mmodore Oliver Hazard Perry fought British ships
under Commodore Barclay, on Lake Erie, and gained a great victory.

From an island near shore the Tecumseh warriors peered eagerly, to the
sound of the heavy guns.

"A few days since you were boasting that you commanded the waters," had
said Tecumseh, to General Proctor. "Why do you not go out and meet the
Americans? They are daring you to meet them; you must send out your
fleet and fight them."

Now, after the battle, the British general asserted:

"My fleet has whipped the Americans, but the vessels are injured and
have gone to Put-in Bay, to refit. They will be here in a few days."

Tecumseh was no fool. He had before caught the general in a lie. Here
at Fort Maiden opposite Detroit he challenged him in a hot speech.

Father! Listen to your children. You have them now all before you.

The war before this, our British father gave the hatchet to his red
children, when our old chiefs were alive. They are now dead. In that
war our father was thrown flat on his back by the Americans, and our
father took them by the hand without our knowledge. We are afraid that
our father will do so again.

Summer before last, when I came forward with my red brothers, and was
ready to take up the hatchet in favor of our British father, we were
told not to be in a hurry--that he had not yet decided to fight the
Americans.

Listen! When war was declared, our father stood up and gave us the
tomahawk, and told us that he was then ready to strike the
Americans--that he wanted our aid--and that he would surely get us our
lands back, which the Americans had taken from us.

Listen! When we were last at the Rapids [Fort Meigs] it is true that
we gave you little assistance. It is hard to fight people who live
like ground-hogs.

Father, listen! Our ships have gone out; we know they have fought; we
have heard the great guns; but we know nothing of what happened. Our
ships have gone one way, and we are much astonished to see our father
tying up everything and preparing to run away the other, without
letting his red children know what it is about.

You always told us to remain here, and take care of our lands; it made
our hearts glad to hear that was your wish. You always told us you
would never draw your foot off British ground. But now, father, we see
you are drawing back, and we are sorry to see our father doing so
without seeing the enemy. We must compare our father'