Carroll County, Indiana - Battle of, 1882

Battle of

Preliminary .St.vtkmknt - Lmi'Oiit.\N("e ok the Battlk in its Results - The Necessity of the Movement Aoainst the Wabash Indians - Preparations for the Exteditiox - Formation OF the Army - Its Co.mposition and Ofkiceus - The Maroii - Encamp.ment - Movements of the Prophet Suspicious - The Battle and its Details - Severity of the Action - Defeat of the Indians - The Lcsses, etc, n^HE battle of Tippecanoe is justly regarded as one of the most -*- important of the military conflicts between the pioneers of civilization and the numerous Indian tribes within the limits of the territory now occupied by the State of Indiana, Prior to the fitting out of the expedition which culminated in a collision with an armed force between the savage hordes of the Prophet on tlie one hand, and the Army of the Northwest, under the command of Gov. Harrison, on the other, the border settlements on the Ohio and Lower Waba,sh had been subjected to a series of continued depredations by the.se murderous bands. For several years, the master sjjirit directing these movements against the white people was Pems-quat-a-wah, better known as the Shawanoe Prophet, who, claiming the po.ssassiou of supernatural power, exerted a strong influence among his followers, inducing them to acce])t and recognize his assumed superiority as real. This asstunption, however, was effectually disposed of on the morning of November 7. 1811, when, having in advance inspired the immediate followers of his delusion with the idea that, under his guidance, they were invincible: that, by the charms of his presence, the bullets of the white men could not harm them, and that they would pass on to triumph unscathed - -they saw their comrades falling around them, smote with the leaden messengers of death: the long spell was broken, and the enchanter was shorn of his power. From that time forward, the Prophet was an object of loathing to his former adherents, and thus passed into unhallowed oblivion. Hence, because of this result, the battle of Tippecanoe isprojierly accepted as the most important and decisive of the war with the Wabash Indians, who for so long a time had been a terror to the white settlers.

The military movements immediately preceding tlie action itself may be briefly described as follows: The expedition having been determined upon. Gen. Harrison, on the 10th of September, 1811, issued a general order assigning positions t<i officers and detachments, subordinate to the chief command, and appointing Henry Hurst and Waller Taylor his Aids, with the rank of Major. By a subse(iuent order, dated September 21, the officers of the subordinate commands were instinieted to familiarize their men with " the jierformance of the evolutions contemplated by the Commander-in-chief, for the order of march and battle." On the day following, the entire force was made to constitute one brigade, and was placed under the command of Col. John P. Boyd as Brigadier General. In the assignment of positions to subordinate officers, Capt. S])ier Spencer's company was directed to act as a detached corps of mounted volunteers, receiving orders from the Commander-in-chief, Thus formed, the army took up its line of march from Vincennes on the 2(5th of Se]>tember, It arrived, on the 5th of October, at a point on the Wabash some two miles above the present site of Terre Haute, known in that day as Bntaillf des Illiiinin, fi-oin having been, as tradition had it. the scene of a terrible battle between some btiiids of the Inuiiinis and it party of the Illinois Indians. Here ,i f..rl w.is m.cle.l by them as a means of affording more ample protection to tlie peojile. and to guard the approaches on the river. "SMiile the men were thus engaged, a speech was intercepted, coming from the Prophet to some of the Delaware chiefs supposed to be sufficiently susceptible to his influence in executing his plan for a renewal of his warfai'e against the whites. He was mistaken, however, in his estimate of the susceptibility of these chiefs, who were friendly to the whites, and the discovery served to put the army on the alert. The fort was completed on the 28th of October, and named Fort Harrison. Leaving a small garrison, the army took up its line of march for the Prophet's town, and crossed the Wabash near wiere the town of Montezuma now stands, on the last day of the month.

At the time of leaving the fort, the ai'my consisted of about nine hundred men, made uji of two hundred and fifty regular troops under command of Col. Bo3'd, sixty Kentucky volunteers, and some six hundred territorial volimteers, including the companies made up at Corydon. Vincenues and other points along the- Wabash and Ohio - among these, Capt. Spencer's company of " Yellow Jackets," so called from the color of the uniform adopted by them. Those from Kentucky embraced some of her most gallant sons, among whom were Cols. Joseph H. Daviess, Abram Owens, Samuel Wells, and others little less distinguished for their eminent services in the defense of their country and their homes. Indiana Territory, too. was represented by citizen soldiers equally gifted in the cardinal virtues of the -day - native heroism.

