History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 6

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

USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 6

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

" They soon got upon their trail, and followed them up the Oriskany Creek to some point above the forks, where they had crossed over, crossing the south branch near the present site of Waterville; they then returned on that side of the creek, passing but a short distance in the rear of Clinton, pursuing their course for the trading-house of John Post, near Fort Schuyler (now the city of Utica). When the pursuers came to the Sauquoit Creek. near the site of New Hartford, the indications were snch they were confi- dent the Indians were but a few minutes in advance. They, therefore, divided their party ; one-half, the most active, taking a circuitous route, to get in front, while the rest were to follow in the rear. The plan succeeded admir- ably, for in a short time they had the whole party prisoners. The Indians at first stoutly denied having any knowledge of the steer, but the whites not being so easily duped, pro- ceeded to search their packs, when, on opening that of Saucy Nick, the hide and bell of the missing animal made their appearance. The proof being now too convincing to render any further denial beneficial, some of them frankly confessed to having killed and eaten the steer. The In- dians were, therefore, all taken back to Clinton as pris- oners.

" At some point of time after the capture, Saucy Nick being very obstinate, one of the party by the name of Cook, a large, athletic man, became so exasperated that he was about to strike him with his rifle, which another of the party prevented by seizing the rifle; yet Cook succeeded in giving him a blow with his cane.

" Notwithstanding the length of the pursuit, the military had not dispersed when the party with the prisoners re- turned to the settlement. The Indians then requested the favor of letting one of their number go to Queida to acquaint their chiefs of the situation in which they had placed themselves; engaging that the messenger should return the next morning by the time the sun was an hour high, and that the rest of them would remain under guard as hostages.

" The request was granted, and the runner forthwith dis- patched. The messenger punctually returned the next morning at the time specified.

" In the course of the forenoon Scanandoa, Becchtree, and about twenty other Oneida chiefs arrived, aud requested a 4

council with the whites. The principal settlers were ealled together, and the council agreed upon the Rev. Mr. Kirk- land to act as interpreter. Esquire Foot to be chief speaker on the part of the whites, and Beechtree on the part of the Indians.

" The council was held in the old log church which stood near the centre of the village of Clinton, the Indians occu- pying one side of the building and the whites the other. After the preliminaries were all arranged, and the parties had taken their seats, some fifteen or twenty minutes of silence was allowed to intervene. In view of the savage, it is a very great departure from dignity and deeorum to show any impatience or haste in opening the council. Beechtree now arose and commenced :

" Will our brothers hearken ? When our father ( Esquire Foot) and the pale-faces came from towards the rising sun and set themselves down here in the valley of the River of Nettles (Oriskany is the Indian name, and signifies ' River of Nettles'), we made a covenant with him. (Here he set forth the covenant substantially as I have stated it in the commencement of this article. ) This covenant our father and his people have kept; with them it is very strong ; they have not broken it; onr father and his people dealt in good faith with their red brothers. About six suns ago some of our people came to dig ginseng; they knew the covenant, for we had told them ; but they were very bad people ; with them the covenant was like the pipes that we get of the white traders,-very easily broken ; they killed and ate the young ox of the white man ; they broke the covenant. Will our father inform his red children what they must do to mend the broken covenant? It must be mended.' He then sat down.

" Esquire Foot now rose and told them that to mend the broken covenant their bad men must pay the owner for the young ox. They must also pay his young men for the time spent in pursuit of those who broke the covenant.

" Beechtree again rose and said : 'Our father has said well ; the young ox must be paid for, and the young men must be paid; we do not use oxen; we have eows; we know how much they are worth, but we do not know how much the young ox was worth ; will our father tell us ?'

" Esquire Foot told him that the young ox was worth as much as the best cow at Oneida, as it was very fat and good.

" Beechtree then said, 'The owner of the young ox shall have our best cow ; will our father tell us which it is ?'

" Esquire Foot, knowing the cows at Oneida, told Beech- tree that a certain brown, white-faced cow would be accepted by the owner of the young ox.

" Beechtree again said, 'Our father is very wise,-he knows the best cow ; before the setting of the sun to-mor- row our young men will drive and deliver that eow. Will our father tell us how much his young men must have ?'

