Battle Baffle of Thames Years Ago Ended Career of a Great Red Man Gen W. W H. H Harrisons Harrison's Vict Victory ry on October 5 5 I 1813 8 I 3 Not Only Marked the Passing Of The Most Extraordinary Indian Character in American History But Also Helped Make Col Cot R. R M. M Johnson Reputed Slayer of T Tecumseh Vice President Of the United Unfed States e G Western Newspaper Union Dy By ELMO SCOTT WATSON N AN October day ON O years ago there died in battle one of the greatest great great- est Indians the American continent has ever known His name was Tecumseh a chieftain of the Shawnee tribe and the engagement in which he he was killed was the the Battle of the Thames This battle is not nearly so well known to the average American Ameri Amen can as a dozen others of lesser less less- er importance but its aftermath aftermath aftermath after after- math makes it one of the most interesting engagements engagements engage engage- ments in the history of the United States The hist history ry of Tecumseh begins begins begins be be- gins in 1768 when the wife of Chief of the Shawnees Shaw Shaw- nees in the Indian village of Piqua Piqua Pi- Pi qua on the Mad river near the present site of Springfield Ohio gave birth to twin sons One of them was given the name of La La- referring to a dance rattle or some similar ment Later he would take the name of meaning the Open Door through which he would lead his people to a new and better life tile The whites would know him as The Prophet whose skill as a demagogue when combined com with the statesmanship and military genius of his brother would be one of the most serious threats to white domination of the Middle West that it had ever known The other twin was given the name of or meaning One Who Springs and indicating that he belonged to the clan of the Great Medicine Panther Panther Panther Pan Pan- ther or Meteor So the Shawnees Shawnees Shaw Shaw- nees knew him as the Crouching Panther or the Shooting Star but history would write him down as Tecumseh When the twins were six years old their father was killed in the Battle of Point Pleasant W. W Va where Andrew Lewis and his Virginia Virginia Vir Vir- ginia frontiersmen defeated Chief Cornstalk and his Shawnees After After Alten Aft Alt er en that young Tecumseh was placed under the care of an elder eldera a brother who taught turn him the ways of warriors until this elder brother broth broth- er was killed in battle with the I whites on the Tennessee frontier in 1788 or 1789 A Fighting Heritage With this fighting heritage Tecumseh Te Te- soon distinguished himself himself him him- self as a warrior but one who was more humane and chivalrous chivalrous chival chival- rous toward his enemies than was common among his tribes tribes- men He fought in two great battles battles bat bat- ties of that period period period-at at the defeat of St. St Clair in 1792 and at Fallen Timbers in 1794 when Mad An An- thony Wayne smashed the power pow er of the Indian confederacy that had been formed by Little Turtle the Miami leader to accepting peace with the whites Tecumseh refused refused re re- fused to take part in the Treaty of Greenville and gathered around him a band of young warriors warriors warriors war war- who roved over the present present pres pres- ent states of Ohio and Indiana before finally Anally settling down on the White river in Indiana about 1793 1798 He lIe remained there for a afew afew afew few years peacefully occupied with hunting until the continued encroachment of the whites upon the lands guaranteed to the Indians Indians Indians In In- by the Treaty of Greenville Green Green- ville yule aroused him to action On the ground that the Ohio valley country belonged to all the tribes in common he denied the right of a single tribe to sell its lands to the whites When the federal government refused to accept this principle and began negotiations for the purchase of more land from the Red Men he determined to form a great confederation of all the Western and Southern tribes for the purpose purpose pur pur- pose of holding the Ohio river as the permanent boundary between between be be- tween the two races Undaunted by the fact that 1 L I From an a old 14 ld w wood 4 d tit eat u The Death of Tecumseh at the Battle of the Thames n Pontiac the Ottawa and Little Turtle the Miami had failed in such a scheme the Shawnee leader began visiting other tribes and enlisting their support No doubt he was doomed to failure just as the other Indian leaders had failed but the chances are that his attempt to hold back the tide of white settlement would have come nearer realization than theirs had it not been for lor his brother the Prophet Tecumseh probably realized that the Prophet was a charlatan but he was glad enough to have havethe havethe havethe the aid of Influence Influence influence ence over the superstitious savages say save ages in forwarding his plan He could not foresee that the character charac ter ten of his twin brother might make him more of a liability than an asset to his cause For that was exactly what happened While Tecumseh was attempting attempt attempt- ing