The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-02-25
Outlines Of The Life and Public Services, CT
pa and Military, Of WiLLrAM HENRY HAIR
RIsoN, ~ Ohio.
BATTLE OF ruprEcANoE.


States and Great Britain, became more and
more iminont and certain, the audacity and
violence of the Indians increased In 1911
Tecumthe had assembled new body of war
riors at the Prophets Town; and marauding
parties roved towards the settlements more
frequently than ever. In the public documents
there Is a great body Of evidence to show
that at that time general oommotiop pervaded
all the Indian tribes Messengers went to
and fro; the war belt was circulated; arms
and ammunition were obtained from upper
Canada, in quantities beyond the usual yearly
issue Of presents by the British; and thus
every thing indicated the approach OF rising
against the United States. The commission
of a+number of murders on the frontiers OF
Illinois and Indiana, the usual forerunners Of
an Indian wfr, warned Governor Harrison to
take measures for the .defence Of the Terri.
tory, and induced the Government to direct
| him TO move with an armed force towards
Tippecanoe, the centre and headquarters Of
| all the nlrigues Of the savages, and the re-
sort of the most desperate and daring of their
men, and where it was known that thou
sand hostile Indians were assembled, whom
he was directed to dispense
Governor Harrison had collected force
of about nine hundred men, composed Of the
militia and volunteers Of Indiana; small
but gallant body OF volunteers from kentucky,
and detachment Of United States. troops
His first effort, like Wayne's, in the similar
case before, was to prepare his troops for VIC
tory by drilling them thoroughly in person,
'and organizing them for victory /; and to this
in mo small part, the subsequent success was
due. Thus prepared, he began his march
from Fort Harrison, on the Wabash, on the
goth Of October, 1871. His orders were
most positive to avoid hos,ili,es of any kind,
or any degree, not ndispensably required
These instructions compelled him, though
marching into hostile country where a
numerous force of Indians awaited him, yet
10 act on the defensive, TO fight only when al
tackled, and thus in fact to leave to the Indians
to fight or not as they chose, and TO select
their own time for battle. He was to advance
in the hope, and with the endeavor, to induce
the Indians to make peace and yet to be
ready at all times 10 encounter a treacherous
foe, unknowng where or when the death
struggle might commence. To meet these
conditions, il was necessary to conduct the
expedition at all times as in face Of the enc
my; TO encamp in order of battle; and to
march in such form as to be able to repel an
assault at moments warning. OF course,
the utmost vigilance was requisite to guard
against surprise to avoid falling into ambus-
cades and 10 secure the army from attack
in Instantaneous position. All this Hair
rison accomplished, his own experience, wis
dom and, circumspection, being ably seconded
by the zeal and vigilance of his officers and
troops.
Proceeding thus, by jndcous feint. after
accommodating and laying out Wagon road
on one bank of the Wabash which led the
Indians to expect he would pass up on that
side, he suddenly changed his route, crossed
to the other bank, and thus marched to the
Prophets Town. without nolestaton or him
drance. He arrived on the 9th of November.
He had previously sent forward some chiefs
Of the Delawares and Miamis to endeavor to
make peace; but had heard nothing from
them. Interpreters we're now sent with the
advanced guard, for the same purposes but
were repealed with menace and insult. A
second effort, with flag Of truce, was made
and failed Governor Harrison had been
urged by some OF his officers to attack the
Prophets Town; but, determined to perse
we're in the pursuit Of peace and in the spirit
OF his instructions, he refused to make the at
tack so long as any possibility remained, Of
the Indians complying with the demands Of
the Government. At length, the Prophet
sent three Of his Indians to propose suspen-
sion of hostillties and meeting the next day
to agree upon the terms of peace. But Go
vernon Harrison knew too we'll the treache-
rous disposition of his adversary, to allow
himself TO be thrown of his guard Two
competent officers, Majors Clark and Tay Tor,
were employed to select suitable place to
encamp advantageously, as in the enemy's
presence, and where an attack could best be
repelled. Accordingly, they examined the
enyirons and selected an elevated spot, sur
rounded by wet prairie, and adequately sup
piled with wood and water; and as Major
Taylor has since declared, the selection was
made according to their best judgment, rati-
fled by that Of ninetenths of the other officers.
Indeed, the righteousness of the selection
they made as.proved not only by the results,
but by subsequent observation and reflection
for when The army of General Hopkins was
there, in the following year, says M'Affee,
they all united in the opinion that better
spot to resist Indians, was not to be found in
the whole country.
Here, then, the army encamped, but with
every thing ready for night attack. The
troops lay as they were to rise for battle, in
all their clothes and accoutrements, the dra-
goons with their swords and pistols in their
belts, and the infantry with their arms by their
sides and il was the Governors invarlabe
practice, says McAffec, to be ready TO mount
his horse at moments warning. The entire
camp, of course, was surrounded by Gordon
of sentinels, so posted as TO give timely no
tice of any attack, and thus preclude as far as
possible the danger Of loss or confusion by