History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 10

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920

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The Franciscan Recollet Friar, Louis Hennepin, after- wards celebrated as the companion of La Salle, was stationed at Fort Frontenac in 1677. In the winter of 1677-78, in company with a soldier, he crossed the outlet of Lake Ontario, and made a journey on snow-shoes to the Iroquois country, visiting the Ouondugas, Oncidas, and Mohawks, and returning as he came, over the snow-clad hills and valleys, to the St. Lawrence.

A FRENCHI COLONY.

The following account of a French colony located in what is now the town of Pompey, Onondaga County, we find in Stone's " Life of Joseph Brant." It was originally published in " A Memoir on the Antiquities of the Western Parts of the State of New York," by Governor De Witt Clinton. It is said that the statement was compiled partly from the traditions of the Iroquois, and partly from the manuscript journal of a French Jesuit.

" From the Jesuit's journal it appears that in the year 1666, at the request of Kar-a-kon-tie, an Onondaga chief- tain, a French colony was directed to repair to his village for the purpose of teaching the Indians arts and sciences, and to endeavor, if practicable, to civilize and Christianize them.

" We learn from the sachems that at this time the Indians

# This name is also written Peter Milett. He corresponded with Father Dablon and Rev. Godfredius Dellins while a prisoner.

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

had a fort a short distance above the village of Jamesville, on the banks of a small stream near, a little above which it seems the chieftain, Kar-a-kon-tie, would have his new friends sit down. Accordingly they repaired thither and commenced their labors, which, being greatly aided by the savages, a few months only were necessary to the building of a small village.

" This little colony remained for three years in a very peaccable and flourishing condition, during which time much addition was made to the establishment, and, among others, a small chapel, in which the Jesuit used to collect the bar- barians and perform the rites and ceremonies of his church.

" But the dire circunistance which was to bury this col- ony in oblivion, and keep their history in secret, was yet to come. About this time (1669) a party of Spaniards, con- sisting of twenty-three persons, arrived at the village, hav- ing for guides some of the Iroquois, who had been taken captives by the Southern tribes. It appears evident that this party came up the Mississippi, as it has been ascertained that they passed Pittsburgh and on to Olean Point, where, leaving their canoes, they traveled by land. They had been informed by some of the Southern tribes that there was a lake at the north of them whose bottom was covered with a substance shining and white, and which they took, from the Indians' description, to be silver, and it is supposed that the idea of enriching themselves upon this treasure induced them to take this long and desperate journey, for silver was the first thing inquired for on their arrival; and on being told that none was ever seen in or about the Onondaga lake they became almost frantic and scemed bent upon a quarrel with the French, and charged them with having bribed the Indians, and even those who had been their guides, that they would not tell where the mines might be found. Nor dare they, finding the French influence to pre- vail, venture out on a search, lest the Indians might de- stroy them. A compromise, however, was made, and both parties agreed that an equal number of each should be sent on an exploring expedition, which was accordingly done. But the effect of this upon the minds of the Indians was fatal. Upon seeing these strangers prowling the woods with various kinds of instruments, they immediately sus- pected some plan to be in operation to deprive them of their country.

" Nor was this jealonsy by any means hushed by the Eu- ropeans. The Spaniards averred to the Indians that the only object of the French was to tyrannize over them, and the French, on the other hand, that the Spaniards were plotting a scheme to rob them of their lands.

" The Indians by this time becoming equally jealous of both, determined, in private council, to rid themselves of so troublesome neighbors. For aid in this they sent private instructions to the Oneidas and Cayugas, who only wanted a watchword to be found immediately on the ground. The matter was soon digested and the time and manner of attack agreed upon. A little before daybreak, on All-Saints' day, 1669, the little colony, together with the Spaniards, were aroused from their slumbers by the roaring of fire-arms and the dismal war-whoop of the savages. Every house was immediately fired or broken open, and such as attompted to escape from the flames met a more untimely death in the

tomahawk. Merciless multitudes overpowered the little band, and the Europeans were soon either lost in death or writhing in their blood, and such was the furious prejudice of the savages that not one escaped, or was left alive to re- late the sud disaster. Thus perished the little colony whose labors have excited so much wonder and curiosity.

