American National Guard, a history of the American militia from its beginning

"Remember the River Raisin!"

............. MORAVIANTOWN, UPPER CANADA, OCTOBER 5, 1813

Following Commodore Perry's success at Lake Erie, a U.S. force, commanded by Gen. William
Henry Harrison, engaged British troops 75 miles east of Detroit. His command included a regiment
of Kentucky Mounted Riflemen, led by Col. Richard M. Johnson, made up of picked militia
volunteers armed with long Kentucky rifles and tomahawks. The Kentucky troops scattered the
enemy army -- British regulars, and Indians under the famed Tecumseh. The Battle of the Thames
was revenge for an earlier massacre of Kentucky militia on the River Raisin. Coupled with Perry's
triumph, it ended a series of defeats and helped restore U.S. dominance in the northwest region.