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/TRANSACTIONS
OF THE
Buffalo Historical Society.
RED JACKET.
VOLUME III.
BUFFALO:
PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE SOCIETY.
MDCCCLXkxV.
fp\. JO I *H0
CONTENTS.
Page.
Introduction, .	.	.	.	.	.	. *................ 3
Obsequies at Forest Lawn Cemetery—Address by
Mr. W. C. Bryant, ...	................ .	11
Commemorative Exercises at Music Hall—Opening
Address by Hon. James Sheldon—Oration by Hon.^
George W. Clinton—Address by Gen. Ely S. Parker,	24
List of Indian Delegates,.................... 45
“Red Jacket's Bones” (from the Buffalo Commercial
Advertiser of August 14, 1884)—Letter from ex-
Gov. Seymour,......................... 47
Diagram of Indian Burial Lot at Forest Lawn, .	.	50
“ Hodenosaunee ” (Article from Buffalo Daily Courier
of October 9, 1884),............ ...	.	.	51
“ Sagoyewatha’s Rest” (Articles from Buffalo Express
of October 7 and 8, 1884),	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	. 53-56
.List of Subscribers, ...................... .	57
Officers of the Buffalo Historical Society, 1884, .	.	59
Action of the Grand Council of the Six Nations of
Canada on the Return of their Delegation, .	60
How the Great Chief’s Remains were Lost and
Recovered,
622
Page.
Ruth Stevenson, the Favorite Step-child of Red
Jacket—Death of the Great Orator, ....	64
Red Jacket's Disappointed Ambition, .......	66
Sagoyewatha-—Etymology of the Word-—Sachems,
Assistant Councilors and Head Men of the
Iroquois,.................................. 71
Otetiani, its Etymology, etc., .	.	....	.	.	.	77
Garangula, the Great Onondaga Orator, ....	79
Sketches of the Five Indian Chiefs Re-intombed with
Red Jacket :	The Young King, Captain Pollard,
Little Billy, Destroy Town, Tall Peter—The
Nine Unknown Braves, ......................  81
The Mohawk Centennial at Tyendinaga—Bay of
Quinte,................................... 87
The Mohawk Centennial Celebrated on the Grand
River Reserve, Province of Ontario, .	.	/	.	.	93
Origin of the Names or Titles of the Fifty Original
League Sachemships,............................  98
Anecdote of Red Jacket—Leaf from a Diary—Glimpse
of Red Jacket's Family in 1794,	  100
An Interview with the Delawares—Their Origin—
Derivation of the Word Manhatten, .	.	.	.	.	102
Poems Suggested by the Re-burial of the Old Chiefs
at Forest Lawn, .	.	.	.	.	....	.	.	.	.	104
Personal Names among the Iroquois—Onas, or William
Penn, .........................................  noINTRODUCTORY.
The project of re-interring the remains of Red Jacket, and
of cotemporary chiefs, lying in neglected graves in the vicinage
of Buffalo, has for a score of years been discussed and advo-
cated by prominent members of the Buffalo Historical Society.
In public addresses, on different occasions, Messrs. Lewis F.
Allen, Orlando Allen, Orsamus H. Marshall, William P. Letch-
worth and others have, in earnest and touching language,
urged the measure as a fitting and pious duty toward the dis-
tinguished chiefs and leaders of the hapless aborigines whom
we have dispossessed. Correspondence was entered into with
the late Nathaniel T. Strong* (Honnondeuh), a principal chief
of .the Senecas, who warmly approved the measure, and who
thought the surviving relatives of the dead sachems and
warriors, as well as the council of the nation, would give it
their sanction.
The bones of Red Jacket, it was understood, were in the
jealous custody of his step-daughter, Ruth Stevenson, an aged
and pious Christian woman, who, after consulting the devoted
missionaries, Rev. Asher Wright and his wife, signified her
willingness to surrender them to the society for re-interment
in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Many of the cotemporaries of
this renowned chief were buried in the old mission cemetery,
of which the venerable widow of Asher Wright, in a letter to
the writer, speaks as follows:4
“ About four miles from the City of Buffalo, on what was the
Buffalo Creek Reservation, may be found the old Indian burial-
ground. This little spot, consecrated as the last resting-place of
many of the chiefs and head men of the Senecas, occupied the site
of an ancient Indian fort. In 1842 the line of the intrenchments
could be distinctly traced, especially on the west and south. A little
to the north of the principal entrance was the grave of the celebrated
chief, Red Jacket, so long the faithful friend and protector of his
people against encroachments of the whites, and still, as we might
imagine, the watchful sentinel, solemnly guarding this little spot,
where so many of his chosen friends recline around him, from the
desecrating touch of the race whom he had so much reason to fear
and hate.
“Nearly opposite the grave of Red Jacket, on the south of the
entrance, was a solitary white stone. This marked the grave of ‘ The
White Woman/ as she was popularly called, Mary Jemison.1
The stone was partly broken and the inscription defaced, for so
strange was the story of the ’ancient sleeper that strangers visiting
the place, and wishing to carry away mementoes of their visit, had
dared to chip off considerable portions of the marble.
“ It is a little remarkable that so many' of the characters who
figured on the stage with her, and took part in the eventful scenes
with which she was so familiar, should have been brought into such
close proximity to her in the last scene in which they were con-
cerned on earth. Here they lie, side by side; the stern old wafrior
and his feeble victim might shake hands and exchange greetings.
“No stones marked the graves of these primitive nobles, but
while the tribe still resided on the Buffalo Creek Reservation the
graves of Red Jacket, Young King, Little Billy, Destroy Town,
Twenty Canoes, Two Guns, Captain Pollard, John Snow, Old White-
chief and others were pointed out to the curious traveler.”
On the evening of the twenty-ninth day of December, 1863,
the late Chief Strong, by invitation of the Young Men’s
Christian Association, delivered at St. James Hall, in the City
of Buffalo, a lecture, the theme of which was Red Jacket. He
concluded with an eloquent appeal, addressed to his white
brethren, to rescue the remains of Red Jacket and other
1 See Seaver’s Life of Mary Jemison.SENECA MISSION CHURCH,
Seneca Village, Western View.
*5
eminent chiefs from threatened profanation and bury them in
Forest Lawn Cemetery. This interesting paper was never
published, and it is to be regretted that the manuscript was
lost or destroyed. The Buffalo Morning Express, however, on
the following morning reported a few of the concluding sen-
tences of the address, and which were substantially as follows:
“ *	*	* Thus perished the pride and glory of my people. His
efforts to resist the advance of civilization among the Iroquois
sprang from a mistaken patriotism. He knew not the irresistible
power that impels its progress. The stalwart oak with its hundred
arms could not hope to beat back the fierce tempest. He lived to
see the power and glory of the confederate Iroquois culminate. He
saw their friendship courted by the French and English monarchies,
when those gigantic powers were grappling in a desperate struggle
for supremacy in the new world. He lived to see his nation decline;
its power, its influence, its numbers wasting away like spring snows
on verdant hill-sides.
“I stand before you now in the last hours of a death-stricken
people. A few summers ago our council fires lighted up the arches
of the primeval wood which shadowed the spot where your city’now
stands. Its glades rang with the shouts of our hunters and the
gleeful laugh of our maidens. The surface of yonder bay and river
was seamed only by the feathery wake of our bark canoes. The
smoke of our cabins curled skyward from slope and valley.
“To-night! to-night! I address you as an alien in the land of my
fathers. I have no nation, no country, and, I might say, I have no
kindred. All that we loved, and prized, and cherished, is yours.
The land of the rushing river, the thundering cataract and the
jeweled lakes is yours. All these broad blooming fields, those
wooded hills and laughing valleys are yours—yours alone.
“I would 1 had the eloquence of Red Jacket that I might fitly
speak of the wrongs and sorrows of my people. O, let your hearts
be stirred with pity toward them, and when the spring violets blossom
over my grave and that of the last of the Buffalo Senecas—as soon
they will-^let not our memory perish with us. *****	*
“ There is one boon we would ask of you. Gather up tenderly
the bones of Red Jacket, Cornplanter, Young King, Pollard and
their brother chieftains and bury them in yonder cemetery, where6
the plow of the husbandman will not invade their repose. There, in
sight of their own beautiful river, and under the shadow of the trees
they loved so much, our sachems will sleep well.
44 Within the limits of this city the great orator once said, 4 But an
evil day came upon us. Your forefathers crossed the great waters
and landed on this island. Their numbers were small. They found
friends—not enemies. They told us they had fled from their own
country for fear of wicked men, and had come here to enjoy their
religion. They asked for a small seat. We took pity on them and
granted their request, and they sat down amongst us. We gave them
corn and meat.’
“Brothers of the pale race:	We crave now, in our turn, but
4 a small seat ’ in yonder domain of the dead! ”
It is proper to state, in this connection, that the remains
of Farmer’s Brother, interred with military honors in the old
village cemetery on Franklin square in 1812, were exhumed
on the fifteenth day of October, 1851, and reburied in Forest
Lawn Cemetery. A noble granite obelisk, on which his name,
with those of many gallant soldiers who fell in the second war
for independence, are inscribed, marks the spot.
Although Mr. Strong’s appeal deeply affected his audience,
moving many of them to tears, the project was allowed to
slumber until September 22, 1876, when Mr. William C.
Bryant, a member of the Board of Councilors of the B. H. s
Society, visited the Cattaraugus Reservation and laid the
matter before the Council of the Seneca Nation, which was
then convened there. Chief John Jacket, a grandson of the
great orator—pipe in mouth, as became a grave Indian coun-
cilor—-presided over the assemblage. After a full discussion
of the subject, the assembled chiefs, by vote, gave the project
their unqualified approval.
The Buffalo City Cemetery (Forest Lawn), it should be
gratefully recorded, had, in a broad spirit of liberality some7
years before, adopted a resolution to place at the disposition
of the Historical Society a spacious lot in their beautiful
grounds for the burial of the dead sachems and warriors.
On the second day of October, 1879, Messrs. O. H. Marshall
and William C. Bryant, officers of the society, visited the
reservation and obtained from their aged custodian the remains
of Red Jacket, which thereafter and until their final sepulture
in Forest Lawn, October 9, 1884, were deposited, inclosed in
a plain pine box, in the vaults of the Western Savings Bank
of Buffalo.
At a regular meeting of the Board of Managers of the
Historical Society, held at its rooms on the twenty-seventh
day of March, 1884, a committee of fifteen members was
appointed to make arrangements for the re-interment and
ceremonies connected therewith, as well as locating the burial
lot and collecting funds for the monument, head-stones, etc.
This General Committee, pursuant to call of its president,
William Dana Fobes, Esq., met on the following evening,
and from its membership the following sub-committees were
appointed:
Finance.—Gen. John C. Graves, William H. H. Newman, Hon.
Philip Becker, Alonzo Richmond and William K. Allen.
Decorations.—Thomas B. French, George W. Townsend, General
Graves.
Printing.—Townsend, Dr. Leon F. Harvey, Hon. James Sheldon.
Program.—Sheldon, W. C. Bryant, Hon. Lewis F. Allen, Becker
and Graves.
Invitations and Correspondence.—Chas. B. Germain, Bryant, Sheldon.
Selection of Indian Chiefs for Interment, their History, etc.—Bryant,
French and Sheldon.
Cemetery Grounds, ^.—Newman, John M. Hutchinson, Wm. K.
Allen.
