USA > Indiana > Johnson County > History of Johnston County, Indiana. From the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc., together with a short history of the Northwest, the Indiana territory, and the state of Indiana > Part 8
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The next day the Governor, attended only by his interpreter, visited the eamp 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 elaims. "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 direet you to give up this land. It is true, he is so far off' he will not be
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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."
In his message to the new territorial Legislature in 1810 Gov. Harrison called attention to the dangerous views held by Tecumseh and the Prophet, to the pernicious influence of alien enemies among the Indians, to the unsettled condition of the Indian trade and to the policy of extinguishing Indian titles to lands. The eastern settlements were separated from the western by a consider- able extent of Indian lands, and the most fertile traets within the territory were still in the hands of the Indians. Almost entirely divested of the game from which they had drawn their subsistence, it had become of little use to them; and it was the intention of the Government to substitute for the precarious and scanty sup- plies of the chase the more certain and plentiful support of agri- culture and stock-raising. The old habit of the Indians to hunt so long as a decr could be found was so inveterate that they would not break it and resort to intelligent agrienlture unless they were compelled to, and to this they would not be compelled unless they were confined to a limited extent of territory. The earnest lan- guage of the Governor's appeal was like this: "Are then those extinguishments of native title which are at onee so beneficial to the Indian and the territory of the United States, to be suspended on account of the intrigues of a few individuals? Is one of the fair- est 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 give support to a large population, and to be the seat of eivili- zation, of science and true religion ?"
In the same message the Governor also urged the establishment of a system of popular education.
Among the aets passed by this session of the Legislature, one authorized the President and Directors of the Vincennes Public Library to raise $1,000 by lottery. Also, a petition was sent to Congress for a permanent seat of government for the Territory, and commissioners were appointed to select the site.
With the beginning of the year 1811 the British agent for Indian affairs adopted measures calenlated to secure the support of the savages in the war which at this time seemed almost inevitable. Meanwhile Gov. Harrison did all in his power to destroy the influ- ence of Tecumseh and his brother and break up the Indian confed- eracy which was being organized in the interests of Great Britain. Pioneer settlers and the Indians naturally grew more and more
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aggressive and intolerant, committing depredations and murders, until the Governor felt compelled to send the following speech, substantially, to the two leaders of the Indian tribes: "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 north and west of you to join against us, while your warriors who have lately been here deny this. The tribes on the Mississippi have sent me word that you intended to murder me and then commence a war upon my people, and your seizing the salt I recently sent up the Wabash is also sufficient evidence of such intentions on your part. 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. Your intended aet is a rash one: consider well of it. What can induce you to undertake such a thing when there is so little prospeet 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? 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. Take care of their stings. It is not our wish to hurt you; if we did, we certainly liave power to do it.
" You have also insulted the Government of the United States, by seizing the salt that was intended for other tribes. Satisfaction must be given for that also. You talk of coming to see me, attend- ed by all of your young men; but this must not be. If your inten- tions are good, you have 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. My advice is that yon visit the President of the United States and lay your griev- ances before him.
" With respect to the lands that were purchased last fall I can enter into no negotiations with you; the affair is with the Presi- dent. If you wish to go and see him, I will supply you with the means.
" The person who delivers this is one of my war officers, and 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
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yourself a warrior, and all such should have esteem for each other."
The bearer of this speech was politely received by Tecumseh, who replied to the Governor briefly that he should visit Vincennes in a few days. Accordingly he arrived July 27, 1811, bringing with him a considerable force of Indians, which created much alarm among the inhabitants. In view of an emergency Gov. Harrison reviewed his militia-about 750 armed men-and station- ed two companies and a detachment of dragoons on the borders of the town. At this interview Tecumseh held forth that he intended no war against the United States; that he would send messengers among the Indians to prevent murders and depredations on the white settlements; that the Indians, as well as 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 then return to the Prophet's town. He said also that he would visit the President the next spring and settle all difficulties with him, and 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 grounds for hunting.
Tecnmseh then, with about 20 of his followers, left for the South, to induce the tribes in that direction to join his confederacy.
By the way, a lawsnit was instituted by Gov. Harrison against a certain Wm. McIntosh, for asserting that the plaintiff had cheated the Indians out of their lands, and that by so doing he had made them enemies to the United States. The defendant was a wealthy Scotch resident of Vincennes, well educated, and a man of influence among the people opposed to Gov. Harrison's land policy. The jury rendered a verdiet in favor of Harrison, assessing the damages at $4,000. In execution of the decree of Court a large quantity of the defendant's land was sold in the absence of Gov. Harrison; but some time afterward Harrison caused about two-thirds of the land to be restored to Mr. McIntosh, and the remainder was given to some orphan children.
