The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1872-05-09
WHO KILLED TECUMSEH?
MORE ABOUT THE sK1NN1Ne OF THE DEAD CHIEF


This is one OF those exasperating questions
which will probably never be satisfactorily an
swered. and perhaps it is not of much cOnse
quence whether it is answered or not. Gen.
eraf Sanderson, an ancient warrior, who died
recently at Lancaster, Ohio, and who partici
pated in those old wars, has left certain re-
miniscences. He was in the battle in which
| the celebrated Indian was demolished and he
says he doesn't know whether Colonel Johnson
killed Tecumseh or not so great was the
smoke, noise and confusion. One thing, how.
ever, he states decidedly-the Kentucky troops
skinned Tecumseh If they didn't kill him. He
saw them in the very act of fiaying the de-
funct chief His cuticle came off in strips
of about half foot in length and an inch and
half in width the said skin stretching like
India rubber after it had been dried, which is
additional evidence that Tecumseh was tough
customer. While the tiaying was going on the
Indian prisoners stood by and howled with af-
ffectionate anguish. The body, in the opinion of
General Sanderson, was eaten by wolves.
What was done with the dried strips of skin
the General did not state-perhaps they were
converted into belts or powder pouches for
the hunters of Kentucky. Possibly the Ken
tuckians will not be particularly grateful for
this contribution to the military history of the
country-skinhing dead enemy having rath-
er gone out of fashion.
In November, 1852, the present writer met
at Greensborough (Miss.), an old gentleman
named Elkin, a participant in the battle of the
Thames, from whom he heard some accounts of
that action which he had never met in print,
though he has himself put them in print once or
twice during the last twenty years. Asfor the sto-
rV pf TDh Ii oh
Elkin said it was commonly reported, and not
questioned at the time he himself was in an
other part of the engagement, being under
Lieutenant Colonel James johnson, who broke
the British line on the right, while his brother
engaged the Indians on the left.
Mr.. Elkin informed us that the day after the
battle the troops were marched out by com
panies to crafty their curiosity by viewing the
scene; that precaution being adopted to guard
against possible danger from lurking Indians.
His company was the first that reached the
ground where TecumSeh fell, and they found
his body, from the back of which "razor
straps" (that was his expresSion) had been
cut The company. composed chiefly of rela-
tlyes of the men who had been slaughtered at
the River Raisn IN that massacre to which
Iecumseh had put stop at the risk of his
OWN lite (saving the lives indeed, of some of
their own brothers), manifested great indigna-
ton at this barbarous treatment of the body
of lnagnanimous foe; their passion finding
vent in tears and curses, and threats of ven
ceance against the authors of the indignity.
Whether from shame or fear, no exhibition
was ever made of the disgraceful trophies, nor
had he ever heard of their existence during I
the almost forty years which had since elapsed. |
From our recollection of the manner and
circumstances of the narration, we are satisfied
that this is much more correct version than
that which represents the body to have been
skinned. The Incident of the Indian prison
nrs' is abused, as everybody will understand
who knows what Indian fighting was in those
days, and that is probably not the only fiction
which has been interviewer in the story as it
has passed from hand to hand We think Mr..
Elkin said that on the morning after he saw
the body it had disappeared.- Mobile Register.