“His was the strength the weak that sways,
The glance the servile herd obeys,
The brow of majesty, where thought
And care their deepest lines had wrought.”
YAMOYDEN.
The circumstances which we have detailed in the last chapter, sad as
they may be, are culled unvarnished from the page of history; and were
that wanting, I believe there are witnesses living who can attest
their truth. They have been brought forward to prove the power of the
Prophet. How great must have been his influence, when he could make a
brother become the executioner of a brother, and order to the stake,
certain that his orders would be executed, the most influential chiefs
of his own or the neighbouring tribes, men, who had worn out the prime
of their lives in fighting the battles of their country, and whose
lips were then regarded as fountains of wisdom and experience. And yet
this in many instances did Elkswatawa do, and so dread was the
influence attached to his name, that even those who differed with him
in opinion were afraid to express their sentiments; and unrestrained,
he continued, by the power of witchcraft, to remove all whom he even
suspected of being hostile to his plans. When we reflect that he was
originally an humble individual, not even entitled to the rank of a
chieftain, and that he should by the assumption of a character
generally deemed of low repute, and the weakness of which he was well
aware of, have pursued such a course of petty devices, trickery, and
cunning as to have established for himself among the tribes so vast a
power, we cannot but wonder at the design, as well as at the mind
which enabled him to conceive and execute it. And yet the deep policy
and prudence which he exhibited for years, in concealing from the red
men as well as the white his chief object, namely, the union of all
the tribes as a warlike measure, is a matter of still more surprise.
But absolute as his power may seem, it was exercised only through the
agency of the band which accompanied him. This generally amounted to
several hundred, they were restless spirits, and many of them spoke
different languages, and yet, so implicit was the obedience which they
paid to Elkswatawa, that even though calm, he could at a moment's
bidding, lash them into fury and set them raging like howling beasts,
or when excited, by the wave of his hand, hush them into silence deep
as that of the grave.
But while he was thus occupied in removing all who were hostile to
him; his emissaries were at work, preaching his doctrines to distant
tribes, and endeavouring to unite them all in one great bond of union.
His conduct now became a subject of discussion among the whites, and
many believed that his ultimate intentions were hostile, although, as
yet, against them, not an unfriendly act had been committed. And there
were many who regarded him as the agent of the English, and believed
that in exciting the Indians, he was only acting in accordance with
orders received from the Canadian posts. The burning of the Delaware
chiefs, however, created so much excitement throughout the frontiers
that General Harrison, Governor of Indiana Territory, within the
borders of which, many of the scenes described had taken place, was
induced, through a spirit of humanity, to interfere with a hope of
preventing a farther sacrifice of victims through the machinations of
the Prophet. And in accordance with this view, he sent a messenger to
the Delawares, where most of these occurrences had taken place, with
the following speech, which we insert for the purpose of making more
explicit the Prophet's answer, which follows.
“My Children,
“My heart is filled with grief, and my eyes are dissolved in tears, at
the news which has reached me. You have been celebrated for your
wisdom above all the tribes of red people who inhabit this great
island. Your fame as warriors has extended to the remotest nations;
and the wisdom of your chiefs has gained for you the appellation of
grand-fathers from all the neighbouring tribes. From what cause, then,
does it proceed, that you have departed from the wise councils of your
fathers, and covered yourselves with guilt?—My children, tread back
the steps you have taken, and endeavour to regain the straight road
which you have abandoned. The dark, crooked, and thorny one which you
are now pursuing will certainly lead to endless wo and misery. But who
is this pretended Prophet who dares to speak in the name of the Great
Creator? Is he more wise or virtuous than you are yourselves, that he
should be selected to convey to you the orders of your God? Demand of
him some proofs at least of his being the messenger of the Deity. If
God has really employed him, he has doubtless authorised him to
perform some miracles, that he may be known and received as a prophet.
