USA > New York > Livingston County > History of Livingston County, New York, from its earliest traditions to the present together with early town sketches > Part 99
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Gandongare, the "St. Michael" of the mi -- ionatie-, peopled principally by captives from the Huron and other conquered tribes, was located at different dates, from one and one-half to four miles south of the capital town. A site on the east side of Mud Creek on the line between the towns of Canandaigua and East Bloomfield, about five miles southeast of Victor, appears to have been one site of this village. Other sites were probably on or in the vicinity of the Chapin farm directly south of Boughton Hill.
The two eastern villages after their destruction in 1687 gradually drifted east- ward, and were found one hundred year- later by Sullivan near present Geneva. In 1720 they were two miles ea-t of the foot of Canandaigua Lake ; in 1750 on the White Springs farm two miles southwest, and on Burrell's Creek four miles south- west of Geneva ; in 1756 at the Old Castle two miles northwest of Geneva.
Sonnontonan, alias Totiacton, the "Conception" of the missionaries, was lo- cated one and one-half miles northwest of Honeoye Falls in the town of Mendon, Monroe County. It is indicated in Galinees' map as "Father Fremin's Village." It was about ten miles directly west of Gandagaro on Boughton Hill, in a bend of Honeove Creek, which at this point sweeps around abruptly to the west, forin- ing a right angle on the east and north sides of the town. A second location, and probably the one occupied in 1687 when destroyed by fire, was on the Ball farm, a mile west of Honeove Falls village. Here on a space of about twenty acres, a great abundance of relic- have been found of copper, glass, iron, brass crosses, medals and rings, and hundreds of iron hatchets bearing evidence of having passed through fire. This great village wa- the western door of the Long House and the residence of Tegaronhies, hence sometimes called Tegaronlies town.
Gandachioragon, the western small town, was probably on the site of the present village of Lima, four miles south of the great town, when located near Honeove Falls. The relics found here are abundant, and indicate an important, but not a large town.
These western villages, after 1687, drifted south and then west, occupying sev- eral different locations, and probably reached the Gene-ee River about 1740. Sullivan found them in 1779 in two villages, one east and one west of the river, and a third -mall one near the head of Cone-n- Lake. (General John S. Clark's note to Dr. Charles Hawley's "Early Chapters of Seneca History. ")
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
APPENDIX NO. VI.
COPY OF GRANT OF GARDEAL RESERVATION TO MARY JEMISON AND OTHER MATTERS RELATING TO THE GARDEAU LANDS.
The following i- the text of the treaty executed at the time of the treaty of Big Tree, by which the Gardean Reservation was set apart to Mary Jemison:
Know all Men by these Presents that we the Chief Warriors and Chief Sachems of the Seneca Nation for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar to us in hand paid by Mary Jemison the receipt whereof we do hereby acknowledge and are fully satisfied and contented and paid, have given, granted, bargained, aliened, released, conveyed and confirmed unto her the said Mary Jemison her heirs and assigns forever one certain parcel or tract of land being and lying on the Genesee River beginning at the mouth of the -teep hill creek and running a dne east line till it strikes the old path ; thence sonth till a dne west line will intersect with certain steep rocks on the west side Genesee River, then extending dne west, dne north, and due east, till it strikes the first mentioned bounds in- closing as much land upon the west side of the river as it does on the east side of said river. To have and to hold the above granted and bargained premises with all the appurtenances and privileges thereunto belonging to hier the said Mary Jemoson her heir- and a-signs forever and furthermore, we the -aid Chief Sachems and Warriors for ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators do by the-e presents covenant, engage and promi-e to defend the above granted premise- with all the appurtenances unto hier the said Mary Jemo-on her heirs and assigns for- ever will Warrant and Defend the above granted premises against all the claims and demands of all persons whatsoever; in confirmation whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals this in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred
and ninety-seven.
Farmers his x mark Brother
Little his x mark Billy Pollard his x mark
Hanow his x mark Shawen
Kayyea his x mark Neglique Tommy his x mark Jimmisson
Corn his x mark Planter Howana his x mark Zee
Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of Horatio Jones, William Jolin-ton, C. Winny, Chas. Williamson, Thomas Morris.
