General Anthony Wayne's Expedition into the Indian Country

The aftermath of the Revolutionary War left a vast, unsettled frontier between the Allegheny Mountains and the Mississippi River. British forts still dotted the region, stoking tensions and encouraging Native American raids that devastated frontier families. Earlier American attempts to quell the violence—first under General Harmar and then General St. Clair—ended in crushing defeats at Kekionga and Fort Recovery, leaving settlers vulnerable and the new nation appearing powerless.

Into this crisis President Washington called General Anthony Wayne, a battle‑tested commander eager to reorganize the army. At Legionville near Pittsburgh he drilled a disciplined force, teaching them the use of sabers, pistols, bayonets and espontoons. By spring 1793 his troops moved down the Ohio River, establishing a base at a spot he named Hobson’s Choice near present‑day Cincinnati, then began restoring key frontier forts as they prepared to meet the Indian confederacy once more.