resignation accepted, when he was appointed by President Adams secretary and ex-officio lieutenant-governor of the Northwest Territory. General Arthur St. Clair was at the same time appointed governor of this large Territory. The official residence was determined at Chillicothe, where met the first Legislature, in 1798. In October of the following year Harrison was elected by the Legislature to a seat in the National House of Representatives. Resigning the office of secretary, he proceeded to Washington and entered upon his duties as Representative at the opening of the first session of the Sixth Congress, in 1799. Although his service in Congress was limited to one year, during that time he was instrumental in securing the adoption of laws giving important advantages to the inhabitants of the Territory. These were comprised, first, in a joint resolution to subdivide the surveys of the public lands into small tracts, thereby allowing every industrious man, however poor, to to procure a home. This resolution was carried in both houses, notwithstanding the determined opposition of speculators, who were intent on accumulating wealth at the cost of the bone and sinew of the country. By the second was obtained an extension of time for persons who had preëmpted land in the northern part of the Miami purchase, thus allowing them to secure their farms, and eventually become independent and even wealthy. These efforts for the promotion of the welfare of the actual colonists and pioneers, endeared him to the people, and in the future became an element of strength in his political advancement. At this same session of Congress the Northwest Territory was divided, and the Territory of Indiana established, of which Harrison was appointed governor. The new Territory, when organized, included the present States of Indiana. Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Beside the appointment of governor, Mr. Harrison also received the appointment of superintendent of Indian affairs in the Territory. Resigning his seat in Congress, Governor Harrison proceeded to Vincennes, the capital of the Territory. Here, in 1805, was organized a Territorial Legislature. As governor, Harrison possessed the power of appointment of magistrates, the confirmation of land grants, the defining of townships, the veto over acts of the Legislature, besides other perplexing and important duties. Personally popular with the Indians, he was enabled, before the close of 1815, by a succession of treaties, to extinguish their title to forty-six thousand acres of land within the Territory, which was thus thrown open to settlement. His management of affairs in the Territory was conducted with prudence and energy, in the face of almost unnumbered obstacles presented by speculators in lands, settlement of treaty regulations with the Indians, and questions arising from defective land titles. One great evil he had to contend with was the demoralization of the Indians through their inordinate appetite for whisky, which was

brought into the Territory in vast quantity. He wrote, in 1805: "I do not believe that there are more than six hundred warriors on the Wabash, and yet the quantity of whisky brought here annually for their consumption is said to amount to six thousand gallons."

The course pursued by speculators in ejecting the Indians from the ceded lands was cause of grave alarm, and bore fruit before many years had passed in the formation, by Tecumseh and his brother the Prophet, of a league against the colonists. First among their allegations was the claim that the treaty by which was ceded much of the territory then in course of settlement, was fraudulent, and therefore void. The Fort Wayne treaty, by which the United States purchased nearly three millions of acres of land contiguous to the Wabash and White rivers, which was concluded September 30, 1809, by Governor Harrison and the Delaware, Pottawatomie, Miami, Kickapoo, Wea and Eel River Indians, for the consideration of eight thousand two hundred dollars in hand and annuities. amounting to two thousand dollars, was vigorously condemned both by Tecumseh and the Prophet, though none of their tribe had any claim to the land in question. The fire of discontent was fanned into flame by British emissaries, who urged the Indians forward by promising assistance in driving back the trespassers. The ground of objection of the Indian leaders was that the entire domain was owned in common by all the tribes, and that no part of the territory could be sold without the consent of all.

