Birth place of Tecumseh--destruction of the Piqua village--early
habits of Tecumseh--his first battle--effort to abolish the burning
of prisoners--visits the Cherokees in the south--engages in several
battles--returns to Ohio in the autumn of 1790.
Some diversity of opinion has prevailed as to the birth place of
Tecumseh. It is generally supposed, and indeed is stated by several
historians to have been in the Scioto valley, near the place where
Chillicothe now stands. Such, however, is not the fact. He was born in
the valley of the Miamis, on the bank of Mad River, a few miles below
Springfield, and within the limits of Clark county. Of this there is
the most satisfactory evidence. In the year 1805, when the Indians were
assembling at Greenville, as it was feared with some hostile intention
against the frontiers, the governor of Ohio sent Duncan McArthur and
Thomas Worthington to that place, to ascertain the object and
disposition of these Indians. Tecumseh and three other chiefs agreed to
return with these messengers to Chillicothe, then the seat of
government, for the purpose of holding a "talk" with the governor.
General McArthur, in a letter to the author of this work, under date of
19th November, 1821, says, "When on the way from Greenville to
Chillicothe, Tecumseh pointed out to us the place where he was born. It
was in an old Shawanoe town, on the north-west side of Mad River, about
six miles below Springfield." This fact is corroborated by Stephen
Ruddell, the early and intimate associate of Tecumseh, who states that
he was "born in the neighborhood of 'old Chillicothe,' in the year
1768." The "old Chillicothe" here spoken of was a Shawanoe village,
situated on Massie's creek, three miles north of where Xenia now
stands, and about ten or twelve miles south of the village pointed out
by Tecumseh, to general McArthur, as the spot of his nativity. This
village was the ancient Piqua of the Shawanoes, and occupied the site
on which a small town called West Boston has since been built. The
principal part of Piqua stood upon a plain, rising fifteen or twenty
feet above the river. On the south, between the village and Mad River,
there was an extensive prairie--on the north-east some bold cliffs,
terminating near the river--on the west and south-west, level timbered
land; while on the opposite side of the stream, another prairie, of
varying width, stretched back to the high grounds. The river sweeping
by in a graceful bend--the precipitous rocky cliffs--the undulating
hills with their towering trees--the prairies garnished with tall grass
and brilliant flowers--combined to render the situation of Piqua both
beautiful and picturesque.
At the period of its destruction, Piqua was quite populous. There was a
rude log fort within its limits, surrounded by pickets. It was,
however, sacked and burnt on the 8th of August, 1780, by an army of one
thousand men from Kentucky, after a severe and well conducted battle
with the Indians who inhabited it. All the improvements of the Indians,
including more than two hundred acres of corn and other vegetables,
then growing in their fields, were laid waste and destroyed. The town
was never afterwards rebuilt by the Shawanoes. Its inhabitants removed
to the Great Miami river, and erected another town which they called
Piqua, after the one that had just been destroyed; and in defence of
which they had fought with the skill and valor characteristic of their
nation.[A]
[Footnote A: For this sketch of Piqua, the author is chiefly indebted
to his venerable friend, Major James Galloway, of Xenia, Ohio.]
The birth of Tecumseh has been placed by some writers in the year 1771.
Ruddell states that it occurred in 1768, three years earlier, and this,
we think, is probably the true period. His early boyhood gave promise
of the renown of his maturer years. After the death of his father,
which occurred when he was in his sixth year, he was placed under the
charge of his oldest brother, Cheeseekau, who taught him to hunt, led
him to battle, and labored zealously to imbue his mind with a love for
truth, generosity, and the practice of those cardinal Indian virtues,
courage in battle and fortitude in suffering. From his boyhood,
Tecumseh seems to have had a passion for war. His pastimes, like those
of Napoleon, were generally in the sham-battle field. He was the leader
of his companions in all their sports, and was accustomed to divide
them into parties, one of which he always headed, for the purpose of
fighting mimic battles, in which he usually distinguished himself by
his activity, strength and skill.[A] His dexterity in the use of the
bow and arrow exceeded that of all the other Indian boys of his tribe,
by whom he was loved and respected, and over whom he exercised
unbounded influence. He was generally surrounded by a set of companions
who were ready to stand or fall by his side.[B] It is stated that the
first battle in which he was engaged, occurred on Mad River, near where
Dayton stands, between a party of Kentuckians, commanded by colonel
Benjamin Logan, and some Shawanoes. At this time Tecumseh was very
young, and joined the expedition under the care of his brother, who was
wounded at the first fire. It is related by some Indian chiefs that
Tecumseh, at the commencement of the action, became frightened and
ran.[C] This may be true, but it is the only instance in which he was
ever known to shrink from danger, or to loose that presence of mind for
which he was ever afterwards remarkably distinguished.
