Clark, but they could not forget the distress of their kindred.
Tecumseh was too young to take part in this battle. Although he spent
much time in fighting sham battles, it was not until six years later
that he had an opportunity to fight in a real one. In 1786 he and his
elder brother went out with a band of warriors to check or drive back
Captain Logan, who was advancing toward Mad River.
In an encounter near Dayton the boy was forced for the first time to
face a cavalry charge. He had never imagined anything so terrifying. He
saw those great, rushing horses, the cruel flash of steel. He forgot his
hatred of the white man, his dreams of glory. His only thought was to
save his life. He threw down his gun and ran.
As soon as he recovered from his fright he felt very much ashamed of his
cowardly conduct. He was eager for another opportunity to test his
courage. Fortunately for him he did not have to wait long.
Tecumseh was with a party of Indians who attacked some flatboats on the
Ohio River. The boats were taken and all the men in charge of them were
killed except one, who was made prisoner.
This was an important occasion in the life of Tecumseh. He acted with
such daring and bravery that the old warriors of the party were
astonished. From that night the Shawnees spoke of Tecumseh as a brave.
Besides winning the good opinion of others, he regained his self-respect
and conquered fear.
The memory of this victory was not pleasant to Tecumseh. It was
followed by the burning of the prisoner. Although the burning of
prisoners was not rare among the Shawnee Indians this was the first time
Tecumseh had seen a man put to death in that barbarous manner, and he
grew sick and faint with horror at the sight. But this time he was
terrified not for himself but for another, and he was not ashamed of his
feelings.
Boy though he was, he stood before the older Indians and told them
plainly what he thought of their cruel act. He spoke with so much power
that he made all who heard him feel as he did about it. And they all
agreed never again to take part in so inhuman a practice.
On this night Tecumseh gave glimpses of the man he was to be. He proved
his valor; he showed mercy; he influenced warriors by his words.
III. ADVENTURES OF THE YOUNG BRAVE
A short time after Tecumseh had proved himself worthy to be considered
an Indian brave, he started with his brother Cheeseekau on a journey
across the woods and prairies of Indiana and Illinois. The brothers were
accompanied by a band of Kickapoo Indians. Such a journey was an
important part of the training of young warriors.
The party tramped through the country, courting hardships and adventure,
getting acquainted with the wilderness, hunting buffaloes, visiting
friendly tribes, learning many languages, breaking bread with
strangers, and visiting vengeance on enemies. To fall upon the
defenseless cabin of some sleeping frontiersman and murder him and his
family was in their eyes a feat to boast of.
But their warlike exploits were not confined to attacks on the white
settlers. If they found friendly tribes at war with other tribes they
joined them. In one of these battles Cheeseekau met his death, singing
and rejoicing that it was his lot to fall like a warrior on the field of
battle. This young man is said to have had a vision that he should die.
Before going into battle he made a formal speech, telling his friends
that he would be shot in the forehead in the thick of the fight, and his
prophecy was fulfilled.
After Cheeseekau's death Tecumseh took his place as leader of the
company and continued his wanderings to the South. There he made many
friends and had numerous stirring adventures. One evening just as he and
his eight followers were about to go to bed their camp was attacked by
thirty white men. Tecumseh ordered his frightened comrades to follow him
and rushed upon the enemy with such spirit and force that his little
company killed two of the assailants and frightened the rest away.
Tecumseh returned to Ohio after an absence of three years. He discovered
that it is not always necessary to go away from home to find adventures.
His friends and neighbors were greatly excited about a victory which
they had just gained over the United States troops under General Harmer.
The next year, 1791, the new republic sent General St. Clair with a
large army into the Indian country. Tecumseh's recent expedition had
fitted him to be a good scout, and he was therefore sent out to watch
the movements of St. Clair's troops. While he was employed scouting, the
main body of Indians fell suddenly upon St. Clair's troops and
completely routed them. During the next few years there was no lack of
opportunity for the Shawnees to indulge their love of battle; for
General Wayne, "Mad Anthony Wayne," as he was called, proved a more
formidable foe than had General St. Clair. Tecumseh's reputation as a
warrior was soon firmly established.
