Delaware County, Indiana - Chapter 5, 1881

Chapter 5

Hapedition against the Mississinewa 7 'owns - Battle and Destruction of the l'owns - Delaware Mission - Col. Russel's Lapedition - Burning the Delaware Towns - Incidents.

i . offensive or defensive measures, as circumstances might require. Having con- | the crisis and enforce obedience to the treaty stipulations, for the preservation i vinced himself of the intentions of the Indians, " at 8 o'clock on the morning | of peace. On the 6th of September, 1812, the militia of Clarke County, ¥ a of the 20th [of August, 17 94], the army again advanced in columns, accord- including sixty mounted volunteers from J efferson County, under thé command . ing to the standing order of march - the Legion on the right, its flank covered | of Col. William McFarland, and 350 Kentucky volunteers who arrived on the by the Maumee ; one brigade of mounted, volunteers on the left, under Brig- following day, were drawn together for an apparently common purpose - that of i, 3 __ adier General Todd, and the other in the rear, under Brigadier General Barbee. | A scléct battalion of mounted volunteers moved in front of the Legion, commanded by Major Price, who was directed to keep sufficiently advanced, so as to give timely notice for the troops to form in case of action, it being yet undetermined whether the Indians would determine for peace or war. After } advancing about five miles, Major Price's corps received so severe a fire from : the enemy, who were secreted in the woods and high grass, as to compel them to retreat. The Legion was immediately formed in two lines, ptincipally in a close, thick wood, which' extended for miles.on our left, and for a considerable burning the Delaware towns on White River. For some unexplained reason, however, the purpose was not executed, owing, no doubt, to the concentration of effort by whites and Indians, toward the expedition against Fort Wayne, a month or two later.

The hostile spirit of the Miamis continuing, the necessity for destroying their towns on the Mississinewa became imminent, and Lieut. Col. Campbell, of the Nineteenth Regiment of United States Infantry, was assigned by Gen. Harrison for that duty. The detachment was composed chiefly of a regiment distance in front, the ground being covered with old fallen timber, probably occasioned by a tornado, which rendered it impracticable for the cavalry to, act with effect, and afforded the enemy the most favorable covert for their mode of warfare. The savages were formed in three lines, within supporting distance of each other, and extending for near two miles at right angles with the river.

of Kentucky dragoons commanded by Col. Simrall, a squadron of United States volunteer dragoons commanded by Maj. James V. Ball, and a corps of infantry consisting of Capt. Elliot's company of the Nineteenth United States Regiment, Butler's Pittsburgh Blues, and Alexander's Pennsylvania Riflemen - the entire command comprising about six hundred mounted men. Receiving instructions on the 25th of November of that year, Col. Campbell took up

I soon discovered, from the weight of the fire and extent of their lines, that | the line-of march toward: the Mississinewa towns by the way of Springfield,

Xenia, Dayton, Katon and Greenville, that route being aii by Gen. Harrison because of its being more distant from the Delaware towns, which he desired to avoid, in consequence of the friendly relations 'existing between the members of that tribe and the United States. In another part of his instruetions, Gen. Harrison says: '" It will be necessary that care should be taken to avoid coming in contact with them, or to avoid any ill consequences, should it happen to be the case. Inform yourself as minutely as possible from Conner and others who have been to Mississinewa, of the localities of the place, and the situation of the Indians. * * ni i There are, however, some of the [Miami] chiefs who have undeviatingly exerted themselves to keep their warriors quiet, and to preserve their friendly relations with us. This has been the case with reference to Richardville (a half-breed Frenchman, the second chief of the Miamis), Silver Heels, [and] the White Loon certainly, and, perhaps, of Pecan, the principal chief of the Miamis, and Charley, the principal of the Eel River tribe. = * Be TF * The same remark will also apply to the son and brother of the Little Turtle, who continued to his last moments the warm friend of the United States, and who, in the course of his life, rendered them many important services. Your character as a soldier, and that of your troops, is a sure guarantee of the safety of the women They will be taken, however, and conducted to the settlement. The utmost vigilance of your guards will not, however, afford you perfect security. Your men must, at all times, be kept ready for action, by night as well as by day. When you advance into the enemy's- country, your men must be made to lie upon their arms, and with their accouterments

