USA > New York > History of the state of New York. Vol. II, Pt. 2 > Part 7
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But Dongan answered that all the Iroquois nations were under the government of New York, as appeared by its records; that the duke's territories reached " as far as the River of Canada; and that if the French did not come
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HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
en. VIII. south of the Saint Lawrence and Lake Ontario, " the pain. ple" of New York would not go north of them. " I am so 1684. heartily bent," he added, " to promote the quiet and tran quillity of this country and yours, that I intend forthwith to go myself to Albany, on purpose, and there send for the Indians, and require of them to do what is just, in order to a satisfaction to your pretences ; if they will not, I shall not unjustly protect them."*
28 Feb'y.
20 June. Lord How- ard of Ef- fingham visits New York, and is made a freeingn.
Dongan's promised visit to Albany had become more important, because some Iroquois war parties, said to have been instigated by the French missionaries, had gone down the Susquehanna, and committed outrages on the northern settlements of Maryland and Virginia. These hostilities violated the compact made at Albany in August, 1682. So Francis, Lord Howard of Effingham, who had succeed- ed Lord Culpepper as governor of Virginia, thought it nce- essary to instigate Dongan to join him in a war against the Five Nations. Accompanied by two members of his con- cil, Effingham accordingly came to New York, where he was entertained, and was admitted by the city corporation to be a freeman of the metropolis. Lord Effingham ap- pears to have been the first British peer upon whom this distinction was conferred. At Dongan's invitation he sail- ed with him in midsummer up the glorious Hudson to 11- bany, where the five Iroquois cantons of New York had been summoned to meet their "Corlaer.""
Deputies from the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, and Cayugas soon assembled there. Those from the far-off 30 July. Dongan lam at Albany. Senecas had not yet come. Lord Effingham opened the and Effing- conference in presence of Dongan and two of his counsel- ors, and the magistrates of Albany, by recapitulating the broken promises and recent outrages of the Iroquois, and proposed to make "a new chain" between them and Vir- ginia and Maryland, "to endure even to the world's end."+
* Col. Doc., ill., 233, 237, 247, 33, 324, 305, 447, 418. 449, 451, 467 ; v., 551, 731; ix., 200. 207, 226-228, 239, 240, 240, 247, 303; Doc. Hist., i., GT, GS, 73, 74, 202; Quebec MSS., iv. ( !. ), 24G, 248, 251; Council Min., ili. (ii.), 135; v., 40, 80, 90; Colden, i., 41, 53, 60, 61, 62, 24.). 250; Charlevoix, il., 290, 507-313 : La Hontan's Voyages, i., 2-28; Pinkerton, xiii., 254-230; N. Y. H. S. Coll., ii., 256, 257; Shea's Missions, 312, 313; ante, 306, 307, 377.
t Council Min., v., 40, 23; Col. MISS., xxxi., 157, 174; Col. Doc., ill., 394, 406, 442; it . 208, 928, 253; Colden, i., 44; if., $0; Smith. i., 69; Chalmers, i., 346, 557: Burk. i., 227. 281, 292 ; Beverley, TT ; Oldmixon, i., 303 ; Campbell, 333; Collins's Peerage, v., 95; 6. 1. 306, 377.
# In the first edition of Colden, p. 40, the date of this meeting is correctly given as " the
:4 June. 4 July. Dongan firm for New York.
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THOMAS DONGAN, GOVERNOR.
Dongan now accomplished an important purpose. Tak- CH. VIII. ing advantage of the presence of his brother governor from 1684. Virginia, he obtained from the Iroquois their written sub- 30 July. The Iro- mission to "the Great Sachem Charles, that lives on the quois for- mally sub- other side of the great lake." This was recorded upon mit to the "two white dressed deer-skins," which were "to be sent to England. King of the great Sachem in England, that he may write on them, and put a great red seal to them." All the Susquehanna Susque- River above the " Washuta," or Wyalusing Falls, and all lands. the rest of the land of the Iroquois, was thus confirmed to the Duke of York, and " fastened" to his government."
