USA > New York > Genesee County > Our county and its people : a descriptive and biographical record of Genesee County, New York, v. 1 > Part 3
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The 18th, going to Canagorah, we overtook the prisoners. When the soldiers saw us, they stopped each his prisoner, and made him sing and cut off their fingers and slashed their bodies with a knife; and, when they had sung, each man confessed how many men he had killed. That day, at Canagorah, there were most cruelly burned four men, four women and one boy; the cruelty lasted aboat sevea hours; when they were almost dead, letting them loose to the mercy of the boys, and taking the hearts of such as were dead to feast on.
Canoenada lies about four miles to the southward of Canagorah; contains about thirty houses, well furnished with corn.
Keint-he lies about four or five miles to the southward of Tistehatan; contains about twenty-four houses, well furnished with corn.
The Senekas are counted in all about 1,000 fighting men.
Whole force-Magas
300
Oneydoes
200
Onondagoes
350
Cayugas
300
Senekas
1,000
Total 2.150 fighting men.
Rev. Samuel Kirkland left Johnson's Hall at Johnstown, Fulton county, January 10, 1565, accompanied by two Seneca Indians, upon a mission embracing all the centres of population among the Iroquois. He finally reached Kanadasagea, the principal town of the Senecas, where he delivered to the sachem the message, or letter of introduc- tion, furnished to him by Sir William Johnson. He was received in a friendly spirit, excepting by a limited number of Indians, who appeared to dislike his advent. The Senecas, after deliberating over the mat- ter, finally decided that he should establish his residence among them. A few weeks after his arrival he was formally adopted into the family
I Probably the Genesee.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
of the chief sachem of the nation. This adoption was effected only after formal ceremonies. Upon his entrance into the council one of the chiefs, after a short period of silence, said :
Brothers, open your ears and your eyes. You see here our white brother who has come from a great distance, recommended to us by our great chief, Sir William John- son, who has enjoined it upon us to be kind to him, and to make him comfortable and to protect him to the utmost of our power. He comes to do us good. Brothers, this young white brother of ours has left his father's house, and his mother, and all his relations. We must now provide for him a house. I am appointed to you and to our young white brother, that our head sachem adopts him into his family. He will be a father to him, and his wife will be a mother, and his sons and daughters will be his brothers and sisters.
The head sachem of the Senecas, arising, then took him by the hand, called him his son and led him to the spot where his family were seated. "A smile of cheerfulness sat on every countenance," says Mr. Kirkland in his journal, "and I could not refrain from tears; tears of joy and gratitude for the kind Providence that had protected me through a long journey, brought me to the place of my desire, and given me so kind a reception among the poor savage Indians."
Unfortunately, however, the relations begun on such a friendly basis were destined to be interrupted with a menace against the missionary sent out by Sir William. A few days after Mr. Kirkland had become a member of the Indian family referred to, the head of this family, a man greatly respected, fell ill and died. Several of the Senecas, who were jealous of the young missionary on account of his great popularity among the nation as a whole, at once made the death of this Indian a pretext for creating, or attempting to create, a feeling of prejudice against him, alleging that the death was produced by magic, or that it was " an intimation of the displeasure of the Great Spirit at his visit and residence among them." They insisted that the safety of the remain- der of the nation demanded that the newcomer must instantly be put to death. Upon these presentations councils were convened, and for several days the Senecas deliberated over the matter. In this hour of trial the chief sachem proved the steadfast friend of Mr. Kirkland, opposing every proposition to do him any harm of whatsoever nature. The counsels of the friends of the threatened minister prevailed in the end, and thereafter he lived, as he said in his journal, " in great har- mony, friendship and sociability." For eight years prior to the Revo- lution he lived among the Senecas, and during that struggle, though he had been sent among them by a warm adherent of the British cause,
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RED JACKET.
he succeeded in diverting many of the members of the nation from ad- herence to the cause of the crown. He exerted a strong influence among them, and in after years his services were much sought by those who desired to hold councils with them for the purpose of entering up- on treaties with them.
