Little Turtle, Miami War Chief

A biography of Little Turtle, the single most important Miami Indian war chief in the old Northwest Territory. During the beginning years of the American experiment in democracy, American settlers in the new world faced hardships in winning their freedom from the British, only to find other enemies in the west; native Americans who fought to the death to keep their ancestral lands intact and their culture vibrant. Little Turtle found support in his efforts to thwart the ambitions of the invading whites in a most unusual place - white children who became 'Indian' after being abducted and then raised in native American families. Little Turtles' true story includes accounts of his family that included his son and wife, both of white parentage, both who were taken from their white families while they were children. American patriots at the time called Indians savages, but George Washington seemed to have a more balanced view as he first raised an army to battle the Little Turtle confederacy and subsequently served as the host for Little Turtle's visit to the east, showering the Indian war chief with gifts after several pivotal battles. For Little Turtle and his family it was the best of times and the worst of times as the Indian life-style slowly gave way to the technology and greed of land-thirsty white settlers who understood little of Indian life beyond killing of warriors and devastation of Indian villages until the Indian families were forced to flee for their lives, homeless and devoid of the means to take care of themselves. Little Turtle was the architect of the Indian's struggle, mostly successful, until he realized the utter futility of further resistance to the white invaders. He died as a celebrated chief in his homeland at Fort Wayne , Indiana, not of war wounds, but of the complications of gout, the very same illness that plagued and then killed his chief adversary, U.S. General and military hero, "Mad" Anthony Wayne.