Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1854-11-04
TECUMSEH'S HONOR.
AN INDIANS WORD AND GRATITUDE.

A correspondent of the Detroit Free Press
gives the following among other deeply inter-
egting anecdotes of the great Indian warrior
and prophet, Tecumseh:
While the enemy was in full possession Of
the country around Monroe and Detroit ,Tecu-
mseh, with large band of his warriors, visited
the river Rasin. The inhabitants along the
river had been stripped of subsistence. Old
Mr.. Rivard "a Frenchmam) who was lame,
and unable to procure a living for himsdlf and
family, had contrived to keep out of sight of
the wandering bands of sayages pair of oxen,
with which his son was able to procure scans
ty SUPPORT for the family. It so happened
that, white at lebor with the oxen, Tecumseh,
who had come over from Maiden, met him in
the road, and walking up to him, said:
"My friend, 7 must have those oxen. NV
young men are very hungry, and they have
nothing to ca. We must have the oxen"
Young Rivard demonstrated. He told the
s,arveto death. "zs.ss.-s
"Well," said Tccumseh, 1--WE are the con-
querors, and every thing we want is ours. l
must have the oxen; my people must not
| starve; but will not be 80 rob you of them.
| will pay you one hundred dollars for them,
and that is far more than thsy ase worth; but
We mnst have tha1! y.ss :,
TecnmssK got white man to write an order
on the British Indian agent, Col. Elliott, who
promptly refused to pay it, saying, "We areen-
titled to our support from the country we have
conquered. | will not pay it" ...-s
The young man, with a sorowfcl heart, re.
turned with the answer to Tecumseh, who said,
sTo>morrow we will 60 and see.'. os.g
! In the morning he took young Rivard and
went to see the Colonel. On meeting him he
said:
DO you refuse to pay for the oxen bought
sYes," said the Colonel; and he reiterated
the reason for refusal. 7-
II bought them," said the chief, for my
young men, who were very hungry. pro-
missed to pay for them, and they shall be paid
for. have always heard that white nations
went to war with each other, and not with
peaceful individuals: that they did not rob and
plunder peor people. will not" 81 .sa
"Well," said the Colonel, Il will not pay for
them" . p 7f's% '@'o'A '''''1
"You can do as you please" said the chief;
"but before Tecnmseh and his warriors came
to fight the battles Of the great king they had
enough to eat, for which they had only to
thank the Master Of Life and their good rifles.
Their hunting grounds supplied them with
food enough; and to shem they can return -
This threat produced sudden change in
the Colonel's mind. The detection Of the
great chief, he well knew would Immediately
Withdraw all the nations Of the red men from
the British ser vice; and, without them, they
were nearly powerless on the frontier, lat9
SWELL" said the Colonel. "if must nav.
will" - s1
"Give me hard money" said Tecumseh, snot
rag money,"-(afmy bila) 1sisasi 'a5#a 6
The Colonel then, counted ont hundred
dollars in coin, and gave them to him. The
chief handed the money to young Rivard. and
then said to the Colonel aGive me one dollar
more" 1t was given. and handing that also
to Rivard, be said, stake that; it will pay you
for the time you have lost in getting your
money" -