion. Making matters worse, the American troops – following old tradition – had brought many camp followers, including women and children. While there were individual and group acts of heroism, the American defense turned quickly to a route.
***
The Victory With No Name is competently written and well researched. The primary quotations are well chosen, often with an eye towards a bit of wry humor. Still, this is a book that I respected more than I enjoyed. It doesn’t have the extra, intangible oomph that is baked into my favorite histories. The disorganized battle is ably recounted, but there is no vivid sense that you are there.
There are limitations, of course, that come from a lack of primary sources, and I can’t blame Calloway for that. He is a serious and renowned historian of this era, and I don’t expect him to mimic Allan D. Eckert, whose Winning of America series unveiled a riveting, novelistic, and factually nonsensical account of the battle.
Still, there were things Calloway could have legitimately done to make this account sizzle, at least a bit. He could have asked a reenactor to fire off an 18th century musket, so that he could properly describe the sound of the flint hitting the frizzen, the boom of its report, and the smell of burnt powder. He might have talked to elders of the Shawnee or Delaware nations, to see if they have any oral histories or insights. Heck, even a critical analysis of Eckert’s portrayal would have livened things up.
***
When it comes to the Battle of the Wabash, there are simply not a lot of reading options. Faint praise or not, I give Calloway credit for writing this at all. And though it provokes no visceral thrills, it provides a fascinating snapshot of a United States in the midst of an identity crisis, deciding what kind of power it would be, where that power would reside, and how that power would be deployed. In a real sense, this collision of indigenous and American forces would set the tone for the continental expansion to come, a seismic movement that ended some ninety-nine years later, in the snow alongside Wounded Knee Creek.
January 27, 2021
This book covers an important chapter in American history.
February 13, 2021
This is an informative and detailed history of the defeat of the US Army by a well-organized and disciplined Native American confederation. At times, though, I felt the level of detail was unnecessary: Calloway devotes a paragraph to a litany of the publications that carried the news of the defeat of Arthur St. Clair’s men, for instance.
The Victory With No Name does two things very well. It provides an insight into diplomacy and alliances in Indian country and the conduct of warfare by Native American nations. It is also a fascinating look at the fledgling US republic, still unsure of itself but determined to expand its land base westward.
Overall, this is an illuminating account of a Native American victory that deserves to be better-known.
The Victory With No Name does two things very well. It provides an insight into diplomacy and alliances in Indian country and the conduct of warfare by Native American nations. It is also a fascinating look at the fledgling US republic, still unsure of itself but determined to expand its land base westward.
Overall, this is an illuminating account of a Native American victory that deserves to be better-known.
June 16, 2020
Really good overview of St. Clair's Defeat in which about 1,000 US troops were attacked near present day Ft. Recovery, Ohio (about half way between Ft. Wayne, IN and Dayton, OH). Only a few dozen survived.
This book does a great job laying out the motivations of both sides in the Northwest Indian War (land, duh!) and the reasons why a clash between Native Americans (aided greatly by England) and America (deeply in debt from the War of Independence) was inevitable. The government back East didn't think much more highly of the settlers in the Western frontier (see also The Whiskey Rebellion) than they did the natives of the area, but land speculators--including Washington himself--and America needed a clear deed to and a stable peace in the Territory North and West of the Ohio River.
Drawn largely from first hand accounts in journals and letters, you can follow the ill-equipped and undisciplined troops as they work their way north of Cincinnati. Mr. Calloway also does his best to piece together the amassing of the Native American troops from all over the area. The same care is taken to piece together the events of the 3-4 hour battle, with lots of nice grisly asides like steam coming off the freshly scalped heads in the November air.
The preceding unsuccessful campaign by Harmar (no relation to Har Mar Superstar) and the later successful campaign of Anthony Wayne are also covered, though in less detail, so you can get a pretty full overview of the Northwest Indian War. (Also see William Hogeland's excellent Autumn Of The Black Snake.)
I really liked the epilogue that, similar to the end of Animal House, explains where each of the main characters wound up. It's surprising that Little Turtle, who helped wipe out almost half the US Army at the time, was received by Washington and other important politicians multiple times. He was even buried (in Ft. Wayne, IN) with full military honors and with a sword given to him by Washington.
