Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, early modern

Battle of Blue Licks

Battle of Blue Licks was a battle fought on 19 August 1782 in what is now Kentucky, United States. It was part of the American Indian Wars, which ran from 1609 to 1924. The recorded result: British-Indigenous victory. Recorded strength: 300 Indigenous; 50 provincials against 182 militia.

See it on the globe Read the article

Illustration of Daniel Boone At Battle of Blue Licks in Indian History For Young Folks by Francis Samuel Drake
Illustration of Daniel Boone At Battle of Blue Licks in Indian History For Young Folks by Francis Samuel Drake. Francis Samuel Drake, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought19 August 1782
WhereKentucky, United States38.428N, 83.995W
OutcomeBritish-Indigenous victory
BelligerentsKingdom of Great Britain; Shawnee; Mingo; Wyandot; Miami; Odawa; Ojibwe; PotawatomiagainstUnited States
Casualties and losses11 killed; 14 woundedand77 killed; 6 captured
Battlefield todayBlue Licks battlefieldNPS site KY205, 307 acres studied, 52 core
Part ofAmerican Indian Wars1609 to 1924

Where it sits in the American Indian Wars

Battle of Blue Licks, 1782Battle of the Sink Hole, 1815Battle of Village Creek, 1841Battle of Egan Station, 1860Battle of Pease River, 1860Bear River Massacre, 1863First Battle of Adobe Walls, 1864Battle of the Tongue River, 1865Battle of Beecher Island, 1868Battle of Washita River, 1868Battle of Summit Springs, 1869Battle of Blanco Canyon, 1871Battle of the North Fork of the Red River, 1872Battle of Sugar Point, 1898Battle of Kelley Creek, 191117821911Battle of Blue Licks, 1782
15 placed engagements of the American Indian Wars in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date19 August 1782
PlaceKentucky, United States
38.428N, 83.995W
KindBattle, early modern
Strength300 Indigenous; 50 provincials182 militia
Casualties and losses11 killed; 14 wounded77 killed; 6 captured
Commanders
  • William Caldwell (ranger)
  • Alexander McKee
  • Simon Girty
  • John Todd (Virginia soldier)
  • Stephen Trigg
  • Daniel Boone
  • Hugh McGary
Battle of Blue LicksBattle of Blue LicksBattle of CynthianaBattle of Cynthiana20 km38.428N, 83.995W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. The dashed outline is the battlefield study area mapped by the NPS American Battlefield Protection Program. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1782

The National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection Program maps this as the Blue Licks battlefield (site KY205): a study area of 307 acres, with a core area of 52 acres where the fighting was concentrated.

Battle of Blue Licks is one of 2,009 engagements of the 18th century in the atlas and one of 1,148 in present-day United States (25 in Kentucky).

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q325486, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Blue Licks, revision 1370107979, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Battlefield boundary and area from the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program (public domain). Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.