Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 15

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations > Part 15

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These confederates did not unite in the interest of peace and progress, but for war and revenge. Of all employments, war was their delight. Noth- ing was sweeter to them than revenge. They were cunning and daring, alert and brave, unfeeling and cruel. With the war club, the tomahawk, the bow and the arrow, rude weapons of war, they had carried terror to the wilds of Canada ; had gained victories on Lake Huron ; had made tributary the Delawares and the Mohegans, and had, with unfeeling arrogance, brought into sub- mission the weaker tribes in their reach, and, by reckless courage and formidable numbers, com-

THE IROQUOIS INDIANS.

manded the respect and awe of most of the power- ful tribes from the Mississippi to the Atlantic. Such was the state of things when Samuel Champlain came up the beautiful lake that bears his name, only about two months before the Mohawks so lov- ingly welcomed Hudson. At this time the Iroquois were waging relentless war with the Hurons and Adirondacks. Entering into an al- liance with these Canada tribes, Champlain fur- nished them with fire-arms and taught their use. The astonished Iroquois found themselves defeated in almost every encounter. They were humbled. Smarting under disgraceful defeat, they hailed the advent of the Dutch with delight, as a new people coming among them with the terrible enginery of powder and guns, as against the arrow and the tomahawk. They cultivated their friendship, and aided their enterprises with alacrity. Such were the circumstances that led to that treaty on the banks of the Norman's Kill, which, as tradition has it, was early made between the Dutch and the Iro- quois. By this treaty, the Dutch secured for them- selves the quiet possession of the coveted Indian trade, and the Six Nations obtained the means to assert that ascendancy which they long after main- tained over neighboring tribes, inspiring terror, far and near, among the other savages of North Amer- ica.

Delighted with their improved weapons of death, the Iroquois put them in immediate use. They had at least 3,000 warriors ; they were free men and united ; they were at home in their well-trod- den warpaths, hunting grounds and wilderness fastnesses. Champlain was compelled to retreat from his invasions into the Mohawk territory. The Hurons were pursued without mercy, and entirely dispersed ; the Eries were extirpated, leaving as their monument their name only upon the beauti- ful lake on the shores of which they dwelt ; and the more formidable Andastes were blotted from existence. New France, with its allies, for many years suffered from their menaces, incursions and sanguinary conflicts. Even Quebec, its leading city, was threatened with devastation.

The policy followed by the early Dutch traders of Albany was well adapted to attach the Indians to them. It appealed to their self-interests. It aided them in their favorite pursuits of hunting and war. It gratified their love of trinkets and orna- ments ; it gave them strong water to drink, powder and guns, knives and hatchets. It re- strained none of their vices or habits of cruelty when they did not interfere with the profits of trade. The English successors of the Dutch con-

tinued their policy. The unprovoked attack of Champlain upon the Iroquois in 1609 engendered intense hatred towards Canada and the whole French race and its allies for long years. No op- portunity for revenge was neglected. In the con- tests for territory that followed, with slight inter- ruptions, until the fall of Quebec in 1759, and the surrender of the North American possessions of the French to the English, the Six Nations were, with few exceptions, faithful friends to the English colonies, shielding them on many occasions from hostile attacks, and aiding them in the hour of battle.

Whatever, then, relates to their history is perti- nent to the history of Albany County.

During all this period-extending over 150 years, until the Revolution-the Mohawks gener- ally continued the friends of Albany, remembering the belt of peace, the token of eternal union, given and received on the banks of that romantic stream. As the oldest, bravest and most powerful of the confederate tribes, they shaped their general policy and conduct. Most warlike, rapacious, treacherous and cruel, they were, it must be seen, kept on terms of peace and friendship only from motives of fear, want, self-preservation and vanity.

They were a protection against the warlike tribes on the north, east and south, because all stood in fear of them. To them these tribes were in sub- jection ; to them they paid tribute as a token of servitude.

