Comets and “Cousin” Tecumseh (continued)
•February 4, 2026•

by Janet Roney

Previously, I told you about the famous Shawnee Indian leader, Tecumseh, who attempted to unify the Indian tribes in a confederation to fight the advance of white settlers into the Northwest Territory, which the tribes claimed as their land. In September 1811, while Tecumseh was trying to enlist the Creeks and other southern tribes in his cause, a comet appeared in the night sky. His brother, who called himself The Prophet, convinced Tecumseh’s forces that it was a sign that the Great Spirit had made them immune to white men’s bullets. Then, in November, The Prophet led them in an attack on U.S. forces on the upper Wabash near Lafayette, Indiana. In the ensuing Battle of Tippecanoe, Tecumseh’s warriors were soundly defeated in a bloodbath that nearly destroyed Tecumseh’s confederation.

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