Battle of Wildcat Creek (Spur's Defeat)-- Part 4: Spurs Away

There was a skirmish between the Americans and Indians on November 21 and the Americans retreated from the field with one killed and left behind.  A return to the battlefield the next day to recover the body found the soldier's head impaled on a pole with an Indian standing by it and taunting.

Thirteen Americans chased the Indian up a narrow canyon where they were ambushed by other Kickapoos, Winnebago and Shawnee warriors.  The Americans fled as fast as they could.  According to the Indians, the Americans really put their spurs to their horses in this rush to get away.

Losses for the U.S. November 21-22:  17 killed and three wounded.

Gen. Hopkins learned that a large force of Indians was massing to attacking him, plus, bitter cold weather set in as well as a snowstorm, which caused him to retreat first to Fort Harrison and then on to Vincennes.

Greatly embarrassed by this, General Samuel Hopkins resigned his commission.  He was later brought before a military Court of Inquiry but cleared of any wrongdoing.

I had some difficulty looking this information up because of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs.

Something Else I Didn't Know About.  --Brock-Perry

Battle of Wildcat Creek (Spur's Defeat)-- Part 3: To Tippecanoe Again

Samuel Hopkins withdrew to Vincennes in Indiana Territory where he angrily discharged his Kentucky militia and raised a new army, consisting of three regiments of Kentucky infantry and one company of the 7th United States Infantry under Major Zachary Taylor and several other groups.

He left Vincennes on November 11, 1812, in search of Indians.  Reaching the site of the Tippecanoe battlefield, he burned an Indian village and a Winnebago village was found at the nearby Wildcat Creek and Hopkins decided to attack it.


--Brock-Perry

Battle of Wildcat Creek (Spur's Defeat)-- Part 2: A Two-Pronged Attack

Two forces of American troops set out to attack the Indians.  One was led by Major General Samuel Hopkins and the other by Colonel William Russell.

Col. Russel was at the Siege of Fort Harrison and left there with Illinois militia and Indiana Rangers and destroyed hostile Kickapoo villages at Peoria Lake in Illinois.  He withdrew to Cahokia when he couldn't hook up forces with General Hopkins.

In the meantime, Samuel Hopkins had returned to Vincennes, Indiana, when he couldn't get his Kentucky militia to engage the Indians.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of Wildcat Creek (Spur's Defeat)-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

This small battle took place in Indiana and was the result of an American punitive expedition against Indians as a result of several defeats and massacres, including the Fort Dearborn Massacre and Pigeon Roost Massacre.

It took place on November 22, 1812, and resulted in an Indian victory.

It was nicknamed "Spur's Defeat", reportedly referring to the spurs the soldiers used on their horses to get out of there as fast as possible..

The campaign is also sometimes referred to as the Second Battle of Tippecanoe.

--Brock-Perry