USA > Indiana > Tippecanoe County > Past and present of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 9
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Almost a century has gone ; the heroes who survived the carnage of this field are all numbered with the sleepers here. The red men are gone. Bar- barism has fled the land, and civilization, hand in hand with an enlightened humanity, is planning other victories that shall make for the weal of man. Silently today a lofty granite shaft looks down upon a quiet spot where once civilization and barbarism met in mortal fray-where civilization won and barbarism fled. We. the children of these victorious heroes, gather here and. forgetful of the lapse of time and the changes of a century, yesterday becomes today, and we join in the victorious shout. But ours is a loud acclaim, "All honor to the victorious heroes of Tippecanoe."
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The Weas or Miamis have passed from the history of Tippecanoe county. The Shawanoes and the Prophet are gone. Tecumseh is a brigadier-general in the British army, and the war of 1812 is on. The Winnebagoes, liking the fertile land on the Wabash, have not returned to their northwestern homes but have built a considerable village on the Wild Cat creek. one mile from its mouth, at Springvale. The Kickapoos have settled on the west side of the Wabash at Davis' ferry-the Monon railroad crossing now-and the Proph- et's Town has been rebuilt. This pestiferous hive of bad Indians must be broken up. They must be killed or driven off. Accordingly, an expedition was fitted out by General Hopkins, of Kentucky, consisting of three regiments of infantry, commanded by Colonels Barbour. Miller and Wilcox; a small company of the Seventh United States Infantry, commanded by Capt. Zach- ary Taylor, afterward President of the United States: a company of rangers. commanded by Captain Beckes, and a company of scouts, or spies, commanded by Captain Washburn. The main body of this army-about twelve hundred strong-moved from the place of rendezvous at Vincennes, and arrived at Fort Harrison on the 5th of November. 1812. In a letter, dated November 27th. addresed to Governor Shelby, of Kentucky, General Hopkins says :
"On the rith (of November ) the army marched from Fort Harrison, on the road formerly made by Governor Harrison's army, and the boats set out at the same time. The length of time the enemy had expected us made it necessary to guard ourselves in an especial manner. The rise of the waters from the heavy fall of the rain preceding our march and some large creeks, left us no doubt of considerable difficulty and embarrassment; insomuch that not until the 14th did we pass Sugar creek, three miles above the road. From every information. I had no hesitation in moving on the east side of the Wabash. The Vermillions, Pine creek and other impediments on the west side, superadded to the presumption that we were expected and might more easily be annoyed and ambuscaded on that route, determined me in this meas- ure. The boats, too, with provisions of rations, forage and military stores could be more easily covered and protected as the line of march could be in- variably nearer the river. Lieutenant-Colonel Barber, with one battalion of his regiment. had command of the seven boats and encamped with us on the bank of the river almost every night. This so protracted our march that we did not reach the Prophet's Town till the 19th.
"On the morning of this day I detached three hundred men to surprise the Winnebago town lying on Ponce Passu ( Ponceau pichou) creek, one mile from the Wabash and four below the Prophet's Town." ( This point is at Springvale cemetery extending to the creek. )
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"This party, commanded by General Butler, surrounded the place about the break of day. but found it evacuated. There were, in the main town, about forty houses, many of them from thirty to fifty feet in length, besides many temporary huts in the surrounding prairie, in which they had cultivated a good deal of corn.
"On the 20th, 21st and 22d we were embarked in the complete destruc- tion of the Prophet's Town, which had about forty cabins and huts, and the Kickapoo village adjoining below it, on the west side of the river, consist- ing of about one hundred and sixty cabins and huts-finding and destroying their corn, reconnoitering the circumjacent country and constructing works for the defense of our boats and army. Seven miles east of us on the Ponce Passu creek, a party of Indians were discovered. They had fired on a party of ours on the 21st and killed a man by the name of Dunn, a gallant soldier in Captain Duvall's company. On the 22d. upwards of sixty horsemen, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonels Miller and Wilcox. anxious to bury their comrade, as well as gain a more complete knowledge of their ground, went onto a point near the Indian encampment, fell into an ambuscade and eighteen of our party were killed, wounded and missing. * *
% On the return of this party and the information of a large assemblage of the enemy. who, encouraged by the strength of their camp, appeared to be waiting for us. every preparation was made to march early and engage the enemy at every risk : when, from the most violent storm and fall of snow, attended with the coldest weather I ever saw or felt at this season of the year and which did not subside until the evening of the 23d. we were delayed till the 24th. Upon arriving on the ground, we found the enemy had deserted their camp before the fall of the snow, and passed the Ponce Passu. I have no doubt their ground was the strongest I ever have seen. The deep, rapid creek spoken of was in their rear, running in a semicircle and fronted by a bluff one hundred feet high, almost perpendicular, and only to be penetrated by three steep ravines. If the enemy would not defend themselves here, it was evident they did not intend fighting at all.
