Consolidated Docket No. 317, Defendant Exhibits 61-171

Dft. Ex. 160

Pioneer History of Indiana

pp. 1 (Title page), 245, 246.

PIONEER

History of Indiana

Including
Stories, Incidents and Customs of the
Early Settlers

Cockrum, Col. William M.
Pioneer History of Indiana
pp. 245-246.

Sometime in 1808 the Prophet located a town at the junction of the Tippecanoe River with the Wabash, about one hundred and fifty miles up stream from Vincennes. This town contained several hundred of the Prophet's followers who claimed to be tillers of the soil and total abstainers from the use of whiskey.

Tecumseh in every way was far above his brother. He was a brave, far-seeing, eloquent man and rose to a high position equal to Pontiac in the northwestern United States. The policy of the United States government had for some years been to extinguish by treaties the claim the Indians had to land lying in Indiana Territory. Those made by the long and tedious negotiations brought the Indians a great variety of articles that were of great value to them.

In conformity with instructions of the President, James Madison, Governor Harrison at Ft. Wayne, September 30, 1809, concluded a treaty with the head men and chiefs of the Delaware, Pottawattamies, Miamis, Eel River, Kickapoos and Wea Indians, by which in consideration of eight thousand and two hundred dollars paid down and annuities amounting in aggregate to two thousand, three hundred and fifty dollars, he obtained the cession of nearly three million acres of land extending up the Wabash beyond Terre Haute, below the mouth of Raccoon creek, including the middle waters of the White rivers.

Neither Tecumseh, the Prophet nor any of the other Indians who had gathered around their standard, owned or had any claim to the land which had been ceded to the United States, yet they denounced the Indians, who owned the land, for selling it, threatened them with death and did kill several of the parties to the treaty, declaring that the treaty was void unless all the tribes should agree to it, and that the land did not belong to any one tribe but to all of them jointly. Tecumseh used this argument in his attempts to form a confederation of all the Indians (which, without doubt was intended to become a great military organization.) In this he was encouraged by the British at Malden who were then preparing a way to have all the Indians for allies in the coming

war which was certain to occur between Great Britain and the United States. Tecumseh knew that if the land which had been ceded was open for settlement, by the whites, the game would be destroyed and the Indians compelled to move to more distant hunting grounds. Tecumseh's determined and threatening opposition to the treaties brought all the trouble on between Harrison and the Indians.

In obedience to the conditions of the Ft. Wayne treaty, made September 30, 1809, the annuity was to be paid annually. In the spring of 1810, the Indians in the Prophet's town refused to receive the annuity salt sent them in compliance with that treaty, insulting the men who had brought the salt, calling them "American dogs." This, with many other hostile demonstrations, caused Governor Harrison to send several messages to Tecumseh and the Prophet. The Governor understood that there was danger of an outbreak and made every effort to thwart it. Tecumseh sent word by one of the Governor's messengers that he intended to visit him and in August arrived in the vicinity of Vincennes with four hundred warriors fully armed. They went into camp near the town and there was much uneasiness felt at so many Indians being in such close proximity. The Governor managed the affairs so as to prevent a collision between the two races but soon after the close of this conference a small detachment of United States troops under the command of Captain Cross was ordered from Newport, Kentucky, to Vincennes. These troops, together with three companies of Indiana Militia Infantry and a company of Dragoons constituted such a force that those living in the neighborhood of Vincennes would not be in any danger from an Indian outbreak. The Prophet and his adherents were holding secret conferences with the British from their stations on Lake Erie and at Malden.

During the winter of 1810-11, there were no serious outbreaks but there were many small raids by the Indians and counter-raids by the white settlers. General William Clark, writing to the war department from St. Louis, on July 3, 1811, made the following report- "All information received.