About a hundred years ago Red Jacket was a powerful chief of the Senecas, who at that time had lost their independent power and become wards of the American nation. In 1992 he and Farmer's Brother, representing the Senecas, visited the American capital, Philadelphia, when President Washington presented to the former a silver medal, which he wore on State occasions during the remainder of his life. Red Jacket at that time professed to be friendly to civilization, but in after years he became a slave to spirituous liquors and lost much of his prestige, both with the federal government and his own tribe. He died January 20, 1830. Farmer's Brother was an influential and elo- quent chief and warrior. During the latter days of his life he was the staunch friend of peace and civilization and did much to spread princi- ples of temperance among his tribe. Another famous Indian of those days was John O'Bail, commonly known as Cornplanter, who was ac- knowledged as leader by a band of Senecas on the Allegany Reserva- tion.
Red Jacket was born in 1756. His birthplace is believed to have been at a place formerly called " Old Castle, " about three miles west of Geneva. His Indian name was Sa-go-yon-wat-ha, signifying "one who keeps awake by magical influence." During the Revolution the Senecas fought under the British standard. Although quite young, his activity and intelligence attracted the attention of the British officers. who presented to him a richly embroidered scarlet jacket. This he wore on all occasions, and from this circumstance arose the name by which he was known among the whites. During the Revolution he took little or no part therein as a warrior, but his personal activity and transcendent talents won the esteem of his tribe. A gentleman who knew him intimately for more than thirty years in peace and war spoke of him in the following terms:
Red Jacket was a perfect Indian in every respect, in costume, in his contempt of the dress of the white men, in his hatred of and opposition to the missionaries, and in his attachment to and veneration for the ancient customs and traditions of his tribe. He had a contempt for the English language, and disdained to use any other than his own. He was the finest specimen of the Indian character that I ever Anew. and sustained it with more dignity than any other chief. He was second to none in
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
authority in his tribe. As an orator he was unequalled by any other Indian I ever saw. His language was beautiful and figurative, as the Indian language always is, and delivered with the greatest ease and fluency. His gesticulation was easy, grace- ful and natural. His voice was distinct and clear, and he always spoke with great animation. His memory was very strong. I have acted as interpreter to most of his speeches, to which no translation could do adequate justice.
Many interesting anecdotes, illustrative of the peculiarities of his character and his ready eloquence, are related. At a council held with the Senecas, a dispute arose between Governor Tompkins and Red Jacket, in relation to a treaty of several years' standing. The governor made a cerain statement, and the famous chief insisted that the reverse was true. " But." came the reply, "you have forgotten-we have it written down on paper." " The paper then tells a lie," was Red Jack- et's reply; " I have it written here," placing his hand with great dig- nity upon his brow. "You Yankees are born with a feather between your fingers; but your paper does not speak the truth. The Indian keeps his knowledge here-this is the book the Great Spirit gave us -- it does not lie." The treaty in question was immediately referred to. when, to the astonishment of all present, and to the triumph of the bronzed statesman, the document confirmed every word he had uttered.
At a treaty held with the Indians during the Revolution, La Fayette was present. The object of the convention was to effect a union of the various tribes in amity with the patriot cause. The majority of the chiefs were friendly, but there was much opposition made to the pro- posal, especially by one young warrior, who declared that when an al- liance was entered into with America, he should consider that the sun of his country had set forever. In his travels through the Indian coun . try, when on his last visit to America, La Fayette referred to the treaty in question at a large assemblage of chiefs, and turning to Red Jacket said: " Pray tell me, if you can, what has become of that daring youth who so decidedly opposed all propositions for peace and amity?" ". ] myself, am the man," answered Red Jacket, "the decided enemy of the Americans so long as the hope of successfully opposing them re- mained, but now their true and faithful ally until death."
During the war of 1812 Red Jacket and his tribe enlisted in the American army. He fought through the entire war, displaying un- daunted intrepidity ; and in no instance did he exhibit the ferocity of the savage nor disgrace himself by any act of inhumanity.
