After defeating the British on lake Erie, Captain Oliver Hazard Perry sent a simple message of victory to General William Henry Harrison that was sent a bolt of lightning to his men. After the humiliating surrender of Detroit, Harrison and his men were looking for an opportunity to recapture Detroit, but up until 1813, control of Lake Erie allowed British Major General Henry Proctor to maintain command of Detroit. Now that America had control of Lake Erie, Detroit was once again in their reach. Upon receiving Perry's message of victory ("We have met the enemy and they are ours") Harrison quickly organized 1000 mounted troops under Colonel Richard Mentor Johnson and advanced along the lake shore to Detroit. Meanwhile, Captain Perry transported 2,500 foot soldiers made up of U.S. Infantry and five brigades of Kentucky militia under Isaac Shelby to Fort Amhertsburg on his ships.
On the British side, General Proctor retreated to the western end of Lake Ontario. Unable to defend Fort Amhertsburg, he continued up the Thames river. Tecumseh a charismatic Native American leader who along with his brother created an inter-tribal confederation along the Wabash river had allied with the British, and was now fighting alongside General Proctor, but was forced to retreat as well. The British retreat was done in haste and was poorly managed. Soldiers were reduced to half-rations and the men were becoming increasingly demoralized. Tecumseh and his warriors were becoming impatient and mutiny seemed to be on their minds. On October 4, General Harrison's men met up with the retreating British. Tecumseh's warrior's attempted to slow the advance, but were quickly overwhelmed.
On October 5, General Proctor attempted to trap the Americans by lining his men and a single 6-pounder cannon along the banks of the Thames river with Tecumseh's warriors in flank position. General Harrison surveyed the battle field and ordered James Johnson, the brother of Richard Johnson who led the cavalry to attack the British from the front. Johnson and the Kentucky militia fought through the firestorm of Tecumseh's warriors and broke through the British lines. The British cannon never fired. The demoralized and half-starved British regulars retreated. General Proctor and some men fled from the battlefield, while others threw down their weapons and surrendered. Tecumseh and his warriors continued the fight, so Richard Johnson and about 20 horsemen charged at them to distract them away from the main American force. Tecumseh and his warriors stood their ground and a fierce battle ensued. Many of Johnson's men were killed and Johnson was hit five times by musket fire, but Johnson's men persevered and in the ensuing battle Tecumseh was killed. Some believe that it was Colonel Richard Johnson himself who shot Tecumseh.
The great importance of this victory was not lost on President James Madison. In his 1813 annual address delivered on December 7th, he described the effects. The success rescued the inhabitants of MI from their oppressors. It alienated the "savages of numerous tribes" from the enemy who felt "disappointed and abandoned". And, it relieved "an extensive region of country from a merciless warfare". Madison understood this success could not have happened without the complete defeat of the British on Lake Erie, so he first gave some glowing words about Captain Perry. Afterwards, he singled out for praise, the "honorable to Major-General Harrison", "Colonel Johnson and his mounted volunteers", and the Kentucky militia. The address was delivered as a written message, but I can only imagine the standing ovation of Congress if it were spoken. Here are the full words of Madison:
"The success on Lake Erie having opened a passage to the territory of the enemy, the officer commanding the Northwestern army transferred the war thither, and rapidly pursuing the hostile troops, fleeing with their savage associates, forced a general action, which quickly terminated in the capture of the British and dispersion of the savage force.http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29455
This result is signally honorable to Major-General Harrison, by whose military talents it was prepared; to Colonel Johnson and his mounted volunteers, whose impetuous onset gave a decisive blow to the ranks of the enemy, and to the spirit of the volunteer militia, equally brave and patriotic, who bore an interesting part in the scene; more especially to the chief magistrate of Kentucky, at the head of them, whose heroism signalized in the war which established the independence of his country, sought at an advanced age a share in hardships and battles for maintaining its rights and its safely.
The effect of these successes has been to rescue the inhabitants of MI from their oppressions, aggravated by gross infractions of the capitulation which subjected them to a foreign power; to alienate the savages of numerous tribes from the enemy, by whom they were disappointed and abandoned, and to relieve an extensive region of country from a merciless warfare which desolated its frontiers and imposed on its citizens the most harassing services."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Thames
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Death_of_Tecumseh_by_Currier_%26_Ives.jpg
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