USA > New York > Onondaga County > Past and present of Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : from prehistoric times to the beginning of 1908 > Part 11
USA > New York > Onondaga County > Syracuse > Past and present of Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : from prehistoric times to the beginning of 1908 > Part 11
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Then the summary goes on to say that in the winter there "came four hundred Mohawks, who. not only shouted their war songs, but built their cabins before the fort gates and established themselves for the winter. like a besieging army." Not a Mohawk was there.
This also graphically describes the second day's feast: "The trumpets blew a deafening blast. The Mohawks answered with a shout. The French clapped their hands. The outer gates were thrown wide open, and in trooped several hundred Mohawk warriors, seating themselves in a cirele round the fire. Another blare of trumpets, and twelve enormous kettles were carried around the circle of guests. A Mohawk chief rose solemnly and gave his dieties of earth, air and fire profuse thanks." This is a fine description, but no Mohawks were there, and but a hundred Onondaga warriors, with as many women, not one of whom entered the fort. It is evident that Radisson should speak for himself.
He met some Frenehmen at the mouth of Salmon river, Oswego county, Then at Oswego he "eame into a river from towards the fort, which was dan- gerous for its swiftness," Then at Three River point "We came into a nar- rower river from a small lake, where a French fort was built. This river was two leagues long and the lake five in compass. About it is a most pleasant country, very fruitful. Going up that same river we met two Frenchmen that were fishing a kind of fish ealled dab, which is excellent, and have done us great kindness, having left us more provisions, then what we needed much,
"Having eome to the landing place att the foot of the fort, we found there a most faire castle, very neatly built, with great trees and well tyed in the topp wth twiggs of ashure (osier) strengthened wth two strong walles & two bastions, wch made the fort impregnable of the wild men. There was also a fine fall of wood about it. The French corne grewed there exceedingly well. where was as much as covered half a league of land. The country, smooth like a boord, a matter of some three or four leagues about. Severall fields of all sizes of Indian corne, severall of French tournaps, full of chestnutts and oakes of aceorns, wth thousand such like fruit in abundance. A great company of hoggs so fatt that they were not able to goe. A plenty of all sortes of fowles. The ring-doves were in such a number that in a nett fifteen
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or sixteen hundred at once might be taken. So this was not a wild country to our imaginations, but plentyfull in everything.
"We weare humanly receaved by the Reverend ffathers Jesuits and some other 40 Frenehmen, as well domestiques as volontiers. We prepared our- selves to take ve country's recreations, some to hunt, some to fish, but pre- vented by a feaver that seised on us all. Some continued a month, some more. some less, weh is the tribut that one must pay for the changement of elimat."
A Jesuit came with news. "We went to meet the father. I meane those that were able, to bid the father welcome & his company. Being come safe & in a good disposition together. we rendered God thanks. There weare many that waited for ns, desiring to tourne back again to Quebecq, obtaining their desire from the fathers & the governor of ve fort. They weare thirteen in number & one father. After six weeks we recovered our health. So we went to bring them a part of the way, some to the water side, some to the laksende, where we took of one another farewell, wth such ceremonys as are used when friends depart."
Six days he spent at the Onondaga capital, seeing many cruel sights. Their return showed shrewdness. "We brought above one hundred women, Hurron slaves and others. all loadened wth corne. We weare alwais in scarcity for polliey, though we had enough for certainty is farre better than incertainty."
A Huron adopted by the Mohawks. stirred that nation up by false reports about the Jesuits. leading to all that is said about that people in this journal. "The autumn searee began but we heare yt ve lower Iroquoits contrived a treason against the Ffrench. So having contrived & discovered that they weare resolved to leavy an armie of five hundred men of their auxiliary nation, who are esteemed the best soldiers. having the Anajot to assist them ; a bold, rash nation, and so thought to surprise the inhabitants of that place. . We discover dayly new countryvanees of treason by a conneellor. There is nothing done or said but we have advice of it. They dayly exercise in feasting, or warre, songs, throwing of hattehetts. breaking kettles. What can we do? We are in their hands. It's hard to gett away from them. Yea, as much as a ship in full sea wthout pilot, as passengers wthout skill. We much resolved to be uppon our gnard, being in the middle of our Enemy. For this purpose we begin to make provisions for the future end. We are tould that a company of the Aniot (Oneida) nation volontiers was allready on their march to break heads. & so declare open warres. . We, seeing no other remedy, but must begon and leave a delightful country. The onely thing that we wanted most was that we had no boats to carry our baggage. It's sad to tend from such a place that is compassed with those great lakes that compose that Empire that can be named the greatest part of the knowne world. At last they contrive some deale boards to make shipps wth large bottoms, weh was the cause of our destruction sooner than was expected.
