Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-11-07
Mistellaneons Grading.
TEcU MSEH.
Famous Indian Who Was a Match for
the Whites.

IECUmSEH.
Famous Indian Who Was a Match for
the Whites.
| The braves of the Creek nation
5000 Indians in. all--sat in solemn
council. They were lined up on the
sides Of huge square. Colonel Haw-
kins, the Indian commissioner, was
about to harangue them. AS Hawkins
rose to speak, he halted, dumbfound-
ed at a strange sight.
Into the hollow square stalked a
tall Indian. His face was painted jet
black, streaked with queer daubs of
white. His half-naked body was as
black and hideous as his face Upon
his head waved a forest of eagle
plumes. Behind his back dangled the
tail Of a newly-slain buffalo. Like
some nightmare ghost the weirdly ar
rayed Indian strode into the square.
At his heels were thirty other savages
In like disguise. Around the open
square they marched in utter silence,
their leader halting now and then to
exchange mystic peace signs" with
the more prominent of the Creek
chiefs.
Then the procession vanished. No
words had been spoken. Yet the Creeks,
who had come to the conference pre-
pared to Join forces with the United
States, suddenly changed their minds.
Hawkins most eloquent pleas fell up
on deaf ears. Nor could the commits
sioner understand what had befallen.
He asked the name Of the black paint
ed leader who had thus boldly broken
In upon a solemn council. The half
awed reply of the Creeks was:
"Tecumseh!"
Tecumseh was the bravest and wis
est Of the Shawnee chiefs. He was
born near Springfield, o., in 1853.
When he was a young man he won
fame in the campaign against General
Wayne's Yankee troops. From boy
hood he hated the United States. Nor
could General w. H. Harrison, the
local Indian agent, soften his hatred.
He repudiated all land treaties made
with the whites, and in 1908 hit upon
scheme which threatened to check
western progress. He planned to COM
bine all the warning western tribes
and to form them into mighty feder-
alton whose object was to destroy
the white men. Tecumseh was helped
by his brother, "the Prophet" who ac-
complished a series Of neat, hand
made miracles that made a tremend-
Gus impression on the natives.
The great plan failed, through the
loss Of the battle of Tippecanoe Cat
which Tecumseh was not presently,
and the baff1ed leader shifted to the
far south. There he sought to stir up
the tribes against the government and
to make them allies of the British.
For the war Of 1912 was at hand.
Like a fire brand he swept through
the south. Almost everywhere his
fierce eloquence drew the Indians to
his standard. In alarm the govern
ment tried to check this uprising.
Hawkins was sent to urge the Creeks
to stand firm in their allegiance to
Uncle Sam. But Tecumseh was too
clever for him. BY marching into the
council square and by the use Of GER
tain sacred Indian rites he quite spoil
ed the effect of Hawkins speech.
Then Tecumseh made a fervent ap-
peal to the Creeks to cast off the white
man, to give up farming and to turn
back to their old wild life of hunting
and fighting He said he bore the
message from the Great Spirit, who
also ordered them to side with the
British. One Creek chief, big War
rior," by name, doubted this and de-
manded proof.
Il will give you proof" shouted Te-
cumseh. when the hour for the up
rising comes you shall see my arm
stretched like a pale fire across the
heavens. 1 go now to Detroit. When
arrive there 1 shall stamp my foot,
and every house in your village shall
fall to the ground" This was in the
autumn of 1912. In December OF that
year a comet stretched across the
skies. and an earthquake overturned
the Creek village, This was proof
enough for the Creeks that Tecumseh
was inspired.
Meantime Tecumseh took the field
with the British in the war Of 1872.
He was made a brigadier- general, and
at the head Of thousands Of native
warriors along the Canadian border
did mighty deeds against the United
States. Says one British historian:
But for the red men led by the
brave Tecumseh 1t is probable we
should not now have Canada
At the siege of Fort Mlegs Tecum-
sch was foremost In the attack. He
saved all the American prisoners
there from torture. For, although he
hated every white man, he would new
er permit a captive to be tortured or
burned. Just before the famous battle
of the Thames Tecumseh laid aside
his gorgeous uniform and sword and
donned his simple hunting dress.
When he was asked why he did this
he answered simply and fearlessly:
This day I shall die"
Nor after the battle could any trace
of him be found. 1t was claimed
but not proven-that Colonel Richard
Johnson killed him. But his body was
not discovered on the field. Supersti-
tious natives believed he was mlracu-
lously spirited away to the happy
hunting grounds. His exact fate Is
still a mystery. General Harrison
wrote praising Tecumseh's genius for
war and statecraft, and added that but
for the westward march Of the white