USA > New York > Madison County > History of Madison County, state of New York > Part 4
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They were very methodical in their harangues. When in conference with other nations, at the conclusion of every important sentence of the opposite speaker, a Sachem gave a small stick, or a belt of wampum, to the orator who was to reply, charging him at the same time to remember it. After a short consultation with the others, he was able to repeat most of the discourse, which he answered article by article.
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FIRST INVASION OF THE IROQUOIS COUNTRY BY EUROPEANS.
James Cartier, with an expedition from France in 1535, opened the way for the French to the homes of the Iroquois. He sailed up the St. Lawrence to an Indian village on the present site of Montreal, which village consisted of about fifty well built houses of wood which were covered by bark of trees as "wide as any board and very finely and cun- ningly joined together." The village was surrounded by large and thrifty fields of corn. It was the home of a tribe of Hurons.
Returning to France, Cartier, in 1540, with Roberval, made another voyage to this country, and Cartier built a fort at Quebec, which, however, he left for a return to his native country in 1542.
From this period, owing to agitations in the mother country, more than fifty years elapsed ere the wilds of north- ern America witnessed the approach of another French ves- sel, and the Iroquois only knew by tradition the character- istics of the white race. In the meantime, however, several expeditions had been sent out by English and other foreign authorities, which had landed on the coasts of our Southern States. These had proved but abortive attempts at coloni- zation.
In 1603, Samuel Champlain came out from France with an expedition, reached America, entered the St. Lawrence, and following in the path of Cartier, sailed up to Quebec and there selected the site of his fort. He established here a trading post for the purpose of dealing in the fur trade. In order to win the favor of the Hurons, he became their ally against the Iroquois. The power of the Iroquois was a source of dread to the Canada Indians, the Hurons and Al- gonquins, and they encouraged the French with hopes that their assistance might break that power.
In 1609, Champlain suffered himself to be led by their oft-repeated persuasions to go out to the Iroquois country
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to subjugate them. In July the expedition of French and Indians entered the Iroquois country, and the first pitched battle between white men and Indians on this continent, was fought the 30th day of July, 1609, between Champlain and his allies, and the Iroquois, in the vicinity of Ticon- deroga, a place afterwards made famous by battles of the French and Revolutionary wars. In this battle the Iro- qucis were taught a terrible lesson of the use of fire-arms in warfare. They knew of no better weapons than the hatchet, war club and arrow. They came to this battle led by three Chiefs who wore lofty plumes. They were all clad in an arrow proof armor (a remarkable circumstance-worn prob- ably to protect themselves from balls, the nature of which they knew but little,) woven of cotton-thread and wood. Champlain and his men were armed with arquebuses, his Indians with arrows. At the first round from the arque- buses, two of the three Chiefs were killed, and the third so wounded that he died soon after. When the Iroquois saw their Chiefs were slain, they took flight, abandoning the field and the fort they had hastily built during the previous night, bearing their wounded into the depths of the forest. Champlain, with fifteen or sixteen arrow-wounded soldiers, returned to Canada, carrying a dozen prisoners which his men captured of the flying Iroquois in the woods.
At this same period, 1609, Hudson made the acquaint- ance of the Indians about the North River, and of him they obtained and learned to use fire-arms.
Champlain went to France, and returned to America again in 1615, when he again invaded the territory of the Iroquois in western New York. Finding them entrenched, he attacked their fort which was situated somewhere in the neighborhood of Canandaigua. The fortress was most admirably constructed, and successfully resisted all efforts made toward its destruction. The Indians fought with arrows. After several days of futile attempts, the work
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1
was abandoned, and Champlain returned to Canada, bearing on the way his wounded on litters, till they reached their canoes on the Lake. He had now incurred the hatred of the Iroquois ; and the Dutch, who had settled at New York and Albany, had, by demonstrations of good will, secured their friendship.
The Five Nations, repaired to Albany with presents as covenants of good faith ; the trade of furs became estab- lished so largely that the Dutch East India Company grew rich upon the traffic. The New Netherlands Colony in- creased and flourished, and to Corlear (the honored Gov- ernor of Renssellaerwyck,) the Indians cheerfully acknowl- edged obedience. This state of affairs, so propitious to the interests of the Dutch, might have longer continued, had not cupidity entered the breast of traders, and resentment the heart of the Indian, which culminated in the war of 1642, in which the Iroquois took up the hatchet in defence of weaker nations, and then, by their wise diplomacy and powerful influence, secured the only permanent negotia- tions of peace, which were effected in 1645.
