USA > Indiana > An illustrated history of the state of Indiana: being a full and authentic civil and political history of the state from its first exploration down to 1879 > Part 10
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federacy, and that his true motive was to oppose the power of the American government.
In order to counteract the bad influence of the English which was being exerted over the Indians, and to promote good will between the Prophet's followers and the Americans, Governor Harrison exhausted all the means at his command to no purpose. There was a power behind this crafty Shaw- anee that constantly kept his restless spirit alive to an inten- tion of revenge upon the Americans. In the spring of 1810, the followers of the Prophet refused to receive their " annuity of salt," and the officials who offered it were denounced as " American dogs," and otherwise treated in a disrespectful manner. Immediately after this Governor Harrison sent a succession of messengers to the Prophet's town, in order to obtain information concerning the intentions of the hostile Indians there, and to warn them of the danger of engaging in a war with the Americans. To all of these the crafty Shawanee disclaimed any intention of beginning a war, and gave as an excuse for assembling the tribes, " that the Indians had been cheated out of their lands; that no sale was good unless made by all the tribes; that he had settled near the mouth of the Tippecanoe by order of the Great Spirit, and that he was like- wise ordered to assemble as many Indians as he could collect at that place."
Governor Harrison, in July, 1810, made an attempt to gain the friendship of the Prophet by sending him a letter, offering to treat with him personally in the matter of his grievances, or to furnish means to send him, with three of his principal chiefs, to the President at Washington. The bearer of this letter was coldly received both by Tecumseh and the Prophet, and the only answer he received was that Tecumseh, in the course of a few days, would visit Vincennes for the purpose . of holding an interview with the Governor. Accordingly on the twelfth of August, 1810, the celebrated Shawanec chief, with seventy of his principal warriors, marched up to the Governor's door at Vincennes, in Indian file. They were directed to a small grove near the Governor's house, where, from that time until the twenty-second of August, Governor
10
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IIISTORY OF INDIANA.
Ilarrison was almost daily engaged in holding councils and interviews with them. In all of his speeches Tecumseh was haughty, and sometimes arrogant. On the twentieth of August he delivered his celebrated speech, in which he gave the Governor the alternative of returning their lands or meeting them in battle.
ELIJAH HACKLEMAN, ESQ. See page 21.
It was while the Governor was replying to this speech that he was interrupted by Tecumseh, who manifested great anger, declaring that the United States, through Governor Harrison, had " cheated and imposed on the Indians." When Tecumseh first rose, a number of his party also sprung to their feet, armed with clubs, tomahawks and spears, and made some
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threatening demonstrations. The Governor's guards, which stood a little way off, were marched up in haste, and the Indi- ans, awed by the presence of this small armed force, abandoned what seemed to be an intention to make an open attack on the Governor and his attendants. As soon as Tecumseh's remarks had been interpreted, the Governor reproached him for his conduct, and commanded him to depart instantly to his camp.
On the following day Tecumseh repented of his rash act, and requested the Governor to grant him another interview, and protested against any intention of offense. Governor Harrison consented, and the council was re-opened on the twenty-first, when the Shawance chief addressed him in a respectful and dignified manner, but remained unmovable in his policy. The Governor then requested Tecumseh to state, plainly, whether or not the surveyors who might be sent to survey the lands purchased at the treaty of Fort Wayne, in 1809, would be molested by Indians; and whether or not the Kickapoos would receive their annuities. Tecumseh replied: "Brother, when you speak of annuities to me, I look at the land, and pity the women and children. I am authorized to say that they will not receive them. Brother, we want to save that piece of land. We do not wish you to take it. It is small enough for our purpose. If you do take it you must blame yourself as the cause of the trouble between us and the tribes who sold it to you. I want the present boundary line to continue. Should you cross it, I assure you it will be productive of bad conse- quences." This talk terminated the council.
On the following day the Governor, attended only by his interpreter, visited the camp of the great Shawanee, and in the course of a long interview, told him that the President of the United States would not acknowledge his claims. " Well," replied the brave warrior, " as the great chief is to determine the matter, I hope the Great Spirit will put sense enough into his head to induce him to direct you to give up this land. It is true, he is so far off he will not be injured by the war. He may sit still in his town, and drink his wine while you and I will have to fight it out."
