William Henry Harrison and the Conquest of the Ohio Country: Frontier Fighting in the War of 1812

Johns Hopkins Books on the War of 1812

by David Curtis Skaggs

In his study of William Henry Harrison, David Curtis Skaggs sheds light on the role of citizen-soldiers in taming the wilderness of the old Northwest. Perhaps best known for the Whig slogan in 1840—"Tippecanoe and Tyler Too"—Harrison used his efforts to pacify Native Americans and defeat the British in the War of 1812 to promote a political career that eventually elevated him to the presidency.

Harrison exemplified the citizen-soldier on the Ohio frontier in the days when white men settled on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains at their peril. Punctuated by almost continuous small-scale operations and sporadic larger engagements, warfare in this region revolved around a shifting system of alliances among various Indian tribes, government figures, white settlers, and business leaders.

Skaggs focuses on Harrison’s early life and military exploits, especially his role on Major General Anthony Wayne's staff during the Fallen Timbers campaign and Harrison's leadership of the Tippecanoe campaign. He explores how the military and its leaders performed in the age of a small standing army and part-time, Cincinnatus-like forces. This richly detailed work reveals how the military and Indian policies of the early republic played out on the frontier, freshly revisiting a subject central to American history: how white settlers tamed the west—and at what cost.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

328 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

An historian specializing in colonial America and the early Republic, David Curtis Skaggs, Jr is professor emeritus at Bowling Green State University.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Henry Harrison is unusual among American presidents in that his career before becoming president was far more important to history than his presidency. While the abbreviated tenure in the office (a mere 31 days) was undoubtedly a factor in this, it would have been difficult for him to have improved on his pre-presidential achievements even if he had served a full term in the White House. For as David Curtis Skaggs demonstrates in his study of Harrison's military career, it is thanks to him that the United States did not lose the territory of the upper Midwest to after the War of 1812.

As Skaggs reveals, this was merely the culmination of a distinguished period under arms. The third son of a Tidewater aristocrat, Harrison deferred to his father's wishes and initially pursued a medical career. The elder Harrison's death freed William to abandon his studies and join the United States Army. After a period of service on the frontier under the command of General Anthony Wayne, Harrison transitioned into politics, serving as the governor of Indiana Territory for over a decade. In this position he was at the forefront of the government's efforts to deal with the Native Americans, with Harrison's victory over the confederation at the battle of Tippecanoe breaking the back of independent native resistance to American settlement.

Yet it was Harrison's victory over British forces in the War of 1812 that would prove more important. Early successes by British troops gave them dominance in much of the Great Lakes region, jeopardizing American claims to the territory. Though the British aspired to create a Native American "buffer state" in the region between the United States and Canada, successive American victories culminating in the defeat of retreating British soldiers and their Native American allies at the battle of the Thames effectively ended such plans. Here Skaggs emphasizes the importance of the partnership between Harrison and Oliver Hazard Perry, which he argues was an unusual example of Army-Navy cooperation and a critical factor in the success of American arms in the region.

Extensively researched and well-argued, Skaggs's book is an excellent study of Harrison's often underappreciated military career. It benefits greatly from the expansiveness of Skaggs's analysis, which highlights the scope of Harrison's achievements by setting them within the context of the era. By explaining such matters as the debates over Indian policy, the politics of command, and the logistical challenges of frontier warfare, he emphasizes the many challenges Harrison overcame in achieving his successes. Anyone seeking to better understand Harrison and his role in the War of 1812 would do well to start with this book, which gives the general his due as a successful commander and a pivotal figure in American history.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written history of Harrison’s northwestern campaign as well as Harrison’s military career up to that point. Skaggs argues that Harrison is a perfect example of American generalship during the war; “the last American war in which the senior generals would be prominent citizens rather than professional soldiers.” Skaggs covers Harrison’s experience at Fallen Timbers in 1794, as territorial governor of Indiana, and at Tippecanoe before describing his campaigns during the war with Britain.

Interesting, balanced, and informative. The chronology goes back and forth a bit, though.

[Jerry Landry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read which helped me to understand Harrison's military career and how his experiences in the Legion of the United States and as a territorial governor contributed to make him one of the most accomplished American generals in the War of 1812.

[Brian Andersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recognize the value and hard work of the author but I didn't enjoy the book despite my strong interest in the subject matter. I've read many books on Harrison's life and this time period but I found the style here a bit too technical for my tastes so I tended to skim through many parts. Perhaps I will visit this again.