The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-07-08
Still a Matter OF Consider
able Dispute.
LOUISVILLE MAN IS CREDITED
With Shot That Got Old War
H0rSe-OtherS Say 1t
Was Another.
A VERY REMARKABLE INDIAN

Oklahoma City, July 4.-The re-
newal of the controversy as to who
killed Tecumseh. the famous Indian
war chief, recalls the fact that Te-
cumseh visited Oklahoma when he
was trying to organize his vast con-
federation, embracing all of the In
dian tribes of the Great Lakes. Mis-
sissippi Valley and Gulf Soast re-
gions, with which he was endeavor-
ing TO check the onward march of
the whites and to prevent the estab-
lishment of any further white set
Elements in the Middle West.
1t was in the spring of 1911 that
Tecumseh came to the village of the
Usage chief, ClermOnt, near the his
toric Claremore mound. in Rogers
county, Oklahoma. He was accom-
panied by his brother, the Proph-
ct" The latter is described as hav-
ing been a man of commanding pres
ence and an eloquent orator, yet so
profound was the impression made
upon the Osages by the words of Te-
cumseh that they scarcely noticed
his brother, the Prophet" at all.
Tecumseh was an impassioned
orator. and it was reported at the
time that the natural sympathies of
the Osages Went out to him. How
ever, all of their dealings had been
with the French traders from st.
Louis, by whom they had always
been kindly treated. Those traders
were all loyal Americans at thad
time. so that the weight of their in
fluence was against Tecumseh and
his ambitious designs. The Osages,
therefore, declined TO- join Tecum-
sch
Tecumseh was probably the most
remarkable Indian of whom history
takes account. His twin brother,
the Prophet" whose name was
Tensquatawa. claimed to have been
inspired by q message from the Mas
ter of Life, In which all of the In
dams Were directed to band them
selves together to resist the further
advance of white senttlements. Te-
cumseh not only believed and adopt
ed his brothers teachings. but his
own magnetic and persuasive elo-
quence gave to them an added force
and influence.
Tecumseh always disputed the va
lidity of the treaties by which the
Government had purchased the land
of Ohio and Indiana from the In
dams. He claimed that they were
not binding upon the Indians for
the reason that only the chiefs had
entered into such agreements, the
warriors not being consulted at all,
having thus advocated the doctrine
of practical referendum long be-
fore the white men of America ever
dreamed of such a system.
The Battle OF Tippecanoe, which
occurred about six months after Te-
cumsehs visit to the Osages, really
spoiled all of his plans for "A con-
federation of the Indian tribes. lie
continued to labor for that end UNI
til the outbreak of the War of 1912,
when he espoused the cause of the
British and was commissioned "A
Brigadier General in the army of
King George. His career ended with
his death at the Battle of the
Thames, when he was still in the
prime of life, being then about a.
years old.
Col. X. NJ. Johnson, of Louisville,
KY, has always been given the cred
1t for killing Tecumseh, and was
elected Vice President of the United
States in 1886 largely on the
strength OF that record, but the
claim is now disputed by DIR. X. |.
Spur. of Lexington, KY, who says
that according TO the story told by
his uncle. Richard Spur, a survivor
of the famous battle, il was Col.
William Whitley and not Col. john
son who killed Tecumseh. The eld-
'er Spur and Col. Whitley were
members of a party of volunteers
detailed to start the Indians out of
the woods. In a hand-to-hand COM
bat Whitley killed two Indians. be-
ing killed by the second one. who
shot just as he did. Spur later re-