Battle of Thames
The Battle of Thames, fought on October 5, 1813, was a significant engagement during the War of 1812, following the American victory at the Battle of Lake Erie. This battle marked a turning point in the conflict on the Detroit frontier, as the British forces, led by Major General Henry Procter, were unable to maintain their position after losing their supply lines. The retreat of British and Native American forces was further hampered by Procter's indecision, which led to the desertion of many of Tecumseh’s allies. Major General William Henry Harrison's American forces, primarily composed of militia, engaged Procter's troops along the Thames River.
The battle culminated in a decisive rout of the British and their Native American allies, resulting in the death of the prominent Shawnee leader Tecumseh and a significant number of his warriors. The aftermath of the battle effectively ended Indian resistance in the region, allowing the United States to consolidate its control over southwestern Ontario. In total, the battle resulted in the surrender of many British soldiers and marked a shift in the military dynamics of the War of 1812, with lasting implications for both American expansion and Indigenous resistance.
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Battle of Thames
Type of action: Ground battle in the War of 1812
Date: October 5, 1813
Location: Moraviantown, Ontario, Canada
Combatants: 880 British and 1,000 Native Americans vs. 3,500 Americans
Principal commanders:British, Major General Henry Procter; American Indian, Tecumseh (c. 1758–1813); American, Major General William Henry Harrison (1773–1841)
Result: Defeat of British and Native American forces
Following the U.S. victory at the Battle of Lake Erie (1813), the British position on the Detroit frontier became indefensible because they could no longer supply troops, civilians, and Native Americans in the area. Major General Henry Procter wasted time negotiating with Tecumseh and his allies concerning whether and when to withdraw from the Detroit River region. Consequently, most of Tecumseh’s allies deserted the British. Procter’s slow retreat allowed Major General William Henry Harrison’s force of mostly militia to catch him as the British withdrew up the Thames River.
With the remaining Indians on his right in the forest, his thin red line drawn up in the center and the river on his left, Procter tried to stop Harrison’s advance. A charge by Kentucky cavalrymen quickly led to a rout of both Indians and British. More than 33 Indians died, including Tecumseh, as did 12 Britons; another 601 British soldiers surrendered. United States losses were 12 killed and 17 wounded.
Significance
Indian resistance to the United States on the Detroit frontier ceased. For the rest of the war, the British made no serious effort to regain control of what is now southwestern Ontario.
Bibliography
Antal, Sandy. A Wampum Denied: Procter’s War of 1812. Toronto: Carleton University Press, 1997.
Quimby, Robert S. The U.S. Army in the War of 1812. 2 vols. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 1997.
Stanley, George F. G. The War of 1812: Land Operations. Ottawa: National Museums of Canada, 1983.