Monument.—Hon. Elias S. Hawley, Richmond, Germain.
Music.—Harvey, Hawley, Wm. K. Allen.8
At this meeting the ninth day of October following was
fixed as the date of the obsequies. It was resolved that dele-
gates representing the whole of the ancient league of the Six
Nations or Iroquois, resident in the State of New York, Canada
and elsewhere, be invited to attend and participate in the cere-
monies; which was afterwards done and favorable responses
were received from Lt.-CoL Gilkison, Visiting Superintendent
of the Six Nations in Canada, as well as from the chiefs at
the Cattaraugus and Tuscarora Reservations. The order of
exercises at the graves and at a commemorative meeting to
be held in Music Hall in the evening was also determined.
The Finance Committee proceeded to solicit subscriptions
necessary to carry out the plan and met with a generous
response from the people of Buffalo. A list of the subscribers
will be found in the Appendix No. 7, and although the amount
was not sufficient to complete the monument it enabled the
General Committee to build the foundation, erect the head-
stones, and pay all the expenses of the Indian delegates and
of the ceremonies.
The question of the lot in Forest Lawn was brought before
the trustees of the cemetery, and they generously donated to
the society the large and conspicuous plot near the main
entrance, where the chiefs were interred. The lot is known as
lot 1 in section 12 on the cemetery maps, and a diagram will
be found in the Appendix No. 3 showing the location of
monument, head-stones and graves.
The Committee on Program, by the advice of the General
Committee, extended an invitation to the Hon. Horatio Sey-
mour, of Utica, to deliver the oration at Music Hall, but
received from him a letter of regrets, declining on the ground
of ill health. His letter, which is of historical importance,9
will be found in the Appendix No. 2. Subsequently, the
committee extended an invitation to the Hon. George W.
Clinton, of Albany, formerly of Buffalo, who consented to
deliver the oration.
The Committee on Selection of Indian Chiefs for Interment
made several visits to the old mission cemetery, of which
mention has been made, accompanied by the venerable mis-
sionary, Mrs. Wright, and by aged Indians who had been long
familiar with the locality, some of them related to Red Jacket
by ties of blood or marriage. The leading men of the Senecas,
before the removal of the tribe from the Buffalo Creek Reser-
vation, lay in graves excavated in a small elevated area, at or
near the center of the cemetery. The earth there is a dry
loam. The graves were two or more feet deeper than it is the
practice now to dig them. They uniformly faced the rising
sun. Notwithstanding this sacred spot is the property of the
Indians, consecrated to the repose of their dead and those
of their faithful missionaries, it has been invaded by the
whites, who have buried their deceased friends there in con-
siderable numbers. It was found necessary to tunnel under
many of these surreptitious graves in order to rescue the red
proprietors who slumbered beneath the strange intruders.
About forty graves in all were opened, and all the work was
done under the supervision of Henry D. Farwell, Esq., the
undertaker. Few, if any, articles were found with the remains,
save an occasional pipe and the decayed fragments of blankets,
broadcloth tunics, silken sashes and turbans, and beaded
leggins and moccasins. Exception should be made in the
instance of a very young child, whose little head was enwrapped
in a voluminous silk handkerchief. In a silken knot close to
its ear was a tiny, neatly-carved rattle of bone, and on itsIO
breast, above the little folded hands, was a small and pretty
porcelain drinking cup. But seven of the skeletons could be
positively identified, namely, those of Young King, Destroy
Town, Captain Pollard, his wife and his granddaughter, Tall
Peter, and Little Billy, the war chief. Nine others, doubtless
the remains of warriors famous in their day, were exhumed,
buried with them at Forest Lawn, and will be designated as
the undistinguished dead. The work of exhuming and re-
interring the tenants of graves in other neglected Indian
burial-grounds is contemplated, but was temporarily postponed
for valid reasons.
An extract from the Buffalo Courier of Oct. 9, concerning
the proceedings of the day before, will be found in the
Appendix No. 4.
In the Appendix No. 5 will be found an extract from the
Buffalo Morning Express of Oct. 7, 1884, with reference to the
ceremonies, etc., of the occasion; also in Appendix No. 6 is
an extract from the same paper of Oct. 8th.
An official list of the Indian delegates present, with their
Indian names, will be found in the Appendix No. 1.
There will also be found in the Appendix various other
matter, correspondence, poems, and extracts from papers, etc.,
of historical interest. See Index.
The following account of the proceedings is mainly extracted
from the files of the Daily Commercial Advertiser of Oct. 9
and 10, 1884.THE CEREMONIES AT FOREST LAWN
AND
Commemorative Exercises at Music Hall, Etc.
Thursday, October 9, 1884, was the day set apart by the
Buffalo Historical Society for the final re-interment of the
remains of Red Jacket, and other famous Indian chiefs, in the
burial lot at Forest Lawn, donated for the purpose by the
officers of the cemetery. The event is one of pathetic as well
as historical interest, and the ceremonies tend to revive legends
and stories of the times when the Indians were lords of the
soil. It also recalls to the mind of the student many notable
occurrences of early American history, not the least of which,
perhaps, is the important part played by the confederation of
the Iroquois, in preserving a great portion of North America
from French domination.
“ By the treaty made at Ryswick,”
Saith Great Britain to the French king,
With her statesmen of wise foreheads,
Toward the setting sun far sighted,
“ Are the subtle, stately red men,
The leagued Iroquois Six Nations,
Our allies, and own the sceptre,
In the sinewy hand of England.
Where their bow or hatchet ruleth,
Roameth safe the British lion,
In the Adirondack gorges,
In Niagara’s huge thunders,
In Ohio’s crackling forests,
Croucheth fierce the British lion.”
Our readers have been kept informed, from time to time, of
the preparations made by the Historical Society, and we need
212
not go over the ground again. The work has involved no
little labor and effort on the part of the members of the society.
Wednesday afternoon the visiting Indians assembled at the
rooms of the Historical Society and listened to addresses by
Mr. William C. Bryant, himself a Seneca by adoption, and
Gen. Ely S. Parker, of New York, one of the fifty sachems of
the allied Six Nations. The latter's speech was especially
interesting and affecting to the Indians present, and was inter-
preted in their dialect by his brother, Chief Nicholas H. Parker.
A council was then organized to make final preparations for
the burial ceremonies. At a few minutes before four o'clock
the interpreter announced that the bearers selected for Red
Jacket’s casket were Chiefs Levi Jonathan, an Onondaga;
Benjamin Carpenter, a Cayuga; Henry Clinch, an Oneida;
John Fraser, a Mohawk; Moses Hill, a Tuscarora; and Andrew
Snow, a Seneca. To bear the remains of Destroy Town were
Chiefs John Buck, an Onondaga; Joseph Porter, an Oneida;
Thomas Isaac, a Tuscarora; and Peter Powless, a Mohawk.
Chiefs David Hill and John Hill, Senecas, Robert David, a
Cayuga, the Rev. Zachariah Jemison, a Seneca, were selected
to carry the casket of Young King. Chiefs Thomas Lay,
Silver Smith, William Jones, and John Jacket, all Senecas,
were chosen to bear Little Billy’s remains ; and Chief Nicholas
Parker, a Seneca, John Mountpleasant, a Tuscarora, Thomas
David and Thomas Jemison, Cayugas, to carry the bones of
Tall Peter. A choir was also selected, and Chief John Buck,
from Grand River, Canada, who is the hereditary custodian of
the wampum belts of the Six Nations, was selected to deliver
the address of condolence. The speakers for Music Hall this
evening were announced as David Hill, a Seneca; Peter
Powless, a Mohawk; John Buck, an Onondaga; and Henry
Clinch, an Oneida.
The casket of Red Jacket was then opened for the last time,
and each of the Indians present viewed the remains. It was
then permanently closed and the council broke up.i3
Among those present were Mrs. Harriet Maxwell Converse,
of New York, who takes a great interest in all connected with
the Indians. She was given, by Mrs. Jones, a silver button
worn by the wife of Red Jacket. Mrs. Converse has written
many poems of Indian lore and history. They are being
revised by John G. Whittier, the poet, and will soon appear in
book form.
Thursday morning, shortly after ten o'clock, the caskets
were borne from the rooms of the society to the hearses in
waiting on Court street, by the Indian bearers, who sang a
dirge meanwhile in a mournful undertone. Many of the chiefs
wore their native costume, and the scene was a very picturesque
one. An immense crowd gathered, which was kept back by
the efforts of several policemen. The long cortege of six
hearses and seventy-five carriages moved out Main street to
the cemetery. The carriages were occupied by the bearers
and Indian guests and by members of the Historical Society,
and many old and prominent citizens, besides a number of
ladies.
The procession moved out Main street to Virginia, through
to Delaware avenue, and thence to Forest Lawn Cemetery,
where it arrived at 11.20. A large crowd of ladies and gentle-
men had already assembled, and nearly two hundred vehicles
were counted on the cemetery driveways. The location of
the Indian lot is not far from the Delaware avenue entrance,
on a level piece of ground. A temporary stand had been
erected near the graves, and it was draped with the American
colors. The row of graves, six in number, was in front of the
grand stand. They were cut east and west, of uniform depth,
but varying in length and breadth; that for the remains of
Red Jacket being much larger than the others, so as to afford
room for the stone casing. There was a pile of evergreens at
the head of the graves. Captain Cable was on hand with a
large force of patrolmen and rendered valuable assistance to
the committee in preserving order and preventing the crowdH
from encroaching on reserved space. The carriages and hearses
drew up in front of the spot, the caskets were reverently lifted
out and carried by the Indians to the graves, where they were
gently placed on temporary girders over the excavations.
Then the Indians stepped back, and fresh and fragrant flowers
were laid on the caskets by the Misses Sheldon, daughters of
Hon. James Sheldon, a prominent member of the Historical
Society. The Indians were invited upon the platform and
given front seats, and other chairs were taken by members of
the society, their guests, and old and prominent citizens.
A more perfect October day could not be imagined. There
was not a cloud in the sky; the sun shone bright and warm,
and there was just enough wind to now and then stir the
leaves on the trees and move the three American flags hoisted
at the front of the platform. The beautiful cemetery, with its
wealth of autumn foliage, never presented a more attractive
appearance. The scene was a strange, solemn and impressive
one, and will not soon be effaced from the minds of those who
witnessed it. The packed stand, with the Indians in bright-
colored garb prominent in the foreground, the empty graves,
ready to receive the polished oak caskets with their precious
contents, the thousand or more faces of those crowding around,
and the array of vehicles of every description—all this went
to make a unique and picturesque scene. Among those most
conspicuous on the platform were Mr. William C. Bryant,
Judge Sheldon, Miss Jessie Osborne, a granddaughter of Brant,
chief of the Mohawks, two young ladies in black, the Misses
Eva and Pauline Johnson, daughters of the late Mohawk chief
George H. M. Johnson, of Chiefswood, near Brantford. The
Indian in regular army uniform was Gen. Parker, who was
military secretary of General Grant's staff during the war of
the Rebellion. He sat next to his sister, Caroline Mount-
pleasant, whose husband, the head chief of the Tuscaroras, was
by her side. Then there was John Buck, in citizen's dress,
chief of the Onondagas, Nicholas Parker, brother of the gen-*5
eral and chief of the Senecas on the New York reservations.
