The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-19
TECUMSEH'S CONSPIRACY.
Concluded from Ninth Page)


western Sun, newspaper published at the
capital and the official organ of the Terri
tory, had an interview with Harrison, in
which the Governor stated that in his opin-
ion there was at that time less cause for
alarm than there had been, but that he had
ordered on a detachment of 120 men who
were subject to his order and had been
placed at his command by the secretary of
war. He also had in view the establishment
OF two posts on the Wabash above Vim
cenRes if the government approved his
plans.
BATTLE OF TIPPECANOE.
The force that the Governor had at this
time consisted of the detachment of United
States troops, three companies of militia
infantry ard the Knox County Dragons.
This force was only awaiting the order of
President Madison to march up into the land
lately purchased from the Indians to erect
a fort.
Word was sent to Harrison that Tecumseh
was on his way to Vincennes with a large
number of his warriors. AS he approached
the place the people began to become
alarmed, and this increased as he entered
the town. The party had about fifty-three
canoes, each capable of holding ten Indians,
also number travelled by land. They ar
rived the last of July, 1871, and held coun-
ell with Harrison, which ended on the even
ing of July 81. The presentation of the ar
guments for the Indians was done by Te-
cumseh, whose arguments were, however,
very weak and untenable He said that he
was about to visit the southern tribes to in
duce them to join his confederacy and
would probably be gone on such a mission
until the spring; that he hoped then to set
tie any difficulties that the whites and In
dams had. The Governor saw the purpose
of Tecumseh, which was for delay in order
to give time to get his vast confederacy Or
ganized and when it would become so
strong that it would be hard to be attacked.
On the last day of the conference a con-
siderable number of the citizens of Vim
cennes and Knox county met in Vincennes
and passed resolutions relating to the In
dian question. General w. Johnson made
an address to the meeting, and spoke on
the subject of the confederacy of Indians
and what measures should be taken to
counterfeit it. The people began to get ex-
cited, the blow could not be STAYED off any
longer, and so in November the territorial
army was in camp at Fort Harrison,
which was situated two or three miles
above Terre Haute. This army, consisting
OF one thousand or Twelve hundred men,
reached the Prophets town and camped.
At the early hour of in the morning on
Nov. Z, 1911, the Prophet and his followers
fell upon the American army and gave
them battle. A fierce struggle ensued. AT
length the tide turned in favor of the
Americans, and the Indians were thorough
ly routed The Indian loss was placed at
not less than $50 men, while that of the
territorial army was from 100 to $50 men,
including that of Colonel Davis and Colonel
Owens, both of Kentucky; Captains Spen-
Ger, Warrick and Berry, and among the
private soldiers White, MahOn and Ran
dolph. The army destroyed the Prophets
town by burning it to the ground. The
wounded were sent to Vincennes by boat,
and on the 10th of November a boatload of
them arrived and another came on the next
day. On the 18th the Governor discharged
the troops at Busseron, about twenty miles
north of Vincennes, the regular troops and
the Knox county militia going to Vim
cennes. while the Kentucky troops and
those from the eastern counties of Indiana
Territory left for their homes. The militia
was discharged, while the regulars went
into winter quarters at Fort Knox.
HENRY S. CAUTHORN, Jr.
Vfnpenne1 Ind