hot pursuit. Proctor, whose conduct thus far
had been commendable, apparently panicked,
for in his haste to withdraw he forgot to destroy
several bridges over which the Americans had
to pass. Consequently, Harrison caught up with
the fleeing British at Moraviantown on October
5, 1813, and forced them to give battle. Strag-
glers had reduced Proctor’s 41st Regiment to
around 430 men, desperately short on ammuni-
tion—and hope—although Tecumseh insisted
that a stand be made. The redcoats were drawn
up in their traditional two-rank line, adept at re-
pelling infantry attacks, while the Indians were
sequestered in a swampy woodland on the
right. However, Harrison broke with conven-
tional tactics when he sent the cavalry regiment
of Col. Richard S. Johnson forward, which
completely overturned Proctor’s line. The Indi-
ans resisted more stoutly, although they were
also routed following the death of Tecumseh.
Riding at full speed, Proctor barely escaped
pursuit by vengeful Kentucky cavalry. Two
weeks later he managed to reach the Niagara
frontier, but his reputation was ruined. He saw
no more active service for the rest of the war.
In 1815, Proctor was court-martialed for the
loss of his army and sentenced to a six-month
suspension of rank and pay. During these pro-
ceedings, he bitterly blamed Governor-General
George Prevostand General de Rottenburg
for his defeat, accusing them of failing to pro-
vide adequate men and supplies for sustained
operations. The court remained unswayed by
such arguments, although the Prince Regent
later reduced Proctor’s sentence to a public
reprimand. Unfortunately, this was sufficient
to end Proctor’s promising military career; hav-
ing returned to England in 1816, his name was
dropped from the army list. Proctor then en-
gaged in a war of words against his detractors
until dying at Bath on October 31, 1822. De-
spite his close association with Indian misbe-
havior, he was nonetheless a competent com-
mander and operated for nearly a full year
under disadvantageous conditions.See also
TecumsehBibliography
Allen, Robert S. His Majesty’s Allies: British Indian
Policy in the Defense of Canada, 1774–1815.
Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1992; Antal, Sandy. A
Waupum Denied: Procter’s War of 1812.East Lans-
ing: Michigan State University Press, 1997; Bowlus,
Bruce. “‘A Signal Victory’: The Battle for Fort
Stephenson. August 1–2, 1813.” Northwest Ohio
Quarterly63, nos. 3–4 (1991): 43–57; Keller, S. Roger.
Isaac Shelby: A Driving Force in America’s Strug-
gle for Independence.Shippensburg, PA: Burd Street
Press, 2000; Nelson, Larry L. Men of Patriotism,
Courage, and Enterprise: Fort Meigs in the War of
1812.Canton, OH: Darling Books, 1985.(2); Rosen-
treter, Roger L. “Remember the Raisin,” Michigan
Historical Magazine82, no. 6 (1998): 40–48.(2);
Spencer, Rex L. “The Gibraltar of the Maumee: Fort
Meigs in the War of 1812.” Unpublished Ph. D. disser-
tation, 1989.(2); Sugden, John. Tecumseh’s Last
Stand.Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1985;
Suthren, Victor J.H. The War of 1812.Toronto: Mc-
Clelland and Stewart, 1999.QUANTRILL, WILLIAMCLARKE
Quantrill, William Clarke
(July 31, 1837–June 6, 1865)
Confederate Guerrilla
D
uring the Civil War, Quantrill acquired
a well-deserved reputation as “the
bloodthirstiest man of American his-
tory.” He blazed a trail of arson, murder, and
brigandage across Missouri unmatched by
any villain before or since.
William Clarke Quantrill was born in Dover,
Ohio, on July 31, 1837, the son of a school-