States that he would send messengers among the Indians to prevent murders, and depredations on the white settlementsthat the Indians, as well as the whites, who had committed murders, ought to be forgiven-that he had set the white people an example of forgiveness, which they ought to follow-that it was his wish to establish a union among all the Indian tribes that the northern tribes were united-that he was going to visit the southern Indians-and that he would return to the Prophet's Town. He said that he would, on his return from the south, in the next spring, visit the President of the United States, and settle all causes of difficulty between the Indians and him. He said, further, that he hoped no attempts would be made to make settlements on the lands which had been sold to the United States, at the treaty of Fort Wayne, because the Indians wanted to keep those lands for hunting grounds.*

Soon after the close of his conferences with Governor Harrison, Tecumseh, attended by twenty Indians, suddenly took his departure from Vincennes, and proceeded down the Wabash river, on his way to the south, for the purpose of disseminating his views among the Creeks, Chickasaws, and Choctaws.

Two different opinions prevailed among the citizens of the territory and among some of the neutral Indians, with respect to the objects of Tecumseh and the prophet, in requiring or permitting so large a number of their adherents to accompany them on their visit to Vincennes, in July, 1811. Some held the opinion that it was merely the object of Tecumseh to gratify his personal ambition, as a great chief, and to impress upon the minds of the white people an idea of his power. Others, among whom there were some spies, asserted that it was his intention, when he set out from the Prophet's Town, to go to Vincennes, demand a retrocession of the lands which had been ceded to the United States at the treaty of Fort Wayne, and, in case of a refusal of this demand, to seize some of the chiefs who were parties to that treaty, and to put them to death in the presence of Governor Harrison. If, however, Tecumseh ever intended to commit any act of violence at Vincennes, the presence of seven or eight hundred armed men,

* Dawson's Life of Harrison; Drake's Life of Tecumseh : Gov. H.'s Letter to secretary of war.

and the vigilance of the governor, soon convinced him and his followers that the perpetration of any act of hostility by them would be speedily followed by their own destruction. Indeed, it seems that the followers of Tecumseh and the prophet "were. in astonishment and terror "* while they were in the town of Vincennes.

In the year 1811, a lawsuit, in which Governor Harrison was plaintiff, and a certain William McIntosh was defendant, was determined in the supreme court of the territory, at Vincennes, The jury, in the case, found a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, and assessed his damages at the sum of four thousand dollars. The defendant, Mr. McIntosh, was a wealthy resident of Vincennes, a native of Scotland, well educated, and a man of considerable influence among those who were opposed to the treaty-making policy which had distinguished the administration of Governor Harrison. The suit at law was instituted against McIntosh, for asserting "that Governor Harrison had cheated the Indians out of their lands; and that, by his conduct in so doing, he had made them enemies to the United States." To satisfy the verdict of the jury in this case, a large quantity of land, owned by the defendant, was sold, in the absence of Governor Harrison. The governor, some time afterward, caused about two-thirds of the property to be restored to Mr. McIntosh; and the remainder was given to some orphan children.†

*Dawson's Life of Harrison, p. 187. †Ibid p. 176.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

TIPPECANOE CAMPAIGN.

ON the 31st of July, 1811, a public meeting of citizens was held at Vincennes, for the purpose of declaring, by resolutions, the danger to which the white inhabitants of the Indiana territory were exposed, on account of the hostility of the Indians at the Prophet's Town-and, also, for the purpose of requesting the President of the United States to issue orders for the forcible dispersion of the hostile Indians settled at that place.* The President of the United States had, however, as early as the 17th of July, 1811, instructed the secretary of war to authorize Governor Harrison to call out the militia of the territory, and to attack the prophet and his followers, in case circumstances should occur which might render such a course necessary or expedient. The governor was further authorized, at his discretion, to call into his service the fourth regiment of United States infantry, under the command of Colonel John P. Boyd.

The official instructions which were sent from the secretary of war to Governor Harrison, at this period, were strongly in favor of preserving pacific relations with the northwestern Indian tribes, by the use of all means consistent with the protection of the citizens of the territory, and the maintenance of the rights of the general government of the United States.