Stopping long enough at the mouth of Big Vermillion to build a small block-house for the protection of supply boats, the army resinned its march on the 3d of November, and, passing through the open country some distance fi-om the river, came iu view of the Prophet's town about "2 o'clock on the aftei-noon of November 6, and halted about a mile and a half below to reconnoiter. Gov. Harrison, with a view to ascertain the ti-ue condition of things, sent Capt. Dubois, of the spies and guides, with an interpreter, to request a conference with the Prophet. The developments of the next half-houi' indicating, with sufficient definiteness, the hostile intentions of the savages, the Governor recalled the embassy, placed the army in the order of battle, and at once moved toward thj town, the interpreter in fi-ont. with orders to invite a conference with the Indians, if such a disposition was manifested.

After some delay, occasioned by informal conferences with the emissaries of the Prophet, which resulted in nothing deyond a show of friendship manifested so as to cover their contemplated treachery. Gov. HaiTison having dispatched two of his officers, Majs. Marston G. Clark and Waller Taylor, to make examination and select a suitable camping-groimd. they returned, reporting the selection of an eligible site upon a piece of diy oak land rising about ten feet above the level o£ the marehy prairie in fi'ont, facing to the southeast, toward the Prophet's town, the rear nearly twice that elevation above a similar prairie, thi-ough which and near to its eastern border ran a small stream (Burnett's Creek) with willows on either side. This point was detennined upon, though not wholly satisfactory to the Governor, because of the facilities afforded for the approach of the Indians, the grounds on their southwestern exti'emity terminating in an abrupt point, while to the northward the area gradually widened and was covered with underbrush. Notwithstanding this, it was detei-mined, as an offset to the disadvantage of the position, to have the army encamp in the order of battle, and instruct the men to^sleep with their clothes and accouterments on, with their fii-e-arms loaded and their bayonets fixed. As a fm-ther precaution, it was ordered that each corps foi-ming a part of the exterior lines of the encampment, was directed, in case of attack, to hold its ground until relieved. Of course, the plan of encampment contemplated the probability of a night attack. As a consequence, therefore, Gov. Han-ison made the distribution of subordinate branches of his command with direct reference to such a contingency. Accordingly, the fi-ont line, facing southeast, and the rear lines, alcmg Bm'nett's Creek, were occupied each by a column of infantry, sepj arated on the left flank (north end) about two hundred and fifty yards, but on the right little more than half that distance. The right flank, occupying a position about one himdi-ed and fifty yards to the north of the point, was composed of Capt. Spencer's company of mounted riflemen, niunbering eighty men; while the left flank (or north line), occupying a more exposed position, was filled up by two companies of mounted riflemen, numbering about one hundi-ed and twenty men, irnder the immediate command of Maj. Gen. Wells, of the Kentucky mjlitia. The fi-ont line occupied a position facing the wide prairie to the eastward, and was composed of Maj. Floyd's battalion of United States Infantry, flanked on the left by one company, and on the right by two companies. On the rear, facing Biu-nett's Creek, the line was composed of Maj . Baen's battalion of United States troops and four companies of militia infantry imder the command of Lieiit. Col. Decker, the regulars adjoining Gen. Wells' command on the left, and Col. Decker's battalion uniting and forming an obtuse angle with Capt. Spencer's company on the right flank. Two troops of dragoons, under the command of Maj. Joseph H. Daviess, numbering in the aggi'egate about sixty men, occupied a position in reai' of the left flank, while Capt. Park's troop of di'agoons, larger than the other two, was placed in rear of the front line. Should a night attack be made, as was anticipated, the dragoons were instiiieted to parade dismounted, with pistols in their belts, as a reserve corps.

About two hours before sum-iseonthe morning following (November 7), the attack was commenced near the left angle of the real- line, at the n.irthwest comer of the camp occupied by Capt. Barton's company of the Fourth United States Infantry, and Capt. Guiger's company of mounted riflemen. The attack was sudden and impetuous, driving in the guard. These companies suffered gi'eatly fi'om the severity of the fii'e, before relief could be afforded them/ Soon after the attack had Ijeen made, and before perfect order could be established, a few Indians made their way into the encampment near the point of attack. All except two of these were killed immediately, the latter making some headway before they were dispatched. Save these two companies, all others were imder arms and paiiially formed before receiving their first fii'e.

