A minor War of 1812 skirmish in Indiana where Indiana militia briefly engaged a Shawnee war party, later mocked as a trivial engagement.
Key Facts
- Date
- April 1813
- Militia force size
- 30 Indiana militiamen
- Engagement duration
- Approximately 30 minutes
- Shawnee casualties
- 1 killed, several wounded, a few drowned
- Militia unit nickname
- Corydon's Yellow Jackets
- Prior settler casualties
- 3 killed, 3 wounded before engagement
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the War of 1812, a Shawnee war party attacked white settlers near Fort Vallonia in Indiana, killing three and wounding three others. Thirty Indiana militiamen under Major John Tipton were dispatched in pursuit of the war party as it moved through the region.
Tipton's militia tracked the Shawnee to an island camp on the east fork of the White River near present-day Seymour. The militia positioned along the riverbank and opened fire, achieving surprise. The Shawnee returned fire for about half an hour across the flooded river before escaping by swimming; the militia could not cross in pursuit.
The Shawnee war party escaped largely intact, with only one confirmed killed and a few drowned. An initial victory celebration at Fort Vallonia gave way to embarrassment as the skirmish's limited results became clear, and 'Tipton's Island' became a term of ridicule for an inconclusive minor engagement.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Major John Tipton.
Side B
1 belligerent