"After reconnoitering sufficiently, we returned to camp and found the ice so accumulated as to alarm us for the return of the boats." ( The Indian camp above referred to is on Wild Cat creek at the iron bridge, a half-mile from Monitor. ) "I had fully intended to have spent one more week in en- deavoring to find the Indian camps; but the shoeless, shirtless state of the troops, now clad in the remnants of their summer dress, a river full of ice. the hills covered with snow. a rigid climate and no certain point to which we
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could further direct our operation, under the influence and advice of every staff and field officer, orders were given and measures pursued for our return on the 25th."
It was probably on the 21st that General Hopkins crossed the Wabash and went to the battleground of Tippecanoe and gathered up the scattered bones of the heroes of Tippecanoe and reburied them in three graves. There being quite a snow on the ground, many of the bones were not found. Here, in these three graves, they rested until 1836, when, under the supervi- sion of John Tipton, who had fought in that battle, they were disinterred and buried in one grave, where they lie today. It is altogether probable that the grave of Colonels Daviess, Owen and White was never found by the Indians, and they lie today where they were buried November 8, 1811, near the south end of the front line of the army in battle. The Tippecanoe battleground was bought at government sale in 1829 or 1830, by John Tipton. and afterward deeded to the state of Indiana, with the single consideration that the state should keep it perpetually fenced.
The first fence was built of split posts and flat split rails, the posts rudely mortised to receive the rails. This fence was built on the battle lines and the large grave, about twelve by thirty feet, was likewise enclosed. John Tipton himself superintended the work. So, I saw this battlefield November 23. 1846.
The next fence, of cedar posts and pine boards, was built in the early fifties. and enclosed all the ground owned by the state except the declivitous western side and the part to the east cut off by the railroad and the public highway. The present iron fence was built in 1873, for which the legislature appropriated twenty-five thousand dollars, but less than nineteen thousand dollars was spent and the balance was turned back into the state treasury. It was built by a Lafayette firm and was an honest deal.
Since the campaign of 1840, when I was a boy shouter for Gen. William Henry Harrison, I have been a voracious reader of everything that 1 could get pertaining to this battle and its heroes. Their praises have been the theme of oratory and verse. But their deeds are beyond the scope of oratory. and their fame exceeds the songs of verse.
Tippecanoe county may well be proud of her wonderful history, more marked and varied than that of any other county in the state. First in the historic setting and largest in multitudinous details. In the great center of the fur-bearing animals, she was the center of trade. On a beautiful river. that fortnitons events made the highway of commerce and travel, red men, Frenchmen, Englishmen and finally Americans were contestants for the traf- fic, the highway. the possession and finally, homes.
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It seems almost unkind and even forgetful to close the pages of this history without a parting word for the aborigines.
There is something almost weird in the life of the Indian. He comes and goes and leaves no trace on the map of empire. The names of rivers and mountains would fade away, as die the echoes of his war songs, did not civi- lization embalm them in their written language. Ever and anon some genius comes forth whose personality casts a spell over not only his tribe. but all the neighboring ones. Bold, brave, magnanimous, eloquent, gifted in statesman- ship, like Philip of Pokonoket. Red Jacket of the Senecas, Little Turtle. the great chief of the Miamis. Cornstalk and Tecumseh of the warlike Shawanoes. Pontiac of the Ottawas, and Osceola of the Seminoles. Each and all of these were geniuses whom civilization would have lifted to the lofty mountain heights of fame and immortality. And they, in turn, would have lifted their tribes from barbarism to civilization. But they are gone-all gone. nor Nar- ragansett. nor Seneca, nor Ottawa, nor Miami, nor Shawanoe, nor Seminole lives today. save on some distant reservation where even the faint traces of early tribal characteristics are but faintly discernible. Family name, tribal fame, heroic memories buried beneath the engulfing waves of the red man's oblivion. Mound Builders! Who were they? Stone Age! Who was the hero? What was his name ?
