The Battle of Maguaga (also known as the Battle of Monguagon, the Battle of Brownstown or the Battle of the Oakwoods was a small battle between British troops, Canadian militia and Tecumseh's natives and a larger force of American troops near the Wyandot village of Maguaga in what is now the city of Trenton, Michigan. Combatants United States Great Britain Canada Bermuda Eastern Woodland Indians Commanders James Madison Henry Dearborn Jacob Brown Winfield Scott Andrew Jackson George Prevost Isaac Brock† Tecumseh† Strength •United States Regular Army: 35,800 •Rangers: 3,049 •Militia: 458,463* •US Navy & US Marines: (at start of war): •Frigates:6 •Other... is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the overture by Tchaikovsky, see 1812 Overture; For the wars, see War of 1812 (USA - United Kingdom) or Patriotic War of 1812 (France - Russia) For the Siberia Airlines plane crashed over the Black Sea on October 4, 2001, see Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 1812 was a leap year starting... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... James Miller (25 April 1776 - 7 July 1851) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from New Hampshire, the first Governor of Arkansas Territory, and a Brigadier General in the United States Army during the War of 1812. ... Combatants Tecumsehs confederacy United States Commanders Tenskwatawa William Henry Harrison Strength 550-700 1,000 regulars and militia Casualties 50+ killed 70+ wounded 62 killed 126 wounded The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought in 1811 between United States forces led by Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory... Combatants Britain Native Americans United States Commanders Captain Charles Roberts Lieutenant Porter Hanks Strength about 600 61 Casualties 0 61 surrendered The Battle of Mackinac Island (1812) was a British victory in the War of 1812. ... The Battle of Brownstown was an early skirmish in the War of 1812. ... Combatants Potawatomi United Kingdom United States Commanders Chief Blackbird Nathan Heald Strength 500+ 69 military + civilians Casualties 15 39 military + 27 civilians The Fort Dearborn massacre occurred on August 15, 1812 near Fort Dearborn in the United States during the War of 1812. ... Combatants United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Native Americans United States Commanders Isaac Brock Tecumseh William Hull # Strength 600 natives, 330 regulars, 300 militia, 2,500 Casualties 2 wounded 7 killed, 2,493 captured Detroit frontier Tippecanoe – 1st Mackinac Island – Brownstown - Maguaga – Fort Dearborn – Detroit – Fort Harrison – Fort Wayne... The Battle of Fort Harrison was a decisive victory for the United States against an Indian force which greatly outnumbered their own. ... The Siege of Fort Wayne took place during the War of 1812, between American and Indian forces in the wake of the successful British campaigns of 1812. ... The Battle of the Mississinewa also known as the Battle of Mississineway was an expedition ordered by William Henry Harrison against Miami villages in response to the attacks on Fort Wayne. ... Combatants Britain, American Indians United States Commanders Henry Procter, Tecumseh James Winchester Strength 450 natives, 200 regulars, 300 militia, 1,000 regulars and militia Casualties 24 dead, 158 wounded 397 dead, 561 wounded or captured Detroit frontier Tippecanoe – 1st Mackinac Island – Brownstown - Maguaga – Fort Dearborn – Detroit – Fort Harrison – Fort Wayne... The Siege of Fort Meigs took place during the War of 1812 in northwestern Ohio. ... The Battle of Fort Stephenson was an American victory during the War of 1812. ... Combatants United Kingdom United States Commanders Robert Heriot Barclay Oliver Hazard Perry Jesse Elliot Strength 2 ships 2 brigs 1 schooner 1 sloop 3 brigs 5 schooners 1 sloop Casualties 41 dead 93 wounded prisoners 306 surrendered Entire squadron captured 27 dead 96 wounded One brig heavily damaged The Battle... Combatants British Empire Indian Confederation United States Commanders Henry Procter Tecumseh † William Henry Harrison Strength 800 regulars 500 natives1 2,380 militia 1,000 cavalry 120 regulars 260 natives1 Casualties 155 British dead or wounded 477 captured 33 natives dead 15 dead 30 wounded The Battle of the Thames, also... The Battle of Longwoods was a battle of the War of 1812 on March 4, 1814, fought near present-day Wardsville, Ontario. ... Combatants British Empire Native Americans United States Commanders William McKay Joseph Perkins Strength about 650 about 100 Casualties 0 dead, few wounded 5 wounded The Battle of Prairie du Chien was a British victory in the far western theater of the War of 1812. ... Combatants British Empire United States Commanders Robert McDouall George Croghan Andrew Holmes† Strength about 300 700 Casualties 1 dead, 1 wounded 13 dead, 51 wounded The Battle of Fort Mackinac was a British victory in the War of 1812. ... Combatants Great Britain United States Commanders Miller Worsley Arthur Sinclair George Croghan Casualties 3 killed 9 wounded 1 schooner destroyed 6 killed 6 wounded 2 gunboats captured The Engagement on Lake Huron was actually a series of minor engagements, which left the British in control of the Lake, and thus... The Battle of Malcolms Mills was a brief skirmish during the War of 1812, in which a force of American cavalry overran and scattered a force of Canadian militia. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Huron redirects here. ... Coordinates: Settled 1816 Incorporation 1855 Area  - City 18. ...

