USA > New York > Franklin County > A history of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, New York : from the earliest period to the present time > Part 7
USA > New York > St Lawrence County > A history of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, New York : from the earliest period to the present time > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84
At a general meeting of the Six Nations, held at Onondaga, they re- plied to the foregoing speech and that of the governor, through their speaker Red Head, as follows:
" We acknowledge with equal concern with you that the road between us has been obstructed, and almost grown up with weeds; that our fire is scattered and almost extinct. We return you our most hearty thanks for recruiting the fire with such wood as will burn clear, and not go out; and we promise that we shall, with the utmost care, dress and keep it up, as we are sensible from what has been said by our forefathers, that the neglect of it would be our ruin. A belt.
" We know very well the use of the white wing you recommended, and are determined to use it to sweep out whatever may hinder the fire from burning with a pure flame. A string.
"You may depend upon our care in defending the tree which you have replanted from the inclemency of the high winds from Canada. We are full of acknowledgments for your care and admonitions, and be assured we shall watch every threatening cloud from thence, that we may be ready to prop it up. A belt.
"We rejoice that we see the fire burn pure where it should do; the tree of shelter look strong and flourishing. And you may depend upon our quenching that false fire at Swegachey, and doing all we can to re- call our brothers, too often seduced that way. Tho' we did not conceive
58
HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE
we had done so much amiss in going thither, when we observe that you white people pray, and we had no nearer place to learn to pray, and have our children baptized than that. However, as you insist upon it, we will not go that way nor be any more divided. I must now say it is not with our consent that the French have committed any hostilities in Ohio. We know what you Christians, English and French together, intend. We are so hemmed in by both that we have hardly a hunting place left. In a little while, if we find a bear in a tree, there will im- mediately appear an owner of the land to challenge the property and hinder us from killing it, which is our livelihood. We are so perplexed between both that we hardly know what to say or think." A belt.
The sentiment expressed at the close of this last address, is so true and so melancholy, that it can not fail to excite our sympathy at the fate of the unfortunate race of which, and by which, it was spoken. The unlettered savages, in the simplicity of artless nature, and prompted by a sentiment of benevolence which has been but illy requited, admitted the European settlers to their lands, and proffered the hand of friendship. When once established, the whites finding themselves superior to their rude neighbors in the arts of trade, failed not in most instances, to avail themselves of this advantage, and overreach them in traffic, corrupt their morals, and impart to them the vices, without the benefits of civilization.
Under these influences, the presage of the orator just quoted has been soon and sadly realized, and the red man has retreated before the march of that civilization which he could not adopt, and those habits of indus- try which are at variance with his nature.
Like the wild flower that flourishes only in the shade, and withers in the sun as soon as its primitive thicket is gone, the race has vanished, leaving the homes and the graves of their ancestors for the wildness of the western forests, whence in a few years they must again retreat, until the last of the race has disappeared.
In an account of a military expedition consisting of a French regiment under de Béarre, which ascended the St. Lawrence in 1755, for the pur- pose of promoting the military operations which the French were carry- ing on at that time along the great lakes and western rivers, we find the following description of the works at la Presentation. [See Paris Docu- ments, vol. X, p. 213.]
" On the 28th [of July, 1755,] ascended the two Galos rapids which are dangerous, doubled the point a Livrogne, and crossed from the north to the south, to encamp under Fort Presentation, which is six [?] leagues from the end of the rapids. This fort consists of four battlements, in the form of bastions, of which the curtains are palisades. It is suffi- cient to resist savages, but could be but poorly defended against troops who might attack it, and who could easily succeed. On the 29th, doubled two points, notwithstanding the wind blew with violence against
59
AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES.
us, and encamped upon point aux Barils, at three leagues. On the 30th, passed the Thousand Islands, the River Toniata, and camped on an island very poorly adapted for the purpose, opposite a small strait a dis- tance of seven leagues. On the 31st. crossed two large bays. Met in the former two canoes coming from Detroit, the conductors of whom said that the English had been defeated on the Ohio."
The Abbe Picquet joined this expedition with thirty-eight of his war- riors, on the 12th of September, who desired to accompany the expedi- tion to make prisoners at Chouagen. He left on the 16th, and rejoined at the Isle of T'onti.
