In 1838, a writer in the Baltimore American published Black Hawk’s account of the fall of Tecumseh.  It is as follows: 

" ——­ Shortly after this, the Indian spies came in and gave word of the near approach of the Americans.  Tecumseh immediately posted his men in the edge of a swamp, which flanked the British line, placing himself at their head.  I was a little to his right with a small party of Sauks.  It was not long before the Americans made their appearance; they did not perceive us at first, hid as we were by the undergrowth, but we soon let them know where we were, by pouring in one or two vollies as they were forming into line to oppose the British.  They faltered a little; but very soon we perceived a large body of horse (colonel Johnson’s regiment of mounted Kentuckians) preparing to charge upon us in the swamp.  They came bravely on; yet we never stirred until they were so close that we could see the flints in their guns, when Tecumseh, springing to his feet, gave the Shawanoe war-cry, and discharged his rifle.  This was the signal for us to commence the battle, but it did not last long; the Americans answered the shout, returning our fire, and at the first discharge of their guns, I saw Tecumseh stagger forwards over a fallen tree, near which he was standing, letting his rifle drop at his feet.  As soon as the Indians discovered that he was killed, a sudden fear came over them, and thinking the Great Spirit was angry, they fought no longer, and were quickly put to flight.  That night we returned to bury our dead; and search for the body of Tecumseh.  He was found lying where he had first fallen; a bullet had struck him above the hip, and his skull had been broken by the butt end of the gun of some soldier, who had found him, perhaps, when life was not yet quite gone.  With the exception of these wounds, his body was untouched:  lying near him was a large fine looking Potawatamie, who had been killed, decked off in his plumes and war-paint, whom the Americans no doubt had taken for Tecumseh for he was scalped and every particle of skin flayed from his body.  Tecumseh himself had no ornaments about, his person, save a British medal.  During the night, we buried our dead, and brought off the body of Tecumseh, although we were in sight of the fires of the American camp.”

James, a British historian,[A] after describing the battle of the Thames, remarks: 

“It seems extraordinary that general Harrison should have omitted to mention in his letter, the death of a chief, whose fall contributed so largely to break down the Indian spirit, and to give peace and security to the whole north-western frontier of the United States.  Tecumseh, although he had received a musket ball in the left arm, was still seeking the hottest of the fire, when he encountered colonel Richard M. Johnson, member of congress from Kentucky.  Just as the chief, having discharged his rifle, was rushing forward with his tomahawk, he received a ball in the head from the colonel’s pistol.  Thus fell the Indian warrior, Tecumseh, in the forty-fourth year of his age. * * * * The body of Tecumseh was recognized, not only by the British officers, who were prisoners, but by commodore Perry, and several American officers.”