US ResearchConflictsEarly Republic and War of 1812Logan's Raid on Mackachack (1786)
Early Republic and War of 1812

Logan's Raid on Mackachack (1786)

1786
Ohio
Era
Early Republic and War of 1812
Year
1786
Location
Ohio
Status
Historical record
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Shawnee (Mackachack towns)
Forces
Shawnee towns (most warriors absent)
VS
Victor
United States / Kentucky militia (Benjamin Logan)
Forces
Gen. Benjamin Logan, ~790 Kentucky militia
Outcome
Seven Shawnee towns burned; ~10 Shawnee killed including Chief Moluntha; ~33 captured
The Battle

History & Significance

Logan's raid destroyed seven Shawnee towns along the Mad River while most warriors were away. The killing of Chief Moluntha — who was holding a copy of the recent peace treaty when shot — outraged the tribe and hardened Shawnee resolve. The raid triggered years of retaliatory warfare. Militia officer Hugh McGary, who shot Moluntha, was court-martialed.

Historical context

The early republic period saw the United States move from the weak Articles of Confederation to the federal Constitution ratified in 1788, with the Bill of Rights added in 1791. George Washington served two terms as president (1789–1797), establishing precedents for executive authority, and the federal capital moved permanently to Washington D.C. in 1800. The Louisiana Purchase (1803) doubled the nation's territory for roughly $15 million, opening vast trans-Mississippi lands to American expansion. The War of 1812 against Britain ended inconclusively but produced a surge of American national identity and eliminated most British support for Indigenous resistance east of the Mississippi. The Northwest Indian Wars (1785–1795) and the Creek War (1813–1814) broke Indigenous confederacies that had resisted US expansion. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 temporarily balanced slave and free states as the nation expanded westward, but embedded the contradiction of slavery in every subsequent territorial debate.

Casualties & Losses

~10 Shawnee killed including Chief Moluntha; ~33 captured; 1 Kentucky militiaman killed

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Logan's Raid on Mackachack (1786) take place?
Logan's Raid on Mackachack (1786) took place in 1786.
Where was Logan's Raid on Mackachack (1786) fought?
Logan's Raid on Mackachack (1786) was fought in Ohio, United States.
What was the outcome of Logan's Raid on Mackachack (1786)?
Seven Shawnee towns burned; ~10 Shawnee killed including Chief Moluntha; ~33 captured
What was the significance of Logan's Raid on Mackachack (1786)?
Logan's raid destroyed seven Shawnee towns along the Mad River while most warriors were away. The killing of Chief Moluntha — who was holding a copy of the recent peace treaty when shot — outraged the tribe and hardened Shawnee resolve. The raid triggered years of retaliatory warfare. Militia office
Protected heritage nearby

Historic Sites near Logan's Raid on Mackachack (1786)

Schine's Holland Theatre
Industrial · 1.7 mi
First Concrete Street In U.S.
Civil War · 1.7 mi
Logan County Courthouse
Civil War · 1.7 mi
More from this era

Other Early Republic and War of 1812 Engagements

Fort Laurens — Siege and Skirmishes
1779
Ohio
Siege of Fort Laurens
1779
Ohio
Battle of Piqua (1780)
1780
Ohio
Raid on Sandusky 1781
1781
Ohio
Battle of Coshocton
1781
Ohio
Battle of the Sandusky — Crawford's Defeat
1782
Ohio
Crawford's Defeat at Sandusky
1782
Ohio
Crawford's Defeat (Sandusky Expedition)
1782
Ohio
Battle of Sandusky (Crawford Expedition)
1782
Ohio
Crawford's Defeat 1782
1782
Ohio
Battle of Upper Sandusky — Crawford's Defeat (1782)
1782
Ohio
Crawford's Defeat (Sandusky Campaign)
1782
Ohio
Crawford Expedition – Sandusky Defeat
1782
Ohio
Capture of Sandusky Area Villages (1782)
1782
Ohio
Clark's Chillicothe Expedition (1782)
1782
Ohio
Clark's Shawnee Campaign — Great Miami River (1786)
1786
Ohio
Logan's Raid on Shawnee Towns
1786
Ohio
All battles in Ohio
Source

Content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Aubrey Research

Explore the history around Ohio

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in the US, drawing on NRHP records, battlefield archives, census history and geological data to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near OhioView a free sample report
All Early Republic and War of 1812 Battles