Here, where the beautiful Wea. the "Riviere Bois Rouge" blended its crystal waters with the majestic Wabash: here, at the foot of the "Rapids:" here. where the trails of Indians tribes, north, east and west. met at the trading post. founded more than one hundred and eighty-nine years ago: here. where soldier, Indian trader and priest represented civilization, and warrior, squaw and papoose stood for aboriginal life. Yonder, where the plains spread out to the encompassing horizon, where the grass and flower-bearing meadow invited the awkward buffalo, the fleet-footed deer. the timid antelope to lux- urious abundance ; here-there-oh! what a change a century has wrought! Buffalo, deer, antelope, beaver and otter all gone. Warrior, squaw and pap- poose lost in the setting sun. No light canoe now ripples the surface of the crystal streams. No war song of lordly brave wooes his dusky maid. No narrow trail winds over hill and valley. The highways of civilization have beaten out the last vestige of the trace, and the railway and the locomotive have abolished the canoe and even the river as a highway of commerce forever. Mansions of comfort, elegance and luxury have superseded the wigwam, and civilization, with her outspread pinions, has covered the footprints of bar- barism.
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We owe it to our children that the historic places of our country should be mapped and monumented, that the places and the heroes should be so joined that the school children may be able to say, here, the blood of patriotism was shed; here, the deeds of heroism made resplendent the history of our country.
"Ouiatenon" and "Tippecanoe," historic gems of the state, local to our county, we will keep them in our casket, but will ever be proud to show them to the curious, to the inquisitive, the earnest seeker, to the history builder. and to the poet who join in indissoluble union, time, place and noble deeds with immortal verse.
Here is Quiatenon-yonder is Tippecanoe. Midway between them stands the Soldiers' Home. These veterans of our nation : these "glory weavers" of immortality will, from the heights of their home, keep "watch and ward" over the ashes of the heroes of Oniatenon and Tippecanoe, and dying will give to the muse of history the sacred trust of embalming these precious relics of three national eras-the pioneer, the colonial and the restoration. To these shrines the coming generation will bring the sweet incense of grateful re- membrance, on these tombs of the immortals plant fadeless immortelles ; and to Memory. to Literature, to Poetry, Immortal Verse, transmit the famous trio of the beautiful Wabash-Ouiatenon. Tippecanoe and the Soldiers' Home.
October 2, 1909. B. WILSON SMITH.
BATTLE OF TIPPECANOE ( BY ONE OF ITS HEROES ).
[NOTE :- The following graphic description of this famous Indian battle has recently been brought to light by M. W. Phillips, of Lafayette, who has spent much time and thought on the early history of this section of Indiana. He had access to a number of old letters and papers belonging to Judge Isaac Naylor, of Crawfordsville, Indiana. who died in 1873 and who was one of the heroes of the battle. Among these letters was one written on the battle. and was never published until Mr. Phillips had it published recently : the same gives additional and interesting points .- Publisher. ]
"I became a volunteer of a company of riflemen and, on September 12. ISTI, we commenced our march towards Vincennes, and arrived there in about six days, marching one hundred and twenty miles. We remained there about one week and took up the line of march to a point on the Wabash river. where we erected a stockade fort, which we named Fort Harrison. This was two miles above where the city of Terre Haute now stands. Col. Joseph H. Daviess, who commanded the dragoons, named the fort. The glorious defense
JUDGE ISAAC NAYLOR
TIPPECANOE COUNTY, IND.
of this fort nine months after by Capt. Zachary Taylor was the first step in his brilliant career that afterward made him President of the United States. A few days later we took up our line of march for the seat of the Indian warfare, where we arrived on the evening of November 6. 1811.
