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could not be found. At this point the governor sent a message to the Prophet's town, requiring the Shawanees, Winnebagoes, Pottawattomies and Kickapoos, who were at that place, to return to their respective tribes. It also required the Prophet to restore all the stolen horses in his possession, and to deliver up the mur derers of white people, or to give satisfactory proof that such persons were not then, "nor had lately been" under his control. To this message the governor received no answer, unless that answer was delivered in the battle of Tippecanoe. The new fort on the Wabash was finished on the twenty-eighth of October, and on that day, at the request of all the subordinate officers, it was called Fort Harrison. This fort was garrisoned with a small number of men, under Lieut. Col. Miller, and on the twenty-ninth the remainder of the army moved toward the Prophet's town. This force amounted to about nine hundred and ten men, and it was composed of two hundred and fifty regular troops, under the command of Col. Boyd, about sixty volunteers from Kentucky, and about six hundred citizens of the Indiana territory. About two hundred and seventy of the troops were mounted.

With this army Gen. Harrison marched to the Prophet's town, where the celebrated battle of Tippecanoe was fought, and the Indians completely humiliated.

This triumph over the Indians broke up the power of the Prophet for the time being, and temporarily relieved the frontier settlements from Indian depredations. This temporary relief, however, was fully ended when, in June, 1812, the United States declared war against Great Britain. This event was not unexpected by the citizens of the Indiana territory; and from the hour that it occurred, or was made known in the northwest, scattering bands of hostile Indians began to commit depredations on the frontier settlements. Tecumseh had forsaken the soil of the United States, and settled in Malden, Ontario, where, counseled by the English, he continued to excite the tribes against the Americans. In the early part of the month of September parties of hostile Indians began to assemble in considerable numbers in the vicinity of Fort Wayne, and about the same time a large force attacked Fort Harrison, while other bands of Indians passed through the territory of Indiana to the counties of Clark and

Jefferson, where they massacred twenty four persons at a place which was called "the Pigeon-roost Settlement."

The attack on Fort Harrison, which at that time was commanded by Captain Zachary Taylor, is described by that hero in his report as follows: "About eleven o'clock I was awakened by the firing of one of the sentinels. I sprung up, ran out, and ordered the men to their posts-when my orderly sergeant, who had charge of the upper blockhouse, called out that the Indians had fired the lower blockhouse. * *The guns had begun to fire pretty smartly from both sides. I directed the buckets to be got ready, and water brought from the well, and the fire extinguished immediately, as it was perceivable at that time; but, from debility, or some other cause, the men were very slow in executing my orders. The word "fire!" appeared to throw the whole of them into confusion, and by the time they had got the water and brok en open the door, the fire had unfortunately, communicated to a quantity of whisky, * * and, in spite of every exertion we could make use of, in less than a moment it ascended to the roof, and baffled every effort we could make to extinguish it. As that blockhouse adjoined the barracks that made part of the fortifications, most of the men immediately gave themselves up for lost, and I had the greatest difficulty in getting my orders executed. And, sir, what from the raging of the fire-yelling and howling of several hundred Indians- the cries of nine women and children (a part soldiers' and part citizens' wives, who had taken shelter in the fort), and the desponding of so many of the men, which was worse than all, I can assure you that my feelings were unpleasant. And, indeed, there were not more than ten or fifteen men able to do good deal; the others being sick, or convalescent; and, to add to our other misfortunes, two of the strongest men in the fort, and that I had every confidence in, jumped the pickets and left us. But my presence of mind did not for a moment forsake me. I saw, by throwing off a part of the roof that joined the blockhouse that was on fire, and keeping the end perfectly wet, the whole row of buildings might be saved, and leave only an entrance of eighteen or twenty feet for the entrance of the Indians, after the house was consumed; and that a temporary breastwork might be erected to prevent their even entering there. I

convinced the men that this might be accomplished, and it appeared to inspire them with new life; and never did men act with more firmness and desperation. Those that were able (while the others kept up a constant fire from the other blockhouse and the two bastions) mounted the roofs of the houses, with Dr. Clark at their head (who acted with the greatest firmness and presence of mind the whole time the attack lasted, which was about seven hours), under a shower of bullets, and in less than a moment threw off as much of the roof as was necessary. ** Although

the barracks were several times in a blaze, and an immense quantity of fire against them, the men used such exertions that they kept it under, and before day raised a temporary breastwork as high as a man's head, although the Indians continued to pour in a heavy fire of ball and an immense quantity of arrows during the whole time the attack lasted. * * After keeping up a constant fire until about six o'clock the next morning, which we began to return with some effect after daylight, they removed out of the reach of our guns. A party of them drove up the horses that belonged to the citizens here, and, as they could not catch them very readily, shot the whole of them in our sight, as well as a number of their hogs. They drove off the whole of the cattle, which amounted to sixty-five head, as well as the public oxen.”