He was in full dress, with sash, tomahawk, head-gear, etc. The
oldest Indian present was Andrew Snow, a warrior from the
Cattaraugus Reservation. Another warrior from the same
reservation in btick-skin suit, head-dress and a touch of paint
on his cheeks, was Silver Smith. John Jacket, a Seneca chief,
and William Nephew, grandson of the noted Seneca chief
Black Snake, wore native costume. Levi Jonathan, chief of
the Onondagas, and Chester C. Lay (Ho-do-an-joah—Bearing
the Earth), United States interpreter, a Seneca Indian, were
also pointed out.
When order and quiet was obtained, Mr. Bryant announced
the order of exercises. They opened with a short prayer in
the Seneca tongue by a native, the Rev. Mr. Jemison, a
Christian minister. All the Indians covered their heads
respectfully, while most of the spectators gazed curiously at
the venerable-looking man speaking a strange language.
Mr. William Clement Bryant next delivered the following
address :
mr. bryant's address.
Friends and Brethren:
The clamor of contending parties in a great political contest is
calculated to absorb public attention to the exclusion of subjects
of an ideal, historic or sentimental character. Amid the din and
uproar of this strife for the spoils and honors of office, how few
have eye or ear to perceive the pathos, the mournful significance
of a scene like this. We are here to bury the aboriginal lords Qf the
domain in which we dwell, and which is now all our own. They
met our pioneer fathers in amity, and divided with them their slender
store of corn and venison. They freely shed their blood for us on
this frontier in the second war for independence. They are now
nearly all wasted away, and the once proud and warlike Senecas will	*
soon be classed with the tribes and races of men that were, but shall
be no more.1 Their history, and that of their kindred and confed-
erate tribes, composing the Iroquois, or Six Nations, is inextricably
1 There are very few Senecas of the full blood now living—perhaps less than a
score. The white blood predominates in the veins of the majority of the “ Nation.”x6
interwoven with our earlier annals. They constituted the most
gifted and powerful member of the American aboriginal family.
For generations they formed an impregnable barrier against the
restless, daring and ambitious designs of the French. Their fidelity
and valor largely determined the destinies of a continent.
* At the period of the breaking out of hostilities in the revolution-
ary war the Senecas had reached the highest state of tranquility and
happiness which a savage race can be permitted to attain. The bulk
of their population dwelt in the valley of the Genesee and on the
shores of the contiguous lakes. The conditions here were exceed-
ingly favorable to the growth of a vigorous race, even under the
disadvantages and limitations incident to the hunter state. At the
most favorable position in the temperate zone; with a climate
equable and bracing; a land of billowy hills and blossomy vales.
drained by a river whose annual overflow enriched broad belts of
natural clearing, that in the autumn exulted in a luxuriant harvest
of golden maize—a river which, with a short portage to the Ohio,
gave their flotillas of birchen canoes access to the heart of a con-
tinent; diversified by sunless forests and wide stretches of cloud-
flecked prairies,1 whose solitude was enlivened by herds of deer and
elk; spangled by lakes, whose crystal depths were populous with
fishes and on whose placid bosoms innumerable wild fowl plumed
their breasts—a region of marvelous beauty and fertility, the Genesee
country has been aptly termed the paradise of the red men. The
Indian’s appreciation of its transcendent loveliness is embodied in
the imperishable name which he bestowed upon it, Gennisheyo, the
shining or beautiful valley.
The Senecas, at the middle of the eighteenth century, were slowly
awakening from the spell of the hunter state. Their chief source of
subsistence had ceased to be the precarious chase, and had become
to a large extent the fruits of their own rude husbandry. From the
early Jesuit missionaries they had obtained the seeds of the apple,
peach and pear, and had surrounded their villages with thriving
orchards. From the Dutch settlers on the distant Mohawk they had
obtained cattle and horses, and had learned to prize these inesti-
'mable adjuncts of civilized life. They had imbibed from the same
sources some rude notions of domestic architecture, and had learned
to covet the comforts and conveniences of the dwellings reared by
1A large portion of Western New York was originally a prairie country. See
Dwight’s Travels ; Spofford’s Gazetteer ; Marshall’s La Salle, etc.i7
the pale-faces. A comparatively pure, spiritual, religious faith and the
beneficent workings of their wonderful scheme of government, stim-
ulated by their observation of the white man’s manifold inventions,
had begun to work a change in the condition and prospects of our
indigenous population.
The Iroquois aimed at universal sovereignty, and one of the con-
ditions of peace imposed by the haughty victors was total abstinence
from war.1 Acknowledged masters of the continent, the energies
which had found exercise in war would naturally have turned to pur-
suits more consonant with peace. The process of transformation
would have required centuries. But think of the long ages which
witnessed the evolution of the modern Englishman from the painted
savage whom Caesar met in Britain.
Oratory was not alone a natural gift, but an art among the Iro-
quois. It enjoined painful study, unremitting practice and sedulous
observation of the style and methods of the best masters. Red
Jacket did not rely upon his native powers alone, but cultivated the
art with the same assiduity that characterized the great Athenian
orator. The Iroquois, as their earliest English historian observed,
cultivated an attic or classic elegance of speech which entranced
every ear among their red auditory.
Their language was flexible and sonorous, the sense largely de-
pending upon inflection, copious in vowel sounds, abounding in met-
aphor ; affording constant opportunity for the ingenious combination
and construction of words to image delicate and varying shades of
thought, and to express vehement manifestations of passion; admit-
ting of greater and more sudden variations in pitch than is permissi-
ble in English oratory, and encouraging pantomimic gesture for
greater force and effect. In other words, it was not a cold, artificial,
mechanical medium for the expression of thought and emotion, or
the concealment of either, but was constructed, as we may fancy,
much as was the tuneful tongue spoken by our first parents who
stood in even closer relations to nature.
That great incentive to eloquence, patriotism, was not lacking to
these Ciceros of the wilds. No nation of which we have a record
was dominated in a larger degree by this lofty sentiment. They
were proud of their history and their achievements, devotedly at-
tached to their institutions, and enthusiastic at the mention of the
1 The name by which their constitution or organic law was known among them,
was Kayanerenh-Kowa, The Great Peace.—Hale's Book of Rites, p. jj.long line of chieftains and sages, who, from the era of Hi-a-wat-ha,
had assisted in erecting this grand Indian empire. The time will
come when the institutions, polity, eloquence and achievements of
this remarkable people will be themes of study for the youth in our
schools of learning. The unvarying courtesy, sobriety and dignity
of their convocations led one of their learned Jesuit historians to
liken them to the Roman senate.
We boast of our chivalric treatment and estimate of the feebler
sex. We delight to measure our superiority over the nations of an-
tiquity by this standard. The Indian woman cultivated the soil in
a rude, primitive way, and performed a considerable amount of toil
connected with their simple mode of life.. She accepted her lot
cheerfully and labored no harder than the wives of our average
farmers and mechanics. She is represented in our popular histories
as a drudge and slave to her haughty arid lazy lord. The fact is far
different. She was regarded as the only rightful owner of the soil.
She was entitled to a voice in their counsels when emergencies arose
affecting the weal of the nation, represented by a speaker of her own
selection, a voice that was respectfully heeded and often proved po-
tential and decisive. The children born to her belonged to her clan
and not to that of her husband. In the event of a vacant chieftain-
ship, it was the prerogative of the chief matron of the family to
name the favored one who should be his successor/ There is not an
instance in history where the appeal which defenseless female virtue
makes to the stronger sex, was disregarded by her Iroquois captors.
Has our boasted civilization paid greater homage to the character of
woman than did these generous barbarians ?
The outbreak of the revolution did not alone check the new im-
pulse among the Senecas toward progress; it was the signal for
the downfall of the whole Iroquois confederacy. The Senecas,
denying their ancient traditions, had wisely resolved upon a position
of neutrality at the beginning of the contest. Partly by artifice,
partly by fervent appeals to that covenant chain which had so long
bound them to the British, they were induced to give their allegiance
reluctantly to the latter. They had no concern in the quarrel, and
the issue, if unfavorable to Britain, involved irretrievable disaster to
her humble allies. The long and bloody war, the desolating cam-
paign of Sullivan, signalized by the merciless destruction of their
dwellings, orchards, crops, domestic animals and all their wealth,
save the blackened soil; the winter of unexampled rigor thatl9
followed, and which rendered recource to the chase, as a means of
subsistence, impossible, were fatal to the Seneca nation. The Mo-
hawks and the bulk of the other confederate tribes, save the friendly
Oneidas and the Senecas, followed the British flag to Canada. The
remnant of the Senecas, through the humane interventipn of Wash-
ington, were permitted to return and rake the embers from their
devastated hearths, but they returned as vassals and no longer a
sovereign nation.
Red Jacket returned with them. He was young when the war
commenced. We can easily conjure up the figure of the youthful
warrior from the shreds of tradition which have come down to us—
ant Indian Apollo, graceful, alert, quick-witted, fleet of foot, the
favorite messenger of British officers to convey intelligence from one
military post to another, and who bestowed upon him the traditional
scarlet tunic, and caused him to be christened Otetiani, or “ Always
Ready.” He acquired no distinction as a warrior during the revolu-
tionary struggle, for he was born an orator, and, while morally brave,
lacked the stolid insensibility to suffering and slaughter which char-
acterized their war captains. We can imagine him, at the end of the
war, grown older, wiser in experience and reflection, more ambitious
and crafty, with greater confidence in his rich, natural gifts of logic,
persuasion and invective, and attaining, by virtue of these attributes,
the chief place of power and influence in his nation—alas! a peeled
and broken nation. The repose, however, so essential to the recu-
peration of this wasted people was denied them. Every breeze
wafted to the ears of the Indian hunter the ring of the white man's
axe and the crash of falling trees. The restless feet of the pale-
faces were on their track, - first a slender stream of traders and
adventurers, many of them seeking the far woodland solitudes as a
shelter from outraged and pursuing justice; then a tide of immigrants
ever waxing in volume until the Seneca territory was islanded by a
sea of covetous, hungry pale-faces.
Red Jacket was no longer the petted though humble Otetiani, but
the Sagoyewatha of his tribe; the “ keeper-awake ” of a broken, war-
wasted people fast lapsing into that comatose state which only by a
little precedes dissolution. He loved his people, who were still the
proprietors of a magnificent domain. He yearned over them as a
hunted lion over its whelps. The efforts of the “ gamblers,” as he
aptly termed the land speculators, and the companies endowed with
incomprehensible rights of pre-emption, to dispossess the ancient
lords of the soil, lashed his soul into fury. He hated the enemies of
320
his people with fierce and unrelenting hatred, and he consecrated
the remaining years of his life to the work of baffling their mercenary
schemes. Inconceivably difficult was the task. He could neither
read nor speak English, nor any other language spoken by the whites,
and yet his speeches in council, mutilated fragments of which still
remain, disclose an acute and lofty intellect, a vigorous understand-
ing, a marvelous memory, an imagination and wit electric and
phenomenal. His logic was as keen as a Damascus blade; he was
a master of satire and invective; he thoroughly understood the
windings and intricacies of what we term human nature. His
denunciation had the terrible vehemence of the thunderbolt, and
anon his oratory would be as grateful and caressing as the zephyrs
of midsummer. Replying to Mr. Ogden, the head of the great
Ogden Land Company, he exclaimed with ineffable scorn, “ Did I not
tell you the last time we met that whilst Red Jacket lived you would
get no more land of the Indians ? How, then, while you see him
alive and strong,” striking his hand violently on his breast, “ do you
think to make him a liar ? ”
Often the fierceness of his temper, the righteous indignation that
swelled his bosom, impelled him to hurl defiance at his foes, and to
use language the possible consequences of which caused the more
timid and abject of his followers to tremble with apprehension. But
Red Jacket would retract not a single word, although a majority of
the chiefs would sometimes secretly deprecate the severity of his
utterances. Again, on other occasions, sorely beset and almost
despairing, he would essay to melt the hearts of the pitiless pursuers
of his people, and give utterance to such touching words as these:
“We first knew you a feeble plant which wanted a little earth
whereon to grow. We gave it to you—and afterward, when we
could have trod you under our feet, we watered and protected you,
and now you have grown to be a mighty tree, whose top reaches the
clouds, and whose branches overspread the whole land; whilst we,
who were then the tall pine of the forest, have become the feeble
plant, and need your protection.”