In his report of the expedition Col. Campbell says: " Early in the morning of the 17th [of December, 1812], I reached, undiscovered, an Indian town on the Mississinewa, inhabited by a number of Delawares and Miamis. The troops rushed into the town, killed eight warriors, and took forty-two prisoners, eight of whom are warriors; the residue are women and children. I ordered the town to be immediately burned - a house or two excepted, in which I confined the prisoners - and the cattle and other stock to be shot. I then left the infantry to guard the prisoners. 7 * * I burnt, on this _ occasion, three considerable villages, took several horses, killed many cattle, and returned to the town I first burnt, where I left the prisoners, and encamped. * * * At four, on the morning of the 18th, I ordered the reveille to be beaten, and the officers convened at my fire a short time afterward. While we were in council, and about half an hour before day, my camp was most furiously attacked by a large party of Indians, preceded by and accompanied with a most hideous yell. This immediately broke up the council, and every man ran to his post."

The encampment was of the usual form, The infantry and riflemen were in the front line, the company of Capt. Elliot on the right, Butler's in the center and Alexander's on the left: . Major Ball's-squadron occupied the right and one-half of the rear line; Col. Simrall's regiment the left, andthe other half of the rear line. Capt. Hopkins' troops and the right of Garrard's, but soon became general from the entrance of the right to the left of Ball's squadron. Every man, officer, and soldier stood firm, animated and encouraged each other. After an action of more than one hour the enemy fled with precipitation, having suffered great loss. Fifteen Indians were found dead. on the battle-field, and many more were probably carried away. The Indian force engaged in the battle was inferior to that of Col. Campbell; whose loss was reported at eight killed and forty-two wounded, several others afterward dying of their wounds.

The Indians who were taken prisoners were nearly all Munsies, and included among those who composed Silver Heels' band. The villages destroyed were from its junction with the Wabash, the site of the principal Mississinewa village. " Lieut. Col. Campbell sent two messages to the Delawares, who lived on White River, and who had been previously direeted and requested to abandon their towns on that river, and to remove into. the State of Ohio. In these messages he expressed his ' regret at unfortunately killing some of their people,' and urged them to move to the Shawanoe settlement on the Auglaize River." Not long afterward, the Delawares, with a small number of Miamis, moved to the State of Ohio, and there placed themselves under the protection of the United States Government.

An expedition, composed of about one hundred and thirty-seven mounted men under the command of Col. Joseph Bartholomew, in June, 1813, started from Valonia toward the Delaware towns on the west fork of White River, with the intention to surprise and punish some hostile Indians supposed to be lurking about those villages. This expedition was made up of parts of three companies of rangers, one of which was commanded by Capt. Williamson Dunn, another by Capt. James Bigger, and a third by Capt. C. Peyton, with a small detachment of militia under Maj. Depauw, of Harrison County. In a letter written by Col. Bartholomew and addressed to Gov. Posey, we have the following brief account of the movements of this expedition. " Lieut. Col. John Tipton, of Harrison County, and Maj. David Owen, of Kentucky, acted as aids. - We left Valonia-on the 11th inst. [June, 1813], and pursued a course between north and northeast, about one hundred miles, to the Upper Delaware town on White River. We arrived there on the 15th, and found the principal part of the town had been burnt three or four weeks previous to our getting there. We found, however, a considerable quantity of corn in the four remaining houses. We went from there on the [16th] down White River, a west course, and passed another village three or four miles below, which had also been burnt. At the distance of twelve miles below the upper town, we came to another small village, not.burnt... Here we discovered the signs of Indians who had come to this village.for the purpose of. carrying off corn. On the morning of the 17th, Capt. Dunn, Lieut. Shields-and myself, with 30 .men took the trail, and pursued it' about a mile, when we met with three of the Indian horses, which we secured. The woods being very thick, we found it necessary to leave most of our horses under a small guard, and took with us only six mounted men, which were kept in-the rear. After following the back trail of the Indian horses two miles further, we discovered a camp of two Indians ona high 'piece of ground. . In attempting to surround them, they discovered one of our flanking parties, and immediately broke and ran. They were, however, fired on, and one killed. The mounted men were ordered to charge ; but, before they could come near to the surviving Indian, he had got into some brush and hid himself. One of Capt. Peyton's rangers, being thrown from his horse on returning, was considerably in the rear, and, coming suddenly aad unexpectedly on the Indian who had concealed himself, he was fired on, and dangerously wounded: through the left hip. The Indian then made his es¢ape to a swamp, where«he could not. be found. 'At the same time that we set out on the Indian trail, the main force moved on to the lower town. They found no fresh appearance of Indians there, but much of their having some time previously frequented it to carry off corn. -The lower town had, from appearances, been burnt.ecarly in the winter. We found at all the towns, from 800 to 4,000 bushels of corn, and, discovering that the hostile Indians were making use of it, [we destroyed it]. We conceived it was the more necessary to do this, as the corn would, if not destroyed, enable considerable bodies of the enemy to fall upon and harass our frontier. Haying the wounded man to take care of, whom we had to carry on a horse litter, it was thought prudent to return to Valonia, at which place we arrived on the 21st [June]."

