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INDIAN BIOGRAPHIES
(Source: History of Western Ohio & Auglaize County)
Page 291
CHAPTER XII
BLACKHOOF, OR QUASKEY
Of the many distinguished chiefs in Indian
history there are but few, who rank higher in prowess, bravery, and
wisdom in council, than did Blackhoof, chief of the Shawnee
tribes. He was born in Florida, in 1711, and afterward lived in
the Carolinas until the Shawnees emigrated to the Cumberland Valley.
In that valley he grew to manhood. When the tribes afterward
obtained permission to occupy certain portions of the Ohio Territory,
he accompanied them to the Miami Valley.
The cabin in which he lived for many years was located
on the west bank of the Miami River, a short distance south of the
mouth of Loramie creek near a spring, known at the present day as
Blackhoof's spring. There he continued to reside until
General Clark made his celebrated raid on the Mad river and Piqua
towns. After the destruction of their villages, the Shawnees
retreated to localities further north and west. The tribe to
which Blackhoof was attached located at Wapakoneta.
Blackhoof, or Quaskey, was present with
other tribes of Shawnees, at the defeat of General Braddock,
near Pittsburgh in 1755. In that battle and other engagements
that followed soon afterward, he so distinguished himself for his
desperation, and military ability, that he became known far and wide.
It was probably about this time or soon afterward that he was
proclaimed Head Chief of all the Shawnee tribes. "He was the
inveterate foe of the white man, and held that no peace should be made
nor negotiation attempted, except on the condition that the whites
should repass the mountains, and leave the great plains of the West to
the sole occupancy of the red men." He was one of the
ablest orators of all the Indian nations. Tecumseh, no
doubt, acquired much of his inspiration from listening to the oratory
and conversation of Blackhoof. Colonel Johnston is the
authority for the statement that Blackhoof had probably been in
more battles than any living man of his day. As an evidence of
his prowess, he had a hundred and twenty scalps on his string.
He led war parties in their attacks on boats, descending the Ohio
river from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati, in which many lives were lost,
and many captives were led to Shawnee towns, and put to death by
torture. He commanded one hundred and fifty warriors at St.
Clair's defeat, and participated in the battle of the Fallen Timbers.
After the defeat of the allied Indian nations by Wayne,
Blackhoof and his band of Shawnee warriors returned to
Wapakoneta. Later, Blackhoof and his trusted followers
established
[ PICTURE OF BLACKHOOF ]
themselves at Blackhoof - Town, now the site of the flourishing
village of St. Johns. There, on the summit of a mound that
afforded an extensive view of the surrounding country, he built a
cabin in which he lived until his death, in the summer of 1831.
After their galling defeat by Wayne, followed by a
winter of suffering from the losses they and sustained, Blackhoof
and his adherents decided to sue for peace along with the other
tribes. It was with great reluctance that he made his melancholy
journey to Greenville to sign away the domain of his countrymen.
He did not appear at Greenville until the last days of the treaty.
Having signed it he departed from the meeting with a resolution never
again to take up arms against the white man. The resolution was
adhered to, although, he was frequently importuned by Tecumseh,
and numerous agents of the British army to join them in the war of
1812.
When General Harrison mobilized six thousand
Indians around the Indian agency at Piqua, Blackhoof erected
his tepee on the bank of the Miami river, near where he had formerly
resided, and during the years of war that followed, gave valuable aid
by his counsel, and by furnishing scouts and spies to the army.
The courtesies extended to Blackhoof by
Colonel Johnston and other governmental officers, did much to
soften the asperities of the final defeat of his nation.
His roving disposition would not permit him to remain
quiet at his encampment. To relieve the monotony he made
frequent visits to the different military posts. On the occasion
of one of his visits to Fort McArthur in 1813, he was shot by some
miscreant who could not be discovered. "The ball struck the
cheek but glanced to the neck, making a very serious wound, by which
he was disabled for several weeks."