At the same time, Counselor Van Cortlandt, whom the 39 July. Massachusetts goverment appointed to be its agent, had setts and Massachn-
an interview with the Mohawk sachems, and ratified "their quois. the Iro- former and happy friendship" by some small presents.+
The next day the Mohawk sachem Odianne, who spoke 31 July. for the four nations then represented, answered Lord Ef- fingham that the Mohawks were free from blame, but that the Oneidas, Onondagas, and Cayugas had been " stupid, brutish, and void of understanding." In their name, how- ever, he promised "Assarigoa," or " the big knife,"# that Lord I.f- the covenant chain should thenceforth be kept "bright as named fingham silver" between Virginia and Maryland, and the Five Na- tions of New York, whose covenant house at Albany " must quois. the Iro- be kept clean." And then he offered to plant a tree of peace, "whose tops will reach the sun and its branches spread far abroad," so as to cover not only Virginia and Maryland, but Massachusetts, which Van Cortlandt repre- sented. The Oneidas then gave beaver-skins to satisfy what they had promised Lord Baltimore two years before. An Onondaga followed for his own nation :- the Oneidas and Cayugas, asking to " lay hold of the chain," and that thirtieth of July ;" but the London editions of 1747. p. 47, and 1755, i., p. 45, erroneously print thirteenth. This error is foll wel by Burk, ii., 252; Bancroft, ii., 419; Dunlap, i., 136; and others.
* Col. Doc., iii., 317, 363, 994, 406, 417. 418, 505. 500, 515, 516; Colden (first ed.), 64, 05 ; ed. 1755, 1., 55, 56; Doc. Hist., i., 261. 261, 260 ; Penn. Arch., i., 121-123; ante, 376.
f Mass. Rec., v., 461, 402 ; Colden (first ed.), 62; ed. 1735, i., 54; Col. Doc., ill., 594; ante, 500.
# The Mohawks, and Odianne their orator -- misled, perhaps, by Arnout Cornelissen Viele, the Dutch interpreter-mistook Lord Howard's name for " Houwer," a Dutch word, which in English means a hanger or cutlass. This phonetic error made them call the Vit - ginian governor ".1strigoa," which, in the Iroquois tongue, signifies " big knife." This term, "Assarigoa" dike that of ". Corbyer" in New York), was long need by the New York savages to designate the governors of Virginia : Co. Doc., ill., 451; v., cto; viii., 119; ix , [00; Mass, liec., v., 461 ; Colden, 1, 5); ii., 49; shea's ed., 57, 153.
" Assari- goa" by
398
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
CH. VIII. an axe might be buried for each of them. But the Mo-
1684.
Axes buri- ed at Al- bany.
hawks said that no axe need be buried for them, because they had never broken the first chain. Then the five aves -two for Maryland and Virginia, and three for the Omni- das, Onondagas, and Cayugas-" were buried in the south- east end of the court-yard, and the Indians threw the earth upon them. After which my Lord told them them that since now a firm peace was concluded, we shall hereafter remain firm friends, and Virginia and Maryland will send once in two or three years to renew it, and some of our In- dian Sachems shall come according to your desire to con- firm it." After this the Oneidas, Onondagas, and Çayu- gas "jointly sang the Peace Song, with demonstrations of much joy, and thanked the Governor of New York for his effectual mediation with the Governor of Virginia in their favour."*
August. The Duke of York's arms put on the Iroquois castles.