MONG the ancient Delaware worthies," says Thatcher,* " whose career is too imperfectly known to us to be the subject of distinct sketches, we . shall mention only the name of the illustrious Tamenend. This individual stands foremost in the list of all the great men of his nation in any age. He was a. mighty warrior, an accomplished statesman and a pure and high-minded patriot. In private life he was still more distinguished for his virtues, than in public for his talents. His countrymen could only account for the perfections they ascribed to him, by supposing him to be favored with the special communicaspied of the Great Spirit. Ages have elapsed since his death, but his memory was" still fresh among the Delawares of the last century. | old chieftain was recognized by them as almost a saint, his name was inserted in the calendars, and the Ist day of May annually celebrated as the " Festival of Tamenend." "On that day a numerous society of his yotaries walked in procession through the streets of Philadelphia, their hats decorated with bucks' - tails, and proceeded toa sylvan rendezvous out of town, which they called the Wigwam, where, after a long talk or speech had been delivered, and the calumet of friendship passed ye the remainder of the day was spent in A dinner was prepared, and Indian dances performed on the | | | ck green.' This custom ceased, however, a few years after the conclusion of peace, from the best information at command, this noted chief flourished in the vicinity of Philadelphia, the seat of the ancient Delawares, near the middle of the seventeenth century, and died about the year 1685. The society of St. Tammany appears to have had its origin among the early admirers of Tamenend.

This chief is written as "the first captain among the Delawares." © His Indian name was Ko-gue-tha-gech-ton, and he was the recognized leader of the peace party of the Delawares, at the commencement of the Revolution, in 1775-76. At. that time he was head chief of the Turtle branch of the Delawares, and resided in Ohio.* =

Upon the death of Ne-ta-wa-twees, in 1776, he became chief sachem of his tribe, to which place his former position of first counselor to that chief would eminently qualify him. Since he was thus not the chief by regular descent, the place was only accepted until a younger chief in the regular lme should become, by mature age, authorized to exercise the functions of that office. Being at the head of the peace party during the crisis which involved the liberties of the white people in this country, and favorable to the movement of maintaining missionaries among his people;-he naturally awakened the enmity, if not the jealousy, of many of the other leading chiefs. Among these, Captain Pipe, so called, was most conspicuous, as well as most forward in signifying his dislikes. This latter chief was of the Wolf branch of the Delawares, lived and had his council-fire fifteen miles to the northward of the former, occupying his time and talents in forming the plan of a belligerent union with the British against the American forces. While Pipe was esteemed a great man by his eotemporaries, Captain White Eyes was his acknowledged superior, as well as his senior, in all that appertained to the positions respectively occupied by them.