On the 25th, his savages brought in two prisoners, having slain three who resisted them. These prisoners informed them that the fort at Oswego had been largely reinforced. Picquet left on the 26th to take his savages and his prisoners to Montreal to M. de Vaudreuil.
At the attack upon Fort George, which resulted in its capitulation, under Lt. Col. Munro, Aug. 9, 1757, a company of Iroquois warriors were present, under the command of De Longueil Sabervois. The Abbe Picquet, Sulpician missionary, is also enumerated as among the French force.
The savages were cunning politicians, and proved themselves often- times very willing to take sides with the strongest party, as is shown by the following address, which was returned to them by the governor- general of Canada, on an occasion in which they had sent him an ad- dress, by the hands of their friends the Oswegatchies; having, for some reason not related, chosen this indirect method of tendering their alle- giance to the French, probably in consequence of the advantages which the latter had gained over the English, by the defeat of Bradock.
The address of the natives is not preserved, but that of the governor in reply to it, is given below, from which its nature and tenor may be ascertained.
We translate it from the eleventh volume of the Paris Documents, page 247, in the department of the Secretary of State, at Albany.
"Reply of M. the Marquis de Vaudreuil, to the words which the Five Nations, sent him by their Deputies of the Mission of La Presentation, Oct. 22, 1755:
My Children of the Five Nations,
I have listened attentively to the words you have addressed me by my children of la Presentation. You can not have better orators than those of this village, who knowing my sentiments to you, have had the goodness to bring me your belts, and to inform me of all which you have said.
I am now about to reply to your three words.
60
HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE
FIRST WORD.
You assure me, my children, by your first belt, not only of your neu- trality, but even that you have embraced the good cause, and that nothing shall occur to separate you from it. You reply to me, concerning your young men, but you pray me not to ensanguine the land which you inhabit.
BY A BELT.
It appears, my children, that you know all the extent of my care for you, and that you are persuaded that it will be easy for you to influence me. You are right. If I should treat you as you deserve, I should re- ject your belt, and in place of being so complaisant as to answer you, I should prove to you the force of my resentment, which your treachery has deserved. But I see you are well convinced that my care exceeds all you had a right to expect.
If your sentiments towards me were as sincere as those of mine for you, you would blush at having a single thought of announcing your neutrality. Should children be neutral in what concerns their father? Surely you do not speak from the bottom of your hearts, and I ought to be persuaded that you really are beside yourselves : no matter - you wish to be neutral - be so.
I can not believe you have espoused the good cause. Ought you ever to have abandoned it? Have you not had, on the contrary, every reason to occupy yourselves on the part of the French? Have they ever in- duced you to commit the least thing against any one ?
Have I not always assisted you in your wants, and by my councils in all your affairs ?
In what have you profited thereby ? You are ungrateful children, and it is with difficulty that I can restore you to your senses. You have been erring too far, and I can truly say, that you are no longer in the possession of your senses, for you have been robbed of these by the most cruel of your enemies.
You beg me not to ensanguine the land that you inhabit. What cause have you to make such a prayer? Have I any other business, than the preservation of it for you? Had it not been on account of kindness to you, I should have driven you away.
If you have not lost your senses, you should have thanked me for all I have done for you. In short, I retain your belt, not to recall to my mind the subject which induced you to send it, but because it comes from you, and you have still a place in my heart. I give you one that you may carry into all your villages, to make knownto all my children, that I cease not to be their father, and expect that they will not delay to give me proof that they continue to be my children.
SECOND WORD.
You acknowledge, my children, that you have accepted the hatchet of the English, but that, having considered the alliance made with the French from time immemorial, you have rejected it, for no other reason, than to attach yourselves to the good cause. You pray me not to impute any thing to you of present affairs, and that nothing can induce you to conceal the belt which you have accepted.
BY A BELT.
Of all the proofs which you have received of mny care, I desire, to- day, to give you one greater than you could have desired, in the accept-
61
AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES.
ance of your belt, with the only view of recalling on all occasions, that you have been unnatural children, and that you have taken up the hatchet against your father, and that, from pity towards you, I have not visited you with the punishment which your black conduct deserved.
