Covert Ops in the Ohio Country

[CPTMontour]

Stone quotes an interview with J Brant's daughter that says that Brant was in Command at St Clairs defeat. It was kept secret because Brant had a real British Officers commision, not an honorary Indian commision, and thus his being there would have been an act of war on the part of the British. Any other sources point to this possibility?

[Matthew S. Schweitzer]

Really? Are you refering to William L. Stone's "Life of Joseph Brant"? I had not come across that assertion in my readings before, but it would be interesting to hear if anyone else has any further information on that possibility. Everything I have ever come across was pretty clear that Little Turtle of the Miamis and Blue Jacket of the Shawnee were the co-commanders of the western confederacy that defeated St. Clair in 1791.

However, after doing a little research, I came across a reference to Joseph Brant's son John Brant and a supposed love affair between him and Arthur St. Clair's daughter Louisa that resulted in a failed proposal of marriage. It seems that according to the story, Brant ordered that St. Clair himself was to be left unharmed during the subsequent battle. I am not certain of the original source of that tale but that would seem to support the theory that Brant had some authority at St. Clair's Defeat.

[CPTMontour]

Yes that is the book, Im pretty sure its in Vol 1. I have only spent alot of time reading Vol 2, as that is the only vol I can find in Reprint. My originals are just too fragile to spend alot of time reading.

[bmeiring]

I am from Fort Recovery and was executive director of the Fort Recovery State Museum for 20 years before moving out of the area. I have heard that assertion before about Joseph Brant, however, from everything I've read, there is no real evidence to support it. Brant sent only a handfull of warriors to the confederation that attacked St. Clair, so it unlikely that he would have had a major role in the battle. None of our research supports Brant even being there, much less in charge of the battle. As to the assertion that St. Clair dated Brant's daughter, people are on both sides of the fence on that one, but it seems unlikely that Brant would have been able to protect St. Clair. Indians did not march in lock step like that. I think that St. Clair was just very lucky in that battle. He did have several bullet holes in his clothing and hat and suffered a minor grazing by a bullet to the temple, but otherwise he was not wounded.