Four American Indians: King Philip, Pontiac, Tecumseh, Osceola

Part 1

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FOUR AMERICAN INDIANS

KING PHILIP TECUMSEH PONTIAC OSCEOLA

A BOOK FOR YOUNG AMERICANS

EDSON L. WHITNEY and FRANCES M. PERRY

NEW YORK CINCINNATI CHICAGO

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY

Copyright, 1904, by EDSON L. WHITNEY and FRANCES M. PERRY

Four Am. Ind.

CONTENTS

THE STORY OF KING PHILIP

CHAPTER PAGE

I. PHILIP'S PEOPLE 9

II. PHILIP'S CHILDHOOD HOME 12

III. MASSASOIT AND HIS TWO SONS 15

IV. PHILIP HEARS OF THE ENGLISH 19

V. PHILIP MEETS THE ENGLISH 23

VI. PHILIP'S EDUCATION 26

VII. PHILIP'S DAILY LIFE 30

VIII. PHILIP'S RELATIONS WITH THE ENGLISH 34

IX. PHILIP BECOMES GRAND SACHEM 37

X. PHILIP'S TROUBLES WITH THE WHITES 39

XI. PHILIP AND THE INDIAN COUNCILS 42

XII. KING PHILIP'S WAR 45

XIII. THE LAST DAYS OF PHILIP 48

THE STORY OF PONTIAC

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE MEETING OF PONTIAC AND THE ENGLISH 53

Part 2

II. PONTIAC'S CHILDHOOD 59

III. PONTIAC'S EDUCATION 62

IV. THE CHIEF 66

V. THE PLOT 70

VI. THE SEVENTH OF MAY 74

VII. HOSTILITIES BEGUN 79

VIII. THE TWO LEADERS 84

IX. THE SIEGE OF DETROIT 89

X. IMPORTANT ENGAGEMENTS 95

XI. THE END OF THE SIEGE 101

XII. ALL ALONG THE FRONTIER 104

XIII. THE LAST OF PONTIAC 110

THE STORY OF TECUMSEH

CHAPTER PAGE

I. EARLY YEARS 117

II. YOUTH 121

III. ADVENTURES OF THE YOUNG BRAVE 125

IV. TECUMSEH DISSATISFIED 128

V. TECUMSEH'S BROTHER, THE PROPHET 133

VI. GREENVILLE 137

VII. THE PROPHET'S TOWN 144

VIII. THE COUNCIL BETWEEN HARRISON AND TECUMSEH 149

IX. PREPARATIONS FOR WAR 155

X. THE BATTLE OF TIPPECANOE 161

XI. REORGANIZATION OF THE INDIANS 166

XII. TECUMSEH AND THE BRITISH 170

THE STORY OF OSCEOLA

CHAPTER PAGE

Part 3

I. THE EXODUS OF THE RED STICKS 179

II. THE FLORIDA HOME 183

III. THE FIRST SEMINOLE WAR 189

IV. GRIEVANCES 194

V. THE TREATY OF PAYNE'S LANDING 202

VI. HOSTILITIES 207

VII. THE WAR OPENED 212

VIII. OSCEOLA A WAR CHIEF 219

IX. THE SEMINOLES HOLD THEIR OWN 223

X. OSCEOLA AND GENERAL JESUP 228

XI. THE IMPRISONMENT OSCEOLA 233

XII. THE END 238

THE STORY OF KING PHILIP

BY EDSON L. WHITNEY

THE STORY OF KING PHILIP

I. PHILIP'S PEOPLE

Philip, ruler of the Wampanoags, was the only Indian in our country to whom the English colonists gave the title of king. Why no other Indian ever received this title I cannot tell, neither is it known how it happened to be given to Philip.

The Wampanoags were a tribe of Indians whose homes were in what is now southeastern Massachusetts and in Rhode Island east of Narragansett Bay. A few of them, also, lived on the large islands farther south, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

Three centuries ago Massasoit, Philip's father, was the grand sachem, or ruler, of the Wampanoags. His people did not form one united tribe. They had no states, cities, and villages, with governors, mayors, and aldermen, as we have. Nor did they live in close relations with one another and vote for common officers.