In vain you recall your alliance with the French, if I were not dis- posed towards you as a father full of goodness. You would have for- feited all the advantages which this alliance obtained for you on every occasion, from the moment that you renounced it by the most criminal treason ; and scarcely had you taken the hatchet against me, than my children would have eaten and torn you with their teeth, even to the marrow of the bones, had I not restrained them ; for it would have been of no use for you to tell them, that you had thrown away the hatchet, not wishing to be longer occupied in the good affairs.
How can you pray me to impute nothing to you of present affairs? Have you forgotten all that you have done, and do you think that I am ignorant of it?
No: Truly you are well persuaded that I have been a witness to your conduct, and that I have followed you in all your steps; that I have seen you ; that I have heard you. Do you doubt that I have in my power the papers of general Bradock? I have the very words you have given; I have also your solemn council with colonel Johnson. My children of the upper country have always reported to me their words and their belts, which you, instead, have carried to your enemies and mine; but I forbear to repeat them.
You say that nothing could induce you to sully the belt which you have renewed. Ought I to believe it? How many times have you not deceived me? And how many times have you not obtained your pardon ?
The belt which you have renewed is the ordinary means for recalling my goodness. You have too often tarnished it by your repeated trea- sons. I desire to establish it by that which I give you, Take good care of it, together. Make feasts from village to village, and from cabin to cabin, and proclaim daily, that you have had the misfortune to betray the best of fathers; that you deserved death, but found grace.
THIRD WORD.
You offer a condolence on the death of the officers who have been killed at the Ohio river, and at the portage of Lake St. Sacrament, par- ticularly M. de Longueuil. In the mean time you say that you will be able to go down to avenge them yourselves.
BY A BELT.
How ought I to receive your belt? Will it not be with reason as an acknowledgment on your. part, that it was yourselves, the five nations, who have killed these officers ? Will I not be right to make pass from nation to nation, this belt, to arouse the vengeance of my children ? Can you reasonably think that I have not seen the arms in hand against me ? Have I not been a witness of all your actions; and that none of you would have been actually alive, if I had not exercised all my authority to arrest my children, who in their fury would have slaughtered you, your wives and children, and have ruined the land which you inhabit?
Ought you not to be overwhelmed at my great generosity! I receive your belt; but it is for you to exhibit upon all occasions that the French blood which you have shed unjustly, cries for vengeance upon you, and that at the first transgression you will be brought to submit to the lot which you have for so long a time deserved.
62
HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE
I give you this belt, in order that that which I have said may be in- delible in your memories. Repeat it daily to your old men and your warriors, to your women and to your children, that they may never forget it; that they may one and all bewail their transgressions, and endeavor equally to repair them.
As regards M. the Baron de Longueuil, is this the time to do honor to his death ? If your grief and regrets at his death had been sincere, would you have delayed till the present moment to come and give proofs of it? How often have you caused to be announced your departure to come and condole the death of this governor? Why do you differ?
If you wish to tell the truth, it is the evil spirit that prevents you. You have been too slow in coming to see me. You have been ashamed, and too negligent. You dared not to appear, because you knew yourselves to be guilty. Never mind : I receive you; and if you give me perfect proofs of your repentance of your crimes, and you avenge them upou those who have been at their root, and their true authors, your brothers and the domiciliated races, and the nations of the upper country, will continue to be your brothers and friends. * *
Recall the memory of your ancestors, who possessed courage, and who gave on all occasions proofs of their good conduct. Learn from the old men of the age in which you live, concerning the times of my father, whom you loved as myself. Hear my word, as they heard his, and you will enjoy the most profound peace and tranquility.
Father Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil, Commander of the Royal and Military Order of St. Louis, Governor and Lieutenant General for the King in all New France and the land and country of Louisiana.
We certify that the present copy is in conformity with the original remaining in our office : in testimony of which, we have signed these presents, and have sealed it with the seal of our arms, and countersigned by our secretary.
Done at Montreal, the 13th of February 1758.
Signed : VAUDREUIL."