Harrison's 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 Col. Boyd's regiment of infantry to move from the falls of Ohio to Vincennes. When the military expedition organized by Gov, Harrison was nearly
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ready to march to the Prophet's town, several Indian chiefs arrived at Vincennes Sept. 25, 1811, and deelared that the Indians would comply with the demands of the Governor and disperse; but this did not check the military proceedings. The army under com- mand of Harrison moved from Vincennes Sept. 26, and Oct. 3, cn- countering no opposition from the enemy, encamped at the place where Fort Harrison was afterward built, and near where the city of Terre Haute now stands. On the night of the 11th a few hos- tile Indians approached the encampment and wounded one of the sentinels, which 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. Then the Governor sent a message to Prophet's Town, requiring the Shawanees, Winnebagoes, Pottawatomies and Kickapoos at that place to return to their respective tribes; he also required the Prophet to restore all the stolen horses in his possession, 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 Tip- pecanoe.
The new fort on the Wabash was finished Oct. 28, and at the re- quest of all the subordinate officers it was called "Fort Harrison," near what is now Terre Haute. This fort was garrisoned with a small number of men under Lieutenant-Colonel Miller. On the 29th the remainder of the army, consisting of 910 men, moved toward the Prophet's town; about 270 of the troops were mounted. The regular troops, 250 in number, were under the command of Col. Boyd. With this army the Governor marched to within a half mile of the Prophet's town, when a conference was opened with a distinguished chief, in high esteem with the Prophet, and he 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 continue his encampment 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-a spot not very desir- able. 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 similar prairie in the rear, through which
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and near this bank ran a small stream clothed with willow and brush wood. Toward the left flank this highland widened consid- erably, but became gradually narrower in the opposite direction, and at the distance of 150 yards terminated in an abrupt point. The two columns of infantry occupied the front and rear of this ground, about 150 yards from each other on the left, and a little more than half that distance on the right, flank. One flank was filled by two companies of mounted riflemen, 120 men, under com- mand of Major-General Wells, of the Kentucky militia, and one by Spencer's company of mounted riflemen, numbering 80 men. The front line was composed of one battalion of United States in- fantry, under command of Major Floyd, flanked on the right by two companies of militia, and on the left by one company. The rear line was composed of a battalion of United States troops, under command of Capt. 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 Gen. Wells, on the left flank, and Col. Decker's battalion formed an angle with Spencer's company on the left. Two troops of dragoons, about 60 men in all, were encamped in the rear of the left flank, and Capt. 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 each man slept opposite 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.
BATTLE OF TIPPECANOE.
No attack was made by the enemy until about 4 o'clock on the morning of Nov. 7, just after the Governor had arisen. The attack was made on the left flank. Only a single gun was fired by the sentinels or by the guard in that direction, which made no resist- ance, abandoning their posts and fleeing into camp; and the first notice which the troops of that line had of the danger was the yell of the savages within a short distance of them. But the men were courageous and preserved good discipline. Such of them as were awake, or easily awakened, seized 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 Capt. Barton's company of the Fourth United States Regiment, and Capt. Geiger's company of mounted riflemen, which formed the left angle of the rear line. The fire from the Indians was exceedingly severe, and
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men in these companies suffered considerably 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 elondy, and the fires of the Americans afforded only a partial light, which gave greater advantage to the enemy than to the troops, and they were there- fore extinguished.
As soon as the Governor could mount his borse he rode to the angle which was attacked, where he found that Barton's company had suffered severely, and the left of Geiger's entirely broken. He immediately ordered Cook's and Wentworth's companies to march up to the center of the rear line, where were stationed a small com- pany of U. S. riflemen and the companies of Bean, Snelling and Preseott. As the General rode up he found Maj. Daviess forming the dragoons in the rear of these companies, and having ascertained that the heaviest fire proceeded from some trees 15 or 20 paces in front of these companies, he directed the Major to dislodge them with a part of the dragoons; but unfortunately the Major's gal- lantry 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. He was mortally wounded and his men driven back. Capt. Snelling, however, with his company immediately dislodged those Indians. Capt. Spencer and his 1st and 2nd Lieutenants were killed, and Capt. Warwiek mortally wounded. The soldiery remained brave. Spencer had too much ground originally, and Harrison re-enforced him with a company of riflemen which had been driven from their position on the left flank.