" Esquire Foot now informed him that his red brothers, the chiefs present, were good men ; that they mended the covenants that their bad people broke ; that they might give his young men what they thought would be right.

" Beechtree now said, ' Will our brothers again hearken ? Our bad men who broke the covenant were digging gin- seng; they had gathered some, which they have in their

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

packs; will our father look at it and say how much it is worth ? Post, who keeps the trading-house at Fort Schuy- ler, will buy it.'

" Esquire Foot examined the ginseng, and informed Beechtree that it would bring a certain sum, which he named, it being a very liberal one.

" Becchtree said, 'It is a fair price, but it is not enough to pay the young men. They may take it at that price, and about the first of next snow Mr. Taylor, the agent, will be here, to pay us the money for the twenty townships we sold at Albany ; we will give you a paper directing him to pay you a certain sum (which he named) ; we will make our cross on the paper,-we cannot write; Mr. Taylor will then pay you, and when he pays us the rest of the money to divide among our people, we shall not give any to those who broke the covenant, so that when they see they lose their best cow, have their ginseng taken from them, and have no money given them, they will be punished ; they will be careful not to break the covenant any more.' This proposition was agreed to, and the writing made ont and signed. Beechtree then said, 'If the covenant is mended, let us again be friends.' Esquire Foot told him that if the cow was delivered the next day, the covenant would be made good, and they would all be good friends again ; and the council then broke up with much good will and satis- faction on both sides.

" It is proper here to remark that the cow was punctually delivered the next day, and the draft was duly honored by Mr. Taylor. During the whole sitting of the council, Beechtree, before he made or accepted any proposition, had a consultation with the other chiefs, and Esquire Foot had frequent conversations with and the advice of the settlers.

" But there was one proud and revengeful spirit iu that council which did not give an assent to their being again friends. I allude to Sancy Nick. He had, during the whole sitting, sat with his head down in sullen silence, the blow which he had received from Cook while a prisoner still rankling and festering in his bosom. When the rest left the house he went away with them without uttering a word, but inwardly vowing revenge, as might be seen by the close observer in the snake-like glances of the eye towards Cook. A few weeks later, Cook had occasion to go to Fort Schuyler with his cart and oxen. While there and standing near his team, Saucy Nick made at him with his drawn knife. Cook had barely time to elude the blow by jumping into his cart and defending himself with the butt of his whip. Saucy Nick soon gave over the attempt at that time. Not long afterwards, as Cook was chopping on his lot, an arrow whizzed by him but a few inches from his body. The arm that drew the bow was not to be mis- taken. It was also a warning to Cook that nothing but his heart's blood would wipe off the disgrace of the blow given with the cane. lIe had now learned the character of the savage; that his attempts would never be given over until his aim was sure ; that length of time would never heal his revenge or deter him from his purpose. Cook, therefore, with the advice of his friends, sold out his ' betterments' and removed back to Connecticut.

" It has been said, and very generally believed, that the savage never forgave a real or supposed injury or insult, but

carried his resentment to his grave. In the following in- stance it is presented in a somewhat different point of view :

" Major Barnabas Pond, who now in his eighty-fourth year, a good and green old age,* on his farm, near Clinton, at an early day in its settlement, kept a public-house in said village. One morning, a young Oneida chief (who spoke tolerably good English), of some twenty-three or twenty- four years of age, in company with his wife, came into the tavern and called for some rum ; Major Pond told him he did not let Indians that were intoxicated have any liquor, but, as he appeared perfectly sober, if he would not drink too much, he might have some. The Indian promised to be cautious, and after getting the rum, drank very sparingly, giving a part to his wife. After sitting a few minutes they went away.

" In the course of the afternoon they returned with five other Indians. The young chief was now evidently excited with liquor. He stepped up to the bar and called for a half- pint of rum. Major Poud told him he should not let him have any ; that he had already drank too much, and that he informed him in the morning he did not let drunken Indians have liquor. The chief replied, that he did not want it for himself, he knew that he had drank enough,- that he had drank too much,-he wanted it for the Indians with him; they were his friends, and he wanted to treat them ; that he would not taste a drop of it; at the same time showing a piece of money he had, tied up in a hand- kerchief. With this promise the major let him have the rum. He was true to his word, for, without tasting it, he gave it to the others, who drank it off. After the liquor was drank some said it was time to be going, when they all started. Major Pond now told the chief he had not paid for the rum ; he replied that he had no money and could not pay. The major told him it was not so; he had money and had shown it; that he now told a falsehood in denying having money. The chief now flew into a passion, saying, ' What you say, I lie ?' and approached the major, at the same time drawing his knife.

