Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-03-22
Historical Sketches of Ind
iana.-VO. ).
BY WARREN TAYLOR.

When the battle of Tippecanoe was
| fought. Tecumseh was among the Indian
! tribes of the South. 1t was undoubtedly
his aim to unite all Of the Indian nations o!
the west and south in war against the
Crifcd States. ii the latter would not yield
TO his demands. But he was not vet pre-
pared for Open hostile demonstrations, ana
the Prophets precipitarcy in bringing o.
the fatal enga cement with Harrison :
troops greatly disconnected his plans.
War commencing few months afterwards
between the United States and Great
Britain, he engaged in the service of the
latter and received the Commission of a
Brigadier General. Ii was known that
the great mass of the Indians in the
northern part OF the Territory would take
the same side i'm the contest which had
commenced. and this excited among the
settlers great alarm. Subsequent events
proved that their fears were not unbound
ed.
War was declared b. our Government
against Great Britain on the 18th of April,
1872. and about three months from that
time Gen. Hull surrendered at Detroit.
On portion of the ground now occupied
by the city of Chicago stood Fort Dear
bon, which YVES then garrisOned by siNty-six
iilNli. uilklti tliC VI
Gen Hull had ordered this officer to evacu-
ate the place and retire To Fort Wayne. y
body of Miami Indians supposed To lie
friendly, had been sent from the latter place
To Fort Dearbon. under Capt. Wells, and
these were expected to protect the
garrison in their march through the will
derness DESTROYS of conciliating the
PoitowattOmieS. who had gathered around
the Fort in great numbers, Capt. Head
distributed among them all the public
stores except ammunition and whiskcy,
which were DESTROYED. This last act be
coming known the Indians were diSsatis-
fed. and resolved on vengeance. Capt.
Heald. his garrison, and fourteen women
and children, in all eighty persons. had
not proceeded more than three-four,hs of
u mile from the place which they had
evacuated when they were asSailed by
about five hundred Pottowattomie war
riors Forty-one of this unfortunate party
were killed. Capt. Wells among the
number, and the remainder made prison
ers The Miamies who were expected
TO act as an escort for the garrison, stood
alOOf during the massacre, and refused to
afford the least assistance To the assaulted
party. This affair took place on the 10th
of August.
On the 2sth Of the same month. large
force oil Indians laid siege to Fort WAYNE,
and continued To invest it for more than
two weeks The garrison was reduced
TO great extremiles, but finally was re-
lieved by troops sent to its assistance by
Gov. Harrison. On the night of the ith OF
September a furious attack was made on
Fort Harrison. which stood near the
present city Of Terre lIaute. This post
was commanded by Capt. Zachary Taylor,
afterwards President of the United States.
The garrison reduced greatly by sickness,
numbered at this time less than twenty
effective men. But this heroic little band
defended themselves for several hours
against four or five hundred Indians.
When daylight came the latter Withdrew
having completely failed in their efforts.
Only two of the garrison were killed. Capt.
Iaylors intrepidity on this occasion
raised him high in the estimation of the
public mind.
A disastrous affair occurred about the
same time at a locality called the Pigeon
Ro0st, in the present county ofScott. This
was an extreme frontier settlement, about
forty miles north OF Louisville. aid con-
tanned seven or eight families. While
engaged in their usual avOcations they
were surprised by Il party of Shawnees, and
twenty seven persons, mostly women and
children were killed. 4 party of militia
were Immediately collected and started in
pursuit, but the savages escaped.