id,
on the Mississippi. We received the foregoing from the lips of the
Indians, when we were at Tuckhabatchee, in 1827, and near the residence
of the Big Warrior. The anecdote may therefore be relied on. Tecumseh's
object, doubtless was, on seeing that he had failed, by the usual
appeal to the passions, and hopes, and war spirit of the Indians, to
alarm their fears, little dreaming, himself, that on the day named, his
threat would be executed with such punctuality and terrible fidelity."

CHAPTER IX.

Governor Harrison applies to the War Department for troops to
maintain peace on the frontiers--battle of Tippecanoe on the 7th of
November--its influence on the Prophet and his followers.

The late council at Vincennes having failed in producing any
satisfactory results, and Tecumseh having gone to the south for the
avowed purpose of extending his confederacy, the alarm among the
inhabitants of Indiana continued to increase. Public meetings were
held, and memorials forwarded to the President, invoking protection,
and requesting the removal of the Indians from the Prophet's town; the
memorialists being "fully convinced that the formation of this
combination, headed by the Shawanoe Prophet, was a British scheme, and
that the agents of that power were constantly exciting the Indians to
hostility against the United States." The President accordingly placed
the 4th regiment U.S. infantry, commanded by colonel Boyd, and a
company of riflemen, at the disposal of governor Harrison. The
Secretary of War, under date of 20th October, 1811, in a letter to him,
says: "I have been particularly instructed by the President to
communicate to your excellency, his earnest desire that peace may, if
possible, be preserved with the Indians; and that to this end, every
proper means may be adopted. By this, it is not intended that murder or
robberies committed by them, should not meet with the punishment due to
those crimes; that the settlements should be unprotected, or that any
hostile combination should avail itself of success, in consequence of a
neglect to provide the means of resisting and defeating it; or that the
banditti under the Prophet should not be attacked and vanquished,
provided such a measure should be rendered absolutely necessary.
Circumstances conspire, at this particular juncture, to render it
peculiarly desirable that hostilities of any kind, or to any degree,
not indispensably required, should be avoided."