ther, named Lowertown, also visited by the same traveler,
stood just below the mouth of the Scioto. It was subsequently carried
away by a great flood in that river, which overflowed the site of the
town, and compelled the Indians to escape in their canoes. They
afterwards built a new town on the opposite side of the river, but soon
abandoned it, and removed to the plains of the Scioto and Paint creek,
where they established themselves, on the north fork of the latter
stream. They had also several other villages of considerable size in
the Miami valley. One was "Chillicothe," standing near the mouth of
Massie's creek, three miles north of Xenia. Another, called Piqua, and
memorable as the birth place of TECUMSEH, the subject of our present
narrative, stands upon the north-west side of Mad river, about seven
miles below Springfield, in Clark county. Both of these villages were
destroyed in 1780, by an expedition from Kentucky, under the command of
general George Rogers Clark.

After the peace of 1763, the Miamis having removed from the Big Miami
river, a body of Shawanoes established themselves at Lower and Upper
Piqua, in Miami county, which places, being near together, became their
great head-quarters in Ohio. Here they remained until driven off by the
Kentuckians; when they crossed over to the St. Mary's and to
Wapakanotta. The Upper Piqua is said to have contained, at one period,
near four thousand Shawanoes.[A]

[Footnote A: John Johnston.]

From the geographical location of the Shawanoes, it will be perceived
that they were placed under circumstances which enabled them, with
great facility, to annoy the early settlements in Kentucky; and to
attack the emigrants descending the Ohio. In this fierce border war,
which was waged upon the whites for a number of years, and oftentimes
with extreme cruelty, the Delawares, Wyandots, Mingoes and Miamis,
united: the Shawanoes, however, were by far the most warlike and
troublesome.

The Shawanoes were originally divided into twelve tribes or bands, each
of which was sub-divided into families, known as the Eagle, the Turtle,
the Panther, &c., these animals constituting their _totems_. Of these
twelve, the names of but four tribes are preserved, the rest having
become extinct, or incorporated with them. They are, 1st. the
Mequachake,--2d. the Chillicothe,--3d. the Kiskapocoke,--4th. the
Piqua. When in council, one of these tribes is assigned to each of the
four sides of the c