He was equally noted as a hunter. Though he had long been pointed out as
one of the best Shawnee hunters, many young men had claimed as great
success as he. At length some one suggested a way to decide who was the
ablest hunter.
"Let us," said he, "each go alone into the forest, for three days, to
hunt the deer, and the one who brings home the largest number of deer
skins shall be considered the greatest hunter."
All agreed to this test, and several noted hunters started out. After
three days each returned bearing the evidence of his skill as a hunter.
Some proudly displayed ten skins, some twelve. Last of all came Tecumseh
with thirty-five deer skins. Then the other Indians stopped boasting,
and declared Tecumseh the greatest hunter of the Shawnee nation.
Tecumseh was a generous hunter as well as a skillful one. He made it his
business to provide many who were old or sick with meat and skins.
Among the Indians the hero was the man who could do most to help his
tribe. He could do that by hunting, to supply its members with food and
clothing, by speaking wisely in council, to lead them to act for their
highest welfare, and by fighting to defend their rights or avenge their
wrongs. A brave who could do all this was worthy of being a chief, even
if he was not the eldest son of a chief.
Tecumseh had shown that he could hunt, that he could speak in council,
that he could fight. He had therefore all the requirements for a chief.
Moreover, he had great influence with the young men of the neighboring
tribes.
IV. TECUMSEH DISSATISFIED
The suffering among the Indians was so great because of the ceaseless
war they had carried on against the white people, that in 1795 many of
the tribes were ready to accept the terms of peace offered by the United
States government.
Accordingly, in June a treaty was made at Greenville, Ohio. The Indians
promised to give up all claim to many thousand acres of land in the
Northwest Territory, to live at peace with the white settlers occupying
the land, to notify them of the hostile plans of other tribes, to
surrender whatever prisoners they had, to give up evil doers for trial,
to protect travelers and traders, and to recognize no "father" but the
President of the United States.
In return for all this the national government pledged itself to give
the Indians a yearly "present" of food, blankets, powder, and other
necessities, to respect the boundary lines and prevent settlers from
hunting or intruding on Indian lands, and to punish white men who were
found guilty of robbing or murdering Indians.
Tecumseh would not attend the council at which the treaty was made. Much
as he felt the need of peace he was unwilling to pay for it a price
which he thought the white man had no right to ask. He was unwilling to
give up the lands which the Great Spirit had allotted to the Indians,
and which were necessary to their very existence.
He foresaw that in the years of peace to which the Indians had pledged
themselves, white men without number would come to make their homes in
the fertile lands secured by the treaty. He foresaw that while the
settlements flourished the tribes would become more and more dependent
and submissive to the will of their civilized neighbors.
The injurious effect of civilization upon the Indian tribes was only too
evident to all. The Superintendent of Indian Affairs later wrote to
President Jefferson: "I can tell at once upon looking at an Indian whom
I may chance to meet whether he belongs to a neighboring or to a more
distant tribe. The latter is generally well-clothed, healthy, and
vigorous; the former, half-naked, filthy, and enfeebled by intoxication,
and many of them are without arms excepting a knife, which they carry
for the most villainous purposes."
What wonder that the patriotic Tecumseh refused to sanction a treaty
which he considered a step toward the downfall of his race! He
remembered the dead hero Pontiac, and wished that the red men had such a
chieftain to unite them and rouse their manhood. He determined
henceforth to take Pontiac for his model and to do what he could to
unite his people and prepare them to resist the next attempt of the
palefaces to take the land of the redskins. With this idea in view he
used his influence to collect from various tribes a band of followers,
who made him their chief.
The new chief was not an unworthy successor of the great Pontiac. Though
living at a time when the Indians were beginning to lose much of their
native vigor and virtue, Tecumseh had grown to be one of the most
princely red men we know anything about.
