the safety of the frontiers; he had even manifested some passion for military fame; it could not well fail to add to both his patronage and emolument, should a war take place. It is not, therefore, to be imagined, that the governor viewed its approach with any desire to ward it off. In fact, it required but little more to be done, to obtain the decision of peace, or war; nor was that acquisition very long suspended.

It did not depend upon the mere rumour of common fame, but was asserted in well written documents, that his honour, the governor, had an interest in a store, out of which Indian an nuities were often paid, at enormous prices: which gave much discontent; but which, ensured no redress. The Indian, but too apt to confound injustice with robbery, might even lose his good temper, as he felt himself deprived of his clothing, or other expected supplies, or discovered them to be of bad quality, and but of little use, although delivéred to him at a high price.

It has been asserted, in so many words, that in the winter and spring, 1811, that several murders were committed-but no name, place, or date, is given. And while this affirmation of murder by the Indians on the frontiers, may possibly be true, it is confessed, that the fact would have been rendered the more probable, had it been stated with more circumstances. It is however the less probable, as the assertion was not accompanied by any account of a demand for the murderers, but only general assertions made applicable to any other species of depredation: while it is said, that a militia officer, somewhat more particular, was sent, by Governor Harrison, to demand horses, that were stolen; and which, it is added, were not surrendered. Besides, it was asserted, at the time when disputes took place at Vincennes, about the origin of the war, "that no murder had been committed by the Indians on the white people, previous to Governor Harrison's march in September or October of the year 1811." And certain it is, that previous to that time, it was not said, nor understood, that war had existed for the last sixteen years. In the course of that year, it was, that a second formal interview took place, at Vincennes, between Governor Harrison

and Tecumseh, at the instance of the latter; when each was attended by his warriors; partially armed, by previous ar rangement. Where, under the denomination of side arms, the governor's dragoons carried pistols in their belts-at the siglat of which, it was thought, that Tecumseh was uneasy, on meeting with what he did not expect to see; a species of arms of much import, and for which he had no equivalent-his people having left their firearms, bringing only war clubs, tomahawks, and knives. The dragoons, as a matter of course, had their swords; and these, it is probable, were the side arms which Tecumseh expected. It is clear, the arming was unequaland that some men, of more caution and less firmness than Tecumseh, would have remonstrated against the odds, if not against the deception. The conference, however, took place between the rival chiefs The governor complained of depre dations committed by the Indians of Tippecanoe; the refusal on their part to give satisfaction; and the accumulation of force at the place, for the avowed purpose of obliging the United States to surrender the lands obtained by the last treaty.. Tecumseh, in his answer, denied that he protected depredators; but admitted, and vaunted in his design of forming all the nations into one grand confederacy, for the purpose of stopping the encroachments of the white people, upon the country common to the red people. He said, "He viewed as a mighty water, the policy pursued by the United States, of buying all the land; that it threatened his people, as a high flood, ready to burst its bounds, and cover them with a total ruin. That to stop this deluge, he was trying to form a dam, by uniting all the tribes, to prevent each particular one from selling any land to the white people. For, said he, every sale opens new channels to the approaching inundation; which, in time, will overflow the whole country. But this mighty water must be resisted: I have undertaken, and stand bound to do it. I go to see the nations, and to call them to the great work-both the old men and the young, the warrior and the hunter. And if your Great Father, who sits over the mountains, drinking his wine, does not tell you to give up the Wabash land; he will

compel you, and me, to fight for it: when fountains of blood will flow, as rivers of water for quantity. You shut your earsyou hear me not: Lam gone."

If Tecumseh had meditated a coup de main on Vincennes, as some have suspected, he was prevented by the vigilance of Governor Harrison.

But it seems more consistent with his character, to impute his visit to a desire of making another, and the last effort, by negotiation, to obtain a retrocession of the land: for it is certain, he was not ready to begin the war; and at that time, avowed he was on his way to solicit allies and confederates, to his grand scheme for stopping the encroachments of the white people on the Indian lands. The importance and utility of this project to the Indians, had, doubtless, rendered its success probable to the ardent and vigorous mind of Tecumseh. Peace he preferred, if with peace the land could be recovered; but if not, war, as an alternative, was completely embraced in his system of policy.

