Consolidated Docket No. 317, Defendant Exhibits 61-171

Dft. Ex. 162

History of Indiana

pp. 1 (Title page), 442, 443, 444,
445, 446, 447.

A

HISTORY OF INDIANA,

He spoke to Mr. Barron in a cold, formal manner; told him that his life was in no danger, and requested him to state the object of his visit to the Prophet's Town. The contents of the letter of Governor Harrison were then communicated to the prophet. Mr. Barron received no definite answer to this letter, but he was told that Tecumseh would, in the course of a few days, visit Vincennes for the purpose of holding an interview with the governor.

On the 12th of August, 1810, Tecumseh, attended by seventy-five warriors, arrived at Vincennes. From this time until the 22d of August, Governor Harrison was almost daily engaged in the business of holding interviews and councils with this celebrated Shawanee Indian. The conduct of Tecumseh was haughty; and his speeches were bold, and, in some degree, arrogant. In one of his speeches, addressed to Governor Harrison on the 20th of August, which was taken down, by the order of the governor,* the following passages are found:

"Brother,- I wish you to listen to me well. As I think you do not clearly understand what I before said to you, I will explain it again. * * Brother,- Since the peace [of Greenville, in 1795,] was made, you have killed some of the Shawanees, Winnebagoes, Delawares, and Miamis; and you have taken our lands from us; and I do not see how we can remain at peace with you, if you continue to do so. You try to force the red people to do some injury. It is you that are pushing them on to do mischief. You endeavor to make distinctions. you wish to prevent the Indians to do as we wish them, to unite and let them consider their lands as the common property of the whole. You take tribes aside, and advised them not to come into this measure; and, until our design is accomplished, we do not wish to accept of your invitation to go and see the presi-

* "His [Tecumseh's] speeches, the two first days, were sufficiently insolent, and his pretensions arrogant, but that of Monday I inclose to you entire, as it was taken down by a gentleman whom I employed for that purpose, and is as correct as could be expected, considering the interpreter speaks very bad English, and is not very remarkable for clearness of intellect, although faithful in the highest degree, and in knowledge of the Indian language unrivalled."

^{- [LETTER FROM GOVERNOR HARRISON, TO HON. WILLIAM EUSTIS,
SECRETARY OF WAR, DATED "VINCENNES, 22D AUGUST, 1810."}

Meaning the white people of the United States.

dent. The reason, I tell you this, is, you want, by your distinctions of Indian tribes, in allotting to each a particular tract of land, to make them to war with each other. You never see an Indian come and endeavor to make the white people do so. You are continually driving the red people; when, at last, you will drive them into the great lake, where they can't either stand or work. Brother,- You ought to know what you are doing with the Indians. Perhaps it is by direction of the president to make those distinctions. It is a very bad thing; and we do not like it. Since my residence at Tippecanoe, we have endeavored to level all distinctions- to destroy village chiefs by whom all mischief is done. It is they who sell our lands to the Americans. Our object is to let our affairs be transacted by warriors.

"Brother: This land that was sold, and the goods that were given for it, was only done by a few. The treaty was afterward brought here, and the Weas were induced to give their consent, because of their small numbers. The treaty at Fort Wayne was made through the threats of Win-a-mac; but, in future, we are prepared to punish those chiefs who may come forward to propose to sell the land. If you continue to purchase of them, it will produce war among the different tribes, and, at last, I do not know what will be the consequence to the white people. Brother,- I was glad to hear your speech. You said that if we could show that the land was sold by people that had no right to sell, you would restore it. Those that did sell, did not own it. It was me. These tribes set up a claim; but the tribes with me will not agree to their claim. If the land is not restored to us, you will see, when we return to our homes, how it will be settled. We shall have a great council, at which all the tribes shall be present, when we shall show to those who sold, that they had no right to the claim they set up; and we will see what will be done with those chiefs that did sell the land to you. I am not alone in this determination. It is the determination of all the warriors and red people that listen to me. I now wish you to listen to me. If you do not, it will appear as if you wished me to kill all the chiefs that sold you the land. I tell you so, because I am authorized by all the tribes to do so. I am the head of them all. I am a warrior; and all the warriors will meet together

in two or three moons from this. Then I will call for those chiefs that sold you the land, and shall know what to do with them. If you do not restore the land, you will have a hand in killing them.

"Brother: Do not believe that I came here to get presents from you. If you offer us any, we will not take. By taking goods from you, you will hereafter say that with them you purchased another piece of land from us. * * * Brother: It has been the object of both myself and brother, [the prophet,] to prevent the lands being sold. Should you not return the land, it will occasion us to call a great council, that will meet at the Huron village, where the council fire has already been lighted, at which those who sold the lands shall be called, and shall suffer for their conduct.

"Brother: I wish you would take pity on the red people, and do what I have requested. If you will not give up the land, and do cross the boundary of your present settlement, it will be very hard, and produce great troubles among us. How can we have confidence in the white people! When Jesus Christ came upon the earth, you killed him, and nailed him on a cross. you thought he was dead; but you were mistaken. You have Shakers among you, and you laugh and make light of their worship. Every thing I have said to you is the truth. The Great Spirit has inspired me, and I speak nothing but the truth to you. * * * Brother, I hope you will confess that you ought not to have listened to those bad birds who bring you bad news. I have declared myself freely to you; and if any explanation [should be required] from our town, send a man who can speak to us. If you think proper to give us any presents, and we can be convinced that they are given through friendship alone, we will accept them. As we intend to hold our council at the Huron village, that is near the British, we may probably make them a visit. Should they offer us any presents of goods, we will not take them; but should they offer us powder and the tomahawk, we will take the powder and refuse the tomahawk. I wish you, brother, to consider everything I have said as true, and that it is the sentiment of all the red people that listen to me."