The four nations then asked to have "the Duke of York's arms put upon their castles," which they supposed " would save them from the French." So Dongan order- od Viele, the interpreter, to place them on "cach castle, as far as Oneigra," which was accordingly done. Viele was instructed to forbid the Five Nations, "as subjects of the Duke of York," from holding any conference with the French without the governor's permission; and the Sene- cas were offered four hundred cavalry and as many in- fantry if they should be attacked by the French. Dongan likewise asked the savages to call home those of their na- tions who had settled at Caghnawaga, near Montreal. The sachems adroitly replied, " Corlaer keeps a correspondence with Canada, and therefore he can prevail more than we can. Let Corlaer use his endeavours to draw our Indians home to their own country."t
2 August. Speech of the Onon dagas and Dongan The Onondagas and Cayugas now made " a remarkable speech" to the two English governors, whom they addressed Cayugas to as " Brethren," at the Town Hall of Albany-" Your Sa- and Effing- Chem," they said, " is a great Sachem, and we are but a small ham. people. But when the English first came to Manhattan, Vir-
* Colden (first ed.), 55-61 ; ed. 1755, i., 49-50; ii., 80; Burk. i., 281-2ST ; ante. 305, 205. t Colden (first ed.), 61. 62, 63, 78 (ed. 1855), 1., 53, 54, 65 ; Col. Doc., ill., 303, 596, 412. 4; ': v., 75, 76; ix., 942, 247, 251, 253, 257, 239. 261 ; Doc. Hist .. i., 69, 76, 81, ST ; Charlevoix. Hi . 315. Viele's Journal of his expedition is in Col. MSS., xxxI., 150, and Albany Revo -. xviii., 461-464.
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208
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THOMAS DONGAN, GOVERNOR.
ginia, and Maryland, they were but a small people, and we Cu. VIII. a great people. And finding they were good people, we 1684. gave them land, and treated them civilly. And now, since Speech of you are a great people and we but a small, you will protect the Onon- dagas and us from the French; which, if you do not, we shall lose all Cayugae. our hunting and beavers. The French will have all the Beavers, and are angry with us for bringing any to you."
" We have put all our land and our selfs under the pro- tection of the great Duke of York, the brother of your great Sachem ;- We have given the Susquehanne River, which we won with the sword, to this Government, and de- sire that it may be a branch of that great tree that grows here, whose top reaches to the sun, under whose branches we shall shelter ourselves from the French, or any other people ; And our fire burns in your houses, and your fire burns with us; And we desire that it always may be. so, and will not that any of your Penn's people shall settle upon the Susquehanne River; for our young folks or sol- diers are like wolfs in the woods, as you Sachem of Vir- ginia know, we having no other land to leave to our wives and children."
" We have put ourselves under the Great Sachem Charles that lives over the Great Lake, and we do give you two white dres't deer-skins, to be sent to the Great Sachem Charles, that he may write upon them, and put a great red seale to them, that we do put the Susquehanne River, above the Washinta, or Falls, and all the rest of our land, under the great Duke of York, and to nobody else. Our Brethren, his servants, were as fathers to our wives and children, and did give us bread when we were in need of it ; and we will neither join ourselves nor our land to any other government than this: And this Proposition we de- sire that Corlaer, the Governor, may send over to your Great Sachem Charles that dwells over the Great Lake, with this belt of Wampum-peeg, and another smaller belt for the Duke of York his brother ; and we give a Beaver to the Corlaer to send over this Proposition."
" And you, Great Man of Virginia, We let you know that Great Penn did speak to us here in Corlaer's house, by his Agents, and desired to buy the Susquehanne River. But we would not hearken to him, nor come under his
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HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
Cn. VII. government; and therefore desire you to be witness of what we now do, and that we have already done. And 1654. let your friend that lives over the Great Lake know that we are a free people, uniting ourselves to what Sachem we please ; and do give you one beaver skin.""
5 August. Speech of the Sene- cas to Don- gan and Mingham.
Three days after this speech the Seneca delegates reach- ed Albany, and had an interview with the Governors of New York and Virginia. They asked Lord Effingham to include them in the " new chain" he had made with the other four nations, who, "from the Mohawks' country to the Cayugas, have delivered up the Susquehanna River and all that country to Corlaer's government. We con- firm what they have done by giving this belt." And then, referring to their relations with Canada, they said that its governor was to blame; he furnished arms to their ene- mies, and enticed them to bring beavers to Montreal, which otherwise the Senecas would have brought to their own " brethren" at Albany. Onontio called them his " chil- dren," and talked of protecting them ; but at the same time he " knocked them on the head," by aiding their enemies. " Corlaer," they added, " hear what we say. We thank you for the Duke's Arms, which you have given us to be put on our castles, as a defence to them. You command them. Have we wandered out of the way, as the Governor of Canada says? We do not threaten him with war, as he threatens us. What shall we do? Shall we run away, or shall we sit still in our houses ?"+