to enlist the Southern tribes in his confederation the Prophet on November 7 1811 precipitated ed the attack on the forces of Gen William Henry Harrison at atthe atthe atthe the Tippecanoe river which ended ended ended end end- ed so disastrously for the Indians Not only was the Prophet thoroughly thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- discredited among the Shawnees by that defeat but it dampened the ardor of other tribes for Tecumseh's scheme and he saw his elaborate plans crash to the earth Embittered by this disappointment disappoint disappoint- ment and still to accepting American domination over his country Tecumseh welcomed welcomed wel wel- corned the outbreak of the War of 1812 and cast his lot with the British as a possibility of regaining regain regain- ing control of his ancestral lands Ne Nearly all of the war chiefs followed followed fol fol- fol lowed his lead and Tecumseh soon found himself the nominal head head of oj more than Shawnee warriors Made lade a British General Gen Isaac Brock commander of the British forces in the West immediately recognized the genius genius gen gen- ius lus of Tecumseh and made him a brigadier brigadier general Thus the Shawnee chieftain had the distinction dis dis of being one of two Indians Indians In In- diana who ever held such high rank in a white mans man's army The Theother Theother Theother other was Gen Ely S. S Parker an Iroquois who served on Grants Grant's staff stall during the Civil war There was a strong bond of friendship between Brock and Tecumseh Tecumseh Tecumseh Te Te- Te- Te which continued until Brocks Brock's death at the Battle of Queenstown in October 1812 General Proctor his successor lacked all of the qualities which had won the admiration and respect respect respect re re- re- re of Tecumseh for Brock Despite Despite Despite De De- De- De spite the aid of th the Shawnee leader lead er and the 2000 warriors of the allied tribes which he placed at Proctors Proctor's disposal the British leader soon proved himself such sucha a bungler if not actually a coward coward coward cow cow- ard that Tecumseh clearly foresaw foresaw foresaw fore fore- saw the ultimate triumph of the Americans He lie covered retreat before Harrisons Harrison's a a. a iy after Perrys Perry's decisive victory on Lake Erie until he became disgusted with the British commander and declining to retreat farther forced Proctor to make a stand standon on the Thames river near the present site of Chatham Ontario Even then he was not sure that Proctor would fight I if he could avoid it His low opinion of the British commander was soon justified At the first attack by Harrisons Harrison's troops Proctor fled in his carriage carriage car car- accompanied by his personal personal per per- staff a few dragoons and some mounted Indians When the American cavalry broke the British British Brit Brit- ish line Proctors Proctor's soldiers immediately immediately imme imme- threw down their arms and surrendered Within five minutes after the first shot was fired the British force was beaten beat beat- en and most of them were pris Very different was the situation situation situa situa- tion when the Kentucky cavalrymen cavalry cavalry- men struck the Indians Before the battle Tecumseh with a presentiment presentiment presentiment pre pre- sentiment of disaster had told his lis friends that he would never leave eave the battlefield alive So he had laid aside his British generals generals general's generals general's gen gen- eral's uniform and gone into action action ac- ac tion Jon dressed in his native e cos cos- tume Under his leadership the Indians Indians Indi Indi- ans stoutly resisted the onslaught of Col Richard M. M Johnsons Johnson's mounted men and it was not Until until until un un- til Tecumseh fell that the savages say save ages at last gave way Who Killed Tecumseh The slayer of the Shawnee chieftain is unknown Since there was nothing in his dress to distinguish distinguish distinguish dis dis- dis- dis him from any other war war- f ri nor no one on the American side knew mew when he fell or whose bullet bullet bul bul- let it was that killed him But that did not prevent several Americans from claiming that honor In fact tact the question Who killed Tecumseh became a famous one in American political political pout pout- cal history When Col Richard M. M Johnson was a candidate for vice president president president dent in 1836 his partisans who hailed him as The Hero of the Thames claimed that he was the slayer of the Shawnee chieftain chieftain chief chief- tam tain because in those days success success suc sue cess as an Indian fighter was a strong recommendation for politIcal political pout ical preferment The claim of Johnsons Johnson's followers follow ers was based upon the fact th that t during the battle of the Thames he had killed an Indian supposed to be a chief who had wounded him and was advancing upon him with upraised tomahawk when the Kentuckian shot the Indian with his pistol They asserted that this chief was Tecumseh Johnson Claims Corroborated More than half a century later what appears