" The French in Canada, on making inquiries respecting the fate of their friends, were informed by the Indians that they had gone towards the south with a company of people who came from thence, and at the same time showing a Spanish coat of arms, and other national trinkets, confirmed the Cana- dian French in the opinion that their unfortunate countrymen had indeed gone thither, and in all probability perished in the immense forests. This opinion was also measurably confirmed by a Frenchman who had long lived with the Senecas, and who visited the Onondagas at the time the Spaniards were at the village, but left.before the disaster, and could only say that he had seen them there."

This account is also substantially confirmed by the finding of various relics, among which have been a blacksmith's vise, guns, axes, swords, and many kinds of implements. A curious stone was also dug up, evidently of European origin, and inscribed with Latin characters.

LA BARRE, DENONVILLE, AND FRONTENAC.

In 1673, Count Frontenac, then Governor-General of New France, constructed a palisade fort on the site where La Salle built Fort Frontenac a few years later, ostensibly for the purpose of having a more convenient trading-post for the Indians, but really as a barrier against the incur- sions of the Iroquois, and as a base for future military and naval operations. This proceeding was looked upon by the Iroquois with a jealous cye, though they attended a grand council held by the count on the 17th of July, and pre- tended to be satisfied with the transaction. The stockade was called Fort Cataraqui. It was granted to La Salle shortly afterwards, who rebuilt it of stone and named it after the Governor, Fort Frontenac.

It was during La Barre's preparations for a campaign against the Iroquois, in 1684, that the English Governor of New York, Colonel Thomas Dongan, sent a Dutch inter- preter to Onondaga to explain the understanding between the Indians and the king. This interpreter was Arnold Vicle, and by a very foolish course he accomplished the very reverse of what the Governor had desired. Viele rode from Albany on horseback through the Mohawk Val- ley, stopping at each Indian town along the way and fixing the arms of the Duke of York upon a post as a charm against the French, which did not, however, deceive the wily leaders of the Indians. The interpreter passed through the princi- pal Oneida town, which he describes as containing about 100 bark houses, and twice as many warriors.

During the spring and summer of 1684, La Barre gathered a strong force at Fort Frontenac, while at the same time he was straining every nerve to persuade the Indians to a treaty of peace which should be to the advan- tage of the French ; and there was a great amount of sharp diplomacy carried on by Charles le Moyne and Father Lam- berville on the one hand, and by Viele, the Dutch inter- preter, and Garangula, or Big Mouth, the famous Onondaga

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

orator, on the other, which ended in a conference at La Famine, and the complete backing down of La Barre from his high pretensions. The Iroquois statesmen and orators in fact gained a victory over both the French and English in this diplomatie game, and maintained their haughty in- dependence of both Onontio and Corlear.

This discomfiture of La Barre, joined to the clamors of the people of Canada, caused the king to recall him and send M. Denonville to act in his stead. The new Governor found the country in a lamentable condition, exposed every moment to the attacks of the savages, who violated treaties with impunity whenever they thought there was a fair prospect of obtaining scalps or plunder at little cost.

Denonville, sceing the haughty manner of the Iroquois, and coming to the conclusion that a more binding treaty or a war were necessary to settle the question, set himself energetically to work to accomplish the end. A sharp cor- respondence succeeded between him and Dongan, and secret emissaries were employed on both sides. In this diplo- macy the elder De Lamberville was of great service to the French. But all the manœuvrings in the interest of peace were unsuccessful, and the French Governor prepared for an overwhelming invasion of the country of the Senecas, whom the Governor rightly considered as the most powerful and warlike nation of the Confederacy, the humbling of whom would bring the remaining nations to terms.

A motley army of French regular troops, Canadian vol- unteers, couriers de bois, and a swarm of Indians, gathered from every part of Canada and from Michigan and Illinois, and, amounting to about 3000 men, was assembled at Irondequoit Bay. Among their leaders were many famous names. Tonty, the companion of La Salle, had come from the Illinois with a band of French and Indians; La Durantaye and Du Lhnt appeared from Mackinaw and Detroit, with 180 couriers de bois, and 400 Ottawa and HIuron Indians, in whose ranks was the black robe of the Jesnit Engelran ; Callieres, the Governor of Montreal, led the vanguard ; Denonville himself commanded the main body, accompanied by the Chevalier de Vaudreuil; and at the head of their own retainers were the Canadian noblesse, Berthier, La Valterie, Granville, Longueil, and many others more or less famons in the history of New France.