It is well known that the Mohawks of Caughna- waga were seduced by the French about the year 1671, and removed to Canada. It was these In- dians who visited Schenectady with the French, February 8, 1690, desolated the village in the night by fire, and murdered and carried captive its peaceful inhabitants. This event deeply stirred the people of Albany, and taught them more fully how little reliance they could place upon these savages, uncontrolled by self-interest, unrestrained by fear. Nothing but a belief that the city was well protected and prepared against them prevented these vandals from making a like attack upon Al- bany. Indeed, it is believed that the expedition was planned in Canada and undertaken against Albany. But the severe cold, deep snows, long march and hunger, led them to change their plan and fall upon the nearer and weaker town of Schenectady.

Except these few, then, who were led by the French Jesuits to remove to Canada and join the interests of the French, the Iroquois were true to the Dutch ; and, after the government passed into

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

the hands of the English, they adhered to the "Corlear " or British interests against the " Yonon- dio " or French nation. They continued to do all in their power against the Canadian Indians and the Canadian towns until the fall of Quebec brought them in subjection to Great Britain. Thus they proved serviceable to the colonies up to the time of the American Revolution. During this dark and painful struggle with the Mother Country many of them, under the influence of Sir John Johnson, Guy Johnson, Joseph Brandt, the But- lers and other Tories, became a terror to their for- mer friends, and carried fire, devastation and murder into many new settlements. The story of Cherry Valley and of the Valley of Wyoming re- cords their savage cruelty ; and many homes in the Valley of the Mohawk, of Schoharie, of the Delaware and the Minnisink witnessed their base treachery and pitiless murders. "The whole con- federacy," says De Witt Clinton, "except a little more than half the Oneidas, took np arms against us. They hung like the scythe of death upon the rear of our settlements, and their deeds are in- scribed with the scalping knife and the tomahawk, in characters of blood, on the fields of Wyoming and Cherry Valley, and on the banks of the Mo- hawk."

The Mohawks, once sustaining the most inti- mate relations with the Dutch and English col- onial fur traders, were the most active and cruel enemies of the Americans in these bloody scenes. Thayendanega, known as Col. Joseph Brant, a Mohawk chief, educated by Sir William Johnson in the Lebanon school, under the wise and pious Wheelock, was their leader. They were obliged, at the close of the Revolution, to leave the State and take refuge in Canada. Most of the Oneidas were true to the Colonies through the influence of that wise and good man, Rev. Samuel Kirkland, who came among them from Connecticut as a mis- sionary, in 1769. He was aided by the chief Shenandoa, who was greatly attached to him. Some of the Tuscaroras also took sides with the Colonies. The fragments of the great confederation that remain are entirely changed in character and habits. They have lost their ancient power and their prestige.

These New York Indians, who were led by Tory gifts, promises and lying statements, to take sides against the colonists in favor of the King of Great Britain, gained no advantage. They lost most of their best warriors and their lands, and have since been poor outcasts. This they saw at the close of the war, and expressed deep regrets at their folly.

Brant died on the west shore of Lake Ontario in 1807, expressing regrets at many of his deeds of cruelty, and endeavoring to persuade the historian to remember that he was far better than his Tory and British associates. Shenandoa died in the Christian faith in 1816, at the age of 110, and was buried by the side of his beloved Kirkland, that he might "go up with him at the resurrection." Red Jacket, Corn Planter, Farmer's Brother, Half Town and Big Tree, after the Revolution, were true and faithful allies to the United States. Their conduct inspired respect, and brought much sym- pathy and favor towards their nation, the Senecas.

The aggregate number of the Iroquois confed- eracy at the time when the Hollanders first began trade on the Hudson is estimated at about 40,000. Of their descendants probably not more than 5,000 remain. A very small remnant, weak, de- pendent and peaceable, remain in this State. In the State Census of 1875, only one was found in Albany County, and none in Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Montgomery and Schoharie.

It is worthy of remark that the County of Albany was exempt from depredations by Tories and In- dians during the entire War of the Revolution, while all around, in the old Tryon and Schoharie Counties, the settlers were kept in almost constant fear of sudden invasion and carnage. The only exception occurred in the present town of Berne, near Schoharie County, where the Dietz family of eight persons were murdered or taken captives by the Indians. This was done, it is presumed, by a misunderstanding, or from private revenge.

