USA > New York > The documentary history of the state of New York, Vol. I pt 1 > Part 10
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I do not believe that you will derive any advantage this year from war, if you wage it ; for not only will almost the whole of the Iroquois prosecute the war in Canada, but you will not find
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TO HUNGRY BAY.
the Senecas in their villages, in which they give out they will not shut themselves up, but conceal themselves in the grass and pre- pare ambuscades every where for you. Regarding your declara- tion to the Iroquois that you had no ill will except against the Senecas, they convoked a general Diet here where they will con- clude to league themselves against you, if you will not accept the propositions of peace for which the Onnontagué wishes to obtain the consent of the Seneca who has already placed in security the old grain, and made a retreat in the woods for the children, women and old men, of which you will be ignorant.
The Warriors are to prowl every where, killing without if pos- sible being killed. If their Indian corn be cut, it will cost much blood and men-You must also resolve to lose the harvest of the French grain to which the Iroquois will set fire. As for the French settlements, the Iroquois suppose that they are all aban- doned and that the people have retired within the forts ; other- wise, they would be a prey to the enemy. It is the opinion that if you begin the war, it will be of long duration, and that to feed those in Canada you will have to bring provisions from France. The Iroquois believes that he will destroy the Colony in case of war, for he will never fight by rule against us and will not shut himself up in any fort in which he might be stormed. Thus they are under the impression that, no person daring to come into un- known forests to pursue them, they can neither be destroyed nor captured, having a vast hunting ground in their rear, towards Merilande and Virginia, as well as places adjoining their villa- ges, wholly unknown to the French. If winter were not so cold in this country, that would be the time to wage war, for one can then see all around, and the trail cannot be concealed ; but every thing must be carried-provisions, arms, powder, and lead. You can not believe, Sir, with what joy the Senecas learned that you would, possibly, determine on war ; and from the report the sa- vages make them of the preparations apparent at Kataroskouy, they say, that the French have a great desire to be stript, roasted and eaten; and that they will see if their flesh, which they say is salt on account of the salt they make use of be as good as that of their other enemies whom they devour.
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The envoy of the Governor of New York who is here promises the Iroquois goods at a considerable reduction ; 7 a 8 lbs. of pow der for a Beaver ; as much lead as a man can carry for a Beaver, and so with the rest.
Every thing considered, Sir, if you will be content with a sat- isfaction which we will endeavor to obtain for you from the Se- necas, you will prevent great evils which must fall on Canada in case of war ; you will divert from it famine and many misfor- tunes, especially will you avoid much confusion and great suffer- ing to the French who will fall into the hands of the Iroquois, who, as you are aware, exercise the most cruel and shameful cruelties towards their captives. Independent of there being no profit in fighting with this sort of banditti whom you, assuredly, will not catch and who will catch many of your people who will be surprised in every quarter.
The man called Hannatakta and some others of influence told me they pitied you. These are their words-they besought you not to force them to wage war against you ; that the five Nations would be obliged to unite against you ; that the French and the Iroquois being so near the one to the other, the war would be too disas- trous to you, because, say they, our mode of fighting, of haras- sing, of living, of surprizing and flying to the woods will be the ruin of the French who are accustomed to fight against towns capable of defence or against armies who appear in the plains ; if there be misunderstanding it ought to be settled. All the Iro- quois are persuaded that before going to war you will try the ways of mildness and tell the Senecas to appease your anger for what they have plundered ; that if you begin by a desire to wage war and will not act as a father towards your children, they have already declared beforehand that they will all unite against you.
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TO HUNGRY BAY.
FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME.
July 13. 1684.
My Lord-I have the honor to write to you by Father Millet who passes here in retiring from among the Iroquois who cannot be persuaded that you have determined on waging war against them, not having demanded any satisfaction of them for the merchandize of the Frenchmen whom the Senecas plundered. To turn away the scourge of war and the miseries which must follow it, especially among the French who will find themselves attacked by all the Iroquois if any hostile act is committed against the Se- necas, I have strongly urged the Onnontagues to give you satis- faction according to the instructions which the Christian Iroquois, your deputies here, had. To-morrow a great number of Senecas are expected with several Cayugas and the Ambassadors from the two Lower Nations to talk about business.
