Natives versus Settlers: Battle(s) of the River Raisin, January 18-23, 1813

As we've seen throughout this blog, one person's battle or victory is another person's massacre.  The same could be said for the differing approaches to battle, and to what happens afterwards.  Another example of this is the Battles of Frenchtown, sometimes known collectively as the Battle of River Raisin or the River Raisin Massacre, the windup to the later Battle of the Thames and an ultimate expression of White revenge.  We'll cover that later.

The Raisin River, or Riviere aux Raisins as it is known in French, flows in southeastern Michigan.  It was named by early French explorers for the wild grapes in the area, raisin being the French word for grape, with raisin sec (dried grape) being what we now consider a raisin.  Local Potawatomi and Wyandot people would portage from this river to the Grand and Kalamazoo Rivers flowing into Lake Michigan.  The town of Monroe is now built near the site of the battle that took place here.  Because of its use as a portage point, both the British and Americans were keen to keep possession of this area during the War of 1812, particularly after the Americans surrendered Fort Detroit, which briefly returned to its status as a British garrison.  At the time, the area where the battle would be fought was known as Frenchtown Township. 

On January 18, 1813, Canadian militia and Potawatomi auxiliaries met up with a group of Kentucky militiamen who had crossed frozen rivers to reach the portage area.  They surprised the Canadians and Potawatomis, who were not expecting an attack in this weather and had made camp.  Despite the lack of preparation, the Canadians and Potawatomis fought back, contesting every inch of the battlefield.  After bloody fighting on both sides, Canadians had 1 man killed or wounded, with 3-15 Potawatomi warriors killed and two militia with a warrior captured, with thirteen killed and 54 wounded, the Canadians and their auxiliaries withdrew and left the area to the Americans.

Neither side could afford to lose this ground, so a rematch had to occur and soon.  On January 22, 1813, General Henry Proctor, who had replaced Isaac Brock, along with two Native leaders, Roundhead of the Wyandot and Walks in Water of the Huron, arrived with 800 warriors and 597 militiamen, opposing a force lead by General James Winchester returned to the area to supplement the militia forces already there.  The Kentucky militia on scene had strengthened the settlement with a palisade and warned Winchester that enemy troops were still in the area and likely to attack soon.  What they didn't know was the size of the force Proctor had brought with him, augmented with artillery, which the Americans did not have.  This encounter lasted less than half an hour before the American forces broke apart.  The British lost 24 killed and 191 wounded, with losses unknown for the Natives.  The American suffered 397 killed, 40 wounded and 547 captured.  It was worse than a disaster, it was a disgrace.  Walks in Water captured Winchester and made him strip out of his uniform and march in his underwear. 

The next day would be far worse.  British forces left the field with the most mobile of the American prisoners, leaving the wounded and the less ambulatory to the Natives.  Whether there were instructions given on how to treat prisoners has never been known for certain.  Left in possession of the battlefield, the Natives reverted to standard operating procedure and killed over 100 prisoners in what became known as the Raisin River Massacre.  As we have seen time and again, killing prisoners and/or non-ambulatory captives and wounded was standard operating procedure for most Natives, who did not operate according to Rules of War.  However, news of the massacre inflamed American sentiment against the British in general and the Natives in particular.

Repercussions were coming, but as always they fell in an unlikely place.  Tecumseh of the Shawnee was known to be in the area at the time of the battles, though he was not present and no Shawnee took part in the events.  However, in subsequent battles, particularly the Battle of the Thames, fought on October 5, 1813, the cry of "remember the River Raisin" served as a rallying point for American forces, who directed their ire at one Native in particular.  The desire to be the man who killed Tecumseh overrode the fact that he hadn't been around, and was known for more generous treatment of captives.  It may have also led to the stories about the desecration of Tecumseh's body after the battle.

Despite being responsible for the lack of preparation and lack of discipline among his men during the second battle, Winchester was released and later returned to military duty.  Several counties in Kentucky were named after officers killed at River Raisin.  Streets in Monroe, Michigan also bear the names of those killed in battle.  A monument to the battle stands in downtown Monroe.  The place where the battles took place is a state historic site and a National Battlefield Park as of 2009.