Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-11-18
THE SLAYER OF TecUMseH.
Col Richard M. johnson Undoubtedly
the Man-Detaiis Of the Fight.

Col Richard M. johnson Undoubtedly
the Man-Detaiis Of the Fight.
Col. RHchard N. johnson had Tecum-
sch for his combatant, with force
three times his number. As was their
custom, the Indians were concealed
from view by lying in the grass and
bushes and trees Col. johnson selected
twenty men, with whom he advanced
few rods in front Of the main body to
bring on the battle without exposing the
whole to the first fire of the Indians
While thus advancing they were fired
on and nineteen of the twenty fell. The
shot brought the Indians from their am
bush, when Col. johnson Immediately
ordered his men to dismount and ad-
vance to combat. A dreadful conflict
ensued. The colonel alone remained,
and, moving forward amid the Indians
he observed one who was evidently
commander of no common order. He
did not know him, but saw it was neces-
sary to dispatch him to secure the VIC
tory.
The colonel had already received four
wounds and was greatly weakened by
the loss Of blood. His horse, also se-
verely wounded, was unable to move
faster than a walk. He could not ap-
proach the chief in right line. on ac-
count of the trunk of q large tree. and
turning directly toward the chief, adj
vanced upon him. At the distance of
few yards his horse stumbled, but for
tunately did not fall. This gave the
Indian the first notice of his approach,
when he instantly leveled his rifle at the
colonel and gave him another wound,
the severest he had received in the bat
tie. He did. not, however, fall, but
continued his movement toward the
Indian till he came SO near that the
Indian was raising his tomahawk to
strike him down. The colonel had pis-
tol in his right hand, charged with
ball and three buckshot, which he held
against his thigh, 80 that the Indian had
not discovered il.
At this moment the colonel raised his
pistol and, discharging its contents into
the breast Of the Indian chief, laid him
dead upon the spot. The Indians near
him, seeing their commander fall, gave
a horrible yell and instantly fed. The
colonel. covered with wounds, twenty
five balls, it was said, having been shot
into him, his clothes, and his horse, was
conveyed from the ground faint and
almost lifeless. Although, probably
from political considerations, doubt was
at one time raised as to whether or not
Col. johnson killed Tecumseh there ap-
pears to be no good ground for such
doubt. Both the American and Cana
dian historians agree that the account
here given is substantially correct. Mr..
Coffin says that, after being taken from
the field, Col. johnson was told that he
had killed Tecumseh and that he (Col.
Johnson) always afterward gave his
story simply and not boastfully, but
others scrambled for credit where Q
brave man found cause for pain. There
is every reason to believe that johnson
did slay Tecumseh. On his body was
found the marks of four buckshot and a
bullet. These wounds had caused his
death. From their direction, they must
have been inflicted from above as from
a man on horseback. johnson was the
only man on horseback in that part of
the field-Ex-P Postmaster General Hora-
tio King in Boston Herald.