562 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Introductory Note
For some months there has been in
contemplation by inter-
ested parties a series of publications
entitled Ohio Historical Col-
lections. It was first thought that the monographs of this
series,
should be limited to political history.
Upon mature deliberation,
however, it was decided to adopt a title
more comprehensive in
scope.
Volumes 1 and 2 of the series are
political history and Vol-
ume 3 will be political and
biographical. The first two originally
appeared in the Ohio Archaeological
and Historical Quarterly.
With slight modifications and
corrections they are now presented
in separate form. A number of the
succeeding monographs will
appear only in this series.
These contributions, almost without
exception, will be the
work of graduate students and professors
in the departments of
American history in universities and
colleges of Ohio and other
states. In manuscript form they will
have the benefit of criticism
and suggestion of specialists in these
educational institutions, be-
fore they are printed in the series.
A Committee on Cooperation appointed
pursuant to the ac-
tion of the Ohio History Conference held
in Columbus, Febru-
ary 7, 1930, met on November 1, 1930, in
the Museum and Li-
brary Building at Columbus, and approved
a plan presented by
the Secretary of the Ohio State
Archaeological and Historical
Society for the immediate publication of
the "first volume of a
regular series of historical collections
relating to the history of
Ohio."
An editorial committee, at the
suggestion of the Secretary,
was appointed, consisting of the
Secretary, Mr. C. B. Galbreath,
Dr. Carl Wittke and Dr. William T.
Utter. The plan proposed
was approved and this study marks Volume
I of the series. It is
hoped that others will follow in regular
order.
WHO KILLED TECUMSEH?
On this moot question, Mr. William M.
Pettit com-
ments as follows:
Since 1813 the controversy has raged
over the question of
"who killed Tecumseh?"
Numerous writers of history, and sol-
diers who were in the battle of the
Thames, have asserted that it
was Cave Johnson, while a contingent
equally as large have as-
Reviews, Notes and Comments 563
serted that it was his nephew, Richard
M. Johnson, who later be-
came vice president of the United
States.
It seems that no record exists,
emanating from Richard M.
Johnson, in which he personally either
asserts or denies the
credit, but there does exist a positive
statement from Cave John-
son that he did not kill Tecumseh. In
the Draper Mss. under
File No. 9J168, Cave Johnson makes this
statement:
"Strange as it may seem, I never
fired a gun at an Indian,
nor ever saw an Indian as an enemy to be
shot at."
Cave Johnson was born in Virginia in 1760, emigrated to
Kentucky in 1779, and was living
in 1848. His brother, Robert
Johnson, also emigrated to Kentucky in
1779 and in 1782 was a
captain under George Rogers Clark in his
expedition from Ken-
tucky up the Great Miami Valley, when
Upper Piqua was cap-
tured and destroyed. Cave Johnson was a
subaltern under Cap-
tain Robert. In the 1786 Logan
expedition Cave Johnson was
captain of a company under Colonel
Robert Patterson, a record
existing of his company pay roll. In
Cave Johnson's correspond-
ence with Dr. Draper, covering fourteen
pages, he makes no
reference to service in the War of 1812.
CHARLES WILLING BYRD
Charles Willing Byrd was born at
Westover, Charles
City County, Virginia, July 26, 1770.
He died in High-
land County, Ohio, August 11, 1828. He
was Secretary
and Acting Governor of the Northwest
Territory fol-
lowing the removal of General Arthur
St. Clair; mem-
ber of the Convention which framed the
first constitu-
tion for Ohio in 1802, and United
States Judge for the
district of Ohio from March 3, 1803
until the day of his
death. He was a brother-in-law of
Nathaniel Massie;
the two married sisters. He bought
Buckeye Station
from Massie, June 8, 1807, and held it
until August 15,
1817. Mrs. Byrd died February 12, 1815,
and was
buried at Buckeye Station. Judge Byrd
moved to West
Union, Ohio, and married Hannah Miles
March 8, 1818.