Gen. Harrison's aim was to keep the lines entire, to prevent the enemy from breaking into the eamp until dayhght, which would enable him to make a general and effectual charge. With this view he had re-enforced every part of the line that had suffered much, and with the approach of morning he withdrew several companies from the front and rear lines and re-enforced the right and left flanks, foreseeing that at these points the enemy would make their last effort. Maj. Wells, who had commanded the left flank, charged upon the enemy and drove them at the point of the bayonet into the marsh, where they could not be followed. Meanwhile Capt. Cook and Lieut. Larrabee marched their companies to the right flank and formed under fire of the enemy, and being there joined
L. of C.
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by the riflemen of that flank, charged upon the enemy, killing a number and putting the rest to a precipitate flight.
Thus ended the famous battle of Tippecanoe, victoriously to the whites and honorably to Gen. Harrison.
In this battle Mr. Harrison had about 700 efficient men, while the Indians had probably more than that. The loss of the Ameri- cans was 37 killed and 25 mortally wounded, and 126 wounded; the Indians lost 38 killed on the field of battle, and the number of the wounded was never known. Among the whites killed were Daviess, Spencer, Owen. Warwick, Randolph, Bean and White. Standing on an eminence near by, the Prophet encouraged his warriors to battle by singing a favorite war-song. He told them that they would gain an easy victory, and that the bullets of their enemies would be made harmless by the Great Spirit. Being informed during the engagement that some of the Indians were killed, he said that his warriors must fight on and they would soon be victorious. Immediately after their defeat the surviving Indians lost faith in their great (?) Proph- et, returned to their respective tribes, and thus the confederacy was destroyed. The Prophet, with a very few followers, then took np his residence among a small band of Wyandots encamped on Wild-Cat creek. His famous town, with all its possessions, was destroyed the next day, Nov. S.
On the 18th the American army returned to Vincennes, where most of the troops were discharged. The Territorial Legislature, being in session, adopted resolutions complimentary to Gov. Harri- son and the officers and men under him, and made preparations for a reception and celebration.
Capt. Logan, the eloquent Shawanee chief who assisted onr forces so materially, died in the latter part of November, 1812, from the effects of a wound received in a skirmish with a recon- noitering party of hostile Indians accompanied by a white man in the British service, Nov. 22. In that skirmish the white man was killed, and Winamac, a Pottawatomie chief of some distinction, fell by the rifle of Logan. The latter was mortally wounded, when he retreated with two warriors of his tribe, Capt. Johnny and Bright-Horn, to the camp of Gen. Winchester, where he soon after- ward died. He was buried with the honors of war.
1
WAR OF 1812 WITH GREAT BRITAIN.
The vietory recently gained by the Americans at the battle of Tippecanoe insured perfeet peace for a time, but only a short time as the more extensive schemes of the British had so far ripened as to compel the United States again to deelare war against them. Tecumseh had fled to Malden, Canada, where, counseled by the English, he continued to excite the tribes against the Americans. As soon as this war with Great Britain was declared (June 18, 1812), the Indians, as was expected, commenced again to commit depredations. During the summer of 1812 several points along the Lake Region succumbed to theBritishi, as Detroit, nnder Gen. Hull, Fort Dearborn (now Chicago), commanded by Capt. Heald under Gen. Hull, the post at Mackinac, etc.
In the early part of September, 1812, parties of hostile Indians began to assemble in considerable numbers in the vicinity of Forts Wayne and Harrison, with a view to redneing them. Capt. Rhea, at this time, had command of Fort Wayne, but his drinking pro- pensities rather disqualified him for emergencies. For two weeks the fort was in great jeopardy. An express had been sent to Gen. Harrison for reinforcements, but many days passed without any tidings of expected assistance. At length, one day, Maj. Wmn. Oliver and four friendly Indians arrived at the fort on horseback. One of the Indians was the celebrated Logan. They had come in defianec of " 500 Indians," had "broken their ranks" and reached the fort in safety. Oliver reported that Harrison was aware of the situation and was raising inen for a re-enforcement. Ohio was also raising volunteers; 800 were then assembled at St. Mary's, Ohio, 60 miles south of Fort Wayne, and would march to the relief of the fort in three or four days, or as soon as they were joined by re- enforcements from Kentucky.