This deliverance is generally attributed to the fact that the county abounded in Tories, who had here their rendezvous in caves and out-of-the-way houses, and were in constant communication with the Tory leaders of these savage bandits. By the aid they rendered them, good will and personal safety were secured. Along and near the valleys of the Mohawk and Schoharie were twenty-four forts environing the county. These were only a partial defense. The City of Albany was well pro- tected by forts and arms.

INDIAN LANDS.

As the only object of those who first came to this region, as is well known, was trade with the Indians, no land was called for except what was needed for trading posts. We have no mention of any purchases of territory here before the initiatory steps to the settlement of Rensselaerwyck were taken. Before this the natives attached no value to land, if so be that their own pursuits were not im-

THE INDIAN IN EDUCATION AND CHRISTIANITY.

peded. We take it that they were delighted to see the trader's cabin, his trading house and his rude fort, and never thought of invasion of their own rights so long as trade was free and profitable-so long as they could obtain clothing, rum, guns and trinkets in return for corn and beans, venison and beaver. The forts on Castle Island, on the Tasawantha and Fort Orange were, we think, erected without formal consent and held by peace- able possession. They were obtained by good will, good hopes and politic presents. The servants of the Netherland companies came on hire, not to stay-came only as agents of adventurers, and had no need to own land. They were temporary squat- ters. Their shelters were traders' tents and hunters' camps.

Thus it was, probably, until about 1630. When the charter of privileges and exemptions was made in 1629, for the encouragement of colonization in New Netherlands, by making conditional grants to patroons who would take certain lands and occupy them with settlers, Kilian Van Rensselaer pur- chased the titles of the Indians as his potent and wise policy dictated. The territory selected by him occupied twenty-four miles on each side of the Hudson River, and extended twenty-four miles up and down the river, including all of Albany County and most of Rensselaer and a part of Columbia County, as they now exist. This grant was understood by the patroon to include also Fort Orange and Beverwyck, and so it was subse- quently decided by the English Crown. This claim was given up by the patroon before Albany was chartered as a city in 1686. All other land titles in this county, it is believed, are derived from the manorial rights thus purchased from the agents of Kilian Van Rensselaer. By the terms of this grant they extinguished all Indian claims.

THE INDIAN IN EDUCATION AND CHRISTIANITY.

As early as 1642, a French Jesuit visited the Mohawk settlements with the pious design of introducing the Christian religion, and the patri- otic purpose of bringing over the Mohawks to the interests of the French. Several other of these persevering missionaries followed this pioneer dur- ing the succeeding 40 years, and labored with a fair measure of success, amid great hardships. As previously stated, in 1671 a large number left the Caughnawaga Castle and removed to Canada, where their descendants may be found to this day in an Indian village a little above Montreal. They still

speak the Mohawk dialect, and have devotional books printed in that language.

French missionaries were found among all the Indian tribes at an early date after the discovery of Canada, many of them talented, learned, devoted and pious. They endured much from destitution, wearying toil and even suffered death, while en- deavoring to convert these savages to the religion of Jesus. These were in a condition of heathen- ism, and capable of inflicting pitiless revenge and barbaric cruelty upon their prisoners. Many were reckoned as converted and received baptism. But few learned to forgive their - enemies or to leave off, for a long time, the vices and habits of their usual lives of degradation and wickedness. Yet, it is believed that some did, indeed, receive the benignant influences of the lessons of the Saviour of Men into their hearts, and lived better lives.

The Dutch and English clergy, also, endeavored to teach Christianity to the Indians, but their suc- cess was no better than that of the Catholics, unless it was preceded by civilization, education and good examples. Unfortunately, but little was thought of making the Indian a better man by most of the mercantile men of colonial days. To make him serviceable in trade and in war seems to have been the. leading policy of the European colonists of every nation and religion.