Highly recommended
This book does a great job laying out the motivations of both sides in the Northwest Indian War (land, duh!) and the reasons why a clash between Native Americans (aided greatly by England) and America (deeply in debt from the War of Independence) was inevitable. The government back East didn't think much more highly of the settlers in the Western frontier (see also The Whiskey Rebellion) than they did the natives of the area, but land speculators--including Washington himself--and America needed a clear deed to and a stable peace in the Territory North and West of the Ohio River.
Drawn largely from first hand accounts in journals and letters, you can follow the ill-equipped and undisciplined troops as they work their way north of Cincinnati. Mr. Calloway also does his best to piece together the amassing of the Native American troops from all over the area. The same care is taken to piece together the events of the 3-4 hour battle, with lots of nice grisly asides like steam coming off the freshly scalped heads in the November air.
The preceding unsuccessful campaign by Harmar (no relation to Har Mar Superstar) and the later successful campaign of Anthony Wayne are also covered, though in less detail, so you can get a pretty full overview of the Northwest Indian War. (Also see William Hogeland's excellent Autumn Of The Black Snake.)
I really liked the epilogue that, similar to the end of Animal House, explains where each of the main characters wound up. It's surprising that Little Turtle, who helped wipe out almost half the US Army at the time, was received by Washington and other important politicians multiple times. He was even buried (in Ft. Wayne, IN) with full military honors and with a sword given to him by Washington.
Highly recommended
May 25, 2018
Depressing read in the end, but a really fascinating time in history
August 23, 2015
Calloway is one of my academic heroes. I am a graduate level history degree holder, and much of my research either referenced or built upon Calloway's work. In this work, he relates the story of The Battle of the Wabash in 1791. Since no one has ever heard of the Battle of the Wabash, most may be vaguely familiar with "St. Clair's Defeat", and therein lies the rationale behind Calloway's title. The Native American alliance of the Old Northwest bestowed the most lopsided loss on a military force of the United States in the entire history of our nation's conflicts with Native Americans. Everyone has heard of "Custer's Last Stand", more properly known as the Battle of the Little Bighorn, and most are familiar with the Apache campaigns under Cochise and Geronimo. But both of those pale in comparison to the American loss on the Wabash. Nearly three times more soldiers were killed in this battle than Custer lost at Little Bighorn. Most Apache encounters were little more than skirmishes involving no more than two or three dozen warriors agains columns of cavalry. Few realize that the Constitution had only been created four years prior to The Battle of the Wabash. Virtually the entire military might of the United States at that time was essentially annihilated by a group of Native American warriors that most white Americans considered undisciplined and thieving "savages". President George Washington, a man renowned for his composure and coolness under pressure was rumored to have wept and verbally cursed Arthur St. Clair upon receipt of the news of the disaster. Calloway recounts the events that led to this monumental victory for the alliance led by Shawnee Chief Blue Jacket. While the old maxim is true that the victors write the history, this event has been almost criminally avoided by historians, and Calloway does his darndest to bring the event out of the shadows and expose the brilliance behind the Native Americans' victory.
May 19, 2019
It’s a good book. Quick read. It says it’s 244 pages but the last 80 or so are references. It is extremely well sourced and the first hand accounts are very well chosen. Does a good job of picking quotes that help humanize the people that are being described and paint a picture.
There are parts that are more difficult to get through that very much read like a dry recounting of sources and other parts that read like a narrative of a series of battles.
I was born in Ohio and have lived here my whole life, I have a BA in history, lived in Northwest Ohio for 4 years, and my Dad’s family is from Toledo. I learned a lot of new things from this book.
I found the stories of, let’s say, suspect dealings by the land companies, interesting. Chapters 3,4,5 which deal with the multiple incursions into Western Ohio and the Native American political alliances were the most interesting for me.
Knowing the geography of Western Ohio, it was fun to see where a lot of the county, city, and township names came from.
There are parts that are more difficult to get through that very much read like a dry recounting of sources and other parts that read like a narrative of a series of battles.