"You have heard above said how the ffathers inhabited the Hurron coun- try to instruet them in Christian doctrine. They preached the mighty power of the Almighty, who had destroyed the world for to punish the wicked, saving our father Noe, wth his familie, was saved in an arke. One came, bringing
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Indian eorne, named Jalnek, who escaped the ship-wrake that his countrymen had gone, being slave among us. He recalled sneh instructions on these deale boards, & reflected soundly upon the structure that he thought verily they weare to make another arke to eseape thair hands, and by our inventions cause all the rest to be drowned by a second deluge. They imputing such power to us, as Noe had that grace of God, thought that God at least eom- manded us so to doe. All frightened (he) runns to his village. This comes back makes them all afraid. Each talkes of it. The elders gathered together to consult what was to be done. In their couneell (it) was eoneluded that our fort should be visited, that our fathers should be examined. & according to their answer deliberation should be taken to preserve both life and country. We had allwayes spyes of our side, wch weare out of zele and obedienee. The fathers Jesuites and others voluntarily ventured their lives for the preserva- tion of the common liberty. They remained in the village of those barbars to spie what their intent should be, houlding correspondenee wth some of those of the eouncell by giving them gnifts to ye end that we might know what was concluded in the Conncell & give us advice wth all speede. We by these means had intelligence that they weare to come & visit our fort.
"To take away all suspicion of our innoeeney from thinking. to build any shipp, weh if it had come to their knowledge had don a great prejudice to our former design. a shippe then uppon the doeke almost finished. Heere we made a double floore in the hall where the shippe was abuilding. so that the wild men, being ignorant of our way of building, could not take any notice of our euningnesse, wch proved to our desire. So done, finding nothing that was reported. all began to be quiet and ont of feare. By this we weare warned from thenceforth, mistrusting all that eame there, so preserved our- selves, putting nothing in sight that should give the least suspition.
"Both shipps weare accomplished; we kept them secretly & covered them wth twelve boats of rind yt we kept for fishing and hunting. The wild men knewed of these small things, but suspected nothing. believing that the French would never suspect to venture such a voyage, for the difficulties of the way and violence of the swiftnesse of the rivers and length of the way. We stayed for opportunity in some quietnesse, divising to contrive our game as soon as the spring should begiu. The winter was past, not without appre- hensions, having had severall alarms. false as (well) as trne; for often weare we putt to our arms, in so much that one of our sentrys was onee by force drawn from the doore of the fort. Ile, to avoid the danger, drawes his sword & wounds one of them, and comes to the fort, erying, 'To your armes.' This was soon appeased. some guiftes healed the wound.
"We lett them understand that the time drew near that the French uses to trait their friends in feasting and meriment, and all should be welcome. having no greater ffriends than they weare. They, to see our fashions as well as to fill their gutts, gave consent. By that means the considerablest persons are invited, the ffather & two Ffrench. There they weare made much of two days wth great joy, wth sounds of trompets, drummes and flageolets, wth songs in French as wild. So don they are sent away, the ffather wth
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them. Ile was not a mile off, but fains to gett a falle and sighed that his arme was broken. The wild man, being much troubled att this accident, brings the father back and makes guifts that he may be eured. A plaster was stuck to his arme, weh don (he is) putt into a bed. Then all the wild men came to see him; he incouraged them that he should soone recover and see them. The French that knewed not the plott, eryed for the ffather, weh confirmed the belief of the wild men. They all retyred to their village and we (sought) the means to embarke ourselves.