Considering that nineteeu-twentieths of the troops engaged had never before been under fire, their behavior in the trying ordeal was worthy the reputation of veterans; taking the positions assigned them without noise and with little confusion, they received the charge of the Indians and retui'ned their fire without disorder, notwithstanding the fierceness jf the attack. The companies of Capts. Barton and Guiger having suffered severely in the fii'st onset, the commands of Capts. Cook and Wentworth were ordered to their support from the center of the rear line. A heavy fire having been opened on the left of the front line, Maj. Daviess, of the dragoons, seeing the emergency, formed his command in the rear of the companies of Capts. Baen, Suelling and Prescott, of the Foiu-th United States Regiment, occupying that position. It having been ascertained that the heaviest part of the fire proceeded from Indians concealed behind a clump of trees a few paces in front. Maj. Daviess was ordered to dislodge them. Un- del-estimating the strength of the position, the attacking force was, as a consequence, inadequate to the task, the enemy avoiding him in front and attacking his flank. In executing this movement, the Major was mortally wounded and his party driven back. The Indians, however, were immediately dislodged by Capt. Snelling's company. Within a few moments after the commencement of the attack, the th-e of the Indians extended along the left flank, the whole of the front, the right flank, and part of the rear line. The fire was especially severe along the right flank (south end of the ground), occupied by Capt Spenoer"s company of mounted riflemen and Capt WaiTick's command. Eai'ly in the fight, Capt. Spencer and his First and Second Lieutenants were killed, and the command devolved upon Ensign Tipton, who, after gallantly maintaining his ground for some time under a galling fire, was re-enforced by Capt. Robb's company of riflemen. About the same time, Capt. Wan-ick also fell, mortally wounded, and died soon after.

On the approach of daylight, when the situation could be better ascertained, the companies of Capts. Snelling, Posey and Scott were withdrawn fi'om the front line, with Capt. Wilson's from the rear line, and placed in support of the left flank. At the same time, the company of Capt. Cook, from the rear line, and of Capt. Baen, from the front line, were ordered to re-enforce the right flank, on the supposition that at this latter point the enemy would make their last effort. From this position the Indians were driven by the infanti-y, at the point of the bayonet, and the di'agoons, pm'suing, forced them into the marsh, where they could not be followed. In the meantime, the companies of Capt. Cook and Lieut. Lan-abee had foi-med in line with the right flank, and, with the aid of the riflemen, had charged the Indians in that quai-ter, killing a large number and putting the rest to precipitate flight, thus ending the feai-fnl contest. Gov. Han-ison and his army retaining possession of the field.

The loss sustained in this action by Gov. Hai-rison was 37 killed on the field, and 151 wounded; of the latter, 25 subseqiiently died, making the total death loss 62. The loss was greatest among the officers, of whom Cols. Joseph H. Daviess, Abraham Owens and Isaac White; Capts. W. C. Baen, Jacob Warrick and Spier Spencer: Lieuts. Richard McMahon and Thomas Berry, were among those killed or mortally woimded in the battle. Among the wounded were Lieut. Cols. Joseph Bartholomew and Luke Decker, Dr. Edwai'd Scull, Adjt. James Himter, Lieuts. George P. Peters and George Gooding, Ensign Henry Burchstead, Capts. John Non-is and Frederick. Guiger. The number of Indians engaged has never been accurately ascertained; estimates making it from three hundred and fifty to one thousand fighting men have been presented. The latter number ])robably is the more nearly correct, judging fi'om the dissatisfied elements of the various tribes known to be in alliance with the Prophet during the season of his prosperity. These elements consisted of representatives from the Shawauoes, Wyandots (or Hm'ons), Kickapoos, Ottawas, Chippewas, Pottawatomios, Winnebagoes, Sacs, and a few Miarais. The loss among the Prophet's forces was no doubt even gi'eater than the whites, in view of the well-known custom of the Indians to conceal their loss as much as possible by removing out of sight their woimdod and slain, with the fiu-ther formidable iU'gument that they left thirty-eight dead warriors on the field. The sm-vivors left, each returning to his former tribal relation, leaving the Prophrt'a town deserted. The town, with large quantitios of corn, was entirely destroyed on the following dav.

A cotemporaneous writer, speaking of the battle and its results, says : " The decisive blow which Harrison had struck against the Indian power had produced a more powerful efl'ect than all the admonitory efforts of years had accomplished. Several of the tribes sent deputies to wait upon him, with assiu'ances of renewed amity, and a disavowel of fmther connection with the hostile bands of Tecumseh. In Februaiy, 1812, intelligence was received that no less than eighty Irdian deputies from all the ti-ibes who were engaged in the late hostilities, except the Shawanoes, had arrived at Fort Han'ison, on their way to Vincennes. Siispicion being again natm-ally ai-oused, fi'om their numbers, that a new treachery was designed, the Governor sent an expostulation, requiring them to come in less numbers, and unarmed; they, however, not only delivered up their aims, but evinced the subdued deportment of men who had been taught to respect the authority of him with whom they had come to treat."

President Madison, in his message of December 18, 1811, says; "While it is to be lamented that so many valuable lives have been lost in the action which took place on the 7th iilt.. Congress will see, with satisfaction, the dauntless spirit and fortitude victoriously displayed by every description of troops engaged, as well as the collected firmness which distinguished their commander on an occasion requiring the utmost exertion of valor and discipline." The Legislature of Kentucky resolved " That, in the late campaign against the Indians on the Wabash, Gov. Harrison has, in the opinion of this Legislature, behaved like a hero, a patriot and a General ; and that for his cool, deliberate, skillful and gallant conduct in the late liattle of Tippecanoe, he deserves the wannest thanks of the nation."