I was born in Ohio and have lived here my whole life, I have a BA in history, lived in Northwest Ohio for 4 years, and my Dad’s family is from Toledo. I learned a lot of new things from this book.
I found the stories of, let’s say, suspect dealings by the land companies, interesting. Chapters 3,4,5 which deal with the multiple incursions into Western Ohio and the Native American political alliances were the most interesting for me.
Knowing the geography of Western Ohio, it was fun to see where a lot of the county, city, and township names came from.
November 17, 2017
First, I want to say that I had the honor and privilege of studying with the author during an NEH seminar at Dartmouth College several years ago. It was an outstanding experience to learn from such a dedicated historian who cared so much for his subject, our Native peoples.
This battle was truly a "victory with no name" because traditionally the victors usually name the battle but the Native Americans involved weren't concerned with a title just the outcome. "St. Clair's Defeat" in November 1791 on the banks of the Wabash placed a temporary halt to American expansion in the Northwest and Ohio country at a time when American politicians and land speculators were determine to wrest profit from lands deemed theirs without consideration for the peoples who already lived there.
The confederation of Native Americans that opposed St, Clair's army was in and of itself unprecedented. Tribal rivalry, traditional hatreds and jealousies had always prevented this kind of alliance from happening. But whatever the reason, these nations pulled themselves together to try and prevent American expansion from encroaching on and driving them from their homeland. Their success, although temporary, sent a chill up the spine of the nascent United States and most importantly caused the Federal government to reconsider the structure and purpose of its military. That would culminate in the victory by Wayne at Fallen Timbers in 1794.
The army that was defeated was ill-trained, ill-equipped, undisciplined and subject to the corruption of civilian military contractors. The army forgot lessons learned in the French & Indian War and Revolution about frontier fighting against such an elusive and dangerous enemy. The so-called "savages" they fought against showed more discipline and determination and did not succumb to the "shock and awe" that this American Army thought it possessed.
Two things I took notice of. First, the number of "whites" who fought alongside their Native brothers. Men like William Wells and Simon Girty whose lives had become entwined with the Indians because of marriage or trade or simply became immersed in the culture. Wells would later "turn his coat" and fight with the Americans during the War of 1812. Secondly, the author remarks that British instigation in all of this was minimal. Preoccupied with Revolutionary France, the British were content in many ways to let the Indians fend for themselves and the continued hope that the American experiment in democracy would fail.
All in all, a fine read and is highly recommended.
This battle was truly a "victory with no name" because traditionally the victors usually name the battle but the Native Americans involved weren't concerned with a title just the outcome. "St. Clair's Defeat" in November 1791 on the banks of the Wabash placed a temporary halt to American expansion in the Northwest and Ohio country at a time when American politicians and land speculators were determine to wrest profit from lands deemed theirs without consideration for the peoples who already lived there.
The confederation of Native Americans that opposed St, Clair's army was in and of itself unprecedented. Tribal rivalry, traditional hatreds and jealousies had always prevented this kind of alliance from happening. But whatever the reason, these nations pulled themselves together to try and prevent American expansion from encroaching on and driving them from their homeland. Their success, although temporary, sent a chill up the spine of the nascent United States and most importantly caused the Federal government to reconsider the structure and purpose of its military. That would culminate in the victory by Wayne at Fallen Timbers in 1794.
The army that was defeated was ill-trained, ill-equipped, undisciplined and subject to the corruption of civilian military contractors. The army forgot lessons learned in the French & Indian War and Revolution about frontier fighting against such an elusive and dangerous enemy. The so-called "savages" they fought against showed more discipline and determination and did not succumb to the "shock and awe" that this American Army thought it possessed.
Two things I took notice of. First, the number of "whites" who fought alongside their Native brothers. Men like William Wells and Simon Girty whose lives had become entwined with the Indians because of marriage or trade or simply became immersed in the culture. Wells would later "turn his coat" and fight with the Americans during the War of 1812. Secondly, the author remarks that British instigation in all of this was minimal. Preoccupied with Revolutionary France, the British were content in many ways to let the Indians fend for themselves and the continued hope that the American experiment in democracy would fail.
All in all, a fine read and is highly recommended.
