The Role of Women in the Battle

The Role of Women in the Battle. . , Imagine the scene that unfolded here on the frigid evening of November 3, 1791. St. Clair's main encampment of about 900 people was set up in a rectangle on this high ground with the Wabash River to the west, squeezed in by Buck Run to the south, and bounded by the curve in the Wabash River to the north. Inside the two lines of camp were campfires tended by women camp followers, most often wives of the soldiers, who were responsible for cooking and cleaning. The area would have been bustling with 250 women and children, gathering firewood, tending the fires, and cooking the evening meal while the rest of camp was set up by St. Clair's men. The 300 Kentucky Militiamen were west across the Wabash River., In contrast, the 1,400 member American Indian alliance was split into war parties of 20-30 which, after traveling south from Kiihkayonki, had convened a mile or two northwest of here. Historical accounts support that American Indian women participated in the battle, as Kentucky sharpshooter Samuel McDowell recalled years later a conversation with an American Indian woman who recounted her role in the battle with him. The Miami had female war leaders who helped organize and supply war parties, but did not normally fight in the battle. Given their typical input into planning war and peace, it seems likely that Miami women's council's opinions were part of the American Indian alliance's decision to attack St. Clair's army on its way to Kiihkayonki. Depending on tribal customs, women from other tribes may have had a role in the Battle of the Wabash.