The Senecas consequent on the declaration you made to them that you would proceed to their country, have concealed their old grain, prepared a distant retreat in the wooden fort for the security of their old men, women and children, and conveyed whatever they have of value out of their villages. The Warriors in great number have heard this news with much joy; they are determined to fight, not in their forts for they have none, and will not shut themselves up any where, but under cover, behind trees, and in the grass where they will try to do you considera- ble injury, if you want war. The Onnontagues-men of busi- ness-wish to arrange matters, especially having lost nothing of theirs, except only some goods. Must the father and children, they ask, cut each others throats for clothes ? The children must satisfy the father to whom they owe honor and respect.
Further, I, last year, guarantied by two Wampum belts-one to the Senecas and the other here-that if the Iroquois army met the French who were towards Illinois, and any acts of hostility should follow on one side or the other, they would mutually arrange the difficulty without it leading to any consequences, and this is what we are endeavoring to persuade the Senecas to
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do. Father Millet, to whom I communicated all, and who has just passed, will tell you every thing and how apropos it would be that M. le Moine should come here to fetch those Chiefs and Warriors who will most willingly meet you under the safe con- duct which you will give them through M. le Moine (who can come here in all surety and without any fear) to be conducted to your rendezvous near Seneca or to the Fort, in order to settle matters in a friendly manner.
The Iroquois say they will not commit any act of hostility against you, unless you commence either by attacking the Senecas or by refusing all satisfaction, for they remark, it is painful to come to blows with their Father. They all say that their mode of warfare will be disastrous to you, but that the respect they entertain towards you, and which we insinuate among them, withholds them until they are forced, they add, to wage a sor- rowful war, despite themselves, against you. They wish, first of all, they say, to avoid the reproach of not having kept their word which they gave. I told M. le Moine of the above.
My brother expects to leave with your deputies to carry to you the result of the Iroquois Diet, where the Onnontagué who as- sumes to be a moderator, pretends to force the Senecas to disa- vow what two of their captains caused their warriors to do, and to quieten again your mind ; that is, they say, by some satisfac- tion which may afford you an honorable pretext to pay a friendly visit to Kaniatarontagouat [now, Irondequot Bay] and not to ap- pear there as an enemy.
I forgot to inform you that the Iroquois say they have accepted the satisfaction they received for the death of their captain, Hann- henhax, killed by the Kiskakous, and that it would seem very strange to them that you should refuse the satisfaction they wish to induce the Senecas to give you for the pillaged merchandize which, in their estimation is next to nothing compared with that important [council] fire in your children's cabin. I pray God that He conduct matters for His glory and the country's good and that He preserve you long, which is the wish, my Lord, of Your very humble & very obt Serv',
J. DE LAMBERVILLE.
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TO HUNGRY BAY.
FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME.
18 July, 1684.
Sir-The Council convoked at Onnontague was, at length, held on the 16th and 17th of July. You will see by the memoir I enclose in this letter what you said to the Onnontagués and what they reply by three Belts. Since you spoke, or I have made you speak to the Senecas assembled here in a body, Chiefs and Warriors, and their answer, we have spoken to them by three Belts and they have answered you by nine.
These are twelve Belts which your ambassadors take to you. I know not if you will accept the trifling pains we have taken to Cause satisfaction to be given you, and to extricate you from the fatigues, the embarrassments and consequences of a disastrous war, and procure at the same time freedom of trade ; for the Se- necas informed me at night, by express, that they would give you more satisfaction than you expected, because they wished through respect for you, not to wage war any more against the Oumiamis, if you so wish it, and even any other nation if you insist on it. In fine, they do not wage war save but to secure a good peace. They return without striking a blow, without shed- ding blood, etc. The Seneca Iroquois offer you more than you would have believed.
