State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-05-17
MONTPELIER, (vT.) MAY IA, 1896.

IOGCe VI dbouN ClEut IluUurGu HlGU, u COH-
} sist of the fourth regiment, and militia vol
unteers; and TO march to the Prophets
) town, on the River Tppecanoe, for the
; purpose of securing peace. The order
was executed so promptly, and the troops
marched with such dispatch that our little
! army reached their destination before the
return of Tecumseh. 1t was the special
order of the President that General lIarri-
, son should carry the olive branch invite
the Indians to treaty assure them of the
friendly disposition of their great father /;
OH no account to provoke or modest them,
unless he should be actually attacked.
That order was obeyed. The little army
reached the village in the afternoon. The
: Indians were invited to meet the Governor
in council, and Were assured that no hostil-
ity was meditated towards them. They
promised to meet him the next day; but he
was confident, from their manner and
conduct, that they intended to meet him in
combat, and not in tie Council house, and
made his arrangements accordingly. lie
ordered the encampnent to be so made, as
to form the line of battle ; he dictated the
plan and overlooked its execution he
caused each corps to occupy the ground on
which it was to fight in case of an attack,
and the men were ordered to sleep in their
clothes and on Their arms. The result
proved his sagacity. AS he had predicted,
the Indians attacked his line an hour or
two before day light, and one of the most
desperate battles ensUed that the records
of Indian warfare contain. The enemy
kept their ground, and what is unusual with
them, made repeated charges on our
troops. During the whole of the battle,
Governor Harrison was on horseback, in
the midst Of the conflict, directing every
movement in person. At length the Indi-
ans gave way and fed. Our troops took
possession of the town, burnt it, destroyed
the cornfields and then lcsurely returned
to Vincennes. BY that movement the
deep laid plan of TecUmseh was frustrated,
the Indians disheartened, and the entire
frontier of Indiana obtained security.
Notwithstanding the important results
Of that victory were manifest, there were
those who attempted to rob the victor of
Of his well earned lanrels. Among other
things it was alleged that his force was
greatly superior in number to the Indians.
This talsehood was easily put dawn. As
soon as the report began to circulate, ]
wrote to my friend, Captain Wells, Indian
) agent at Fort Wayne, requesting iniorma-
ton on the subject. He answered me
promptly, that number of his own tribe,
(Miamis) had returned from battle, some
of them wounded; that he had conversed
, with them, and that from their reports, the
number engaged against Harrison, was al
) least twelve hundred. Sir, l will venture
, to affirm, that twelve hundred northern
} Indians, were never before defeated and
routed by ei-'t hGndred white men. Har-
| mar and st. Clair out-numbered their OPP
ponents, yet both We're defeated, and the
victory Of Wayne was obtained over m
= Indian force much inferior TO his own
= 1t will he recol cted that the battle o
f Tippecanoe was fought and won shortly
before the commencement of the late wal
t with Great Britain. Harrison had just OBJ.
I tanned security for the frontier Of Indiana
5 when his attention was attracted to the eX-
r posed situation of ours. Hull had march
ed to Detroit without establishing posts or
+ his route to secure supplies. The Indians
= We're between him and our frontier settle
i ments, which of course, were exposed tC
= depreciation. Harri on saw our danger
9 and fastened to our relief. He resigned
4 the government of Indiana came to thi'
5 place as private citizen, and n volunteer
o in oar cause, ready TO throw himself be
= tween us and the danger that threatened
n This movement excited general attention
e and eyes were turned to him as the defen
n der Of Ohio. As vet, however, lie was
C private citizen, without military rank o
n commission. Our sitser stat, Kentucky
Il knew him thoroughly, and having entir
j. confidence in his talents, prudence, an'
h courage, created him a Major General il
v their militia. About the same time, TN
d President appointed him Brigadier, anC
n soon after Major General, and gave hin
e the command, in chief, Of the North West
If ern army. From the time he assumed tn
v command, the frontier settlers felt them
d selves safe, and those who had left thei
e cabins, and retrcated with their families Il
j. the more dense settlements, for safety, LEI
n their block houses and returned 10 thel
e farms. Such was the confidence inspire,
e by the presence of Harrison.
IS 1t is impossible to estimate correctly
At the distressing, perpleXng difficulties h
e had TO encounter in collecting and trans
j. porting to the neighborhood of the Lake
e the materials necessary to make descer
/ on Canada. Every article was to he carrie
over an extensive wilderness, then unir
N habited without roads or canals of an
n description. II frequcntI- happened the
wagons started from the sculeln, nts, oade
e with provendcr which was almost entirel
h, consumed by the teams which drew !
* before they reached their destination. Du
T. ring the tim these preparations were l
+ progress, Huh having surrendered, liar
s, son had numerous and yigilaut enem
a before him, to watch and keep in checl
Of Witness their attempt on Fort Wayne
IS. their attack and defeat Mt Winchester, I
W Raisin the assault on Fort Stephenson
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