LOCAL TERRAIN, GEOLOGIC FEATURES AND SITE CONDITIONS AT THE BATTLE OF TIPPECANOE, NOVEMBER 7, 1811, NORTHWEST, INDIANA

The Tippecanoe Battlefield, Tippecanoe County, northwest Indiana, is located just west of the Wabash River on a stream terrace overlooking the floodplain. For three years prior to the battle in 1811, Prophetstown was an encampment of over 1,000 Native Americans that formed a Federation to oppose the U.S. expansion into northwest Indiana Territory. Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa, “the Prophet”, were the village leaders. General William Henry Harrison, Governor of the Territory, marched a U.S. Army of about 1,000 men from Vincennes, IN. arriving on site on November 6. The Prophet, in charge because Tecumseh was away recruiting more followers, approved a sneak attack before dawn on the 7^th. After a two hour battle the Native Americans withdrew to Prophetstown and abandoned the village. Harrison lost 62 men and 125 were wounded, estimates are that 50 Native American were killed and 70-80 were wounded. Harrison had scouted ahead so he encamped on a ten acre site on dry oak land on the high ground west of the village, bordered by entrenched streams on three sides and a lower marshy area toward Prophetstown. The terrain and geologic materials adjacent to the Wabash River and the glaciated uplands at the site are discussed relative to details of the battle.