OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tecumseh, Son of Pucksinwah [4]
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April 8, 2000
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Historical Collections of Ohio
Diaries of S. J. Kelly
Plains Dealer
Know Your Ohio
by Darlene E. Kelley
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Tecumseh, Son of Pucksinwah -- " The Shawnee War Chief." ---part 4

Continuation of Lineage--

Mother --Methotasa
After Pucksinwah's death, Methotasa returned to her adopted village
taking the small children with her for a couple of years. Then the
children became the ward of Chiungella, and he was their surrigate
father. Methotasa died in 1789.
Children of Pucksinwah and Methotasa are as follows;

1-- Son--Chiksiska 
Was born in the spring of 1756. He inherited his fathers powers of
prediction. He was a good hunter and warrior. Married a cherokee woman
in which there are no records. Was with his father at his time of death,
making promise to care for his brothers. He had 3 children-- 2 girls and
1 son, who all died with small pox. He predicted his own death. His wife
out lived him.
Made their home in Running Water Village. Died April 13, 1788 as he
predicted, in battle.

2-- daughter-- Tecumesa
Born in summer 1758. Married Chaquiweshe March 2, 1774. Chaquiweshe was
called Chaqui-- unsoma " The Mink "  Pucksinwah predicted his death. He
died just before his son's birth. Tecumesa and Chaqui's son was born
December 2, 1774. Son's name was 
Spemica Lawba-- unsoma--Big Horn. He married Pskipahcah Ouiskelotha
--unsoma, Bluebird in 1779. Their child, a girl; Psquawwe Sisqui, born
1780, unsoma, Red Leaf. Spemica Lawba was the only Indian in Ohio
History to be buried with full United States Military Honors. He died
November 25, 1812, known as Johnny Logan.
Tecumesa remarried--Waseyoboah, their marriage did not last. They
divorced. She helped to care for other children in the family as well as
Tecumseh's children.

3 -- daughter -- No record only that she died young with Small pox in
1661.

4-- Son Tecumseh-- Born March 9, 1768. Married Mohnetohse. Birth of son
1- Mahyahwekawpawe-- July 1795. Divorced Mohnetohse. Married Mamate, not
for love but to care for his son. Had son 2--Naythawaynah.
Mamate died soon after birth. Son's were cared for by Tecumpesa. Not
much known about his sons.  Tecumseh, by 1808, became a Shawnee Chief.
Early in life, he had developed a strong anger towards European
encroachment. He argued that no sale of land to whites was really valid
without consent from all tribes. This was due to the language of the
Greenville Treaty of 1795. During the war of 1812, he was closely
aligned with the British. He attained the rank of Brigadier General in
the British Army. Like his father, he too, had the gift of predictions.
He predicted his own death, and also the Madrid Earthquake, which
changed the course of the MIssissippi River and was one of the most
powerful earthquakes of all time. There will be more written in this
series. He died at the Battle of the Thames, October 5,1813.

5--- Daughter-- Nehaacemo -- Born in summer of 1769.  Have not ben able
to find records in her regards.

6--- Triplet Son --Kunskaka -- unsoma, A cat that Flies in the
air--meaning the great horned owl. Was Born January 30, 1771. Was of
good nature and joyful. Death unknown.

7--- Triplet Son --Sauwaseekau --unsoma, A door opened. Was born January
30, 1771. Curious in nature, good hunter, good warrior.
Very close to sister Tecumpesa. Also was able to predict. Death unknown.

8 -- Triplet son -- Lowawluwaysica-- unsoma-- He makes Loud noise.
Smallest of the triplets, born January 30, 1771. Changed name to
Tenskwatawa and became the Shawnee Prophet. He shamed the family by his
laziness and lack of courage. Therefore, it was a surprise to everone
when he arose from a dead faint declaring that he had been told by " His
Grandmother" ( a Shawnee deity ) that he was to be a great prophet, and
caused him to change his name, unsoma --The open door.
He instructed the people to rid themselves of all the ways of the white
man and return to the pure ways of their Shawnee ancestors. He predicted
a eclipse of the sun, which amazed all the Indians, to which the tribe
cleansed themslves for a while of intoxicating liquors and evil-doers,
and other tribes took notice and came to join the Shawnees at Prophet's
Town. However in 1813, Henry Harrison attacked Prophet's Town and
Tenskwatawa told his people that the bullets of the white man would not
harm them, and sent them into battle, against the advice of other
Chiefs. This massacre at the hands of Harrison dashed the Indians' hopes
of ever conquering the white man, and destroyed their dreams. The
confederation of tribes started to fall apart after this defeat, and he
soon lost his influence. He removed to Canada for a time, the on to
Missouri and then to Kansas, where he died in 1837.

Adopted Children--

9 -- John Sparks-- was adopted by Pucksinwah and Methotasa-- at the age
of 8. He was born abt 1760 and brought back by a raiding party. Custom
of Shawnees to adopt to replace children who are lost. No more records
are found. He became the ward of Chiungelha after Pucksinwah's death.

10-- Stephen Ruddell -- was adopted by Pucksinwah and Methotasa-- at the
age of about 6 months. He was rescued after his mother had tossed him
into a fire to prevent capture. Tecumseh's constant boyhood companion.He
was born abt 1767.Was given the name of Sinnanatha. His two brothers
Abram and John were with other Shawnee parents. They were all returned
to the White Nation, the attorney General after about 14 years with the
Shawnee Nation.

11 -- Wehyahpihehasehnwah -- Marmaduke Van Swearingen -- unsoma --Blue
Jacket
He was 17 years old when Pucksinwah and Methotasa adopted him. He became
a War Chief. This story will be told in another part of this series.

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To be continued in part 5--