Again, assuming the pleading tones of a suppliant, he said, “ When
you first came here, you clung around our knee, and called us father.
We took you by the hand and called you brothers. You have grown
greater than we, so that we no longer can reach up to your hand.
But we wish to cling around your knee and be called your children.”
Anon, pointing to some crippled warriors of the war of 1812,21
among the Indian portion of his auditors, and, blazing with indigna-
tion, he exclaimed :	“ *	*	* It was not our quarrel. We knew
not that you were right. We asked not. We cared not. It is
enough for us that you were our brothers. We fought and bled for
you. And now (pointing to some Indians who had been wounded
in the contest), dare you pretend that our father, the president, while
he sees our blood running yet fresh from the wounds received while
fighting his battles, has sent you with a message to persuade us to
relinquish the poor remains of our once boundless possessions—to
sell the birthplace of our children, and the graves of our fathers?
No! Sooner than believe that he gave you this message, we will
believe that you have stolen your commission, and are a cheat and
a liar!”
In debate Red Jacket proved himself the peer of the most adroit
and able men with whom he was confronted. He had the provisions
of every treaty between the Iroquois and the whites by heart. On a
certain occasion, in a council at which Gov. Tompkins was present,
a dispute arose as to the terms of a certain treaty. “You have for-
gotten,” said the agent; “ we have it written down on paper.” “ The
paper then tells a lie,” rejoined Red Jacket. “I have it written
down here,” he added, placing his hand with great dignity upon his
brow. “ This is the book the Great Spirit has given the Indian; it
does not lie ! ” A reference was made to the treaty in question,
when, to the astonishment of all present, the document confirmed
every word the unlettered statesman had uttered. He was a man of
resolute, indomitable will. He never acknowledged a defeat until
every means of defense was exhausted. In his demeanor toward
the whites he was dignified and generally reserved. He had an
innate refinement and grace of manner that stamped him the true
gentleman, because with him these virtues were inborn and not
simulated or acquired. He would interrupt the mirthful conversation
of his Indian companions by assuring their white host that the
unintelligible talk and laughter to which he listened had no relevancy
to their kind entertainer or their surroundings.
At the outset Red Jacket was disposed to welcome civilization and
Christianity among his people, but he was not slow to observe that
proximity to the whites inevitably tended toward the demoralization
of the Senecas; that to preserve them from contamination they must
be isolated from the influence of the superior race, all of whom,
good and bad, he indiscriminately classed as Christians. He was22
bitterly opposed by the missionaries and their converts. He could
not always rely upon his constituency, torn as they were by dissen-
sions, broken^spirited, careless of the future, impatient at any inter-
ruption of present gratification, and incapable of discerning, as he
did, the terrible, inexorable destiny toward which they were slowly
advancing.
In this unequal and pitiable struggle to preserve the inheritance
and nationality of his people, his troubled and unhappy career drew
slowly to its close. That keen and subtle intellect, that resolute soul
which, David-like, unpanoplied, without arms or armor, save the
simple ones that nature gave, dared encounter the- Goliaths of the
young republic, were dimmed and chilled at last. Advancing years
and unfortunate excesses had accomplished their legitimate work.1
The end to that clouded and melancholy career was fast approaching.
But until the close, when death was imminent, he had no concern or
thought which did not affect his people. He visited them from cabin
to cabin, repeating his warnings and injunctions, the lessons of a
life devoted to their interests, and bade them a last and affectionate
farewell. He died calmly, like a philosopher, in the arms of the
noble Christian woman who has made this society the custodian of
his sacred relics. He was a phenomenon, a genius, with all the
frailties and all the fascination which that word implies—in natural
powers equal to any of the civilized race.
Granted that he was vain; granted that he sometimes dissembled
like one of our modern statesmen; granted that toward the close of
his unhappy life he partook too often of that Circean cup which has
proved the bane of so many men of genius of every race, we cannot
change our estimate of his greatness; he remains still the consum-
mate orator, the resolute, unselfish patriot, the forest statesman
centuries in advance of his race ; the central figure in that little
group of aboriginal heroes which stands out in lurid relief on the
canvas of American history.
He has been fitly called “ The last of the Senecas.” His life was
troubled and unhappy. There has been no rest allowed even to his
bones in the lowly grave which should have been sacred and unpro-
faned. We now commit the mouldering relics of his humanity,
1 My friend, Hon. Lewis F. Allen, criticises this expression, claiming that, while
Red Jacket drank deeply at times, it was only occasional and never when public
affairs demanded his attention; that the opprobrious word, drunkard, could not
justly be applied to him. Consult Stone s Life of Red Jacket; also, Publications
Buffalo Historical Society, vol. I, p. 351 (Hon. Orlando Allen).23
surrounded, as he wished, by those of kindred and friends, to their
last resting-place. And here the dust of our antagonistic races will
commingle undisturbed, until the final summons shall call alike, from
“ the ostentatious mausoleum of the white man and the humble grave
of the Indian,” the innumerable dead to one common judgment.
Chief John Buck, the hereditary “ Keeper of the Wampum-
belts,” then arose, holding in his hand a belt of wampum
kept by the Nation for over 200 years. The other Indians
also arose. Chief Buck then sang in long, low mournful tones
the following chant in the Onondaga language :
Now listen, ye who established the Great League,1
Now it’has become old—
Now there is nothing but wilderness,
Ye are in your graves who established it—
Ye have taken it with you, and have placed it under you.
And there is nothing left but a desert.
There you have taken your intellects with you.
What ye established ye have taken with you.
Ye have placed under your heads what ye established—
The Great League.
Then the other chiefs joined in the chorus as follows, which
is also given in the Indian tongue:
Haih-haih !
Jig-atk-on-tek !
Ni-yon-Kha !
Haih-haih !
T e-j os-k a-wa-yen-ton.
Haih-haih !
Sk a-hen -ta-hen-y on.
Haih !
Sha-tyher-arta—
Hot-yi-wis-ah-on-gwe—
Haih!
Ka-yan-een-go-ha.
Ne-ti-ken-en-ho-nen
Ne-ne Ken-yoi-wat-at-ye—
Ka-yan-een-go-ha.
Haih !
W a-hai-wak - ay-on-nhe-ha.
Haih!
Net-ho-wat-yon-gwen-ten-the.
Woe! Woe!
Hearken ye!
We are diminished !
Woe! Woe !
The clear land has become a thicket.
Woe! Woe!
The clear places are deserted.
Woe!
They are in their graves—
They who established it—
Woe !
The Great League.
Yet they declared,
It should endure—
The Great League.
Woe !
Their work has grown old.
Woe! .
Thus we are become miserable.
1 The League of the Iroquois or Five Nations. Consult Morgan ; Hale’s Book of
Rites, a most admirable work ; Parkuian, etc.24
When they finished, sbme thirty representatives of the Six
Nations marched down from the stand in Indian file, and
ranged themselves by the sides of the caskets.
Chief Buck, who had been chosen to deliver the address of
condolence, spoke in Onondaga for a few minutes, the other
chiefs listening with bowed heads. The chant was again
repeated. Many of the audience were moved to tears at the
strange sight and melancholy sounds.
Chief John Jacket, a Seneca sachem, followed the lowering
of the remains by a speech in Seneca, which was replied to by
Chief Buck in the Onondaga tongue, and a benediction was
pronounced by the Rev. Albert Anthony, a Delaware, from
the Grand River Agency. This closed the exercises at the
grave. The Indians, delegates and visitors then took carriages
and were driven back to their homes.
COMMEMORATIVE EXERCISES
At Music Hall, Thursday Evening, October 9, 1884.
The Red Jacket commemorative exercises at Music Hall,
Thursday evening, were attended by fully 3,000 people. The
stage was occupied by the Indian chiefs in their picturesque
costume, also by the officers of the Historical Society and a
number of prominent citizens and ladies. The front of the stage
was handsomely decorated with flowers and plants from Judge
Sheldon's conservatory. An orchestra, selected for the occa-
sion, furnished musical selections. Owing to the illness of the
President, Stephen M. Clement, Esq., Vice-president of the
Historical Society, presided. After a solo by Rev. A. An-
thony, a Delaware Indian, Chief Judge Sheldon made a few
introductory remarks as follows:Red Jacket’s House, Seneca Village. Residence of Jones, the Interpreter.25
The Buffalo Historical Society, mindful ever of the trust reposed
in it by a generous people, to gather and garner all material of his-
tory, conceived many years ago the work which this day has been
successfully accomplished.
The officers of this society desire,, in this public manner, to ac-
knowledge the munificence of our citizens, and the interest and
devotion of those whose labors have contributed to the result.
Their reward is to be found, not only in the praise of all men in the
present, but - in the thanks of future generations of scholars and
philosophers and historians. This day, and the memorial of all that
is connected with it, has rescued from oblivion much that was essen-
tial to the truth of history, in regard to a race of the human family
fast fading from the earth.
Four centuries ago, the existence of the continent of America
was unknown to the civilized world. Its discoverers found it inhab-
ited by many tribes and nations, differing in marked characteristics
from the known inhabitants of the globe; as indigenous to the
country as its flora and its fauna, but whose origin was lost in the
most remote antiquity. From the Arctic Ocean to Cape Horn, a
state of complete or semi-barbarism prevailed, with the exception of
the Aztecs of Mexico and the country of the Incas of Peru. Their
civilization was, in all probability, developed in the long process* of
centuries, but if we judge from pre-historic remains found elsewhere
upon the continent and the other recognized indicia, the barbarism
of the tribes was not primeval. It seems to be well established, in fact
and theory, that they were the sad remnants of nations who possessed
a high civilization, long anterior to the times of Mexican or Peruvian
development, but had fallen before some inexorable fate. And why
not, when we know that the changes of centuries reduced the polished
and powerful nations of the Grecian world to a state of vassallage
and semi-barbarism, and even the glories and grandeur that centered
at the Forum and the Coliseum, departed in the wreck of time?
We must leave these questions to the determination of learned
ethnologists, and deal only with the well-known, facts which have
been ascertained and recorded by the explorers of our continent.
They found, existing where we now live, that remarkable con-
federacy of the Six Nations, or the Iroquois, whose representatives
are gathered with us this day. The mere existence of such a league
is an evidence of the fact that those who originated and formed it
possessed political wisdom and statesmanship of a high order. It was26
formed in the interests of peace and humanity to protect themselves
by their union from the aggressions of other warlike and barbarous
tribes, and maintain their integrity as a nation. Some master mind
conceived and carried out the plan of such a confederation; some
statesman like the great oratojr and chieftain, long ago enshrined in
the temple of immortality, whose remains we have, reverently, this
day laid in their last resting-place, amid the surroundings of the
white man’s civilization.
