True Indian Stories
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- - B E A M M GK Ko N s KWK OR LI T T LE R O . , W AN — s i n ( Franc es S locum T he Lo t S ster o f Wyomi g . ) T R UE I ND I A N STOR I E S G L O S S A R Y O F I N D I A N A I N D I A N N A M E S JACOB PIAT T D UN N S E C R E T A R Y OF T HE I N D I A N A HI S T OR ICAL S OC I E T Y S E NT I N E L PRI N T I N G COM PAN Y N D IA N I I N D I A N A I APOL S , I 908 COPYR I G HT , 1908 B Y J A COB PI A T T D UN N A ll r i ghts r eserved £1 41 n l , ~ L ' I U / 3 / 7 C ONTENTS CHAPTER N N N N I . I TRODUCI G THE I DIA S T HE ITT R T II . L LE TU LE T HE AT O T IT III . DE H F HE W CHES H IV . W Y TECUMTHA FOUGHT T HE R V . FALL OF THE P OPHET IL I L VI . W L AM WE LS T H N OR T I ON . E EFE SE OF ARR S VII D F H , T HE PIG ON OO T VIII . E R S MASSACRE T HE RV N I X . SE ICE OF LOG A T HE M X . WALAM OLU I T HE R X . T AGEDY OF THE FALLS I I T HE Y N G X . LOST SISTER OF W OMI X T HE R I T III . T A L OP DEA H N DEX LOSSAR Y OF N DIA N A N DIA N A ES I G I I N M . I LLUSTRATI ONS FRAN CE S I L O FR Y GABR E G D O . SITE or FORT WA YN E I N 1 7 90 GREEN V ILLE TR EATY MEDAL KI LS OK WA DELAWAR E COU N CIL HOUSE SITE or WHITE RIV ER M ISSIO N TECUMTHA M A P OF I N DIA N A I N 1 81 1 T E M S K WA HT A WA H PLAN or BATT LE OF TIPPECA N OE ’ T HE R OPHET S OCK P R . WILLIAM WELLS MA P OF CHICAG O I N 1 8 1 2 FOR T DEAR BORN MASSACR E MON UMEN T R N SITE OF FO T HARRISO . DEFEN SE OF FORT HAR R ISO N M A P OF PIG EON ROOST SETTLE MEN T PIGEON ROOST MON UMEN T FOR T WAYN E I N 1 81 2 BLACK HOOP ILLUSTR ATION OF SIG N LA N GUAGE SAMPLE PAG E OF WALAM OLUM T HE FALLS AT PEN DLETON ROCK BLUFFS ON THE M I S S I S S I N E WA ’ T HE DEAF MA N S VILLAGE T HE FR A N CES SLOCUM MON UMEN T ’ FOOT OF N A S WA W KE E S HILL SITE or M ISSION AT TWIN LA KES T HE DES CEN T OE MON DA MI N M E TE A H SITE OF POST OUI A TA N ON MA P OF TREA TY SPRI N GS T RUE I NDI A N STORI ES HA ER C PT I . T R D I I D I I N O UC NG THE N AN S . No part of the United States is richer in the tragedy , romance and pathos of Indian history than the region included in the Old Territory Northwest of the Ohio River . It might be called the empire of the Algon quian tribes within our boundaries ; for al though they extended far into British Amer ica ; although there was a large detached — — ” tribe the Blackfeet in the West ; although the Lenni Lenape reached away to the Atlan tic coast , most of the Algonquians of the United States were here at the earliest known period , and the Eastern tribes were thrown back here as settlement progressed . It was here that they made their last stand for their country east of the Mississippi and put the white man to his best effort to con quer them . No part of the country ever pro duced cum greater Indians than Pontiac , Te TRUE INDIAN STORIES ' POch- Ont -she- tha , The Little Turtle , g hé 16 s . , and Black Hawk When the French entered this region their first task was to aid the resident tribes in driving back the Iroquois , who had acquired firearms , and had almost overrun the coun try to the Mississippi . After this was done there was comparative peace until individual tribes undertook war against the French ; but the French were always able to hold the alliance of most of the tribes , and by their aid almost exterminated the M ascoutin s at 17 12 Detroit in , and the Foxes in northern 1 3 Illinois in 7 0. The French always treated the Indians well and made notable efforts for their spiritual welfare as well as for their m te poral needs . It was chiefly to a mission ary enterprise that Indiana ’ s first permanent D B bois . e eau settlement was due Father , the priest at Kaskaskia , and in charge of the religious interests of the Illinois settle es ments , desired to extend his work by the tablishment of a post on the Wabash and an He assembling of Indians there . gained the approval of the Louisiana authorities , who also desired an additional supply of clergy INTR ODUCING THE INDIANS and an establishment of nuns , of whom there weres n on e in Louisiana at the time . In 17 25 D e B eauboi s was sent to France on this mission . The Chevalier de Bourg mont had collected twenty- two chiefs and representative Indians to accompany him , but just before they were to embark the ship in which they were going sank at its moor ings , and this so frightened them that only half a dozen of the Indians could be induced to make the journey . Their visit in France was as notable an event in the world of fash of ion as the visit Pocahontas to England , and the account of their presentation at the court and attendant celebrations fills thirty Le three pages of the court journal , Mercure D B a b i s de France . e e u o succeeded in his undertaking and sent out to Louisiana the nuns who founded the celebrated Ursuline N ew Convent at Orleans , and with them ’ D Outreleau Father , who was to be the first “ Missionary to the Ouabache. Orders were also sent for the establishment of a su c post . The contemplated mission did not ceed but in the summer of 17 3 1 Sieur de Vincennes brought a small party of soldiers and a band of Piankeshaws from the Ver TRUE INDIAN S TORIES million River and founded the post which still bears his name . By this time the efiorts of the English to ' get control of the fur trade had become more serious , and they , too , had enlisted In . dian allies both in the north and. in the south First came the disastrous Chickasaw cam ai n 17 36 p g of , in which Vincennes lost his life ; and after that intermittent warfare till the close of the French and Indian war . In all this the fighting was outside of our re e gion , and not till the British sought to tak possession of the Northwest was it brought ’ back in Pontiac s war . Again there was comparative quiet unti l the war of the Revo lution , which inaugurated the contest of the American and the Indian in this section for th the occupancy of the soil . Of e period then beginning I have sought to present some authentic stories in the following t pages . It would require volumes to presen a full record of individual adventure , but I have aimed to give some illustrations of va n rio s phases of the contest , of battles and massacres , of hardships , of white and Indian captivity . In doing this I have had especially in INTRODUCI NG THE INDIANS mind the preservation of the Indian names of I ndiana in their proper forms and with their real meanings . This will be regarded by many as a presumptuous undertaking, and . with some reason Several months ago , in a letter to me concerning Indian place l . R . Sc names , Gen H Pratt , of Carlisle hoo : fame, said The subject has not specially interested me for the reason that , in my ex erience one p , not in twenty of the Indian names in use could be recogn ized by any member of the tribe from which the name was derived . The attempts to perpetuate such names are therefore only sentimental ” abortion . This is very true , and true of In e diana names as well as of those els where , but there is no question of perpetuating the defi names. They are here to stay . In the ant words of Mrs . Sigourney “ Their name is on your waters ” Ye may not wash it out . And nobody desires to wash them out . That were a waste of energy much better directed to washing something else .