In 1811, Indiana was a territory rather than a state. A charismatic Indian chief, Tecumseh, led a confederacy of tribes in central and northern Indiana and opposed further American expansion. Governor William Henry Harrison aimed to gain land for settlers and achieve statehood. These competing interests led to conflict in the fall of 1811, culminating in the Battle of Tippecanoe and the destruction of an Indian town and the center of a new Indian confederacy, Prophetstown. Harrison's strategic goals and actions were not consistent with the intent of his commander, President Madison. However, Harrison's leadership during the tactical action of the Battle of Tippecanoe demonstrated effective execution of the doctrinal tasks of mission command. In addition to the path to the battle, it is important to know that the historical accounts of what led to the battle and what happened are in dispute. These are not disputes over minor points, such as the exact order of battle or a clear sequence of events in what was a confused battle of night and dawn. The accounts of what happened are often fundamentally different, and it is clear that various actors have suppressed or promoted divergent narratives for political or personal reasons. By some accounts, the battle began by accident as an Indian patrol sent to watch for the Americans drew fire from nervous American sentries, leading the Indians just a mile away at Prophetstown to attack. According to other accounts, the Indians planned a deliberate attack to strike the American forces before the Americans could strike the Indians. Harrison presented the battle as a decisive victory that broke the Indian confederacy and many historians agreed. However, modern accounts claim that the battle is actually... middle of paper... manufacturing and leadership. The Indian confederacy was no longer a unified front. However, in his place were displaced, vengeful and skilled Indian warriors, without the discipline of Tecumseh or the Prophet to keep them in check and contain their desires for vengeance. Works Cited Davis, Paul K. 100 Decisive Battles: From Ancient Times to the Present. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press, 1999. Jortner, Adam Joseph. The Gods of Prophetstown: The Battle of Tippecanoe and the Holy War for the American Frontier. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. Owens, Robert M. Mr. Jefferson's Gavel: William Henry Harrison and the Origins of Native American Politics. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2007. Tunnel, Harry D. To Compel by Force: A Conduct Manual for the Battle of Tippecanoe. Fort Leavenworth, KS: U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, 2000.