Immediately after the close of the speech of Tecumseh, on the 20th of August, Governor Harrison began to reply to it.

The governor was contrasting the conduct of the United States, toward the Indians, with that of other civilized nations, and speaking of the uniform regard to justice which was observed by the government of the United States, in its transactions with the most weak and insignificant tribes, when he was suddenly interrupted by Tecumseh, who, after speaking a few words, with violent gesticulations and strong indications of anger, declared that the statements of the governor were not true, and that he and the United States had "cheated and imposed on the Indians."* "When he first rose," says Governor Harrison, "a number of his party also sprung up, armed with war clubs, tomahawks, and spears, and stood in a threatening attitude. Not [understanding] his language, I did not know what had been said, until the interpreter explained it to me. But the secretary of the territory, General Gibson, who speaks the Shawanee language, and was sitting near me, apprehending some violence, requested Lieutenant [Jesse] Jennings to make a guard of twelve men, who were at a little distance, stand to their arms. The guard was brought forward; and, as soon as his speech was interpreted to me, I reproached him for his conduct, and required him instantly to depart to his camp- declaring that I was determined to extinguish the council fire, and no longer to have any communication with him; that my answer to that part of his speech, which related to the lands lately purchased, would be communicated to the tribes which, he said, he represented, in a written message; and if he had any thing further to say to me, he must send the Huron, or some other chief to me. When the interpreter visited him in the morning, he earnestly requested me to give him another interview, and protested that he meant no harm by his conduct the day before; and that he wished every thing to be amicably settled. He also told Mr. Barron that it was probable he had been deceived by white people; that he had been informed that the citizens here were equally divided- one half on my side, and the other on his- one-half opposed to the purchase of lands from the Indians; and the other, with me, determined to drive the Indians to extremities; that he had been told that I purchased the lands against the consent of

* Dawson's Life of Harrison, p. 157.- Drake's Life of Tecumseh, p. 128.

the government, and one-half of the people who, in fact, did not want the land, as they already had more than they could [use.] This he knew to be true, as he had sent some of his men to reconnoiter the settlements, and he found that the lands toward the Ohio were not settled at all."*

Governor Harrison consented to hold another interview with Tecumseh, who, when the council was opened, on the 21st of August, addressed the governor in a respectful and dignified manner, disclaimed any intention to offer an insult to him, and repeated, in substance, the views which he had expressed in the presence of the interpreter, by whom he was visited on the morning of that day. The governor then requested Tecumseh to state, plainly, whether the surveyors who might be sent to survey the lands- purchased by the treaty of Fort Wayne, in 1809- would be interrupted by the Indians; and whether the Kickapoos would, or would not, receive their annuities. Tecumseh, in reply, said: "Brother, when you speak of annuities to me, I look at the land, and pity the women and children. I am authorized to say that they will not receive them. Brother, we want to save that piece of land. We do not wish you to take it. It is small enough for our purpose. If you do take it, you must blame yourself as the cause of trouble between us and the tribes who sold it to you. I want the present boundary line to continue. Should you cross it, I assure you it will be productive of bad consequences." The council, which was held in a small grove that stood near the dwelling-house of the governor, was then brought to a close.

On the next day Governor Harrison, attended only by his interpreter, visited the camp of Tecumseh, where he was received politely. In the course of a long interview Tecumseh repeated the principal declarations and sentiments which he had previously uttered and avowed in open council; and when Governor Harrison told him that his claims and pretensions would not be acknowledged by the President of the United States- "Well," said Tecumseh, "as the great chief is to determine the matter, I hope the Great Spirit will put sense enough into his head to induce him to direct you to give up

this land. It is true, he is so far off he will not be injured by the war. He may sit still in his town, and drink his wine, while you and I will have to fight it out."*

_____

CHAPTER XXXVI.

^{MILITARY PREPARATIONS- VIEWS OF GOVERNOR HARRISON- THE
PROPHET AND TECUMSEH.}

SOON after the termination of the conference which was held in August, 1810, between Governor Harrison and Tecumseh, a small detachment of United States troops, under the command of Captain Cross, was ordered to move from Newport, Kentucky, to Vincennes. These troops, together with three companies of militia infantry, and a company of Knox county dragoons, were held in readiness to march up the Wabash river, for the purpose of building a fort on the eastern bank of that stream, near the northern boundary of the lands which had been purchased from the Indians in 1809, at the treaty of Fort Wayne. The erecting of a military post in that part of the territory, was, however, deferred until the year 1811. In the month of October, 1810, Governor Harrison, believing that a survey of public lands might be commenced without danger of interruption from the Indians, sent a Mr. McDonald to run the boundary line of the tract of land that had been acquired from the Indians at the treaty of Fort Wayne.

The members of a new territorial legislature, composed of five members of the legislative council, to serve for the term of four years, and nine members of the house of representatives, to serve for the term of two years, were elected by the qualified voters of the territory, on the 2d day of April, 1810; and, in compliance with the requirements of a proclamation issued by Governor Harrison, the territorial legislature met, at