Be it remembered that on the thirtieth day of October in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight personally came before me, Moses Atwater, one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Ontario, Thomas Morris, who being duly sworn declared he saw the grantors of the within instru- ment affix their signatures to the same as an execution thereof. And that he the deponent with Charles Williamson in the presence of each other subscribed their names as witnesses to the same, I being personally acquainted with Thomas Mor-
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ris and upon inspection of the said instrument finding no material erasures or in- terlineations do allow the same to be recorded.
Moses Atwater.
I certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the original instrument examined, compared and recorded this thirtieth day of October, A. D., 1798.
G. B. Porter, Clk.
In 1816 Micah Brooks, of Bloomfield, and Jellis Clute, of Leicester, proposed to buy the Gardeau lands which lay in an unproductive state. The consummation of this plan was postponed for substantial reasons until 1823. It was found that a -pecial act of the Legislature was necessary to ve-t Mary Jemison with the legal title, on account of her alienage, and that such sale would have to be approved by a formal council of the Senecas, under the superintendence of a commission appointed by the President. Such an act was passed by the Legislature in 1817, in form confirming the title in Mary Jemison. A council was held at Moscow, September 3rd, 1823, Major Carroll, Judge Howell and Nathaniel Gorham being the Commissioners, Ja-per Parrish, the Indian agent, and Horatio Jones, the in- terpreter. The treaty here effected is set ont at appendix No. IV. All of the Gardeau lands in the County of Livingston had been conveyed by hier to Micalı Brooks on the 23rd day of April, 1817, for an expressed consideration of $3,000, and she took from him a mortgage to secure $4,286 and annual interest. It also appears that at the date of the Moscow treaty, at which time she also made her will, a mortgage was given by Jellis Clute and Micah Brooks to Mary Jemi- son on other lands than the Gardeau lands, in Livingston County, to secure the payment of the sum of $4,285 and annual interest. The Moscow treaty released to John Greig and Henry B. Gibson, for a consideration of $4,286 all of the Gardeau Reservation of 17,927 acres, except two square miles, or 1,280 acres, situated in Genesee County. According to Mary Jemison's narrative, Henry B. Gibson was associated with Brooks and Clute in the purchase, and among other considerations. they bound themselves to pay hier and her heirs and successors $300 a year forever. In November, ISIS, Thomas Morris had conveyed to Jolin Greig the preemptive title to 9,769 acres of tlie Gardeau Reservation ; in June, 1823, Joseph Higbee, as trustee for the creditors of Robert Morri-, liad conveyed from a tract of 58,570 acres, held by him as such trustee, 6,974 52-100 acres of tlie Gardeau Reservation in Livingston County, to Henry B. Gibson ; in October, 1823, the latter conveyed to Micalı Brooks and Jellis CInte 3,000 acres of the Fame reserved lands in the County of Livingston, for a consideration of $3,800.
The following letter, written by Micalı Brooks to Senator Rufus King, is inter- esting as showing the necessity of procuring a ratification of the sale by Mary Jemison to hiim, of the Gardeau lands, by formal treaty :
Ea-t Bloomfield, Ontario County, Nov. gotlı, 1823.
Dear Sir :-
You will probably recollect that when in the State Convention 1 sug- gested to you that I had an interest in one of the small Indian Reservations in this part of the State and intended to make an attempt to extinguish the Indian
xxii
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
title to the same and might need your a -- i-tance in getting a Commissioner ap- pointed to hold a Treaty. 1 would now state to you some of the circumstances attending this business and would solicit some aid from you if it would be con- sistent with your public dutie -.
A Mr. Clute and myself had purchased the pre-emption title of about 4000 acres of the Gardean Reservation. Mr. Gregg and Mr. Gibson of Canandaigua were the other proprietor- of the Reservation and hehl the fee of Chutes and mny share under a contract to convey to us when we required it. Mr. Clute and myself undertook to negotiate with the Indian- and to be at the whole expense attending the same for a stipulated sum, which sum is not payable or any part thereof until the conveyance of the land by the Indians is confirmed by the President and Senate. Pursuant to our arrangements a Treaty was held with the Seneca Nation of Indians under the authority of the United States at Mo-cow on the 3d of Sep- tember, last when about 1600 acres of land was conveyed to Mr. Gregg and Mr. Gibson. Mr. Carroll the Comr. on the part of the United States is now dead, Mr. Gregg and Mr. Gibson considering that they may now go into possession of the lands and as they pay us nothing until the signature of the President to the Treaty is obtained, have no interest in calling this subject before them.