In the mean time Champlain had died and Montneagy had succeeded him. The Jesuits had established them- selves in New France, as Canada was called; had planted the standard of their faith among the northern Indians, and now they ventured among the haughty Iroquois. Their peaceful demeanour, the impressiveness of their religious ceremonials, won upon the hearts of the untaught children of the forest, and many of them rejoiced to find a settled hope in the place of a superstitious fear ; and thus the Jesuits gained a place and secured a foothold for France among the Five Nations.
Father Simon Le Moine who was established at Onon- daga in 1654, gives one of the earliest and most minute accounts of these missions. He describes his reception among the Indians as an event of rejoicing. The people
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flocked around him and listened with eager attention to his words. On the 10th of August, with delegates from three of the neighboring nations, Father Le Moine, and his party of Frenchmen, held a general council of peace with the Iroquois Nations. At this council, Le Moine was the bearer of " words" from " Onnonthio," (Mons. De Lauzon, then Governor of New France,) each of which were confirmed by presents. He relates that " at each present they heaved a powerful ejaculation from the bottom of the chest in testi- mony of their joy. I was full two hours making my whole speech, talking like a Chief, and walking about like an actor on the stage, as is their custom." After this, the Indians consulted together for the space of two hours, and then "called me among them, and seated me in an honorable place. The Chief, who is tongue of the country, repeats faith- fully, as orator, the substance of all my words. Then all set to singing in token of their gratification. I was told to pray God on my side, which I did very willingly. After these songs, he spoke to me in the name of his nation." This orator was followed by others from the different nations, and the speeches recorded are full of feeling and power, all testifying to the good will in their hearts for the French.
Events, which occurred subsequently during Le Moine's mission of four years, proved to the Iroquois that the designs of the French were not wholly to Christianize ; but were mainly to secure dominion over them. The success of the Jesuits induced considerable numbers of the French to emigrate thither, and soon troubles began to develop. For the murder of an Onondaga by a French Indian, the Iroquois renewed their war upon the Hurons, who were subjects of the French Government. Also three French- men were killed at Montreal by a party of Oneidas, who scalped their victims, and " carried these as if in triumph to their villages, in token of declared war." For this act of hostility a dozen Iroquois were arrested by the French
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commander, and put in irons, at Montreal, Three Rivers, and Quebec, where they happened to be at the time. This so irritated the Iroquois, that they determined to avenge themselves by war against the French. In February, 1658, the Jesuits ascertained that 200 Mohawks, 40 Oneidas, and some of the Onondaga warriors had taken the field, while the main body were assembling. This determined the Jesuits and the Frenchmen, their assistants, to depart. They conducted their preparations for removal with such secrecy and celerity, that the Onondagas were wholly de- ceived, and knew nothing of their flight until the journey of part of a night and a day had widened the distance be- tween them. Fear of massacre alone compelled them to un- dertake this perilous journey, amid the inclemencies of wintry weather, it being the 20th of March, 1658, when they em- barked on Onondaga River, with two batteaux and eight canoes, which composed their fleet, with fifty-three French- men. They arrived at Quebec on the 23d of April, in safety, after having encountered untold suffering and perils.
" The French government then determined to chastise the Iroquois for their obstinacy ; or, as appears from a report to that government, upon the principle that "no advantage can be expected from these nations, except so far as we ap- pear able to injure them." To insure the success of an ex- pedition against them, it was necessary to become ac- quainted with the routes leading to and through their country. The benefits of the scheme, its practicability, to- gether with the information gained of the situation of the country, was transmitted in a message to the Home Gov- ernment, (France,) from which the subjoined extracts are made.