This force, so immense when we take into consideration the sparseness of the French population, and the great difficulty of collecting the couriers de bois and Indians from so wide an arca, moved in battle array through the forest until it encountered a strong war-party of the Senecas lying in ambush.

A desperate and bloody fight ensued, but the savages were soon put to flight by the greatly superior numbers of their enemies, with serious loss, and the army marched on until it reached their most important town, which the Abbe Belmont called the famous " Babylon of the Senecas." But the French found it in ruins, and every- thing destroyed save a few caches of corn of the last year's crop. The people were all dispersed in the forest, and even the warriors had disappeared.

The army remained ten days, destroying the growing

corn, of which there was a large area. The estimated amount destroyed, including old corn in cache, was over 1,000,000 bushels,-evidently an exaggerated one. Great numbers of hogs were also killed, and the desolation was complete. On the 24th of July, Denonville withdrew his whole force to Irondequoit Bay, having sustained a loss of about 30 killed and wounded. The loss of the Senecas was supposed to have been over 100. Three of their villages, situated at a little distance from their capital, were also destroyed.+

From Irondequoit Bay, where the French had erceted fortifications, the army proceeded by water to Niagara, where a stockade fort was erected on the site of La Salle's fort, built nine years before, but then in ruins.

Leaving at this post one hundred men, under the Chevalier de Troyes, Denonville re-embarked his army aud returned to Montreal. This little band of soldiers was reduced by scurvy to ten or twelve feeble wretches during the course of the following winter, and the fort was abandoned the succeeding year, partly on account of the difficulty of maintaining it, but more to placate the Sen- ecas and Governor Dongan, whom its presence greatly irritated.

In 1688 the Onondagas, Cayugas, and Oneidas sent delegates to Montreal, among whom was Big Mouth, or Garangula, and it is said that the embassy was escorted by no less than 1200 warriors. In the conference which followed Big Mouth bore himself as a haughty conqueror, and declared that but for his influence the French settle- ments would all have been destroyed.

A declaration of neutrality, to continue until deputies from all the nations of the Confederacy could meet at Montreal for a general treaty, was drawn up and signed, Big Mouth affixing the figures of sundry birds and animals as the signatures of himself and fellow-chiefs.t

The time for the meeting arrived, but the deputies did not appear. The cause was soon explained. Among the Huron nation was a famous chief named Kon-di-a-ronle, or the Rat. He was then in the prime of life, a great warrior and a sage counselor. When he heard of the peace pre- liminaries he was strongly opposed to their ratification unless the Canadian nations were included in the terms, which he well knew would not be the case, for the French Governor was only too willing to conclude peace upon any terms that would give security to his people. Satisfied, from inquiries which he made at Fort Frontenac, that the crafty Iroquois, the moment peace was concluded with the French, would fall upon his nation, Kon-di-a-rouk, learning that the deputies were then on their way from Onondaga, very quietly led a party, variously estimated at from 40 to 100, across Lake Outario and into one of the arms of Black River Bay (probably Henderson Harbor), where, secreting his canoes, he lay in wait four or five days for the embassy from Onondaga ; and when the advanced party, consisting of Te-gan-i-so-rens, a famous chief, and three others, accompanied by a small number of warriors, landed ncar him, the wily Rut fired upon them, killed one of the chiefs

# In 1688 estimated at about 11,000.

+ It was during this expedition that formal possession was takon of the country of the Senecas by the French Governor.

# Sce Col. Documents, ix., 385, 386.

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

and wounded the others, and then, rushing from his con- cealment, made the whole party prisoners.

The astonishment and anger that took possession of the embassy at this murderous treatment was only equaled by the well-dissembled sorrow and contrition of Kon-di-a-ronk, when he pretended to learn for the first time the peaceful character of their mission. He declared that he had been set on by the Governor of Canada, and that he had sup- posed them the advance of a great war-party. He poured invectives on the head of Denonville, and solemnly declared that he should never be satisfied until the Five Nations fell upon the French and took ample revenge for their treachery. Then, giving them guns and ammunition, he sent them on their way to Onondaga, well pleased with his treatment, but breathing vengeance against the Governor.

