OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tecumseh, Son of Pucksinwah [9]
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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 14, 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,"--- 
The prediction--the Matchemento and Death.--

Tecumseh had just uttered the prediction of his own death on the marrow.
He continued looking into the fire until the concerned voices around him
dwindled away into uneasy silence and then he finally looked up at them
again. " You are my friends, my people," he said, his voice still as low
as when he made the shattering announcement a few moments ago. " I love
you too well to see you sacrificed in an unequal contest from which no
good can result. I would dissuade you from fighting this fight,
encourage you to leave now, this night, for there is no victory ahead,
only sorrow. Yet time after tme, even until tonight, you have made known
to me that it is your desire to fight the Americans here and so I am
willing to go with my people and be guided by their wishes."

Tecumseh than began to remove every sign of rank that he wore; a large
medal bearing the likeness of King George lll. a par of bracelets. a
necklace of downcurved bear claws separated by silver cylinders and,
finally, even his two-feathered headband. These he set to one side where
his personal weapons were colected beside his balnket and mat. There,
one by one he took up the weapons that he had previously laid out; the
fine sword that had been presented to him by General Brock on that
Officer's departure from Amherstburg for Niagara, the tomahawk that
Chiksika had so long ago given him, the pair of Mortimer pistols given
to him by John Kinzie before the Battle of Fallen Timbers.

He passed them out in turn, first shaking the man's hand and then giving
him the item he wished him to have--- the sword to Chaubenee, telling
him with a faint smile, " Wield it well; it brings death to enemes!";
the tomahawk to Black Hawk; one of the pistols to Sauganas, the other to
Stiahta, and finally, the rifle to Wasegoboah.  

Each accepted his gift with gratitude but equally with great sorrow, for
it underlined the reality of the predication Tecumseh had just made.
Turning again to Wasegoboah, who was still holding the flintlock most
reverently, Tecumseh reached out and slid the ramrod from its shaft
below the barrel. He extended it to Wasegoboah who, puzzled, accepted it
with his free hand.

' Wasegoboah," Tecumseh said. " if it is possible for you to do so, keep
close to me when we engage  in our battle tomarrow. When you see me
fall, fight your way to my side and strike my body four times with this
rod. If you will do so, I will then arise and, with my life renewed and
charmed against further harm, will lead you to victory. But should I
fall," and now his eyes left Wasegoboah and passed to the others, " and
this cannot be done, then retreat at once, for further fighting will be
useless."

With a sense of awe in his voice, Wasegoboah promised he would stay
close and that  when Tecumseh should fall, he would come to his side at
once and strike the four blows as directed. Not one of the Indians
present had any doubt that if Tecumseh did fall and his body was struck
with the rod, he would arise as he had indicated. They had long ago
learned to accept the mysterious predictions from their leader without
question. After all, had they not always come true ?

" As for me," Tecumseh concluded, his hand upon the war club in his
belt, " I keep only my war club, which my brother Chksika gave me  when
I was a boy and with which I have slain many enemies. "

October 5, 1813--

Shortly after dawn Tecumseh called to his warriors to prepare to move
out of thier overnight camp. He wore plain, smoked buckskin trousers an
a simple knee-lenth blouse of simular soft leather snugged at the waist
with a narrow but very fine and intricately beaded belt, in which his
war club was wedged. On his feet were low-cut sturdy buffalo-hide
moccasins, and he also wore a narrow headband of a dark red cloth
knotted at the rear. There was nothing abot him, except his demeanor, to
suggest that he was anything but just another warrior-- as he had always
considered himself to be.

Within mere minutes he put his warriors into movement after the British
wo were waiting for him, so messengers had said last night, at the
Moravian town. Always cautious, Tecumseh led his men in a curious route,
well away from the road and far out into the woods, lest the Americans
had somehow slipped past them in the night and set a trap for them to
fall into along the road.

After a briefing by Proctor, Tecumseh inspected the two lines of troops
and soon came back after he shook the hands of each officer, murmuring
words of encouragement. His favorites were seated on logs awaiting the
American advance and were calmly smoking when Tecumseh rejoined them.
Sauganash immediately came to him and spoke worriedly, addressing him
with respectful term which he often used, even though at the age
thirty-five he was only ten years younger then Tecumseh.
" My father,what are we to do? Shall we fight the Americans?"

Tecumseh nodded. " Yes, my son, very soon we will be in their smoke." He
pause reflectively and then made a decision he knew would save his
friend's life. " But right now you are wanted by the General. You are to
wait with him and bring any message he has for me. Go."

Sauganash nodded and sprinted away. Tecumseh and his fellows continued
smoking their pipes and chatting. Then a very strange thing occurred.
Though there was no sound of a shot, all heard the buzzing whine of a
bullet and Tecumseh standing, grunted and grabbed the left side of his
chest and staggered.

Instantly Chaubenee was on his feet and came to him with great concern.
" Tecumseh, are you hit?"

Tecumseh took his hand away. There was no sign of any injury and in a
moment he straightened, the sudden pain having entirely left him. He
shook his head, " it is 'Matchemento' and a bad sign."

The others were as shaken by the occurrence as Tecumseh and urged him at
once to leave and they would remain behind and do the fighting, but
again Tecumseh shook his head and said." No, I can't think of such and
act."

By this time it was approaching midafternoon and the indication of the
approaching  of the Americans were upon them by the hearing of the
blaring of distant tin bugles sounding the charge for the battle in the
direction of the British lines. Then there were a lot of muted rifle
fire and shouting. It lasted for only a few minutes and the Indians
immediately sprang into their positions and got ready.-----

It was a sad day-- Tecumseh and his Indians kept losng ground--losing
his war club, he immediately snatched up the rifle and tomahawk of a
dead warrior who had been killed beside him. Dodging from tree to tree,
he leveled his gun and at that instant another soldier more to his right
stepped into a full view and shrieked a warning. " Look out ! An Indian
is aiming at you!

Tecumseh spun in a quarter-turn and pointed  his rifle at the fully
exposed man  and as he did so the soldier to his left fired. The range
was short and the two heavy lead balls slammed ito Tecumseh's left side
about an inch apart and a half inch below the left nipple and angled
through his heart, slamming him motionless to the ground on his stomach.

Tecumseh was dead--Chaubenee rushed to where Tecumseh lay and checked
him. There was no doubt-- Chaubenee threw back his head and shrieked the
far-carrying death cry, following with it the booming words----

" Tecumseh is dead!  Retreat! Retreat!"

The words were picked up and relayed over and over throughout the whole
body of Indians.  All the warriors had been instructed that if the cry
was lifted, they were to instantly break off all fighting and see to
their own personal safety and flee at top speed and they did so.

Within mere minutes the Indians had melted away and a weird stillness
settled over the battlefield. They had lost the war. They had lost their
homelands. They had lost their cause.

They had lost ' TECUMSEH'---

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