Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-06-29
From the Dayton Gazette.l
BIOGRAPHY OF TECUMTHA.
BIZ COL. JOHN JOHNSON


MEssRs. EDIToRs:-I am requested
by an old and esteemed friend to give
some account of the celebrated warrior,
Tecumtha, / state the Indian orthogra-
phy. which. it will be perceived, is
somewhat different from the common
practice of writing his name, the inter-
pretation of which, substantially is, the
Panther or Tiger crouching ready to
pounce on its prey-a name most ap-
propriate and characteristic of the man.
Tecumtha was Native Shawanoese,
born on the banks of Mad River, near
the site of the present city of SPRING
field, Clarke county, Ohio, about the
wear 177O, and was of unadulterated
Indian blood, both by father aud mother.
His father became distinguished war
chief, and fell in the battle of Point
Pleasant, Kanawha, in 1774. The
hatred of the son to the white man was
doubtless much aggravated by this oc-
currence. Tecumths never was chief
in any sense of the term. Having failed
to involve his nation in war with the
United States, he early separated him
self from the government and control of
his legitimate chiefs, and established
himself at the head of certain banditti
In 1906 on the Wabash, near the mouth
of Tippecanoe river His followers and
adherents here were composed of out
laws from all the Indian tribes, princi-
pally from those west and adjacent to
the Mississippi. The largest number
were of the Winebagoes, although the
hearts of all were estranged from us,
mainly by reason of our frequent en-
croachments upon their country, driving
them farther and farther from the graves
and homes of their ancestors. The
frontier tribes, embracing the Wyandots,
Delawares, Shawanoese, Miamies, Sene-
cas-, and many of the Uttowa and
Potawatimie towns, being more immedi-
ately under our control, and within the
reach of chastisement, were afraid to
join in any hostile demonstrations
against us; not many persons of the
tribes named were found in the ranks Of
Teeumtha.
The Kickapoo tribe of the Shawa-
noese, of which Tecumtha was a mem
Der, were invariably distinguished for
their hatred to the white race. Often
when the chiefs were disposed to make
peace, persons of this tribe would go off
clandestinely and commit murder on the
frontier, in order to defeat their pro-
posed intent. The tribe was nearly an
initiated in the year 1912. Nearly all
the murders on the north western from
tiers during that period were perpetrated
by them. AT the Pigeon Roost in In
diana, where twenty old men, women
and children were murdered, the leader
of the party, one Pasheto, notorious
villain, was of this tribe, as were most
of his party. My own life was several
times in jeopardy from this daring as
sassin. He was killed after the war of
1912 in personal encounter with one
of his own people, at Maiden, on the
English side of Detroit river. He was
stabbed in the vitals through the liver,
but lived afterwards seventeen days;
the Indians affirming the Great Spirit
had thus procrastinated his sufferings,
as punishment for his manifold cold
blooded cruelties.
My personal intercourse with Te-
cumtha was of short duration, he having
left his nation soon after my agency for
them commenced, and before he had
acquired any great amount of celebrity
as warrior and leader. His habit was
to sbun as much as possible, all inter-
course with United States officers, or
persons in authority. He was known
to say, that he never looked on the face
of a white man, without horror or feel
ing his flesh creep on his bones. In
person he was about five feet ten inches,
compactly built and well formed for
strength and agility. He would receive
no presents for himself, and when any
thing was given, he would throw the
article contemptuously to his followers.
His garments were all made of deer
skin, dressed and made up by the wo-
men. He was killed at the battle of the
Thames near the end of the year 1918
and aged about forty-four years. Find
ing the English no longer able to protect
the Indian allies, their feet on the Lake
captured, their army under Proctor de-
feated, the cause hopeless, it was doubt
less the desire of Tecumtha to perish in
the last onslaught He sought death
and met it, but at whose hands is, L
think matter of uncertainty. Antho-
ny Shane, half-breed raised among the
Indians, one of my Interpreters, was in
the battle, examined the body of Te-
cumtha, and affirmed he was not the
Indian killed by Col. R. NJ. Johnson
Tecumths in early life had his thigh
bone broken, and where the bone united,
a ring had formed around the fracture,
which could be felt by the hand. This
mark was not on the Indian killed by
johnson. / heard General Harrison in
1888, interrogated on the stand at Piqua,
Ohio, as to his belier who killed Te-
cumtha. His reply was that he did not
know. ,.
sFecumtha was for few times guest
at my table at Fort Wayne. He would
not taste any intoxicating liquor, drink
ing nothing but pure water; would eat
meat, potatoes, and corn bread, and
very sparingly of those. His whole
course in view of his people, was to
teach them by precept and example to
become independent of the white race.