The machinations of Tecumseh and the Prophet spread the seeds of discontent among the Indian tribes far to the south, west and north. The former was a man of great executive ability, and had he possessed the education and training given officers in the armies of the world, would have acquired distinction as a general; under the circumstances surrounding him he was great as an organizer, strong in the affections of his people, brave and fearless on the field of battle. Not so much can be said of his brother, the Prophet, who employed only the arts of Indian magic, and by a long-continued course of deception played upon the superstitions of the ignorant children of the forest. For many years besotted by whisky, he finally professed to have seen, in a vision, the Great Spirit, who ordered him to call together the people and warn them against drunkenness, lying, stealing, and witchcraft. His vision was a part of the scheme of Tecumseh, who was the great leader in the Indian outbreak connected with the war of 1812. The influence of the Prophet extended over many tribes in the Northwest Territory, and was continuous in the effort to provoke hostilities against the whites. He even assured his adherents that he possessed the power to prevent the bullets of their enemies doing them harm. The governor received information concerning the confederation forming, and sent a messenger to the Shawnees, warning them against the

intrigues of the Prophet. That imposter prophesied the destruction of the entire earth, with the exception of a small portion surrounding Greenville, and great numbers of his deluded followers, neglecting their cornfields, assembled in the vicinity of Fort Wayne, where they were soon reduced to the verge of starvation. Thus were remote tribes brought under the direct influence of the Prophet, who foretold a brilliant future for his people. Conciliation being a prominent feature in the policy pursued by the governor, he furnished the suffering people with provisions and other necessaries from the public stores. Many of them departed for their homes, only to fall by the wayside, overcome by hunger, there to die, victims of their own superstitious belief and the overweening ambition of the false prophet.

At some time during the year 1808, the Prophet established his residence on the Upper Wabash, at a place called Tippecanoe. In the early spring of 1810, growing signs of discontent began to manifest themselves at the Prophet's town; the "annuity salt" was refused, and the boatmen who brought it were insulted. These indications of coming trouble soon reached the ears of the governor, and in July he despatched a messenger to the Upper Wabash, with instructions to invite the brothers to a council at Vincennes. They were requested to bring with them not more than thirty warriors, as the council was designed for a quiet talk over the question uppermost in the minds of all. On the twelfth of August Tecumseh arrived at Vincennes, accompanied by four hundred warriors, fully armed, who encamped in a grove adjoining the town. Seats for the chiefs had been prepared under the portico of the governor's house, where it was proposed the council be held. To this place Tecumseh demurred, saying: "Houses were built for you to hold councils in; Indians hold theirs in the open air." He then took position under some trees in front of the house, where he opened the council with a speech of great native eloquence. At the close he was invited, through an intrepreter, to take a seat beside the governor. In a scornful tone he replied: “The sun is my father and the earth is my mother; on her bosom I will repose," then seated himself upon the ground. In the discussions in the council he expressed the determination to abide by the decision he had made some time since, and by a confederation of the tribes establish the principle of community of interest in the lands of the country, as ordained by the Great Spirit. In demanding return of the lands acquired by the United States by the treaty of Fort Wayne, he said: "Return those lands and Tecumseh will be the friend of the Americans. He likes not the English, who are continually setting the Indians on the Americans."

In his reply to Tecumseh, Governor Harrison ridiculed the idea that the Great Spirit ever intended the Indian tribes to be one people. He said: "If such had been His intention He would not have put six differ