"When the army arrived in view of Prophet's Town, an Indian was seen coming toward General Harrison, with a white flag suspended on a pole. Here the army halted, and a parley was had between General Harrison and an Indian delegation who assured the General that they desired peace and solemnly promised to meet him the next day in council to settle the terms of peace and friendship between them and the United States.
"Gen. Marston G. Clark, who was then brigade major, and Walter Taylor, and one of the judges of the general court of the Territory of Indiana, and afterward a senator of the United States from Indiana ( as one of the General's aides ), were ordered to select a place for the encampment, which they did. The army then marched to the ground selected, about sun- set. AA strong guard was placed around the encampment commanded by Capt. James Bigger and three lieutenants. The troops were ordered to sleep on their arms. The night being cold. large fires were made along the lines of encampment and each soldier retired to rest, sleeping on his arms.
"Having seen a number of squaws and children at the town, I thought the Indians were not disposed to fight. About ten o'clock at night. Joseph War- nock and myself retired to rest, he taking one side of the fire and I the other. The members of our company being all asleep. My friend Warnock had dreamed, the night before, a bad dream which foreboded something fatal to him or to some of his family, as he told me. Having myself no confidence in dreams, I thought but little about the matter, although I observed that he never smiled afterwards.
"I awoke about four o'clock the next morning, after a sound and refresh- ing sleep, having heard in a dream the firing of guns and the whistling of bullets just before I awoke from my slumber. A drizzling rain was falling and all things were still and quiet throughout the camp. I was engaged in making a calculation when I should arrive home.
"In a few moments I heard the crack of a rifle in the direction of the point where now stands the Battle Ground House, which is occupied by Captain DuTiel as a tavern .* I had just time to think that some sentinel was alarmed and fired his rifle without a real cause, when I heard the crack of another rifle, followed by an awful Indian yell all around the encampment.
* The DuTiel Tavern was just north of the camp-meeting grounds and along the line of the Monon Railroad .- Alva O. Reser.
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In less than a minute I saw the Indians charging our line most furiously and shooting a great many rifle balls into our camp fires, throwing the live coals into the air three or four feet high.
"At this moment my friend Warnock was shot by a rifle ball through his body. He ran a few yards and fell dead on the ground. Our lines were broken and a few Indians were found on the inside of the encampment. In a few moments they were all killed. Our lines closed up and our men in their proper places. One Indian was killed in the back part of Captain Geiger's tent, while he was attempting to tomahawk the Captain.
"The sentinels, closely pursued by the Indians, came to the lines of the encampment in haste and confusion. My brother. William Naylor, was on guard. He was pursued so rapidly and furiously that he ran to the nearest point on the left flank, where he remained with a company of regular soldiers until the battle was near its termination. A young man. whose name was Daniel Pettit, was pursued so closely and furiously by an Indian as he was running from the guard line to our lines, that to save his life he cocked his rifle as he ran and turning suddenly around, placed the muzzle of his gun against the body of the Indian and shot an ounce ball through him. The Indian fired his gun at the same instant, but it being longer than Pettit's the muzzle passed by him and set fire to a handkerchief which he had tied around his head. The Indians made four or five most fierce charges on our lines, yelling and screaming as they advanced, shooting balls and arrows into our ranks. At each charge they were driven back in confusion, carrying off their dead and wounded as they retreated.
"Colonel Owen, of Shelby county, Kentucky, one of General Harrison's aides, fell early in the action by the side of the General. He was a member of the legislature at the time of his death. Colonel Daviess was mortally wounded early in the battle, gallantly charging the Indians on foot with sword and pistols according to his own request. He made this request three times before General Harrison would permit it. This charge was made by himself and eight dragoons on foot near the angle formed by the left flank and front line of the encampment. Colonel Daviess lived about thirty-six hours after he was wounded, manifesting his ruling passion in life-ambition and a patriotism and ardent love of military glory. During the last hours of his life he said to his friends around him that he had but one thing to regret- that he had military talents ; that he was about to be cut down in the meridian of life without having an opportunity of displaying them for his own honor, and the good of his country. He was buried alone, with the honors of war, near the right flank of the army, inside the lines of the encampment, between
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two trees. On one side of the tree the letter 'D' was plainly visible many years. Nothing but the stump of the other tree remains. His grave was made here to conceal it from the Indians. It was filled up to the top with earth and then covered with oak leaves. I presume the Indians never found it. This precautionary act was performed as a mark of special respect for a distinguished hero and patriot of Kentucky.