If he is really a prophet, ask of him to cause the sun to stand still,
the moon to alter its course, the rivers to cease to flow, or the dead
to rise from their graves. If he does these things, you may then
believe that he has been sent from God. He tells you that the Great
Spirit commands you to punish with death those who deal in magic, and
that _he_ is authorised to point them out. Wretched delusion! Is,
then, the Master of life obliged to employ mortal man to punish those
who offend Him? Has he not the thunder and all the powers of nature at
his command? and could he not sweep away from the earth a whole nation
with one motion of his arm? My children! do not believe that the good
and great Creator of mankind has directed you to destroy your own
flesh; and do not doubt but that, if you pursue this abominable
wickedness, his vengeance will overtake and crush you.
“The above is addressed to you in the name of the ‘Seventeen Fires.’ I
now speak to you from myself, as a friend who wishes nothing more
sincerely than to see you prosperous and happy. Clear your eyes, I
beseech you, from the mist which surrounds them. No longer be imposed
upon by the acts of an impostor. Drive him from your town, and let
peace and harmony once more prevail among you. Let your poor old men
and women sleep in quietness, and banish from their minds the dreadful
idea of being burnt alive by their own friends and countrymen. I
charge you to stop your bloody career; and if you value the friendship
of your great father, the President, if you wish to preserve the good
opinion of the ‘Seventeen Fires,’ let me hear, by the return of the
bearer, that you have determined to follow my advice.”[1]
[Footnote 1: See note A.]
To this speech, which served in a great measure to arrest the mad fury
of Elkswatawa and his followers, the Prophet, who happened to be
present at the time of its reception, delivered to the messenger who
brought it in the presence of the assembled Indians, the following
speech, which he requested him to write down, and hand over to Gen.
Harrison. It will be seen from this that the governor had sometime
previously charged the Prophet with being influenced by the English,
an opinion which was current long before hostilities actually
commenced. The speech of the governor which we have before given was
directed to the Delawares, and the Prophet, being a Shawanee, was not
called upon to answer it, but having been strongly denounced he
thought proper to do so; and one cannot but be amused at the canting
professions which were contained in his answer. It runs thus:
“Father,—I am very sorry that you listen to the advice of bad birds.
You have impeached me with having correspondence with the British; and
with calling and sending for the Indians from the most distant parts
of the country, ‘to listen to a fool that speaks not the words of the
Great Spirit, but the words of the devil.’ Father, those impeachments
I deny, and say they are not true. I never had a word with the
British, and I never sent for any Indians. They came here themselves,
to listen and hear the words of the Great Spirit.
“Father,—I wish you would not listen any more to the voice of bad
birds; and you may rest assured, that it is the least of our idea to
make disturbance, and we will rather try to stop any such proceedings
than encourage them.”
This note or speech, sent at such a time, will give some idea of the
policy pursued by the Prophet; and while he strenuously denied all
interference on the part of the British, it is notorious that at this
very time, they were endeavouring to excite the Indians against the
United States. And, at the very moment that the Prophet was sending
his speech to the Governor, his emissaries were travelling far and
wide for the same purpose.
While this was the state of feeling between the parties, murders were
frequently committed on the Indians, and the treaty of Greenville
violated, by not handing over the murderers to justice. This was the
more galling, because on their part, that stipulation of the treaty
had been preserved inviolate. With Elkswatawa and his followers, this
disregard of the treaty, was a powerful theme. All the irritating
circumstances therewith connected, were collected, and often detailed
for the purpose of creating in the breasts of the Indians the most
unextinguishable hatred against the whites. Yet, although these things
caused much excitement, and were calculated to awaken suspicions,
still the Prophet's declarations were all peaceful; no overt act of
hostility could be proved against him; and as an explanation of his
motives for continual preachings, and for sending far and wide his
disciples, as he termed them, he stated that he wished, in imitation
of the United States, to form a union of all the tribes, for their own
mutual benefit and advantage. Up to the present time, Tecumseh had
been playing a subordinate part, although he was the master spirit,
and indeed the life and soul of the enterprise. He had kept entirely
aloof from the whites, during the peace which had reigned since the
treaty of Greenville, and wandering among distant tribes, had been
preparing them for the great struggle in which they were destined to
act.