[Illustration: TECUMSEH]
His appearance was dignified and pleasing. Colonel W. S. Hatch gave the
following picturesque description of him: "His height was about five
feet nine inches; his face, oval rather than angular; his mouth,
beautifully formed, like that of Napoleon I., as represented in his
portraits; his eyes, clear, transparent hazel, with a mild, pleasant
expression when in repose, or in conversation; but when excited in his
orations or by the enthusiasm of conflict, or when in anger, they
appeared like balls of fire; his teeth, beautifully white, and his
complexion more of a light brown or tan than red; his whole tribe, as
well as their kindred, the Ottawas, had light complexions; his arms and
hands were finely formed; his limbs straight; he always stood very
erect, and walked with a brisk, elastic, vigorous step. He invariably
dressed in Indian tanned buckskin; a perfectly well-fitting hunting
frock descending to the knee was over his underclothes of the same
material; the usual cape with finish of leather fringe about the neck,
cape, edges of the front opening, and bottom of the frock; a belt of the
same material, in which were his sidearms (an elegant silver-mounted
tomahawk and a knife in a strong leather case); short pantaloons,
connected with neatly fitting leggings and moccasins, with a mantle of
the same material thrown over his left shoulder, used as a blanket in
camp, and as a protection in storms."
Tecumseh's character was not that of the typical Indian, because it was
broader. The virtues that most Indians exercise only in the family, or,
at best, in the tribe, he practised toward his entire race, and, to some
extent, toward all mankind. He once said: "My tribe is nothing to me; my
race, everything." His hatred of the white man was general, not
personal. Able, brave men, whether red or white, he respected and
admired. While most Indians thought it necessary to be truthful to
friends only, Tecumseh was honest in his dealings with his enemies. He
often set white men an example of mercy.
An amusing story is told of him, which shows how kindly tolerant he was
where he could feel nothing but contempt for a man: One evening on
entering the house of a white man with whom he was acquainted, Tecumseh
found a gigantic stranger there, who was so badly frightened at sight of
him that he took refuge behind the other men in the room, begging them
to save him. Tecumseh stood a moment sternly watching the great fellow.
Then he went up and patted the cowering creature on the shoulder, saying
good naturedly, "Big baby; big baby!"
In 1804 and 1805, before the new chief was ready for decided action,
Governor Harrison, of Indiana Territory, made additional treaties with a
few weak and submissive tribes, by which he laid claim to more land.
This measure aroused such general indignation among the more hardy and
warlike Indians that Tecumseh felt the time had come when he might win
them to support his cherished plan of united opposition to the whites.
V. TECUMSEH'S BROTHER, THE PROPHET
Tecumseh had not been alone in his anxiety for the future of his race.
After the death of his elder brother he had made his twin brother,
Laulewasikaw, his trusted comrade. Together they had talked over the
decay in power and manliness that was swiftly overtaking the tribes, and
the wrongs the red men suffered at the hands of the white. They had not
spent their strength in useless murmurings, but had analyzed the causes
of trouble and decided how they might be removed.
[Illustration: THE PROPHET]
One day after brooding deeply over these matters Laulewasikaw fell upon
the earth in a swoon. For a long time he lay quite stiff and rigid, and
those who saw him thought he was dead. But by and by he gave a deep moan
and opened his eyes. For a moment he looked about as if he did not know
where he was. On coming to his senses he explained to his friends that
he had had a vision in which he had seen the Great Spirit, who had told
him what to do to save the Indian people from destruction.
From that time he styled himself "Prophet" and claimed to act under the
direction of the Great Spirit. He changed his name to Tenskwatawa to
signify that he was the "Open Door," through which all might learn the
will of the Great Spirit.
Though professing to have supernatural power himself, Tenskwatawa
realized the degrading effect of petty superstition and the terror and
injury the medicine men were able to bring upon the simple-minded
Indians who believed in their charms and spells. He denounced the
practice of sorcery and witchcraft as against the will of the Great
Spirit.
