Crawford’s Defeat

 In the spring of 1782, Col. William Crawford led a campaign to end Native American raids by marching towards Sandusky.  British Rangers and allied Native Americans attacked the American militia on June 4, 1782, at Battle Island. The militia withstood the attack, but fell into retreat the next day.  The American retreat became a total rout as Native American warriors captured members of the retreating militia, including Col. Crawford.  Crawford was tortured and killed on June 11.

Crawford's Defeat served as a major victory for Native American forces in the west but did little to stop the increased settlement of the Ohio territory or quell the resentment between hostile Native Americans and the fledgling American government. The highly edited account of the death of William Crawford was successfully wielded as a potent piece of propaganda against Native Americans for years after the incident.