Roundhead (Wyandot)
Encyclopedia
Roundhead also known as Bark Carrier, Round Head, Stayeghtha, and Stiahta, was a Native American
chief of the Wyandot tribe. He was a strong member of Tecumseh’s Confederacy against the United States
during the War of 1812
and died alongside Tecumseh
at the Battle of the Thames
.
in New France
(the present-day state of Ohio
). However, some sources indicate that he was born later in 1763. He rose to become chief of the Wyandots in the Sandusky
area but later moved to Brownstown and joined Tecumseh’s anti-American cause. Very little is known about his life before 1810, but this was during a time when various Wyandot clans feuded over their relations with the United States. Prior to 1810, Roundhead was briefly a war chief under Tarhe
, who was an ally of the Americans. Roundhead resigned that position and joined with Tecumseh against the Americans during the height of Tecumseh's War
. In 1810, Roundhead was chiefly responsible for the execution of his brother and fellow Wyandot chief Leatherlips
. He was condemned to death by other natives for his desire to cooperate with white settlers. Not only was Leathlerlips opposed to Tecumseh's Confederacy against the United States, but he had also sold native land to William Henry Harrison
. However, it is widely believed that Leatherlips was executed for exaggerated charges of witchcraft to draw attention away from the true political motives. While it is unknown if Roundhead took direct part in the execution of Leatherlips, he did head the council that called for his death, and Roundhead dispatched fellow natives to capture him and carry out the execution.
among Colonel Henry Procter’s British forces. He participated in the Battle of Brownstown
on August 5, 1812 and the Battle of Maguaga
on August 9. After this battle, Tecumseh presented Roundhead with a sash given to him by General Isaac Brock
, as Tecumseh claimed it should belong to an older and more skilled warrior. Roundhead did not wear the honorable sash, as he did not want to cause jealously among the other war chiefs. A few days later, he helped in the capture of Fort Detroit
during the Siege of Detroit
on August 15. He then joined up with Major Adam Muir
for the British occupation of Fort Miami
along the Maumee River
in September 1812. He later fought in the Siege of Fort Meigs
from April 28–May 9, 1813. Roundhead’s brother, Jean-Baptiste, died during this failed siege.
Roundhead’s most notable accomplishment during the War of 1812 took place when he fought in the Second Battle of the River Raisin
on January 22, 1813. Tecumseh, who did not participate in the battle, gave command of the native forces to Roundhead and fellow Wyandot chief Walk-in-the-Water. They commanded approximately 800 Native Americans along with Henry Procter’s 597 British troops against a force of 1,000 Americans. The battle was a tremendous defeat for the Americans, as they were caught off guard in the early hours of the morning. Shortly into the battle, Roundhead was responsible for the capture of ill-prepared American general James Winchester
. Having been captured, he was unable to command his troops, and they suffered heavy losses. In addition to that, Roundhead presented Winchester to Procter, and Procter forced Winchester to surrender his army after only a few hours of fighting. Following the battle, Roundhead aided in the quick retreat of Procter’s troops back into Upper Canada
, where Roundhead and Tecumseh met American opposition at the Battle of the Thames
.
on October 5, 1813. On Roundhead’s death, General Procter wrote in a letter dated October 23, 1813, “The Indian cause and ours experienced a serious loss in the death of Round Head.” For years, Roundhead, who was a staunch supporter of Tecumseh, feuded with other Wyandot clans who supported Tarhe
’s pro-American stance. Once Roundhead and Tecumseh’s forces were defeated at the Battle of the Thames, the division between the Wyandot ended, and they began peaceful negotiations with the Americans. To honor Roundhead, the site of his original Wyandot village is now known as the unincorporated community
of Roundhead
, which was designated in 1832. It is located within Roundhead Township
in Hardin County
, Ohio
.