Red Jacket was the foe of the white man until late in life. His na tion was his god; her honor, preservation and liberty his religion. He
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RED JACKET.
hated missionaries, because he feared some secret design upon the lands, the peace or the independence of the Senecas. He could never com- prehend the apparent mysteries of Christianity. He was a keen ob- server of human nature, and saw that among both white and red men sordid interest was equally the promoter of action. Naturally enough he therefore suspected every stranger who came to his tribe of some design on their little but dearly prized domains.
His tribe was divided into two factions, one of which was called the Christian faction, by reason of its favorable attitude toward the mission- aries; the other, from their opposition, was known as the pagan party. His wife, who attended the religious meetings of the Christian party, was persecuted by him on this account. But during his last sickness his feelings respecting Christianity appeared to have undergone quite a change. He frequently remarked to his wife that he was sorry that he had persecuted her, that she was right and he was wrong. and on his deathbed he said to her: "Persevere in your religion. It is the right way."
A few days before his death he sent for the local missionary, whose name was Harris; but as the latter was in attendance upon an ecclesi- astical council he did not receive the message until after the great chieftain's death. In his last wandering moments he is said to have directed that a bottle of cold water should be placed in his coffin, so that he might have something with which to fight the evil spirit. Many persons from Buffalo attended his funeral, some of whom wished him bur- ied according to the pagan custom. But in accordance with the expressed desire of his Christian wife and other relatives he was buried in the Christian manner. He left two wives, but none of his children survived him. Two of his sons are believed to have died Christians. Rev. Jabez B. Hyde, who taught among the Senecas prior to the war of 1812, was authority for the statement that one of Red Jacket's sons was the first convert to Christianity from this tribe.
For several months prior to his death time had made such ravages on the old chief's constitution as to render him fully sensible of his approaching dissolution. He often referred to that approaching event, but invariably in calm and philosophic terms. He visited successively all his most intimate friends at their cabins, conversing with them upon the condition of the nation in the most affecting and impressive manner. He told them that his counsels would soon be heard no more. He ran over the history of his people from the most remote fperiod to which
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
his knowledge extended, and pointed out, as few could, the wrongs, the privations and the loss of character which almost of themselves constituted that history. "I am about to leave you," he said, "and when I am gone, and my warning shall no longer be heard or regarded, the craft and the avarice of the white man will prevail. Many winters have I breasted the storm, but I am an aged tree and can stand no longer. My leaves are fallen, my branches are withered, and I am shaken by every breeze. Soon my aged trunk will be prostrate, and the foot of the exulting foe of the Indian may be placed upon it in safety; for I leave none who will be able to avenge such an indignity. Think not I mourn for myself! I go to join the spirits of my father-, where age cannot come; but my heart fails when I think of my people, who are so soon to be scattered and forgotten."1
Ganothjowaneh, a distinguished chief of the Seneca tribe, is said to have been an orator superior even to Red Jacket. The whites called him Big Kettle. It is stated that he never tasted intoxicating liquors, opposing the practice among the Indians, and suffered some persecu- tions on that account. During the early period of his life he opposed the introduction of Christianity, but later was favorable to the faith. Mr. Wright, a missionary living among the Senecas near Buffalo in 1840, attempted to persuade him to embrace the Christim religion. When told that he was a sinner in the sight of God, Big Kettle appar- ently was greatly surprised. Throwing himself into an oratorical atti- tude he recounted a long list of his good deeds and endeavored to make it appear that he was not a sinner. Once he said to Mr. Wright : "Does God overrule all things?" Being answered in the affirmative he continued: " I tell my people so, in council, but when I am alone and think how much iniquity is practiced by the white people in getting away our lands, etc., and how they go on without being punished, 1 have my doubts." He concluded by saying that the preaching of the missionaries was good, and that the Indians would listen to and follow it; but it would have little effect, for the bad habits of his people were so strong and confirmed that the attempt to break them up would be as idle as to " stop the wind from blowing down Lake Erie."