At the close of the war Blackhoof returned to
his former residence five miles east of Wapakoneta, and spent the
remainder of his life in cultivating the acquaintance and friendship
of the early pioneer white men, and such tribal duties as his age
would permit him to perform. In his intercourse with the trading
station and Quaker mission at Wapakoneta, a strong attachment was
formed between him and Henry Harvey, that continued until the
death of the old warrior. As their intimacy grew, they
frequently exchanged visits, at which times the Christian religion was
the principal subject of conversation.
Blackhoof is said to have been opposed to
polygamy and the practice of burning prisioners (?) He lived
forty years with one wife, raising a large family of children, who
both loved and respected him. He was small in stature, not more
than five feet eight inches in height. He was favored with good
health and unimpaired eye-sight to the period of his death.
Quaskey, his eldest son, possessed many of the
qualities of his distinguished father. He went west with his
people in 1832, and died about 1869. He, like his father, was a
good speaker.
The following description of the funeral ceremonies at
the Shawnees." Harvey and his wife were present by
invitation. He says, "Being present upon that occasion, I was
very much struck with the solemn and disconsolate appearance of all
classes of the Shawnees. They had for many years looked to the
experienced chief, in peace and war. He was of such an age that
recollections carried him back to the men who had, in 1682, made the
great treaty at Philadelphia, and with a clear recollection of these
transactions, encouraged the people of his nation in becoming a
civilized people.
"On arriving at the residence of the deceased chief, on
the day the funeral was to take place, we found the corpse wrapped in
a clean, new blanket, and a large quantity of fine new goods, such as
calico, belts, ribbons, etc., around and about the corpse, which was
laid upon a new, clean slab prepared for the purpose - his gun,
tomahawk, knife, and pipe lying by his side. All the Indians
present, and there was a large number of them, had their clothes
hanging loose around them, their hair also down about their shoulders
in the loosest manner - many of them having their faces painted in the
ancient Indian style. All the men were smoking, all classes were
seated near where their ancient beloved, and faithful chief was laid.
He, who had been their leader and counselor in peace and war, was
lying lifeless there before them. They had their eyes set on him
in solemn silence - not one word was spoken for hours in that large
concourse of people - all felt their bereavement in the loss of him -
tears were to be seen in every eye. No one could distinguish
between his own children (a number of them being present) and others;
all grieved alike the departure of the great chief; no affectation,
but real, heartfelt, grief; as of a group of children for the loss of
an only parent, and no one left to look up to.
"In the yard, in front of the cabin of the deceased,
was a very large quantity of meat from wild animals, such as deer,
turkeys, etc., the spoil of a two days' hunt by young men selected for
that express purpose. Twenty deer were killed; besides a large
number of turkeys and what smaller wild animals they considered fit to
eat - no tame animal or fowl was suffered to be eaten on that
occasion, though there was a large quantity of bread prepared.
All this vast amount of provisions lay in one pile, stacked up
handsomely together, and carefully guarded by some boys, so nothing
should molest it. Although the Indians, on ordinary occasions,
always have a large number of dogs with them at their gatherings, here
was scarcely one to be seen. At the arrival of the time to
proceed to the grave with the corpse, a few of the choice young men,
provided for deceased, arranged the clothing about the body, took four
large straps, and placing them under it - one taking hold of each end
- started off directly to the place of its final rest. No child
was taken along in the procession; my wife had her babe with her; when
about starting, an Indian woman offered to keep it for her, which she
did, as they feared it might make a noise. The children of the
deceased proceeded next the corpse, then the head chief, who was to
succeed Blackhoof in that office, then the other chiefs in
succession, then ourselves, and after us, came the whole company.
On arriving at the grave they all gathered round in a group. The
grave was about three and a half feet deep - at the bottom a split
puncheon was placed, and one set on edge at each side, about ten
inches wide; the corpse was let down, the clothing of the deceased,
which he last wore when in health, laid on his body, when his old
moccasins were cut in pieces and placed with the rest, but no weapon
was put in; then another puncheon was laid over him. This being
done, John Perry, head chief, took some small seeds from the
cloth, and, commencing at the head of the grave, walked carefully
around it, sprinkling them all over it as he went; this done, he set
off on a path directly to the house, and in this was followed by all
present, except three men, who remained to close the grave.