"Captain Spencer's company of mounted riflemen composed the right flank of the army. Captain Spencer and both of his lieutenants were killed. John Tipton was elected and commissioned captain of his company in one hour after the battle, as a reward for his cool and deliberate heroism displayed during the action. He died at Logansport in 1839, having been twice elected senator of the United States from Indiana.
"The clear, calm voice of General Harrison was heard in words of hero- ism in every part of the encampment during the action. Colonel Boyd be- haved very bravely after repeating these words: 'Huzza! My sons of gold, a few more fires and victory will be ours"
"Just after daylight the Indians retreated across the prairie toward their own town, carrying off their wounded. This retreat was from the right flank of the encampment, commanded by Captains Spencer and Robb, having re- treated from the other portions of the encampment a few minutes before. As their retreat became visible, an almost deafening and universal shout was raised by our men. 'Huzza! Huzza! HIuzza! This shout was almost equal to that of the savages at the commencement of the battle; our was the shout of victory, theirs was the shout of ferocious but disappointed hope.
"The morning light disclosed the fact that the killed and wounded of our army numbering between eight and nine hundred men, amounted to one hundred and eight. Thirty-six Indians were found near our lines. Many of their dead were carried off during the battle. This fact was proved by the discovery of many Indian graves recently made near their town. Ours was a bloody victory, theirs a bloody defeat.
"Soon after breakfast an Indian chief was discovered on the prairie, about eighty yards from our front line, wrapped in a piece of white cloth. Ile was found by a soldier by the name of Miller, a resident of Jeffersonville, Indiana. The Indian was wounded in one leg, the ball having penetrated his knee and passed down his leg, breaking the bone as it passed. Miller put his foot against him and he raised up his head and said : "Don't kill me, don't kill me.' At the same time five or six regular soldiers tried to shoot him, but their muskets snapped and missed fire. Maj. Davis Floyd came riding toward him with dragoon sword and pistols and said he would show them how to kill
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Indians, when a messenger came from General Harrison commanding that he should be taken prisoner. He was taken into camp, where the surgeons dressed his wounds. Here he refused to speak a word of English or tell a word of truth. Through the medium of an interpreter he said that he was a friend of the white people and that the Indians shot him while he was coming to the camp to tell General Harrison that they were about to attack the camp. He refused to have his leg amputated, though he was told that amputation was the only means of saving his life. One dogma of Indian superstition is that all good and brave Indians, when they die, go to a delight- ful region, abounding with deer, and other game, and to be a successful hunter he should have his limbs, his gun and his dog. He therefore preferred death with all his limbs to life without them. In accordance with his request he was left to die, in company with an old squaw, who was found in the Indian town the next day after he was taken prisoner. They were left in one of our tents. At the time this Indian was taken prisoner, another Indian, who was wounded in the body, rose to his feet in the middle of the prairie and began to walk towards the woods on the opposite side. A number of regular soldiers shot at him but missed him. A man who was a member of the same company with me, Henry Huckleberry, ran a few steps into the prairie and shot an ounce ball through his body and he fell dead near the margin of the woods. Some Kentucky volunteers went across the prairie immediately and scalped him, dividing his scalp into four pieces, each one cutting a hole in each piece, put- ting the ramrod through the hole, and placing his part of the scalp just behind the first thimble of his gun, near its muzzle. Such was the fate of nearly all of the Indians found dead on the battle-ground, and such was the disposition of their scalps.
"The death of Owen, and the fact that Daviess was mortally wounded, with the remembrance also that a large portion of Kentucky's best blood had been shed by the Indians, must be their apology for this barbarous conduct. Such conduct will be excused by all who witnessed the treachery of the Indians and saw the bloody scenes of this battle.
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