"We resolved once more to make another feast when we should have everything ready for our purpose; that is, when the father should be well of his payneful sieknesse, ffor they allso doe delight in feasting. weh was to be don for the safe recovery of the ffather's health. We dayly had messages from the elders of the country to know how he did, who (after the lake was opened from ye ice, that was covered wth ice) should be in good disposition. Many wished to have the suneshine ardently. their desire was so great to be gone. At last our patient begins to walke with a scharfe about his armes.
"When the shipps and boats were ready. we sent them word that the father was well. & for joy would make a feast. The elders are invited. They Weare sure not to faile, but to be first. Being come, there are speeches made to incourage them to sit and eat. It's folly to induce them to that, for they goe about it more bould than welcome. They are told that the morrow should be the day of mirth lleare is but play and dances, the Ffrench by turns, to keepe them still in eexreise, showing them tricks to keep them awake .. as the bird-catcher doth to teach the bird to sing and not to fly away. as we then intended. Not one wild man was admitted to come into the fort that day, saying it was not our coustumes to shew the splendour of our banquetts before they should be present att table. The wild men have no other than ground for their table.
"In ye meantime we weare not idle, the impatient father exercising him- selfe as the rest. The evening being come th wild men are brought to the place destinated, not far from our port. Every one makes his bundle of provisions and merchandises and household stuff, gunnes, etc .. some hid in ye ground. and ye rest scattered because we could not save them. We made excellent bissquetts of the last year's corne, and forgott not the hoggs that weare a falning. Att last the trumpetts blowes, putt yourselves in order; there is nothing but outeryes, clapping of hands and eapering that they may have better stomach to their meat. There comes a dozen of great kettles, full of beaten Indian corne dressed with mince meate. The wisest begins his speech giving heaven thanks to have brought such generous ffrench to honour them so. They eatt as many wolves, having eyes bigger than bellies; they are rare att it without noise. The time was not yet com'd to acknowledge the happiness we receive from such incompareable hosts. Heare comes two great kettles full of bustards broyled and salted before ye winter, wth as many kettles full of (Ineks. As many turtles (pigeons) was taken in ye season by ye nett. Heere att this nothing but hooping to man's admiration, whilst one was a eating, and other sorts come. as divers of fish, eels, salmon and carp, weh gives them a
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new stomach. Weare they to burst, heere they will shew their courage. The time comes on. The best is that we are sure none will forsake his place, nor man, nor woman. A number of French entertaines them, keeping them from sleeping in dancing and singing, for that is the eustom. Their hutrill, an in- strumentall musiek, is muehr heere in use. Yett nothing is don as yett. ffor there comes the thickened flower, the oyle of bear, venison. To this ye knif is not enough; their spunes also are used. We see allready severall postures; the one beats his belly, the other shakes his head, others stopp their mouths to keep in what they have eaten. They weare in such admiration, making strange kinds of faces, that turned their eyes up and downe. We bid them cheare ap, and told them it was an usnall eustom with the ffrench to make much of them- selves and of their friends. They affect you, and yee must shew such like to them by shewing yo'r respects to them that so splendidly trait you. Cheere up like brave men. If yo'r sleepe overcomes. you must awake; come, sound (the) drumme, it is not now the beat of the Gian; come, make a noise. Trumpett blow and make their eheeks swell, to make their belly swell alsoe."
"In the end nothing (is) spared that can be invoked to the greater confu- sion. There is a strife between the French which will make the greatest noise. But there is an end to all things; the houre is come, ffor all is embarked. The wild man ean hold out no longer; they must sleepe. They cry out, Skenon, enough ; we can beare no more. 'Lett them ery Skenon! we will ery hurray, we are all going.' sayes we. They are told that the Ffrench are weary and will sleepe alsoe awhile. They say. 'Be it so.' We come away; all is quiet. Nobody makes a noise after such a hurly-burly. The fort is shutt up as if we had been in it. We leave a hogg attached to the doore for sentery, with a rope tyed to his foote. He wanted no meate for the time. Here we make a proposal. being three and fifty Ffrench in number, to make a slaughter without any difficulty, they being one hundred beasts not able to budge, and as many women. That don, we could goe to their village att ye breake of ye day, where we weare sure there were not twenty men left, nor young nor old. It was no great matter to deale with five or six hundred women, and may be one thousand children, besides the huntsmen should not be ready this two moneths to come home."