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
chief of the Wyandot tribe. He was a strong member of Tecumseh’s Confederacy against the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and died alongside Tecumseh
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy which opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
at the Battle of the Thames
Battle of the Thames
The Battle of the Thames, also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was a decisive American victory in the War of 1812. It took place on October 5, 1813, near present-day Chatham, Ontario in Upper Canada...
.
Early life
Roundhead was born around 1760 near the Sandusky RiverSandusky River
The Sandusky River is a tributary to Lake Erie in north-central Ohio in the United States. It is about long and flows into Lake Erie at Sandusky Bay.-Course:...
in New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
(the present-day state of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
). However, some sources indicate that he was born later in 1763. He rose to become chief of the Wyandots in the Sandusky
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
area but later moved to Brownstown and joined Tecumseh’s anti-American cause. Very little is known about his life before 1810, but this was during a time when various Wyandot clans feuded over their relations with the United States. Prior to 1810, Roundhead was briefly a war chief under Tarhe
Tarhe
Tarhe was a leader of the Wyandot people in the Ohio country. His nickname was "The Crane". He fought European-American expansion into the region until the Western Indian Confederacy was defeated at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. Afterwards, he sought accommodation with the United...
, who was an ally of the Americans. Roundhead resigned that position and joined with Tecumseh against the Americans during the height of Tecumseh's War
Tecumseh's War
Tecumseh's War or Tecumseh's Rebellion are terms sometimes used to describe a conflict in the Old Northwest between the United States and an American Indian confederacy led by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh...
. In 1810, Roundhead was chiefly responsible for the execution of his brother and fellow Wyandot chief Leatherlips
Leatherlips
Leatherlips was a Wyandot American Indian leader of the late 18th and early 19th century.Wyandots were decimated by disease and a disastrous war with the Five Nations of the Iroquois. Forced out of their homeland near Lake Superior, they moved to the Iroquois hunting ground of Ohio country...
. He was condemned to death by other natives for his desire to cooperate with white settlers. Not only was Leathlerlips opposed to Tecumseh's Confederacy against the United States, but he had also sold native land to William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
. However, it is widely believed that Leatherlips was executed for exaggerated charges of witchcraft to draw attention away from the true political motives. While it is unknown if Roundhead took direct part in the execution of Leatherlips, he did head the council that called for his death, and Roundhead dispatched fellow natives to capture him and carry out the execution.
War of 1812
During the War of 1812, Roundhead was second-in-command only to TecumsehTecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy which opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
among Colonel Henry Procter’s British forces. He participated in the Battle of Brownstown
Battle of Brownstown
The Battle of Brownstown was an early skirmish in the War of 1812. Although United States forces outnumbered the British forces 8 to 1, they lost the battle and suffered substantial losses while the enemy was almost untouched....
on August 5, 1812 and the Battle of Maguaga
Battle of Maguaga
The Battle of Maguaga The Battle of Maguaga The Battle of Maguaga (also known as the Battle of Monguagon or the Battle of the Oakwoods was a small battle between British troops, Canadian militia and Tecumseh's natives and a larger force of American troops near the Wyandot village of Maguaga in what...
on August 9. After this battle, Tecumseh presented Roundhead with a sash given to him by General Isaac Brock
Isaac Brock
Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB was a British Army officer and administrator. Brock was assigned to Canada in 1802. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he commanded his regiment in Upper Canada successfully for many years...
, as Tecumseh claimed it should belong to an older and more skilled warrior. Roundhead did not wear the honorable sash, as he did not want to cause jealously among the other war chiefs. A few days later, he helped in the capture of Fort Detroit
Fort Shelby (Michigan)
Fort Shelby was a military fort in Detroit, Michigan that played a significant role in the War of 1812. It was built by the British in 1779 as Fort Lernoult, and was ceded to the United States by the Jay Treaty in 1796. It was renamed Fort Detroit by Secretary of War Henry Dearborn in 1805...
during the Siege of Detroit
Siege of Detroit
The Siege of Detroit, also known as the Surrender of Detroit, or the Battle of Fort Detroit, was an early engagement in the Anglo-American War of 1812...