Oliver prepared a letter, announcing to Gen. Harrison his safe ar- rival at the besieged fort, and giving an account of its beleaguered situation, which he dispatched by his friendly Shawanees, while he coneluded to take his chanees at the fort. Brave Logan and his companions started with the message, but had seareely left the fort when they were discovered and pursued by the hostile Indians, yet passing the Indian lines in safety, they were soon out of reach. The Indians now began a furious attack upon the fort; but the little garrison, with Oliver to cheer them on, bravely met the assault, re- pelling the attack day after day, until the army approached to their relief. During this siege the commanding officer, whose habits of
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intemperance rendered him unfit for the command, was confined in the " black hole," while the junior officer assumed charge. This course was approved by the General, on his arrival, but Capt. Rhea received very little eensnre, probably on account of his valuable ser- viees in the Revolutionary war.
Sept. 6, 1812, Harrison moved forward with his army to the re- lief of Fort Wayne; the next day he reached a point within three miles of St. Mary's river; the next day he reached the river and was joined at evening by 200 mounted volunteers, under Col. Rich- ard M. Johnson; the next day at "Shane's Crossing " ou the St. Mary's they were joined by 800 men from Ohio, under Cols. Adams and Hawkins. At this place Chief Logan and four other Indians offered their services as spies to Gen. Harrison, and were accepted. Logan was immediately disguised and sent forward. Passing through the lines of the hostile Indians,he ascertained their number to be about 1.500, and entering the fort, he enconraged the soldiers to liold out, as relief was at hand. Gen. Harrison's force at this time was about 3,500.
After an early breakfast Friday morning they were under march- ing orders; it had rained and the guns were damp; they were dis- charged and reloaded; but that day only one Indian was encount- ered; preparations were made at night for an expected attack by the Indians, but no attack came; the next day, Sept. 10, they ex- pected to fight their way to Fort Wayne, but in that they were hap- pily disappointed; and " At the first grey of the morning," as Bryce eloquently observes, "the distant halloos of the disappointed sav- ages revealed to the anxious inmates of the fort the glorious news of the approach of the army. Great clouds of dust could be seen from the fort, rolling up in the distance, as the valiant soldiery under Gen. Harrison moved forward to the rescue of the garrison and the brave boys of Kentucky and Ohio."
This siege of Fort Wayne of course" occasioned great loss to the few settlers who had gathered around the fort. At the time of its commencement quite a little village had elustered around the mili- tary works, but during the siege most of their improvements and crops were destroyed by the savages. Every building out of the reach of the guns of the fort was leveled to the ground, and thus the in- fant settlement was destroyed.
During this siege the garrison lost but three men, while the Indians lost 25. Gen. Harrison had all the Indian villages for 25 miles around destroyed. Fort Wayne was nothing but a military post until about 1819.
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Simultaneously with the attack on Fort Wayne the Indians also besieged Fort Harrison, which was commanded by Zachary Taylor. The Indians commenced firing upon the fort about 11 o'clock one night, when the garrison was in a rather poor plight for receiving them. The enemy succeeded in firing one of the block-houses, which contained whisky, and the whites had great difficulty in pre- venting the burning of all the barracks. The word " fire " seemed to have thrown all the men into confusion; soldiers' and citizens' wives, who had taken shelter within the fort, were crying; Indians were yelling; many of the garrison were sick and unable to be on duty; the men despaired and gave themselves up as lost; two of the strongest and apparently most reliable men jumped the pickets in the very midst of the emergency, etc., so that Capt. Taylor was at his wit's end what to do; but he gave directions as to the many details, rallied the men by a new scheme, and after about seven hours succeeded in saving themselves. The Indians drove up the horses belonging to the citizens, and as they could not catch thom very readily, shot the whole of them in the sight of their owners, and also killed a number of the hogs belonging to the whites. They drove off all of the cattle, 65 in number, as well as the public oxen.
Among many other depredations committed by the savages dur- ing this period, was the massacre of the Pigeon Roost settlement, consisting of one man, five women and 16 children; a few escaped. An unsuccessful effort was made to capture these Indians, but when the news of this massaere and the attack on Fort Harrison reached Vincennes, about 1,200 men, under the command of Col. Wm. Russell, of the 7th U. S. Infantry, marched forth for the re- lief of the fort and to punish the Indians. On reaching the fort the Indians had retired from the vicinity; but on the 15th of Sep- tember a small detachment composed of 11 men, under Lieut. Rich- ardson, and acting as escort of provisions sent from Vincennes to Fort Harrison, was attacked by a party of Indians within the pres- ent limits of Sullivan county. It was reported that seven of these men were killed and one wounded. The provisions of course fell into the hands of the Indians.
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