Says Peter Kalm, in 1749, speaking of Indian conferences at Albany : "Sometimes their delib- erations turn upon their conversion to the Christian religion." Then he goes on to tell -- as an indi- cation of the Indian feeling at that time-that Gov. Hunter, on one of these occasions, after he had presented the Indians with many clothes and other gifts in the name of Queen Anne, told them that their good mother, the Queen, had not only generously provided them with clothes for their bodies, but likewise intended to adorn their souls by sending them good ministers to teach them the gospel. Upon this announcement one of the oldest sachems arose and replied that, in the name of all the Indians, he thanked their gracious mother, the Queen, for the fine clothes she had sent them, but as to the ministers, they had already had some of them, who, instead of preaching the holy gospel to them had taught them to get drunk, to cheat and to quarrel. He then entreated the Governor to take from them these preachers and some other Europeans who dwelt near them ; for before they came among them the Indians had been honest, sober and innocent; but now most of them had become rogues. If he would do them any favor,

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

he would ask him to send two or three blacksmithis among them to teach them how to work iron.

As further illustrating the estimation which many of the leading Indians placed upon the kind of Chris- tianity which was manifested in the conduct of the early settlers and teachers of this vicinity, we give the following as told by Dr. Benjamin Franklin. Canassatego was an Onondaga chief, living about 1740: "Conrad Weiser, our interpreter, had been naturalized among the Six Nations, and spoke well the Mohawk language. In going through the Indian country to carry a message from our Governor to the council at Onondaga, he called at the habitation of Canassatego, an old acquaintance, who embraced him, spread furs for him to sit on, placed before him some boiled beans and venison, and mixed some rum and water for his drink. When he was well refreshed and had lit his pipe, Canassatego began to converse with him ; asked how he had fared the many years since they had seen each other; whence he then came, what occasioned the journey, &c. Conrad answered all his questions. The Indian, to con- tinue, said : 'Conrad, you have lived long among the white people and know something of their customs. I have been sometimes at Albany, and have observed that once in seven days they shut up their shops and assemble in the great house. Tell me what that is for? What do they do there?' 'They meet there,' said Conrad, 'to hear and learn good things.' 'I do not doubt,' said the Indian, ' that they tell you so. They have told me the same ; but I doubt the truth of what they say ; and I will tell you my reasons. I went lately to Albany to sell my skins and buy blankets, knives, powder, rum, &c. You know I used gen- erally to deal with Hans Hanson, but I was a little inclined this time to try some other merchants. However, I called first upon Hans, and asked him what he would give for beaver. He said he could not give more than four shillings a pound ; "but," says he, "I cannot talk on business now. This is the day when we meet together to learn good things, and I am going to the meeting." So I thought to myself, since I cannot do any business to-day, I may as well go to the meeting too, and I went with him. There stood up a man in black, and began to talk to the people very angrily. I did not understand what he said, but, perceiving that he looked much at me and at Hanson, I imagined he was angry at seeing me there. So I went out, sat down near the house, struck fire and lit my pipe, waiting until the meeting should break up. I thought, too, that the man had mentioned

something of beaver, and suspected it might be the subject of their meeting. So when they came out I accosted my merchant. "Well, Hans," says I, "I hope you have agreed to give more than four shillings a pound." "No," says he, "I cannot give so much. I cannot give more than three shillings and sixpence." I then spoke to several other dealers, but they all sung the same song-three and sixpence, three and sixpence. This made it clear to me that my suspicion was right, and whatever they pretended of meeting to learn good things, the purpose was to cheat Indians in the price of beaver. Consider a little, Conrad, and you must be of my opinion. If they met so often to learn good things, they certainly would have learned some before this time. But they are still ignorant. You know our practice. If a white man, in travel- ing through our country, enters one of our cabins, we all treat him as I do you. We dry him if he is wet, we warm him if he is cold, and give him meat and drink that we may allay his thirst and hunger, and we spread soft furs that he may rest and sleep on. We demand nothing in return. But if I go into a white man's house at Albany, and ask for victuals and drink, they say, "Get out, you Indian dog." You see they have not learned those little good things that we need no meetings to be instructed in, because our mothers taught them to us when we were children. And therefore it is impossible that their meetings should be, as they say, for any such purpose, or have any such effect. They are only to contrive the cheating of Indians in the price of beaver.'"

