The Battle of Piqua

American Revolution
Written By Tom Hand

For several years, Kentucky had suffered greatly from Shawnee raids, but in June 1780, Colonel George Rogers Clark decided it was time to take the fight into their homeland. Awaiting Clark’s army was Simon Girty and several hundred Shawnee warriors. On August 8, Clark attacked the entrenched Indians, who fought fiercely as men will when defending their homes. The Americans made little progress until Clark brought his cannons into play and blasted away at the blockhouse, the strong point of the Indian’s defenses.

Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, explores the Battle of Piqua, and why it still matters today.

Images courtesy of Kentucky Historical Society, Gilcrease Museum, National Archives, Encyclopedia Virginia, The National Guard, U.S. Army Center of Military History, The New York Public Library, Wikipedia.

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George Rogers Clark returned to Kentucky in February 1781 with visions of finally capturing the northern British bastion of Fort Detroit. However, although armed with a mandate from the Virginia legislature to raise an army and move on Detroit, very few Virginians were interested in participating in a campaign north of the Ohio when the British were in their backyard in the Tidewater region.

The Battle of Piqua
The Battle of Piqua

Kentucky had suffered greatly from Shawnee raids in June 1780 and Colonel George Rogers Clark decided it was time to take the fight into their homeland. His invasion across the Ohio would lead to the largest battle west of the Appalachians during the American Revolution.

Kentucky Under Assault
Kentucky Under Assault

With the capture of Fort Sackville, Kaskaskia, and Cahokia, Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark had gained control of the southwestern portion of the Province of Quebec, better known as the Illinois Country, for the United States. Clark was at the height of his popularity, but the ambitious twenty-six year old wanted more and turned his attention to the crown jewel of British possessions in that part of the world, Fort Detroit.

Clark Captures Fort Sackville
Clark Captures Fort Sackville

Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark and his band of 120 determined men arrived on the outskirts of Fort Sackville in the fading sunlight on February 23, 1779, undetected by the British garrison. They were tired and hungry, filthy and unshaven; they had not eaten for four days. After a two hundred mile trek across the flooded fields of what is now eastern Illinois, with their goal before them, Clark prepared to attack.

Clark’s Intrepid Winter March to Vincennes
Clark’s Intrepid Winter March to Vincennes

Following the British retaking of Fort Sackville on December 17, 1778, Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark’s plan to conquer the Illinois Country for the United States was in peril. Without this strategic location in American control, his invasion of the southwestern portion of the Province of Quebec would be for naught, and continued incursions into Kentucky by Britain’s Indian allies would continue unabated.

British and Americans Battle for Control of Illinois Country
British and Americans Battle for Control of Illinois Country

The capture of Kaskaskia and Cahokia by Colonel George Rogers Clark had been surprisingly easy, with no bloodshed whatsoever. Not one to rest on his laurels, Clark immediately began to formulate a plan to crack a potentially tougher nut located about 180 miles to the east, the British post of Fort Sackville.

George Rogers Clark Leads Invasion of Illinois Country
George Rogers Clark Leads Invasion of Illinois Country

As the American Revolution continued in the east, the British removed all regular troops from their western outposts to assist in the more active theater. Naturally, that exposed a weakness in their defense, one that the intrepid George Rogers Clark would soon exploit with an invasion of the southwestern region of the Province of Quebec. The results of this conquest would be felt several years later when this land captured by Clark was granted to the United States by the Treaty of Paris.

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The American Revolution Moves West

Soon after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the fledgling United Colonies invaded the British Province of Quebec. Despite the heroic efforts of men like General Richard Montgomery, Colonel Benedict Arnold, and Colonel Daniel Morgan, the 1775-76 invasion failed at the granite walls of Quebec City. A second, lesser known invasion, led by George Rogers Clark succeeded wonderfully a few years later, resulting in the largest capture of British territory during the American Revolution.

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The Early Life of George Rogers Clark

On the eve of the American Revolution, the lands west and south of the Appalachians were ripe for conquest. All that was needed to exploit this cauldron of trouble and take over this vast land was an intrepid man with a vision and a band of determined followers. That leader would emerge in the person of George Rogers Clark, and his extraordinary efforts would secure the Ohio River Valley for the United States.

Tom Hand
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