During the absence of Gov. Harrison on military duty, the functions of governor of the territory of Indiana were discharged by John Gibson, the secretary of the territory. On the first of February, 1813, the legislature convened at Vincennes, when the seat of government was moved to Corydon, and the session was prorogued by Secretary Gibson to meet at the latter place in December of the same year. In 1813, Mr. Thomas Posey, who was at that time a senator in congress from the state of Tennessee, and who had been an officer of the army of the revolution, was appointed governor of the territory of Indiana, to succeed Gen. Harrison. The new governor arrived in Vincennes, and entered upon the discharge of his official duties, on the twenty-fifth of May, 1813. During this year there were several expeditions set on foot in the Indiana territory, against the Indian settlements, but these will be considered so fully in the SECOND PART of this work as to make a reference to them here inexpedient. The general as

sembly of the Indiana territory met at Corydon, in December, 1813, where the new governor delivered his first message to the legislature. During this session of the territorial legislature several laws were passed, and the general welfare of the settlements provided for. In the following year, owing, principally, to the great success of the army under Gen. Harrison in the northwest, the settlements in Indiana began to improve. The fear of danger from the incursions of the hostile Indians had, in a great measure, subsided, and the tide of eastern emigration again began to flow into the territory. In January, 1814, about one thousand Miamis, in a state of great destitution, assembled at Fort Wayne for the purpose of obtaining food to prevent starvation. They met with ample hospitality, and their example was speedily followed by others. These, with other acts of kindness, won the lasting friendship of the Indians, many of whom had fought in the interest of Great Britain. General treaties between the United States and the northwestern tribes were subsequently concluded, and the way was fully opened for the improvement and settlement of the lands.

The last regular session of the territorial legislature of Indiana was held at Corydon, convening in December, 1815. Owing to the sickness of Gov. Posey, who lived at Jeffersonville, he was unable to be present, but his regular message was delivered to both houses in joint session by his private secretary, Col. Allen D. Thorn. In this message he congratulated the people of the territory upon the general success of the settlements, upon the great increase of immigration to the territory; recommended light taxes, and a careful attention to the promotion of education and the improvement of the state roads and highways. He also recommended a revision of the territorial laws, and an amendment to the militia. system. During this session, which lasted only a month, several laws were passed, and measures adopted, most of which were cal culated to promote the desired change from a territorial to a state government. On the fourteenth day of December a memorial was adopted praying for the authority to adopt a constitution and state government. This was laid before congress by the territorial delegate, Mr. Jennings, on the twenty-eighth of the same month, and on the nineteenth of April, 1816, the president approved a bill,

enabling the people of Indiana territory to form a constitution and state government, and providing for the admission of such state into the Union on an equal footing with the original states.

CHAPTER XIX.

TERRITORIAL HISTORIES-MICHIGAN.

Tecumseh's War- Organization of the Michigan Territory — Gov. Hull Appointed - Hull Invades Canada - The British and the Americans Contending for Detroit-Hull's Inglorious Surrender.

TECUMSEH'S WAR had its full effect upon the infant settlements in the Michigan territory, and upon the outposts of civilization in the lake region. The Michigan territory was organized in 1805, and William Hull was appointed governor. When he first arrived at his post, Detroit was about the only place of importance in the country, and it was but a weak trading post. In the same year it was destroyed by fire, and, on being rebuilt, it was left without a stockade which had previously surrounded it. However, the hostile appearances of the Indians caused the governor to have it rebuilt.

In September, 1809, a special council of the Hurons was called near Brownstown, and, at the instigation of their principal chief, Walk-in-the-water, they freely spoke of their grievances to Gov. Hull. The speech addressed by this chief to the governor, setting forth the title of his tribe to a large tract of territory near the Detroit river, which was claimed by the United States, under the treaty of Greenville, shows how dissatisfied they were with this treaty, and with the encroachments of the American people. In the midst of all these evidences of war, the territory of Michigan remained in a comparatively defenseless state. There were at this time, in the whole territory, but nine settlements of any importance; nor were the inhabitants of these villages calculated to show any considerable resistance to the approaching incursions of the savages. These settlements were situated on the rivers

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