Many of the Prophet's teachings were such as we should all approve of.
Wishing to purify the individual and family life of the Indians, he
forbade men to marry more than one wife, and commanded them to take care
of their families and to provide for those who were old and sick. He
required them to work, to till the ground and raise corn, and to hunt.
Some of his teachings were intended to make the Indians as a people
independent of the white race. The Great Spirit, said Tenskwatawa, had
made the Indians to be a single people, quite distinct from the white
men and for different purposes. The tribes must therefore stop fighting
with one another and must unite and live peaceably together as one
tribe. They must not fight with the white men, either Americans or
British. Neither must they intermarry with them or adopt their customs.
The Great Spirit wished his red children to throw aside the garments of
cotton and wool they had borrowed from the whites and clothe themselves
in the skins of wild animals; he wished them to stop feeding on pork and
beef, and bread made from wheat, and instead to eat the flesh of the
wild deer and the bison, which he had provided for them, and bread made
from Indian corn. Above all, they must let alone whisky which might do
well enough for white men, but was never intended for Indians.
Furthermore, Tenskwatawa taught the Indians that a tribe had no right to
sell the land it lived on. The Great Spirit had given the red people the
land that they might enjoy it in common, just as they did the light and
the air. He did not wish them to measure it off and build fences around
it. Since no one chief or tribe owned the land, no single chief or tribe
could sell it. No Indian territory therefore could be sold to the white
men without the consent of all tribes and all Indians.
The words of the Prophet were eagerly listened to. Indians came from far
and near to hear him. Some were so excited by what he said against
witchcraft that they put to death those who persisted in using charms
and pronouncing incantations.
[Illustration: ECLIPSE OF THE SUN]
The sayings and doings of the Shawnee Prophet soon attracted the
attention of the Governor of Indiana Territory. Pity for the victims of
the Prophet's misguided zeal, and alarm because of the influence
Tenskwatawa seemed to be gaining, led Governor William Henry Harrison to
take measures to check the popularity of a man who seemed to be a fraud
and a mischief-maker. He sent to the Delaware Indians the following
"speech":
"My Children: My heart is filled with grief, and my eyes are dissolved
in tears at the news which has reached me. * * * Who is this pretended
prophet who dares to speak in the name of the Great Creator? Examine
him. Is he more wise and 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 authorized him to perform
miracles, that he may be known and received as a prophet. If he is
really a prophet, ask 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 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 authorized to point
them out. Wretched delusion! Is, then, the Master of Life obliged to
employ mortal man to punish those who offend Him? * * * Clear your eyes,
I beseech you, from the mist which surrounds them. No longer be imposed
on by the arts of the impostor. Drive him from your town and let peace
and harmony prevail amongst you."
This letter increased rather than diminished the influence of the
Prophet. He met the Governor's doubt of his power with fine scorn and
named a day on which he would "put the sun under his feet." Strange to
say, on the day named an eclipse of the sun occurred, and the affrighted
savages quaked with fear and thought it was all the work of Tenskwatawa.
VI. GREENVILLE
Tenskwatawa met with strong opposition from some of the Indians. The
small chiefs especially were displeased with the idea that the tribes
should unite to form one people, as that would take away their own
power. They, therefore, heard the Prophet with anger, and carried away
an evil report of him.
Still, many believed all that he said, and wished to gain the good will
of the Great Spirit by doing his bidding. They were willing to leave
their tribes to follow the Prophet. So it happened that in 1806
Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh with their followers established a town at
Greenville, Ohio. There all lived in accordance with the Prophet's
teachings. They strengthened their bodies by running and swimming and
wrestling. They lived at peace without drunkenness. They minded their
own affairs. Now, all this was just what President Jefferson, the
Indians' friend, had often advised the red men to do.
Yet the white neighbors were greatly disturbed and wished to break up
the Prophet's town. In the first place the town was on land that had
been ceded to the United States, or the Seventeen Fires (as the Indians
picturesquely named the new nation), by the treaty of Greenville. Then,
the visiting Indians who came from all parts of the country to hear the
words of the Prophet were a constant source of alarm to the border
settlers. And, although he professed to preach peace, the Prophet was
believed by many to be preparing secretly for war.
Besides, innocent as most of his teachings appeared, those regarding
property rights were hostile to the white race and decidedly annoying to
the men who coveted the hunting grounds of the savages. The United
States government in acquiring land from the Indians had usually
proceeded as if it were the property of the tribe that camped or hunted
upon it. The Indian Commissioners had had little difficulty in gaining
rich tracts of land from weak tribes, at comparatively little expense,
by this method. When it came to a question of land, even Jefferson had
little sympathy for the Indians. He had not scrupled to advise his agent
to encourage chiefs to get into debt at the trading posts, so that when
hard pressed for money they might be persuaded to part with the lands of
their tribes.
Now Tecumseh had seen that the whole struggle between the red men and
the white was a question of land. If the white men were kind to the
Indians and came among them with fair promises and goodly presents,
their object was to get land. If they came with threats and the sword,
their object was, still, to get land. They needed the land. They could
not grow and prosper without it. But if the white men needed land in
order to live how much more did the Indians need it! Where a few acres
of farm land would give a white family comfortable support, many acres
were needed to support an Indian family by the chase. Tecumseh argued in
this way: The Seventeen Fires unite to get our lands from us. Let us
follow their example. Let us unite to hold our lands. Let us keep at
peace with them and do them no harm. Let us give them no reason to fight
with us and take our land in battle. When they offer to buy we will
refuse to sell. If they try to force us to part with our lands we will
stand together and resist them like men.
He heartily agreed with his brother's teachings concerning property
rights, and possibly suggested many ideas that Tenskwatawa fancied he
received from the Great Spirit. Certain it is that Tecumseh had long
held similar views and had done his best to spread them. Although
Tenskwatawa was more conspicuous than Tecumseh, the latter had the
stronger character. For a time he kept in the background and let his
brother do the talking, but his personal influence had much to do with
giving weight to the Prophet's words.
The brothers had not been at Greenville long before they were summoned
to Fort Wayne by the commandant there to hear a letter from their
"father," the President of the Seventeen Fires. Tecumseh refused to go.
He demanded that the letter be brought to him. This put the officer in a
trying position, but there was nothing left for him to do but send the
letter to Greenville. It proved to be a request that the Prophet move
his town beyond the boundaries of the territory owned by the United
States. The letter was courteous, and offered the Indians assistance to
move and build new homes.
To the President's request Tecumseh sent a decided refusal. He said:
"These lands are ours; we were the first owners; no one has the right to
move us. The Great Spirit appointed this place for us to light our fires
and here we will stay."
The settlement continued to be a source of annoyance to the government.
Indians kept coming from distant regions to visit the Prophet. Rumor
said that the brothers were working under the direction of British
agents, who were trying to rouse the Indians to make war on the United
States.
To counteract the British influence the Governor of Ohio sent a message
to Greenville. At a council called to consider the Governor's letter,
the chief, Blue Jacket, and the Prophet made speeches in which they
declared their wish to remain at peace with the British and the Long
Knives, as they called the settlers.
Tecumseh accompanied the commissioners on their return and held a
conference with the Governor of Ohio. He spoke plainly, saying the
Indians had little cause for friendliness to either the British or the
people of the United States, both of whom had robbed them of their lands
by making unjust treaties. But he assured the governor that for their
own sake the Indians wished to remain at peace with both nations.
The Governor, like all who heard Tecumseh speak, was impressed with his
sense and honesty, and believed that the Indians were not planning war.
A little later Tecumseh was again called to Springfield to attend a
large council of Indians and white men. The council was held to
determine who was responsible for the murder of a white man, who had
been found dead not far from Springfield. On this occasion Tecumseh
attracted much attention. In the first place he refused to give up his
arms, and entered the council with the dignity of manner and the arms of
a warrior.