Of course the Jesuits at once vetoed this sanguinary proposal, saying "that they were sent to instruet in the faith of Jesus Christ and not to destroy. and that the eross must be their sword." Radisson then tells of the voyage and of the surprise and actions of the Indians, the latter of course being conjectural. When they eame near the door the hog rang the bell, and other things made them think the French still in the fort. At last they climbed the wall and no one was there.
The account given by Charlevoix many years later, and that of the Jesuits almost at onee do not materially differ from this. Charlevoix's words imply several houses, the boats being built "in the store-room of the house occupied by the Jesuits, which was more seeluded than the others and much larger." A later official reeord also says that the "sixty Frenchman eleared and planted lands with French grain and other legumes, built many large houses, and lived
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there peaceably." The Relation mentions but one large house, probably using this in a collective sense. When the French did not appear and the day de- elined the Onondagas scaled this; that is, the outer wall. "They open the door; the principal men enter everywhere; they ascend to the granary; they descend into the cellar ; and not a Frenchman appears, neither living nor dead."
The fifty-three Frenchmen went off in the two bateaux and eight canoes. But ten of these were soldiers, a number having returned to Canada. At 11 P. M., March 20, 1658, they took French leave of the fort, and reached Montreal at nightfall, April 3d, where they were welcomed as men from the grave. They traveled with little baggage. The bell was taken by the Onondagas to Indian Hill, where its fragments were found a century and a half later. When the Indians burned a Frenchman there in 1660 they tortured him with "hatchets red hot, files, saws, ends of gun barrels, and other such things, which we had left in our house of Gannentaa when we went away." The most interesting relies of all may await future search. Thirty years later it was said that there "were conveyed there four pieces of bronze cannon, which have remained there, and will be found again by the French who were there at the time, and are still living." Of these there is no further record.
The location of the fort is a matter of interest. It is nsual to place it at the so-called Jesnit spring. Lot 106, Salina, near the railroad bridge. This is . reasonable, but the proof is not exact. The Relation expressly says that it was not near any salt spring, though some have elaimed that it was. The words are, "the place where we have set up our dwelling is surrounded by beautiful springs of fresh water, " not located by any particular one. The fort was "placed on an eminence which commands the lake and all the neighboring places. Fountains of fresh water are in abundance." The evacuation makes it near the shore, and the spot satisfies all requirements.
The work which James Geddes surveyed in Salina in 1797, may well have been on the same spot, but seems that occupied by Frontenac forty years later. It was a square, flanked by an angular wall at one corner toward the lake. Both the fort and this had a gateway toward the water. There were no bastions and of these the Jesuits approved. Their fort seems to have had a gate on the land side. The houses there also had cellars, of which this plan shows no trace. Clark said: "On this ground have been plowed up brass kettles, gun barrels, musket balls, axes, grape shot, etc. Burnt earth and calvined stones. and broken bricks, where their fires had been kept, are to be seen even to this day. The work embraced about half an aere of land." It is at the distance from the old salt springs which Frontenac gives, and in 1656 the French also said that Onondaga was "five small leagues" from their dwelling. The later work probably obliterated the surface traces of the earlier, and one monument might point out the site of both.
During most of this time the Jesuits made encouraging reports. The flight took place in 1658. In 1657 it was said: "That one performs the Divine Office there, that there they administer the Sacraments, that there they praetise the christian virtues with as much modesty, as much care and as much fervor, as in the provinces of the most Catholic and the most devoted of Europe. More than
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two hundred baptized in a short time, among whom there are five of the most considerable of this nation, are the living stones which compose the first founda- tions of this church."