On the other hand, they lived in very small villages. A few families pitched their wigwams together and lived in much the same way as people do now when they camp out in the summer.

Generally, among the Wampanoags, only one family lived in a wigwam. The fathers, or heads of the families in the different wigwams, came together occasionally and consulted about such matters as seemed important to them.

Every one present at the meeting had a right to express his opinion on the question under consideration, and as often as he wished. All spoke calmly, without eloquence, and without set speeches. They talked upon any subject they pleased, as long as they pleased, and when they pleased.

The most prominent person in a village was called the sagamore. His advice and opinion were generally followed, and he governed the people in a very slight manner.

The Indians of several villages were sometimes united together in a petty tribe and were ruled by a sachem, or chief.

The chief did not rule over a very large tract of country. Generally none of his subjects lived more than eight or ten miles away from him.

He ruled as he pleased, and was not subject to any constitution or court of any kind. In fact, he was a leader rather than a ruler. Nevertheless, a wise chief never did anything of great importance without first consulting the different sagamores of his tribe.

The chief held a little higher position in the tribe than the sagamore did in his village. He settled disputes. He held a very rude form of court, where justice was given in each case according to its merits. He sent and received messengers to and from other tribes.

As several villages were united in a single petty tribe, so also several petty tribes were loosely joined together and ruled over by a grand sachem.

Part 4

The different Wampanoag tribes which owed allegiance to Philip and his father, Massasoit, were five in number besides the small bands on the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. The village where the grand sachem lived was called by them Pokanoket.

II. PHILIP'S CHILDHOOD HOME

Massasoit had several children. The eldest son was named Wamsutta, and the second Metacomet. In later years, the English gave them the names of Alexander and Philip, which are much easier names for us to pronounce.

We do not know the exact date of Philip's birth, for the Indians kept no account of time as we do, nor did they trouble to ask any one his age. It is probable, however, that Philip was born before 1620, the year in which the Pilgrims settled near the Wampanoags.

Philip spent his boyhood days playing with his brothers and sisters, and with the neighbors' children; for although he was the son of a grand sachem, he had no special privileges above those of the other children around him.

We are apt to think of a prince as a man that does very little work. We expect him to attend banquets, to be dressed in military uniform, with a beautiful sword at his side and many medals on his breast, to be surrounded by servants, and to have everybody bow down to him and stand ready to do his bidding.

It was very different with Philip. He lived in no better way than did the other members of his tribe. His home was neither better nor worse than theirs. His food was of the same quality. His daily life was the same. He wore no uniform. He never heard of medals or badges. He had no servants. His father differed from the other Indians only in being their leader in time of war and in being looked up to whenever the chiefs of the tribe held a meeting, or council.

Philip's home was not such as American boys and girls are brought up in. There were no toys, no baby carriages, no candy. There were no romps with the parents, for the Indians were a quiet, sober people, and rarely showed any affection for their children.

Philip's father never played any games with him. In fact, in his younger days the boy never received very much attention from his father. He was taken care of by his mother. He was never rocked in a cradle, but was strapped in a kind of bag made of broad pieces of bark and covered with soft fur. Sometimes he was carried in this on his mother's back, as she went about her work. Sometimes he was hung up on the branch of a tree.

The little house in which he lived was called a wigwam. It was circular, or oval, in shape, and made of barks or mats laid over a framework of small poles. These poles were fixed at one end in the ground, and were fastened together at the top, forming a framework shaped somewhat like a tent.

Two low openings on opposite sides of the wigwam served as doors. These were closed with mats when necessary, thus making the place tight and warm.

The wigwam had but one room. In the middle of it were a few stones which served as a fireplace. There was no chimney, but the smoke passed out through an opening at the top of the wigwam.

On one side of the fireplace was a large couch made of rough boards raised perhaps a foot above the ground and covered with mats or skins. The couch was very wide, so that Philip and the rest of the children could lie on it side by side at night.

There was no other furniture in the room. A few baskets were hung on the walls ready for use. A few mats were placed here and there as ornaments. The dishes that held Philip's food were rude vessels made of baked clay, of pieces of bark, of bits of hollowed stone, or of wood.

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