llage--early
habits of Tecumseh--his first battle--effort to abolish the burning
of prisoners--visits the Cherokees in the south--engages in several
battles--returns to Ohio in the autumn of 1790.

Some diversity of opinion has prevailed as to the birth place of
Tecumseh. It is generally supposed, and indeed is stated by several
historians to have been in the Scioto valley, near the place where
Chillicothe now stands. Such, however, is not the fact. He was born in
the valley of the Miamis, on the bank of Mad River, a few miles below
Springfield, and within the limits of Clark county. Of this there is
the most satisfactory evidence. In the year 1805, when the Indians were
assembling at Greenville, as it was feared with some hostile intention
against the frontiers, the governor of Ohio sent Duncan McArthur and
Thomas Worthington to that place, to ascertain the object and
disposition of these Indians. Tecumseh and three other chiefs agreed to
return with these messengers to Chillicothe, then the seat of
government, for the purpose of holding a "talk" with the governor.
General McArthur, in a letter to the author of this work, under date of
19th November, 1821, says, "When on the way from Greenville to
Chillicothe, Tecumseh pointed out to us the place where he was born. It
was in an old Shawanoe town, on the north-west side of Mad River, about
six miles below Springfield." This fact is corroborated by Stephen
Ruddell, the early and intimate associate of Tecumseh, who states that
he was "born in the neighborhood of 'old Chillicothe,' in the year
1768." The "old Chillicothe" here spoken of was a Shawanoe village,
situated on Massie's creek, three miles north of where Xenia now
stands, and about ten or twelve miles south of the village pointed out
by Tecumseh, to general McArthur, as the spot of his nativity. This
village was the ancient Piqua of the Shawanoes, and occupied the site
on which a small town called West Boston has since been built. The
principal part of Piqua stood upon a plain, rising fifteen or twenty
feet above the river. On the south, between the village and Mad River,
there was an extensive prairie--on the north-east some bold cliffs,
terminating near the river--on the west and south-west, level timbered
land; while on the opposite side of the stream, another prairie, of
varying width, stretched back to the high grounds. The river sweeping
by in a graceful bend--the precipitous rocky cliffs--the undul