After this was finished, the men went toward the creek, and in about
half an hour returned to the house. On their return, the smoking
and conversation commenced.
(The Indian cemetery in which teh chief
was buried was located on the summit of the gravel-mound, about eighty
rods north-east of the village of St. Johns - Editor.)
"When the company started from the grave, they moved in
single file, one after another, not one looking back. On the
arrival of those who had filled up the grave, I observed them in
commence conversation. I inquired of Henry Clay, one of
them, and also a chief, what they went to the water for. He
replied, "that as I was their friend, he would tell me; it was to
purify themselves by puking, and washing their bodies."
"Soon after they had smoked around the company,
they commenced their feast, but it being now late in the day, they
pleaded with us to remain and partake with them - still we were
compelled to leave for home, which was about ten miles distant.
"We attended on this occasion, at the
particular request of the chiefs, and I can truly say, that this was
altogether the most solemn and orderly funeral I have ever attended;
and was said to be conducted entirely after their ancient Indian
style. We were the only white people present.
TECUMSEH.
The name of this celebrated chief signifies
"shooting star." The place of his birth and date are not known
with certainty. Howe, in this History of Ohio, fixes the
locality at Piqua, an Indian town, on Mad river. "His father's
name was Pukeesheno, which means, I light from flying. He
was killed in the battle of Kanhawa, in 1774. His mother's name
was Meetheetashe, which signifies, a turtle laying her eggs in
the sand. She died among the Cherokees. She had, at one
birth, three sons: Ellskwatawa, which signifies, a door opened,
was called the Prophet; Tecumseh, the orator; and Kumshaka,
a tiger that flies in the air."
Tecumseh, like Napoleon, in
his boyish pastimes exhibited a passion for war; he was the
acknowledged leader among his companions, by whom he was loved and
respected, and over whom he exercised an unbounded influence.
"It is stated that the first battle in which he was engaged, occurred
on the site of Dayton, between a party of Kentuckians under Colonel
Benjamin Logan, and some Shawnees." At the age of seventeen
he accompanied marauding bands of warriors along the Ohio. It is
related of him, that at one time he participated in the capture of a
number of boats near Limestone, when every person on board the vessels
was killed, except one person, who was burnt alive. After
witnessing the horrible torture, he expressed his abhorrence of the
act, and by his eloquence persuaded his party never to burn any more
prisoners." The story, if true, accords to him a humanity that
was not practiced by any tribe or nation in the North West Territory.
If he did succeed in inducing his party to discontinue the practice,
there is an abundance of evidence to show that many captives were
tortured after that time.
[PICTURE OF TECUMSEH]
Tecumseh was inclined to stoutness,
but possessed, withal, the agility, perseverance and endurance,
peculiar to Indian character. In the early part of his life he
became addicted to intemperance; but when he reached the age of
manhood, he perceived the danger of the habit, and resolved to quit so
vile a practice. "Beyond one or two glasses of wine he never
afterwards indulged." That he was endowed with a genius that
towered above his contemporary chiefs, there is no doubt. It is
believed by writers that he secretly admired the manhood and customs
of the white people.
All histories agree in the statement that Tecumseh
led a wandering restless life. Drake, in his life of this
celebrated chief, relates that for a time "he was established on Deer
creek., near the site of Urbana, where he engaged in his favorite
amusement of hunting. While residing on this creek, an incident
occurred, which greatly enhanced his reputation as a hunter. A
number of Shawnees of his own age proposed to bet with him, that they
could each kill as many deer, in the space of three days, as he could.
Tecumseh promptly accepted the overture. The parties took
to the woods and at the end of the stipulated time, returned with the
evidences of their success. None of the party, except
Tecumseh, had more than twelve skins; he brought in over thirty -
nearly three times as many as any of his competitors. From this
time he was generally conceded to be the greatest hunter in the
Shawnee nation." At later dates he resided at Greenville, at
Wapakonetta, at the mouth of the Auglaize river, at Fort Wayne, and on
the Wabash river.