Kon-di-a-ronk returned to Fort Frontenac, and when leaving its gates to return to his own country he coolly remarked, " I have killed the peace. We shall see how the Governor will get out of this business." He then de- parted for Mackinaw, taking with him a single Iroquois prisoner, whom he had retained, as he said, to be adopted in the place of one of his warriors who had been killed. News of the intended peace had not reached Mackinaw, and when the Iroquois told his story Kon-li-a-rouk de- clared it was the invention of a crazy man, and the prisoner was thereupon ordered shot by a file of soldiers. The chief then sent for an Iroquois who had long been a prisoner, and told him he was free to go to his people and tell them of the treachery of the French.

Although explanations and regrets at these untoward circumstances were sent to Onondaga by the French, the result calculated upon by the Huron chief followed, and in the night between the 4th and 5th of August, 1689, 1500 Iroquois warriors, who had traversed the wilderness with the utmost secrecy, fell as with the suddenness of the thun- derbolt upon the island of Montreal, at La Chine. The entire island, outside the fortifications, was swept as by a tempest of destruction, and for more than two mouths the savages remained in the neighborhood, killing, burning, and plundering. When they finally retired they carried away more than 100 prisoners, and left about 200 dead bodies of those they had slain on the island.

All the night following their departure their fires gleaned along the Chateaugay, and from the hither shore the agonized inhabitants beheld the horrid tortures of their friends and relatives. It was the most terrible blow ever inflicted upon the people of Canada, and fearfully had the Iroquois been avenged. All Canada was wild with terror, and the contagion would seem to have affected Denonville, for he had in his excitement sent a messenger with instruc- tions to the commander of Fort Frontenac, Valreune, to destroy that important post and fall back with his garrison to Montreal.

At this period Count Frontenac, who had been appointed to succeed Denonville, arrived in Canada. He compre- hended the situation, and, alter parleying for a short time with the Iroquois, he resolved to strike in a bold and de- termined manner the English settlements, rightly judging that success against them would give the savages a realizing seuse of his power. He reinforced Mackinaw, which was

in great danger from the northwestern nations, who were threatening to make peace with the Iroquois and fall upon the post, and then began his preparations for three expedi- tions into the country of the English. He gathered three war-parties: one at Montreal, one at Three Rivers, and one at Quebec ; the first destined to strike Albany, the second the border settlements of New Hampshire, and the third those of Maine.

All these expeditions were successfully carried through, but as only one concerns the region of the Mohawk we will confine ourselves to a short account of that one.

It was prepared at Montreal, and was the first to start on its mission of destruction. It consisted of 210 men, 96 of whom were converted Indians from the mission villages of Sault St. Louis and the Mountain of Montreal. The re- mainder were chicfly couriers de bois. This party was placed under the command of D'Aillebout de Mantet and Le Moyne de Saint Helene, a son of Charles Le Moyne. His other two sous, Le Moyne d'Iberville and Le Moyne Bienville, with several representatives of the Canadian noblesse, accompanied the party.

They left Montreal in the depth of winter, and after a long and weary march upon the ice of Lake Champlain and through the trackless forest, in which they suffered severely, they approached Schenectady on the evening of the 19th of February, 1690 .* The intention had been to capture Albany, but the Indians demurred, and the French reluctantly turned to the little village on the Mohawk. They approached the doomed place in the midst of a furious snow-storm, using four Moheck squaws, whom they had captured a little back, as guides through the valley.

The place was found wholly unguarded, though it was surrounded by a strong stockade; and it is said that the people, being warned, laughed at the idea of danger, and purposely left their gates wide open. It was taken com- pletely by surprise, GO persons were killed, and between 80 and 90 captured. A few escaped in their night-clothes and fled to Albany, 15 miles distant. The town, which the French claim contained 80 houses, was destroyed with the exception of three or four. and at noon Schenectady was in ashes. A settler by the name of Glen, living a half-mile north across the river, was spared on account of kindness shown at various times to French prisoners in the hands of the Iroquois, and he was even permitted to claim from among the prisoners all his relatives and special friends.

