The Army of the Northwest was a U.S. Army unit formed at the outset of the War of 1812 and charged with control of the state of Ohio, the Indiana Territory, Michigan Territory and Illinois Territory.
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Campaigns
The first commander, William Hull, was in charge while the regiment was at Detroit, before he surrendered it to the British. James Winchester was appointed to lead the army back up north to retake Detroit, but he turned to defend Fort Defiance instead. Perhaps due to Winchester's unpopularity, President James Madison soon appointed General William Henry Harrison as commander of the army in late 1812. Harrison led the army in the Siege of Fort Meigs and the Battle of the Thames.
Under him, in actions that caused the greatest number of deaths in a battle in the War of 1812, Winchester led a contingent in what is called the Battles of Frenchtown, January 18 and 22, 1813; in the second conflict, US forces were taken by surprise and overwhelmed by allied British and Native American warriors. The Raisin River Massacre of January 23 took place after the Americans had surrendered and the first prisoners were being marched to Fort Malden in British Ontario.
Commanders
The following men served as commanders of the Army of the Northwest: