Great Warrior: Roundhead of the Wyandot

Great warriors and leaders had a variety of weapons in their arsenal.  They preferred negotiation, would fight when it came to it, but were not above political intrigue or ruthless removal of an enemy who stood in their way.  Roundhead of the Wyandot, c 1760-1813, had all of these qualities.

Roundhead, also known as Bark Carrier, Stayeghtha or Stiahta, came from a powerful Wyandot family that included other leaders such as Leatherlips and Tarhe.  Roundhead was born near the Sandusky River in Ohio and was a leader of the Wyandot under Tarhe at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794.  Other than that, little is known about his life until he allied with Tecumseh in 1810 and became one of Tecumseh's lieutenants, as well as a strict adherent of The Prophet's teachings about returning to traditional ways and disavowing the ways and material goods of the Whites.  When Tarhe disagreed with Tecumseh, Roundhead parted ways with the older leader and joined Tecumseh wholeheartedly.  When his own brother Leatherlips also disagreed with Tecumseh and advocated co-existence with the Whites, Roundhead approved charges of witchcraft against Leatherlips and ordered his execution.

Tecumseh joined Col. Henry Proctor's British forces at Fort Detroit, with Roundhead as his second in command.  He led warriors at the Battle of Brownstown and the Battle of Magagua, in August 1812.  Proctor had given Tecumseh a beautiful officer's sash, which Tecumseh presented to Roundhead, saying that the sash should be worn by an older and more experienced warrior.  It was the ultimate accolade.  Not wanting to cause jealousy among the other Native leaders, Roundhead put the sash away for the time being.  He participated in the capture of Fort Detroit, and later Fort Miami and Fort Miegs.  He was also present at the Battle of the Raisin River on January 22, 1813.  Tecumseh had given command of the Native auxiliaries with Proctor's army over to Roundhead, who led 800 Native warriors against almost 600 Americans commanded by Gen. James Winchester.  Winchester was captured by Roundhead, who turned him over to Proctor, saving his life. 

Proctor abandoned Fort Detroit and returned to Canada.  Tecumseh, Roundhead and their men following.  On October 5, 1813, at the Battle of the Thames/Moraviantown, Roundhead was killed and Tecumseh either died in battle or shortly thereafter.  As William Henry Harrison toured the battlefield after the fight, he asked frontiersman Simon Kenton to identify Tecumseh's body.  Kenton pointed out Roundhead's corpse instead.  Was it because Tecumseh had managed to leave the field on his own power, or because neither Kenton nor Harrison wanted Tecumseh's body despoiled?  Was the tell-tale sash a giveaway?  We'll never know.  Roundhead's body was taken over by souvenir hunters on the battlefield.  Meanwhile, the question of whether to support Tecumseh's movement or cede more land to Whites had become a divisive feud within Wyandot society, and Roundhead's treatment of Leatherlips didn't help the breach any.  The Wyandot people would move further west, and eventually decide to cooperate with the Americans as best they could.