USA > New York > Onondaga County > Past and present of Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : from prehistoric times to the beginning of 1908 > Part 9
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 9
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It may be observed that some writers do not follow this evident mode of occupation of most of New York by the Iroquois, choosing instead the principal history of David Cusick, in which Hiawatha does not appear. Ac-
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cording to him, Tarenyawagon first led the people eastward from Oswego Falls to the sea. Six families returned, five settling successively as Mohawks, Queidas, Onondagas, Cayugas and Senecas. The sixth reached the Mississippi, when part turned eastward, becoming the Tuscaroras in North Carolina. In these divisions dialeets began to form. The very recent Iroquois occupation of the St. Lawrence, however, is mentioned by all early writers.
Iu M. Ponchot's Memoirs of the French War he said that Sandy creek, in Jefferson county, N. Y., "in Indian Etcataragenre,' is remarkable in this, that at the head of the south branch, called Tecanononaronesi, is the place where the traditions of the Iroquois fix the spot where they issued from the ground, or rather, according to their ideas, where they were born." The Onondaga tradition also was that they came from the St. Lawrence, gaining the name of Onondagas when they settled on the hills. They also say that the Bear and Wolf tribes originated near Oswego Falls; the Beaver and Snipe on Lake Ontario; and the Deer and Hawk on the Onondaga hills. Both Clark and Schoolcraft mention a story that the Oneidas originated with some Onon- dagas who settled at the mouth of Oneida creek, removing thence to the vicinity of Munnsville. and thence to Oneida Castle. They were, however, closely allied to the Mohawks, and the three places mentioned were not occu- pied till long after the league was formed.
As a people the Onondagas had their present name at an early day, mean- ing a place on a great hill, to which was commonly added the word ronon, or people. There was a name of greater dignity, always used in conneils, and sometimes borne as a title by the head chief: This is Seuh-no-keh-te, Bearing the Names. Each of the other nations had also a council name.
Three elans, or tribes, were common to all the nations, the Turtle, Wolf and Bear, and the Mohawks and Oneidas had only these, but the Onondagas added five more. Their full list is now the Turtle, or Ho-te-neah-te; Wolf. or Ho-te-kwa-ho; Bear, or Ho-te-ska-wak; Beaver, or Ho-te-hn-ne-wha-keh-ha-no, People of the Creek; Snipe, or Ho-te-ne-see-yuh, People of the Sand; Eel, or llo-te-teu-ha-kah. People of the Rushes; Deer, or Da-bah-de-ge-nine, People of Hooff's; and Hawk, or Ho-te-swe-gi-yu, People of Boards, in allusion to the large pieces of wood in hawks' or eagles' nests. No one marries in his own clan, and children are of the clan and nation of the mother. Formerly, when traveling, they applied for hospitality to those of their own totem, conspicuous- ly displayed on the house. Not long since there was clan burial.
Out of the fifty original chiefs the Onondagas had fourteen, but this gave them no advantage in the grand couneil, for in this each nation had but one vote. Being always on the spot, however, the Onondagas were often given power to aet for the rest. The first of their chiefs was Tah-too-ta-hoo, En- tangled, the determined opponent of Hiawatha for a time. Then came Ho-ne- sa-ha, perhaps the Best Soil Uppermost ; Te-hat-kah-tous, Looking all over; O- va-ta-je-wak. Bitter in the Throat ; Ah-we-ke-yat, End of the water; Te-hah-yut- kwa-ye. Red on the Wing: Ho-no-we-eh-to. He has Disappeared; Ga-wen-ne- sen-ton, Her Voice Scattered : Ha-he-ho. Spilling now and then ; Ho-neo-nea-ne,
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Something was made for him, or laid down before him; Sha-de-gwa-se, Ile is bruised; Sah-ko-ke-he, He may see them; Hoo-sah-ha-hon, Wearing a Weapon in his Belt; Skah-nah-wah-ti, Over the Water.
In the great condoling songs the names of the fifty chiefs are sung in Mohawk in this manner: "Jatakweniyosaon, Thatotarho! Jatthontenyonk ! Etho ronara rasehsen: Jatakweniyosaon, Enneserarenh ! Jatthontenyonk !" Which is: "Thou who wert ruler, Tah-too-ta-ho! Continue to listen ! These were the cousins: Thou who wert ruler, Ho-ne-sa-ha, continue to listen!" Other particulars may be added.
