United States Rangers were originally raised for Tecumseh's War, but they continued to serve against hostile Indians after the United States declaration of war against Great Britain. A total of 17 independent companies were authorized from Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. The Rangers were neither militia, nor regulars, but formed part of the war establishment of the United States as volunteers.
Formation In readiness for possible Indian depredations after the Battle of Tippecanoe, the United States Congress established the United States Rangers, January 2, 1812.Urwin 1983, p. 40. The act was renewed in 1813, and the number of ranger companies increased several times during the War of 1812. The President of the United States selected which state or territory should have the benefit of raising ranger companies. The Rangers were not militia, but formed part of the war establishment of the United States Army.Tucker 2012, p. 614.
Organization The 1812 Act authorized the President to raise up to six companies of rangers, either volunteers or men enlisted for a one-year period. Two companies from Ohio, the rest from Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. In June, the secretary of war, William Eustis, reported that he had deployed the six companies at the frontiers of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Louisiana.American state papers, vol. 1, p. 319. In July an additional company was authorized, and in February 1813 ten additional companies.Acts of the Twelfth Congress, p. 774.Acts of the Twelfth Congress, p. 804. Four of the new companies to be raised in Indiana, three in Illinois, and three in Missouri.Alvord 1922, p. 451. Each company would consist of 1 captain, 1 first lieutenant, 1 second lieutenant, 1 ensign, 4 sergeants, 4 corporals, and 60 privates; the officers to be paid the same as the same grade in the army, the men $1 a day if furnishing a horse, otherwise $0.75.Acts of the Twelfth Congress, p. 670. No field officers (majors, lieutenant colonels, and colonels) or general officers were authorized or appointed.Heitman 1903, vol. 1, p. 141.
Rangers from Indiana, Illinois and MissouriDateOfficersNon-commissioned officersSoldiers Feb. 1, 1813 4 8 61 Jan. 13, 1814 41191 July 23, 1813 4 11104 May 15, 1815 1328271 Oct. 20, 1815 51181Source:American State Papers. Military Affairs, vol. 6, pp. 959-960.
In 1813, the Congress decided that each of the ten companies organized under the 1813 Act would consist of 1 captain, 1 first lieutenant, 1 second lieutenant, 1 third lieutenant, 1 ensign, 5 sergeants, 8 corporals, and 90 privates.Acts of the Thirteenth Congress, p. 64.
Rangers Officers 1813CaptainsFirst LieutenantsSecond LieutenantsThird LieutenantsEnsigns 12 1111 810Source:American State Papers. Military Affairs, vol. 1, p. 421
Operations The rangers were established with the expressed mission of protecting the frontier from the Indians. They should be organized, armed and equipped in such a manner as the nature of the service required. The rangers scouted the frontier, and should disperse any hostile Indian war parties encountered. Rangers operated in Ohio, Illinois Territory, Indiana Territory, and Missouri Territory. The Ohio, Illinois and Indiana Rangers came under the operational control of Colonel William Russell of the 7th U.S. Infantry, while governor Benjamin Howard controlled the operations of the Missouri Rangers.
Ninian Edwards’ Raid Ninian Edwards gathered 350 mounted rangers and volunteers near Edwardsville and personally led an expedition north to Peoria. His senior staff included many of the territory's most prominent citizens. These included Nathaniel W. Pope, territorial secretary, Benjamin Stephenson, Thomas Carlin, future Illinois Governor, and William, Elias, and Nelson Rector. The company was divided into two smaller regiments, one commanded by Stephenson acting as Colonel, the other by a Rector brother. Edwards and his army of Rangers and Volunteers departed Fort Russell from Edwardsville on October 18, 1812. After crossing into Logan County, Edwards’ army encountered two deserted Kickapoo villages near present-day Salt Creek, formerly known as the Saline Fork of the Sangamon River. The regiment discovered native artwork, some of which depicted the scalping of American settlers. The regiment burned both abandoned villages.Ferguson, Gillum. (2012). Illinois in the War of 1812. Urbana, Chicago, Springfield: University of Illinois Press. p. 82 After burning the two Kickapoo villages on the Sangamon River along the way, the Americans advanced on Peoria itself.Holden, 164. The village the army was preparing to attack was recently developed at the head of Peoria Lake and inhabited by Piankashaw and Kickapoo Natives likely led by Chief Pemwatome. At dawn, the army of rangers and volunteers advanced. Edwards inflicted a devastating defeat to the Native American village. Edwards’ army seized eighty horses, some recently stolen from Saint Clair County, silver ornaments, 200 brass kettles, guns, and six scalps believed to belong to the women and children of the settler O’Neal family from Missouri. Edwards estimated that approximately thirty Native peoples were killed in the raid, although later estimates from the Kickapoo suggested the number was closer to eighty.Ferguson, Gillum. (2012). Illinois in the War of 1812. Urbana, Chicago, Springfield: University of Illinois Press. p.83-86 The Americans had completed their raid before returning to Edwardsville on October 31, 1812.Howard, 42.