The Onnontagués considered their honour engaged to this meeting, and have put all sorts of machinery in motion to induce the Senecas to condescend to place their affairs in their hands. On the first day of the Council every thing was almost despaired of, and the plenipotentiaries all excited came to see me, saying they gained nothing on the Senecas, and that up to that time they most willingly accepted war ; that they rejected the presents which you and they had made them. They sent me back a collection of belts, that the chiefs and warriors acted with great zeal in combatting the obstinacy of the Senecas so that having gained the Oneidas and Cayugas over to to their side, they came to high words. Deputies, notwithstanding, succeeded one another to sound me on the state of affairs and to learn the true cause of the withdrawal of our Mis-
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sionaries. Finally I told them that the real cause was, that the displeasure which they perceived you felt, and which they also en- tertained at being disparaged by the Senecas, had caused them to withdraw to you, until they should have satisfied you. At length the Onnontagués persuaded them to confide in them and to place their affairs in their hands-that if you did not accept their media- tion, they should unite according to their policy, with all the other Iroquois against you. La Grande Gueule and his triumvirate have assuredly signalized themselves in this rencounter. My brother, who will inform you of every thing, will relate matters more in de- tail. We, however, await your orders which you will please con- vey to us by M. le Moine whom the Onnontagués request you to send instantly to them at Choueguen [Oswego] in all security and without the least fear.
FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME.
Onontagué, this 17th August, 1684.
My Lord-Your people have brought my brother back here with the greatest possible diligence, having been wind bound three days, at one island. In order not to cause you any delay, which could only produce a useless consumption of provisions by your army, they arrived here with Sieur le Duc at midnight and having passed the rest of the night in conferring together, we had the Chiefs and Warriors assembled at day light after hav- ing obtained information from La Grande Gueule and Gara- kontie.
We declared our intentions in the presence of several Senecas who departed the same day to return to their country where they will communicate our approach. They carry one of your belts to reassure those who are alarmed by your armament. The On- nontagués have despatched some of theirs to notify the Oneida, the Mohawk and the Cayuga to repair to Ochouegen [Oswego] to salute you and to reply to your proposals. They wish so much to see M. le Moine here whom you promised them would come, that it appears that nothing could be done should he not arrive. Also,
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as you advised them not to be troubled at the sight of your barks and Gendarmes, they give you notice, likewise, not to be sur- prised when you will see faces painted red and black at Ochou- egen.
I gave a Cayuga letters for you some eight or ten days ago. I do not know if he will have delivered them. I believe I ad- vised you that Colonel Dongan had the Duke of York's placards of protection (des sauvegardes) affixed to the three upper Iroquois villages, and that he styled himself Lord of the Iroquois. A drunken man here tore these proclamations down and nothing remains but the post to which the Duke of York's arms were attached.
I gave La Grande Gueule your belt under hand, and remarked to him the things which you wish him to effect. He calls him- self your best friend and you have done well to have attached to you this hoc, who has the strongest head and loudest voice among the Iroquois,
The over coats (capots) and shirts which you have been so good as to send to be used on occasions are a most efficacious means to gain over, or to preserve public opinion. An honora- ble peace will be more advantageous to Canada than a war very uncertain as to its success. I am of opinion, whatever Messrs the Merchants may say, that you do them a good turn by inducing the Iroquois to give you satisfaction, and that the war would be very prejudicial to them.
I am with all sort of respect and submission, My Lord,
Your very humble and very obedient servant, J. DE LAMBERVILLE, Jesuit.
FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME.
Onnontagué, this 28th of August 1684.
My Lord-M. le Moine's arrival has much pleased our burgo- masters who have exhibited towards him many attentions, and have promised to terminate matters with you in the manner you
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desire. The Onnontagués have called the Deputies of each Na- tion together as I have advised you. The Cayugas came here the first, with two young Tionnoutatés to restore them to you. We expect the Senecas, and as we were hoping that the Oneidas would arrive to-day, one Arnaud,1 whom Father Bruyas is well acquaint- ed with, came here on horseback from Mr. Dongan to tell the Iroquois that he did not wish them to talk with you without his permission, being complete master of their land and conduct towards you ; that they belonged to the King of England and the Duke of York, and that their Council fires were lighted at Albany and that he absolutely forbad them talking with you.