Background

In the early days of the War, an American army under Brigadier-General William Hull had moved to Detroit, intending to use it as a base for an attack on Upper Canada. Hull's resolution quickly faded. After deciding not to attack the British at Fort Amherstburg, he learned that Mackinac Island had been captured by the British and feared that many Indians would flock south from there to join the British. On August 3, he retreated to American territory. Portrait of William Hull William Hull (June 24, 1753–November 29, 1825) was an American soldier and politician. ... Nickname: Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Location in Wayne County, Michigan Coordinates: , Country United States State Michigan County Wayne County Founded 1701 Incorporation 1806 Government  - Type Strong Mayor-Council  - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (D) Area  - City  143. ... Flag Map of Upper Canada (orange) Capital Newark 1792 - 1797 York(later renamed Toronto in 1834) 1797 - 1841 Language(s) English Religion Anglican Government Constitutional monarchy Sovereign  - 1791-1820 George III  - 1837-1841 Victoria Lieutenant-Governor See list of Lieutenant-Governors Legislature Parliament of Upper Canada  - Upper house Legislative Council... Fort Amherstburg was build at the mouth of the Detroit River to replace Fort Detroit, which Britain had to conceed to the new United States of America in 1796. ... Combatants Britain Native Americans United States Commanders Captain Charles Roberts Lieutenant Porter Hanks Strength about 600 61 Casualties 0 61 surrendered The Battle of Mackinac Island (1812) was a British victory in the War of 1812. ... is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

At the Miami Rapids, Captain Henry Brush's company of Ohio Volunteers were waiting with vital supplies for Hull's garrison, including 300 head of cattle and 70 packhorses each laden with 200 pounds of flour. On August 4, British under Major Adam Muir and Indians under Tecumseh defeated a detachment which Hull had sent to collect these supplies at the Battle of Brownstown. Hull now sent a larger detachment under Lieutenant-Colonel James Miller to escort the supply train back to Detroit. is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... The Battle of Brownstown was an early skirmish in the War of 1812. ... James Miller (25 April 1776 - 7 July 1851) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from New Hampshire, the first Governor of Arkansas Territory, and a Brigadier General in the United States Army during the War of 1812. ...

The Battle

At Monguagon, Miller's command, comprising 280 regulars and more than 330 Ohio Volunteer troops, found their path barred by Major Adam Muir of the 41st Regiment, with 205 British, Canadians and Indian warriors. As the Americans advanced into a heavy fire, things started to go wrong for the British. Noticing some men creeping through the woods on their right, some of the redcoats thought it was the enemy trying to outflank them and opened fire on them. The "enemy" turned out to be Potawatomi warriors allied to the British under Chief Main Poc, who immediately thought that the people firing at them must be Americans. Briton and Native American blazed away at each other until the Potawatomi realized that they were fighting their own side and withdrew into the woods to the rear^[1]. The Welch Regiment (or The Welch) was a British army regiment. ...