The history of the Iroquois, of their glory and their conquests,
is a part of the history of our land, and will be perpetuated in the
learned and philosophical orations which are pronounced to-day.
Eventful day! the last occasion when the representative chieftains
and sages and warriors of the mighty Iroquois will ever be assembled
for the world to look upon with the sympathy and tenderness of our
human nature. And that civilization which raises monuments to its
heroes and statesmen and philosophers and perpetuates their name
by undying memorials, has now done for those who lived and died
without its pale, what barbarism never accomplished for its own.
We are not assembled to speak of the wrongs of the Indian race,
in the struggles which have occurred for the possession of the new
world. Yet some consolation may be derived from the certain
improvement which has taken place among them, owing to the
fostering care of governments, and the benevolent and humanitarian
exertions which have tended to the amelioration of their condition,
and their elevation in the scale of humanity. We know there are
gathered here, upon this occasion, their representative men, who, in
all that constitutes the dignity and nobility of human nature are the
peers of the mien of any civilization, and women, endowed with all
the graces, and those qualities of tenderness and truth and divine
self-abnegation, which glorify tjie female character.
It is for another to speak to us to-night, at length upon the topics
proper for the occasion, one venerable and learned in all philosophy,
beloved by all society, and who needs no introduction to a people
who have so often honored him.
The venerable ex-Judge George W. Clinton was then intro-
duced, and delivered the following historical address:27
judge Clinton’s address.
Mr. President:
The joy with which I revisit Buffalo—this city of my love—and
exchange greetings with the very many friends who are so dear to
me, is tempered by a grief, not without hope, for the beloved ones
who have left us and sleep here in peace.
Friends my soul with joy remembers ;
How like quivering flames they start,
When I fan the dying embers
Round the hearthstone of my heart!
—Longfellow's “ River Charles.”
I am distressed, too, by a sense of my inadequacy to do due
honor to this, occasion, and justify your choice of an orator. How
admirably Horatio Seymour, with his intimate knowledge of our old
history, his literary excellence and his nice sense of justice, would
.have gratified your every expectation! How easy, full, exact and
hoble beyond comparison would have been Orsamus H. Marshall's
performance of a duty I shrank from, and would never have under-
taken had I not so longed to see Buffalo once more. Buffalo must
count him among her lost treasures and cherish his memory, for
his life was fertile of good deeds and his works brought imperishable
laurels to her brow. His life was lovely, his friendship a consolation
and support.
The solemn proceedings we have this day participated in—the
re-interment of Sa-go-ye-wath-a, the greatest Indian orator this
continent has given birth to, and of so many distinguished chiefs and
warriors of his nation, and of all the nameless recoverable remains
of Senecas—excite mingled feelings of sadness and of satisfaction.
Who can survey the ruins of a famous city, or traverse a war-depop-
ulated land, or mark the decadence of a great nation, and not feel
inclined to weep ? Who can behold the volunteer performance by
private hands of a public duty ignored and neglected by the public,
and not admire and bless the doers ? I dare not say that it was the
clear and superior duty of New York to protect the ashes of these
illustrious Senecas from further desecration and give them fitting
monuments, but the state would have won, by the assumption of it,
new honor. And it clearly was not the special and exclusive duty
428
of the Buffalo Historical Society and its friends to take this burthen
upon themselves. The full, appropriate and reverent manner of its
performance reflects honor upon the society. And I apprehend that
the generous and appreciative action of the Buffalo Cemetery Asso-
ciation deserves a record as imperishable as the monument itself.
Excuse me for remarking that, in my poor opinion, and in the
judgment of many better men, the conduct of your society in this
high matter cannot but win it fame and assure it a career of usefulness.
The people of this great city, distinguished as it is for opulence and
public spirit, cannot but render a cordial and efficient support to
this society; not only as a social institution of incalculable value,
but as one which, if successful in rescuing the fading facts of history
from oblivion, will augment the glory of Buffalo. I have reason to
believe that its archives are rich in unpublished matter. The papers
of our late friend, Maris B. Pierce, are now its property, and will,
undoubtedly, throw light upon the later history of his nation. The
histories of the several nations of the great confederacy before, and,
indeed, long after their league was formed through the influence of
Hayenwatha (Hiawatha), is very far from clear; and their history
since their first contact with the whites, so far as we have it written,
is full of doubts, and gaps, and contradictions. Tradition, however
helped by belts or pictures, dies out, especially in unlettered tribes
constantly imperilled by migration and by war, and is apt to be
degraded into fable and lapse into folk-lore. The disposition of the
Indian to withhold his traditions from the white man, or to deliver
them to him falsely, or with a biblical covering, has died out. Cer-
tainly we cannot believe that it exists, in the least degree, in the
noble representatives of each and every of the Six Nations, and in
the representative of the famous L^nape, who have this day cheered
and gratified the society and the public with their presence and
co-operation. They will, I doubt not, willingly and zealously aid the
society in recovering whatever now remains unknown to it of their
traditions and history, and in detecting falsehood and bringing truth
to light.
I shall say little touching Red Jacket. His life has been written
with an approach to fullness; and he has this day been spoken of
with just appreciation, and with an eloquence I cannot hope to reach.
The written remnants of his speeches which have come down to us
hardly justify his fame as an orator; but their topics and matter,
shorn, by translation, as they are, of fancy and of all the graces of29
delivery, corroborate the assertion of the judicious white men who
heard him that he was, beyond compare, the most eloquent of all
Indian orators. In 1811 DeWitt Clinton mentioned him as “an
extraordinary orator who had arisen among the Senecas and attained
the first distinctions by his eloquence.” If he had been as brave as
Farmer's Brother he would have been a giant indeed; with the
wisdom of his great rival, the Cornplanter, he might have made his
nation happy and secure in the paths of .industry and peace. But
he had no military talent; and, though he loved his nation and was
intensely devoted to what he deemed its interests, he utterly mistook
the paths that would have led it upward. Washington, in his speech
of March, 1792, to the delegates of the Five Nations, assured them
that he desired a firm and lasting peace, and that they should “ partake
of all the comforts of this earth which can be derived from civilized
life, enriched by the possession of industry, virtue and knowledge,”
and that he trusted that “ such judicious measures would then be
concerted, to secure to them and their children these invaluable
objects, as would afford them cause for rejoicing while they lived.”
Red Jacket, in his response, said, “ We believe that the Great Spirit
let this island drop down from above. We also believe in His super-
intendency of the whole island. It is He who gives peace and
prosperity, and He also sends evil. But prosperity has been yours.
American brothers! all the good which springs out of this island
you enjoy. We, therefore, wish that we, and our children and our
children's children, may partake with you in that enjoyment.” And
yet he inveterately opposed all measures, whether secular or holy,
that could make them prosperous and happy.
His person was noble, his demeanor dignified, and the intonations
of his voice and the graces of his gesture and delivery gave impress-
iveness to his matter. Albert H. Tracy, who saw him in council only
after age and intemperance had enfeebled his powers, applied to
him these lines of Milton :
“ Deep on his front engraven,
Deliberation sat and public care,
And princely counsel in his face yet shone,
Majestic, though in ruins.’*
—Paradise Lost, II, 300.
Two somewhat varying accounts are given of his dying directions
for his burial. In both, the substantial injunction is, that he should
be interred among his people and in conformity with their customs.
The account approved by Mr. Furniss and adopted by Mr. Conover30
is beautiful, and so accordant with the character of the man that I
must quote it. When upon his death-bed, in parting with his Chris-
tian wife, he said:	“ When I am dead it will be noised about through
all the world. They will hear of it across the waters and say, ‘ Red
Jacket, the great orator, is dead.’ *	* Clothe me in my simplest
dress, put on my leggins and my moccasins, and hang around my
neck the cross I have worn so long and let it lie upon my bosom—
then bury me among my people. *	* Your minister says the dead
will rise. Perhaps they will. If they do, I wish to rise with my old
comrades. I do not wish to rise with pale-faces. I wish to be
surrounded by red men.” His last wishes have been consulted.
The bones of the mighty orator have been rescued from neglect and
impending degradation and re-entombed, with mournful ceremonies,
by his own people, and he now lies among his old comrades, awaiting
the resurrection.
We all are children of our Great Father, the Almighty God,
Creator of all things. All of us, as were all our ancestors, however
remote, are selfish and sinful, and need what He has vouchsafed us—
the revelation of His will and the strength and the example of the
Saviour. Let us acknowledge these great truths and live in mutual
kindness and benefaction forever!
Of course, the so-called tradition of the Senecas that the original
people of their nation sprung from the crest of Ge-nun-de-wah-gah,
the Great Hill at the head of the Canandaigua Lake, is not a myth,
for it covers no meaning and shadows forth no fact in their history.
Like all other such stories, it was an invention of some Indian
mother, handed down for the entertainment of the children, and
never gained credit in the nation.
The better theory is that God created a primal couple and endowed
the race with the same power with which He endowed, though in a
less degree, the horse, the dog, the cat, the ox, the fowls, and other
animals, which He designed to be the servants and familiars of
mankind—the power of varying and adapting himself to climate and
to circumstance, as he moved on in his migrations, to conquer and
to occupy the whole habitable world. I know not that any nation
of the Aquanuschioni has any tradition or fixed belief of its origin,
or when and whence it reached America, or of its migrations. We
must remember that without letters history is impossible. Belts,
picture writings and mounds of earth and stone are all perishable,
and traditions dependent on them for endurance must, in a few years3i
or ages, fade away and perish. We must remember, too, that the
Iroquois could count but very little, if any, beyond their fingers;
and, of course, they had no era to date from and no record of the
years and centuries. Hence their history, prior to its interblending
with that of the whites, is, in the main, dark and confused. It is
most likely that they and all the peoples of our hemisphere derived
their origin from Asia. The traditions of the Lenape, as recorded
by Heckewelder, may be true—the tradition that they and the
Iroquois or Mengwes came from far west, crossed the Mississippi
together, expelled the Mound-builders east of it, and so eventually
won their ancient seats. But one fact seems clear, and that is that
the] Five Nations, though so near in blood and almost identical in
language, in customs and in spirit, were but fitfully at peace, and
waged bloody and demoralizing wars with each other until Hiawatha,
than whom the human race has never produced a wiser statesman, in
some uncertain time, but probably in about 1460, induced them to
form their confederacy, and so laid, broad and deep, the foundations
of all their greatness. Their union gave them a strength which
defied all invaders. When assailed they were as compact and in-
domitable as the Macedonian phalanx. They conquered very widely
and made far distant nations their tributaries. They united policy
with power, and replenished their members, when thinned by war, by
adopting the fittest of their captives. They were the Romans of
this continent—Romans of a stone age. If they had had iron and
letters they would have conquered North America, and advanced in
mechanic arts and all the sciences, perhaps repelled the intruding
white man and carried peaceful commerce or revengeful war across
the broad Atlantic. And when they had run through the common
course of all the ancient nations and fallen through luxury and sin,
they would have left the world the records of a history as full of
moving incidents and heroic acts as that of Greece or Rome. But,
while this great but savage confederacy was in the dawn of its glory,
and advancement, the white man came, and the Iroquois were no
longer the Ongwe Honwee of the land. * The white man gave them
arms and clothing for their furs and tendered them letters and
religion; but they also brought them rum, won lands from them by
fraud or force, made them dependents and kept them occupied in
war. Ah me! it was cruel in Great Britain and France to foster
their red children's appetite for war. Their protection was such “ as
vultures give to lambs, covering and devouring them.”32
I recall with pride the fact that at the outbreak of the Revolution
and of the war of 1812 efforts of this state and of the confederated
states were employed to bind the red men to neutrality. But, alas !
they were armed and incited to war by Great Britain; and yet Great
Britain, when she recognized our independence, forgot her Indian
allies within our boundaries and made no provision for their safety.