" The major, a strong, athletic man, now thought it time to act on the defensive; he therefore struck the knife arm between the elbow and shoulder a blow with the edge of his hand, which caused the knife to fly over the chief's head across the room ; he then, in the same manner, struck him another blow across the throat, at the same time giving him a trip, which brought him to the floor, or, to use the major's own words, 'he fell like an ox knocked down in a slaughter-house.' The Indian, however, soon commenced catching for breath, and in a short time was able to rise up and stand upon his feet. After standing for a short time to recover himself, he took the handkerchief that contained the money, and threw it to the major, who took his pay and offered to return it, together with the knife, which he had picked up. The Indian refused to take the articles, without assigning any reason. The major then took them to the chief's wife, who likewise refused them, well knowing that if she accepted them after her husband had refused she would have given him very great offense. They all soon went away.

# Written in 1851.

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

" Some few weeks afterwards, the young chief came again, and was very penitent; he begged the major's pardon, said he behaved very bad when in liquor; that he had served him right in knocking him down ; he hoped he should be forgiven, and that they would be friends again. The major frankly forgave him, and promised his friendship if he behaved well in future, and then went and got the handker- chief and knife, and again offered them to the owner. They were again refused, he stating as a reason that he had for- foited his knife, and would not carry it. He behaved so very bad when he was intoxicated, he was afraid he should do some mischief with it. The matter here ended, and the young chief, who was afterwards frequently in Clinton, never showed any ill will towards our landlord."

The Tuscaroras .- This nation formerly dwelt in North Carolina, but becoming involved in a war with the whites, about 1711, they suffered very severely, and were reduced from an estimated population in 1708 of 6000 souls to about 1250. After the war they migrated north ward, and claimed a home among the celebrated Five Nations, to whom they were probably allied by ancient family tics. They became the guests of the Oneidas, who assigned them a portion of their territory lying between the Unadilla and Chenango Rivers. About 1780 a portion of this nation removed to the neighborhood of the Niagara River, where they were partly subsisted for a time by the British government. In 1783 the lands formerly occupied by them in the Oneida territory were disposed of to the State for $11,500. They afterwards settled among the Senecas, who granted them a tract of land about one mile square, which was reserved to them in 1797, when the Senecas sold all their lands to the State. The Tuscaroras subsequently recovered a consid- crable sum from their lands in North Carolina, and with the proceeds purchased, in 1804, for $13,722, a tract of 4329 acres of the Holland Land Company, which, with the amount before granted them by the State and the said com- pany, made up a total of 6249 acres, which they now hold and cultivate. It lies on the Niagara River.

The population of this nation in Niagara County, ac- cording to the census of 1865, was 414.

The Stockbridge Indians .- " The Stockbridge Indians were named after the town of Stockbridge, Mass., where they formerly resided. In 1735 the Legislature of Mas- sachinsetts granted a township six miles square, to be laid out on the Housatonic River, for the use of these Indians and such others as might join them. The object of the colony was to collect them together in this place, where they could have the benefits of the Christian teacher aud of schools. Previously they had lived in scattered clans in the western part of the colony.

" They have very generally been known as the Mo-he-kan- neews, and a corruption of their name is variously written Mah-he-ka-neew, Muh-he-kan-ock, signifying ' the people of the great waters continually in motion.'* By the early English colonists they were called 'River Indians' (most probably because they lived near the Connecticut River).