Hiawatha utterly failed in several attempts to gain his end with the Onondagas, for Tah-too-ta-ho opposed him at every turn. The peacemaker went to the Mohawks and was well received. He became one of their chiefs, and his name is still second on their roll. De-kan-a-wi-dah went with him to the Oneidas, who took time to consider, but approved of the plan. The Cayugas were gained, and then the Onondagas by making their chief head of all, and giving them the great council fire. Last of all the Senecas acceeded, and the first great council was held on the east bank of Onondaga lake, traditionally north of Liverpool. Each chief present had a successor who took his name, and thus has it been preserved to the present time. This is the story divested of mythic features.
The league was at first merely for the preservation of peace by a yearly council for the settlement of difficulties, but it gradually became a closer union for offence and defence, eventually developing the greatest Indian power east of the Mississippi. Originally weak but now united and armed with guns, favored by a strong position between the French and English. all nations be- came tributary to the Iroquois, and from the bark houses of Onondaga went forth the decrees which all must heed.
Thongh for a time it was thought that Champlain attacked an Onondaga fort in 1615, it seems evident now that it was an Oneida town. He passed through the northeast angle of the county on his way. In 1634-35 both the Dutch and French mentioned the Onondagas by name, the former meeting some at Oneida and elsewhere. This meeting is described in another place. What visits may have soon followed we cannot say, for traders seldom recorded their doings, though of adventurous spirit, and more than one may have pene- trated the wilds of Onondaga earlier than we are aware. We can only say that no records exist.
In the lfuron war, in the Relation of 1636, a young Seneca chief appears, who had married among the Onondagas that he might continue in the field, each nation making war or peace for itself. He was taken prisoner and fearfully tortured after being sumptuously entertained. In the list of Indian nations in the Relation of 1640 the Onontachronon appears again. In 1646 Father Jogues inet some Onondagas in the Mohawk country, to whom he gave a message, but he never visited their towns. Then, in 1647, we have the tale of a Huron woman who escaped from the Mohawks, having been already a prisoner at Onondaga. Some Onondagas recognized .her and persuaded her to go with them to that town. Being alarmed at what she saw and heard at Oneida, she escaped again
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and shrewdly took the way to Onondaga. There for ten days she hid "herself in the thickest woods, as of the cedar and fir forests." She was without fire and nearly naked. At night she gleaned the cornfields in the snow, and at last reached Canada.
The Relation of 1648 gives a fair idea of the location of the Iroquois towns, placing the Onondagas ten or twelve leagues from the Cayugas, and seven or eight froin the Oneidas. In that year, too, the Hurons had made a good be- ginning of a peace with the Onondagas, their greatest foes, and hoped to make peace with all but the Mohawks and Senceas. This independent action was always a striking feature of the confederacy.
The opening of negotiations with "the Onmontaeronnons, the most warlike of the five nations, enemies of our Hurons." has several curious incidents. Early in 1647 a band of Onondagas was defeated in the Huron country, and all the captives were burned except Annenraes, a noted chief afterward killed by the Eries. The Huron chiefs helped him escape that he might do them good service at Onondaga. On the south shore of Lake Ontario he found three hundred Onondagas building eanoes, that they might go and avenge his death. Of the Cayugas and Senecas eight hundred would join the party. All turned back and sent a peace embassy to the Hurons. They sent ambassadors in turn. with gifts. "Our IFurons use for these presents peltries, precious in the hostile country ; the Onnontaeronnons use collars of porcelain," commonly called wampum belts.
In twenty days they were at Onondaga, attending feasts and councils for a month longer. A second Onondaga embassy returned with them, their leader being Seandawati, a chief sixty years old. They were thirty days on the way, and brought back fifteen prisoners and seven belts of three or four thousand beads each. There were still one hundred Huron prisoners there but the Onon- dagas seemed to think peace certain.
The Hurons sent another embassy of six men in January, 1648, two of the three. Onondagas remaining as hostages. Some Mohawks captured this party. killing all but the Onondaga, and two ambassadors who made their way to that town. The two hostages were men of high honor; Seandawati disappeared and at first they thought he had escaped. Afterward he was found dead by his own act, on a bed of fir branches he had prepared. His comrade was sent for and said he had expected this, being mortified at the act of the Mohawks and Senecas. Ile added: "Although they are your enemies, they are our allies, and they ought to have shown us this respect, that having come here on an embassy. they should defer any evil attack till after our return, when our lives would be in safety."
