Arthur St. Clair

military officer

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June 30, 2026

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Arthur St. Clair was a military officer in the early United States. He is primarily known for Saint Clair's Defeat, a significant loss for U.S. forces in Indian warfare on November 4, 1791. This event occurred in the Northwest Territory and involved a confrontation with a Northwest Indian Confederation led by Miami chief Little Turtle. St. Clair's army of 3,000 men was surprised and routed, resulting in over 600 casualties. This defeat temporarily halted white settlement in Ohio and highlighted the challenges faced by the U.S. in its expansion and conflicts with Native American tribes following the American Revolution.1

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Battle of Fallen Timbers
Context
Arthur St. Clair. A fresh regiment of infantry recruits and additional militiamen accompanied the original expeditionary regiment, but, when St. Clair reached the upper part of the Wabash River, his army was defeated by Little Turtle in a deadly ambush. The U.S. casualty rate was…
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Arthur St. Clair. A fresh regiment of infantry recruits and additional militiamen accompanied the original expeditionary regiment, but, when St. Clair reached the upper part of the Wabash River, his army was defeated by Little Turtle in a deadly ambush. The U.S. casualty rate was…
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Siege of Fort Ticonderoga
…3,000–4,000 Americans under Major General Arthur St. Clair. His plan was to hold out as long as possible, then use a pontoon bridge to cross the narrows of the lake and withdraw a safe distance.
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…3,000–4,000 Americans under Major General Arthur St. Clair. His plan was to hold out as long as possible, then use a pontoon bridge to cross the narrows of the lake and withdraw a safe distance.
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