on August 15. He then joined up with Major Adam Muir
Adam Muir (British Army officer)
Major Adam Charles Muir was an officer in the British Army, who played a significant but little-known role in the Anglo-American War of 1812....
for the British occupation of 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. It was built by the British on territory disputed between Britain and the USA; according to the U.S. interpretation of the terms of the...
along the Maumee River
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
in September 1812. He later fought in the Siege of Fort Meigs
Siege of Fort Meigs
The Siege of Fort Meigs took place during the War of 1812, in northwestern Ohio. A small British army with support from Indians attempted to capture the recently-constructed fort to forestall an American offensive against Detroit, which the British had captured the previous year...
from April 28–May 9, 1813. Roundhead’s brother, Jean-Baptiste, died during this failed siege.
Roundhead’s most notable accomplishment during the War of 1812 took place when he fought in the Second Battle of the River Raisin
Battle of Frenchtown
The Battle of Frenchtown, also known as the Battle of the River Raisin or the River Raisin Massacre, was a series of conflicts that took place from January 18–23, 1813 during the War of 1812...
on January 22, 1813. Tecumseh, who did not participate in the battle, gave command of the native forces to Roundhead and fellow Wyandot chief Walk-in-the-Water. They commanded approximately 800 Native Americans along with Henry Procter’s 597 British troops against a force of 1,000 Americans. The battle was a tremendous defeat for the Americans, as they were caught off guard in the early hours of the morning. Shortly into the battle, Roundhead was responsible for the capture of ill-prepared American general James Winchester
James Winchester
James Winchester was an officer in the American Revolutionary War and a brigadier general during the War of 1812. He commanded the American forces at the Battle of Frenchtown, which led to the Massacre of the River Raisin....
. Having been captured, he was unable to command his troops, and they suffered heavy losses. In addition to that, Roundhead presented Winchester to Procter, and Procter forced Winchester to surrender his army after only a few hours of fighting. Following the battle, Roundhead aided in the quick retreat of Procter’s troops back into Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
, where Roundhead and Tecumseh met American opposition at the Battle of the Thames
Battle of the Thames
The Battle of the Thames, also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was a decisive American victory in the War of 1812. It took place on October 5, 1813, near present-day Chatham, Ontario in Upper Canada...
.
Death
Both Tecumseh and Roundhead were killed during the Battle of the ThamesBattle of the Thames
The Battle of the Thames, also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was a decisive American victory in the War of 1812. It took place on October 5, 1813, near present-day Chatham, Ontario in Upper Canada...
on October 5, 1813. On Roundhead’s death, General Procter wrote in a letter dated October 23, 1813, “The Indian cause and ours experienced a serious loss in the death of Round Head.” For years, Roundhead, who was a staunch supporter of Tecumseh, feuded with other Wyandot clans who supported Tarhe
Tarhe
Tarhe was a leader of the Wyandot people in the Ohio country. His nickname was "The Crane". He fought European-American expansion into the region until the Western Indian Confederacy was defeated at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. Afterwards, he sought accommodation with the United...
’s pro-American stance. Once Roundhead and Tecumseh’s forces were defeated at the Battle of the Thames, the division between the Wyandot ended, and they began peaceful negotiations with the Americans. To honor Roundhead, the site of his original Wyandot village is now known as the unincorporated community
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of Roundhead
Roundhead, Ohio
Roundhead is an unincorporated community in southeastern Roundhead Township, Hardin County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 43346...
, which was designated in 1832. It is located within Roundhead Township
Roundhead Township, Hardin County, Ohio
Roundhead Township is one of the fifteen townships of Hardin County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 752 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southwestern corner of the county, it borders the following townships:...
in Hardin County
Hardin County, Ohio
Hardin County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 32,058. Its county seat is Kenton and is named for John Hardin, an officer in the American Revolution.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.