The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-12-28

81 Eplg8h!MANS
AlsEp7 RdSg6a Trph6is
TscuMsEH.

The braves Of the Greek Nation
5000 Indians in all-sat in solemn
council. They were lined up on the
aides of a huge square. Colonel Haw-
kus, the Indian commissioner, vas
about TO harangue them. AS Hawkins
rose to speak. he halted, dumfounded
at a strange sight.
Into the hollow square stalked q
tall Indian. His face was painted Jet
black, streaked with queer daubs OF
white. His half.naked body was Us
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 strobe into the square.
AT his heels were thirty other saw
ages In Ike disguise. Around the
open Square they marched In utter
silence, their leader haltiug now and
then to exchange mystic peace
signs" with the moro prominent OF
'he 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.
befallen. He asked the name OF the
black.painted leader who had thus
boldly broken in upon n solemn coun
ell. The half.awed reply OF the Creeks
was:
"Tecumseh!"
Man Who Hated Progress.
Tecumseh was bravest and wisest
OF the Shawnee chiefs. He was born
hear Springfield. O.. In 1865. 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 Gen. w. II. Harrison, the
local Indian agent. soften his hatred.
He regulated all land treaties made
with the whites. and in 1908 hit upon
! a scheme which threatened TO check
westward progress. He planned to
combine all the warning western
tribes and TO form them into a
mighty federation whose object was
TO destroy the white men, Tecumseh
was helped by his brother, "the
Prophet" who accomplished a series
Of neat. handmade miracles that
made a tremendous impression on the
natives.
The great plan failed. through the
loss of the battle OF Tippecauoe lat
which Tccumseh was not present..
and. the baffied 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 a firebrand. 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
spoiled the effect Of Hawkins speech.
Then Tecumseh made a ferYent ap.
peal TO the Creeks to cast of the
white men. TO give up farming and TO
turn back to their old wild life of
hunting and fighting. He said he
bore that message from the Great
n Spirit, who also ordered them to side
with the British. One Greek chief,
: "Big Warrior" by name, doubted this
, and demanded proof.
Il will give you proof" shouted TIE,
cumseh. when the hour for>the up.
rising comes you shall see my arm
stretched like pale fire across the
heavens Ego now TO Detroit. When
/ arrive there ] 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 n comet stretched across the
skies. and an earthquake overturned
the Creek village. This was proof
enough for the Creeks that Tecumset
was inspired.
A Mysterious Disappearance.
| Meantime Tecumseh took the field
, with the British in the War OF 1872
He was made a brigadlergeneral. and
, ut the head OF thousands Of native
warriors along the Canadian border
did mighty deeds against the Unitet
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 Meigs Tecum
sch was foremost In the attack. HI
saved all the American prisoner!
there from torture. For, although HI
; hated every white man, he woult
never permit a captive TO be tortured
} or burned. Just before the famoul
battle OF the Thames Tecumseh laIt
aside his gorgeous uniform and swort
and donned his simple hunting dress
When he WIS asked why he did thiI
he answered simply and fearlessly:
AL ..R.a = - .