Governor Harrison, having determined to erect a new fort on the Wabash river, and to break up the assemblage of hostile Indians at the Prophet's Town, ordered Colonel Boyd's regiment of infantry to move from the falls of the Ohio to Vin

*The committee appointed for the purpose of making this request, was composed of Samuel T. Scott, Alexander Devin, Luke Decker, Ephraim Jordan, Daniel M'Clure, Walter Wilson, and Francis Vigo. In a letter, dated August 3, 1811, and addressed to the President of the United States, the members of this committee said "In this part of the country we have not, as yet, lost any of our fellow-citizens by the Indians; but depredations upon the property of those who live upon the frontiers, and insults to the families that are left unprotected, almost daily occur."

cennes; at which place the regiment of regulars was to be reinforced by militia of the territory. On receiving from the secretary. of war, the instructions which have been mentioned, the governor sent, by special messengers, written speeches addressed to the several Indian tribes of the Indiana territory, requiring those tribes to fulfill the conditions of their treaties with the United States-to avoid all acts of hostility toward the white settlers-and to make an absolute disavowal of union. or connection with the Shawanee prophet.

About the 25th of September, 1811, when the military expedition that had been organized by Governor Harrison, was nearly ready to move on its way toward the Prophet's Town, a deputation of Indians, from that place, arrived at Vincennes. These deputies made strong professions of peace; and declared that the Indians would comply with the demands of the gov ernor. A few days before these messengers arrived at Vincennes, six horses were stolen from white people, by small parties of Indians. Two white men, and a negro, who followed the trail of the horses to an Indian camp, reported that, after obtaining possession of four of the stolen horses, they were pursued by the Indians, who fired on them, and compelled them to abandon the horses which they had recovered.

The following documents are copies of some of the principal "general orders" which were issued by Governor Harrison, before the movement of the army from Vincennes :

"HEADQUARTERS, Vincennes, 16th September, 1811. "The governor of the Indiana territory and commander-inchief of the militia, being charged, by the President of the United States, with a military expedition, takes command of the troops destined for the same; viz.: The detachment of regular troops, under the command of Colonel John P. Boyd, (consisting of the 4th United States regiment of infantry, and a company of the rifle regiment,) the present garrison of Fort Knox, and the various detachments of militia, infantry and dragoons which have been ordered for this service. As the present garrison of Fort Knox is to form a part of Colonel Boyd's command, the officer commanding that post will receive the colonel's orders. Captain Piatt, of the 2d United States regiment, has been appointed quartermaster for all the troops

employed on the expedition, and is to be obeyed and respected as such. Captain Robert Buntin is appointed quartermaster for the militia, and is to be obeyed and respected accordingly. Henry Hurst, esquire, and the Honorable Waller Taylor, esquire, aids-de-camp to the commander-in-chief, and having the rank of majors, and are announced as such: all orders coming from them, in his name, whether in writing or verbally delivered, are to be respected, and obeyed, as if delivered by the commander-in-chief in person. Captain Piatt is to have the superintendence of persons appertaining to the quartermaster's or military agent's department, and the direction of all stores destined for the use of the expedition.”

"HEAD-QUARTERS, Vincennes, 21st September, 1811. *** The commandants of the several infantry corps will immediately commence drilling their men to the performance of the evolutions, contemplated by the commander-inchief, for the order of march and battle. The principal feature in all these evolutions is that of a battalion changing its direction by swinging round on its center. This, however, is not to be done by wheeling, which, for a large body, is impracticable in woods. It is to be formed thus:-The battalion being on its march in a single rank, and its center being ascertained, the front division comes to the right about, excepting the man in the rear of that division; at the same time the front man of the second division takes a position about four feet to the left of the man in the rear of the front division, and dresses with him in a line at right angles to the line of march. These two men acting as guides or markers for the formation of the new alignment. At the word "form the new alignment,—march!” the men of the front division, passing in succession to the left of their guide and doubling round him, form on his right; the men of the rear division, at the same moment, filing up in succession to the left of their guide, dress in a line with him and the guide of the front division. This movement may be per formed by any number of men whatever-by a company, or a platoon, as well as by a battalion.

Joseph Hamilton Daveiss, esq., has been appointed and commissioned major of dragoons in the militia of the Indiana terri tory; and is appointed to the command of all the dragoons