5 July. Dongan's notice to De la Barre.
Dongan had, meanwhile, notified De la Barre that the Senecas were under the government of New York; that " the Duke's territories" must not be invaded ; and that the differences between the French in Canada and the New York Iroquois ought to be settled by the " masters in Eu- rope, to whom we should properly refer." And he added. "I have ordered the coats of arms of his Royal Highness the Duke of York, to be put up in the Indian castles. which may dissuade you from acting any thing that may create a misunderstanding between us." De la Barre at
* See copy translated and revised by Secretary Robert Livingston, of this " Proposition." or "Oration," in Col. Doc., ill., 317. 417, 413. 509, 599; Doc. Hist., i., 263, 264, 205. € 1- den, in his first edition, 63-66, and in the ed. of 1735, i., 5 !- 50, varies the wording.
+ Colden (first ed.), GS-CS, 74-17 (ed. 1755), i., 53-58, 62-64; Col. Dec., ill., 509, 500 ; .... 297, 802.
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THOMAS DONGAN, GOVERNOR.
once dispatched the Sieur de Salvaye to Albany with an Cu. VIII. answer to Dongan, that not the governors of New York and Canada, but only the kings of England and France, 1684. 36 July. could decide " about pretensions to the possession of lands." ve la Yet, although the Cayugas and Senecas had claimed the answer. Barre's Governor of New York as their "intercessor," those "rob- bers, assassins, and traitors" would be attacked by the French toward the end of August. De la Barre's messen- ger came to Albany just as the Seneca delegates reached 5 August. there, and was present at the conference with the two En- glish governors. Dongan quickly sent him back to Cana- August. da with a letter to De la Barre, that the French claim to reply. Dongan's the Iroquois country by twenty-five years' possession, and sending Jesuit missionaries, was " very slender;" that he wished a " good correspondence ;" . but that as to all terri- torial claims, he had referred them, " with an entire sub- mission, unto England."*
Accordingly, on returning to the metropolis, Dongan 27 August. sent Baxter, the commandant at Albany, to London, with to London. Dispatches full accounts of what had just been done. Among other events which happened during the governor's absence, the Minisink sachems had appeared before the council, and 2s July. declared themselves under the government of New York. The duke's commissioners approved of Dongan's doings 1 Novem. with the Indians, " because they tend to the continuing that The duke's good correspondence which hath hitherto been held with order :. them, and which is so necessary for the preservation of your peltry trade." But they cautioned him "to act so prudently" toward his European neighbors as to give them " no just cause of complaint."+
In spite of Dongan, De la Barre persisted to attack the 14 August. De la Senecas, and went to Fort Frontenac with all the force of Barre's ex. pcJition Canada, consisting of some twelve hundred men, who were against the pompously reviewed. On his way up the Saint Lawrence, Iroquois. the governor was joined by James Lamberville, who brought discouraging letters from his brother at Ononda- 10-18 July. ga, and by Millet, who now abandoned his mission at Oneida. Lamberville was sent back with friendly mes- 19 August. sages to the Onondagas, and was followed by Charles le 's Ang-
" Col. Doc .. ill., 442-452, 473; ix., 242; Doc. Ilist .. i .. 60-72; Col. MS$., xxxi., 157; Col- den, 74; i., 62; Smith, i., 50. t Council Min., v., 93, 94; Col. Doc., iii., 351, 352. II .- Cc
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HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
- 1684.
Cn. VIII. Moyne, who invited the Iroquois to meet Onnontio at " LA Famine," or the Salmon River, and took back Tegancourt, the Seneca ambassador, whom De la Barre had arrested at Quebec. A detachment was also sent forward from Fort Frontenac, to encamp at La Famine, so as to be " nearer the enemy," and be able, by hunting and fishing, to refresh the rest of the army."
