The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-10-03
HE SLEW CHIEF TECuMSEH.
Richard Nj. johnson cf Kentucky the Hero
of the Fight.

Richard MI. johnson cf Kentucky the Hero
of the Fight.
While nearly every one has heard
of tho famous Indian leader Tecum-
sea, there are many who are not
aware Of the fact that his death was
duo TO the bravery of o man who
afterward became the vice president
OF the United States. Richard M.
johnson was a native of the Blue
Grass State and the fact may account
for his fondness for fight. He was
born in 1871, while Washington was
still alive and when the American
states had scarcely passed out of
their swaddling clothes into the
dress of full fiedged and independent
sovereignties. The white man ruled
only In the east, and out on the vast
prairies of the west roamed the In
dams, and the settlers on the out
skirts of civilization never knew at
what moment they might be at
tackled and destroyed.
Such continued to be the state of
affairs for some years, and when
Johnson was in congress in 1912.
and the English and Indians had
combined to attack the new repub
lie, johnson went home to Kentucky
and raised battalion of three com
panies, and after they had been con-
solidated into regiment was made
the colonel and served for ten
months. He returned for a short
space to his congressional duties.
but at the command of the secretary
OF war soon raised regiment of a
thousand volunteers and went to at
tack the enemy in the west, joining
his force to that of General William
Henry Harrison, who was then gov
ernor of Indiana and the leader of
the American troops. It was then,
on Oct. 5, 1913, occurred the famous
battle of the Thames.
The English forces were posted
between the river and the marsh,
while the Indians were on q high
ground in the swampy land. Colo
mel johnson ordered his men for
ward, and the English let them get
almost within a few yards before
the command to. fire was given.
Then the bullets laid the front rank
low. A desperate battle took place,
but the conflict lasted only about 10
minutes, the Americans being vic
torious. Tecumseh was found on
the field dead, and it was asserted
that Johnson was the one who shot
him, as he was killed by man on
horseback, and Johnson was the
only one mounted, his command be-
ing infantry. It was also known
that johnson had been engaged in
hand to hand fight with one of tho
most desperate of the chiefs, and it
was thought that Tecumseh would
be the very one to single out tho
leader to meet his tomahawk, a foo
worthy az his steel. johnson him
self was badly wounded.
Although the death of Teoumseh
at the hands of Johnson has been a
much disputed point, he has always
been given the credit, and in cleo
tions it was something which large
ly added to his Notwithstanding
strange in an age when the states
men were required to fight on the
frontier of a new world.
When Johnson returned to con-
gress, he was still too sick to walk,
and his way up the street was tri-
umpnal procession, while joint
resolution of thanks was passed by
the body. Afterward he came to
the senate, and then he was chosen
vice president on the ticket head
ed by Martin Van Buren,. No cleo
ton was made by the electoral col
lege. Thus failing in an election by
this means, Johnson was chosen by
the senate to that high position. -