May 21, 2018
I honestly don't know how to review this book. It was an assigned reading for my history of Ohio class and to be honest, starting off I found the book hard to get through. yet as I continued reading, it was interesting to learn how St. Clair's army was defeated and that the main reasoning behind this was the lack of proper provisions. Knowing this, it made me wonder if they battle would have turned out differently if the troops had been better prepared.
I can't say that I'm surprised that this battle has never been talked about much because America just became a country and faced a horrible slap in the face with the defeat. No one wants to admit their shortcomings, but thanks to Calloway, we're able to get a glimpse of the victors and how the Indians were able to use the lay of the land to their advantage. War is all about studying your enemy and learning how to best exploit their weaknesses to ensure your own victory. I honestly feel that the reason the Indians were able to win is because they felt they had more on the line to lose. Calloway mentioned how Indians still serve in US armed forces not because of a sense of loyalty, but because they want to continue to protect their lands and their families. This sentiment is what the Indians of November 1791 held onto while preparing to fight the Americans and drive them from the Indians' lands. The Indians were steadfast in wanting to maintain the borders that they had tried to keep, and this drive is what compelled them to overthrow the Americans in their first victory over the American army.
I can't say that I'm surprised that this battle has never been talked about much because America just became a country and faced a horrible slap in the face with the defeat. No one wants to admit their shortcomings, but thanks to Calloway, we're able to get a glimpse of the victors and how the Indians were able to use the lay of the land to their advantage. War is all about studying your enemy and learning how to best exploit their weaknesses to ensure your own victory. I honestly feel that the reason the Indians were able to win is because they felt they had more on the line to lose. Calloway mentioned how Indians still serve in US armed forces not because of a sense of loyalty, but because they want to continue to protect their lands and their families. This sentiment is what the Indians of November 1791 held onto while preparing to fight the Americans and drive them from the Indians' lands. The Indians were steadfast in wanting to maintain the borders that they had tried to keep, and this drive is what compelled them to overthrow the Americans in their first victory over the American army.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2023
My greatest revelation in reading this study in American history is that four years into the life of the new Republic--if you start counting at 1787 when the Constitution was ratified rather than with Lincoln, who started it in 1776--four years in and the U.S. is sending an Expeditionary military force into Ohio to attack, raid, plunder Native-American peoples. St. Clair's mission with 1,400 soldiers was to destabilize the Natives, but when encountered by a smaller number of unified Native-American warriors, the horrendous slaughter and rout led to St. Clair's retreat with less than half of his force left.
I do not not see this episode of conquest in many U.S. textbooks.
From this national disasters, sides began to form for either building a regular standing Army (Hamilton, et. al., and what became known as the Federalists v. those who wished for State Militias, Jefferson, and the Republican-Democrats). This event became the catalyst for what formed into two political parties.
Within only a few short years, the native tribes were still diminished and settlement expanded and Ohio became the 17th State to join the Union in 1803. The Natives? Disease, plunder, in-fighting....
I do not not see this episode of conquest in many U.S. textbooks.
From this national disasters, sides began to form for either building a regular standing Army (Hamilton, et. al., and what became known as the Federalists v. those who wished for State Militias, Jefferson, and the Republican-Democrats). This event became the catalyst for what formed into two political parties.
Within only a few short years, the native tribes were still diminished and settlement expanded and Ohio became the 17th State to join the Union in 1803. The Natives? Disease, plunder, in-fighting....
December 17, 2017
A quick, efficient read of the competition between Britain, the US, and the Native Confederation for the Ohio River Valley in the 1780s and 1790s. The book opens with a backdrop of the Native and US political and economic motivations in the Ohio River Valley. It also gives a short sketch of the US invasion into present day Ohio and NW Indiana, as well as the Native's military alliances.
The book continues with how the Native Confederation prevailed in the first battle in the history of the US Army (known as The Battle of the Wabash by some, but technically, the battle doesn't have an agreed upon name - with over 1,000 US troops were killed with about 30 native deaths). This was to be the single worst military disaster in US history as some 80% of US Troops engaged were killed in battle. The text ends with a review of the repercussions of the event.
The book continues with how the Native Confederation prevailed in the first battle in the history of the US Army (known as The Battle of the Wabash by some, but technically, the battle doesn't have an agreed upon name - with over 1,000 US troops were killed with about 30 native deaths). This was to be the single worst military disaster in US history as some 80% of US Troops engaged were killed in battle. The text ends with a review of the repercussions of the event.
December 13, 2017
Enlightening book on the story of the first American army, which was defeated twice by Native Americans. My history class this semester has taught me so much, especially that there is so much about American history that gets covered up and glorified. Everyone in America has so much more to learn about the history of our country, because it is complicated and layered, and the motivations of the "founding fathers" are not black and white because they, too, were human. They made political choices for personal gain and were overtly racist. Everyone should read this book, and if not this book, then The Unredeemed Captive A Family Story From Early America by John Demos.
March 5, 2018
A fascinating study of one of the most significant battles on American soil that nobody knows about--the largest victory of Indian tribes against the U.S. Army. It happened at the headwaters of the Wabash River in Ohio near the modern Indiana border. Roughly one thousand warriors from nine Indian tribes attacked the encampment of Major General Arthur St. Clair's 1,400-man army. In a bloody three-hour fight at dawn, one thousand of the expedition, which included women and children, were either killed or captured; it is a miracle that anyone at all escaped the bloodbath. The subject matter makes for a difficult story but the book is well written and very knowledgable and well worth reading.
June 5, 2018
Excellent reading if you are into non-fiction. As a general rule of thumb I have found the Oxford University Press history books to be very readable especially for books with a definite academic focus. The authors/editors set forth facts in great detail but never lose track of the human story being related. Not only the story of the main event is related but also the context in the greater American society of the late 18th century and also what happened to the main participants after the events and what effect the events had on subsequent development of both the US Army and American society.
January 30, 2018
It's a sobering experience to read a book about a major battle Indians won over the fledgling US and realise how it shaped policy towards the Indians. Amazingly, this important battle never even had a name. The actual battle is the smallest chapter in the book, which is devoted to the Indian's way of life before the battle.
July 25, 2020
I loved this book! To me what is most significant about this book is that it presents the Indians not as objects but as subjects - as unique individuals and communitities with their own agency and agenda. This battle involved many different communities and organizations, and the author dedicates an entire chapter just to discussing the diplomatic and political skills needed to coordinate all the Indian soliders. And this is not confined to one chapter, but is present throughout the book - Indian leaders are shown in their portraits as often as the American ones, quotes and discourses by Indians appear in every chapter, and the complex motives of various leaders and tribes play a key role everywhere in the text. It also places this in the context of the broader geopolitical situation - the possibility that the (old) Northwest and (old) Southwest would form an anti-American confederacy, or ally with the Spanish or the British; the effects of the Napoleonic Wars on British policies in the Americas; negotiation, treaty, bargaining. Finally, the sections about the evolving frontier culture in Indian Country was fascinating - the relationships between different tribes, and between Indians and European traders and government agents.
April 24, 2025
A curiosity about Iroquois and other Eastern tribes led me to find this brief book, published 2015. I’d never heard of the defeat of the early US troops by Indians in Northwestern Ohio. The battle by a united group of tribes caused the death of some 900 us soldiers and volunteers under St. Clair. (St Clairsville, Ohio may need to be renamed). Interesting
July 29, 2019
Why is this battle not more well known? I'm a history fan, and I live in the area where this battle happened, but otherwise I don't think I would have known about.
The Native Americans won the battle, but of course lost the war
The Native Americans won the battle, but of course lost the war
June 1, 2020
Fair warning, I had to read this for a class so it was not a choice I made. This was very boring and repetitive, and I do not recommend it, even if you are interested in early Ohio history and obscure military battles.
September 8, 2023
A well researched book with an impressive bibliography. This dive into a little talked about American military defeat by a highly organized confederacy does not cast aspersions, giving an even-handed account of the conflict and politics of the times.
March 26, 2018
This book is fantastic! Very detailed and informative. It takes you back in time!
July 28, 2018
I guess it didn’t make me want to claw my eyes out so that’s good
March 9, 2020
Excellent read!
May 13, 2023
Nicely done …
Well written with great insight and research.
