The Rangers were neither militia, nor regulars, but formed part of the war establishment of the United States as volunteers.

[2] The 1812 Act authorized the President to raise up to six companies of rangers, either volunteers or men enlisted for a one-year period.

[1] In June, the secretary of war, William Eustis, reported that he had deployed the six companies at the frontiers of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Louisiana.

[2] Ninian Edwards gathered 350 mounted rangers and volunteers near Edwardsville and personally led an expedition north to Peoria.

These included Nathaniel W. Pope, territorial secretary, Benjamin Stephenson, Thomas Carlin, future Illinois Governor, and William, Elias, and Nelson Rector.

The company was divided into two smaller regiments, one commanded by Stephenson acting as Colonel, the other by a Rector brother.

After crossing into Logan County, Edwards’ army encountered two deserted Kickapoo villages near present-day Salt Creek, formerly known as the Saline Fork of the Sangamon River.

[13] The village the army was preparing to attack was recently developed at the head of Peoria Lake and inhabited by Piankashaw and Kickapoo Natives likely led by Chief Pemwatome.

Edwards’ army seized eighty horses, some recently stolen from Saint Clair County, silver ornaments, 200 brass kettles, guns, and six scalps believed to belong to the women and children of the settler O’Neal family from Missouri.

Hopkins believed he had crippled the indian enemy’s ability to survive in the winter by destroying their village bases and corn supplies from their successful raid.

[16] On April 18, 1813, during the fortification phase of Fort LaMotte, two barrel coopers Isaac Brimberry and Thomas Kennedy went up 'Africa Point', a knoll surrounded by swamp on the Wabash River, to procure some wood.

Both Rangers Brimberry and Kennedy reported their sightings to the Fort LaMotte commander, Captain Pierce Andrews.

The rangers divided themselves into two groups, a six-man party going in advance while the other stayed back and acted as a reserve.

During the ensuing battle, the American Ranger party retreated suffering 4 dead and the 2 badly wounded who escaped back to the fort.

[22] The Shawnee then put some distance between themselves and the fort, but were soon pursued by 30 Indiana Rangers under Major John Tipton known as "Corydon's Yellow Jackets".

Few casualties were suffered due to the firing distance across the river and the shelter provided by the wooded island.

There was a victory celebration, but as details of the skirmish emerged, it was determined to be a small engagement against a war party that managed to escape.

The Americans had located an Indian stockade fort in Miami County Indiana and he burned it to the ground.

After completing the raid, Russell and his fellow mounted raiders withdrew safely back to Fort Harrison.

Captain DuBois and a party of rangers pursued them and overtook them, recovering 3 horses but did not spot a single Native American.

Nathan Boone and sixteen Rangers went on a patrol across Mississippi to gather intelligence to the north between the river and Illinois.

A fellow Ranger who acted as a sentry reported that he believed enemy Indian combatants were lurking in the darkness surrounding their camp.

Nathan doubled his sentries, ordered his men to sleep away from the fire, and placed them behind trees around the camp.

Near midnight, the Indians numbering at least 60 warriors launched a full scale surprise attack and opened heavy fire into the camp from one side.

The Rangers fell back firing into the darkness where they saw muzzle flashes and heard loud voices.

Nathan and his rangers withdrew back to base to inform their commander of confirmed intelligence that the Native American threat persisted still.

Pro-American Canadian Andrew Westbrook and his force with American Michigan rangers made a bold move against the Delaware settlement of Canada, crossing the frozen Thames to swoop down and capture a British Canadian leader Capt.

Daniel Springer, (1st Oxford) but also four other Canadian militia officers- Col Francois Baby(1st Kent), Capt.

Andrew Westbrook’s fellow American Michigan rangers raided additional nearby barns and houses for loot and provisions for their return trip.

Samuel Whiteside and his fellow 70 Rangers went in pursuit to exact retribution for the murder of the woman and her six children.