Cornplanter was the son of a white man who lived in the vicinity of Fort Plank. His mother was a young woman of the Seneca tribe. During the Revolutionary war he led the Senecas against the Amer-
1 This sketch of Red jacket was compiled from various supuesto prot pally og Va XIV of the New York Mirror, where it appears I soon after the last of Jus celel ran Iel. efam
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CORNPLANTER.
icans in the Mohawk valley, and during one of his incursions he took his father prisoner. However, he treated hitn well and released him from confinement. In a letter written by this great chief to the gov- ernment of Pennsylvania in 1822, complaining of the attempt to impose taxes upon him and the Senecas residing on the Allegany, he began as follows:
" When I was a child, I played with the butterfly, the grasshopper, and the frogs. As I began to grow ap, I began to pay some attention, and play with the Indian boys in the neighborhood. and they took notice of my skin being a ifferent color from theirs, and spoke about it. I inquired of my mother the cause, abd she told me that my father was a resident of Albany. I still ate my victuals out of a bark dish. I
grew up to be a young man, and married me a wife, but I had no kettle or gun I then knew where my father lived. and went to see him, as Ifound he was a white man and spoke the English language. He gave me some vietnals while at his house, but when I started to return home he gave me no provision to eat on the way. He gave me neither kettle nor gun, neither did he tell me that the United States were about to rebel against the government of England, " etc., etc.
Cornplanter lived to a great age, having deceased within the last eight or ten years. He was an able man, distinguished in subsequent neg ciations. He was elo- quent, and a great advocate for temperance. He made a very effective and char- actertistic speech upon that subject in 1822.
" The Great Spirit first made the world, and next the flying animals, and found all things good and prosperous. He is immortal and everlasting. After finishing the flying animals, he came down upon the earth and there stood. Then he made dif- ferent kinds of trees, and woods of all sorts, and people of every kind. He made the spring and other seasons, and the weather suitable for planting. These he did make. But stillx, to make wiskey to give to the Indians, he did not make.
The Great Spirit told us that there were three things for people to attend to. First, we ought to take care of our wives and children. Secondly the white people ought to attend to their farms and cattle. Thirdly, the Great Spirit has given the bears and deers to the Indians. . . The Great Spirit has ordered me to que drink- ing. He wishes me to inform the people that they should quit drinking intoxicating drink." In the course of the same speech, he gave evidence that he was not very much pleased with the admixture of his own blood. . "The different kinds the Great Spirit manie separate, and not to mix with and disturb each other. But the white people have broken this command, by mixing their color with the Indians The Indians have done better by not doing so." }
1 Stone's Life of Brant.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE
CHAPTER HI.
From the Discovery of the Hudson to the Inauguration of the Final Contest for Supremacy on the American Continent Between the French and English - Expedi- tions of Champlain, La Salle. De Nonville and Others - Construction of the Fort at Niagara-La Hontan and His Expedition-The Attack Upon Montreal -- Struggle Over the Control of Lake Ontario.
Soon after sunrise on the third day of September, in the year 1009, a small band of one of the aboriginal tribes of America stood at the doors of their rude dwellings on the northern part of Sandy Hook and gazed in amazement and fear at the white sails of a small vore! sailing slowly along the coast in a northerly direction In abject terror at the strange apparition the savages fled to the mainlan ! and spread among their tribe the news of the mysterious object they had be- held. The vessel, in the meantime, continued on its course, and soon lay at anchor in the water now known as the Lower Bay of New York. It is almost superfluous to add that this strange craft was the little ship Half Moon, in command of that daring English navigator, Sir Henry Hudson, who had been engaged to sail hither by the Dutch East India company for the purpose of discovering, if possible, a northwest passage around the American continent. Two days after entering the bay the intrepid explorer landed, but on the 10th of the month he again set sail and entered the noble river which still bears his name.
As the result of Hudson's voyage Holland set up a weak claim to the country extending from Cape Cod to Delaware bay, to which it gave the name of New Netherland. This territory claimed by Hot. land also extended inland an indefinite distance, and included all the vast unknown West of which the territory embraced within the confines of Genesee county formed a part. Great Britain and France treated the claim with contempt, but Holland nevertheless began the settle- ment of the rich territory between these two points, making the first permanent settlement on the island of Manhattan.
