Deedee Reynolds

Drums Along the Wabash Deedee Reynolds

There are three different accounts in history of the Cannon Massacre, the last known Indian attack in Wabash County, IL. This book ties the three accounts together with the record of famed Shawnee Chief Tecumseh (Tech-kum-thai). Tecumseh's influence was felt along the Wabash River for more than a decade. On at least two occasions he visited Vincennes, Indiana, to meet with then-Territorial Governor, Gen. William Henry Harrison. Harrison was later elected President of the United States, but his term lasted for only 36 days before his death from pneumonia. "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too," was a jingle that helped elect him. It was used during a rally held on the site of a large Indian community founded by Tecumseh in central Indiana, also on the Wabash River near present day Lafayette. The Tippecanoe battlefield remains a tourist attraction today. The bluff referred to in the legend of Rivenoak refers to Hanging Rock, now on private property and viewed only from the river. The bluff is about three miles north of Mt. Carmel and is pictured on the front cover of the book.