Ohaptee Viii

SITCCEEDING EXPEDrnON,S. War Dkcl.\ked .\gain.st Great Briti.\n - Indian Alliance with the i.attelt and conseijuent hostilities - murder.s - Attack on Fokt Harrison - Council at Mi.ssissinewa - Pigeon Roost Massacre - Destruction ok Indian Villages - Siege of Fort Wayne and Tecu.mseh's foNNECTioN with It - Termination of the Siege - Results of These Campaigns.

TECUMSEH and his brother, the Prophet, having obtained the right to locate their principal town on the Tippecanoe River, near its entrance into the Waliash, began, about the year 1808, to exert among the neighboring tribes an influence, the ultimate purpose of which was to make war upon the fi'ontier settlements and prevent the fui-ther advance of emigration into the territory by white people, claiming that such territory, of right, was the property of the red people, entitled \a be occupied by the various Indian ti-ibes in common. The Prophet's town, as it was called, became, in conseiinence, the headquarter .of all tJie disaffected spirits from the several tribes of the Northwest, who could be induced to accept the policy of the proposed confederation. Tecumseh, in the spring of 1809, animated with a desire to develop, for the consideration of the adjacent trilips, his cherished piu-pose, attended a council of tribes at Sandusky, and attempted there to extort a promise from the Wyandots and Senecas to join his embryo settlement on the Tippecanoe. The plan was not received with favor, and some of the old Wyandot chiefs emphati cally manifested their disapprobation of his jwlicy and motives. His ill success in this quarti'r, however, did not discourage him.

but rather tended to induce greater activity and vigilance on his part. In other fields he was more successful, and, in proportion as new accessions of adherents gave promise of ultimate success he became more bold and aggressive in his movements, demanding what his diplomac}' failed to accomplish. Subsequent conferences with Gov. Harrison at Vincennes and elsewhere were examples in point

Not aeoomplishing all he desired in his intercourse with adjacent tribes, ho visited tribes inhabiting more remote districts, seeking thus to gam their confidence and co-operation, his persuasive eloquence and consequential demeanor bringing to bear every plausible feature of his plans for centralizing the power of the Indian families in the Northwest. Meanwhile, the Prophet, arrogating to himself the management of plans he was incompetent to execute, in tlie absence of Tecumseh. precipitated an engagement with the army of Gov. Harrison at Tippecanoe, on the 7th of November. 1811, the result of which was disastrous, not only to his prophetic ambition, but to the unmatured plans of his brother as well. Tecumseh, upon his return, in view of the situation, while condemning the movements of the Prophet, was less hopeful and aggressive, yet still determined in the advocacy and maintenance of his opinions. Thus circumstanced, he sought an alliance with the British Army, as a means, in part at least, of compensating for his loss of prestige among the masses of his former adherents.

The seed sown by him, as the sequel shows, was not wholly unproductive, and the influence of his example, with the remembrance of his exploits in the council and in the field, gave to the savage ambition of numerous warriors of circumjacent tribes an impulse to the execution of deeds of the most extreme cruelty upon the slightest pretexts. In the month of Januiu-y, 181:2, Little Turtle, a distinguished chief arid warrior of the Miami nation, living at his village near Fort Wayne, having been a close and intelligent observer of the movements incident to the alliance of the Indians with the British, sent a message to Gov. Harrison detailing some of the indications of an approaching war with Great Britain, and the probabilities of an Indian alliance, expressing, also, the strongest attachment of the peojile of his nation generally for the Government of the United States. The Delawares, too, gave expressions of friendship; "but it became clearly evident, early in the year 1812, that the Pottawatomies, Kickapoos, Wirmebagoes, and some other of the Northwestern tribes, were not disposed to remain at peace with the pioneer settlers of the West. On tho 6th of April, two white men were killed by Indians at' a cabin that stood almost in view of a small military post at Chicago. On the 11th of April, at a settlement on the westei'n side of the Wabash, about thirty miles above Vincennes, filr. Hutson, his wife, four of his children, and a man employed in his service, were killed by Indians; and on the 22d of April, Ml-. Hartman, his wife and five ohildi-en were killed by a party of Indians near the mouth of Embarrass Creek, at a jjoint about five miles distant fi-om Vincennes."*

