Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-09-24
DEATH OF TECUMSEH.
POINTS ON A QUESTION THAT HAS
LONG BEEN IN DISPUTE.

q Bitter Indian Hater, Killed the Ceie-
bratcd Chief-A Document Found Among
the Late Richard Conncr's Papers.
The following account of the death
of the great Indian chieftain Tecumseh,
or Tecumthe, was found among the pa
pers Of Richard ]. Conner. editor Of the
Peru Sentinel, who died in this city
July %, 1895. II contains Information
touching tho question that has hereto
fore been widely disputed. The death
Of Mr.. Conner prevented the fnlfiu umont
of the task, says the indianapolis News: {:
MY father family was captured by
the Indians about the year 1885. IL may
have been earlier or year or two later.
They were carried to Michigan, and
were afterward ransomed by some No
ravians, and the family settled about
four or five miles below the present site
Of Mount Clemens, on the Clinton river,
23 miles north Of the city Of Detroit
"When captured, the family lived at
place called Conner's Town, or Con-
ner's Station, near what is now the east
line Of Coshocton county, o., adjsin-
ing Pennsylvania. The long journey
through the wilderness then covering
the distance from eastern Ohio 10 the
Clinton river in Michigan was most
painful and fatiguing.
Ny father settled on White river III
central Indiana III 1902. but he had
made a trip to the Wabash in 1900. He
remained at his trading post until the
breaking out Of the war with Great
Britain in 1912, when he joined the
forces under General Harrison AT Fort
Meigs, ON the Maumce river, and with
his brother John acted rs guide and in
tcrproter for General Harrison. He was
sent by the general down the Wabash
% the Miamis, Ratiawatomies and
Shawnecs, to learn if possible their in
tcntions and attitude in the approach
ing trouble with British forces. He
knew Tccumthe and his brother. the
Prophet, intimately. The Prophet often
befriended him, and was a trustworthy
friend. My father always spoke well Of
these Indians. He had many converse
tions with Tecumthe in regard 70 the
attitude Of the Indian tribes under his
direction and his reasons for his adher-
ence 10 tho British cause, and his CO.
operation with that country in the war
that followed. Tecumthe complained
bitterly Of the lack Of faith on the part
Of the United States in regard TO per-
formance Of treaty stipulations and
contrasted it with the policy rs carried
out by Great Britain in its management
Of Indian affairs in Canada. he felt
that there was no security for the In
dian and clearly forosaw that the time
was not distant when the Indian would
possess little or no part Of the domain
he had inherited from his fathers.
"Tecumtho seemed 20 be fully aware
that step by step the tribes would be
pushed further west or exterminated
by the bitterness and hate of the white
man With power warlike and ag-
gressive as Great Britain to back and
ally the Indian, no hoped TO put off the
final day and possibly save n remnant
Of his people.
These, in part at least, were the
reasons that actuated him in that won
derful crusade he was making, visiting
the tribes covering the country from
the lakes to Arkansas. My father said
he had persuasive tongue and power
to move his fellow saTages rare indeed,
and he never failed to rally the red man
on TO the war path His nature was not
naturally savage one, and he often ex-
pressed abhorrence of unnecessary blood
shed.
He declared that he would not toler-
ate cruelties or predatory warfare on
peaceful, noncombatant settlements or
white people, but he felt 1t his duty TO
rally the tribes and infiame them 70 q
point Of resistance and fair warfare
against the government of the United
States, which had for a hundred years
persistently pushed the Indians from
their homes and the places which that
government had assigned to them with
solemn pledges that they should always
retain such as their future homes, and
that it would protect them from the
restless greed of white pioneers.
MY father was in command of 300
friendly Indians at the battle Of the
Thames, in Canada His command was
attached to Colonel Paul's regiment i'll
that battle His Indians did some good
service and contributed 10 the defeat OF
the British and Indians
After the battle, late in the after
noon, he was summoned to the headquar-
ters Of Colonel X. NJ Johnston, who
stated TO him that it was the rumor that
the great chief Tecumthe was among
the slain in battle and requested my
father to take some of his friendly In
dians and search the field and ascertain
if it were indeed true. My father i'm.
mediately took with him four or five
Delawares and began the search, which
was successful. When they found the
body, some Of the Indians were not sure
that il was tina. Of Tecumthe. There
was o striking resemblance between the
two brothers, Tecumthe and the Prophet,
but one of them had a spot or defect ON
one Of his eyes. One Of the Delawares
stopped down and pushed open the eye
lid, and it was at once known that the
dead man was indeed Tecumthe.
During the political campaign of
1910 it was universally asserted by the
Democrats that Colonel Johnson killed
Tecumthe. My father often declared
that it could not be; that an old Indian
warrior and camp follower Of the ex-
petition in Canada, named Wheatley,
was probably Tecumthe's slayer. Efo
| was u bitter Indian hater and crank
Oh that subject. He was not enrolled as
soldier. but went to the battle on his
own account. He, too, was killed in the
fight. Tecumthe was shot through the
breast, and the wound plainly showed
that he came TO his death from the
effects Of a shot from small bore rifle,
such as the froutiersman usually car
ried. JOHN A. DEIBERr.
After Lion.
"Who is this Dean Swift they are
talking abouty" whispered a society
lady to Lady Bulwer at a party. II