Source: Niskanen Center
by Justin Cohen
“While none at the 1791 Battle of Wabash knew it, what was then ‘the most decisive defeat in the history of the American military’ would serve as the foundation of modern congressional oversight authority. The investigation, which focused on the conduct of American General Arthur St. Clair and the events that led to the deaths of 650 American soldiers, was unlike anything Congress had undertaken before, in part because it was not entirely clear that Congress could attempt it at all.” (04/30/26)