Beyond building and the cultivation of the soil, and a hint at some mechau- ieal arts, the Relations tell us little of life at the lake. There may have been a military drill ; possibly a raising of the tlag. There were five small cannon and a bell. One item we have from "the curiosity of a woman of Onnontaghe, who. taking herself to Gannentaa only to see the French, entered by this meeting into the house with the catechumens, and receiving some of the little charities that we make there, took still more from our instructions ; so that she presented her daughter to be baptized and asked to pray God among the catechumens."
Beside the good Hurons, too, who came with a right heart, there were others who stayed longer, that they might have material as well as spiritual sustenance. They aided them the best they could. "so that the support of a good number of French who have accompanied us into this land, we solace the misery of all these poor wretches, maintaining, thus to speak, a table open to the savages." The missionaries were fortunate in the colonists, often speaking of their piety.
Ragueneau said that but ten private soldiers remained, "nine of whom had already of themselves resolved to abandon us;" and that the Onondagas were near the fort all the time, suspicious of every movement. He exulted in all that had been done. Driven from the field they had come like victors. having again established the Faith among the Hurons and delivered many souls.
Jeremiah Gould, who came to Salina with his father in 1790, and to James- ville soon after, gives the following story which he had from Ephraim Webster. as told by the Indians. It seems very persistent among them, with variations. though it has hardly any foundation. It reminds one of De Witt Clinton's story of a massacre, and relates to the termination of the French settlement in Onondaga. Mr. Gould wrote the account in 1847, for Adams and Barns, while living in La Fayette, and Clinton may have had this story from him.
"Their tradition, as stated to me by Esquire Webster is that the French came few in numbers at first, and matters went on very harmoniously for a season ; but additional numbers continued to arrive till the colony became so increased that it resolved to throw off its hitherto (in some measure) state of dependence on the dietation of their neighbors, as to location and the extension of their settlements. To further their treacherous designs, they instigated a quarrel with a tribe of Indians somewhere up lake Erie, and having induced the warriors to go to the war they seized the opportunity of their absence and commeneed a general massaere of old and young. Meantime runners hastened to apprise their friends of what was going on and on discovery of the plot they immediately made peace with their foes, and brought them back as allies to take vengeance on the treachery of their supposed friends. They halted near the French settlement, which was in the north part of Pompey, and arranged their plan of attack. With their allies they were able completely to surround the French ; the war whoop was given ; the onset commeneed, and indiscrimi- nate slaughter ensued, till with one solitary exception, not an individual was
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left to report their fatal overthrow to their friends in Canada. This individual was a friar or priest engaged in missionary service. He resided at the Salt lake near to Green Point, at, or about the place where the road to Liverpool crosses the canal. On a little rise, apparently thrown up by the wash of the lake, which separated between the lake and the marsh in the rear, was the house of the priest, the outlines of which I have seen consisting of the banking of the sides around the area, the center of which was a number of stones which had been burnt, in the place usually appropriated by the Indians for their fire. This, Esquire Webster informed me, was pointed out to him by the Indians, as the residence of the priest, where he closed his mission with his life. When the work of destruction was completed at the settlement, they came down to the priest and related to him the fate of his countrymen, and as they considered him a good sort of a man, they offered him his life on condition of his immedi- ate departure. This he declined, choosing rather to ineur the merit of martyr- dom, and to die at his post. Upon this determination they prepared to torture him. They had a plow share which had belonged to the French, which they heated red hot and hung it by a chain over his neck, resting on, or against his breast and thus broiled his vitals and his spirit took its flight. There was a story current in early days of Indian tradition, but whence its origin I know not, that the last flight of the French was at the falls of Dunlop's mills, where the last Frenchman was killed. How well founded the story is I cannot say."
This may be compared with the tale related by Daniel and Thomas La Fort in the account of the wampum belts. Whatever may have been intended, it may suffice to say that no French priest was ever killed in Onondaga county, nor was there ever a French massacre there. As this story is often referred to, it is given here to show the uureliability of Indian tradition. There is generally a nucleus of faet, but the details cannot be trusted. The facts here are the colony and its location, the Erie war and the intended massacre. The rest is fiction though still told by the Indians.
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