Samuel Hopkin’s Raid American Brigadier General Samuel Hopkins conducted a raid against the Native American enemies by targeting their village bases. Hopkins had 1,200 troops including regulars, militias, a company of Rangers, and some scouts. On November 11, 1812, Hopkins and his raiding force departed fort Harrison. The American raiding force destroyed 40 huts of Prophetstown and destroyed 160 huts of a Kickapoo village. The American raiders cut down all the growing corn they came across. Detachments of the American force split up for pursuit of the fleeing Indians. One detachment of Rangers fell into an Indian ambush and 18 Rangers were killed. Hopkins and the rest of his raiding force all withdrew safely back to fort Harrison after completing their raid. Hopkins believed he had crippled the indian enemy’s ability to survive in the winter by destroying their village bases and corn supplies from their successful raid.
Engagement at Africa Point On April 18, 1813, during the fortification phase of Fort LaMotte, two barrel coopers Isaac Brimberry and Thomas Kennedy went up 'Africa Point', a knoll surrounded by swamp on the Wabash River, to procure some wood. American Rangers came across Indian canoes pulled on the shore of the river. Both Rangers Brimberry and Kennedy reported their sightings to the Fort LaMotte commander, Captain Pierce Andrews. Andrews sent up a squad of Rangers as skirmishers with the timber party to look after the Indians. The rangers divided themselves into two groups, a six-man party going in advance while the other stayed back and acted as a reserve. On Africa Point the advance group was ambushed and fired upon by the Kickapoo Indians. During the ensuing battle, the American Ranger party retreated suffering 4 dead and the 2 badly wounded who escaped back to the fort. Upon hearing rifle fire, the rear guard fell back to the fort as well. The Indians had 5 killed.
Ranger patrol fighting off Indian attack On July 4, 1813. Eleven American Rangers who were patrolling were attacked by an equivalent force of Winnebagos. The Rangers fought them off and rode off when the skirmish ended. But the Winnebagos followed them and attacked them again. The Rangers withdrew back to Fort Mason with a total number of casualties numbering 1 killed and 3 fatally wounded. Later, the Rangers. Entered out of Fort Mason finding 2 dead bodies of the enemy Winnebagos that attacked them. Otherwise, further casualties of the enemy Winnebagos could not be determined."Nathan Boone and the American Frontier" by R. Douglas Hurt pg.94.
Ranger patrol engages Indians on boats After the July 4, 1813, engagement of a ranger patrol with attacking Winnebagos. 150 Missouri Rangers came to the scene finding 2 dead enemy Indian warriors on July 9, 1813. Then the Missouri Rangers saw two or three canoes carrying at least 30 Indians. The Rangers believed these were the same enemy combatants that attacked the ranger patrol on July 4, 1813, and were headed to attack more settlements. The Rangers opened fire on the Indians driving the canoes to an island on Illinois shore, possibly what is now called Saverton Island. Both sides kept up a heavy fire until an Indian raised a blue cloth. The Rangers ceased fire. But the Indians opened fire again. The Rangers returned fire until the surviving Indians disappeared. It was thought only two or three Indians escaped."Illinois in the War of 1812” by Gillum Ferguson pg.133.
Ambushing Shawnee Native Americans at Tipton’s Island In April 1813, during the War of 1812, a Shawnee war party killed two white settlers eight miles from Fort Vallonia. The war party continued towards the fort, killing another settler and wounding three more.Allison, 249 The Shawnee then put some distance between themselves and the fort, but were soon pursued by 30 Indiana Rangers under Major John Tipton known as "Corydon's Yellow Jackets". The Shawnee crossed the flooded Driftwood River and, thinking they had lost their pursuers, set up camp on an island in the east fork of the White River, just northeast of modern day Seymour. One of Tipton's scouts located the trail, however, and the rangers cautiously approached the river. Major Tipton ordered the rangers to maintain absolute silence, and tied one ranger to a tree when he kept talking.*Also on archive.org The Rangers took ambush positions along the bank of the river and opened fire. The Shawnee were taken by surprise, but returned fire for about half an hour. Few casualties were suffered due to the firing distance across the river and the shelter provided by the wooded island.Allison, 250 One Shawnee was killed and several were wounded, but three Shawnees drowned when they tried to swim across the flooded White River. The Rangers could not pursue the Shawnee across the river, so they returned to Fort Vallonia. There was a victory celebration, but as details of the skirmish emerged, it was determined to be a small engagement against a war party that managed to escape. "Tipton's Island" became a term of ridicule.Allison, 251
Joseph Bartholomew’s Raid On June 11, 1813. Bartholomew once conducted a raid against British-allied Delaware Native American towns. He set out with 137 mounted Indiana Rangers. Bartholomew and his rangers raided the Native American Delaware villages destroying 1000 bushels of corn, capturing 3 horses, surprising and killing one Native American warrior. However, a ranger was critically wounded by another Native American warrior who fired on the rangers from concealment and ran off. After Bartholomew and his rangers destroyed the food supplies. They withdrew back to Fort Vallonia. The wounded Indiana ranger who was also brought back to the fort later died from his wounds."The United States Cavalry: An Illustrated History, 1776-1944" by Gregory J. W. Urwin pg. 45.
Colonel William Russell’s Raid