CHAPTER XIII.
HARRISON'S CAMPAIGN, CONTINUED.
A T the commencement of the session of the new territorial legislature, in 1810, Governor Harrison, in his message, called attention to the dangerous views which were held and expressed by the Shawanee Prophet and his brother, Tecum- seh,* "to the pernicious influence of alien enemies among the Indians; to the unsettled condition of the Indian trade; to the defects in the revenue laws, the judiciary system, and the militia laws; to the policy of extinguishing Indian titles to lands, and to the subject of popular education." The Gover- nor further remarked that although much had been done toward the extinguishment of Indian titles in the territory, much still remained to be done. There was not yet a sufficient space to form a tolerable State. The eastern settlements were separated from the western by a considerable extent of Indian lands; and the most fertile tracts that were within the terri- torial bounds were still their property. Almost entirely divested of the game from which they had drawn their sub- sistence, it had become of little use to them; and it was the intention of the government to substitute, for the pernicious and scanty supplies which the chase affords, the more certain support which is derived from agriculture, and the rearing of domestic animals. By the considerate and sensible among them, this plan was considered as the only one which would save them from utter extirpation. But a most formidable opposition was raised to it by the warriors, who would never agree to abandon their old habits, until driven to it by abso- lute necessity. As long as a decr was to be found in their
* Dillon's Early History of Indiana.
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,
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forests, they would continue to hunt. It was, therefore. sup- posed that the confining them to narrow limits was the only means of producing this highly desirable change, and averting the destiny which seemed to await them." Are, then," con- tinued the Governor "those extinguishments of native title
+
LAWRENCE B. STOCKTON, ESQ. See page 21.
which are at once so beneficial to the Indian, the territory and the United States, to be suspended upon the account of the intrigues of a few individuals? Is one of the fairest portions of the globe to remain in a state of nature, the haunt of a few wretched savages, when it seems destined, by the Creator, to
* Governor Harrison's Message.
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give support to a large population, and to be the seat of civili- zation, of science, and true religion?"
In the same message the Governor referred to the necessity of establishing a popular system of education, in these words: " Let me earnestly recommend to you, that, in the system of education which you may establish in those schools, the mili tary branch may not be forgotten. Let the masters of the inferior schools be obliged to qualify themselves, and instruet their pupils in the military evolutions; while the university, in addition to those exercises, may have attached to it a pro- fessorship of tactics, in which all the sciences connected with the art of war may be taught. I can see no reasonable objec- tion to this plan; it will afford healthy exercise and amusement to the youth, inspire them with patriotic sentiments, furnish our militia with a succession of recruits, all of them habitu- ated to the performance of military evolutions, and some of them with considerable attainments in the higher branches of tactics. The sole additional expense to the ordinary mode of education, independent of the additional professorships in the university, will be the procuring for each subordinate school a number of mock firelocks of wood, a few martial instruments, and, for the higher schools, a few hundred real guns, of the cheapest manufacture."
Among the acts passed by this legislature, there was one which authorized the president and directors of the Vincennes library to raise the sum of one thousand dollars, by lottery. A petition was sent to Congress for a permanent seat of gov- ernment for the territory, and commissioners appointed to select the site.
