Sharp County record., 1911-12-15
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ALsEPT (PAYsON TtPHuNe
TECU MSEH.

Inc UIdN6S VI lHc SlCCh INuIioh
5000 Indians in all-sat in solemn
council. They were lined up on the
sides of a huge square. Colonel Haw'
kins, the Indian commissioner, was
about to harangue them. AS Hawkins
rose to speak, he halted, dumfounded
at 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-
arrayed Indian strode into the square.
At his heels were thirty other say
ages 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 moro prominent OF
tAe Creek chiefs.
Then the odd procession vanished.
No word had been spoken. Yet the
Creeks, who had come to the confer
ence prepared to join forces with the
United States, suddenly changed their
minds. Hawkins most eloquent pleas
fell upon deaf ears. Nor could the
commissioner understand what had
beHallen. He asked the name Of the
black-painted leader who had thus
boldly broken in upon solemn coun-
Gil. The half-awed reply Of the Greeks
was.
"Tecumseh!"
Man Who Hated Progress.
Tecumseh was bravest and wisest
Of the Shawnee chiefs. He was born
near Springfield, O., in 1853. When
he was q young man he won fame In
the campaign against General
Wayne's Yankee troops. From boy.
hood he hated the United States.
, Nor could Gen. w. II. Harrison the
; local Indian agent, soften his hatred,
He repudated all land treaties made
with the whites, and in 1903 hit upon
scheme which threatened to check
westward progress. He planned to
combine all the warning western
tribes and to form them into
mighty federation whose object was
to destroy the white men. Tecumseh
was helped by his brother, "the
Prophet who accomplished series
Of neat, handmade miracles that
made tremendous impression on tho
natives.
The great plan failed, through the
loss Of the battle Of Tippecanoe Cat
which Tecumseh was not PRESENT.,
and the bailled leader shifted to the
far south, There he sought to stir
up the tribes against the government
and to make them allies OF the Brit.
ish. For the War Of 1912 was at hand.
Like frebrand, he swept through
the south, Almost everywhere his
fierce eloquence drew the Indians to
his standard. In alarm, the govern.
mont tried to check this uprising,
Hawkins was sent to urge the Greeks
to stand frm 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
spoiled tho effect Of Hawkins speech,
Then Tecumseh made q fervent ap.
peal to the Creeks to cast off the
white men, to give up farming and to
turn back to their old wild life Of
hunting and Aghtlng, He said he
bore that message from the Great
Spirit who also ordered them to side
with the British, Ono Creek chief
big Warrior by name, doubted this
and demanded proof.
II will give you proofl' shouted Te.
cumsoh, "When the hour for the up.
rising comes you shall see my arm
stretched like pale fire across the
heavens, / go now TO Detroit When
! arrive there shall stamp my foot
and every house IN your village shall
fall to the ground" This was In tho
autumn Of 1912, In December Of that
year comet stretched across the
skies, and an earthquake overturned
the Creek village, This was proof
enough for the Greeks that Tecumsoh
was Inspired,
A Mysterious Disappearance.
Meantime Toeumsoh took tho field
with the British in the War of 1912
He was made u brlgadicrgeneral, and
ut the head Of thousands Of native
warriors along tho Canadian border
did mighty deeds against the United
States, Says ono British historian:
"l3ut for tho red men led by the
brave Tooumseh It Is probable we
should not now have Canada"
Az tho Siege Of Fort Moigs Tooum'
sch was foremost IN the attack, llo
saved Nll tho American prisoners
there from torture, For although he