The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-01-15
TWO NorEp RED nRAvEs.
The Wonderful Tanacharison and the
Graat

common rules of war in their dealings
with these people on the principle that
their barbarous condition denied them
any rights.
Tho early history of Pittsburgh, says
u writer in the Dispatch, would not be
complete without some reference to
many of the Indian leaders who became
famous by their endeavors to prevent
the encroachment of the whites. The
conspiracies of Pontiac, Tecumseh, or
the Prophet, and the results of the
battles of Fallen Timbers, T%ippecanoe,
and the Thames we're all as important
events to Pittsburgh in their day as
was that memorable struggle at Gettys-
burg nearly or quite q century later.
When Washington was dispatched on
his celebrated mission to the French by
Gov. Dinwiddie in 1858 he first con-
ferred with the leading sachems of the
Six Nations, among whom was one
Tanacharison, the Half King, who, it
may be said, gave the future father of
u country some of his earliest and
best points in statecraft. OF this man
T~anacharison, n writer, and an au-
thority at that, has even gone so far as
to say that in character he resembled
Washington very much and might have
equaled him in many ways had the con-
ditions been different.
1t is worthy of note that the confer
enc between Washington and the Half
King took place hardly o dozen miles
from this city 1877 years ago, on the 25th
of the present month. Washington was
but 81 years of age at the time, and the
battle Of Braddock's Field and York.
town had not been fought, but the re-
markable qualities which made him
famous afterward had already been
noted, and the visit to the French in
many ways added to his reputation, as
its result, as embodied in his journal"
were copied by nearly every newspaper
of the time.
His companion, the Half King, be-
came thereafter his steadfast friend.
Tanacharison accompanied him tho fol-
lowing year on his expedition to dis
lodge the French from the disputed
territory on the Ohio, and appeared to
be a sort of general counselor in all the
operations of the young American
leader until after the surrender Of Fort
Necessity at the Great Meadows. The
friendly intercourse would no doubt
have been renewed thereafter, but
T~anacharison died at Harrisburg on
October Of that year. But little is
known of this chieftain's early history.
1t is seldom that three children born
at one birth live. Still more rare is it,
in fact it is doubtful, if it ever did oc-
cur in q previous case, that the three
became famous in after life. However
such would he the history of Tecumseh,
some authorities spell it Tecumtha, the
famous Shawnee, and his brothers,
Esasawa, the prophet, and Kumskaka.
The remarkable event took place at
Piqua, near Springfield, Ohio, about
the year ITO.
Space will not permit Of an extended
account Of these men, in fact any first
class biographical dictionary will
furnish that information, but certain il
is that no greater man among thdse
people ever held sway than Tecumsdh.
In many respects he differed from
many Of his race. He was not fond O.
display. He was at all times dignifed
and austere in his manners; indeed, il
was these two qualities, it is claimed
that gave him such control over his fol
lowers. OF his ability as q statesman i
may be said that in all his dealings
with the United States Government
none but the ab!est diplomats were per
mitted to meet him.
AS an orator he was almost match
less. There is extant an account of q,
American spy who surreptitiously e
heard Tecumseh's harapgue to hi
warriors the night before the battle o
the Thames. At the finish the toss o
d cap would have made a renegade O
the scout, but happily, circumstance
prevailed that prevented this action
aad the spy returned to the camp witt
Information that led to the utter defea
OF the Indians and British in the battl
Of the following day and the death Q
the noted warrior who was the leading
spirit Of the opposing forces.
Speaking of him as q soldier a
American military man said: she wa
an excellent Judge of position, and nc
only knew but could point out til
localities of the whole country through
which he passed." and English writer
say there were few officers of his tim
, in the United States service who wer
better able to command in the field
American writer's qualify this by adding
Sin lis peculiar mode of warfare" bu
!, admit that Tecumseh must have bee
!, better skilled in military tactics tina
most, if not all, of his countrymer
whether predecessors or contemporaries: