Battle of Wild Cat Creek

Battle of Wild Cat Creek
Part of the War of 1812
Date 22 November 1812 Location Wildcat Creek (Indiana) Result Native American victory
Belligerents
Native American coalition: Kickapoo Winnebago Shawnee Supported by:  United Kingdom	United States 7th Infantry Kentucky Infantry Indiana Rangers
Commanders and leaders
	Samuel Hopkins Kumakskau Shawnee brother of Tecumseh in command
Strength
1,200	1,250
Casualties and losses
none	17 killed 3 wounded

Samuel Hopkins

The Battle of Wild Cat Creek was the result of a November 1812 punitive expedition against Native American villages during the War of 1812. It has been nicknamed "Spur's Defeat," which is thought to refer to the spurs used by the soldiers to drive their horses away from the battle as quickly as possible. The campaign is sometimes referred to as the Second Battle of Tippecanoe.

Following several defeats and massacres in 1812, notably the Fort Dearborn Massacre and the Pigeon Roost Massacre, a joint punitive campaign was sent to Illinois Territory under the commands of Major General Samuel Hopkins and Colonel William Russell. Russell, coming from the Siege of Fort Harrison, led a force of Illinois militia and Indiana Rangers, and was successful in destroying a hostile Kickapoo village on Peoria Lake. Russell had to retreat to Cahokia, however, when he could not locate the forces under Hopkins. Hopkins could not get his Kentucky militia to engage, and had been driven back to Vincennes when the Kickapoo started a prairie grass fire.

Major General Hopkins was humiliated by his loss, and discharged the Kentucky militia under his command. He then raised a new army, consisting of three regiments of Kentucky Infantry, one company of the 7th Infantry under Major Zachary Taylor, a troop of Indiana Rangers, and a company of scouts. Hopkins left Vincennes on 11 November 1812 and marched north, following the same route William Henry Harrison had taken in 1811.

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