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The Legion of the United States was a reorganization and extension of the United States Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 in 1792 under the command of Major General Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne

Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of Brigadier general and the sobriquet of "Mad Anthony"....
.
impetus for the Legion came from General Arthur St. Clair
Arthur St. Clair

Arthur St. Clair was an American soldier and politician. Born in Scotland, he served in the British Army during the French and Indian War before settling in Pennsylvania, where he held local office....
's disastrous defeat at the Battle of the Wabash
Battle of the Wabash

The Battle of the Wabash, also known as St. Clair's Defeat and the Battle of Wabash River, was fought on November 4, 1791, in the Northwest Territory between the United States and the Western Confederacy of Native Americans in the United States, as part of the Northwest Indian War....
 by Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket

Blue Jacket or Weyapiersenwah was a war chief of the Shawnee people, known for his militant defense of Shawnee lands in the Ohio Country....
 and Little Turtle's tribal confederacy in November 1791.

Many of the Founding Fathers
Founding Fathers of the United States

The Founding Fathers of the United States were the political leaders who signed the United States Declaration of Independence or otherwise participated in the American Revolution as leaders of the Patriot s, or who participated in drafting the United States Constitution eleven years later....
 had been suspicious of standing armies, believing that the militia
Militia

The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service....
 would be suited to all the nation's defense needs.






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The Legion of the United States was a reorganization and extension of the United States Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 in 1792 under the command of Major General Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne

Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of Brigadier general and the sobriquet of "Mad Anthony"....
.

Origins

The impetus for the Legion came from General Arthur St. Clair
Arthur St. Clair

Arthur St. Clair was an American soldier and politician. Born in Scotland, he served in the British Army during the French and Indian War before settling in Pennsylvania, where he held local office....
's disastrous defeat at the Battle of the Wabash
Battle of the Wabash

The Battle of the Wabash, also known as St. Clair's Defeat and the Battle of Wabash River, was fought on November 4, 1791, in the Northwest Territory between the United States and the Western Confederacy of Native Americans in the United States, as part of the Northwest Indian War....
 by Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket

Blue Jacket or Weyapiersenwah was a war chief of the Shawnee people, known for his militant defense of Shawnee lands in the Ohio Country....
 and Little Turtle's tribal confederacy in November 1791.

Many of the Founding Fathers
Founding Fathers of the United States

The Founding Fathers of the United States were the political leaders who signed the United States Declaration of Independence or otherwise participated in the American Revolution as leaders of the Patriot s, or who participated in drafting the United States Constitution eleven years later....
 had been suspicious of standing armies, believing that the militia
Militia

The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service....
 would be suited to all the nation's defense needs. However, the defeat of St. Clair and his predecessor, Josiah Harmar
Josiah Harmar

Josiah Harmar was an officer in the United States Army during the American Revolution and the Northwest Indian War. He was the senior officer in the Army for seven years....
, whose forces were drawn principally from state militias, caused a shift in thinking. President Washington
George Washington

George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
 picked his old lieutenant, Wayne, to lead a new professional army. At the recommendation of Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War

File:Swearing in of Secretary Dwight Davis.jpgThe Secretary of War was a member of the United States President of the United States United States Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration....
 Henry Knox
Henry Knox

Henry Knox was an United States bookseller from Boston, Massachusetts who became the chief artillery officer of the Continental Army and later the nation's first United States Secretary of War....
, it was decided to recruit and train a "Legion" — i.e., a force that would combine all land combat arms of the day (cavalry, heavy and light infantry, artillery) into one efficient brigade
Brigade

A brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army....
-sized force divisible into stand-alone combined arms teams. Congress agreed with this proposal and agreed to augment the small standing army until "the United States shall be at peace with the Indian tribes."