Red Jacket said, “ When you Americans and the king made peace
he did not mention us and showed us no compassion, notwithstanding
all he had said to us and all we had suffered. This has been the
occasion of great sorrow and loss to us, the Five Nations. When
you and he settled the peace between you two great nations he never
asked us for a delegation to attend to our interests.” So, in the long
state of bitter feeling between our country and Great Britain, during
her retention of our frontier posts, she egged the Indians on to war
with us, in the hope of their making the Ohio a part of our northern
boundary. Then, and long before that time, some of the Indian
tribes realized^that, to their own great loss and danger, Great Britain,
in her selfish policy, was bribing them to fight battles not their own.
Heckewelder was right in his high estimate of the shrewdness and
eloquence of the speech of Captain Pipe, the Delaware, in. Decem-
ber, 1801, to the British commandant at Detroit, at whose instance
he had made war against the Long .Knives. He told him expressly
that the whites had got up a war among themselves and ought them-
selves to wage it; that the British had compelled their red children
to take up the hatchet and join in a war for which they had no cause
or inclination, and intimated his conviction that the British would
make peace and throw their then useless tools aside.
But to return to the Iroquois. In their early and palmy state they
command our admiration, even as they now, when fallen so far below
it, command our sympathy and love. They were, indeed, fierce and
cruel, but not more so than the fathers and progenitors of the
European nations were even after they had attained iron and had
letters. Recall the rude, barbarian hordes who created primal Greece
and Rome; think of the death of Regulus by Carthaginian hands;
of the swarms from the Scandinavian hive that peopled Gaul and
revivified ail Europe; of man’s inhumanity to man in all times and
all nations; and can we render judgment of peculiar condemnation
against the Iroquois because they warred by ambush and surprise,
scalped those who fell beneath their hatchet and tortured their
prisoners? In the white man’s wars against them he, too, not in-33
frequently tore the scalp from the head of his red enemy and tucked
it under his belt. In August, 1778, when Charles Smith, a trouble-
some emissary of the enemy, was shot by a party of riflemen belong-
ing to the force of Col. William Butler, in command at Schoharie,
they brought in his scalp and it was sent to Gen. Stark, the then
commandant at Albany. (Clinton Papers, 1639 and 1650.) We did
not wholly humanize the Indians who were our friends in the war
of the Revolution. The Oneidas and Tuscaroras, in September,
1778, in giving to Major Cochran, then commanding at Fort Schuyler,
an account of their descent upon Butternuts and Unadilla, delivered
to him some prisoners and declared that they did not take scalps.
But when, in November, 1781, Major Ross’s command had been
defeated by Col. Willett near Johnstown, and was fleeing with des-
perate haste into the wilderness, an Oneida slew the infamous Walter
Butler, at a ford of the West Canada Creek, and scalped him. You
will remember, too, that at the council of 1790, at Tioga Point, when
Thomas Morris was adopted by the Senecas, under Red Jacket’s
original name of Otetiani, or Always Ready, a foolish Oneida, as he
struck the post during the ceremonies of the initiation,, boasted of
the number of scalps his nation had taken in the war of the Revolu-
tion, and so provoked the Senecas to boast of the number of scalps
of the Oneidas they had taken, and to call them cowards. (Stone’s
Life of Red Jacket, pp. 41-44.)
But it behooves us to remember that the Iroquois were hired to
war against us, and hounded on to the perpetration of those atrocities
by white men; and that, apart from war, to which they were too
often impelled, as were the warlike nations of antiquity, by mere am-
bition and the lust of fame, they were generous and humane. Their
councils were models of decorous and dignified debate. Their
policy was far-seeing and tended to the assertion of wide-stretching
peace. They planted colonies, and, while their blows were terrible
and they exacted tribute from the conquered, war ceased with con-
quest, and the light tribute guaranteed protection.
Of their eloquence I have said something, but I must add that
Logan, the Mingo chief, whose celebrated speech was declared by
Jefferson to be unexcelled by anything in the orations of Demos-
thenes or Cicero, or of any European orator, was a Cayuga, though
he lived apart from his nation. But transcendent eloquence was the
common property of the Five Nations. What a masterly, nervous
and cutting speech was that of the Onondaga chief, whom La Hontan34
calls the Grangula, to M. de la Bar re, at the Bay of Famine, in
August, 1684! How proud and defiant was his declaration, as the
mouthpiece of the Five Nations, and especially of the Senecas, to
the French governor who came complaining of the Senecas and
threatening war! “We have conducted the English to our lakes in
order to trade with the Outawas and the Hurons, just as the Algon-
quins conducted the French to our Five Cantons, in order to carry
on a commerce which the English claimed as their right. We are
born freemen, and have no dependence either upon the Onontio or
the Corlaer. We have power to go where we please, to conduct
whom we will to the places we resort to, and to buy and sell where
we think fit. If your allies are your slaves or children you may
treat them as such, and rob them of the liberty of entertaining any
nation but your own.”1 What pathos there is in the memorial of
Cornplanter, Halftown and Big Tree, of December 2,1790, addressed
to Washington and complaining of the purchases of Phelps and
Livingston as fraudulent:	“ Father! you have said that we are in
your hand and that, by closing it, you can crush us. Are you deter-
mined to crush us ? If you are, tell us so, that those of our nation
who have become your children and have determined to die so may
know what to do. In this case, one chief has said he would ask you
to put him out of pain. Another, who will not think of dying by
the hand of his father or of his brother, has said he will retire to the
Chautauqua, eat of the fatal root, and sleep with his fathers, in
peace. Before you determine on a measure so unjust, look up to
God, who made us as well as you ! ” (Clinton MSS., 6,077.) How
grand, how touching! And yet, O Senecas ! you have permitted the
names of these two chiefs, so worthy of remembrance, to perish.
The Iroquois appreciated the worth of woman and gave her a
high place in their counsels. In 1789, at Albany, Good Peter, in
his speech for the Cayugas and Senecas to the governor and the
Commissioners of Indian Affairs, said, “ Our ancestors considered it
1 The Grangula who delivered this speech was, most probably, the Hotrehouati,
or Hateouati, of de la Barre (IX Col. Doc., 243, 236), whose speech, as recorded
in de la Barre’s return of his proceedings to his sovereign (IX Col. Doc., 237) is
very different from the one recorded by La Hontan, and was made up, I think, to
salve the mortification of the French commandant and gratify his king. Mr. Bryant
informs me that Grangula was a title applied to a great chief and, consequently,
Dr. C. Callaghan (IX Col. Doc., 243) was mistaken in his assertion that it was
merely the Latinization by La Hontan of Grande Gueule, the name given by the
French to Outreouati. (See Appendix, title Garangula.)35
a great transgression to reject the counsel of their women, particu-
larly of the governesses. Our ancestors considered them mistresses
of the soil. Our ancestors said, * Who bring us forth ? Who culti-
vate our lands ? Who kindle our fires and boil our pots but the
women. *	* The women say, let not the traditions of the fathers
with respect to women be disregarded; let them not be despised;
God is their maker/ * * The female governesses beg leave to
speak with that freedom allowable to women and agreeable to the
spirit of our ancestors. They exhort the great chief to put forth his
strength and preserve their peace, for they are the life of the nation/*
And when the Senecas at Big Tree, in 1797, refused to negotiate with
Thomas Morris, and Red Jacket, with undue haste, had declared
the council fire covered up, the women and the warriors interposed
and consummated a treaty. Its women are, indeed, the life of every
aggregation of mankind, and the true gauge of the worth and dignity
of every tribe and nation of the earth is the standing and the influ-
ence of its women. Maltreatment and contempt may degrade their
women; women grow pure and loving through reasonable reverence
and so strengthen and elevate the men.
In general, the men of the Five Nations were, and still are, noble
in person, and the young men especially were and are classical in
form and feature. Hence it was that when West, the great American
painter, first saw the Apollo Belvidere he exclaimed :	“ How like a
young Mohawk warrior! ” I can readily accept the tradition that
their women, like the women of all peoples, by far excelled the men
in grace and beauty, because in the present I perceive its truth.
Certainly, a young Iroquois maiden of uncontaminated blood, just
entered upon womanhood, unworn by harsh and unbefitting labor,
pure as unclouded heaven, and with the words of her nation drop-
ping from her tongue like the low tinklings of a harp, is beautiful
exceedingly.
Very many of the Iroquois, women as well as men, had exhibited
intellectual power and broad philanthropy, but, if legends be true,
the name of none of them was held in reverence by all the Indians
as was that of Tamanund. But all aboriginal America, in my humble
judgment, does not furnish to us a name so worthy of undying rev-
erence as that of Hiawatha, the statesman and lover of peace, who
framed the League of the Five Nations, secured its adoption and
started the confederacy on its glorious career.
But I must cease my vain attempts to paint these nations as they
536
were in the olden time, and turn abruptly to the present. We are
your brothers, O Iroquois, and it is in sorrow and not in exultation,
and solely with a hope of arousing you to righteous and effectual
effort to regain the prosperity of the past, that I ask you to look
your present condition and prospects in the face. And now, Iroquois
brothers of Canada, I beg you to take notice that this statement and
all the remarks that may follow it are addressed to the Iroquois
within this state. You are under a different government, and I am
glad in the belief that your condition is much happier than theirs.
But you and they are one, and we Americans are brothers and
friends of both.
The Iroquois can no longer arrogate to themselves the title of
Ongwe Hon wee. In 1811 DeWitt Clinton wrote thus:	“The Six
Nations have lost their high character and standing. *	* Their
old men who witnessed the former glory and prosperity of their
country, and who have heard from the mouths of their ancestors the
heroic achievements of their countrymen, weep like infants when
they speak of the fallen condition of the nation. They, however,
derive some consolation from a prophecy of ancient origin and
universal currency among them, that the man of America will, at
some future time, regain his ancient ascendancy and expel the man
of Europe from this Western Hemisphere.” At this day such a hope
is futile. Even the Seneca has lost, I trust, his insane appetite for
war. The man of Europe covers the continent. The man of
America is represented by tribes and nations, feeble of themselves
and relying for protection upon the man of Europe. At the outset
of the war of the Revolution the Mohawks retired to Canada, and
the Eastern Door of the Long House was broken down forever.
After the close of that war the main body of the Cayugas also went
to Canada. The Onondagas have been reduced to a feeble remnant.
The Western Door is gone. The Long House has been swept away,
and there is naught left of it but some poor, dispersed, decaying
fragments. The broken bands that are left within the state are
bereft of all that the Long House covered, save some petty reserva-
tions. The population of the state in 1794 was about 340,000, and
that of the United States was about 4,000,000. The population of
New York four years ago was 5,000,000, and that of the United States
was 50,000,000. In 1794, when the Treaty of Canandaigua was
being considered, you spoke of the Council of Thirteen Fires, and
that Council is now one of Thirty-eight Fires, and eight more are37
being built. There is no possibility of retrieving the power of the
Six Nations by war. Never, in the hereafter, can they or any of
them wage an independent war on their own account. If they go to
war at all—which may the good God forbid!—it must be as auxil-
iaries of the great powers that shelter them. The contracted reser-
vations yield little or no game. You must till the ground and
engage in mechanical employments. Some white men are continually
seeking to prey upon you, and others are constant in your defense.