The route proceeded from Quebec across the country, to the first nation, the Mohawks, which consisted of "two or three villages, containing three or four hundred men capa- ble of bearing arms. Proceeding westward at
D
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a distance of forty-five leagues is found the second nation, called Oneyda, which has no more at most than one hundred and forty warriors. * * * * Fifteen leagues toward sunset is Onnontague which has full three hundred men. * *
* * At twenty or thirty leagues from there, still toward the west is the village of Cayuga with three hun- dred warriors, where in the year 1657, we had a mission. * * * * Toward the termination of the Great Lake called Ontario, is located the most numerous of the Five Iroquois Nations, named the Senekas, with full twelve hun- dred men, in two or three villages of which it is composed. × *
* * All this extent of country is partly south and partly west of the French settlements, at a distance of from one hundred to one hundred and fifty leagues. It is for the most part fertile, covered with fine timber ; among the rest, entire forests of chestnut and hickory, intersected by nu- merous lakes and rivers abounding in fish. The air is tem- perate, the seasons regular as in France, capable of bearing all the fruits of Touraine and Provence. The snows are not deep nor of long duration. The three winters which we .passed there among the Onnontagues, were mild com- pared with the winters at Quebec, where the ground is covered five months with snow, three, four and five feet deep. As we inhabit the northern part of New France and the Iroquois the South, it is not surprising that their lands are more agreeable, and more capable of cultivation, and of bearing better fruit. * * * * The forest is full of deer, bears, and wild cows (?); sometimes entire herds of fallow deer, which supply abundance of provisions neces- sary to travellers everywhere."
Thus it will be seen that the French laid claim to all Northern and Central New York, and intended to make good that claim by conquest.
The Mohawks occupied the country along the Mohawk River, the Oneidas south, east and north of Oneida Lake, the
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Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas spreading over the whole fertile region of Western New York. The French com- menced encroachments by building forts in this country, for the two-fold purpose of securing traders' stores, and to in- timidate the natives.
In the winter of 1666, Mons. De Courcelles, with five hund- red men, made a descent upon the Mohawk country. The ex- pedition was attended with hardships and suffering, and when they reached the Dutch settlements, they found that the Mohawk and Oneida warriors had gone on a long jour- ney to make war against the tribe called Wampum Makers, and had left in their villages only the children and helpless old men. The report says : "It was then considered use- less to push further forward an expediton which had all the effect intended, by the terror it spread among the tribes, who were haughty and perfidious, only because they con- sidered themselves inaccessible to our troops. Before re- turning, however, we killed several savages, who from time to time made their appearance along the skirts of the forest for the purpose of skirmishing with our people."
The French now flattered themselves that the natives were sufficiently overawed, and they might count on their subjugation on any terms ; but in a general council at Quebec in the ensuing summer, all the Five Nations were well represented, and finding them to be really formidable, they arranged an honorable treaty of peace, in which the Iroquois gave many tokens of the genuineness of their pledges. This treaty was grossly violated by the French immediately after ; they went to work secretly, and by autumn had collected a force of twelve hundred soldiers a hundred Hurons and Algonquins, and with Gover- nor Tracy at the head, marched through the Iroquois towns, and finding the inhabitants fled, laid waste their stores of grain and devastated their villages. Desolation followed their path everywhere. "Famine" it was averred by the French, "will destroy as many as would have been
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destroyed by the arms of our soldiers, had they dared to await them, and those who survive will be reduced by terror to peaceful conditions, and to a demeanour more difficult to be obtained from them by mere sanguinary victories." The Iroquois forts were formally taken possession of, and the Cross planted before the doors, and to a post affixed the Arms of the King of France. Deeming themselves quite secure in their authority, the French sent in their spies, traders and priests, who with their presents and peaceful conduct, soon secured a class of adherents among the natives. The mission at Oneida named St. Francis Xavier, was established by Father Jacques Bruyas, in 1667, where he remained till 1671.
From this period the cause of the French gained, and their trade flourished among the Indians of Central New York ; nevertheless, the nations were in allegiance to the English and annually went to Albany to renew the chain of friendship.
Though Governor Nichols of New York, remonstrated with Governor Tracy for his intrusion, and made laws for- bidding the French to enter their territory under severe penalties, and also obtained a promise from the Iroquois that they would not allow them to remain among them, yet these were no more than nominal laws, threats, and prom- ises. The Iroquois had cared but little about the changes which had transpired in the subversion of the Dutch government to English rule; had paid little heed to the embroils of the English and French, and had only seemed desirous of living in peace with all their white neighbors. If the English lost the precedence among the natives, it was only from neglecting to take the same care to cultivate them that the French did.