With the beginning of the year 1811, the British agent for Indian affairs adopted measures calculated to secure the support of the savages in the war which, at this time, seemed almost inevitable. Meanwhile Governor Harrison did all in his power to destroy the influence of Tecumseh and the Prophet, and thus break up the Indian confederacy which was being organ- ized in the interests of Great Britain. It soon became a diffi- cult matter to preserve peace between the pioneer settlers of Indiana and the followers of the Prophet. Straggling parties
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of Indians occasionally committed depradations on the prop- erty of the settlers; now and then an Indian was killed, and then a white man was scalped in return. Thus matters con - tinued until Governor Harrison sent the following speech to Tecumseh and the Prophet:
" BROTHERS: Listen to me. I speak to you about matters of importance, both to the white people and to yourselves. Open your ears, therefore, and attend to what I shall say. Brothers: This is the third year that all the white people in this country have been alarmed at your proceedings. You threaten us with war; you invite all the tribes to the north and west of you to join against us. Brothers: Your warriors who have lately been here, deny this; but I have received the information from every direction. The tribes on the Missis- sippi have sent me word that you intended to murder me, and then to commence a war upon our people. I have also received the speech you sent to the Pottawatomies, and others, to join you for that purpose; but if I had no other evidence of your hostility to us, your seizing the salt I lately sent up the Wabaslı is sufficient. Brothers: Our citizens are alarmed, and my warriors are preparing themselves, not to strike you, but to defend themselves and their women and children. You shall not surprise us, as you expect to do. You are about to under- take a very rash act. As a friend, I advise you to consider well of it; a little reflection may save us a great deal of trouble, and prevent much mischief; it is not yet too late. Brothers: What can be the inducement for you to undertake an enterprise when there is so little probability of success? Do you really think that the handful of men you have about you are able to contend with the Seventeen fires? or even that the whole of the tribes united could contend against the Ken- tucky fire alone? Brothers: I am myself of the Long Knife fire. As soon as they hear my voice you will see them pouring forth their swarms of hunting-shirt men, as numerous as the musquitoes on the shores of the Wabash. Brothers, take care of their stings. Brothers, it is not our wish to hurt you. If we did, we certainly have power to do it. Look at the num- ber of our warriors to the east of you, above and below the
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Great Miami; to the south, on both sides of the Ohio, and below you also. You are brave men, but what could you do against such a multitude? But we wish you to live in peace and happiness. Brothers, the citizens of this country are alarmed. They must be satisfied that you have no design to do them mischief, or they will not lay aside their arms. You
ICHOSEZUP &WEST PHIL
MOSES FOWLER, ESQ. See page 21.
have also insulted the government of the United States, by seizing the salt that was intended for other tribes. Satisfac- tion must be given for that also. Brothers, you talk of coming to see me, attended by all of your young men. This, how- ever, must not be so. If your intentions are good, you have
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no need to bring but a few of your young men with you. I must be plain with you. I will not suffer you to come into our settlements with such a force. Brothers, if you wish to satisfy us that your intentions are good, follow the advice that I have given you before - that is, that one or both of you should visit the President of the United States, and lay your grievances before him. IIe will treat you well, will listen to what you say, and, if you can show him that you have been injured, you will receive justice. If you will follow my advice in this respect it will convince the citizens of this country, and myself. that you have no design to attack them. Brothers, with respect to the lands that were purchased last fall, I can enter into no negotiations with you on that subject. The affair is in the hands of the President. If you wish to go and see him, I will supply you with the means. Brothers, the person who delivers this is one of my war officers. He is a man in whom I have entire confidence. Whatever he says to you, although it may not be contained in this paper, you may believe comes from me. My friend Tecumseh! the bearer is a good man, and a brave warrior. I hope you will treat him well. You are, yourself, a warrior, and all such should have esteem for each other."
The messenger who bore this speech was politely received by Tecumseh, who sent by him to Governor Harrison a brief reply, stating that he would visit Vincennes in a few days. IIe arrived, accordingly, on the twenty-seventh of July, 1S11. He brought with him a considerable force of Indians, which created much alarm among the inhabitants. On the day of the arrival of Tecumseh, Governor Harrison, in adopting vari- ous precautionary measures, reviewed the militia of the county - about seven hundred and fifty well armed men - and sta- tioned two companies of militia and a detachment of dragoons on the borders of the town. In the course of the interview which took place, at this time, between Governor Harrison and Tecumseh, the latter declared that it was not his intention to make war against the United States - that he would send messengers among the Indians to prevent murders and depre- dations on the white settlements - that the Indians, as well as
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the whites, who had committed murders, ought to be forgiven; that he had set the white people an example of forgiveness, which they ought to follow; that it was his wish to establish a union among all the Indian tribes; that the northern tribes were united; that he was going to visit the Southern Indians, and that he would return to the Prophet's Town. He said that he would, on his return from the south, in the next spring, visit the President of the United States, and settle all causes of difficulty between the Indians and him. He said, further, that he hoped no attempts would be made to make settlements on the lands which had been sold to the United States, at the treaty of Fort Wayne, because the Indians wanted to keep those lands for hunting grounds.
