In July of 1794, the principal leaders of the Miami Confederacy replaced Little Turtle as their commander-in-chief and appointed Turkey Foot in his stead. While an experienced leader, Turkey Foot was unable to replicate the success of his predecessor and could not extricate the Americans from their position within Indian territory. Withdrawing to northern Ohio shortly after assuming command of the alliance, he sought to draw the American forces into a direct engagement. The American commander, General Anthony Wayne, accepted this proposition and pursued the Indian army. The two forces met at Fallen Timbers on August 20, 1794. Wayne easily routed the Indian force and hemmed Turkey Foot along the shore of Lake Erie. Little Turtle, now commanding a small brigade of Miami warriors, recognized the folly of his successor’s tactic. In an effort to save what remained of his army, Turkey Foot withdrew to the British garrison at Ft. Miami but was given no assistance. Having now trapped his enemy, Wayne and his men fell upon the Indians. After Turkey Foot was killed in the ensuing battle, Little Turtle assumed command of what remained of the army and ordered a retreat. In celebration of their victory, General Wayne’s army set the villages of their fleeing enemy to the torch.
The Miami Confederacy had been defeated and armed resistance in northwestern Ohio had been quelled. American settlers once more moved into the newly annexed territory as displaced Indians withdrew. On August 3, 1795, Little Turtle and over 1,000 of the former confederacy’s principal leaders signed the Treaty of Fort Greenville, ceding all land claims in Ohio and agreeing to relocate to designated reservations areas in Indiana. Though what he had tried to protect was now in the hands of the Americans, Little Turtle had managed to stall American encroachment into Indian territory and had proven the remarkable weakness of the American military with regards to unified Indian resistance. His tactics forced the newly unified republic to think as a nation and unify for a common cause.
Despite the fact that his alliance had been destroyed, Little Turtle was widely recognized as a hero among his people. He was frequently a guest in the homes of prominent Americans and even visited President Thomas Jefferson. Speaking not only of his victories but of the potential for peace among both sides, Little Turtle entered a new phase of his development as a cultural. As more settlers moved into Ohio and Indiana, he frequently mediated disputes between Indians and Americans in an effort to promote coexistence. His reputation as a peacemaker made him respected among both sides and he was equally mourned upon his death in 1812.
For more on Little Turtle
http://nativeamericanfirstnationshistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_sandusky_conference