You have friends and protectors in great numbers and of great
apparent power; but, alas! you are dwindling, and it would seem
that some of your nations must ere long vanish in the mass of white
men or become utterly extinct.
I am very glad to believe that the State of New York and the
United States have always been and are friends of the Iroquois.
Brothers of the Seneca Nation ! have you forgotten how, in or about
1784, when you had been persuaded to “execute a deed for your
whole country * * and had sold the burial-places of your fathers,
and the bones and ashes of your ancestors, and had not reserved land
sufficient to lay down your head or kindle a fire upon,” the State of
New York interposed, in vindication of its just dignity, and gave you
complete relief? Did not De Witt Clinton, the then governor of the
state, write thus to you in 1820:	“Brothers! this state will protect
you in the full enjoyment of your property. We are strong and will
shield you from oppression. The Great Spirit looks down on the
conduct of mankind and will punish us if we permit the remnant
of the Indian nations which is with us to be injured. We feel for
you, brothers, and we shall watch over your interests. We know
that in a future state we shall be called upon to answer for our
conduct to our fellow-creatures.” The state has always felt her
solemn responsibility and that promise so given for her. The Report
of the Joint Committee of Four Yearly Meetings of the Friends
certified thus in 1847 :	“ The uniform justice and compassion of
New York towards the Six Nations who were located on its territory
presents, in retrospect, one of the most pleasant scenes on the pages
of our history.” It has exerted its power to protect you in the
possession of youi; lands and to keep out intruders; to incite you to
advances in knowledge and to the practices of industry ; it gave you
a charter, under which, as a distinct people, you exercise all the
powers of self-government consistent with your condition. The
Society of Friends have been your constant advisers and benefactors.38
All Christian men, and all wise and conscientious men who have
been or are your neighbors, have been and are anxious for your
happiness and safety. Surely you have not forgotten Thomas C.
Love and Thomas A. Osborne, your warm and judicious friends ;
nor the Rev. Asher Wright, who resided with you so long and worked
so zealously for your salvation. But, notwithstanding all this active
friendship and strong protection, the nation has .been almost contin-
ually harassed, and has not made advances that hold forth reasonable
assurance of future progress. Who can effectually protect you and
your possessions from sordid and rapacious white men ? The laws
and denunciations of the state and nation are as ineffectual as is the
brute thunder to deter a pack of wolves from tearing down a deer at
bay. Nothing but a just sense of your own worth and dignity as
men, and the grace of the Christian’s God, can shield you from the
temptations which, when triumphant, sink us below the level of the
beasts that perish.
Brothers ! The plain and simple truth is this:	All this sympathy
and friendship, and all the aid and protection our governments can
give you, must be as ineffectual to save you as is a zephyr to uproot
a sturdy oak, if you do not rouse yourselves to a sense of your
own worth as men, and your dignity as Iroquois, and resolve to
protect yourselves. True friendship must say to you, “ Awake!
Arise ! or be forever fallen ! ”
Brothers! Ask yourselves whether you retain your ancestral rev-
erence for woman, a reverence without which you cannot rise. Your
territory is very small, your numbers inconsiderable. What hope
can there be of doing great actions and winning fame on so con-
tracted a theatre ? Can any one of you, however gifted by nature,
stay in and devote himself to his little country and win glory in art
or arms or expanded usefulness? If ambitious, must he not, like-
Donehogawa, your chief sachem, leave you and his petty country in
order to do such deeds as gave him wide honor and high distinction.
That honor and distinction which make him a man of mark in the
United States tends to prove that the Senecas are not degenerate
nor wanting in native power.
Brothers! May I not truly conclude that your lack of ambition
and despondency spring wholly from your position as a people
cooped up and confined in an alien and powerful nation of widely
different institutions, and the sense that upon that nation you are
dependent ; that you lie in the hollow of its hand ; that it can close39
it and crush you in an instant, while you cannot have the least effect
upon it or its fortunes. The high spirit of the men whose remains
you have this day placed safely in old mother earth would have
revolted at such a state of things. They would have sought escape
from it; and the only escape from it that I can perceive is citizenship.
Your lineage is illustrious, and if, as I believe, you have inherited its
intellect and courage, you will arouse yourselves, cast despondency
aside, and repel the wolves that threaten your existence; you will
seek advancement in knowledge, cherish purity of morals and belief,
and so prove yourselves worthy of and win American citizenship.
Your country will then be bounded by the great oceans and nearly
cover a continent. You will have an almost limitless field for the
exercise of intellect and the exhibition of science, and have fit and
abundant fields for the display of your hereditary eloquence. Can
you doubt that Hiawatha, or Ototarho, or Joseph Brant, or Red
Jacket, or Logan, or Cornplanter, or Farmer’s Brother would have
played a grand part in such a field. There is not a living thing, from
the lordly buffalo to the smallest fly—not a beast, a bird, a fish, a
reptile, an insect or a worm that does not show forethought and take
pains to secure the safety and the comfort of its offspring; yea, some
of the most timid draw courage from love and die in their defense.
You are invoked, not merely to take care of your own interests, but
also to secure happiness and honor to your children and your chil-
dren’s children forever. In attaining the dignity of American citi-
zenship you need not make any substantial sacrifice. You may, and,
I think, ought to retain your organization as Senecas and hold fast
to your lands, and be true to the old League of the Iroquois, at least
as a band of social union. I read, indeed, that the confederation is
broken, and that the league has perished. If that be true, still there
is every reason that the remnants of the Six Nations should be
reunited by the strong bond of their ancient common glory and a
sense of the closeness of their brotherhood and remain Aquanuschioni
forever. I am glad to find that the Onondagas and the Mohawks
keep the compact made when the league was formed. Atotarho, the
representative of the old emperor of the Five Nations, wears not the
grim visage and bears not the matted crown of threatening snakes
that Cusick gave him, but brings with him peace to all and brotherly
enjoyment; Hiawatha, too, honors this assembly with his presence,
and perpetuates also the honored name of David Thomas.
And now, brothers of the Iroquois, I must express a wish which'40
lies close to my heart. I wish that every unpublished and recoverable
fact of your grand and eventful history should be recovered and
given to the world. You have no truer friend than he who is the
Gazing-at-the-Fire of your Senecas and the Bright Sky of your
Mohawks, and there is not in Buffalo nor, I believe, anywhere a man
who would be so zealous in searching for the hidden facts of your
history, and so competent to arrange and annotate and give them to
the world; and my heart’s desire is that you should encourage him
to the undertaking and give him your countenance and aid.
I am an old and weary man, and very few, if any of you, will ever
see my face again, and I shrink from the pain of parting. But I
cannot say farewell without again declaring that this final disposition
by us of the mortal remains of Sagoyewatha and his comrades, sanc-
tioned and participated in, not only by all the Senecas and by all
the other Iroquois, is a solemn recognition of our cpmmon brother-
hood. These remains now rest in close companionship, and near
and around them repose those of Love, Tracy, Fillmore, Hall, good
Doctor Shelton and many others of their white admirers and friends,
so that when the Redeemer shall come in glory and the last trump
sounds, and the earth and the sea shall give up their dead, those
white men and those red men may assume their spiritual bodies and
rise together, hymning their gratitude to God, and enter heaven in
company. Farewell!
After musical selections rendered by Wahle’s orchestra,
Chief John Jacket addressed the audience in the Seneca
language, expressing the thanks of the family and people for
their generous reception by their white brethren ; and said that
but for the lateness of the hour several of the Indian chiefs
present would have been pleased to deliver addresses appro-
priate to the occasion.
Mr. William C. Bryant then introduced General Ely S.
Parker, Sachem of the Six Nations, as being a striking example
of what Christianity and civilization could effect in developing
the character and genius of the Iroquois.
General Parker then spoke, without notes, substantially as
follows:Mr. President, Officers and Members of the Buffalo Historical Society,
and Ladies and Gentlemen of the City of Buffalo:
I regret the lateness of the hour at which I am called to speak to
you, as the Indian question is an almost inexhaustible one, and I
hardly know where to begin or where to end. It is a broad and
complicated subject, and I can add but little to the very able, inter-
esting and eloquent address delivered this evening on the Iroquois
Indians and Red Jacket, the chief and orator. I also realize that
you are exhausted from your long sitting, hence I promise you to be
as brief as possible in what I say, a task, however, that I may find
difficult to accomplish.
Much has been said and written of the Iroquois people. All agree
that they once owned and occupied the whole country now consti-
tuting the State of New York. They reached from the Hudson on
the east to the lakes on the west, and claimed much conquered
territory.
I desire only to direct attention to one phase of their character,
which, in my judgment, has never been brought out with sufficient
force and clearness, and that is, their fidelity to their obligations and
the tenacity with which they held to their allegiance when once it
was placed. More than two hundred and fifty years ago, when the
Iroquois were in the zenith of their power and glory, the French
made the mistake of assisting the northern Indians with whom the
Iroquois were at war. They never forgot or forgave the French for
the aid they gave their Indian enemies, and the French were never
afterward able to gain their friendship. About the same time the,
Holland Dutch came up the Hudson, and though perhaps they were
no wiser than their French neighbors they certainly pursued a wiser
policy by securing the friendship of the Iroquois. The Indians
remained true to their allegiance until the Dutch were superseded
by the English, when they also transferred their allegiance to the
new comers. They remained steadfast to the faith they had given,
and assisted the English people to put down the rebellion of the
American colonies against the mother government. The colonies
succeeded in gaining their independence and establishing a govern-
ment to their liking, but in the treaty of peace which followed the
English entirely ignored and forgot their Indian allies, leaving them
to shift for themselves. A portion of the Iroquois, under Captain
Brant, followed the fortunes of the English into Canada, where they4*
have since been well cared for by the provincial and home govern-
ments. Those who remained in the United States continued to
struggle for their homes and the integrity of what they considered
their ancient and just rights. The aid, however, which they had
given against the cause of the American Revolution had been so
strong as to leave an intense burning hostility to them in the minds
of. the American people, and to allay this feeling and to settle for all
time the question of rights as between the Indians and the whites,
General Washington was compelled to order an expedition into the
Indian country of New York to break the Indian power. This
expedition was under command of General Sullivan. The Indians
left to themselves and bereft of British aid made Sullivan’s success
an easy one. He drove them from their homes, destroyed and burnt
their villages, cut down their corn-fields and orchards, leaving the
poor Indians homeless, houseless and destitute. We have been told
this evening that the “Long House” of the Iroquois had been
broken. It was indeed truly broken by Sullivan’s invasion. It was
so completely broken that never again will the “ Long House ” be
reconstructed.
The Indians sued for peace. They were now at the mercy of
General Washington and the American people. A peace was granted
them, and small homes allowed in the vast domains they once claimed
as absolutely and wholly theirs by the highest title known among
men, viz., by the gift of God. The mercy of the American people
granted them the right to occupy and cultivate certain lands until
some one stronger wanted them. They hold their homes to-day by
no other title than that of occupancy, although some Indian bands
have bought and paid for the lands they reside upon the same as
you, my friends, have bought and paid for the farms you live upon.