T' Ang.
og Ang.
at the On-
Viele, or " Atie," ondaga council.
At Onondaga Le Moyne met Viele, whom Dongan had sent on horseback from Albany to warn the Five Nations not to speak to the Canadians without his permission. Dongan's messenger succeeded very well with the Mo- hawks at Tionnontoguen, and with the Oneidas, "who promised that they would not go near the French Govern- or." But, when Viele came to Onondaga, he was confront- ed, in a council of that nation and the Oneidas and Cayu- gas, by three French agents, much more able than himself. These were, De la Barre's messenger, Charles le Moyne, or Acossen, " the Partridge," with the Jesuit Father John de Lamberville -- whom the Iroquois had named Teiorensere, which in their picturesque language meant " the dawning of the day"-and his younger brother James, whom they called Onnissantic. But Dongan's Dutch-English emis- sary did his work badly. In the Iroquois council. Viele, whom they called " Arie," spoke "like a master" to the American owners of New York, and told them that they belonged to the King of England and the Duke of York ; that their council-fires were lighted at Albany; and that they must not talk with the Governor of Canada. This discourse offended the Onondagas, who replied that they would go and meet Onnontio. "You say we are sub- jects of the King of England and the Duke of York, but we say we are Brethren. We must take care of Ourselves. Those arms fixed upon the post without the gate cannot defend us against the arms of La Barre." Flattery and presents from Canada had meanwhile gained over one of the Onondaga chiefs named Outreouati, or Hoteouati, or
* Col. Doc .. ili., 431, 445, 407, 473 ; ix., 172, 174, 234-936, 241, 242, 552-956; Doc. I'Mt . i., 74, 45, 83 80; Charlevoix. if., 313, 314, 315; Shea's Charlevoix, ifi , 948-551; Colden, i .. 64, 151 ; La Hontan, i., 39-43 ; Sheit's Missions, 277. 313; ante. 395. The Indian name if La Famine, now known as Salmon River, in Oswego County, was "* Gainhouague." or " K. ! hohage." where Froutenee had been invited to meet the Iroquois in 1082: Col. Doc .. i . 431, 445; ix., 172, 174, 259 ; Colden, 1., 64, 65, 151; ante, 364. In Doc. Ilist., i, 63, it i- 5: correctly called Hungry Bay, in Jefferson County.
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THOMAS DONGAN, GOVERNOR.
Haaskonaun, whom the French called "La Grande Gueule," Cn. VIII. because he had " the strongest head and loudest voice among the Iroquois." A few words " whispered in his 1684. Grande cars" by the French agents made the Indian orator use Gueule opposes "high words" against Dongan's messenger. "Learn," said Corlaer. he, "that the Onondaga places himself between Onnontio his father, and the Seneca his brother, to hinder them from fighting. I should have thought that Corlaer would have placed himself behind me, and cried 'Courage, Onondaga, do not let the father and the son kill each other.' I am very much surprised that his envoy talks to me quite oth- erwise. * * * I have two arms, one of which I extend to Montreal, to support there the tree of peace; the other is on the head of Corlaer, who for a long time has been my brother. Onnontio has been for ten years my father, and Corlaer for a long time my brother; and this, because I have willed it so. Neither the one nor the other is my master. Ile who made the world has given me the land The Iro- which I occupy. I am free. I have respect for both. queis free. But nobody has the right to command me ; and nobody should take it ill that I use every means to prevent the land from being troubled. I cannot any longer put off going to my father, since he has taken the trouble to come to my gate, and has only reasonable propositions to make to me." But, with "Iroquois cunning," the Ononda- gas asked Le Moyne to have their conference with De la Barre postponed until they could obtain Dongan's permis- sion. This, however, was declined, and arrangements were quickly made for an embassy to meet Onnontio at La Famine."
