Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-09-11
BURLINGTON HAWK-EYE.


AV00AAoOAs
4 letter from Henry R. schoolcraft, Esq, to
the Hon. Luther Bradish, President Of the N. Y.
Historical Society, upon the subject of the means
and manner o. the death of This celebrated Indian
Chief, has revived question which has aSitated
popular op.nioa in the United States for nearly
forty years.
Mr. Schoolcraft remarks in his letter, that the
killing Of Tecamseh has generally been attributed
to the late Col r. NJ. johnson, of Kentucky;
bat thinks that the truth of History requires that
the name Of the real actor should be made known,
whom he AYERS to be no other than Jacob IL.
Holcman, of Kentucky, private of Capt. Stu
gers company of mounted volunteers. lhe
event. as detailed BY Holeman, is thus narrated
! BY Mr. Schoolcraft in his letter:
Col. Johnson determined to dismount three
companies of his command who tied their horses
at the skirts of the wood. and leaving the other
three mounted companies at the same point as
reserve His force consisted Of mounted citizen
voluntcers-a term by which is meant, men, fur
nishiny their ova horses, who were. from their
position, expert IN every art OF forest warfare
| with man and beast. They Were armed with
short rifle of the kind called yagers. They had
1 no swords.
C,pt. Singers company was one OF those uis
mounted, and entered the woods on foot The
! Indians were so completely masked by the fol'-
| aye that the contest was one essentially OF per-
soaal com5ats both parties seeking the shelter OF
! trees and coverts, ana citing according 10 'he
Indian moie, in very open order. Col Johnson
| led his men. and was soon wounded in two pla-
ces. ana carried 20 the rear. II ,leman ami
! companion were standing together, when they
saw two savages rush forward, and IN the act OF
firing. They themselves fired instantly and kill
| ed their men. His companion was also mortaliy
I wounded and FELL Holeman run up TO the Indian
| he had shot, and took pistol of curious work
manship out of his right hand, which Law extend
ed as If in the act of firing when he fell. and re-
tanning it. carried il TO his quarters after the close
of the action.
| When the battle was terminated, it was rnmor-
| cd that Tecumseh had been slain. General Har-
rison and some British officers rode up to identi-
| fv the body. Harrison recognized the chief by
/ a peculiar tooth which had turned blue, all the
/ others retaining their whiteness. Holeman men,
/ toned the circumstance of taking the pistol from
! the Indians hand. He went Immediately to his
camp and hroughtit The British officer (whose
name he did not know) decided that it was one
! of pair formerly belonging TO Gen. Brock. which
| that officer presented to Tecumseh.
Tecnmseh was armed with a handsome made
English fowng piece, and evidently had his arm
! extended in the act to fire when the ball Of his
! antagonist pierced him. His dress could not be
! distinguished from the other Indians, except by
| its comparative cleanness.
This comprizes the story as told by Holeman
| to Schoolcraft, who adds that he was impressed
with the entire moiesty of the narrator. '.Not
word,'' says Mr. Schoolcraf:, ''was uttered ir
the vein of boasting. or in deprecating the merits
! of others. far less Of his commander, Col. John
| son. He had, in that action, three balls pass
| through his clothes; namely, one under his arm
and two through the skirts of his hunting shirt.
! He also received bali in his cartridge box which
was arrested BY ball in one of his cartridges
| He fred sixteen rounds in that action"
| The subject seems 10 have engaged the atten-
ton of others besides Mr. Schoolcraft. who have
given TO the same Society the benefit of their re-
searches We learn from the n. Y. Express
that at late meeting of the n. Y. Historical So
ciety. MAJOR Richardson read an interesting pa
per upon Tecamseh and some particulars of the
war Of 1872
! The Express says:
| After detailing several remarkable incidents Of
| Tecumseh's military career, Major Richardson
gave an account of the battle of the Thames, at
which Tecumseh was killed. He said that it
was generally supposed that Tecumseh was kill
ed by Col. johnson that having discharged his
rifle al the Coonel, he was in the act of rushing
on him with his tonahaws, when the Colonel
shot him with pistol. Three years ago, how
ever, Major Richardson said he had fallen in with
an aid-de-camp of Teeumseh, who told altoge,h-
| er different story of his death. This Indian
saws that Tecumseh having received sho. from
| the Americans. under the fifth rib, and knowing
the fatal nature OF the wound, threw himself from
his horse. He then fired his rifle, and having
three pistols he fired them all after which, draw
| in- his sword, he used it with much effect until
he sank down, for want of strength, when a rifle
man came up ami despatched him with an axe.
Major R. said here were two entirely different
s;eries, but he thought the first story was the
correc, one and that Col. Johnson had indeed
killed Tec.:nseh. On the night of the battle of
the Thames, the British officers who had been
taken prisoners. when ther heard that Tecumseh
was killed requested PERMISSION to see the body,
and they all identified i. as thai Of the Indian
Chief, and it was generally understood at the
time that Colonel Johnson had killed hilH-!f that
had not been the case, the man who had killed
Tecumseh would no. have neglected to claim lie
honor.
Amidst the conflict of testimony and opinion,
the question still remains "Who killed Tecum-
seh?o
H.