Denny's Journal

1791

Adjt. Anderson (Second Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Ensign Balsh (Second Regiment, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Beatty (paymaster), Ensign Beatty (Second Regiment of Levies, killed at the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Cornet Bhines (Cavalry, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Boyd (First Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Bradford (Artillery, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Briggs (Kentucky Militia, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Ensign Brooks (First Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Buchanan (First Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Buel, Adjt. Burges (First Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Edward Butler, Major-Gen. Richard Butler (killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Major Butler (Second Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Ensign Chase (First Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Ensign Cobb (Second Regiment, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Adjt. Crawford (Second Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Cribbs (Second Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Cummins (Second Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Davidson (First Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Debutts (Cavalry, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Doyle (was on guard when the First Regiment was ordered back, he had been relieved, but was without any command. He attached himself to the Artillery, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt.-Col. Dark (First Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Mr. Falconer, Major Ferguson (Artillery, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791) , Capt. Ford (Artillery, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Dr. Gano (Kentucky Militia, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt.-Col. Gibson (Second Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791, died of those wounds at Fort Jefferson), Lt. Graton (Second Regiment, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Dr. Grayson (First Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Major Hamtramck, Capt Hanah (his company was from Alexandria), Gen. Josiah Harmar, Major Heart (Second Regiment, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Mr. Hodgden (quartermaster), Lt. Kelso (Second Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Kersey, Capt. Kirkwood (Second Regiment, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Gen. Henry Knox (Secretary of War), Capt. Lemmon (Kentucky Militia, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Lukins (Second Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Lyle (First Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. M’Math (First Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Ensign M’Michle (Second Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Maddison (Kentucky Militia, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Count Malartie (a captain in the French guard of Louis XVI, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Ensign Montgomery (Kentucky Militia, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Ensign Moorhead (Second Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Morgan (First Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Newman (Second Regiment, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lieut.-Col. William Oldham (commanding officer of Kentucky Militia, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Owens (Kentucky Militia, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Phelon (Second Regiment, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Piatt (Second Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Price (First Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Price (First Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Purdy (Second Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Ensign Purdy (Second Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Read (Second Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Ensign Reaves (First Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Rhea (First Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Col. Winthrop Sargent (Adjutant General, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Sedam, Mr. Semple (quartermaster), Capt. Slough (Second Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Smith (Second Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Spear (Artillery, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Gov. Arthur St. Clair, Lt. Stagner (Kentucky Militia, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Thomas (Kentucky Militia, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Thompson (Second Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Tibton (First Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Capt. Trueman (Cavalry, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Ensign Turner (First Regiment of Levies, captured at the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791, and taken to Detroit. Was returned by way of Montreal. Denny saw him in Philadelphia the next April and he was deranged.), Capt. Vanswearingen (First Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Ensign Walter (Kentucky Militia, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Lt. Warren (Second Regiment, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Adjt. Whistler (First Regiment of Levies, wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791), Ensign Wilson (First Regiment of Levies, killed in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791).

During September 1791, Gen. Josiah Harmar solicited a court of inquiry to examine his conduct on the last campaign during October 1790. Gen. Richard Butler served as the president of the court and several days were spent in examining testimony. The court made a report to George Washington that was highly honorable to Gen. Harmar.
In 1791, St. Clair succeeded Harmar as the senior general of the United States Army. He personally led a punitive expedition comprising of two Regular Army regiments and some militia. This force advanced to the location of Indian settlements on the Wabash River, but on November 4 they were routed in battle by a tribal confederation led by Miami Chief Little Turtle and Shawnee chief Blue Jacket. More than 600 soldiers and scores of women and children were killed in the battle, called St. Clair's Defeat, the "Columbia Massacre," or the “ Battle of the Wabash.” It was the greatest defeat of the American army by Native Americans in history with some 623 American soldiers killed in action as opposed to about 50 enemy dead. After this debacle, he resigned from the army at the request of President Washington, but continued to serve as Governor of the Northwest Territory. From Wikipedia.
On November 7, 1791, Denny wrote, “when the army advanced from Fort Jefferson, it did not exceed 2,000 men; discharges, desertions and the absence of the first regiment, reduced the effective strength of the day of action to about 1400. The second regiment had but one battallion with the army – it was well appointed, but young in service. The officers and men, however, did their duty; they, with the battalion of artillery, were nearly all cut off. The whole loss, as now ascertained by the different returns, is 37 officers and 593 privates killed or missing; 31 officers and 252 privates wounded. From page 171 of Denny’s journal.
See pages 172 – 173 of Denny’s Journal for a list of officers killed or wounded in the Battle of the Wabash, November 4, 1791.