The effect of such proceedings was to alarm the frontier settlers and cause them to prepare for the piuiishment of the depredators, first protecting the settlements from the assaults of marauding parties of Indians who were known to infest the territory. With a view to making these preparations effective, Gov. Harrison, on the 16th of April, 1812, directed the officers of the Territorial militia to put their forces " in the best possible state for active service," suggesting, also, the expediency of erecting block-houses, or picketed forts, on the frontiers of Knox County, on the two branches of the White River, eastward of Vincennes, and in the county of Harrison. The propriety of erecting similar posts of defense on the frontiers of Clark, Jefi'erson, Dearborn, Franklin and Wayne Counties was to be determined by the disposition of the Delaware Indians." Inasmuch as the Delawares had performed, with punctuality and good faith, all their obligations with the United States, the exercise of forbearance toward them was recommended, no reason for doubting their fidelity having been manifested. In the general orders above referred to, the following instructions were contained: " When mischief is done by the Indians in any of the settlements, they must be piursued; and the officer nearest to the spot (if the number of men under his command is not inferior to the supposed number of the enemy), is to commence it as suon as he can collect his men. If his force should be too small, he is to send for aid to the next officer to him, and in the meantime, take a position capable of being defended, or watch the motions of the enemy, as circiunstances may require. The pm'suit muso be conducted with vigor: and the officer commanding will be held responsible for making every exertion in his power to overtake the enemy."

About the middle of May following, a great Indian council was held at the village on the Mississinewa River, at which the Wyandots, Chippewas, Ottawas, Pottawatomies, Delawares, Miamis, Eel Rivers, Weas, Piaukeshaws, Wilmebagoes, Shawanoes and Kickapoos were represented. Li this council, the general situation was discussed, and a free interchange of opinion and purpose was indulged in. The current of expression was in favor of peace, Tecmnseh and a few others in his interest being the only dissenters. To the adverse opinions entertained and expressed by this few, the Delawai'es replied thus tartly: " We have not met at this place to listen to silly words. The red people have been killing the whites. The just resentment of the latter is raised against the former. Owe white brothers are on their feet - their guns in their hands. There is no time to tell each other, you have done this, and you have done that. If there was, we could tell the Prophet that both red and white people have felt the bad efi'ects of his council. Let us all join our hearts and hands together, and proclaim peace throughout the land of the red people, and rely on the justice of our white brethi-en." The reply of the Miamis was equally direct and to the point. They said: "We feel that we all appear to be inclined for peace - that we all see that it would be oiu- immediate ruin to go to war with the white people. We, the Miamis, have not hm-t our white brethi-en since the treaty of Greenville. We would be glad if all the other nations present could say the same. We will cheerfully join our brethren for peace; but we will not join you for war against the white people. We hope our brothers, the Pottawatomies, Kickapoos and Winnebagoes, will keep their warriors in good order, and learn them to jiay more respect to their women and childi-en than they have done by going and mm'dering the innocent white people." The Kickapoos, also, were especially emphatic in their response, saying : " We have not two faces, and we despise those who have. The peace we have made with Gov. Han'ison we will strictly adhere to, and trouble no person, and hope none will trouble us."

Teciunseh was not satisfied with the tone of this conference. The representatives of the Pottawatomies, Winnebagoes and Kickapoos, though the last were teiTibly emphatic, did not reflect the real sentiments entertained by their tribes toward the white people. Immediately, the consequences of this disaffection, among these latter tribes especially, began to manifest themselves in the movements of these malcontents. Fi-om the time of Tecumseh's deiiarturo from Fort Wayne, a few days after the council referred to, he had been restless and vindictive, exerting himself with great activity in inciting the Indians to acts of hostility toward the white people; and, when war was declared by the United States against Great Britain, he allied himself to the cause of the, latter, taking an active part with them.

Upon the formal declai'ation of wai-. Gen. Hull, in command of the Noi-thwestern Army, conceived the idea of invading Canada, as a means calculated to give him an advantage in maintaining his defense of the frontier. With that idea in view, he stationed his army in British territory and issued a proclamation, declaring to the Canadian peojile that " he came to tind enemies, not to make them - to protect, not to injm-e them."