" In 1736 these Indians removed to the township thus granted them (the present towns of Stockbridge and West Stockbridge), which was soon after confirmed to them, their heirs and assigns. A meeting-house and school-house were crected for them by the colony, the first of which was opened for worship Nov. 29, 1739. In 1734 a mission had been commenced among these Indians by John Sargent, Sr., then a candidate for the ministry, assisted by Deacon Timothy Woodbridge, as a schoolmaster, under the patronage of the board of commissioners for Indian affairs in Boston. Mr. Sargent was then a tutor in Yale College, but relin- quishing his place, was, on the 31st of August, 1734, ordained at Deerfield, Mass., as a gospel minister. Upon the occasion of his ordination, Governor Belcher, a committee of both branches of the Legislature, and a large number of Indians from several tribes, were present. The Stockbridge or Housatonic Indians, as they were then called, formally ac- cepted him as their missionary. The Indians at Stock- bridge in a few years numbered from 400 to 500.

" In 1741, Mr. Sargent projected a manual labor semi- nary and boarding-school for the education of Indian youth, but which, from the dangers and excitements that followed the first French war, did not go into successful operation for several years. This school became highly popular with the Indians and inhabitants generally, and enjoyed the confi- dence and aid of many of the best men in England, among whom were Dr. Isaac Watts, Captain Coram, etc.

"Such were the benefits the Stockbridge Indians received from this school, that the Six Nations became interested in the education of their children, and held a council at Stockbridge to consider the plan of sending their children here to school. Rev. Mr. Sargent died July 27, 1749, aged thirty-nine years. He was a native of New Jersey, a graduate of Yale College in 1729, and lived to see the Stockbridge Indians increase from eight or ten families to more than fifty, with a number of framed houses and con- siderably advanced in agriculture. He left tlirce children, the youngest of whom, John Sargent, Jr., will be named hereafter. Rev. Jonathan Edwards succeeded him in the school.

" The last French war destroyed the hopes of the Six Nations with regard to this school, but to the Stockbridge Indians it was the source of many blessings. Jan. 4, 1758, Mr. Edwards resigned his charge for the presidency of Princeton College, but died on the 22d of March following. In 1759, Rev. Dr. Stephen West became the missionary and teacher of the Indians,-a post which he filled until 1775.

" Prior to this time a tract of land, six miles square, called New Stockbridge, had been granted to this tribe by the Oneidus, but the war of the Revolution prevented their removal to it for several years.t During the last French war the Stockbridge Indians took sides with the English, and were many of them received as soldiers by Massachusetts. At the commencement of the Revolution they declared their attachment for the Americans, and raised a company of ' minute-men,' who subsequently acted

# It is not well defined who these Indians were. Mr. Jones says they were not Mohicans. They were probably remnants of a Connecticut River tribe.

A small portion of them removed prior to the war, probably in 1775. See address to Governor Trumbull in that year, Chapter VIII. of this work.

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

as rangers in the vicinity of Boston, commanded by Cap- tain Timothy Yokun, one of their chiefs. A full company went to White Plains under Captain Daniel Nimham, another chief, where four were killed and several died of disease, At the close of the war General Washington directed a feast to be prepared for the Indians in considera- tion of their good conduct, and an ox was roasted whole, of which the tribe partook,-the men first and then the women and children. Rev. John Sargent, Jr., and Judge Dean presided at the table.

" In 1775, upon the resignation of Dr. West, Rev. John Sargent, Jr., son of their first missionary, took charge of the mission and school. He had received an education at Newark, N. J., and perfectly understood the language of the Indians. In 1783 a portion of the tribe removed to New Stockbridge ; in 1785 another portion ; and the residue of the tribe in 1788. In 1785 the Indian members of the church at Stockbridge, sixteen in number, took letters of dis- missal, and immediately formed a church at their new home. At this time the tribe numbered about four hundred and twenty souls. Mr. Sargent was ordained pastor of the infant church, and regularly spent six months in the year at New Stockbridge until 1796, when he removed his family thither. He continued his labors with this people up to the time of his death, Sept. 8, 1824, at the age of seventy-seven years.