The purpose of the peace party was, in effect, to convince the Indians that they had no concern with either the British or Americans, while their welfare clearly suggested the policy as well as the propriety of maintaining amicable

Delawares was held at Pittsburgh, with a view to ascertaining the status of the latter and their disposition to assist the British, or otherwise. The Senccas pions of the British cause, and hoped to use the prestige of their own warlike exploits as a means of securing the co-operation of the peaceful Delawares. White Eyes represented the interests of his tribe and refused to be awed into submission. Notwithstanding the Delawares had been reproached by their haughty conquerors with being only women - subjugated, these insolent reproaches of the Senecas were met by the following bold reply from White Kyes:

"T know," said he gravely, "I know well, that you consider us a conquered nation - as women - as your inferiors. You have, say you, shortened our legs and put petticoats on us! You say you have given us a hoe and a corn-pounder, and told us to plant and pound for you - you men, you warriors ! But look at me. Am I not full grown, and have I-not a warrior's dress? Aye, T am a man, and these are the arms of a man [showing his musket]; and all that country [waving his hand proudly in the direction of the Alleghany River], all that country on the other side of that water is mine."

He maintained his independence of character in every fiery ordeal through which he passed, denouncing, in unmeasured terms, the treason of the red man to their countrymen and their best interests. He died at Philadelphia in 1780, aged 120 years. .

Captain Pipe

His Indian name, according to Heckewelder, was Hop-o-can (a tobacco pipe). Subsequently, however, he was known by the title Ko-giesch-qua-nohei (the maker of daylight). In his day, he was one of the most conspicuous of the war-captains of the Delawares, being a principal chief of the Wolf branch of that tribe. As compared with Capt. White Eyes, he was the inferior of that justly celebrated warrior in all that goes to make up genuine nobility of character. Withal, however, aside from his untoward ambition

. and jealousy, his. want of the characteristic magnanimity of his nation, he was _4 great man and noted warrior, a representative man of the Wolf tribe. His ambitious proclivities made him warlike, energetic, restless. Brooding over old resentments; he panted for revenge, and longed for the coming of the political millennium, when "rogues" should be turned out of office, and "honest men" put in. With such a make-up, he could not fail to become the retailer of artifice whenever better motives failed, and was controlled by motives of selfishness rather than by principle, expecting in all conferences "to monopolize the thinking and talking." * He and his party were the outspoken enemies of the colonists, and, when the commanding officer of the British garrison at Detroit ordered the Moravian Indians on the Susquehanna to be taken to Canada with their priests, dead or alive, Capt. Pipe, with his followers, joined Half-King's band to enforce that order. The result of this. expedition was the capture of this people and their subjection to cruelties little better than death. After their arrival at Detroit, a grand Indian council was convened, . at which were present large numbers of various tribes, including Capt. Pipe's warriors, who had just returned from a scalping expedition, with four of the Moravian missionaries, who had been summoned at the instance of 'Capt. Pipe and others of his band, to aid in the maintenance of the charges against the prisoners. Before the conference was ended, the innocence of the missionaries had been clearly established, Capt. Pipe having failed to make good his aceusations against them, and he was constrained to say, in the midst of his confusion, "The missionaries are innocent. What they have done, they were compelled to do. We were to blame. We forced them to it when they refused," referring to the interpretation of certain letters to the Delaware chief, received from Pittsburgh. Subsequently, he said: "I never wished your teachers any harm, knowing that they love the Indians, but I have all along been imposed upon and importuned to do what I did by those who do not love them ; and now, when these were to speak, they hung their heads, leaving me to extricate myself, after telling our father things they had dictated and persuaded me to tell him.' After this he lived a comparatively quiet. life until the time of his death, which occurred about the year 1818.

'""A more noted personage in his own time than even Logan, was the Delaware Buckongahelas, who rose from the station of a private warrior to be, as Heckewelder calls him, the head war-chief of his nation. That writer speaks of him at Tuscaroras, as early as 1762; and the chieftain accordingly reminded him of the fact, when, in 1781, he visited the settlements of the Christian Indians in Ohio. His deportment on that occasion was singularly characteristic of the man; for all writers agree in representing him as fearless, frank and magnanimous. It should be premised that he lived on the Miami, and, being rather in the British interest, was disposed to watch quite closely the movements of the peace party. 'What he did, however, he did openly, and he never hesitated to explain himself with the same freedom." + 7

In 1783, Capt. Pipe, having sent him word not to suffer any of the Christian Indians, who had been under the instruction of the Moravian missionaries, to leave his territory, Buckongahelas answered the impertinent request - in the following emphatic language: Having first, in general terms, said that he would 'never prevent them from going to their teachers, he eontinued - drove the teachers off, the believing Indians would follow them? But, you would not listen to me, and now we lose both ! Who, think you, is the cause of all the disasters which have befallen these people! JZ say you! - you! who threatened them with destruction! You, who instigated the Wyandots to act the treacherous part they did - agreeing with them, that, asa recompense for their services, they should be entitled to all the plunder they could lay hold of."