Scandawati's companion was equally but more reasonably high minded. While hunting with the Hurons one day. all were taken by the Seneeas, who recognized him and made him join their band. A Huron woman fell to him in dividing the captives and he was permitted to go back to the Hurons with her. He told the Senecas "that they might kill him if they liked. but that he could not make up his mind to follow them. that he would be ashamed to reappear in his own country; the affairs which had brought him to the Hurons for peace,
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not permitting that he should do anything else than to die with them sooner than to appear to have acted as an enemy." Yet men like these were called savages.
The powerful Onondagas had a prominent part in the Huron overthrow in 1649, books belonging to the martyred missionaries being afterward found in their town. While negotiations were going on the Iluron chief, Charles Ondaaiondiont, went to the Andastes with "the voice of their dying fatherland. He came from the Country of Souls, where war and the terrors of the enemy had laid waste everything, where the fields were covered only with blood, where the eabins were filled only with corpses, and that there did not remain to them- selves any life except what was needed to come to tell their friends, that they might have pity on a land that was drawing to its end." Why the Onondaga negotiations failed we know not, but fail they did and the end eame swiftly on. One Iluron town after another fell before the fierce onslaughts, and thousands who escaped the knife perished in the woods. The fate of the Tionontaties or Petun nation was as pathetie and sudden. The Neutral nation was even more terribly wiped out, and then came the swift downfall of the proud Erie towns. The Iroquois lost men, but filled their towns with captives whom they soon made Iroquois. In 1665 a Huron chief said that not one-third of the Iroquois warriors were native born. Some captives were always slaves, but many were thoroughly naturalized. The Iroquois character survived to the end.
In this conquest of the Hurons the Onondagas had but one great loss. After the defeat of the former, part fled to an island where they built a fort and were soon besieged by the Iroquois. Under pretense of a capitulation thirty chiefs came into the Huron fort, where they were siezed and killed. Most of these were Onondagas, and the surviving Hurons feared they would avenge this perfidy for many a long year, and apparently they did. But for the French the Hurons would have been extinet long ago. They cared for this Inekless and conquered people, and thus only they survived. There came from this down- fall a remarkable result. The Huron tongue was a dialect of the Iroquois and many Hurons were captives or adopted in every Iroquois village. Among the Seneeas one village was distinetly Huron. The captive Huron couverts quite generally adhered to their faith, and had much to say in praise of the French, especially the missionaries, and in this way ereated a desire to know more of them. The more politie, too, saw there would be an advantage in making the French and Dutch competitors in trade.
The French had needlessly interfered with the Iroquois in Champlain's time, but after that kept clear of hostilities for awhile. This could not con- tinue while they favored the Algonquins and Hurons. Father Jogues was taken with a party of the former; Father Poncet at a later day, both by the Mohawks. In 1655 we learn that a young Frenchman, Charles Garmant, had been for several years among the Oneidas, apparently as a prisoner. for it was necessary to make a large present for him. He may have visited Onondaga. Another figure passes across the stage at Onondaga, though not resident there. The Mohawks had captured and adopted Peter Esprit Radisson in 1651, calling
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him Orinha, and the next spring he accompanied a small war party on an expe- dition to the northwest. On the seventh day they arrived at Nojottga or Oneida, where a young man joined them. Then they went to Nontageya or Onondaga, where they stayed four days, being feasted nine or ten times a day. Farther west the Indians wondered much at seeing a Frenchman in an Iroquois war party. He came back successful, making his eseape later and going to France. He returned in time to go to the fort on Onondaga lake in 1657, and share in the flight. We will meet him later.
Next came a direet meeting between the French and the Onondagas, when the former were in great straits. "The fear of the Iroquois was everywhere when at Montreal, June 26. 1653. there appeared sixty of them, of those who are called by the Hurons, Onontacrons, asking at a distance a safe conduet for some among them, calling out that they were sent on the part of all their nation to know if the French had a heart disposed for peace." They had a glad reply, and were so well received at Montreal that the Oneidas also wished to be in the treaty. At this time the Mohawks had a war party in Canada. and a eurious seene followed, resulting in a visit of both Mohawks and Onondagas to Quebec, the former at once inviting the French to place a colony in their country. The Onondagas came again the same year with more definite plans, and the joy of the French was great because they were asked to "make a residence in the midst of the hostile country, on the great lake of the Iroquois, near the Onnon- taeronnous." These had chosen a place for the house, describing it as the best in the land.