Immediately after his interview with Governor Harrison. Tecumseh, with abont twenty of his followers, departed for the south, for the purpose of inducing the tribes in that quar- ter to join his confederacy.
" In the year 1811," says Dillon,* "a law-snit, in which Governor Harrison was plaintiff, and a certain William Mc- Intosh was defendant, was determined in the supreme court of the territory, at Vincennes. The jury, in the case, found a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, and assessed his damages at the sum of four thousand dollars." The defendant, Mr. McIn- tosh, was a wealthy resident of Vincennes, a native of Scot- land, well edneated, and a man of considerable influence among those who were opposed to the treaty-making policy which had distinguished the administration of Governor Harrison. The suit at law was instituted against McIntosh, for asserting " that Governor Harrison had cheated the Indians out of their lands; and that, by his conduct in so doing, he had made them enemies to the United States." To satisfy the verdict of the jury in this case, a large quantity of land, owned by the defendant, was sold, in the absence of Governor Harrison. The Governor, some time afterward, caused about two-thirds of the property to be restored to Mr. McIntosh. and the remainder was given to some orphan children.
* Dillon's Early History of Indians - Davison's Life of Harrison.
CHAPTER XIV.
HARRISON'S CAMPAIGN, CONTINUED.
A FTER exhausting every possible endeavor to maintain peace with the Prophet and his followers, Governor Har- rison determined to resort to military measures. Such were his instructions from the President. Ilis first movement was to erect a new fort on the Wabash river, and to break up the assemblage of hostile Indians at the Prophet's Town. For this purpose he ordered Colonel Boyd's regiment of infantry to move from the falls of the Ohio to Vincennes. On the twenty-fifth of September, 1811, when the military expedition that had been organized by Governor Harrison, was nearly ready to march to the Prophet's Town, several Indian chiefs arrived at Vincennes from that place, and declared that the Indians would comply with the demands of the Governor and disperse. This, however, did not check the military proceed- ings. The army, under the command of Harrison, moved from Vincennes on the twenty-sixth of September, 1811, and on the third of October, having encountered no opposition from the enemy, encamped at the place where Ft. Harrison was afterwards built, and near where the city of Terre Haute now stands. On the night of the eleventh of October, a few hostile Indians approached the encampment and wounded one of the sentinels. This caused considerable excitement. The army was immediately drawn up in line of battle, and small detachments were sent in all directions, but the enemy could not be found.
At this point the Governor sent a message to the Prophet's Town, requiring the Shawances, Winnebagoes, Pottawatomies and Kickapoos, who were at that place, to return to their
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
respective tribes. It also required the Prophet to restore all the stolen horses in his possession, and to deliver up the mur- derers of white people, or to give satisfactory proof that such persons were not there, "nor had lately been " under his control. To this message the Governor received no answer, unless that answer was delivered in the battle of Tippecanoe.
HON. WM. T. ROSS. See page 21.
The new fort on the Wabash was finished on the twenty-eighth of October, and on that day, at the request of all the subordi- nate officers, it was called Fort Harrison. This fort was gar- risoned with a small number of men, under Lieutenant Colonel Miller, and on the twenty-ninth the remainder of the army moved toward the Prophet's Town. This force amounted to
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about nine hundred and ten men, and it was composed of two hundred and fifty regular troops, under the command of Colonel Boyd, abont sixty volunteers from Kentucky, and about six hundred citizens of the Indiana territory. About two hundred and seventy of the troops were mounted.