Meanwhile, seeing the American advance waver, Muir ordered the 41st Light Company's bugler to sound the charge. In the British Army, only the light infantry used the bugle; the rest of the infantry communicated using drumbeats. Unfortunately, the officer commanding one of the other companies of the 41st Regiment thought that the bugle was sounding the "recall" and ordered his men to fall back. Before Muir knew what was happening, his whole force was streaming off to the rear ^[2]. The Americans, who thought that the British were running from them, took heart and advanced over Muir's vacated position in pursuit of an enemy they thought they had routed. Miller advanced a good distance only to find that Muir had rallied his men and was standing, awaiting another attack. Miller, satisfied with his "victory", decided not to renew his assault.

Miller's force had suffered 18 killed and 64 wounded. Muir had 3 killed, 13 wounded and 2 captured in the 41st Regiment and 1 killed and 2 wounded in the Canadian Militia. Although the Americans later claimed to have taken thirty Indian scalps at the Battle, Muir's official casualty return recorded only 2 killed and 6 wounded among his Indian allies ^[3].

At this point, Colonel Miller's nerve seems to have gone. His men had discarded their knapsacks at the beginning of the Battle so that they could fight more effectively. Now, Miller refused to go back into the woods to retrieve the knapsacks in case the enemy were waiting there to ambush him. He camped in a large clearing and the next morning, he refused to continue the advance to the Rapids. Miller may have been shaken by the comparatively heavy casualties that his command had suffered. He clearly did not fancy another encounter with Muir. He was also very ill, and almost in a state of collapse.

Unknown to Miller, Muir's detachment had long since retired to their boats and sailed back to Fort Malden, Amherstburg. For two days, Miller stayed bivouacked, ignoring repeated orders from Hull to resume his advance to the Rapids. Finally, Hull realized that Miller was not going to obey him, and ordered him to return to Detroit.

Aftermath

The Battle of Monguagon was characterized by a series of errors by both sides. The British routed themselves thanks to two misunderstandings, at least one of which could have been avoided through better training. The 41st Regiment had been stated to be "very sharp", but this probably indicated that their standards of parade-ground drill were good. Like most British regiments, they were not trained in light infantry tactics or "bush warfare".

Colonel Miller first wasted the tactical advantage that was given to him by the confusion within the British force, and then appears to have completely lost his nerve. James Miller's War of 1812 career ended in success and, thanks mainly to his capture of the British batteries at Lundy's Lane, promotion to brigadier-general. Nevertheless, in the wake of the Battle of Monguagon, he may have been fortunate to escape being court-martialled and cashiered. A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

Miller's failure might have had dire consequences for the garrison of Detroit in the event of a sustained siege, when the supplies from the Miami Rapids would have been needed. In the event, Detroit surrendered to General Brock after a siege of only a few hours, so the absence of the extra food supplies was irrelevant. The only difference that the failure of Miller's expedition might have made was that Captain Brush's company and their supplies were not in Detroit to be captured. However, the terms of capitulation signed by General Hull included the garrison at the Rapids in the surrender agreement, and the British got the supplies anyway.

Monguagon was the first encounter of the War of 1812 that was big enough to be called a "battle" even by the standards of this small-scale conflict.

Notes

References

• Gilpin, Alec Richard. The War of 1812 in the Old Northwest. East Lansing, Michigan: The Michigan State University Press, 1958. ISBN 0870136763.
• Quimby, Robert Sherman. The U.S. Army in the War of 1812. East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-87013-441-8.
• Burton, Clarence M. [1922] (2005). "Battle of Monguagon", The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Library, pp. 1004-1009. Retrieved on 2007-07-28.