The Story of Tonguish
When the chief saw the gun nearly loaded he ran. Before he had ran many steps, the Major shot him in the back. Two ball holes was the first and only evidence that he put two balls in his gun. The chief fell mortally wounded, and when approached by his captors he stuck his knife into the ground and ripped up the soil and gave expression to his rage by shouts resembling the loud, hoarse growl of an angry bear.*
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*Forthe date of the event narrated above, I am indebted to James Abbott, who lived on section 6 of the town of Dearborn. While visiting him at his own house a few months before his death, I asked him when the event occurred. After a moment's thought he replied. "I moved here in the spring of 1820, and that took place the fall before—it was in 1819." On a previous occasion he had said to me that he thought Major Macomb had too much credit in that affair. That in his opinion James Bucklin killed Tonguish's son, for when he started to run he ran by Bucklin and he shot at him, but. he did not fall till Macomb shot, and he got the credit. But then, he was shot through the side, whereas, if Macomb had shot him, he would have been shot in the back.