ent tongues into their heads, but would have taught them all to speak one language." As to the land in dispute, the Shawnees had nothing to do with it; the lands were purchased of the Miamis, who owned it when the Shawnees were driven out of Georgia by the Creeks, and how they disposed of it was no business of the Shawnees. When the governor's words were interpreted to Tecumseh, with eyes flashing with anger he cast aside his blanket and fiercely exclaimed: "It is false;" then signaling the warriors grouped about him, they sprang to their feet, brandished their weapons in a threatening manner, and for some moments it seemed that a conflict was inevitable. The governor's guard of twelve men had been allowed to seek shelter from the burning rays of the sun, under the shade of a tree at a little distance, and on the indication of trouble were immediately ordered up. A friendly Indian cocked the pistol he had stealthily loaded while Tecumseh was speaking, while the spectators, who were unarmed, hastily seized upon such weapons as they could grasp. The governor rose from his chair, drew his sword, and restrained the guard, which was about to fire on the Indians, and a bloody encounter was averted. He then inquired of the interpreter the cause of the excitement, and after it was made known to him, he denounced Tecumseh as a bad man, and ordered him to depart with his warriors. The council was broken up, and was followed by a sleepless night in Vincennes, the citizens awaiting in anxious expectation an assault from the offended savages. Morning came with no further cause for alarm; Tecumseh expressed regret for the violence he had displayed, and the council was resumed. As a check upon further demonstrations, the governor placed two companies of well armed troops in the village, for the encouragement and protection. of the citizens. Tecumseh forebore his offensive insolence, but when asked if he proposed to adhere to his opposition to the treaty, replied that he should adhere to the old boundary." Five different chiefs arose and avowed their determination to proceed in the confederation and uphold the plan proposed by their leader,

Harrison much desired to conciliate Tecumseh, believing with the influence of that great warrior on the side of peace, no trouble need be apprehended in the immediate future. On the day following the second council, accompanied only by Joseph Barron, the interpreter, he visited the warrior at his camp, and in a friendly interview of some length advised him to relinquish his opposition to the treaty. Tecumseh's reply "Well, as the Great Chief is to determine the matter, I hope the Great Spirit will put enough sense into his head to induce him to direct you to give up this land. It is true, he is so far off he will not be injured by the war. He may sit still in his town and drink his wine, while you and I will have to fight it out." The interview closed by the governor promising to inform the President of the wishes of the Indians. Te

was:

cumseh, with his followers, returned to the Prophet's town, where were continued the efforts to unite the tribes into a confederation, with some degree of success. The spring of 1811 witnessed many Indian depredations; isolated families were murdered, horses stolen, and the entire border was kept in a constant state of alarm. The governor sent to the brothers a message in the care of Captain Walter Wilson, who was accompanied by the scout, Joseph Barron. The Indians were warned that unless they ceased their warlike preparations they would be attacked and punished for the atrocities already committed. Tecumseh received the messengers with consideration, and returned a promise to see the governor soon. His appearance at Vincennes on the twenty-seventh of July, accompanied by a party of three hundred Indians, though not unexpected, was certainly unwelcome to the alarmed inhabitants. However, the presence of seven hundred and fifty militia, who were reviewed in his presence by the governor, had the effect to awe him, and he exhibited none of the haughtiness that characterized the previous interview. Still insisting upon vacation of the ceded lands, he yet professed friendly intentions and a desire for peace. The insincerity of his protestations was assured when, on his departure from Vincennes a few days later, he turned his face toward the south, in an effort to secure the cooperation of the Creeks, Chock taws and Cherokees.

About this time it was proposed by the Government that Tecumseh and the Prophet be seized and held as hostages for the good behavior of their people. Governor Harrison suggested as a better plan, that an advanced military post be established on the upper Wabash, near the Prophet's town. The suggestion being favorably considered, on the twenty-sixth of September he left Fort Knox, at Vincennes, in command of about nine hundred effective men, and on the third of October arrived at the site of an old Indian village,* where immediate steps were taken to erect a stockade fort. On the twenty-eighth the defenses were completed, and the fort was named in honor of the commander, Harrison. A small garrison, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Miller, was stationed at the fort, while the main body moved forward toward the Prophet's town. On the sixth of November, and when within five miles of the town, numerous small bodies of Indians were seen hovering in the distance. The alarm of the Indians had visibly increased when the army reached a point a mile and a half distant from the town, and a parley was demanded. A professedly friendly message was received from the Prophet, who hoped the soldiers would not enter the town and needlessly frighten the women and children. The governor assured the messengers he was ready to have a friendly talk with them; the troops were conducted to a camping ground where they could remain until the following day, when a council would *Near the present town of Terre Haute, Indiana.