Highly recommend to anyone willing to learn about a pivotal battle that changed the course of the country.
Well written with great insight and research.
Highly recommend to anyone willing to learn about a pivotal battle that changed the course of the country.
November 27, 2023
Another eye opening book by Calloway
April 3, 2015
The Battle of the Wabash occurred on November 4, 1791. The battle took place between the United States Army under the command of Arthur St. Clair and the warriors of the Northwest or Miami Confederacy. The Native Americans routed the Americans. The battle proved to be the largest victory by Native Americans against any Anglo-American force and yet, no one remembers the battle.
Colin Calloway sets out to return the "Victory with No Name" to the national narrative of the United States. The battle represented a huge and disgraceful defeat for the Americans' whose efforts were hampered by shoddy supplies, a late start on the campaign, and hubris, not to mention Native American courage and ingenuity.
Calloway points out that the battle not only proved an historic moment for the Native American peoples of the Old Northwest Territory, but also for the United States. St. Clair's defeat launched the first congressional investigation, invented executive privilege, and led to the establishment of a permanent United States Army.
A Victory with No Name is a short, to-the-point, and highly readable book.
Colin Calloway sets out to return the "Victory with No Name" to the national narrative of the United States. The battle represented a huge and disgraceful defeat for the Americans' whose efforts were hampered by shoddy supplies, a late start on the campaign, and hubris, not to mention Native American courage and ingenuity.
Calloway points out that the battle not only proved an historic moment for the Native American peoples of the Old Northwest Territory, but also for the United States. St. Clair's defeat launched the first congressional investigation, invented executive privilege, and led to the establishment of a permanent United States Army.
A Victory with No Name is a short, to-the-point, and highly readable book.
October 27, 2016
I was excited to see a new book on one of my favorite periods of US history. I've read many accounts of this battle and events which were included in other books, as well as "Wabash 1791: St Clair's defeat" by John Winkler that came out in 2012. Both are fantastic and worthy reads on this overlooked era of American expansionism but I feel that Colin G. Calloway's book captures a better understanding of the political and societal background issues in the US at that time while Winkler's 2012 book delves more into the details of the military campaign itself which in my opinion is correctly identified by Calloway as an "American Invasion".
On a personal note I thought it was interesting that I decided to read and then finish this book exactly 223 years to the day of St. Clair's Defeat on November 4th 1791. I also just now realized the first book I read on the Shawnee was Calloway's "The Shawnees and the War for America" four years ago. I guess I will be checking out more of his books!
On a personal note I thought it was interesting that I decided to read and then finish this book exactly 223 years to the day of St. Clair's Defeat on November 4th 1791. I also just now realized the first book I read on the Shawnee was Calloway's "The Shawnees and the War for America" four years ago. I guess I will be checking out more of his books!
September 2, 2021
The Battle of the Wabash and the surrounding period is a passion of mine. I’ve read several books on the subject but never before have I found such a highly detailed work that focuses exclusively on this campaign. I’ve previously read Calloway’s The Indian World of George Washington so I knew he held a similar passion for this era’s history, which is so often ignored. I loved his breakdown of the events as well as his approach to contextualizing the battle with the rest of American History. It’s an easy listen that is concise yet superbly rich in detail. Perfect if you’re learning about St Clair’s Defeat for the first time or if you’re looking for another perspective on the campaign.
July 24, 2015
I also love this period of American history, but this book didn't do it for me. It was only ok. There was no atmosphere of the time or place just loads of facts. It didn't really tell us about the people or the land that they inhabited. It could have been much better. How did the Indians live, how did they build their houses, was there buffalo there in herds, there was a mention of buffalo but only a line. I didn't think buffalo lived in forest areas. It's definitely worth reading but could have been a great book.
April 2, 2016
I am torn about my review. I love history and was a history major and from that stand point this book was great. A load of information, straight facts of what happened and why it happened
As a general reader and someone who tries to choose readable non fiction for a library, this didn't do it for me. It was dry and shoved so full of facts that a general reader with interest would ever get through.
As a general reader and someone who tries to choose readable non fiction for a library, this didn't do it for me. It was dry and shoved so full of facts that a general reader with interest would ever get through.
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