Now Sir as we have been at much expense and trouble aside from the consid- eration mentioned in the Treaty, we feel an anxiety that this subject may re- ceive the notice and attention of the President and Senate as soon as is conven- ient, on that account I have addressed this letter to you soliciting youraid as far as would be consistent. in getting this subject before the Pre-ident and Senate. Any information that would be important to me would be gratefully rec'd.
In relation to this Treaty with the Indian- Judge of Canandaigua was their Council, and I can assure you the Indians are all perfectly satisfied with the result of the Treaty. I am with much esteem
Your humble. Servant,
Micah Brooks.
APPENDIX NO. VIL.
MAJOR VAN CAMPEN'S LETTERS, TO JUDGE TREAT CONCERNING THE SULLIVAN CAMPAIGN.
Dansville, Augu-t gtli, 1841.
Dear Sir :-
Your- of the 7th instant I have received. The subject on which you address me I have a deep Interest in, and should be happy to wait on you at any time you should make me a visit. I was acquainted with Lient. Boyd and his family, his mother was a widow & Lived in the village of Northumberland, Northumber- land County, State of Pennsylvania. She had three sons, John, William, & Thomas. She was a Woman of Strong Mind a Member of the Presbyterian Church of that place. When the war had spread fire & sword over our Land, When the repo-e of our Defenceless Inhabitants on our frontier Settlements was disturbed
xxiii
APPENDIX
by the War whoop of the Savage, the Tomehake and the Sculping knife had began the work of death, without any distinction for age or Sex then Mrs. Boyd gave hier three Sons to God and hier Country with this Injunction Never to dis- honor or disgrace their Swords with any spot or Stain of Cowardice, which was fulfilled. Lieut. William Boyd fell in Sept. 1777 in the Battle of Brandewine Lient. Thomas Boyd Sullivan Campaign. Capt. Jolin Boyd in April 1787 fell into the hands of a Large party of Indians after a Severe Battle his men was nearly all killed. Capt. Horatio Jones was a Volunteer belonged to his Command & made a prisoner. In Aprile 1782 I fell myself a Second time into their hands and met with Capt. Boyd a prisoner in Lower Canada.
I am With great Respects Yours & C, Moses Van Campen.
Saml. Treat Esquire.
Dansville, Aug. 16th, 1841.
Dear Sir :-
Mr. Smith informed me this morning that you Wished to know of mne if our whole Army Crossed the Genesee river to little Beards town. When our Army arrived at the Genesee river, it had reached its point of destination & was then Under allowance of provisions we had a great work to do, to destroy' their Corn- fields for Several miles along the Valley of the Genesee river if my memory is Correct I think about two thousand Crossed over to Little Beards Town, they destroyed all the Cornfields in the Neighborhood Morris & I while the remainder of the army was destroying their Crops about the Genesee flats & downwards I think it was a work of about three day -.
I am with great respects Vour obedient Servant Moses Van Campen.
Saml. Treat E-quire.
Dansville, August 17th, 1841.
Dear Sir :-
Yours of the 16th I did not receive till late last Evening respecting Sulli- vans Campaign. Written history is not Correct or my memory is very Treacherous which I presume it is, It does not give a correct account of the mmmmmber of men · we lost, it gives no account of a Large Indian Village we destroyed on the waters of Shemung, Nor the battle we fought at a place Called Hogbackhile which was before the general battles fought below Newtown, and before Gen. Clinton joined Sullivan at Tioga point From the Valley of Honeoye on the march of our Army to the Head of Conesus lake their was no Stand made by the Indians. to give a battle. Maj. James Parr with his rifle men was on the advance & flanks of our army they discovered once in a while Indians Hanging on our flanks and was thought they would give battle at the head of Conesus Lake, at Hender-ons flats was a Small Village & a Corn field which was destroyed. The army halted to through a bridge across the swamp & Inlet of the lake it being deep mud. Lient.
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
Boyd was sent to reconoiter the Country from that to a place now called Williams- burgh. Boyd was absent one night, Sullivan first learned the fate of Boyd by the escape of Murphy & two others. Genl. Hands brigade Immediately ascend the hill on the west side of the Lake on his march to the place where Boyd fell, he fell in with a large quantity of Indian baggage, and no doubt they ment to give battle when makeing the bridge. Hand I think did not Immediately March to Genesee. After finishing the bridge the whole army moved on & Incamped at fall brook. Intelligence was received, how I cannot tell that all their Villages was deserted, a Dispo-iscion of the Army was made to destroy their Cornfields, & C. Little beards town was on the west Side of the river. I think Genl. & Hand was sent with about two thousand men to Little beards town they Crossed and recrossed the river untill Every Vistage of their fields was Destroyed to Mount Morris'& Canaseraga flats while general, Maxwell & Poor went down the river destroyed a Village below fall brook & their Cornfiells. Indian Cabbins was found every place along the Valley of the Genesee.