" In 1796 the Legislature granted a tract of land, one mile square, adjoining Stockbridge, to Rev. Mr. Sargent, known as Sargent's Patent. In 1818 the Stockbridge Indians num- bered 438 souls, and owned about 17,000 acres of land in Oneida and Madison Counties. Nearly one hundred and fifty* years ago the Miamis granted the Stockbridge, Dela- ware, and Munsie tribes the right to occupy forever a large tract of land upon the White River, in Indiana. The Dela- wares went many years ago and took possession. In 1818 about one quarter of the Stockbridge tribe went west, by invitation of the Delawares, to reside upon this land, the remainder of the tribe intending to follow soon ; but before those who started had arrived at their new home, they learned that the Delawares had sold the whole tract to the government of Indiana. In 1821 the Six Nations and the Stockbridge, St. Regis, and Munsie tribes purchased of the Menominees and Winnebagoes a large tract of land upon Green Bay and the Winnebago and Fox Rivers, in Wis- consin. In 1822 a large part of the tribe remaining re- moved to that territory, and the rest soon followed. There they have made considerable advance in civilization, and are in general sober and industrious."

The Brotherton Indians .- " The Brotherton tribe of In- dians was composed of the remnants of various tribes who had resided in New Jersey, upon Long Island, and the northern shore of Long Island Sound. Many of them at the settle- ment of the country were powerful tribes, but all of them had become reduced to mere wrecks and remnants. The Oneidas invited them to come and reside upon their territory, and the State government also aided in collecting them together and settling them at their new homes. The tribes which

at different periods have thus been consolidated to form the Brothertons were the Nanticokes, Narragansetts, Mon- tuuks, Mohegans (or Mohicans), Pequots (or Pequods), Nehantics, Connoys, Tutecoes, Saponeys, Shinecocks, and probably others.

" When the Brothertons began to collect is a question difficult to be answered; but it is certain that the com- ponent remnants which formed the tribe came at different periods. Their location was upon and near the Oriskany, within the limits of the present town of Marshall. Having no common language, they adopted the English, and soon no other was spoken among them. They derived their name, ' Brothertons,' from the fact of their union of so many tribes.

" At the time of the treaty of Fort Stanwix, in Novem- ber, 1768, the Governor and Commissioners of New Jersey purchased of the Oneidas, with the consent of their attor- neys, a tract of upwards of 30,000 acres, in trust for the natives of New Jersey, south of the Raritan, which tract took the name of Brotherton. In 1763, Sir William Johnson reported that the Nauticokes, Conoys, Tutecoes, Suponeys, etc., numbering 200 warriors (1000 souls), had removed from the southward and settled ' on and about the Susquehanna, on lands allotted them by the Six Nations,' and lived immediately under their direction. These were doubtless Brothertons.

" ()n the 22d of June, 1775, the Colonial Congress of New York granted a pass to Joseph Johnson, 'a Mohegun Indian and licensed preacher among the Brotherton and Oneida Indians, and his three friends, James Shattuck, John Skesuck, and Samuel Tallman, to New London, Conn., and back' to Brotherton. In 1776, David Fowler and five other Indians from Connecticut and Long Island, who were Baptists, removed to Brotherton, and established Baptist meetings; the second by that denomination west of Albany (the first was at Butternuts, in 1773).

" In 1786 the Rev. Samson Occum, a Mohegan, with 192 Montauks and Shinecocks from Long Island, Mohe- gans from Connecticut, and Narragansetts from Rhode Island, emigrated to Brotherton. Mr. Occum was born at Mohegan, near Norwich, Conn., in 1723, and at the age of nineteen entered Rev. Dr. Wheelock's charity school at Lebanon, Conn., and was the first Indian ever educated at that place. He was a thoroughly educated Indian, and in 1748 taught a school at New London. Soon afterwards he removed to Montauk, Long Island, where he remained as a teacher for ten or eleven years among the Indians, by whom he was greatly beloved. He was also, a part of this time, a licensed preacher. He was ordained August 29, 1759, by the Suffolk Presbytery. In 1766 he was sent to England by President Wheelock, to solicit aid for the In- dian school at Lebanon, known in those days as Moore's Indian Charity School. Being the first Indian preacher who had visited England, he attracted much attention, and preached to crowded houses. He preached in the King's chapel before George III. ; also in the pulpit of Whitfield

# This was written about 1851, and would fix the offer as early as 1700, which is extremely doubtful.

+ There is some doubt about this statement. Butternuts, in Otsege County, if the one incant, was not settled until about 1790 .- His- torian.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 6

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