Tecumseh became prominent as a warrior about
1804, and would probably have gained distinction in any nation in the
world. The Indians generally regarded him as endowed with
supernatural powers. He was entirely devoted to the interests of
his countrymen, and, in the Indian wars, obtained great celebrity as
one of the bravest and most sagacious of the warriors. He led in
many of the terrible inroads which the savages made into the territory
of Kentucky. And no one could boast of having plundered more
houses, or having intercepted more boats on the Ohio river, than he.
So much has been written in Chapter IX, concerning his military
career, that it will not be necessary to make note of that part of his
history.
The love of gain with the common Indian was the
crowning motive. Tecumseh was an exception. Clothes
and other valuables of spoil had often been his; yet he invariably
wore a deerskin coat and pantaloons. He had frequently levied
subsidies to a comparatively large amount; yet he preserved little or
nothing for himself.
A military man, a Mr. James, in an article
published in a London journal soon after the death of Tecumseh,
states that, "He (Tecumseh) was an excellent judge of position,
and not only knew, but could point out the localities of the whole
country through which he had passed."
"His facility of communicating his information, was
displayed in his description to General Brock of the country
through which his army, after crossing the Detroit river, would
necessarily pass to reach Detroit. Tecumseh, taking a
roll of elm bark, and extending it on the ground, drew forth his
scalping knife, and with the point etched upon the bark a plan of the
country, its hills, woods, rivers, morasses, and roads; a plan which,
if not as neat, was, for the purpose required, fully as intelligible,
as if it had been drawn by a military draughtsman. Pleased with
this unexpected talent in Tecumseh, General Brock took
off his sash, and placed it around the body of the chief.
Tecumseh received the honor with evident gratification, but was,
the next day, seen without his sash. General Brock,
fearing something had displeased the chief, sent his interpreter for
an explanation. The latter soon returned with an account that
Tecumseh, not wishing to wear such a mark of distinction, when an
older, and, as he said, abler warrior than himself was present, had
transferred the sash to the Wyandot chief, Round-Head."
"The life of Tecumseh, as an individual, at
times exhibits deeds of fidelity, prompted by his noble nature when
not influenced by his sordid ambition. As an individual he was
brave and generous, but led warriors of hyena-like propensities.
To keep these in check sometimes demanded an iron hand."
As a matter of historic fairness, it should be stated
that all the record we have of Tecumseh and his Indians has
come to us from their enemies. The Indians have had no chance to
tell their story. There are many indications that the narratives
which have descended to us respecting the designs of Tecumseh,
have not been given in entire impartiality.
In the death of Tecumseh "the hope of the
prairie and lake tribes became extinct." The danger to the
settlements was over. The calumet was again smoked, and friendly
relations restored between the two races which were never again
seriously interrupted in Ohio.
ELLSKWATAWA, THE PROPHET.
BLUE JACKET
CAPTAIN LOGAN, OR SPEMICA LAWBE.
BUCKONGAHELAS.
JOHN WOLF, OR LAWATUCHEH.
WAYWELEAPY.
PHT. OR FALLEN TIMBERS
TU-TAW.
FRANCIS DUCHOUQUET.
BRIGHT HORN, OR WA-THE-THE-WE-LA.
The important services rendered by this chief
have been noted in the sketches of other Shawnee Indians. He was
one of the three noted chiefs selected by Colonel Johnston to
act as scouts for General Harrison in the war of 1812. He
was present when Logan was mortally wounded in the contest with
Winnemac, and was severely wounded in the thigh in the same
fight, but recovered. At the close of the war he returned to
Wapakoneta. His cabin stood on the north bank of Quaker Run,
near the site of the Distlerath slaughter-house. He was a
man of large stature and of commanding appearance. His fidelity
to General Harrison and the American army was never questioned.
He is said to have died at Wapakoneta in 1825 or '26.
BIG CAPTAIN JOHNNY.
PETER CORNSTALK.
THIS CHAPTER ENDS ON PAGE 322 |