While at Vincennes, passing near Winnemack, and pointing to him, "There," says Tecumseh, "is the black dog, that makes lies and tells them, to cause white men and red men, to hate each other."

This Winnemack, a notorious villain, had the reputation of Governor Harrison's confidence. Through his agency, stories of the intended hostilities of the Prophet, could reach fort Wayne, Chicago, Kaskaskias, and St. Louis, nearly at the same time. And from thence, Governor Harrison, by means of the different agents, would of course receive accounts of these rumours, as it were, almost simultaneously. It was not his business to conceal the intelligence; the effect of its propagation, en the public feelings, is easily conceived-the country was kept in a state of alarm. This is thought to have comported with the main design.

Tecumseh, from Vincennes, proceeded on his mission to the southern tribes; and after visiting the Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, and Chickasaws, he crossed the Mississippi, and pursued his route northwardly, to the river Demoins; and thence

returned to the Wabash, the next year, to witness and deplore the ruin of his brother, the Prophet, and his adherents. He had not expected it from Governor Harrison; Tippecanoe was on the land of the red people, to which the white had not yet made claim; he had charged his people not to begin a war; and he had not been present to direct their defence, when invaded. He felt the injury; none could feel it more: he felt the want of forces; the strength of his adversary; and that which seemed lost to others, their country, remained to him the dearest object of his hope and confidence. Its fate was to him an agony of expectation.

Governor Harrison had, without doubt, coeval with the last conference at Vincennes, adopted definitively his line of conduct in relation to Tecumseh's Indians. A war, was contemplated as the consequence, and embraced within the design. It was a part of the means to effect the end, to alarm the people of the territory, as a medium through which to influence the general government; whose sanction was indispensable to success. Nothing was of easier execution, than this part of the scheme. The agency of Winnemack, and such men, was an obvious resort-exaggerations were common. It has alrea dy been suggested, that no murders, by these Indians, though there might have been by Missouries, had been committedhorses, it is admitted, were stolen; or found in the woods, and carried away by Indians. It was not unreasonable, to expect more serious depredations, even should it extend to murder. Caution is prudence; prevention is better than cure. The governor possessed the laudable desire of being thought "the father of his people;" and to apprize them of their danger, while he shielded them from it, could but ensure to himself, their confidence and eulogiums: to these he aspired.

There was, soon after Tecumseh went to the south, fresh alarms spread throughout the territory; even the people of Vincennes, were persuaded to be afraid of the Tippecanoe Indians. To relieve them, a general meeting of the militia was called, certainly with the approbation, if not by the order of the governor. This meeting being furnished with the appro

priate resolutions, setting forth what it was desired the president should hear, not forgetting the necessary compliments to the governor-they were promptly passed; and without loss of time, transmitted, by his excellency, to the war department. These resolutions were accompanied by a strong remonstrance against the inhabitants of Tippecanoe, who were styled a bandittiand possibly very justly-who should not be permitted to remain on the frontiers. These proceedings, had the most entire success, with the cabinet at Washington.

The 4th regiment of United States' troops, then posted on the Ohio, commanded by Colonel Boyd, was ordered to Vin-cennes, and placed under Governor Harrison; who was also authorized to add to the force, by calls on the militia-to take measures of defence-"and as a last resort, to remove the Prophet and his followers, by force." It is useless to question the propriety of such order-then let it pass.

From the moment the governor received these instructions, with a disposition for war, he perceived that he was made the master of the public peace. His next step, was to assemble his army-and then, to march against Tippecanoe: where he was to negotiate the removal of a nation, or by extirpation, "punish their disobedience." His proclamation of the intended enterprise, drew from Kentucky, some of her most ardent sons, as volunteers; and the battle of the 7th November, 1811, became a practical commentary on the governor's skill in diplomatics, and military tactics.

Minute details of occurrences out of Kentucky, do not belong to this history; nor would the preceding review of the measures which led to the war, form a part of it, but for the share taken in it by Kentuckians; while their connexion with the governor, afterwards General Harrison, and his agency in producing hostilities, have entitled him to a place in it; which it would be affectation to deny, and injustice to withhold; and in which his subsequent transactions will keep him, as one of the most prominent, if not the most efficient characters in the exhibition. Of the few Kentuckians in the action, which was fought in the night, with singular bravery, and considerable