Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-05-13
BATTLE OF THE THAMES.

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msstatements, which have been different times pub
liscd respecting the death ofths Chief the Rev.
| o, b. Brown, of Washington, D. C. has furnished in a
letter the editor of the Wa,chnan following inter-
estng and authentic of the sangnnary engage
ment in which Tecumseh slain; which we copy, in
order to correct the before publish
he statement which shall make, was given to me
verbally, by two officers of Colonel Johnson's regiment
who were I'm the battle of the Thames, in which Tecum-
sch was sain and has been confirmed by several writ
ten accounts which have SEEM by others who were
also ewitnesses of the transaction. DESTROYS of
certanng the certainty of these accounts inquired of
Col johnson personally, about year after the BATTLE
and requested him to relate the particulars of the
counter without any its publication, which he
did l%aye frequently conversed with him since upon
the subject These corresponding testimonies may
ainly be relied especially they given by
different Witnesses well by the principal
tor hinsel who is of the strctest veracity and
honor, all without concert and vet in perfect arree-
ment
In that memorable battle, it will be recolected that
Col johnson, with half of his regiment, led the
charge against the Indians, whose numbers about
three tunes great his while his brother Lieut..
COL Jas. Johnson, with the other half of the regiment
led the charge against the British regulars. General
Proctor commanded the regulars, and Tecumseh
manaed the Indians. As Colonel johnson advanced
against the Indians who according their custom,
were concealed by lying in the grass and bushes, and
oehind trees, lie selected twenty men, with whom he
advanced few rods IN front of the main body, to bring
on the battle without exposing the whole to the first
lire of the Indians. While thus advancing they
hred upon; aud nineteen out ofthe twenty fell, leaving
but one man OF that number besides the Colonel to
pursue the charge This shot brought the Indians from
their ambush. The Colonel Immediately ordered his
men TO d;suonnt aud advance the combat. The
der was promptly obeyed, the Colonel only remaining
mounted dreadful conflict Immediately ensued In
the midst OF this of slaughter, the Colonel still
moving forward into the midst ofthe Indians, he obser.
we'd one who evidently commander, and who dis
played more than ordinary gallantry. He rally
ing point for the Indians add while ne stood they ap
peared to be impregnaoe about him. Col Johusep
did not know whether II Tecumseh, anothers
ch'e but observing the effect which his nreottv had
upon the other Indians e deemed il necessary to dis
patch bum IN order to the victory The Colonel
mad already received -four wounds and was much weak
ened by tile loss OF blood His horse been So
wounded as TO be unable move faster than walk.
lie was not able to approach the chief in right line
on account OF the Trunk of large tree which was ly
ing before him. He therefore rode round the head of
The iree and then turned his horse directly towards
chiei, and advanced ppon him. A the distance of 4
few yards, the Colones nurse stumbled but did not en-
tirely tail This gave the Indian the iirs notice OF
his aPproachi who instantly leveed his rifle at The Co
lionel aud gave him another wound. the severest which
he received IN tue battle. He did not howe aii but
continued his NOV erent towards the Indian, till ne
came so near that the Indian was raising his onahawlx
10 strike him down. The Colonel had a pistol in his
right hafd, charged with ball and three buckshot
winch he held against his thigh that the Indian had
not discovered IT. AZ this moment the Colonel raised
n pistol and dschargng its into the breast OF
ths indIan chief laid him dead upon the spot The In
aims near hun raised Yell Iastanty fed. The
olone covered with wounds twenty five balls having
been SHOT INTO hm, his clothes and lis horse was
ole any longer TO act but taken from the battle
ground, ia'nt and almost Ieless.
nus lar the account OF tie Co's gallantry that
day IS undisputed-The only point establish
whether that Indian Tecumseh. Several persous
who were III the battle told me- that Tecurnsch was
louhd dead, ON that very spot; aud that medal a-
zen rom The body OF that Indian which was known 10
nave eeen presented by the British government TO Fc-
cumseh 1t IS known that Tecumseh was killed in tlat
oate, and that the person whom Col johnson killed
! was chiei warrior 1t is also known, that but
other ctcf was killed. any way answering 20 tlie des-
crlptIon gwen OF this person, and that he, brother
Ia" or ecuscb was killed in another part of the battle
bnt III addition TO this testimony, which notorious,
theTe happened to- 10 my house the very day Of
! my receiving The Waterman containing the Conrnun
cation referred to- the celebrated Indian warrior
thony Shane, who is but part bloodcd they gene
rally call those Indians whose blood mixed with the
Writes and who IS also partly civilized. This Shane
was man OF character, and has been the uniform friend
vi inc United States He was at the Thames at the
tune OF the battle and had been intimately acquainted
V'itb ecumseh from early childhood. inquired him
what he knew of the death of Tecumseb lie told me
tat Immediately after the battle OF the Thames was end
ed he went TO the spot where several of the men had
seen Col johnson kill Indian commander and there
ne saw ecumseh lying dead upon the ground; that Inc
eA"ininea ms body and observed that he must have
Deeh Killed by person horseback for a ball and
uHee DUCK stIOt shot into his breast and the bail
passed through his body and the lower part
Oh the back While looking nj the body he was asked
u he was certain it TecumselI. Shane told them
tat lie was certain, that he bad known BIN from child
mold; and that if they would examine his thigh thew
would discover remarkable scar occasioned by the
misfortune ofTecumsehs having his thigh broken naDv
years be0re- that on examining, they found the scar
as he had described This person, Shane knew 10 be
Fecumseh, and his body found where G o. Johnson
had Killed an Indian commander. He was killed bv
person on horseback; and Col johnson vas the onIv
person who fought on horseback. He was shot with
ball and three buCbsho and the pistol viii, which Dol
Johnson shot the Indian charged With hall and
three buckshot These circumstances establish Tie
iact DeJond an reasonable doubt that Tccumseh was
killed By Col. Johnston II is however ,,ol,er 10 ~
serve that the merits Of the Colonel neither Dcreas
ca nor diminished, from the circumstance OF its being
iecuWseh; and he claimed special regard from
tne mere name of the person. When FIRST inquired Of
MN the particulars of the transaction he was difdenfto
speak freely concerning it, lest he should seem TO be or
witness to bis own acts-There is a remarkable mo.
destv With Col johnson which weuld rather forego ali