356 Expedition to the 



token of the sincerity of this pleasure. Many remarked that 

 the nation had been mourning for their grievous losses in a 

 recent battle with an enemy, but that now grief should give 

 place to rejoicing. Major OFallon addressed the Indians 

 as usual, after which we again moved on towards the village. 

 Latelesha, the grand chief, perceiving that the division of 

 his warriors that were on our left, raised some dust on the 

 march, ordered them all to leeward, that we might not be 

 incommoded. Almost from the beginning of this interesting 

 1 fete, our attention had been attracted to a young man who 

 seemed to be the leader or partizan of the warriors. He was 

 about twenty-three years of age, of the finest form, tall, mus- 

 cular, exceedingly graceful, and of a most prepossessing 

 countenance. His head dress of war eagles' feathers, de- 

 scended in a double series upon his back like wings, to his 

 saddle croup; his shield was highly decorated, and his long 

 lance was ornamented by a plaited casing of red and blue 

 cloth. On inquiring of the interpreter, our admiration was 

 augmented by learning that he was no other than Petalesha- 

 roo, with whose name and character we were already fami- 

 liar. He is the most intrepid warrior of the nation, eldest son 

 of Latelesha, destined as well by mental and physical quali- 

 fications, as by his distinguished birth, to be the future lead- 

 er of this people. Seeing that his father had taken a place 

 in our cavalcade on the left of Major O'Fallon, he rode up 

 on his right to the exclusion of a brave officer who had pre- 

 viously occupied that situation, and who now regarded him 

 with an apparently stern aspect, but in which there was per- 

 haps more of admiration than of irritation at this unexpected 

 intrusion. The young chief caught the look, and retorted 

 with an eye that seemed never to have been averted through 

 fear. The name of Petalesharoo is connected with the abo- 

 lition of a custom formerly prevalent in this nation, at which 

 humanity shudders. 