The news was soon carried to De la Barre, at Fort Fron- Deh tenac, where affairs were now bad enough. Fever had so Fort I'roa- Bane at reduced himself and his forces, both there and at La I'a- mine, that it was out of the question to attack the Senecas. The Western auxiliaries assembled at Niagara were order- ed to return home, and De la Barre hastened across the lake to Salmon River. Some of the sick were sent back to
" Col. Doc., iv., 192 ; ix., 155, 942, 243. 951, 957, SBS, 886: Cil. MISS., xxxi., 150 : Albany Rec., xviii., 461; Doc. Ilist., i .. 76, ST, SS ; Charlevoix, il., 315-317, 370, 371 ; She's Char- levoix, iii., 351-853; Colden, 75-51; i., 63-GT; La Hontan, i., 46, 125; Bancroft, il., 421 ; ante, 964, 596, 398. As to the meaning of the Indian names of Lamberville and Millet, compare Shea's Colden, 79, 50. 135, and Catholic Missions, PTT ; Colden (ed. 1.75), L., Co, 114; Col. Doc., iii, 459; iz, 0G5 ; Ret. 1672, 12, 21; ante, 178.
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HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
1684. 3 Septem. and at La Famine.
4 Septem. Conference at La Fa- mine.
Bruyas's speech for De la
Barre.
Granite Gueule's reply to I la Barre.
(n. VIII. Montreal, and messengers were dispatched to hurry for. ward the Indian delegation from Onondaga. Le Movie, with nine Onondagas, three Oncidas, and two Cayugss. headed by Grande Gueule, and the younger Garacontie. soon came to La Famine. The French regaled them with abundant lake trout; and a conference was appointed for the next day. De la Barre was then sitting in an arm- chair, with his interpreters and officers on each side, while the Iroquois sat on the ground, " in the Oriental fashion," facing the French. Bruyas spoke for De la Barre; Outre- ouati, or Grande Gueule, and Garacontie for the Iroquois; and the Seneca Tegancourt was also present. In a bold harangue, Bruyas, on the part of Onnontio, charged the New York Iroquois with robbing and abusing the Freuch traders among the Illinois and Miamis, and with introduc- ing the English into the lakes belonging to the King of France; and threatened to destroy the villages of the Five Nations if they did not give satisfaction to the French. Amazed that the "soft words" of Lamberville and Le Moyne at Onondaga were turned into such threats at Salmon River, Grande Gueule, who had all the while kept his eye fixed on his calumet, or pipe of peace, arose, and, after five or six turns around the French and Indian circle, replied with telling sarcasm : "Onnontio, I honor you ; but the Five Nations have not yet perished. I congratu- late you that you have buried the murderous axe which has been so often red with French blood. I see you dreaming in a camp of sick men, whom the Great Spirit has allowed to live. We have introduced the English into our Lakes to trade with the Ottawas and Hurons, just as the Algonquins conducted the French to our Five Villages to carry on a commerce which the English say belongs to them. But we are born free. We no more depend on Onnontio than on Corlaer. We can go where we will, to take there what we think proper, and buy and sell as we please. We have attacked the Illinois and Miamis, be- canse they cut down the trees of Peace on our frontiers. When we buried the axe in the middle of the Fort at Ca- taracouy, in the presence of your predecessor, we thought that the post would be a trading place, and not a garrison. Take care that the tree of peace planted there be not
a
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THOMAS DONGAN, GOVERNOR.
choked by a crowd of your soldiers. Our warriors will not Cu. VIII. dig up the hatchet until their Brothers, Onnontio or Cor- laer, shall undertake to attack the countries which the 1684. Great Spirit has allotted to our ancestors." On hearing this speech, De la Barre retired to his tent, and began to bluster. But in the afternoon he talked again for three hours with the savages, and then agreed to a peace, of which the main points were that his troops were to return at once to Quebec, and that, in fighting the Illinois, the Iro- quois were not to hurt the French. On this basis a formal 5 Septem. treaty was made. De la Barre hastened back to Canada, Barre's De la whence the best report that he could send to France was, La l'a. treaty at that his campaign had "not been bloody." Yet, with char- 7 October. acteristic folly, he declared that affairs in Europe alone prevented him from marching against Dongan, " who fain would assume to be sovereign Lord of the whole of North America, south of the River Saint Lawrence.""
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