ECUMSEH was an eloquent orator and a brilliant military leader. He was appointed a brigadier-general in the British army, and few or none of the English officers were his equal in all that goes to make a successful leader of men. He was a knightly foe, who never, so far as known, permitted the abuse of prisoners. Whilst yet in his teens and on the war path, he fought against the cruel practice and more than once forcibly prevented it. No man kept a promise more honorably than he. He was brave and self-restrained, and in many respects set an example for those who professed higher things.
A remarkable fact about Tecumseh is that he was born one of triplets. This was probably in 1770, his birthplace being on the Scioto, not far from Chillicothe. He is authority for the statement that his mother was a Cherokee, who was taken prisoner during the war between that tribe and the Shawanoes and was adopted by the latter. His father was one of the foremost warriors among his people.
When the flatboats going down the Ohio had to run the gauntlet of the hostile Indians along the shores, the youthful Tecumseh was among those who were most active in the attacks. It is said that while he was still a boy, he saw the torture of a white prisoner at the hands of his captors, and was so shocked that he vowed he would do all he could to break up the practice, and, as has been said, he kept his pledge.
Tecumseh was one of the hardest fighters at the battle of Maumee Rapids, where General Wayne smashed the Indian confederacy. He accepted the treaty of Greenville, and honorably lived up to its terms. Settling among his people, he became a hunter and fisherman, and seemed to think no more of warfare. The unharmed white man who met him in the depths of the forest had no cause to fear. Instead, the Shawanoe was ready to give him the help he might need, and would share the last pound of venison with him. The story is told of Tecumseh that he once entered the home of a white friend to spend the evening, the two having formed a liking for each other. The caller found another white man present—a stranger, to whom he was introduced. He gravely shook hands with the visitor, and sat down in a chair on the other side of the broad hearth.
Tecumseh must have been noted as a warrior even at that time, for when his name was spoken, the other caller plainly showed his fear. It was evident that he was much afraid of the Shawanoe, who was quick to note the fact. With a meaning glance at his friend, he began talking about the imaginary scalping expeditions from which he had just returned, and said he was anxious to add a few more ghastly trophies to his collection. This was kept up until the poor fellow was pale and trembling with fright. Then Tecumseh walked over to his chair, placed his hand on his shoulder and said, soothingly:
"Don't be scared; Tecumseh will not hurt you." The hearty laugh of the host showed the visitor that he had been made the victim of a joke by the Shawanoe chieftain.
Tecumseh must have given a great deal of thought, while still a youth, to his race and to the many injustices which it had suffered. The problem to him was as to how these wrongs could be righted, or rather, since many of them were beyond righting, how further wrongs could be stopped. Never did any one see more clearly than he, the full force of the truth that in union lies strength. The Indians were weak because, instead of uniting, they fought one another, and thereby invited their conquest by the invaders of their country. How different would have been the story had the red men stood together when the first European crossed the ocean!
Now, it must not be thought that this native genius was nerved by the ambition of Philip or Pontiac. The former dreamed of and strove for a confederacy that would destroy all the English settlements. When, at that distant day, these settlements were scattered and weak, he had good reason to believe he would succeed. As we know, his plot was sprung before he was ready, and Philip could not bring about the full union of the New England tribes.
The day for doing that had passed when the chieftain of the Ottawas came upon the stage of action. He tried to bring about an alliance with France and to destroy the western posts that had been turned over to England. He did capture a number, but failed because France would have nothing to do with him or his plans.
Tecumseh also believed that when war broke out between England and the United States, the former had a good chance of success. This belief he shared with the mother country herself, else she never would have begun the struggle. The Shawanoe knew that if the western tribes united to resist the Americans, they would get much better terms than if they fought separately. He bent all his energies to that difficult task.