I have given you a Statement as near as my Memory Serves me. It may be that I may have Errod in some of the Statements, as 62 years have passed away since they took place.
I am Respectfully
Yours &C Moses Van Campen.
APPENDIX NO. VIII.
SPEECHES OF RED JACKET, CORNPLANTER AND OTHERS RESPECTING THE TREATY OF JULY 8, 1788.
In a speech by Red Jacket delivered before Timothy Pickering at Tioga Point, two years after the treaty of July 8, 1788, the Seneca, after recounting the in- cidents of the negotiation, which was protracted through the night and till sun- rise the next morning, said : "And last Summer a Year ago, we came to Canan- daigua expecting to receive ten thousand Dollars, but then we found but five thousand to receive. When we discovered the Fraud, we had a Mind to apply to Congress, to see if the Matter could not be rectified, for, when we took the Money and shared it, every one here knows, that we had but about a Dollar apiece for all that Country. Mr. Street! You very well know, that all our Lands come . to was but the Price of a few Hogsheads of Tobacco! Gentlemen who stand by (looking around and addressing himself to the White People who were present) , do not think hard of what has been said. At the Time of the Treaty, twenty Broaclies would not buy half a Loaf of Bread, so that when we returned Home there was not a bright Spot of Silver about us. The last Spring again, General Chapin stretched out his Hand to us to open a little Fire at Big Tree Flats ; and then I had a little Talk with him ; and finding we had but a Shilling apiece to receive we desired him to shut up his Hand again. This is all we have to say at this Time. Mr. Street knows how hard it was for us to part with our Land.
APPENDIX
And this we said, because we wish the President to know how we have been treated."
The Rev. Mr. Kirkland for his services at this Treaty, received 2,000 acres of land in the seventh township seventh range.
In December, 1790, a large deputation of Senecas attended upon President Washington at Philadelphia, to state their grievances concerning this treaty. The following speeches, interesting from their points of brilliant eloquence, and as mirrors of the feeling professed by the parties, will further illustrate this Subject .*
The Speech of the Corn Planter, Half Town, and Great Tree, Chiefs and Councillors of the Seneca Nation to the Great Council of the Thirteen Fires:
Father. The voice of the Seneca Nations speaks to you the great Councillor, in whose Heart the wise Men of all the thirteen Fires have placed their Wisdom. It may be very small in your Ears and we therefore entreat you to hearken with Attention ; for we are about to speak of Things which are to us very great. When your Army entered the Country of the Six Nations we called you the Town De- stroyer ; and to this Day when that Name is heard our Women look behind them and turn Pale, and our Children cling close to the Necks of their Mothers. Our Councillors and Warriors are Men, and cannot be afraid ; but their Hearts are grieved with the Fears of our Women and Children, and desire it may be buried -o deep as to be heard no more.
When you gave us Peace, we called you Father, because you promised to secure us in the Possession of our Lands. Do this, and so long as the Lands shall re- main that beloved Name will live in the Heart of every Seneca.
Father. We mean to open our Hearts before you, and we earnestly desire that you will let us clearly understand what you resolve to do. When our Chiefs re- turned from the Treaty of Fort Stanwix and laid before our Council what had been done there, our Nation was surprised to hear how great a Country yon had compelled them to give up to you, without your paying us anything for it. Everyone said that your Hearts were yet swelled with Resentment against us for what happened during the War, but that one Day you would reconsider it with more Kindness. We asked each other, what have we done to deserve such severe Chastisement?
Father. When you kindled your thirteen Fires separately, the wise Men that assembled at them told us that you were all Brothers, the children of one great Father who regarded also the Red People as his Children. They called us Broth- ers and invited us to his Protection : they told us that he resided beyond the Great Water, where the Sun first rises ; that he was a King whose Power no Peo- ple could resist, and that his Goodness was as bright as that Sun. What they said went to our Hearts ; we accepted the Invitation, and promised to obey him. What the Seneca Nation promise they faithfully perform ; and when you refused obedience to that King, he commanded us to assist his beloved Men in making you Sober. In obeying him we did no more than yourselves had led us to promise. The men who claimed this Promise told us that you were Children and had no
*Hough's Indian Treaties.