While he was not an instrument in the hands of the British to do their bidding, nor subject to them, the great chieftain was their ally, and no longer their ally, even, than they treated him in a manner suitable to that capacity and to his own character. As such ally, wielding the influence of the most distinguished warrior in the Indian confederacy, in the interest of the British, he induced the Indians to commence, as well as to continue, the war against the Americans. Naturally, therefore, he confidently relied on them for support and protection in an emergency. In his expectations for protection, he was disappointed, as the sequel shows. In the engagement of the 20th of August, 1794, which resulted in a complete victory for Gen. Wayne over the combined hostile tribes, aided, it is said, by two companies of British militia from Detroit - then it was, in the face of all their protestations of: friendship for the Indians, the gates of Fort Mimms were shut against his retreating and wounded warriors, after the battle which resulted so disastrously to them. This. circumstance opened the eyes of the chieftain, and he determined upon an immediate peace with ae United States, and: a total abandonment of the British.

Accordingly, he assembled his remaining warriors and embarked them in canoes, designing to proceed up the river, and send a flag of truce to Fort Wayne. As he approached the British fort, he was requested to land, and he did so. '" What have you to say tome?" said he, addressing the officer of the day. He was answered that the commanding officer desired to speak with him. The chief, in return, said: "Then he may come here." "He will not do that," the officer responded, "and you will not be suffered to pass the fort, if you do not comply." "What shall prevent me?" promptly retorted the exasperated chief. _ "These," the officer said, pointing to the eannon - bristling through the port-holes. The chief replied deliberately: "TI far not your cannon. After suffering the Americans to defile your spring, without daring to fire on them, you cannot expect to frighten Buckongahelas." Thus saying, he ordered the canoes to push off, and they passed the fort without further demonstration. Forever afterward he refused to recognize the British as allies, and declined to receive presents from them. '" Had the great Buckongahelas lived," says Mr. Dawson, "he would not have suffered the schemes projected by the Prophet (brother of Tecumseh) to be matured." Mr. Dawson further states, that Butkongahelas, on his death-bed, advised his people with great earnestness, to always rely on the friendship of the United States, and to desert the cause of the British. It is said of him, also, that no Christian knight was ever more scrupulous in performing all his engagements, and he had all the qualifications of a great hero. cennes in that year.

was also a noted chief of the Delawares, and was the son of Gelelemend (or Killbuck) the elder, a chieftain of high renown among his people. Killbuck the younger, the subject of this sketch, was one of the most conspicuous of those noticed in the provisions of the treaty at Fort McIntosh, in 1785. The provision specially alluded to, is as follows :.

"Tt is agreed that the Delaware chiefs, Kelelamand (Killbuck) or Col. Henry Henguepushees, or the Big Cat; Wicocalind, or Capt. White Eyes, who took up the hatchet for the United States, and their families, shall be received into the Delaware nation, in the same situation and rank as before the war, and enjoy their due portions of the lands to the Wyandot and Delaware nations in this treaty, as fully as if they had not taken part with America." His name, Gelelemend, signified a leader, but was called Killbuck, because his father had been called so by the white people, hence the latter was known as Killbuck, Jr.

Like Capt. White Eyes, he had accepted the office of chief during the minority of the heir in regular line. He was prevented, however, by 'Capt. Pipe, from continuing the course of policy established by his predecessor, and forced to abandon their council-house at Goschoching, and retire under protection of the Americans near Pittsburgh.

Afterward, his many services to Pennsylvania, while they were thoroughly appreciated and acknowledged by the white people, brought down upon him extent, indeed, that he was, by them, ordered to be shot on sight. In after years, he joined the Christian Indians, and lived under their protection, never venturing far from home, lest the Munseys should meet and kill him. He.died in full fellowship with this band, in January, 1811, aged about eighty years.