Soon after both the Mohawks and Onondagas planned to bring the Hurons from Quebee to strengthen their respective nations, and their conflieting in- terests increased their mutual jealousy. The Hurons did not wish to go, and were afraid to refuse. Their evasive course caused future trouble.
While the Onondagas were at Montreal, in May, 1654. a young French surgeon was carried off by the Oneidas. He was sent for at once and immedi- ately returned, Sagochiendagehte (Garakontie) remaining as hostage till he came. Twenty belts were presented, four from different nations, and three treating of missionaries. The Mohawks did not like all this, as it was not according to etiquette and touched both their pride and interests. Several times had they proposed a French colony, and now the Onondaga offer was preferred. Before this all the Iroquois went through their country for Euro- pean goods, and now another market would be opened. They were the eastern door of the Long House, through which all messages passed. The Hotinnou- chiendi, or finished eabin, had no door at Onondaga. If the French entered through the chimney there they might fall into the fire. Presents and promises pacified them.
July 2, 1654, Father Simon Le Moyne left Quebec to go to Onondaga. IIe was joined by a young Frenchman at Montreal, leaving there July 17. His journal is simple in its style, but has a graphie relation of his voyage up the St. Lawrence well worth reading. July 29-30 they were stopped by a storm "at the entrance of a great lake named Ontario. We call it the lake of the Iroquois
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beeanse they have their villages on the south side." The French had called it at an earlier day Lake St. Louis.
August 1 they came to an Onondaga fishing village at the mouth of Salmon river, occupied by Huron and Petun captives. There Le Moyne confessed an old friend of the latter nation. After a thirty miles tramp through the forest next day they camped in the woods, reaching Oneida river at noon August 3d, and resting in a fishing village south of the river. There he baptized "little skeletons. who waited perhaps, only this drop of the precious blood of Jesus Christ." The next day he baptized another. In a village, two miles thence, he was feasted by a young chief beeanse Le Moyne bore the name of his father. Ondessonk. Other dying children were baptized there.
At noon of August 4th dinner waited for them on the road, prepared by Garakontie's nephew, and they camped again for the night, probably near the site of Collamer. Ten miles more the following morning brought them near the Onondaga, then on Indian hill. "In the road there are nothing but eomers and goers, who come to give me good-day. One treats me as brother; another as unele ; another as cousin ; never had I relations so numerous." Ilalf a mile from the town "I began a harangue, which gained me much credit. I named all the captains. the families, and the principal persons. in a drawling voice, in - the tone of a captain. I told them that Peace marched with me: that I drove away war into the distant nations, and that joy accompanied me. Two captains made me their harangues at my entry, but with a joy and cheerfulness which 1 never had seen among savages."
He talked with the principal men that night by two presents, to which they replied with two others even richer. "The 6th, they called me to divers places. to give my medicine to weakly and heetie little ones. I baptized some. I eon- fessed some of our old Huron Christians, and found that God is everywhere."
That night Garakontie encouraged him. Four nations desired peace, and doubtless the Mohawks would agree. On the 7th Therese, a Huron captive, was confessed by him at her field cabin, where she desired him to baptize a Neutral captive who lived with her. He asked why she had not done this herself, but she thought this allowable only in danger of death. He baptized her by her foster-mother's name, adding, "this was the first baptism of adults at Onon- tague, for which we are indebted to the piety of a Huron."
"The 8th I baptized three little moribunds. I give and receive consolation, seeing myself in the midst of a church of Christians all formed. Some to confess, others to tell me all their miseries, and all together the good fortune that remains theirs, that their faith is not made captive in their captivity." He learned much of their misfortunes.