With this army the Governor marched to within half a mile of the Prophet's Town, when a conference was opened with a distinguished chief who was in the esteem of the Prophet. Ife informed Harrison that the Indians were much surprised at the approach of the army, and had already dispatched a message to him by another route. Harrison replied that he would not attack them until he had satisfied himself that they would not comply with his demands; that he would go on and encamp on the Wabash, and on the following morning would have an interview with the Prophet. Harrison then resumed his march, and after some difficulty selected a place to encamp.
The spot where the troops encamped was not altogether what could have been wished, as it afforded great facilities to the approach of savages. It was a piece of dry oak land, rising about ten feet above the marshy prairie in front (toward the Indian town), and nearly twice that height above a sim- ilar prairie in the rear, through which, and near to this bank, ran a small stream, clothed with willows and brushwood. Toward the left flank this high land widened considerably, but became gradually narrower in the opposite direction, and at a distance of one hundred and fifty yards from the right flank, terminated in an abrupt point. The two columns of infantry occupied the front and rear of this ground, at the distance of about one hundred and fifty yards from each other on the left, and a little more than half that distance on the right flank. These flanks were filled up, the first by two companies of mounted riflemen, amounting to about one hundred and twenty men, under the command of Major-General Wells, of the Kentucky Militia; the other by Spencer's company of mounted riflemen, consisting of eighty men. The front line was composed of one battalion of United States infantry, under the command of Major Floyd, flanked on the right by two companies of militia, and on the left by one company. The
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rear line was composed of a battalion of United Stato troops, under the command of Captain Bean, acting as Major, and four companies of militia infantry, under Lientenant-Colonel Decker. The regular troops of this line joined the mounted riflemen under General Wells, on the left flank, and Colonel Decker's battalion formed an angle with Spencer's company on the left. Two troops of dragoons, amounting, in the aggregate, to about sixty men, were encamped in rear of the left flank, and Captain Parke's troop, which was larger than the other two, in rear of the right line.
For a night attack the order of encampment was the order of battle, and cach man slept immediately opposite to his post in the line. In the formation of the troops, single file was adopted, in order to get as great an extension of the lines as possible.
At this place they remained until the seventh of November, when, about four o'clock in the morning, just after the Gover- nor had risen, the left flank was attacked by the enemy. But a single gun was fired by the sentinels or by the guard in that direction, which made no resistance, abandoning their posts and fleeing into camp; and the first notice which the troops of that flank had of the danger, was from the yells of the sav- ages within a short distance of the line. But even under these circumstances the men were not wanting in courage and discipline. Such of them as were awake, or were easily awakened, seized their arms and took their stations; others, who were more tardy, had to contend with the enemy in the doors of their tents. The storm first fell upon Captain Bar ton's company of the Fourth United States regiment, and Captain Geiger's company of mounted riflemen, which formed the left angle of the rear line. The fire from the Indians was exceedingly severe, and men in these companies suffered con- siderably before relief could be brought to them. Some few Indians passed into the encampment near the angle, and one or two penetrated to some distance before they were killed. All the companies formed for action before they were fired on.
The morning was dark and cloudy, and the fires of the Americans, afforded only a partial light, which gave greater
GOV. HARRISON AND TECUMSEHI IN COUNCIL, AT VINCENNES.
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advantage to the enemy than to the troops, and they were therefore extinguished. As soon as the Governor could mount his horse he rode to the angle that was attacked, where he found that Barton's company had suffered severely, and the left of Geiger's entirely broken. IIe immediately ordered Cook's and Wentworth's companies to march up to the centre of the rear line, and form across the angle in support. ITis attention was then attracted by a heavy fire upon the left of the front line, where were stationed the small company of United States riflemen and the companies of Bean, Snelling, and Prescott. As the General rode up he found Major Daviess forming the dragoons in the rear of these companies, and having ascertained that the heaviest fire proceeded from some trees abont fifteen or twenty paces in front of these com- panies, he directed the Major to dislodge them with a part of the dragoons. Unfortunately, the Major's gallantry caused him to undertake the execution of the order with a smaller force than was required, which enabled the enemy to avoid him in front, and attack his flanks. The Major was mortally wounded, and his dragoons driven back.
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