Review

Abstract

Book Reviews 161 Frank E. Kuron. “Thus Fell Tecumseh”: The 1813 Struggle for the Northwest Territory, and the Mystery Surrounding Who Killed Tecumseh, Revealed through the Personal Accounts of the Participants. Toledo, Ohio: Kuron Publishing, 2011. Pp. 335. Illustrations. Index. Maps. Notes. Photographs. Paper, $21.95. In 1985 the English historian John Sugden published Tecumseh’s Last Stand. While emphasizing the British and Indian perspectives, Sugden’s well-researched and well-written examination of the 1813 battle of the Thames explored in detail the questions surrounding Tecumseh’s death. The focus of Frank Kuron’s book is found in its subtitle: “the mystery surrounding who killed Tecumseh, revealed through the personal accounts of the participants.” So before reading “Thus Fell Tecumseh,” one might legitimately ask if the subject has not already been fully examined. Kuron’s answer is found on the first page of his preface: he loves to study “the actual words of the person doing the telling” (p. ix). In order to provide a context for such contemporary accounts, the author devotes the first half of his book to the 1813 struggle for the Northwest Territory. Written in a conversational tone, this portion is the author’s weakest effort, in which he essentially engages in creating onedimensional heroes. Richard Johnson was a “restless and relentless patriot” (p. 48), William Henry Harrison “a savvy politician” (p. 48), William Whitley a Kentuckian of “proven patriotism and fighting skills” (p. 56), and Kentucky militiamen were willing to sacrifice for “their beliefs, their families, and their country” (p. 57). More valuable is the book’s second half, which is devoted to unedited versions of the “overwhelmingly contrary, ambiguous, selfserving , political and generally perplexing” testimonies related to the death of Tecumseh (p. 137). Kuron organizes his discussion and analysis into seven segments according to particular eyewitnesses—American, Indian, or British—and their position on the battlefield. In his summation, he recognizes that “the majority of testimonies point toward one of three men [having] done this deed”: Colonel Richard M. Johnson, William Whitley, or Private David King (p. 298). Kuron has also gone to great lengths to pursue antiquarian matters that are of debatable historical importance. For example, he devotes nearly three pages to a series of inquiries about Tecumseh’s death stemming from the contradictory nature of the assembled testimony. They range from questions about what armaments Tecumseh took into battle to whether he wore war paint and even to what color it might have been (pp. 141-44). The author acknowledges that there is a certain level of tedium involved in attempting to answer such queries. Kuron 162 The Michigan Historical Review offers full quotations and referenced primary sources not in the form of a traditional set of edited documents but within the context of his own folksy commentary. Notwithstanding this technique, I can envision the book being used as a text to explore conflicting historical sources and the process of arriving at a supportable conclusion. Near the end, “Thus Fell Tecumseh” introduces a fourth possibility for Tecumseh’s killer—David Thompson—who has a rather weak claim but allows Kuron to note that picking and choosing what is deemed pertinent is part of the scholarly process (p. 303). It is a good point for any researcher to absorb. David A. Simmons Editor, TIMELINE Ohio Historical Society Jonathon Riley. A Matter of Honour: The Life, Campaigns, and Generalship of Isaac Brock. Montréal: Robin Brass Studio, 2011. Pp. 336. Bibliography. Illustrations. Index. Maps. Notes. Paper, $27.95; and Wesley B. Turner. The Astonishing General: The Life and Legacy of Sir Isaac Brock. Toronto: Dundurn, 2011. Pp. 248. Appendices. Bibliography. Illustrations. Index. Maps. Notes. Cloth, $35.00. It is fitting that Maj. Gen. Sir Isaac Brock, KB (1769-1812) receives two biographies on the eve of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. Recently retired Professor Wesley Turner of Brock University continues his study of the era by expanding on his master’s thesis and his sketch of the “savior of Upper Canada” published in British Generals in the War of 1812: High Command in the Canadas (1999). And retired British Army Lt. Gen. Jonathon Riley, CB adds to his long list...