It was the duty of Gen. Hull, as the commander of the army, to notify the garrisons in his jru'isdiction that war had been declared by the United States against Great Britain, but some question has arisen whether he acted from the spirit of his instructions or from some other motive. However that may be, the notice issued by him, bearing date July 5, from some unexplained cause, did not reach many of the points entitled to be informed of the facts communicated by it. Because of this f ailui-e, the occupants of those garrisons were not prepared for defensive operations, especially since the British and Indians, in conjunction, were ready to take advantage of the situation. An immediate consequence of this failm-e, therefore, was the surrendi-r of the post at Mackinac, on the 17th of July, to a largely superior force, less than one week after the issue of the General's proclamation to the people of Canada, nearly two weeks having elapsed after notice should have been received, in due course, at the garrison. The posts at Detroit, Michilimackinack, Fort Wayne and Chicago had been notified, and the commanding oificers at these points were ordered to place their gan'isons " in the best possible state of defense," without delay, and to make a retiu-n to Brig. Maj. Jessup, at Detroit, " of the quantity of provisions the contractors had on hand at their respective posts; the number of officers and men, ordnance and military stores of every kind, and the public property of all kinds" - yet the commandant at Fort Dearborn had not been thus notified until the last of July - nearly a month after the infonnation should have been received. About the same time, feeling that he had been less vigilant than duty demanded, he sent a messenger to Fort Wayne, with instructions to the officer in command to send immediate notice to the gai'rison at Chicago. The same messenger also brought a request fi-om Gen. Hull to Maj. Stickney, Indian Agent at Fort Wayne, to see that all the information and assistance at his disposal be forwarded to Capt. Heald, then smTounded by a lai'ge body of IndianSx.operating under the instnictions of Teciunseh. Accordingly, Maj. Stickney, with as much dispatch as possible, sent Capt. Wells, his subagent, a brother-in-law of Little Tm-tle, and thoroughly versed in Indian strategy from a lifelong intercourse with them, with a small force, to aid the beleaguei'ed gan-ison. In the meantime, however, Capt. Heald received orders fi-om Gon. Hull to evacuate th<> post at Chicago and move to Detroit. Tlu'ee days later, Capt. Wells, with thirty jiicked and ti'usty warriors, fully equipped, arriv<>d at Fort Dearborn (Chicago), when ho was informed by Cai)t. Hi'alil 111' the condition of affairs, and that, after receiving the order of (reu. Hull, he had a conference with the Indians of the neighl)orliood,-and agin^ed upon terms of evacuation. These terms, among other things, embraced an agreement " to deliver up to the

Indians the fort, with all its contents, except some ammunition and provisions - necessary for their march," in consideration for which he was to be permitted to pass unmolested. Capt. Wells thought such an arrangement ill-advised, for the reason that the ammvmition and whisky especially were dangerous elements to place at the disposal of a horde of treacherous savages, who, when under the influence of the whisky, which they were sm-e to become, would not for a moment regard the terms of the agreement entered into. The truth of this opinion soon became manifest, when the Indians, being made acquainted with the fact of the presence of fire-water among the articles obtainable, by a ready disregard of their agreement, determined at once to attack the garrison. Capt. Wells, being cognizant of their movements, took in the situation at a glance. He was not mistaken, for infonnation had even then been commimicated to Mi-s. Kinzie of the proceedings and intentions of the Pottawatomies engaged as an escort for them.

The troops lander command of Capt. Heald consisted of tiftyfom- regulars and twelve militia. These, on the morning of the 15th of August, marched out from the fort to the tune of the dead march, as if some invisible force had impelled them to chant their own funeral dirge. Capt. Wells, too, as if conscious of his impending fate, marched in front, at the head of his little band of faithful warriors, with his face blacked.

After passing outside the walls of the fort,, the garrison, with Capt. Wells' band and the escort of Pottawatomies, took up the line of march along the margin of the lake, in the direction of Fort Wayne. AVhen the sand-hills separating the prairie and lake had been reached, the escort, consisting of some five himdi-ed Pottawatomies, instead of pursuing the regular route, kept along the plain to the right of the sand ridge, and had thus marched something more than a mile and a half, when Capt. Wells, having in the meantime watched these movements closely, and satisfied himself as to their pmijose, and that an attack was contemplated, he conmnmieated the result of his observations to the men, and directed a chai'ge upon the assailants. At that moment, a volley was fii-ed fi-om behind the sand-hills. The troops were then hastily formed into line and charged rapidly up the bank. A veteran of some seventy yeai's was the fii-st to fall. Cajjt. Wells fell soon after, pierced with many bullets, and, in the words of one of the party, IVIis. Kinzie, " Pee-so- turn * * * held dangling in his hands a scalp? which, by black ribbon around the queue, I recognized as that of Capt. Wells." Their leader being killed, the Miamis fled; one of their chiefs, however, before leaving the scene of l)lood, riding u]i to the Pottawatomies. exclaimed, with emphasis: "You have dci'"! veil tlii'.\mericans and us! You have done a bad action, and." Iiriindisluiij; his tomahawk, " I will be the first to head a pai'ty "f Amciiciii^ to return and punish yom- treachery." Having thus spoken, he galloped away over the prairie in pursuit of his companions, who wer<' rai)idly making their way back toward Fort Wayne.

