t
forth at some length. The foresight of Washington and Jefferson, the
heroism of Logan, Kenton, Boone and Scott and their followers, play a
conspicuous part. The people of the eastern states looked with some
disdain upon the struggles of the western world. They gave but scanty
support to the government in its attempts to subdue the Indian tribes,
voted arms and supplies with great reluctance, and condemned the
borderers as savages and barbarians. There is no attempt to condemn the
eastern people for their shortsightedness in this regard, but after all,
that is the term exactly applicable. The West was won despite their
discouragement, and the empire beyond the mountains was conquered
notwithstanding their opposition.

William Henry Harrison has been condemned without mercy. Much of this
hostile criticism has proceeded from his political enemies. They have
distorted the plain facts of history in order to present the arguments
of faction. Harrison was the greatest man in the western world after
George Rogers Clark. The revelations of history justify his suspicion of
the British. The people of the West were alone undeceived. The General
was always popular west of the Alleghenies and justly so. Tecumseh and
the Prophet were, after all is said, the paid agents of the English
government, and received their inspiration from Detroit. Jefferson knew
all these facts well, and so wrote to John Adams. Jefferson's heart beat
for the western people, and throughout the whole conflict he stood
stoutly on the side of Harrison.

We recognize the fact that we have done but poorly. Out of the great
mass of broken and disconnected material, however, we have attempted to
arrange a connected whole. We submit the volume with many misgivings and
pray the indulgence of the reading public. We have endeavored at all
times to quote nothing that we did not deem authentic, and have
presented no fact that is not based on written records.

We desire to express our appreciation of the valuable help afforded by
the State Library people at Indianapolis, by Prof. Logan Esarey of
Indiana University, who kindly loaned us the original Harrison letters,
and by Ray Jones and Don Heaton of Fowler, Indiana, who were untiring in
their efforts to give us all the assistance within their power.

E. B.

CHAPTER I

A BRIEF RETROSPECT

--_A general view of the Indian Wars of the Early Northwe