An embassy of the Five Nations, held an interview with M. de Mont- calm, on the 24th of April, 1757, to which measure they were inclined from the successes of the French in the last campaign, which resulted in the capture of Oswego. This council was addressed by orators from each of the Indian tribes, but a passage occurs in the original account of this council,* which is important as showing the standing of the Oswe- gatcliies among their Indian neighbors at that period :
" There were also in attendance, the Iroquois of la Presentation, who were present at all the deliberations, but spoke not separately and in their own name. The reason was that they had been domiciled but a short time; they regarded themselves still as the "fag ends," [natte] of the Iroquois, who call the village of la Presentation the tail of the Five Nations." In a note to this in the original, this mission is mentioned as having been founded by the zeal of the Abbé Picquet, a Sulpician, and as equally important for religion as for the state.
* Paris Documents, vol. XIII, p. 124.
63
AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES.
An interesting picture of the domestic life of the Oswegatchies, is given in the following extract from a narrative of a residence among them, which may be found entire in Drake's Indian Captivities.
Robert Eastburn, a tradesman, while in company with others, on their way to Oswego, in March, 1756, while stopping at Captain Williams's fort, at the carrying place, near the present village of Rome, was taken captive by the Oswegatchie Indians, and kept for sometime at their vil- lage near Fort Presentation, the site of Ogdensburgh.
The attacking party consisted of four hundred French, and three hundred Indians, commanded by one of the principal gentlemen of Quebec, and accompanied by a priest, probably Father Picquet.
The prisoners numbered eighteen or twenty, and their route led through Lewis and Jefferson counties, to Lake Ontario, and thence to the post at the mouth of the Oswegatchie.
They were seven days in reaching the lake, and suffered greatly from want of provisions. On the 4th of April, they were met by several French bateaux, with a supply of provisions, and having crossed the mouth of a river where it empties into the east end of Lake Ontario, a great part of the company set off on foot towards Oswegatchie, while the rest proceeded by bateaux down the St. Lawrence. The adventures with which the party met, are best given in the language of the original narrative :
" By reason of bad weather, wind, rain, and snow, whereby the waters of the lake were troubled, we were obliged to lay by, and haul our bat- teaux on shore. Here I lay on the cold shore two days. Tuesday, set off and entered the head of St. Lawrence in the afternoon; came too, late at night, made fires, but did not lie down to sleep. Embarking long before day, and after some mile's progress down the river, saw many fires on our right hand, which were made by the men who left us, and went by land. With them we staid till day, and then embarked in our batteaux, The weather was very bad, (it snowed fast all day); near night we arrived at Oswegatchy. I was almost starved to death, but hoped to stay in this Indian town till warm weather; slept in an Indian wigwam, rose early in the morning, (being Thursday,) and soon to my grief dis- covered my disappointment.
Several of the prisoners had leave to tarry here, but I must go two hundred miles further down stream, to another Indian town. The morning being extremely cold, I applied to a French merchant or trader for some old rags of clothing, for I was almost naked, but to no purpose. About ten o'clock, I was ordered into a boat, to go down the river, with eight or nine Indians, one of whom was the man wounded in the skir- mish above mentioned .*
At night we went on shore; the snow being much deeper than before, we cleared it away and made a large fire. Here, when the wounded Indian cast his eyes upon me, his old grudge revived, he took my blanket from me, and commanded me to dance around the fire barefoot,
* Referring to a portion of the narrative not quoted.
64
HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE
and sing the prisoner's song, which I utterly refused. This surprised one of my fellow prisoners, who told me they would put me to death, for he understood what they said. He therefore, tried to persuade me to comply, but I desired him to let me alone, and was through great mercy, enabled to reject his importunity with abhorrence.
This Indian also continued urging, saying, 'you shall dance and sing ;' but apprehending my compliance sinful, I determined to persist in de- clining it at all adventures, and leave the issue to the divine disposal. The Indian perceiving his orders disobeyed, was fired with indignation, and endeavored to push me into the fire, which I leaped over, and he, being weak with his wounds, and not being assisted by any of his brethren, was obliged to desist. For this gracious interposure of Provi- dence, in preserving me both from sin and danger, I desire to bless God while I live.
Friday morning, I was almost perished with cold. Saturday, we pro- ceeded on our way, and soon came in sight of the upper part of the settlements of Canada."