We have already seen that he was opposed to the summary process of
removing his opponents, which had been suggested by his brother, the
Prophet; and now, upon the remonstrance of Gov. Harrison, and also
fearing the odium which would attach to their cause, should more
victims be sacrificed, and their shallow devices discovered, he began
to persuade his brother to desist from his persecutions on account of
witchcraft, and to declare publicly, that all the witches were
exterminated, and the Great Spirit appeased; and that then they would
adopt some other plan for the removing of those who were endeavouring
to thwart their views. The Prophet acquiesced. A revelation from the
Great Spirit was soon received, which said that all the witches were
exterminated, and he satisfied with his red children; and, soon after,
the two brothers were engaged heart and hand, in exciting jealousies
among the various tribes, toward their respective chiefs, and in
persuading them to take all authority into their own hands. This plan
was pursued with success:—all the chiefs who were opposed to the
Prophet were dethroned, and the affairs of their tribes managed by the
warriors. Dark and midnight meetings were now continually held;
multitudes were flocking from a distance to see the Prophet, and hear
him preach; and so much excitement prevailed, that constant
information of every proceeding was furnished to Gen. Harrison, at his
request, by persons employed for that purpose.
Information from sources, somewhat vague and questionable, was now
often received by the whites, indicating a hostile intention on the
part of the Indians. But the Prophet's band, or those who regularly
remained with him, were not sufficient in numbers to create much
alarm, and for a time, no active steps were taken. The great
gatherings to hear the words of the Prophet were now generally
attended with petty aggressions on the lands of the whites, and so
many accounts were brought in of a hostile disposition on the part of
the Indians, that the Governor began to organize and discipline the
militia of his territory. Circumstances had also transpired which
indicated an unfriendly feeling on the part of the British, and it now
became manifest that English agents had been tampering with the
Indians, and endeavouring to excite them against the United States.
About this time, also, the Prophet determined to remove his
head-quarters from their present position, near Fort Wayne, to the
upper branches of the Wabash. To this movement, there was strong
opposition, both from the red men and white, yet he succeeded. The
Miamies and Delawares, who claimed the land where he purposed to
locate himself, with a hope of defeating this measure, sent a
deputation to the Prophet, remonstrating with him for so doing. But he
refused to see them, and sent in his place his brother, Tecumseh. He
met them, and gave them such a reception that the deputation returned
with fear and trembling.
Elkswatawa's power was now at its height; yet he still had enemies,
men who would not have hesitated to seize and assassinate him, but for
the mystery which surrounded his character. Fearing for his personal
safety, he had from the commencement denounced the most awful
punishment against any one, who should dare to molest the “Prophet of
the Most High.” And on this account, so much was he feared even by
those who hated him, that his person was by all regarded as sacred.
Having removed to the upper branches of the Wabash, he settled at a
place which he called Tippecanoe, and began at once to build a town.
He also now began to mingle warlike with religious exercises, and
after preaching, it was customary for him to make his warriors to draw
the bow, throw the tomahawk, or wield the war club.
Notwithstanding these preparations, he was not yet ready to strike the
blow he had so long been meditating. The necessity of full preparation
had been urged by Tecumseh, who was the soul of all the proceedings,
and who was to give the signal and lead them on, the foremost in the
fight. Although the ascendency of the Prophet was so great, yet it was
chiefly in the tribes around him, that his power was felt. This was
but a part of his plan. To ensure the cordial co-operation of all the
distant and wandering tribes was likewise his object, and to effect
this was Tecumseh now incessantly labouring.
The mingling of warlike exercises with religious duties, and the
continual assembling of large crowds around the Prophet, partially
disclosed his intentions, and also served to awaken the whites to a
sense of their danger.
