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FOR THE RECORD: PRESIDENTS IN UNIFORM, PART II

© John S. Cooper

Martin Van Buren (1837-1841), who had no military experience, followed war hero Andrew Jackson. William Henry Harrison, who defeated Van Buren in the election of 1840, in turn, followed Van Buren.

William Henry Harrison (1841-1841) was a professional soldier. Dropping out of college after only a year of studying medicine, he joined the army. During his career, he rose from ensign to major general.

As an aide-de-camp to General “Mad” Anthony Wayne, he participated in the campaign to pacify the Ottawa, Chippewa, Shawnee, and Pottawatomie Indian tribes. He fought in the battle of Fallen Timbers, the last battle of the campaign that resulted in the Treaty of Greenville. Harrison was credited for holding the troops in the line during a crucial point in the battle and received an official commendation for bravery. General Wayne wrote that Harrison “rendered the most essential service…. by his conduct and bravery in exciting the troops to press for victory.” He was promoted to captain in 1797, but resigned from the army the next year. He then served as Secretary of the Northwest Territory, then as territorial delegate to Congress, and then as Governor of the Indiana Territory.

While serving as Governor of the Indiana Territory, Harrison personally led troops against the Indian Confederation led by Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet. He defeated them in a fierce battle at Tippecanoe Creek. The Indian attack caught Harrison and his troops by surprise. After two hours of fierce, sometimes hand-to-hand fighting, Harrison rallied his forces and defeated the Indians. This battle earned Harrison his famous nickname, Old Tippecanoe.

When the War of 1812 began, Harrison was commissioned first a major general of the Kentucky militia, then a brigadier general in the U.S. army, then a major general in the U.S army. He successfully re-took Detroit from the British, and pursued British and Indian forces into Canada. He won a resounding victory at the Thames River. At the Battle of the Thames, Tecumseh was killed, more than 600 British prisoners were captured, and fieldpieces captured by the British from the Americans during the Revolutionary War were recaptured. The battle secured the Northwest and made Harrison a national hero.

William Henry Harrison died after only a month in the White House, and was followed by his Vice President, John Tyler (1841-1845) of Virginia. Tyler saw a brief period of military service during the War of 1812. After the British raided Hampton, Virginia, Tyler joined the Charles City Rifles and was commissioned as a captain of militia. His unit was assigned to the defenses of Richmond, and he saw no action. For his uneventful service, he was awarded a veteran’s bonus of 160 acres of land in what is now Sioux City, Iowa.