TODAY IN 1792: Brig. Gen. Josiah Harmer, who suffered one of the worst military defeats in the Ohio territory, retired and returned to his native Pennsylvania. Gen. Harmer had been sent to Ohio Country - a territory that included almost all of present-day Ohio and parts of surrounding states - to deal with tensions between Native Americans and incoming white settlers. In 1787, Gen. Harmer was stationed in Fort Washington in Cincinnati when he led nearly 1,500 men - mostly militiamen - to attack the Miami, Shawnee and Delaware Indians in western Ohio. He inadvertently led troops into an ambush. Most of the soldiers fled; 183 were killed or missing. Remnants of the army retreated to Cincinnati. The defeat slowed Ohio settlement for years. The U.S. Army convened a court-martial against him in 1791, accusing him of wrongdoing during the battle. He was exonerated, but retired on Jan. 1, 1792, to become adjutant-general in Pennsylvania.

Ohio Moments will appear here daily during 2003. Have a suggestion? Contact Rebecca Billman at rbillman@enquirer.com or (513) 768-8361.