Structure

The Legion was composed of four sub-legions, each commanded by a brigadier general
Brigadier General

Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General.The rank can be traced back to the militaries of Europe where a brigadier general, or simply a brigadier, would command a brigade in the field....
. These sub-legions were self-contained units with two battalion
Battalion

A battalion is a military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven company and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel....
s of infantry
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
, a rifle
Rifle

A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls....
 battalion (light infantry
Light infantry

Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, Harassment and delaying the enemy advance....
 skirmishers armed with Pennsylvania longrifles to screen the infantry), a troop
Troop

A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. A cavalry soldier of Private is called a Trooper ....
 of dragoons and a company of artillery
Artillery

Artillery is a military Combat Arms which employs any apparatus, machine, an assortment of tools or instruments, a system or systems used as weapons for the discharge of large projectiles in combat as a major contribution of fire power within the overall military capability of an armed force....
.

The Legion received training at Legionville
Legionville

Legion Ville was the first formal United States military basic training facility, established by Major General Anthony Wayne, in 1792, near present-day Baden, Pennsylvania to train the soldiers of the Legion of the United States....
, a frontier fort built by General Anthony Wayne in western Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
. General Wayne also established various forts along his line of march to ensure adequate re-supply, and garrisoned these forts with freshly trained legionnaires.

Battles

The Legion of the United States was engaged in several attacks on their convoys as the expedition pushed further into Native American strongholds chiefly towards the Maumee Rapids. On June 30, 1793, just outside the gates of Fort Recovery
Fort Recovery

Fort Recovery was a United States Army fort begun in late 1793 and completed in March 1794 under orders by General "Mad" Anthony Wayne. It is located in the present-day village of Fort Recovery, Ohio, on the Wabash River within two miles of the boundary with Indiana....
 (built on St. Clair's battlefield, present Fort Recovery, Ohio) a pack-horse train led by Major William Friend McMahon (of Yellow Springs, Ohio) was attacked by 2,000 Indians. After Major McMahon was killed and the rest of the survivors fled into the fort, a general attack was made on the fort. Fortunately for the defenders, most of the men (about 125) were expert riflemen. The fort also had artillery
Artillery

Artillery is a military Combat Arms which employs any apparatus, machine, an assortment of tools or instruments, a system or systems used as weapons for the discharge of large projectiles in combat as a major contribution of fire power within the overall military capability of an armed force....
 to back them. The battle raged for two days but Fort Recovery was not taken. Some scholars believe there were more Indians at the attack of Fort Recovery than at Fallen Timbers.

The most notable engagement in which the Legion participated was the Battle of Fallen Timbers
Battle of Fallen Timbers

The Battle of Fallen Timbers was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between American Indians in the United Statess and the United States for control of the Northwest Territory ....
 near present-day Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio

Toledo is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio. Named after Toledo, Spain, it is located on the western end of Lake Erie, on the Michigan border....
. As the Legion's front was attacked by the Indians, the troops closed quickly and pressed with the bayonet. The Indian forces could not hold the force of the Legion's attack and broke and ran. The British in Fort Miami
Fort Miami (Ohio)

Fort Miami was a fort built on the Maumee River at the eastern edge of the present-day city of Maumee, Ohio, and southwest of the present-day city of Toledo, Ohio....
 refused to open the gates and the survivors were basically on their own. Although a short battle, Fallen Timbers was the culmination of an arduous campaign and owes its success to the intense training and discipline of the Legion of the United States.

The Legion by its very concept was formed and trained from its early days in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania with a population of 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is 2,462,571....
 to fight in a woodland environment. Each Sub-Legion had its own attached artillery, dragoons and riflemen, light and heavy infantry. Officers, sergeants and enlisted personnel were trained to fight in small units and were used to being geographically separated and fighting on their own. General Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne

Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of Brigadier general and the sobriquet of "Mad Anthony"....
's tactics were to fire and move quick with the light infantry being his front line forces supported by heavy infantry. The Legion was taught to move quickly on the enemy thus not allowing him to re-load and to then attack with bayonets. This was the whole design and concept of the Legion. By August 20, 1794, the Legion of the United States had trained for over 25 months for this battle and was a finely honed machine. The success of the Legion is owed mostly to Major General Anthony Wayne but also to George Washington
George Washington

George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
 and Henry Knox
Henry Knox

Henry Knox was an United States bookseller from Boston, Massachusetts who became the chief artillery officer of the Continental Army and later the nation's first United States Secretary of War....
.

