Logan's Raid

An early part of the Northwest Indian War, Colonel Benjamin Logan led the Kentucky militia on raids into Shawnee territory. Most warriors were away defending Miami villages from a separate colonial raiding force. Logan and his forces destroyed 13 Shawnee villages filled with mostly women and children. Hugh McGary who was a previously a pioneer with Daniel Boone illegally invading Kentucky, killed an important Shawnee leader, Moluntha, who was reported to be holding an American flag and his copy of the Treaty of Fort Finney, of which he was a signatory. McGary was court martialed and found guilty of murding Moluntha for which he received only one years suspension from the militia. While the Shawnee traditionally were autonomous villages with no central government, after contact they began selecting a ceremonial leader to communicate with colonial forces. Moluntha was the ceremonial leader at this time, succeeding Hokoleskwa (Cornstalk). Logan's raid was an important early part of the Northwest Indian War and had the effect of increasing hostilities as well as the Shawnee's strengthening their ties to the Miami's who helped them after the raid. Tecumseh would go on to site Moluntha's murder as one reason not to trust Americans.