In consequence of the information which had been regularly forwarded
to Washington, orders were received from the general government, in
pursuance of an act of Congress previously passed, requiring the
different states and territories to organize, arm, and equip their
respective quotas of one hundred thousand men, and hold them in
readiness to march at a moment's warning. The Prophet was apprized of
these preparations, his plans were as yet unfinished, and all his
energies were directed, to lull the suspicions which his conduct had
created. As a first step he resolved to visit the Governor in person,
and sent him a runner, with a message to that effect, also stating,
that his views and intentions had been misrepresented, and soon after
made his appearance, accompanied only by his own immediate followers.
He was received with courtesy, and remained several days, during
which, in explanation of his views, he delivered to the Governor the
following speech:
“Father, it is three years since I first began with that system of
religion which I now practise. The white people and some of the
Indians were against me; but I had no other intention but to introduce
among the Indians those good principles of religion which the white
people profess. I was spoken badly of by the white people, who
reproached me with misleading the Indians; but I defy them to say that
I did any thing amiss.
“I heard when I settled on the Wabash that my father, the Governor,
had declared that all the land between Vincennes and Fort Wayne, was
the property of the ‘Seventeen Fires.’ I also heard that you wanted to
know, my father, whether I was man or God.
“The Great Spirit told me to tell the Indians, that he had made them,
and made the world—that he had placed them on it to do good and not
evil. I told all the red skins, that the way they were in was not
good, and that they ought to abandon it—that we ought to consider
ourselves as one man, but we ought to live agreeable to our customs,
the red people after their mode, and the white people after theirs;
and that they must always follow the directions of the Great Spirit,
and we must listen to him, as it was he that made us.
“Determine to listen to nothing that is bad. Do not take up the
tomahawk, should it be offered by the British or the Long Knives. Do
not meddle with any thing that does not belong to us, but let us mind
our own business and cultivate the ground, that our women and our
children may have enough to live on. I now inform you that it is our
intention to live in peace with our Father and his people for ever.
“My Father, I have informed you what we mean to do, and I call the
Great Spirit to witness the truth of my declaration. The religion
which I have established for the last three years, has been attended
to by the different tribes of Indians in this part of the world. Those
Indians were once different people; they are now but one; they are all
determined to practise what I have communicated to them, and that has
come immediately from the Great Spirit through me.
“Brother, I speak to you as a warrior. You are one. But let us lay
aside this character, and attend to the care of our children that they
may live in peace and comfort. We desire that you will join us for the
preservation of both red and white people. Formerly, when we lived in
ignorance, we were foolish; but now, since we listen to the voice of
the Great Spirit, we are happy.
“I have listened to what you have said to us. You have promised to
assist us. I now request you in behalf of all the red people, to use
your exertions to prevent the sale of liquor to us. We are all well
pleased to hear you say that you will endeavour to promote our
happiness. We give you every assurance that we will follow the
dictates of the Great Spirit.
“We are all well pleased with the attentions you have shown us; also
the good intentions of our Father the President.”
There was so much apparent frankness in this speech, that it won in a
great measure the confidence of the Governor. The Prophet continued
his visit for more than two weeks;—frequently addressed his followers,
dwelling solely on the evils of war, and the bad effects of ardent
spirits, and persuading them to live in peace and friendship with all
mankind. The Governor was astonished at the perfect ease with which he
governed his followers, and was convinced that they acted on
principle, from not being able to make them drink spirit, which he
tried to do by way of experiment.—Elkswatawa denied all connexion with
the British, and by his manner and address, succeeded in deceiving the
Governor, and even caused him to believe that his intentions had been
misrepresented. He went farther,—he satisfied the Governor that the
influence he had gained was beneficial to humanity, and having created
the impression he desired, returned with his followers to Tippecanoe.
We have now given a sketch of the great plan of union, which was
projected by the brothers, and traced the character of Elkswatawa,
from his first appearance as a Prophet, to the period at which he was
introduced in his temporary camp, on the prairie. His power was then
as great as we have painted it, and had been obtained by the means we
have stated. He was then professing peace, though doing all in his
power to bring about war. And now having brought up the history of the
Prophet to the period of which we are writing, we will proceed with
our narrative.