James Fontaine or James Fountaine (1757–1790) was an officer who served in

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and the Northwest Indian War. James Fontaine is believed to have been born in Hanover County, Virginia in 1757. At an early age he entered on a military career, becoming a member of the first expert rifle company raised in Buckingham District, Virginia, for the defense of the colony in 1775. Later this company was attached to the

2nd Virginia Regiment The 2d Virginia Regiment (the spelling most commonly used in period references) was authorized by the Virginia Convention, July 17, 1775, as a force of regular troops for the Commonwealth's defense. It consisted of seven companies, 476 privates ...

, October 21, 1775. Served until March 1776, near Williamsburg, Virginia. Fontaine moved to Kentucky, where he served as Major in the Northwest Indian War. In 1790 he served under General

Josiah Harmar Josiah Harmar (November 10, 1753August 20, 1813) was an officer in the United States Army during the American Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War. He was the senior officer in the Army for six years and seven months (August 1784 to Ma ...

in a march northward from

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

against the

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

, under the leadership of

Little Turtle Little Turtle ( mia, Mihšihkinaahkwa) (1747 July 14, 1812) was a Sagamore (chief) of the Miami people, who became one of the most famous Native American military leaders. Historian Wiley Sword calls him "perhaps the most capable Indian leader ...

. Fountaine was killed on October 22, 1790, at a battle variously known as Harmar's Defeat, Battle of the Maumee, Battle of Kekionga, or Battle of the Miami Towns. This occurred near where the St. Joseph River and St. Marys River merge to form the Maumee River, near modern

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...

. The Miami called it the "Battle of the Pumpkin Fields", because, after the battle, the scalped heads of the Americans reminded them of a pumpkin field.

Fountain County, Indiana Fountain County lies in the western part of the U.S. state of Indiana on the east side of the Wabash River. The county was officially established in 1826 and was the 53rd in Indiana. The county seat is Covington. According to the 2000 United ...

was named in his honor.

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External links

Butler County, Ohio HistoryBurial of James FountainHarmar's Defeat
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fontaine, James 1757 births 1790 deaths Continental Army soldiers Indiana in the Northwest Indian War History of Fort Wayne, Indiana Fountain County, Indiana American military personnel killed in the Northwest Indian War