The party continued their journey towards Canasadosega, and on the route the wounded Indian, assisted by a French inhabitant, endeavored again to compel Eastburn to dance and sing, but with no better success than before. On arriving at the town which was thirty miles northwest of Montreal, he was compelled to run the gauntlet, and was saved from destruction only through the interposition of the women. Being assigned to an Indian family at Oswegatchy, in which he was adopted, he set off on his return, and after a tedious and miserable voyage of several days, arrived within three miles of the town, on the opposite side of the river. The Oswegatchies inhabited the site of Johnstown until removed to Indian Point, in Lisbon, by Lord Dorchester, as stated elsewhere in the letters of Judge Ford.
The language of the narrative will be here resumed:
" Here I was to be adopted. My father and mother whom I had never seen before, were waiting, and ordered me into an Indian house, where we were directed to sit down silent for a considerable time. The Indians appeared very sad, and my mother began to cry, and continued to cry aloud for some time, and then dried up her tears, and received me for her son, and took me over the river to the Indian town. The next day I was ordered to go to mass with them, but I refused once and again; yet they continued their importunities several days. Seeing they could not prevail with me they seemed much displeased with their new son. I was then sent over the river to be employed in hard labor, as a punish- ment for not going to mass, and not allowed a sight of, or any conversa- tion with, my fellow prisoners. The old Indian man with whom I was ordered to work, had a wife and children. He took me into the woods with him, and made signs for me to chop, and he soon saw that I could handle the axe. Here I tried to reconcile myself to this employ, that they might have no occasion against me, except concerning the law of my God. The old man began to appear kind, and his wife gave me milk and bread when we came home, and when she got fish, gave me the gills to eat, out of real kindness; but perceiving I did not like them, gave me my own choice, and behaved lovingly. When we had finished
65
AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES.
our fence, which had employed us about a week, I showed the old squaw my shirt, (having worn it from the time when I was first taken prisoner, which was about seven weeks,) all rags, dirt, and vermin. She brought me a new one, with ruffled sleeves, saying 'that is good,' which I thankfully accepted. The next day they carried me back to the Indian town, and permitted me to converse with my fellow prisoners. They told me we were all to be sent to Montreal, which accordingly came to pass."
At a grand council held at Montreal, Eastburn mentions a noted priest called Picquet, " who understood the Indian tongue well, and did more harm to the English than any other of his order in Canada. His dwell- ing was at Oswegatchy."
A plan of operations against Oswego was in progress; and great num - bers of soldiers were in motion towards Lake Ontario, with bateaux laden with provisions and munitions of war. After a painful journey, Eastburn arrived again at Oswegatchie ; having received from his adopted mother the choice of remaining at Montreal, or returning with her, and having chosen the latter alternative as affording the best chance of escape. While here, he daily saw many bateaux, with provisions and soldiers, passing up to Fort Frontenac ; which greatly distressed him for the safety of Oswego, and led him to form a plan for notifying the English of the designs of their enemies.
" To this end, I told two of my fellow-prisoners that it was not a time to sleep, and asked them to go with me; to which they heartily agreed. But we had no provisions, and were closely eyed by the enemy, so that we could not lay up a stock out of our allowance.
However, at this time, Mr. Picket had concluded to dig a large trench round the town. I therefore went to a negro, the principal manager of this work (who could speak English, French, and Indian well), and asked him if he could get employment for two others and myself; which he soon did. For this service we were to have meat [ board ], and wages. Here we had a prospect of procuring provision for our flight. This, after some time, I obtained for myself, and then asked my brethren if they were ready. They said ' they were not yet, but that Ann Bowman (our fellow-prisoner) had brought one hundred and thirty dollars from Bull's fort [when it was destroyed as has been related], and would give them all they needed.' I told them it was not safe to disclose such a secret to her; but they blamed me for entertaining such fears, and applied to her for provisions, letting her know our intention. She immediately informed the priest of it! We were forthwith apprehended, the Indians informed of it, and a court called. Four of us were ordered by this court to be confined in a room, under a strong guard, within the fort, for seve- ral days. From hence, another and myself were sent to Cohnewago,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.