3. This place was on the British side, opposite Detroit, but rather

TECUMSEH.

below. Here they expected to find troops and store-houses. To their surprise, however, the British had burned the fort and all their stores, and made good their retreat into the interior, before their arrival.

4. The next day, the ariny crossed the river, and, on the 29th, took possession of Detroit without opposition. On the 2d of October, Harrison and Shelby, with three thousand five hundred picked men, recrossed the river and pursued General Proctor. They found him encamped at the Moravian Towns, as they were called, on the river Thaines, eighty-six miles north-eastward of Detroit.

5. Here, on the 5th of October, was fought a most severe battle. But the Brit

ish force, though large, was not equal to ours, and the Indians did not persevere. Their chief, the celebrated Te-cum'-seh, having fallen, they fled. They were soon followed by General Proctor and about two hundred men; and the rest of the army, with all their cannon, fell into the hands of the Americans.

6. The British army lost, in killed, wounded and prisoners, about seven hundred men. About one hundred and twenty Indians were slain. The American loss, in killed and wounded, was fifty. Our army took six brass cannon which Hull had surrendered, on two of which were inscribed the following words: "Surrendered by Burgoyne, at Saratoga."

7. Tecumseh, the chief who fell, was of the Shawanese tribe, and was a remarkable man. In early life, it is said, he was not distinguished as a warrior, but was rather cowardly. At the age of twenty

3. What had the British done? 4. What was accomplished by the Americans without opposition? Where had General Proctor encamped? 5. Describe the battle of the 5th of October. What celebrated Indian chiet was killed? 6. What was the loss on both sides? Describe the six cannon. 7. What was the character of Tecumseh ?

THE WAR IN CANADA.

343 five he had not only retrieved his character, but had become the boldest of his tribe.

8. He was brother to the Shawanese chief called the Prophet, whose men General Harrison defeated in the battle of Tippecanoe; but, at the time of that conflict, he was absent. When the war of 1812 commenced, he was made a brigadier-general in the British army, and he continued to fight for his royal masters till his death.

9. Tecumseh was distinguished, through life, for truth and temperance, as well as for his disregard of all external marks of office or rank. When he was made a general, a sash was given him, but he returned it with every manifestation of contempt. He was truly a savage; he neither gave nor accepted quarter in war; though elsewhere he was generous, disinterested, hospitable and humane.

10. He was greatly distinguished for his eloquence. His speeches, it is said, might bear a comparison with those of the most celebrated orators of Greece and Rome, though this was doubtless an exaggeration. He was about five feet and ten inches in height, and beautifully formed. Tecumseh was, in truth, a man of remarkable endowments, and, with the advantages of civilization, might have attained an enviable fame.

CHAPTER CLXX.

MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION, CONTINUED.-Progress of the War in Canada.

1. THE war being ended in the north-west, General Harrison left General Cass at Detroit, with one thousand men, and repaired to Buffalo, to join General Wilkinson, who had, just before this time, succeeded in the chief command to General Dearborn. The great object of the army now was to take Kingston and Montreal.

2. The army consisted of five thousand troops at Fort George, twe thousand at Sackett's Harbor, and four thousand at Lake Champlain; making, in all, eleven thousand men: in addition to which, a considerable body was every day expected to arrive under General Harrison. Beside all this, the fleet, under Commodore Chauncey, held itself in readiness to co-operate with the army.

3. The secretary of war, General Armstrong, arrived at Sackett's

8. What office did he hold in the British army? 9. How was Tecumseh distinguished? What of him in war? In peace? 10. What of his eloquence? His speeches? Personal appearance?

CHAP. CLXX.-1. What did General Harrison do? What was now the great object of the American commanders? 2 Of what did the army consist? 3 What of General Armstrong? What was now done by the army ?

Harbor, early in September. The plan of attacking Kingston was given up, and the army was ordered to proceed at once to Montreal, chiefly by marching a distance of one hundred and eighty miles. They left Sackett's Harbor September 30th.

4. They were delayed as they passed along, in various ways, espe cially by the attacks of small parties of the British on the Canada shore; and at Williamsburg a severe contest ensued. General Boyd commanded in this battle, General Wilkinson being indisposed. Both parties may be said to have been beaten, for both retreated with great loss.

5. Difficulties arose about this time among the American officers, especially between General Wilkinson and General Hampton. The troops of General Harrison, moreover, from some cause or other, did not arrive. A council of war was held, at the request of General Wilkinson, at which it was decided to give up the expedition for that season, and go into winter-quarters.

6. The place selected for this purpose was called French Mills, more than a hundred miles from Sackett's Harbor, and fifty or sixty from Plattsburg. Here they remained till February, when, two thousand of them having been detached and sent to the Niagara frontier, the remainder, after having destroyed their barracks, proceeded to Plattsburg.

CHAPTER CLXXI.

MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION, CONTINUED.-War with the Creek Indians.

1. SCARCELY had the northern army gone into winter-quarters at French Mills, when the public mind became directed to a war which had broken out with the Creek Indians. The Creeks appear to have led the way in this strife, by their seizure of Fort Mimms, and the massacre of three hundred men and women, who had fled to it for safety. This sad event occurred August 30th.

2. News of this murder having been received, two thousand men from Tennessee, under the command of Major-General Jackson, and five hundred under General Coffee, were ordered out against them. The Creeks were defeated at Tal-lus-hatch'-es, Tal-la-de'-ga, Au-tos'-se,

4. How were they delayed? 5. What was determined upon?

was made of the troops?

What was the result of the battle at Williamsburg: 6. Where were their winter-quarters? What division

CHAP. CLXXI.-1. What outrages had the Creek Indians committed? What troopa went against them? 2. Where were the Indians defeated?

WAR WITH THE CREEKS

345

E-muc-fau', and several other places, though not without severe loss on the part of the Americans.

3. Still they were by no means subdued. They erected a breastwork at a place called the Horse-Shoe Bend, on the Tal-la-poo'-sa River, and posted a hundred men there. Here they held out for some time. At last it was determined to dislodge them. The scattered forces of the country, with General Jackson at their head, were at length before their fort.

4. The attack was made on the 27th of March, 1814. General Jack son assailed the fort, while General Coffee attacked a village near by, to drive the inhabitants to the fortifications. As soon as they were all fairly within them, General Jackson led his forces on, with fixed bayonets, to the breastwork, where they fought the Indians for some time through the portholes.

5. At length, however, the soldiers scaled the breastwork, and pursued the work of death within the fort. The contest here became terrible. The Indians who survived escaped, but not till the ground was covered with dead bodies. Three hundred women and children were taken prisoners. The number who perished did not fall much short of six hundred.

6. Thus terminated the struggle. A treaty was made with the Creeks by General Jackson on the 9th of August, by which they agreed to give up a portion of their territory to the whites, to pay the expenses of the war, to allow roads to be cut through their lands, to permit the free navigation of their rivers, and to take no more bribes of the British.

7. The following is the speech of Weatherford, their leader, at the treaty: "I am in your power. Do with me what you please. I have done the white people all the harm I could. I have fought them, and fought them bravely. There was a time when I had a choice; I have none now; even hope is ended. Once I could animate my warriors; but I cannot animate the dead. They can no longer hear my voice; their bones are at Tallushatches, Talladega, Emucfau, and To-hope'-ka."

3. Where did they intrench themselves? 4. Describe the attack by General Jackson. Describe the contest within the fort, 6. What treaty was made with the Indians? Repeat the speech of Weatherford, the leader of the Creeks.

CHAPTER CLXXII.

MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION, CONTINUED.-Russian Medi ation offered.-Measures for prosecuting the War.

1. THE offer of the Emperor of Russia to mediate between the United States and Great Britain, had not been accepted by the latter, but it was proposed to negotiate without any foreign interference. This proposal was at once approved by the government of the United States, and commissioners were appointed, on both sides, to meet at Got'-ten-burg. The place of meeting, however, was afterward changed to Ghent, in Flanders, a part of Belgium.

2. They did not assemble till August, and, in the mean time, the war, which has been mentioned, with the Creeks, had been prosecuted, and many more battles fought by land and by sea. Congress had also held two sessions-the regular session of the winter and an extra session, which commenced in May, 1814, and continued to August.

3. At these meetings of Congress, provision had been made for raising men and money, and especially for strengthening the navy, protecting our commerce, and regulating the revenue. The treasury was rather empty, and an expensive war could not be conducted, on a frontier thousands of miles in extent, and on the ocean too, without a large amount of money.

4. Among the measures which had been adopted in the winter of 1813-'14, was the laying of an embargo. This, however, was repealed the next April. The extra session of 1814 was chiefly spent in devising means for replenishing the treasury; for, though the offer of a bounty of one hundred and twenty-four dollars to every soldier who would enlist for five years, or during the war, had procured men, yet these men must be paid.

5. A system of internal or domestic taxation was at length resolved on, and laws were passed laying taxes on lands, houses, carriages, distilled liquors, refined sugars, retailers' licenses, etc. In addition to the five millions and a half of dollars which it was expected would be raised in this way, it was decided to borrow seven millions and a half

more.

6. One additional measure was adopted, which met with some op position on account of the expense. This was the construction of one

CHAP. CLXXII.-1. What proposal was made by the Emperor of Russia? What did Great Britain propose? What of the commissioners? 2. When did they assemble! What of Congress? 3. What provision had been made by Congress? What was the state of the treasury? 4. How was the entire session of Congress in 1811 spent? 5. What taxes were laid? What money was to be borrowed? 6 For what project was half a million of dollars raised?