But the English entered their country only to purchase furs, and these were generally brought to Albany by the natives. The earliest record we have of English travelers
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having penetrated the Indian country to any considerable distance, was given by Wentworth Greenhalgh, who made his journey between the dates of May 20th and July 14th, 1677. It was thirteen years since the province came under the control of the Duke of York, and but three years since his rule had become finally established, and the English were desirous to ascertain the bounds and resources of the province. From the journal kept by Greenhalgh the fol- lowing extract is taken :- " The Maques have four towns, viz : Cahanaiga, Canagorah, Canajorha, Tionondogue, besides one small village about 110 miles from Albany.
"Cahanaiga is double stockaded round; has four ports, about four foot wide apiece, conteyns about 24 houses, and is situate upon the edge of an hill, about a bow shot from the river side.
" Canagorah is only single stockaded ; has four ports like the former, conteyns about 16 houses ; it is situated upon a flat, a stone's throw from the water's side.
" Canajorha is also singly stockaded, and like the manner of ports and quantity of houses of Canagora; the like situation, only about two miles distant from the water.
" Tionondoque is double stockaded round, has four ports four foot wide apiece, contains about 30 houses ; it is situ- ated on a hill about a bow shot from the river.
"The small village is without fence and conteyns about ten houses ; lyes close by the river side, on the north side as do all the former.
" The Maques pass in all for about 300 fighting men. Their corn grows close by the River Side.
" Of the situation of the Oneidas and Onondagas and their strength :
" The Oneydas have but one town which lyes about 130 miles westward of the Maques.(?) It is situated about 20 miles from a small river, [from the mouth of Oneida
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Creek ?] which comes out of the hills to the southward and runs into Lake Teshiroque, [Oneida Lake,] and about 30 miles distant from the Maques [Mohawk] River, which lyes to the northward ; the town is newly settled, double-stock- aded, but little cleared ground, so that they are forced to send to the Onondagoes to buy corn ; the town consists of about 100 houses. They are said to have about 200 fight- ing men. Their corn grows round about the town.
"The Onondagoes have but one town, but it is very large ; consisting of about 140 houses not fenced ; it is situate upon a hill that is very large, the bank on each side extending it- self at least two miles, cleared land, whereon the corn is planted. They have likewise a small village about two miles beyond that, consisting of about 24 houses. They lye to the southward of the west, about 36 miles from the Oneydas. They plant abundance of corn which they sell to the Oneydas. The Onondagoes are said to be about 350 fighting men. They lye about 15 miles from Teshiroque."
The traveller further described the villages of the Iro- quois, the Cayugas and Senecas, and thus concluded with the Senecas :-
"The Senecas have four towns, viz .: Canagorah, Tishte- hatan, Canoenada, Keint-he. Canagorah and Tistehatan lie within thirty miles of Lake Frontenac; the other two about four or five miles to the southward of there; they have abundance of corn. None of these towns are stock- aded.
"Canagorah lies on the top of a great hill, and in that as well as in bigness, much like Onondagoe, containing 150 houses.
" Here the Indians were very desirous to see us ride our horses, which we did. They made feasts and dancing.
" Tishtehatan lies on the edge of a hill ; not much cleared ground ; is near the river Tishtehaten, which signifies bend-
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ing ; it lies northward of Canagorah about 30 miles. Con- teyns about 120 houses, being the largest of all the houses we saw, the ordinary being 50 or 60 feet and some 130 or 140 feet long with 13 or 14 fires in one house. They have good store of corn growing about a mile to northward of the town.
"Canoenada lies about 4 miles to southward of Canago- rah ; contains about 30 houses, well furnished with corn.
" Kint-he lies about 4 or 5 miles to the southward of Tis- tehaten ; conteyns about 24 houses well furnished with corn.
" The Senecas are counted to be in all about 1,000 fight- ing men. The whole force, Maques 300, Oneydoes 200, Onondagoes 350, Cayugas 300, with Senecas 1,000, making a total of 2,150 fighting men."