to be a corroboration corroboration corroboration ration of the claims of the Johnson Johnson John John- son partisans appeared in the Century magazine In a letter to the editor of the Century Benjamin Ben jamin B. B Griswold of Carroll Md asserted that in 1842 he was present when Johnson gave an account of the incident and remarked remarked remarked re marked that for some time a doubt had existed whether the Indian Indian In In- dian killed was really the formidable formidable able chief or not but he added in terms entirely unqualified that recently developed developed t circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances had removed all uncertainty uncertainty uncertainty as to this fact He lIe gave no information showing what circumstances circumstances cir cir- dr had determined his question but simply spoke with on the subject This resulted in another letter written by D. D B. B Cook editor of the Niles Mich Mirror telling tell teU- ing lag of an interview he had had with Noon Day chief of the Ot- Ot tawas in 1838 lIe He said Noon NoonDay NoonDay NoonDay Day had told him that he was near Tecumseh when he was slain and had helped carry his body from the field Later when Noon Day was taken to Washington Washing Washing- ton by Gen Lewis Cass to see seethe seethe seethe the Great White Father President President President Pres Pres- ident Van Buren and was introduced introduced introduced intro intro- to Vice President Johnson he recognized him immediately as the man he had seen shoot Tecumseh at the Thames So it seems entire probable that Johnson was the slayer of the great Shawnee leader Indicative of the greatness of ot Tecumseh is the fact that despite pioneer prejudice against the Indian Indian Indian In In- dian he was the subject of a poetic tribute by one of Ohio's early bards Charles A A. A Jones 1851 1015 was the author of TECUMSEH Where rolls the dark and turbid Thames Ills His consecrated wave along Sleeps one than whose few are the names More worthy of the lyre and song Yet oer o'er whose spot of lone repose repose repose re re- re- re pose No pilgrim eyes are seen to weep And no memorial marble throws Its shadows where his ashes sleep Stop stranger I there Tecumseh lies Behold the lowly resting place Of all that of the hero dies of his The Caesar Tully Caesar Tully race Whose arm of strength and fiery tongue Have won him an immortal name And from the mouths of millions wrung I Reluctant tribute to his fame Stop Stop for for tin glory claims thy tearl tear I True worth belongs to all mankind mankind mankind man man- kind I And he whose ashes slumber here her Though man in form was god godin godIn i in mind I I What matter he was not like these In race and color this color this the soul That marks mans man's true divinity divinity- Then let not shame thy ear control Art thou a patriot patriot so so was he hel I His breast was Freedoms Freedom's holiest holiest holi holl est shrine And as thou there thy knee His spirit will unite with thine All that a man can give he gave gave gave- Ills His life the life the country of his sires From the oppressors oppressor's grasp to save In vain vain quenched quenched are arc the nations nation's nations nation's nations nation's na na- na- na tion's fires Art thou a soldier Dost thou not Oer O'er deeds chivalric love to muse Here stay thy steps steps what what t better spot thou for contemplation choose The earth beneath is holy ground It holds a thousand valiant braves bra Tread lightly oer o'er each little mound For they are no ignoble graves Thermopylae and Marathon Though classic earth can boast no more Of deeds heroic than yon sun Once saw upon this lonely shore When in a gallant nations nation's last And deadliest struggle for its own Tecumseh's fiery spirit In blood and sought its Fa Fa- Fa- Fa ther's throne Oh softly fall the summer dew The tears of heaven upon his sod sad For he in life and death was true Both to his country and his God For oh if God to man has given From his bright home beyond the skies One feeling that's akin to heaven Tin he who for his country dies Rest warrior rest I Though not nota a dirge Is thine beside the wailing blast Time cannot in oblivion merge The light thy star of glory cast While heave yon high hills to the sky While rolls yon dark and turbid turbid turbid tur tur- bid river Thy name and fame can never die die die- Whom freedom loves will live forever Discounting the sentimentality I of that poem so characteristic of the period in Am American rican litera- litera i 4 I I I I I 2 ture in which it was written itIs Itis it itis is not an over-estimate over of the theman theman man it honors For as James I I Mooney says in his sketch of ot Tecumseh Tecumseh Te Te- Te- Te in the Handbook of ot American Indians published by bythe bythe the Bureau of American Ethnology Ethnology Ethnol Ethnol- I ogy of the Smithsonian institution tion From all that is said of Tecumseh in contemporary record record rec rec- ord there is no reason to doubt the verdict of Trumbull that he was the most extraordinary Indian Indian In In- dian character in United States history