The best camping near River Raisin National Battlefield Park

Forget the Alamo for just a moment. Remember the Raisin instead. In downtown Monroe, Michigan sits a grassy plot of land that saw a battle between two opposing armies. The control of Michigan was at stake. The date was late January 1813.

During the War of 1812, Great Britain tried to regain its lost colonies. Part of this war involved British troops coming from Canada into the northern United States. British troops, combined with a force of Native American warriors, clashed with Americans on the banks of the Raisin River in Monroe.

The Native tribes, led by legendary Chief Tecumseh, sided with the British. They didn't want any more Europeans encroaching westward. British forces asked their help, as they wanted to control the valuable fur trade in the region.

It wasn't a close fight. The American army was completely destroyed, with 200 out of 1,000 men killed or wounded. Another 200 fled before the battle was over. The remaining American forces surrendered. Monroe was a ghost town for eight months.

In September, reinforcements finally arrived to retake the town. A resounding victory led to American troops invading Canada and expelling the British from the eastern part of the continent. The motto "Remember the Raisin" served as a rallying cry to defeat the invaders.

The visitor's center looks like an ordinary house. A picket fence outside recreates one aspect of the battle. Americans fired from behind the cover of the fence to cover troops that were fleeing to Ohio. During summer months, see re-enactors dressed in period costume firing their muskets over the fence line.

This part of Michigan offers plenty of beautiful campsites to enjoy. Make the River Raisin a stop on your getaway for a quaint little town and a battle that time forgot.