Battle of Frenchtown - Aftermath

Aftermath

While it is not known how many soldiers died during the First Battle of the River Raisin on January 18, 1813, official counts list 397 Americans killed and 27 wounded during the January 22 conflict. Also, figures of those that were killed during the subsequent River Raisin Massacre are also unknown but estimates are as high as 100 killed. Two weeks after the battle, Brigadier General James Winchester reported that 547 of his men were taken as prisoners and only 33 completely escaped the battlefield. Many of those that were held as prisoners were detained at Fort Malden until the end of the war over two years later. Winchester himself was imprisoned for over a year before being released and reassigned to service.

James Winchester largely bore the responsibility for the devastating loss at Frenchtown. His ill-prepared defensive planning following the successful First Battle of the River Raisin led to the defeat of his army and the high number of deaths his column suffered. Had Winchester retreated to the Maumee River to rejoin with William Henry Harrison's column, they could have strengthened their numbers and marched back to Frenchtown with the necessary troops and preparedness to fight the British and Native Americans. Instead, Winchester remained in Frenchtown with his small force despite advanced knowledge of a British and Native American counterattack. He was also unaware that Harrison's troops were on their way and would arrive shortly. During the Second Battle of the River Raisin, Winchester was captured rather early into the battle and surrendered his army at the urging of Henry Procter. While his army suffered heavy losses at the start of the surprise attack, the Kentuckians regrouped and had fought off three waves of British lines to protect their camp, although they were very low on ammunition when the order of surrender came from Winchester. Had the Americans prolonged the battle long enough for Harrison's column to arrive at Frenchtown, the outcome of the battle could have changed.

The British reported that only 24 were killed and 161 wounded, but the Native American casualties were not documented. Immediately following the battle, Procter, fearing that William Henry Harrison would send more Americans to Frenchtown, made a hasty retreat slightly north to Brownstown. Harrison was forced to call off his winter campaign to retake Detroit, which remained in British hands until an American victory at the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813 allowed for the recapture of Detroit. As for Frenchtown, it remained a stronghold for the British until Colonel Richard Mentor Johnson from Kentucky led his cavalry to liberate Frenchtown on September 27, 1813. The retreating British were pushed back into Upper Canada and were defeated at the Battle of the Thames on October 5.

Three currently active battalions of the Regular Army (1-3 Inf, 2-3 Inf and 4-3 Inf) perpetuate the lineage of the old 17th and 19th Infantry Regiments, both of which had elements in action during fighting at Frenchtown.

Nine counties in Kentucky were later named for officers who fought in the Battle of Frenchtown. Of the following list, only Bland Ballard survived the battle.

• Allen County (after Lieutenant Colonel John Allen)
• Ballard County (after Major Bland Ballard)
• Edmonson County (after Captain John Edmonson)
• Graves County (after Major Benjamin Franklin Graves)
• Hart County (after Captain Nathaniel G. S. Hart)
• Hickman County (after Captain Paschal Hickman)
• McCracken County (after Captain Virgil McCracken)
• Meade County (after Captain James M. Meade)
• Simpson County (after Captain John Simpson)

Several streets in Monroe near the battle site have been named in honor of those that fought in the Battle of Frenchtown, including Kentucky Avenue and Winchester Street. To further honor the heroism of those from Kentucky that fought in the Battle of Frenchtown, the state of Michigan erected a monument in downtown Monroe in 1904. The monument is located on the west side of South Monroe Street (M-125) at the corner of 7th Street. Also, on this site lay the unidentified remains of some of the victims who died in the battle and the subsequent massacre. The core area where the battle took place was listed as a Michigan Historic Site on February 18, 1956. The location of the site is bounded by North Dixie Highway, the River Raisin, Detroit Avenue, and Mason Run Creek.

The site was recognized nationally when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 1982. The River Raisin National Battlefield Park was signed into law on March 30, 2009 with the passing of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act. Once the park receives the funding necessary for completion, it will be included on the National Park Service as one of only four National Battlefield Parks in the United States.