The English Government now became interested in af- fairs of the Indians, who, in return, introduced them to the fur trade of the western lakes, and Gov. Dongan caused the Coat-of-Arms of His Royal Highness, Duke of York, to be put up in all the Indian Castles. Incensed at this the French redoubled their enterprises with great vigor, and causes of irritation immediately sprung up between them and the Iroquois, and the latter retaliated by killing a Jesuit Missionary, and subsequently by making a descent upon a fort, and plundering seven French canoes laden with mer- chandise, and detaining the traders.
At this period, 1684, Mons. De La Barre, Governor Gen- eral of Canada, had stationed Father Lamberville at Onon- daga, and Father Pierre Millet at Oneida. These priests were in constant communication with their governor and wisely endeavored to keep peace. Nevertheless De La Barre fitted out an expedition to subjugate the Iroquois. In behalf of the two nations, for whom they were mission- aries, these priests journeyed to meet La Barre and if possi- ble turn him from the project. The Governor was, however,
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more easily pursuaded by the alarming sickness of his troops when at Hungry Bay, Jefferson Co., which caused his ex- pedition to terminate without fighting.
The French were dissatisfied because De La Barre did not fight. The King of France wanted the Indians for galley slaves, and thenceforth the subjugation of the Iroquois became a popular theme.
The English had begun to realize the value of their swarthy neighbors, and thus Governor Dongan eulogized them in a report to the English Government. " The Five Nations are the most warlike and powerful of all the Indian nations, and are a bulwark between us and the French and all the other Indians ; they go so far as the South sea, [Gulf of Mexico,] the North West Passage, [Mackinack,] and Florida to war. New England, in their last war with the Indians, had been ruined had not Sir Edmund Andros, [Governor of N. Y.] sent some of those Nations to their assistance ; and indeed they are so considerable that all the Indians in these parts of America are tributary to them.
*
*
*
They have ten or twelve castles.
* * Those Five Nations are very brave, and the awe and dread of all the Indians in these parts of America, and are a better defense to us than if they were so many Chris- tians. * The designs of the French is to acquire the beaver trade, whatever colour they may give to their actions."
Mons. De Nonville succeeded De La Barre as governor of Canada, and as a precaution in planning another expe- dition against the Indians, he pays them the following tribute in a report to his King :- " The force of the Iroquois consists of 2000 picked warriors, brave, active, more skillful in the use of the gun than Europeans, and all well armed.'' The French really dreaded and feared to meet them on their own ground, knowing by bitter experience, that their peculiar mode of warfare, resorting to ambush, hiding behind
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trees, lying upon the ground, and other ruses, were likely to prove successful in the future, as in the past. Nevertheless, the summer of 1687 witnessed De Nonville's famous expedi- tion into the Seneca country, where he maintained a brief period of carnage and devastation, in which his command suffered, as well as the Iroquois. His success did not invite to further conquests, and it is inferred that the French gained little honor and less advancement in this rencontre. The next summer they succeeded in getting a large delegation from the Iroquois to Montreal for negotiations.
In 1689, the province of New York had arrived at a period renowned in history. The English under William and Mary, and the French under Louis XIV, were, as nations, fairly launched on a sea of embroils and difficulties, and their American provinces partook of the national animosi- ties. The command of New York had been in the hands of Governor Andros, who, like his ex-King, James II, was a violent Catholic, and who, on the accession of the Protestant King and Queen to the throne, was imprisoned and sent to England. Jacob Leisler, a man of Dutch extraction and a merchant of New York City, having many adherents, assumed the reins of government and proclaimed William and Mary. He was a violent opposer of Catholics, and consequently of the Jesuit priests stationed among the Five Nations. Lamberville and Millet who were still at Onondaga and Oneida, had maintained a friendly correspond- ence with Governor Dongan, who was also a Catholic, but Leisler having no bonds of faith to attach him to them, declared that he could perceive that " they were laboring to throw dust in the eyes of the English, and at the same time forward the plans of the French." He determined to coun- teract their influence. The Indians were already aflame with resentment toward the French for many recent injuries, among which was the sending of thirty-nine Iroquois prison- ers to France for galley slaves. Thirteen of these had been returned to Canada, the rest having died of sickness, but
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