Little Turtle [Mishikinakwa](c. 1752-1812) Miami orator and fighter
A renowned orator and fighter, Little Turtle led an alliance of Indians to several victories against American settlers in the Ohio region of the Northwest Territory after the Revolutionary War.
In 1790, Little Turtle defeated a band of Americans under Josiah Harmar, and the following year he successfully ambushed an army under General Arthur St. Clair, killing or wounding 900 soldiers.
Little Turtle commanded the attack on Fort Recovery in mid-summer of 1794, suffering heavy losses. He subsequently advised his brethren to seek peace, but they ignored him. The Miami were then defeated by General Anthony Wayne at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, on August 20. In 1795, Little Turtle signed the Treaty of Greenville, in which the Miami (and other tribes) gave up most of their land claims in what is now Ohio. Thereafter, he aided the Americans and persuaded other tribes to yield their lands to them.
The Robinson Library
American History.--Indians of North America.--Indian Tribes and Cultures.
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