Two words which we whispered in the ears of your pensioner, La Grande Gueule, caused us to see at once how unreasonable, in his opinion, was so strange a proceeding as that of Mr. Dongan, after having himself exhorted the Iroquois to give us satisfaction in order to avoid a disastrous war which would have very bad [consequences. ] When M. le Moine and I shall have the honour to see you, we shall give you the particulars of these things, and how La Grande Gueule came to high words against this Messenger, exhorting all the warriors and chiefs not to listen to the proposals of a man who seemed to be drunk, so opposed to all reason was what he uttered.
We being two or three days' journey from here, the said Mes- senger produced three Belts of Wampum. The first and second are from the Mohawks and Oneidas, who have promised Mr. Don- gan that they should not go to meet us; the third was for the Onnontagués to exhort them to give their wampum belt also, as assurance of the same thing. They answered by La Grande Gueule, that they esteemed themselves too highly honored by your having granted them the embassy of M. le Moine and by your having placed the affairs of the peace in their hands, to commit. so cowardly an action and so grave a fault as that which he seemed
1 Arnold Cornelis" Viele, a citizen of Albany, who acted as Interpreter be. tween the Whites and Indians. For his service in this capacity he had already obtained from the latter, 26"> Sept. 1683, a tract of land called Wachkeerhoha, on the north bank of the Mohawk above Schenectady, the grant of which is in Alb. Deed Book C, 199 .- Tz.
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TO HUNGRY BAY.
willing they should perpetrate. After many disputes, the Onnonta- gués councilled among themselves, and concluded to enquire of M. le Moine if he would not wait the permission which Mr. Don- gan wished the Iroquois to have from him to talk with you, and if he would not tarry ten days more, and you remain at the Lake, to learn Mr. Dongan's final will. This is a piece of Iroquois cun- ning not to embroil themselves with Mr. Dongan, and to follow en- tirely what M. le Moine should say, whom they well knew would not wait so long, matters having advanced to the point at which they are, and knowing, moreover, that delay was directly contrary to your instructions. The Iroquis requested M. le Moine himself to communicate their opinion to the Cavalier, which he certainly did in an excellent manner, and which you will be glad to learn when he will give an account of his negotiation.
He has thought proper to send you one of his canoes at once to inform you hereof, and to assure you that as soon as the Onnon- tagué deputies shall have arrived here, he will endeavour to des- patch them hence at the carliest moment to conduct them to you. If not he will leave with the Senecas who are here. Tegannehout acted his part very well and harangued strongly against Mr. Don- gan's messenger and in favour of Onnontio. Good cheer and the way you regaled him was a strengthening medicine which sustained his voice when it might perhaps have failed in another who had not experienced proofs of your friendship such as you did him the honour to give him. He will return with M. le Moine.
The Cavalier says that before returning to his Master, he wishes to speak to the Senecas who are expected here. I caress some- what Tegannehout in order that he may win those of his Nation over to his opinion and not to suffer them to yield to the solicita- tions of Sieur Arnaud to whom the Onnontagués have given two wretched belts to say to Mr. Dongan that they could not do other than what he himself had urged them to do; to wit, to settle matters peaceably with you, and to soothe his spirit if he were dissatisfied with them for not going to Albany whence they had returned very recently. A letter is sent you which he has given to M. le Moine.
Whatever Sieur Arnaud may say, we have not neglected to
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send for the Oneida deputies whom we expect to-morrow. Mon- sieur le Moine will use the greatest possible diligence to return to you, inasmuch as this delay is not very agreable to him.
I am always, my Lord,
Your very humble and very obedient servant,
J. DE LAMBERVILLE.
FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME.
Onontagué, 27 Sept. 1684.
My Lord,-1 return here after having been delayed ten days in the Lake by very strong head winds. A day before the Iroquois deputies met here, the Senecas sent Belts to the Iroquois villages to declare to them that should you disembark in their country, they would attack you. Six or seven Mohegans (Loups) were prepar- ing to go to the assistance of the Iroquois, as the Outaoutes were aiding the French. The Seneca scouts have been as far as Kaion- houagué, where you had concluded the peace, to be certain of the place at which your army had encamped. The Onnontagués be- lieved for several days that they had killed me. Tegannehout's arrival in this country will have calmed the minds in communicat- ing your peace to them. No news have as yet been received from the Seneca. Some say they will shortly come hither to confer on important matters. If any one come from the For there I shall inform you of whatever I will have learned.