Megapolensis, the first Dutch minister in Al- bany, speaks of the Mohawks as "entire strangers to all religion." "When we pray," he writes, "they laugh at us. When we have a sermon, sometimes ten or twelve of them, more or less, will attend, each having a long tobacco pipe, made by himself, in his mouth, and will stand awhile and look, and afterwards ask me what I was doing and what I wanted, that I stood there and made so many words, while none of the rest might speak. I tell them that I admonish the Christians that they must not steal, nor commit lewdness, nor get drunk, nor commit murder, and that they, too, ought not to do these things, and that I intend, in process of time, to preach the same to them, and to come to them in their own country and castles when I am acquainted with their language. They say I do well to teach the Christians, but immediately add : 'Diatennon jawij Assyreoni hagiowisk ?- i. e., ' Why do so many Christians do these things ?'" And then he adds :

THE INDIAN IN EDUCATION AND CHRISTIANITY.

"But though they are so cruel, and live without any punishments for evil-doers, yet there are not half so many villainies or murders committed amongst them as amongst Christians."

There was, at different times, much effort made to convert the Indians to Christianity by French, Dutch and English. It was done by Government approval, and with aid from corporate companies and Indian agents, as a matter of policy. Often the missionaries were men of talent, piety and wis- dom, and quite as often they were wanting in these gifts. Sometimes they were unprincipled, dishon- est and self-seeking. Sometimes the best efforts of the wise and good were hindered by the conduct of so-called Christian traders, Governors and mili- tary men. Wild war and greedy traffic are not means of grace. Schoolcraft well says : "The pernicious examples of the whites in the Indian trade, their injustice, treachery, licentiousness and greed created a deep disgust toward the European race in the minds of the Indians. '

In and near Albany County, Reformed Dutch, Episcopalians, Presbyterians and Lutherans all did missionary work among the Six Nations during the colonial period. The Mohawks, being nearest the white settlements, received special attention. De nominational jealousies often appeared. There were few missionaries of so devoted and exalted character as was that of Samuel Kirkland. Hence few had such faithful disciples as Shenandoa. Few understood as did the New England John Eliot, the translator of the Indian Bible, and Eleazer Wheelock, the founder of the Indian Charity School of Dartmouth College, the power of early practical education and pure Christian example as foundations of a lasting Christian civilization. Hence there were few "praying Indians," and no Sampson Occum among the Six Nations who brought their trade to Albany and killed their ene- mies. While the Colonial Government spoke fa- vorably of efforts to Christianize the Six Nations, they did nothing beyond paying a small stipend to the clergymen of Albany to attend to the wants of such as might come to them. Dominie Dellius baptized many, but his scandalous conduct in the matter of Indian lands showed how false he was to his own teachings. Dominies Lydius and Van Driessen tried to convert some. Rev. Messrs. Barclay, Freeman, Andrews and others labored amid great discouragements, testifying that the con- duct of those who professed to have received Chris- tianity was so evil that they could scarce be reputed Christians. Sir William Johnson was friendly to the missionaries as far as they contributed to his advan-

tage ; but his own shocking licentiousness was too well known to give him any influence in favor of temperance, purity, or any other form of practical godliness. The Society for Promoting the Gospel in Foreign Parts, managed by the Church of Eng- land, made attempts to convert the savages. But little real good was accomplished by the best of men, who understood but little of the language and character of the Indian, and considered too little the influence that their own habits and those of their "Christian " neighbors had upon them. For they counted all the whites as Christians, and judged of the Christian religion by their conduct.

The following anecdote from O'Callaghan well illustrates the usual results of m ssionary efforts in those days : "A clergyman had succeeded in teaching one young savage the prayers so that he could repeat the responses in the church, and also to read and write well. He was then furnished with a Bible and sent to evangelize the heathen. But he pawned the book for brandy, became a thorough beast, and did more harm than good."

Rev. Mr. Barclay, an Episcopal missionary, giving up his work in 1710, writes to the society in England that employed him : "I am afraid the missionaries that are coming over will find hard work of it, and if the commander of that fort (in Albany) be not a person of singular piety and vir- tue, all their endeavors will be ineffectual. These here that trade with them are loath that any re- ligion get any footing among them. Besides, these savages are so given to drinking that nasty liquor, rum, that they are lost to all that is good."

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Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 15

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452