General Harmar, enlightened by his own experience, predicted that such an army would certainly be defeated.
The campaign was intended as an expedition to chastise the Indians so that they would be deterred from molesting the settlers, but it resulted in a disaster that greatly encouraged Indian depredations.

As the army approached the Indian towns, a body of the militia deserted, and it was reported to St.Clair that they intended to plunder the supplies.

He sent one of his regular regiments after them, thus reducing his available force to about fourteen hundred men.

On November 3, 1791, this force camped on the eastern fork of Wabash.

Before daybreak the next morning the Indians made a sudden attack, taking the troops by surprise and throwing them into disorder.