After a desperate conflict, the troops were compelled to siu'- render, only to be subjected to the bai-bai-ous inflictions of the tomahawk and scalping-knife at the hands of the doubly treacherous savages. The result of this massacre was twenty-six regulai-s killed, with all the militia, two women and twelve chikb-en Twenty-eight only were taken prisoners. One of the incidents connected with this affair, related by Maj. Sticlmey, is chiu-acteristic of Indian warfare: "As the chai-actor of Capt. Wells was unequaled for bravery, after his death his head was severed from his body and the Indians took out his heart, cooked it, and diviil ed it amoug themselves in very small pieces. They religioxisly believed that each oue who "ate of it would thereby become as brave as he from whom it was taken."

Thus far, the plans to Tecumseh had been successful, the result of the cowardly and treacherous attack upon and the butchery of prisoners under escort being in full accord with his desire for revenge for his own ill success in his efforts to form an Indian confederacy. While the massacre of the Fort Dearborn garrison exhibited the character of his offensive movements, it was only part of the plan. The sequel proved that the siege of Fort Wayne was designed to be a second act in the terrible drama. Thi-ough the agency of the British, with whom he had connected himself as a means of more advantageovisly executing his piu'- jjoses, he secured the co-operation of the Pottawatomies, Ottawas, and a portion of the Mianiis engaged in the massacre just cited, all allies of the British, to aid in the important enterprise. A council was held and plans fully matm-ed for attacking, simultaneously, the gan-isons at Fort Wayne and Fort Hai-rison, aid being promised by the British agents. The details of this plan are thus given: The Indians were to besiege these forts, and prevent their evacuation by the garrisons occupying them. The siege having continued for about the space of one moon, they were to be joined by a large force ft-om Maiden and Detroit, witli artilleiy enough to demolish the works, when the way would be fully open for an indiscriminate slaughter of the garrison at the hands of those accomplishe;! operators with the tomahawk and scalpiugknife, who, a short time previously, had distinguished themselves on the sand-banks in the vicinity of Chicago.

This was in the month of Aiigust, 1812, and but a few days remained before the plan was to be cai-ried into execution for the demolition of Fort AVayne. Notwithstanding the extreme caution that characterized the movement, there were members of the confederated tribes not fully in accord with it, which fact in time became manifest. "At this time, there was an Indian trader residing near Fort Wayne, of French extraction, by the name of Antoine Bondie. He was about fifty years of age, and had lived among the Indians ft-om the time he was twelve years old. He was an extraordinary chai-acter. At one time, he would appear to be brave and generous; at another, meanly selfish. He was recognized by the Miamis as one of their tribe, maii'ied one of their squaws, and confoi-med to their habits and mode of life. The hostile Pottawatomies, desirous of saving him ft-om the destruction contemplated for the garrison, sent Metea, chief of their tribe, to inform him of their intentions and his danger. Metea went to his cabin in the night, and, under an injunction of gi-eat secrecy, infoi-med him of all that had transpired relative to the contemplated siege of the two forts. He offered to come for Bondie and his family before the siege was commenced, with a sufficient nmnber of pack-horses to remove them and their movable property to a [ilace of safety. Bondie did not decline the offer. "

On the following morning, Bondie, with Charles Peltier, a French interpreter, visited the Agent, Maj. Stickney, at an early hour, and quietly disclosed the whole plot, enjoining the Agent to the strictest secrecy as to his informauts. In doubt whether the import of these disclosures was what it appeared to be, he was at a loss to know how best to apply the information most advantageously. Some doubt had been expressed touching the veracity of his informants by the commanding officer at the fort, Capt. Rhea, whose habits of intoxication were such as to disqualify' him as a safe adviser. Und<'r the circumstances, having dulv considered the situation, he acted upon his own judgment in the pi-emises. and at once dispatched messengers to Gov. Hai-i-ison, informing him of the contemplated siege. Active preparations for defense were at once commenced, and not a moment too soon, for scarcely had the messengers left when the Indians had di-awn their guardlines around the fort to cut oft' all means of comrauuieatiou. Information having been received by Gov. Hai-rison concerning the perilous condition of the garrison, besieged by a large body of hostile Indians, prepared as rapidly as possible to send forward the necessary re-enforcements for its relief.

On the Oth of September, the army under connnand of Gov. Han-isou moved forward for the relief of the besieged garrison, reaching, on the 7th, a point within thi-ee miles of the St. Mary's Kiver, making the remaining distance to the river on the 8th. Here, in the evening, they were joined by '200 moimted volunteers under Col. Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky. Reaching " Shane's Crossing " of the St. Mary's on the following day, after a march of eighteen miles, the army was ftu-ther re-enforced by the arrival of 800 men ft-om Ohio, commanded by Cols. Adams and Hawkins. At this time, Capt. Logan, a Shawanoe chief, and fom- other trusty Indians, volunteered their services to Gov. Han-ison as spies. Their ofi'er was accepted, and Logan, disguised, was sent forward. Passing through the lines of the hostile Indians, their niunber was ascertained to be about fifteen himdred. He subsequently entered the fort and encouraged the gan-ison to hold out, as relief was at hand. To oppose the force of the besiegers, Gov. Hai-rison had at that time about three thousand five hundred men. On the morning of the 12th of September, the army reached the vicinity of the fort. As it approached, " great clouds of dust could be seen from the fort, rolling up in the distance, as the valiant soldiery of Gen. Han-ison moved forward to the rescue of the gan-ison, and soon after daybreak the army stood before the fort. The Indians had beat a retreat to the eastward and northward, and the air about the old fort resounded with the glad shouts of welcome to Gen. Harrison and the brave bo}'s of Ohio and Kentucky," who thus opportimely had come to the rescue of the besieged. The garrison lost, during the siege, Init three men. while the Indians lost twenty-five.

