Evening star., 1945-10-21
Capital Sidelights
By Will p. Kennedu

Ihe veteran clerk OF the House, South
Trimble, again has been called upon to
settle a controversies to whether or
not Col. Richard NJ johnson, later Vice
President and the only Vice President
ever elected directly by the Senate,
killed the Indian chief Tecumseh on
October S, 1918. Bayless Hardin of the
Kentucky State Historical Society has
made intensive research at the solicita-
ton of Mr.. Trimble and reports that the
fact is brought out in the Life and
Times Of Col Johnson" by Leland Win
field Meyer, published by the Columbia
University Press in 1882. Mr.. Meyer,
who is connected with Georgetown Col
lege, KY, and living in that town, made
a careful study in preparing that bio
graphical history as partial fulfillment
of requirements for his degree of doctor
of philosophy. Much of his study in
cluded original documents in the War
Department and the Library of Congress
as well as Kentucky records.
On one side of Johnson's monument
in the Frankfort cemetery is carved the
scene of the killing of Tecumseh-Jolln-
son on horseback shooting the Indian
who Is on his knees. At the Battle of
the Thames johnson urged that he be
permitted to break through the Indian
lines with volunteer group known as
The Forlorn Hope" His company was
In the thick of the battle and he was
wounded several times. An Indian chief
was killed in the battle. This was be-
lieved to be Tecumseh as he never again
appeared. johnson was given credit for
killing the chief. He never admitted
nor denied that he did. William Whit
ley of Lincoln County was with John
son. as a member of THE Forlorn Hope"
He was a noted Indian fighter, and it
was asserted by some that he killed the
chief. johnson carried pistols in the
battle, while Whitley had a rife. and
Tecumseh was killed by rife bullet
Whitley was killed with most of those
in "The Forlorn Hope An eyewitness
account is found in letter by Peter
Trisler. jr, to his father, dated three
days after the battle. He said that
Col. johnson was badly wounded.
"I saw an Indian rush on him when
he was down, but he managed to shoot
the Indian before he was in striking
distance. Tecumseh was shot directly
in the left side of the breast /
looked at him after his DEATH 1t was
claimed that Tecumseh wore no mark
of distinction but was in plain Indian
dress. McAfee in his Late War" gave
johnson the credit, so does Bernard
Mayo in the American Mercury. Thomas
P. Abernethy in the Dictionary of Amer
ican Biography says: "In the fighting he
had killed an Indian chief, said by some
to have been Tecumseh." H. A. Wise, in
Seven Decades of the Union recalls
that in the Van Buren, campaign john
sons partisans pressed his cause in a
jingle: "Rumpsey. Dumpsey; Col. john
son killed Tecumsey"
In 1916 johnson secured passage of a.
measure to pay congressman an annual
salary of 81 500 instead of a per diem
allowance. At that time it was de-
nounced as a salary grab" Many
members lost their seats in consequence,
but johnson held his by recanting in
obedience to the will of the people and
working for repeal Of his own act.
Edward Everett in his eulogy of John
Quincy Adams said: There seems to be
IN mis- life no such stage as that of boy
hood" AS an Illustration, at the age
of 9 in 1777, he wrote to his father,
John Adams, the second President, that
his head was much too tickle" He sug-
gested: "If you will be good enough to
favor me with blank book. I will
transcribe the most remarkable passages
I meet with in my reading which will
serve to Ak them on my mind" That
was the genesis of his remarkable diary,
kept sedulously until the day of his
death, February %, lS4S The best "Life
OF John Quincy Adams" published in
l849) was written by William H. Seward,
Lincolns Secretary Of State, who con-
cluded the treaty with Russia for pur-
chase of Alaska, and was honored by all
foreign nations on tour OF the world.
It is an all-time best biography, written
from close personal acquaintance and
understanding.