Sieur Arnaud, Mr. Dongan's deputy, has not re-appeared here since my departure from Onnontaé, though he had assured me that he should return in ten days. 'Tis said that his delay is caused by not having found his master at Orange (Albany), and that he has gone to Manath to inform him of the proceedings of the Onnonta- gué and of your arrival at Gainhouagué, | Hungry Bay.]
I had the honour of writing to you from the Fort whence I sent you a wampum belt from the Tionnontatés. I gave Sieur Hanna- taksa the belt of Wampum and the red Calumet in your name, to whom I said that you would be ever obliged to him if he would turn his arms to the left of Fort St. Louis, where the Illinois are
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TO HUNGRY BAY.
mingled with the Oumiamis, so as to give no cause of complaint.
Uncertain as I was regarding matters on the side of the Senecas. and fearful that the Senecas would create confusion on arriving here, I made some presents in your name to some captains who could best curb their insolence, so as to prevent the brewing of the storm.
Your man of business, I mean La Grande Gueule, is not con cerned at any thing ; he is a venal being whom you do well to keep in pay. I assured him that you would send him the jerkin you promised. The Cayugas who are gone to war to the borders of Merinlande and Virginia have sent home some of their warriors to say that the English had killed three of their men, and that they having taken five Englishmen alive, had cut their throats after sub- jecting them to some bad treatment, and that they were still in the English country.
After having spoken to you of others, I must acquit myself of a part of my duty, by thanking you very humbly for all the kind- nesses you have been pleased to shower on me. I should have wished you, in addition to the good health in which it pleased God to preserve you in the midst of an army weakened by diseases, greater satisfaction for the trouble you have taken for the public good. Individuals assuredly know that if you had not accepted peace, which is very favorable since no one has been killed on either side, the Colony would have been exposed to the mercy of the Iroquois who would pounce, in different directions, on defence- less settlements, the people of which they would carry off in order to pitilessly burn them. I pray God, who knows the sincerity of your intentions, to be your reward and to heap His blessings on you to the extent of the wishes of him who is entirely, my Lord
Your very humble and very obedient servant, J. DE LAMBERVILLE.
I told Colin that you would remember him and his comrade.
The Tionnontates have sent to thank the Onnontagués for hav- ing, by their obliging disposition, gained you over to treat for peace, and thus preserve the lives of many, and that they were attached to Onnonthio. Sieur la Grande [Gueule] has pronounced your pane- gyric here, and professes to keep the promise he made you, to cause
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the articles of peace to be observed. Some furs are to be collected this fall. He is treating on this subject with Hannagoge and Ga- nakontié. There is no news yet from the Senecas.
FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME.
Onnontagué, this 9th Octob. 1684.
My Lord,-The message you sent here by three canoemen from Montreal shows you to be in reality a man of your word. Sieur Grande Gueule has been informed by express, who is gone to find him at his fishery eight leagues from here, that you have written. I shall cause him when he returns particularly to recollect his pro- mise to you to have satisfaction given you. I have spoken in his absence both privately and publicly, to influential persons and ob- tained promises from the chiefs and warriors that they would send two strings of wampum to the Senecas in three days to put them in mind of the word which the leader of those who pillaged the French canoes had himself brought here, from those of his own nation, that they had accepted all you had concluded at La Famine. I told them what you had concluded and had ordered me to acquaint them with. The report about the thousand Illinois is a mere ru- mor without any foundation, and M. duLut told me at Katarakoui, that he did not believe the truth of this news ; besides there cannot be any apprehension that they could have dared to undertake any thing, having met neither Frenchmen nor Outaouas. All that they could make a demonstration against havemore fuzileers than they.
A party of 40 warriors will leave here in six days to attack the Illinois whom they may find among the Chaouennons. I have presented the Captain a shirt in your name, to exhort the Senecas through whom he will pass, to keep their word with you. He has assured me that he will not lead his troop towards the quarter you forbad him. I notified him as well as the others that you had de- spatched a canoe to inform the Oumiamies and the Maskenses that you had included them in the peace, and that they could remain secure at the place where they had been before they were at war with the Iroquois. The Senecas shall be equally notified of this in a
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