" The second day following the an-ival of the anny at Fort Wayne, Gen. Harrison sent out two detachments, with the view of destroying the Indian villages in the region of country lying some miles ai-ound Fort Wayne, the First Division being composed of the regiments under Cols. Lewis and Allen, and Capt. Garrai-d's troop of horse, under Gen. Payne, accompanied by Gen. Han-ison. The Second Division, imder Col. Wells, accompanied by a battalion of his own regiment imder Maj. Davenport (Sfotfs regiment), the mounted battalion under Johnson, and the ninuiiti-d Ohio men under Adams. These expeditions were all successful: and, after the retra-n of the divisions under Payne and Wells, Geu. Han-ison sent them to destroy Little Tm-tle Town, some twenty miles northwest of the fort, with orders not to molest the buildings foi-merly erected by the United States for the benefit of Little Turtle, whose ft-iendship for the Americans had ever been firm after the treaty of Greenville. Col. Simrall most faithfully performed the task assigned him. and, on the evening of the I'.ltb. retm-ned to the fort."

On the 4th of September, almost simultaneously with the commencement of the siege of Fort AVayne, the Indians, about 1 1 o'clock at night, and in considerable numbers, composed of Winnebagoes, Kickapoos. Shawanoes, Pottawatomies and a few Miamis, coromenced an attack on Fort Harrison, by setting lu-e to one of the block-houses attached to it, the movement being a part of Tecumseh's scheme for seeking revenge for anticipated hopes not realized. " Capt. (afterwai'd General) Zachary Taylor, and a small number of the men under his command, bravely resisted the attack, which continued without intermission until about G o'clock on the morning of the 5th of September, when the Indians abandoned the assault and retired beyond the reach of the guns of the fort."

Pigeon Roost Massacre

The " Pigeon Roost Settlement," so called, was situated in what is now a jiart of Scott County, in this State, and was founded about the year If^DO. and was contined to about one square mile of land, and was separated from all other settlements some five or six miles. On the afternoon of September 3, 1812, two men, bees, were overtaken and killed by a party of Indians, Shawanoes, about twelve in niunber. In the evening of the same day, they attacked the settlement, and, in the space of little more than an horn-, killed one man, five women and sixteen children. Having completed this terrible tragedy, they set fire to the buildings, which were consumed with the bodies of their slaughtered victims. The names of the persons thus massacred were Henry Collings and his wife: Mrs. Payne, wife of Jeremiah Payne, and eight of her children; Mrs. Kichard Collings and seven of her children; Mrs. John Morris and her only child; and Mi's. Morris, the mother of John Morris. During the confusion incident to the commission of those acts of barbarism, Mrs. Jane Biggs, with her three small children, eluding the vigilance of the Indians, escaped from the settlement, and, about an hour before daylight on the following morning, arrived at the house of her brother, Zebulon Collings, who lived some six miles from the scene of blood. William Collings, beyond the age of threescore years, with the assistance of Capt. John >f orris, defended his house, for the space of three-qnai'ters of an hour, against the attack of those Indians. In the house there were also two children, John and Lydia Collings. As it began to grow dark, Mrs. Collings and Capt. Norris, with the two children, managed to escape unobserved, and, on the morning of the next day, reached the house of Zebulon Collings. where, also. Mi's. Biggs and her children had taken refuge. The militia of Clark County set out in immediate pursuit, and, proceeding to the scene of the massacre, they found several of the mangled bodies of the dead, surrounded by the smoking ruins of the cabins, whioli were lirought together and buried in one common gi'ave.

About one hundred and fifty mounted riflemen, under the command of Maj. John McCoy, on the afternoon of the 4th of September, the day following the massacre, followed the trail of the Indians some twenty miles, when, darkness overtaking them, they were compelled to return. However, a small scouting party, under command of Capt. Devault, discovered aud attacked the retreating Indians, who, after killing one of the attacking party, continued their flight through the woods, finally eluding pursuit. Further attempts were made to punish the Indians ougjiged in the of these murders, but the attempts were abortive.