When the party set out on their return they took along 27 men and boys, and a convoy of 40 captured horses laden with spoil, but they left behind about GO old men, women, and children. About 30 Mohawk Indians who were in the place were left unmolested. This was the first of those terrible inroads into the valley of the Mohawk by a savage foe, but the last was not chronicled until nearly a century later, when the American colonies had thrown off their allegiance to Great Britain " and gained a name among the nations of the earth."

The attacking party lost two killed in the meter, and on their retreat, which was made with the utmost possible speed, they were pursued by a band of Mohawks, and at-

. New Style-Sth of February, Old Style.

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

tacked almost within sight of Montreal, when they im- agined themselves safe from pursnit, and 15 of their number killed or captured.

Two great enterprises were planned against the French, in 1690: one, under Sir William Phips, against the settle- ments in Acadia ( Nova Scotia) and adjacent regions, and one, under the same commander, against the stronghold of Quebec. The first was quite successful, but the second proved a failure.

In 1691 an expedition was fitted out at Albany under command of Major Peter Schuyler, after whom the first fort built on the site of Utica, in 1756, was named. The detachment consisted of 266 men, of whom 120 were English and Dutch, 80 Mohawk, and 66 Mohegan Indians. Schuyler penetrated via Lake Champlain to a point on the river Richelieu about ten miles above Fort Chambly, and leaving his canoes under a guard of 27 men, he marched towards La Prairie de la Madeleine, opposite Montreal. Scouts had brought news of his approach, and Callières, the Governor of Montreal, had crossed the St. Lawrence and encamped at La Prairie with 700 or 800 men. Callières was taken sick with fever, and lay helpless in bed for sev- eral days. Between this force and Schuyler's band several severe encounters took place, and although Schuyler claimed to have beaten them, the result compelled him eventually to retreat with a loss of over 40 killed and a great number wounded. The French reported Schuyler's loss at more than 200 killed.

Reprisals continued on both sides, but nothing of im- portance was attempted until January, 1693, when a band of 625 men,-French, Canadians, and Indians,-under the three tried leaders, Mantet, Courtemanche, and La None, passed up Lake Champlain on the ice and through the forests, and, after a march of sixteen days, arrived in the lower part of the Mohawk Valley, almost exactly three years after the destruction of Schenectady. Three of the Mo- hauck towas were destroyed, many of their inhabitants killed, and the remainder, several hundred in number, taken prisoners. On their retreat to Canada they were pursued by Major Peter Schuyler with a hastily-collected force of settlers and Indians amounting to between 500 and 600, who followed the French, and at length found them intrenched in the forest, where their Indians had been per- suaded by the Iroquois that peace was settled between the English and French, and that the English were following them for the purpose of a parley. Some desperate fighting now ensued (for the Indians had ouly practiced a ruse on the Canada Indians), and in the course of a few days, when both parties were nearly out of provisions, the French silently abandoned their breastwork and made a rapid retreat towards Canada. Schnyler's men, who were on the point of starva- tion, refused to follow until a supply-train arrived, which came on the next morning, when they continued the pursuit. The French party was compelled to make the return journey on foot, for the ice would not hold them on Lakes George and Champlain, and they were overtaken in a starving condition ; but they threatened, if attacked, to massacre all their Mo- hawk prisoners, upon which the English Indians refused to continue the pursuit. The expedition finally reached Montreal in straggling bands of starving wretches, many

being brought in by relief-parties sent out to succor them. Under such desperate conditions was war carried on in those days. The result of this expedition was claimed as a grand success by Count Frontenac.

During the years 1693-95 there was much talking of peace between the Iroquois and the French, for the Indians were really getting tired of war. They had lost many of their prominent chiefs, and they accordingly sent deputa- tions to meet Count Frontenac. But nothing decisive was accomplished, for the English watched with a jealous eye any attempt of the French to establish friendly relations with the Iroquois. Major Peter Schuyler called a council of their chiefs at Albany, and told them if they made peace with the French they would be slaves forever ; while Fron- tenac threatened that unless they acceeded to his terms he would chastise them severely .*

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 10

Author: Durant, Samuel W Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss Number of Pages: 920

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920