[Footnote A: Stephen Ruddell's MS. account.]
[Footnote B: Anthony Shane.]
[Footnote C: A similar statement is made in regard to the first battle
of the celebrated Red Jacket.]
The next action in which Tecumseh participated, and in which he
manifested signal prowess, was an attack made by the Indians upon some
flat boats, descending the Ohio, above Limestone, now Maysville. The
year in which it occurred is not stated, but Tecumseh was not probably
more than sixteen or seventeen years of age. The boats were captured,
and all the persons belonging to them killed, except one, who was taken
prisoner, and afterwards burnt. Tecumseh was a silent spectator of the
scene, having never witnessed the burning of a prisoner before. After
it was over, he expressed in strong terms, his abhorrence of the act,
and it was finally concluded by the party that they would never burn
any more prisoners;[A] and to this resolution, he himself, and the
party also, it is believed, ever afterwards scrupulously adhered. It is
not less creditable to the humanity than to the genius of Tecumseh,
that he should have taken this noble stand, and by the force and
eloquence of his appeal, have brought his companions to the same
resolution. He was then but a boy, yet he had the independence to
attack a cherished custom of his tribe, and the power of argument to
convince them, against all their preconceived notions of right and the
rules of warfare, that the custom should be abolished. That his effort
to put a stop to this cruel and revolting rite, was not prompted by any
temporary expediency, but was the result of a humane disposition, and a
right sense of justice, is abundantly shown by his conduct towards
prisoners in after life.
[Footnote A: Stephen Ruddell.]
The boats were owned by traders. The number of whites killed in the
engagement has not been ascertained. In the attack upon them, Tecumseh
not only behaved with great courage, but even left in the back ground
some of the oldest and bravest warriors of the party. From this time
his reputation as a brave, and his influence over other minds, rose
rapidly among the tribe to which he belonged.
About the year 1787, Cheeseekau and Tecumseh, with a party of
Kiscopokes, one of the tribes of the Shawanoe nation, moved westward on
a hunting and predatory expedition. They made a stand for some months
on the waters of the Mississinnaway, and then crossed over to the
Mississippi, opposite the mouth of Apple creek, where they encamped and
remained for eight or nine months. From thence they proceeded towards
the Cherokee country. On their route, while opposite fort Massac, they
engaged in a buffalo chase, during which Tecumseh was thrown from his
horse, and had his thigh broken.[A] This accident detained them for
some months at the place where it occurred. So soon as he had
recovered, the party, headed by Cheeseekau, proceeded on their way to
the country of the Cherokees, who were then at hostilities with the
whites. With that fondness for adventure and love of war, which have
ever marked the Shawanoe character, they immediately offered assistance
to their brethren of the south, which being accepted, they joined in
the contest.
[Footnote A: Shane thinks both thighs were broken, Ruddell says but
one.]
The engagement in which they participated was an attack upon a fort,
the name and position of which were not known to our informant. The
Indians, it is well known are always superstitious, and from the fact
of Cheeseekau, having foretold his death, its occurrence disheartened
them, and in despite of the influence of Tecumseh and the Cherokee
leaders, who rose above the superstition of their comrades, the attack
was given up, and a sudden retreat followed.
Tecumseh, who had left the banks of the Miami in quest of adventures,
and for the purpose of winning renown as a warrior, told the party that
he was determined not to return to his native land, until he had
achieved some act worthy of being recounted. He accordingly selected
eight or ten men and proceeded to the nearest settlement, attacked a
house, killed all the men in it, and took the women and children
prisoners. He did not immediately retreat, but engaged in some other
similar adventures. During this expedition he was three times attacked
in the night in his encampment; but owing to his good judgment in the
choice of his camping ground, and his habitual watchfulness when in an
enemy's country, no advantage was gained over him. On one occasion,
while encamped in the edge of a cane-brake on the waters of the
Tennessee, he was assaulted by a party of whites, about thirty in
number. Tecumseh had not lain down, but was engaged at the moment of
the attack, in dressing some meat. He instantly sprang to his feet, and
ordering his small party to follow him, rushed upon his foes with
perfect fearlessness; and, having killed two, put the whole party to
flight, he losing none of his own men.
Tecumseh and his party remained at the south nearly two years,
traversing that region of country, visiting the different tribes of
Indians, and engaging in the border forays which at that period were
constantly occurring between the whites and the native possessors of
the soil. He now determined to return home, and accordingly set out
with eight of his party. They passed through western Virginia, crossed
the Ohio near the mouth of the Scioto, and visiting the Machichac towns
on the head waters of Mad River, from thence proceeded to the Auglaize,
which they reached in the fall of 1790, shortly after the defeat of
general Harmar, having been absent from Ohio upwards of three years.