. About noon on the 9th the death whoop was heard, and news came that three of their hunters had been killed by the Eries. War would certainly follow. Next day Le Moyne opened the Grand Couneil "by a publie prayer. which I made on my knees. and in a loud voice, all in the Huron tongue. 1 addressed myself to the Great Master of heaven and earth, to inspire us with that which should be for His glory and for our good; I cursed all the demons of hell, who are spirits of division, and I prayed the tutelary angels of all the
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country to speak to the heart of those who heard me, when my word should strike their ear. I greatly astonished them, when they heard that I named them all by nations, by tribes, by families, and each person in particular who was of much note, and all this by favor of my manuscript, which was to them a thing as wonderful as new."
He spoke to them by nineteen words or presents. Onontio (Governor of Canada) spoke by him, and four presents were to aid the four nations in the Erie war. The nineteenth present consoled them "for the death of their great captain, Annencraos, a short time since prisoner with the nation of the Cat." Ile was two hours making this speech "in the tone of a captain, promenading after their custom, like an actor on a stage." An Oneida chief was much im- pressed by this mingling of themes and said: "Thy voice, Onontio, is wonder- ful, to produce at the same time in my heart two totally contrary effects. Thou animatest me to war and softenest my heart by thoughts of peace."
The Onondagas summed up all in a final speech : They would recognize the true God, plant a tree of peace at Onondaga. give the French a place in their country, fight the Eries and maintain peace with the French.
The Erie war originated thus: They had sent thirty ambassadors to the Senecas to confirm a peace, but a Seneca was killed by an Erie warrior. The enraged Senecas put all but five of the ambassadors to death. These escaped and war followed. Two Onondaga hunters were taken by the Eries, but one got away. The other was Anneneraos, a leading chief, and through him the Erie chiefs hoped matters might be arranged. He was given to the sister of a dead ambassador and handsomely clothed and feasted. She proved obdurate and demanded his death, even if war followed. "Ile eried out before dying that they were going to burn all people in him, and that they would cruelly avenge his death. This was true, for the news of it was no sooner brought to Onontagne than twelve hundred very determined men started to take satis- faction for this affront." The Eries were destroyed, but the woman main- tained her rights.
Le Moyne had asked the Onondagas to be instrueted in the faith. They replied that the French must come and open a house of instruction for them, "Have for us the care of fathers, and we'll have for you the submission of children." Huron influence had brought these results.
On the night of August 11 he saw a fire which destroyed twenty Onon- daga cabins, just after great rejoicings at the peace made. Next morning he baptized a dying girl and consoled many of the Hurons. He secured also some treasures. "I recovered from the hand of one of these barbarians the New Testament of the deceased Father Jean de Brebeuf, whom they ernelly put to death five years ago: and another little booklet of devotion, which was used by the late Father Charles Garnier, whom they also killed four years ago. I shall make more account of these two little booklets all my life, their cherished relies, than if I had found some mine of gold or silver."
August 14 the young chief, who was to lead the Iroquois against the Eries, strongly urged him to baptize him. pleading the danger of delay. This he did early the next morning, and this first Onondaga convert was known
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as Jean Baptiste Ochionagueras. "Meantime they seek me everywhere to make my feast of adieu, all the principal men and women being invited into our cabin in my name, according to the custom of the country, to do honor to. my departure." Half a league away were gathered the old men and members of the council to say good-by and wish for his return.
They were many miles from Onondaga lake, but reached it next day and camped there that night. This is the account: "The 16th we arrive at the entrance of a small lake in a great basin, half dried; we taste the water of a spring, which they dare not drink, saying that there is a demon within which renders it fetid; having tasted it. I found that it was a fountain of salt water; and, in fact, we made salt from it as natural as that from the sea, of which we carried a sample to Quebee." At that time the Indians of Canada and New York nsed no salt at all. This is the earliest mention of these salt springs, a reference to them elsewhere having been dated ten years too soon.
Apparently they did some fishing there, continuing their journey next day.
"The 17th we enter into their river, and at a quarter of a league we meet on the left that of the Sonnontonan (Seneca). which increases this; it leads, they say, to Onioen (Cayuga), and to Sonnontouan in two nights' lodg- ings. At three leagues of a fine road from there we leave the river of Oneiout (Oneida), which appears very deep. Finally, a good league lower down, we meet a rapid (Three River rift, at Phoenix), which gives the name to a village of fishermen. I found there some of our Christians, and Huron Christian women whom I had not yet seen. I confessed them with inneh satisfaction on the part of both.
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