July 31, 2007


The Mississinewa Battlefield is just upriver from the Reservoir and the scene of another embarrassing period in White American history. In December, 1812, a mounted force of 600 men left Fort Greenville to extirpate the Miami Indians from the headwaters of the Mississinewa River. Two villages were destroyed before the Miamis counterattacked on December 18.
The Army was forced to return to Greenville, along with 74 hostages, at least half women and children, forced to walk in the bitter winter cold. Records indicate at least 300 soldiers were frostbitten, but make no note of the Miamis.
William Henry Harrison, future President, returned in 1813 and drove the Miamis from their homes throughout the area, to Lafayette, where he defeated Tecumseh, one of the greatest leaders and statesmen of all time.
Know these villages were not tepees by the river. The river was a freshwater source.
These "savages" lived in framed houses with shingled roofs in platted villages, planted and cultivated hundreds of acres, and had central, communal grain storage.
Verily.
Their legacy is several miles of road on the east side of the Mississinewa. And a giant celebration each October.
Mostly, the road is quiet, pleasant, and a nice place to walk. Driving west to the area this morning, I nearly passed a red tail hawk on a post. By the time I braked he had left for higher places. Looking up into a bright morning sun, the hawk was nearly translucent, absolutely beautiful.
He circled, coming to a near dead stall into the west breeze, all but glowing in the sun. And he circled, and went into trees to the south.
The road along the river was a bust, but very pleasant.
Went north several miles to cross Grant Creek (why not?) and continued towards SR 13.
There is a model airplane flying field, very well decked out and maintained two miles west of Grant Creek. No one there, so I stopped to let Abbe run. The shade was in the driveway, and I parked there.
After a couple minutes I noticed a raptor perched on a lot marker, two feet high, 40 yards to the west. Very soon the little bird began cruising the air field, very low, and in the next 30 minutes displayed every description of a Northern Harrier.
Except the bird had two dark vertical stripes on her head. Definitive.
Maybe American Kestrels do this all the time, perch low, swoop low along an open field, landing several times.
Her behavior was so enjoyable, so entertaining to watch, it never for a moment occurred to be disappointed she wasn't a harrier.
In fact, it was more than satisfactory to learn about this behavior from a kestrel.