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
Guns; that when they had shaken you, you would submit. We hearkened to them and were deceived, until your Army approached our Towns. We were de- ceived ; but your People in teaching us to confide in that King had helped to dle- ceive, and we now appeal to your Heart-Is the Blame all ours?
Father. When we saw that we were deceived and heard the Invitation which you gave us to draw near to the Fire which you kindled, and talk with you con- cerning Peace, we made haste towards it. You then told us that we were in your Hand, and that by closing it you could crush us to nothing, and you demanded of us a great Country as the Price of that l'eace which you had offered us, as if our Want of Strength had destroyed our Rights. Our Chiefs had felt your Power and were unable to contend against you, and they therefore gave up that Country. What they agreed to has bound our Nation; but your Anger against u- mu-t by this Time be cooled, and although our Strength has not increased nor your Power become less, we ask you to consider calmly. Were the Term- dictated to us by your Commissioners reasonable and just ?
Father. Your Commissioners, when they drew the Line which separated the Land given up to you from that which you agreed should remain to be our-, did most solemly promise that we should be secured in the peaceable Possession of the Lands which we inhabited East and North of that Line. Does this Promise bind You?
Ilear now, we beseech yon, what has since happened concerning that Land? On the Day in which we finished the Treaty at Fort Stanwix, Commissioners of Pennsylvania told our Chiefs that they had come there to purchase from us all the Lands belonging to us, within the Limits of their State ; aud they told us their Line would strike the River Susquehannah below the Tioga Branch. They then left us to consider of the Bargain till the next Day ; on the next Day we let them know we were unwilling to sell all the Lands within their State, and propo-ed to let them have a Part of it, which we pointed out to them on their Map. They told us that they must have the whole ; that it was already ceded to them by the great King at the Time of making Peace with you, and was their own; but they said that they would not take Advantage of that, and were willing to pay us for it after the Manner of their Ancestors. Our Chiefs were unable to contend at that Time, and therefore they sold the Lands up to the Line which was then shown them as the Line of that State. What the Commissioner- had said about the Land having been ceded to them at the Peace our Chief- considered a- intended only to lessen the price, and they passed it by with very little Notice; but since that Time we have heard so much from others about the Right to our Land- which the King gave when you made Peace with him that it is our earnest Desire that you tell us what it means.
Father. Our Nation empowered John Livingston to let Part of our Lands ou Rent to be paid to ns. He told us that he was sent by Congre -- to do this for us, and we fear he has deceived us in the Writing he obtained from u. For since the Time of our giving that Power a man by the Name of Phelps has come among us and claimed our whole Country Northward of the Line of Pennsylvania, under Purchase from that Living-ton, to whom he said he had paid $20,000 for it. He
APPENDIX
said also that he had bought likewise from the Council of the Thirteen Fire-, and paid thiem $20,000 for the -ame.
And he said also that it did not belong to u-, for that the great King had ceded the whole of it when you made Peace with him. Thus he claimed the whole Country North of Pennsylvania and West of the Land- belonging to the Cayuga. He demanded it ; he insisted on his demand and declared that he would have it all. It was impossible for ns to grant him this and we immediately refused it. After some Days le proposed to run a Line at a -mall Distance Eastward of our Western Boundary, which we al-o refused to agree to. He then threatened is witli immediate War if we did not comply.
Upon thi- Threat our Chiefs held a Council, and they agreed that no Event of War could be worse than to be driven with their Wives and Children from the only Country which they had a Right to, and, therefore, weak as our Nation wa -. they determined to take the Chance of War, rather than to submit to such unju-t Demands, which seemed to have no Bound -. Street, thie great Trader to Niagara, was then with us, having come at the Request of Phelps, and as he always pro- fessed to be our good Friend, we con-ulted him upon the Subject. He al-o told us that our Lands had been ceded by the King, and that we minst give them up.
Astonished at what we heard from every Quarter, with Hearts aching with Com- passion for our Women and Children, we were thu- compelled to give up all our Country North of Pennsylvania and East of Genesee River up to the Fork, and East of a Line drawn from that Fork to the Pennsylvania Line.
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