OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tecumseh, Son of Pucksinwah [7]
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Darlene E. Kelley
http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374
April 12, 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 7.


Occasionally one or another of the tribes would require a show of proof
from Tecumseh ---some small sign to show that he was, indeed, under the
auspices of the Great Spirit. In most cases, minor prophecies sufficed,
such as in the case of the Seminoles. When they had hesitated to join
him, he told them that in two days there would come to Florida's Coast
an ocean vessel which would be filled with arms and supplies for the
Seminoles. They assembled at the pont he indicated, and at dawn the
given day, they discovered a British ship at anchor in the bay and its
smaller boats coming ashore laden with gifts of guns and powder and
tomahwks, cloth and jewelry and foodstuffs. There was no further
hesitancy among the Seminoles to join Tecumseh.

Now the great Shawnee leader was beginning his swing northwestward
through the Alabama country to seek the important alliance formation
with the powerful Upper Creek nation. From there he would move west,
heading into the Mississippi land and Louisiana, then again northward on
the west side of the mother of rivers to Missouri again. And along the
way, he would stop to win over the Natchez and Yazoo, the Tawakonias and
Caddos and others.

But first the Upper Creeks, Big Warrior, principal chief of the Upper
Ceeks, listened with a diapproving frown as Tecumseh told his people of
his great plan, its near culmination and the part he wished them to play
in it. There could be no doubt of his jealousy of this Shawnee who could
come from hundreds of miles away and sway his people so swiftly with his
reputation and his elocution. Great numbers of the Upper Creeks had come
to this village Tuckabatchee located on the Tallapoosa River to hear the
chief, but no matter how earnestly and convincing Tecumseh spoke, Big
Warrior refused to pledge his people. Sensing his jealously, Tecumseh
became scornful. He looked first at the large crowd, and then he swung
his gaze to Big Warrior.

" Your blood is white!' he said, " You have taken my talk and the sticks
and the wampum and the hatchet, but you do not mean to fight. I know the
reason. You do not believe the Great Spirit has sent me. You shall know,
I leave Tuckabatchee directly and shall go to Detroit. When I arrive
there, I will stamp on the ground with my foot, and shake down every
house in Tuckabatchee!"

Impressed in spite of himself, Big Warrior thereupon agreed to come and
join the amaigamation -- if and when the houses of Tuckabatchee all fell
down. Tecumseh nodded. The Upper Creeks would come. What now could stop
this mighty force he had joined together?

All of the tribes, Tecumseh told these followers, had received bundles
of red stick. All had one of those sticks left. In six days a
preliminary sign would be given to the tribes. It would be a sign under
which he had been born and named. A great star would flash across the
heavens and this would indicate that Tecumseh was still guided by the
hand of the Great Spirit. The sign would be clearly visible to all the
tribes, and when it came, they were to take the last red stick and cut
it into thirty equal pieces. Each day thereafter, one of these pieces
was to be burned in the light of the dawn. But the thirtieth piece was
to be burned in the midst of the night, and when the last of these had
been burned, then would come the great sign of which he had personally
told them all. And when this sign came, all who believed in Tecumseh and
in the future of the Indian nation would take up ther weapons and strike
out at once for the British fort that was called Malden, located on the
north side of the head of the lakes that was called Erie.

On Saturday, November 16, 1811, under a crisp cloudless sky, the Indians
crouched. No fires had been lighted, lest this drive away or interfere
with the sign. There was no moon this night, and the stars twinkled with
almost tangible brighness in their deep black background. With blankets
held over their heads to hold back the bite of the cold air, the Indians
waited. In southern Canada, from the falls of the Niagara to the great
Lake-of-the-Woods, they watched.In western New York and Pennsylvania,
they watched. In Ohio and the Indiana Territory and in the land that
pushed north beween the two great lakes and in the land to the west of
the lakes, they watched. Along the Mississipi and Missouri, and even
farther west, they watched. In Tennessee and Alabama and Mississippi
country, they watched. And the principal chief of each of each tribe
held in his hand the final red stick of his bundle.

Just before the midnight of the night it came--- a great searing flash
from out of the southwest; incredibly awe-inspiring. And the heads of a
thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand Indians swiviveled to watch
its fiery progress across the heavens until it dsappeared in the
Northeast. And they were deeply moved by it.

Many of the chiefs broke their sticks over their knees and threw them
away and rid their fear in anger. But there were some who retired to
their weigiwas or teepees or hogans, lay the red stick upon the ground
before the fire, and carefully measured, marked it off with a bit of
charcoal, and cut it into thirty equal lengths.

And then they waited,

Monday, December 16, 1811, at 2:30 A.M. the earth shook.----
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To be continued in part 8--