Evening star., 1937-08-15
CHICAGO RECALLS
FORT DEARBORN
Slaughter of Garrison 125
Years Ago Came After
Pathetic March.
By the Associated Press,


CHICAGO, August Chicago's
trumpets of jubilee will be muted
tomorrow to bring back the echoes of
dead march-the prelude to the
Fort Dearborn massacre.
Concentrating that tragedy be-
fore the green and golden portals
OF the prairie. 125 years ago, Mayor
Edward J. Kelly has proclaimed an
observance Of the day with pageantry
and oratory.
Led by historical, civic and other
groups, the Nations second city will
spare few thoughtful hours from
the swift pace Of its glittering mod
ernity to salute the memory Of the
chief actors in high drama which
century and a quarter ago was
played out along what is now Chi
cago's most impressive show window.
In pantomine. scenes leading inevi-
tably to the massacre, will be por-
trayed
Yet the roots OF the bloody violence
lay so deep and entangled in ancient
greed and enmity. ambition and
dreams that, of necessity, the prelim-
mary events can be represented only
superfcially. Old hate dealt new
death In rude and raw land, and
among the overtones was distinguish
able the throaty cry of The cause,
the cause!'
Incident Rich Historically.
(siveo {ha In oE oro,,pds %ha 1rL{e
and shadows. the daring strokes, the
lines Of character, the sinister hort-
IONS, 1t all becomes a rich canvas,
not merely an isolated frontier
slaughter, one more outpost crushed,
an engraving in some lark-loving
boys forgotten history book.
Acting belatedly on the urging Of
Mad Anthony Wayne. the Washing
ton Government established, In 1903,
fort on the site of Chicago. to help
the new republic master its growing
territories and to afford additional
protection for American traders.
First of the authorized military to
arrive in the midst of the Pottawatto-
mics OF Northwestern Illinois was a
VI Ultlc-SodpSu,
soldiers, commanded by STRIPPING
lieutenant. For more than month
the men had marched, from Detroit
to the dunes Of Lake Michigan.
Later came Capt. John Whistler,
erandfather Of the artist and wit,
James McNeill Whistler, with more
troops, ordnance and womenfolk,
travelling in the Government schooner
Tracy.
Named for Secretary of War.
The fort was completed the follow
| ing Winter and was named in honor
of Gen. Henry Dearborn, Secretary Of
War.
No easy task, this building OF a
stronghold in soggy wasteland. Sol
diers hauling timbers by hand through
the ooze. historians say, grumbled.
fought and cursed the decision to
build fort in such place.
Mrs. Julia Whistler, the COM
mandant's wife. wrote in letter:
The Tracy anchored
half mile from the shore, discharging
her freight from boats. Some 1000
Indians visited the locality while the
vessel was here. - There were
then here but four rude huts, or trad
ers cabins, occupied by white men,
Cansdian French with Indian wives.
There was not at that time,
within hundreds Of miles. team OF
horses or oxen The soldiers had
to don the harness and, with the aid
OF ropes, drag home the needed tim
bers."
Apart from the Pottawattomies and
the Canadians, who had come a.
vooing with songs of Already on their
Hips, the newcomers had, the records
say, but one other neighbor, John
Kinzie, born in Quebec but described
as an American and the founder OF
the first Chicago dynasty"
Nine somnolent years separated Fort
Dearborn from its back-breaking be-
|ginnings and the ordeal by blood
Tecumseh Indian Leader.
The struggle for dominion in the
United States brought to the front the
Indian leader, Tecumseh, character
lied by one commentator as "a vain
dreamer OF a future of pacinsm, So
|cialism, brotherly love and the con-
federated Indian tribes Of America"
No mere warrior was Tecumseh, of
the Shawnees, but = political evangel
f1icking stardust from his hair, which
|resembled dripping tar. It was Te-
|cumseh, with his sharply chiseled, SEN
sltive artists face, who said proudly
to William Henry Harrison: Houses
are built for you to hold councils in;
Indians hold theirs in the open air.
The sun is my father, and the
earth Is my mother; on her bosom
will repose"
Whatever restraint Tecumseh was
able to exercise upon his followers
was set at naught by his brother,
Tenskwautawa, known as the
Prophet" and stepped in vague mys-
ticism. The consequence of "the
Prophets" hortatory preachings was
the battle of Tippecanoe, in Novem-
Der, 1911, which crushed the Indian
uprising and, for time, saved Fort
A/V0i DOi 4AoLu Vic OCCLl
planned by the Indians unless the
white men mended their broken
+ treaties.
It was the alert Tecumseh, Dispatch
Ing the news of Indian success east
ward, benefited, too, by what the
heretofore fairly friendly Pottawat-
tonnes believed to be false dealing on
the part OF Comdr. Heald of Fort
Dearborn, who provoked the massacre
on August IS, 1872
Angered by violation OF an agree
ment by which liquor and provisions
OF the fort would be given them pro-
vided the garrison had safe conduct
to Fort Wayne, the Indians, observing
Heald destory surplus arms and dump
whisky in the river, waited to strike.
Wells Leader Of Scouts.
The evacuation Of the fort started
at 8 o'clock the morning Of the
fifteenth. The troops were led by
William Wells, noted Indian scout,