The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-09-04
HE SLEW CHIEF TEcUMsEH.
Richard NJ. johnson Of Kentucky the He
of the Fight.

3
Richard NJ. johnson Of Kentucky the Hero
of the Fight.
While nearly every one has heard
of the famous Indian leader Tecum-
sch, there are many who r not
aware of tho fact that his death was
due to the bravery of q man who
afterward became the vice president
of the United States. Richard NJ.
johnson was a native of tho Blue
Grass State and the fact may account
for his fondness for a fight. He was
born in 1881, while Washington was
still alive and when the American
states had scarcely passed out Of
their swaddling clothes into the
dress of full ledged and independent
sovereignties. The white man ruled
only in the east, and out on the vast
prairies of the west roamed the In
dians, 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 now repul-
lie, johnson went home to Kentucky
and raised q battalion Of three COM
panies, and after they had leon con-
solidated into a 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 500 raised a 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 vas 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 we're on a 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 Is
minutes, the Americans being vic.
torious. Tecumseh was found on
the field dead, and it vas asserted
that johnson was the one who shot
him, as he was killed by q 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 a
hand to hand fight with one Of the
most desperate of the chiefs, and il
was thought that Tecumseh would
be the very one to single out the
leader to meet his tomahawk, a foe
worthy of his steel. Johnson him
self was badly wounded.
Although the death of Tecumsef
at the hands of Johnson has been {
much disputed point, he has always
been given the credit, and in cleo
tons it was something which large
ly added to his popularity-nothine
strange in an age when the states
men were required to fight on thu
frontier of a new world.
When johnson returned to con
gress, he was still too sick to walk
and his wa up the street was a tri
umpnal procession, while a joi"
resolution of thanks was passed b.
the body. Afterward he came t.
the senate, and then he was chose1
a vice president on the ticket head
ed by Martin Van Buren,. No cleo
ton was made by tho electoral col
lege. Thus failing in m election b.
this means, johnson was chosen b.
the senate to that high position
Philadelphia Times.