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ECUMSEH, (the Crouching Panther,) was one of the greatest chiefs who
ever led the red men to battle. He was by birth a Shawanee, a tribe
which has ever been noted for its aversion to the whites. He was born
about 1770, and first became distinguished in 1792, when, at the head
of a small band of warriors, he surprised and murdered a party of whites
upon Hacker’s Creek. From that time he continued to acquire a reputation
for all the qualities, which, in the estimation of the Indians, make up
a great leader.
In 1809, Governor Harrison, agreeably to instructions from government,
purchased of the Delawares, Miamis, and Shawanees, the country on
both sides of the Wabash, and extending sixty miles above Vincennes.
Tecumseh demurred to the sale, and Harrison, wishing to conciliate him,
appointed the 12th day of August, 1810, as the time, and Vincennes, as
the place, for holding a council to settle his claims. In this council,
Tecumseh delivered a speech, which eloquently unfolded his views of the
aggressions of the white men, and urged that the sale of the land was
invalid, because not made with the consent of all the red men living
upon it. After Tecumseh had concluded his speech, and was about to seat
himself, he observed that no chair had been placed for him. Harrison
immediately ordered one, and as the interpreter handed it to him, he
said, “Your father requests you to take a chair.”
“My father!” said Tecumseh, with sublime dignity, “the sun is my
father, and the earth is my mother, and on her bosom will I repose,”
and immediately seated himself upon the ground. When the council had
concluded, Tecumseh expressed his intention to fight rather than yield
the ground. “It is my determination,” said he, “nor will I give rest to
my feet until I have united all the red men in the like resolution.”
The threat was soon executed. The active chief visited all the western
tribes from the Winnebagoes to the Creeks, and made use of all means of
persuasion to unite them, with one aim, the maintenance of their country
free from the rule of the white man. Superstition is mighty among the
red men, and Tecumseh had the means of turning it to his purpose.
His brother, the well-known Prophet, (Ellskwatawa,) had obtained
a reputation among the neighboring Indians, as a medicine-man and
conjurer. He announced that the Great Spirit had conversed with him, and
commissioned him to restore the red men to their primitive power. The
Indians believed in the truth of the commission, and the Prophet, by his
craft and eloquence succeeded in gaining an influence among them, second
only to that of his great-spirited brother. A formidable confederacy was
soon formed of which Tecumseh was the head.
The battle of Tippecanoe was fought on the night of November 6, 1811,
in which sixty-two Americans were killed and one hundred and twenty-six
wounded. The Prophet is said to have conducted the attack, but did not
expose himself to danger. The vigilance of Harrison, and the bravery
of his men, repulsed the Indians, inflicting upon them a severe loss.
Tecumseh was not in the battle.
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When the war broke out between Great Britain and the United States,
Tecumseh seized the opportunity to join the British general with a large
body of his warriors. He received the commission of brigadier-general
in the British army. During the latter part of his active life, he was
under the direction of General Proctor; but is said to have been greatly
dissatisfied with his proceedings. After Perry’s victory on Lake Erie,
Proctor abandoned Detroit, and retreated up the Thames, pursued by
General Harrison, with the American army. Harrison overtook him near
the Moravian town, on the 5th of October, 1813. By a novel manoeuvre,
ordered by Harrison, and executed by Colonel Johnson, the British line
was broken and put to flight.
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The Indians, commanded by Tecumseh, maintained their ground, with a
noble determination. The great chief fought with desperation, until a
shot in the head from an unknown hand, laid him dead upon the field. His
warriors, as if they had lost their spirit, then fled, leaving about one
hundred and twenty men dead upon the field.
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Tecumseh was about forty-four years of age when he fell. He was about
five feet ten inches in height, and of a noble appearance. His carriage
was erect and lofty--his motions quick--his eyes keen, black, and
piercing--his visage stern, with an air of hauteur, which expressed
his pride of spirit. He is said to have been reserved and stern in his
manners. After his fall, the Indians became anxious to secure peace,
convinced that their cause was hopeless. The Prophet lost their
confidence, and sunk into insignificance.
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