At this time the Netherlands, which but a comparatively short time before had won their independence from Spain, had fairly entered upon
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BASES OF CLAIMS TO TERRITORY.
the heroic period in their history. They had become powerful on the sea. They felt that the right of discovery entitled them to full con- trol of a region of practically unexplored country which since has be- come the richest and most populous on the American continent. For more than a score of years-despite the threatening attitude of the English and the French claimants to practically all of the soil of North America north of Florida-the stupid Dutch government maintained nothing in the territory it claimed excepting a few trading posts. Then, when it was too late to remedy the condition brought about by its stolid indifference to the menace confronting it, and after having allowed ignorant and most thoroughly incompetent men to manage its affairs in the New World, the government partially awoke to the ne- cessities of the occasion-if it would retain possession of its rich claim.
The English government steadily contended that the Dutch had no right to the territory in question, particularly inasmuch as no well de- fined plan for colonization had been adopted. The latter therefore concluded that the only way in which they could make their tenure of the territory secure and their title indisputable was by actual occupa- tion. Their next step was the founding of the patroonship system, which resulted in the establishment of colonies on the Delaware and on the Hudson. The latter was successful, but the Delaware colonies failed and soon after the French government had made extensive grants in that region to its subjects. In the meantime the English settlements in New England were encroaching upon the domain claimed by the Dutch. Both the English and French claimed priority of discovery, excepting a limited region near the Hudson, and even this territory the English included in their claim. The advent of the Dutch, as we shall soon see, was the cause of a general awakening to the danger of a conflict of authority on the part of both the French and English.
The French based their claim to the vast expanse of territory in question to the early explorations of Cartier and Champlain. Cartier sailed from France in 1534, just three-quarters of a century before Hudson ascended the river bearing his name, discovered and named the St. Lawrence river, raised the standard of the King of France on the site of the city of Montreal, proclaimed the country to be a posses- sion of the French crown and named it New France. The year fol- lowing he made another voyage to the same region. In 1540 Francis de la Roque sailed with a commission from his king and made an effort to effect a permanent settlement. But little was done in this direction
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
until 1603, when Samuel de Champlain began his famous voyage of exploration.
Champlain was a navigator of experience. With several other Frenchmen, he had received the royal authority to form colonies on the St. Lawrence and to explore the country as he should see fit. Fitting out an expedition in 1603, he ascended the St. Lawrence as far as the site of Quebec, where he determined to erect a substantial fort. Soon the fur trade and the enormous profits to accrue to him therefrom became the subject uppermost in his mind. In order to hold this trade for the French he finally decided to join the Hurons and Algonquins in an expedition against the Iroquois tribes of New York, hoping thereby to conquer the latter and unite all the Indian tribes in an alli. ance with France. Had he better understood the situation and the relations of these tribes, he would have hesitated before waging war against the powerful and warlike Iroquois confederation.
Jaly 2, 1609, Champlain, at the head of a considerable party of French and Canadian Indians, left Quebec and began the ascent of the Sorel river. Here the majority of the French invaders returned with their vessel to Quebec, finding the Chambly rapids impassable with their craft, and left Champlain and two other white men at the head of the Indian band to continue the journey in canoes. Soon they reached the lake which now bears the name of its discoverer. Landing at the south end of the lake, near the site of Ticonderoga, N. Y., they met a body of Mohawk Indians, and the first battle on American soilensued. Had Champlain exercised discretion on this first expedition and sought to make friends of the Iroquois, the entire course of future events in American history might have been different. But the warlike and re- vengeful Mohawks, and their fellow tribes in the great Live Nations. never forgot the wanton killing of one of their number by a French musketoon, and when the opportunity came, they and, in later years, their sons and their grandsons carried the war repeatedly into the country of the French and Algonquins, finally forming an alliance with the English for the purpose of wreaking still further vengeance on their hated enemies.
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