Clark's 1780 raid on the Shawnee village of Piqua was a key American offensive aimed at reducing Native raids on Kentucky settlements during the Revolutionary War.
Key Facts
- Date
- August 8, 1780
- Location
- Mad River, western Ohio Country
- American Commander
- General George Rogers Clark
- Shawnee Commander
- Chief Black Hoof
- Outcome
- Village and fields burned; Indians driven off
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Earlier in the summer of 1780, a combined force of Shawnee, Lenape, and Miami warriors under British-allied leadership invaded Kentucky, killing and capturing hundreds of white settlers. General George Rogers Clark organized a retaliatory expedition with the Kentucky County militia to strike Shawnee towns and diminish their capacity for further raids.
On August 8, 1780, Clark's Kentucky militia engaged Shawnee warriors led by Chief Black Hoof at the Indian village of Piqua along the Mad River in the Ohio Country. After a fierce battle, the Shawnee were driven off. Clark's forces then burned the village and its surrounding agricultural fields to deprive the Shawnee of shelter and food stores.
Although the Shawnee were expelled and their village destroyed, Clark's force suffered significant casualties during the engagement. The destruction of Piqua weakened Shawnee resources in the region but did not end Native American resistance, and raids on Kentucky settlements continued in subsequent years of the Revolutionary War era.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
General George Rogers Clark.
Side B
1 belligerent
Chief Black Hoof.