The Yazoo City Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 183?-1840, 1840-05-29


miles ofihe Prophets town. According 20
he Instructions he had received from the
President. Governor Harrison Immediately
sent Ii Gag Of truce, 70 endeavor % open
al amicable negotiation with the hostile n.
dians. 10 this overture, the Prophet re-
turned deceitful reply-he possessed the
most pacific intentions, and agreed to meet
Harrison The next day il council, with bis
chiefs, to settle de6nitelyth terms ofpeace.
But Harrison knew too we'll the treachery
Of BIS artifal antagonist to allow himself to
Be deceived By his spec;ous professions, Or
lnlled into any iancied security. He care
fully selected the most eligible and defen-
sible position for bis encampment, and Or
dered his troops to lie upon their arms ell
night that they might be in readiness, at
moments warning, 10 repel any sudden at
tack of the enemy. The sequel proved that
these precautions were wisely adopted. An
anxious night passed away without inter-
mption; but about four o'clock, on the tol-
lowing morning, two hours before daylight,
sentinel, at one Of the out-posts, discoy.
cred an Indian creeping stealthily toward
/ the camp. He Immediately gave the alarm,
and almost tthe same instant, strong body
Of the enemy rushed toward the encamp-
ment. with the most savage yells. They
made furious charge on the left Of the
camp: and so sudden and desperate was
ttheir onset, that the guard stationed IN that
4 ouurrer, gave way, at frst, 70 their heTce as
i sailants. But these brave troops soon rallied
n and retrieved the ground they had lost
The camp-hres were extinguished with all
possible haste, and the battle was now waged
on mora equal terms. Our gallant troops
fought with the most daring intrepidity, and
their savage foes evinced desperate valor
worthy Of a better cause. The battle ragged
with great fury till the dawn of day, when
a simultaneous charge was made upon the
, enemy, on either flank, and they were speedi-
Ily put to flight, with great loss, and the bat
tie terminated. During all this time. the
false Prophet had been seated at safe dis
lance from the field of battle, chanting a
war.song, and promising victory to bis de-
luded brethren.
The battle of Tippecanoe was one Of the
most spirited and best tough, actions record
) ed in the annals Of our indian wars. The
numbers AID the weapons on either side
were aearlyy equal; and the Indians, contrary
/; to f++.elr usual custom, fought hand to hand
: :, and with the fiercest bravery. Every mar
!. in this battle encountered his share of dang
y err, but no man was in more personal peri
! than Governor Harrison himself--Well known
to many of the Indians, and the object o
: their peculiar attack-his fearless and IN
i shrinking exposure, makes it seem almost ;
. miracle that he should have escaped IN
Z wounded In referring to the GOODNESS am
lintrepidity Of Governor Harrison, on this oc
Z casion, we cannot refrain from making tht
following extracts from journal published
;. in 1916, by a private sOldiei, who Tough
. in this battle, and who could have had ut
! interested motives for his publication:
p "General Harrison" he says ''received
+ shot through the brim of the hat. In th'
o heat of the action his voice was frequently
II heard, and easily distinguished, giving hi
e orders in the same calm and collected man
n ner, with which we had been used to receiv,
IS them on drill or parade. The confidence
v of the troops in the General was unlimited.
e The same writer in speaking of Harrison
IT kindness to the soldiers, and his influence
+ over them, remarks :-"He appeared not dis
Il posed to detain any man against his inclina
i ton; being endowed by nature with hear
+ as humane as brave, in his frequent addresse
O to the militia, his eloquence was formed 4
}. persuade; appeals were made to reason a
, we'll as feeling, and never were they madt
d in vain.o
+ An incident that occurred at this time, j
d worth recording. The night before the bat
E tie, negro man belonging to the camp, VIII
5 had been missing, was arrested near th'
!. Governors marquee, under very suspicious
III circumstances. He was tried by court
8 martial for desertion to the enemy, and 70
! an attempt to assassinate the Governor
4 Sufficient evidence was found to conVic
!. him, and he was sentenced to death; ye
E such were the humane feelings of Harrison
) that he could not induce himself to sig
! the order for his execution. As the crimi
nal attempt had been made against his owl
life, he felt himself privileged to exercis
4 his beneVolence toward the offender, and tn
misguided wretch was suffered to escap
|, the Just punishment of his crime. It woul
have been more in accordance with the prin
! ciples OF strict justice, to have allowed tn
law TO take its own course IN this instance
but the circumstances Of the case we're yer
, peculiar, and GovernoE Harrison's conduc
eviuced a magnanimity and humanity Q
heart rarely eqnalled.
J The Importance eff the victory a. TipPe
! canee, cannot be too highly estimated.
, quelIed the naughty spirit of the discomfort
|, ed and hostile Indians, and deiealed th'
plan, which they had almost matared, Q
, attacking and destroying Our scattered boz
/ der settlements in detail. Had we lost tlaI
battle, our army must have been annihilate'
the whole extent Of our defencelass from
{ Tier would have been left to the mercy 9
Isanguinary and unsparing savages, and th'
! CONSEQUENT loss OF life, and destruction g
& property would have been almost incalctla
ihle