12 Turns. 1st Player: American. [Historical] The battle of Tippecanoe was fought on November 7, 1811 and was a prelude to action during the War of 1812, particularly in the northwest. Tecumseh, the Shawnee Chieftain who eventually fell at the Battle of the Thames, worked for years to build a confederation of Indian tribes that could resist the westward expansion of the Americans. That November he went south to urge the Creek and Cherokee to join his league, and in so doing left his brother Tenskwatawa, "the Prophet", as the leading chief. At the same time, Indiana governor William Henry Harrison determined to force this confederation, gathering in and around Prophet's Town, to disband. As Harrison approached the area the warriors of the various Indian nations became restless. There was a call for action, so the Prophet took it upon himself to lead an attack on the American forces. It was a well thought out plan, but it underestimated the American strength. Instead of easily surrounding and crushing the Americans, the Indians faced a bloody struggle that raged through the pre-dawn and early morning hours. The Americans rallied and drove the Indian forces back into the forest and nearby swamp. They followed up by destroying Prophet's Town and scattering the tribes there. Tecumseh's confederation would never be the same, and it was never able to be the ally that the British hoped it might be during the War of 1812.