On August 3, 1795, as a direct result of the Battle of Fallen Timbers
Battle of Fallen Timbers

The Battle of Fallen Timbers was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between American Indians in the United Statess and the United States for control of the Northwest Territory ....
, the Native Americans signed the Treaty of Greenville
Treaty of Greenville

The Treaty of Greenville was signed at Fort Greenville , on August 3, 1795, between a coalition of Native Americans in the United States and the United States following the Native American loss at the Battle of Fallen Timbers....
, creating peace with the United States.

In 1796, Major General Anthony Wayne accepted surrender of all the British forts, including Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara

Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built to protect the interests of New France in North America. It is located near Youngstown, New York, on the eastern bank of the Niagara River at its mouth, on Lake Ontario....
 and Fort Miami
Fort Miami

Fort Miami was the name of several forts in what is now the United States.*Fort Miami *Forts of Fort Wayne, Indiana*Fort Miami ...
 that were located illegally within the United States in violation of the Treaty of Paris (1783)
Treaty of Paris (1783)

The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ratified by the Congress of the Confederation on January 14, 1784 and by the King of Great Britain on April 9, 1784 , formally ended the American Revolutionary War between the Kingdom of Great Britain and United States, which had rebelled against British rule starting in 1775....
. The Legion also entered the Native American stronghold of Kekionga
Kekionga

Kekionga, also known as Kiskakon or Pacanne Village, was the capitol of the Miami tribe at the confluence of the St. Joseph River , St. Marys River and Maumee Rivers on the western edge of the Great Black Swamp....
, which was the goal of the ill-fated St. Clair campaign. The Legion built strong fortifications in the town and named it Fort Wayne
Forts of Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fort Wayne in modern Fort Wayne, Indiana, was established by Captain Jean Fran?ois Hamtramck under orders from General Anthony Wayne as part of the campaign against the Miami tribe of the area....
, in honor of their commanding general.

Thus ended the mission of the Legion which had begun in June of 1792.

Legacy

It is a common misnomer that the Legion was abandoned in 1796. It was not "abandoned". After the death of General Anthony Wayne in Erie, Pennsylvania on December 15, 1796, his second-in-command, Brigadier General James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson

James Wilkinson was a United States soldier and statesman, who was associated with several scandals and controversies. He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, but was twice compelled to resign....
 (later found to be a spy for the Spanish government) tried to rid the army of everything Wayne had created including the Legionary structure of the army. Thus the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sub-Legion became the 1st, 2nd , 3rd and 4th Regiments of the United States Army.

The device worn on the epaulette of the 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard) shows a black hat with white plume. These are the colors of the 1st Sub-Legion.

The Coat of Arms for the 1st US Infantry shows part of the shield in red in honor of the 2nd Sub-Legion.

The Coat of Arms of the 4th US Infantry is green and white in honor of the 4th Sub-Legion.

Unit Colors:

  • 1st Sub-Legion= White and Black
  • 2nd Sub-Legion= Red and White
  • 3rd Sub-Legion= Yellow and Black
  • 4th Sub-Legion= Green and White


See also

  • Coats_of_arms_of_U.S._Infantry_Regiments
    Coats of arms of U.S. Infantry Regiments

    Coats of arms of US Infantry Regiments are heraldic emblems associated with infantry regiments in the US Army. By Army regulation, all regiments of the US Army organized under a Table of Organization and Equipment are authorized a coat of arms to be displayed on the organization's standard, called the "colors." This coat of arms also forms...
  • Combined arms
    Combined arms

    Combined arms is an approach to warfare which seeks to integrate different arms of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects.Though the lower-echelon units of a combined arms team may be of homogeneous types, a balanced mixture of such units are combined into an effective higher-echelon unit, whether formally in a table of organi...