The Indian mind has never to this day been able to comprehend
how it is that he has been compelled to buy and pay for that which
has descended to him from time immemorial, and which his ancestors
had taught him was the gift of the Great Spirit to him and his
posterity‘forever. It was an anomaly in civilized law far beyond his
reasoning powers.
In the treaty of peace concluded after Sullivan’s campaign the
remnants of the Iroquois transferred their allegiance to the United
States, and to that allegiance they have remained firm and true to
this day. They stood side by side with you in the last war with
Great Britain, in the defense of this frontier, and fought battles43
under the leadership of the able and gallant General Scott. Again,
the sons of the Iroquois marched shoulder to shoulder with you,
your fathers, your husbands and your sons in the last great Rebellion
of the South, and used, with you, their best endeavors to maintain
the inviolability and integrity of the American constitution, to pre-
serve unsullied the purity of the American flag, and to wipe out
forever from every foot of American soil the curse of human slavery.
Such, in brief, has been their fidelity to their allegiance.
It was during the troublous times of the American Revolution
that Red Jacket's name first appears. He is mentioned as a messen-
ger, or bearer of dispatches, or runner, for the British. He subse-
quently appears at the treaty of peace, and at all treaties and councils
of importance his name is always prominent. He was a devoted
lover of his people, and he labored hard for the recognition and
restoration to his people of their ancient rights, but in which he was
unsuccessful. His political creed did not embrace that peculiar
doctrine now so strongly believed in, that “to the victors belong the
spoils." He did not know that the Sullivan campaign had taken
from his people all the vested rights which God had given them, and
when, subsequently, he was made to understand that a pre-emptive
title hung over the homes of his people he was amazed at the
audacity of the white man's law which permitted and sanctioned the
sale and transfer by one person to another of rights never owned and
of properties never seen. From the bottom of my heart I believe
that Red Jacket was a true Indian and a most thorough pagan. He
used all the powers of his eloquence in opposition to the introduction
of civilization and Christianity among his people. In this, as in
many other things, he signally failed. So persistent and tenacious
was he in his hostility to the white man and his ways and methods
that one of his last requests is said to have been that white men
should not dig his grave and that white men should not bury him.
But how forcibly now comes to us the verity and strength of the
saying that “ man proposes, but God disposes." Red Jacket had
proposed that his remains should lie buried and undisturbed in the
burial-place of his fathers. Very soon after his death his people
removed from their old lands to other homes.. Red Jacket's grave
remained unprotected* and ere long was desecrated. Then God put
it into the hearts of these good men of the Buffalo Historical Society
to take charge of his remains, give him a decent burial in a white
man's graveyard, and over his grave to erect a monument which
644
should tell his story to all future generations. We have this day
witnessed and participated in the culmination of their labors. Red
Jacket has been honorably reburied with solemn and ancient rites,
and may his remains rest there in peace until time shall be no more.
While a silent spectator of the ceremonies to-day, the words of the
blessed Saviour forcibly presented themselves to my mind, “ the
foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son
of Man hath not where to lay His head.” I applied this saying to
the Indian race. They have been buffeted from pillar to post. They
once owned much, but now have hardly anything they can call their
own. While living they are not let alone—when dead they are not
left unmolested.
I thank you for your kind attention, and I now bid you all, and
each of you, a fair good-night; may you retire to sweet slumbers
and pleasant dreams.
Members of the Buffalo Historical Society:	The representatives
of the Iroquois here present have imposed upon me the pleasing
duty of returning to you their profound and sincere thanks for the
honor you have done their people to-day. Mournful memories are
brought to their minds in the sad ceremonies in which they have
been both participants and witnesses, but their griefs are all assuaged
and their tears dried up by your kindness. They will carry back to
their people nothing but good words of you and yours. They again
return you thanks and bid you farewell.
General Parker then exhibited the Red Jacket medal pre-
sented by order of General Washington, President, in 1792.
It is of silver, oval in shape, seven inches long by five inches
broad. The general had dressed it in black and white wam-
pum. The black indicating mourning and the white peace and
gladness. In the article in the Buffalo Courier of October 10th,
describing the occasion, the editor truly says:
“ The production of this medal was important, because stories,
like that about Red Jacket’s bones, have for some time been current
to the effect that this medal was being exhibited out west years ago.
Like Red Jacket’s bones, however, it has been carefully preserved,
and there is no doubt whatever of its identity.”
The above concluded the interesting commemorative exer-
cises of the day.APPENDIX No. 1.
THE INDIAN DELEGATES.
The following is a correct list of the Indian delegates to the
Red Jacket obsequies, as shown by the register of the Buffalo
Historical Society:
William Jones — Tho-na-so-wah. Big Sand. Seneca.
John Jacket—Sho-gyo-a-ja-ach. Holding up our Earth. Grand-
son of Red Jacket. Seneca.
Mary A. J. Jones—Je-on-do-oh. It has put the Tree again into
the Water. Seneca.
Abby Jacket—Oh-no-syo-dyno. It has Thrown Away the House.
Granddaughter of Red Jacket. Seneca.
Sarah W. Jacket—O-ge-jo-dyno. It has Thrown Away the Corn
Tassel. Seneca.
Irene Jones—Gaw-yah-was. It Sifts the Skies. Seneca.
William Nephew—So-nojo-wah. The Nephew. Seneca. Grand-
son of Gov. Blacksnake, alias The Nephew.
Irene A. Jones—Ga-on-ye-was.	It Sifts the Skies. Seneca.
Daughter of Mrs. Irene Jones.
Rev. Z. L. Jimeson—Ska-oh-ya-dih. Beyond the Sky. Seneca.
Andrew Snow—Tow-sen-e-doh. Seneca.
Charles Jones. Youngest son of Capt. Horatio Jones, the
famous captive. Geneseo, N. Y.
Chester C. Lay—Ho-do-au-joah. Bearing the Earth. United
States interpreter Seneca Nation.
General Ely S. Parker—Do-ne-ho-ga-wa. Open Door. One
of the leading sachems of the League of the Iroquois.
Mrs. E. S. Parker.
Willie Red Jacket Jones—Sho-gyo-a-ja-ach. Holding up our
Earth. Seneca.
Isaac T. Parker—Da-jis-sta-ga-na. Seneca.
John Mt. Pleasant—Dah-gah-yah-dent. Falling Woods. Tus-
carora.46
Mrs. J. Mt. Pleasant—Ge-goh-sa-seh. Wild Cat. Seneca.
Mrs. Mary J. Pierce. Widow of the late Maris B. Pierce, a
chief of the Seneca nation. Seneca.
Moses Stevenson—Au-o-wah-nay. Broad Path. Seneca.
CANADIAN DELEGATION.
Benjamin Carpenter—Z)es-ka-he. More than Eleven. Cayuga.
John Frasier—Astaw-en-ser-on-ha. Rattler. Mohawk.
Joseph Porter—Oron-ya-de-ka> Burning Sky. Oneida.
Henry Clench—Kan-og-wa-ya. Corn Cob. Oneida.
Levi Jonathan—Kad-ar-gua-ji. Well Bruised. Onondaga.
Peter Powless—Sa-de-ka-ri-wa-de. Two Stories Alike. Mohawk.
Moses Hill—JFyo-gwa-wa-ken. Holding Company. Tuscarora.
John Buck—Sha-na-wa-de. Beyond the Swamp. Onondaga.
James Jamison—De-yo-no-do~gen.	Between two Mountains.
Cayuga.
John Hill. Seneca.
Robert David—Sakoyewatha. Keeper Awake. Cayuga.
Josiah Hill—Sa-ko-ka-ryes. Cannibal. Tuscarora. Nanticokes,
now mixed with Tuscaroras.
Rev. Albert Anthony — She-quack-nind.	The Lone Pine.
Delaware. Missionary to Six Nations. A Delaware chief.
. Miss Jessie Osborne—Sa-pa-na. The Lily. Mohawk, and great-
granddaughter of Capt. Brant, Mohawk.
Miss Eva H. Johnson—Ka-ra-wa-na. Drifting Canoe. Miss E.
Pauline Johnson—Ken-yen-neen-tha. The Snow Drift. Daughters
of the late chief, George H. M. Johnson. Residence:	Chiefswood,
Tuscarora, Canada. Mohawk.
J. T. Gilkison, Brantford, Ont. Superintendent and Commis-
sioner of the Six Nations Indians, Brantford, Canada.APPENDIX No. 2
From the Commercial Advertiser, August 14, 1884.
RED JACKETS BONES.
PROGRAM OF THE HISTORICAL CELEBRATION NEXT MONTH-
INTERESTING LETTER BY EX-GOV. SEYMOUR.
The several committees of the Historical Society who have in
charge the matters connected with the re-interment of Red Jacket
and Farmer’s Brother, and other Indian chiefs of the Six Nations, ifi
Forest Lawn, met on Monday, and various reports of progress were
made.
Mr. William C. Bryant reported that the trustees of Forest Lawn
had agreed to give to the society a much finer and more command-
ing lot than the one donated last spring.
This generous gift will be duly appreciated by all interested in the
matter, and yet it is but giving a place of sepulture to the great
warriors and chiefs of the Iroquois, who owned and governed all the
great Northwest, as stated in the historical letter of Gov. Seymour
referred to in this article. The society advised that arrangements
be made with the cemetery association to construct the base of the
monument, so that it may be in readiness to lay the corner-stone.
Judge Sheldon reported that he had received a letter from Gov.
Seymour, who was obliged to decline the invitation to deliver an
oration on account of ill health. The letter is historical and inter-
esting, and we publish it in full:
Utica, N. Y., Aug. 9,1884.
Hon. James Sheldon, Buffalo:
Dear Sir—I am annoyed that your letter written to me about ten days ago was
not promptly answered. I have been away from Utica to make a visit to friends in
Cazenovia. During the past two years my health has been so poor that I have
been confined to my house much of the time.
I am suffering from a nervous complaint which makes me very weak, and I am
incapable of mental or physical exertion.I am gratified by your invitation to visit Buffalo to take part in the historical
celebration in October, but I dare not accept it.
I am glad it is to be held, for it will excite an interest in events which have been
neglected in the past. I may be able to contribute in some degree to its success by
sending to your society a book, published by Hugh Gaines in 1757, in relation to
the controversy between Great Britain and France, with regard to their claims in
North America. Incidentally, it throws light upon the influence and power of the
Six Nations. I think the book is rare, as I know but another copy, which is in the
state library, at Albany.
I will also send to you a map made by the British ordnance department about
1720, which, among other things, lays down or defines the bounds of the conquests
of the Iroquois. The southern line runs through the center of the colony of North
Carolina, westward to the Mississippi River, thence along that river and the course
of the Illinois to the southern end of Lake Michigan, thence through the center of
that lake to a point in Canada north of the great lakes, thence eastward to the
Atlantic. The book and this map show that the claim of the English to the
territory west of Rome in this state was based on the assertion that the Iroquois
had become their subjects, and had brought with them their jurisdiction over the
country they had conquered. I do not think it is generally understood that this
was the basis of the British claim to the Northwest. The French did not deny the
statement with regard to the conquest and power of the Iroquois, but they said in
answer to the claim that those Indians had become subjected to the British crown
that no Englishman would dare to tell them that they were subjects, for if they did
so they would peril their lives. I wish I could see you or some member of the
society at my home, which is at a little distance out of the limits of Utica.
I have a number of old documents which might be of use to those who will take
part in your celebration. I will send the book and map to you by express.
I am sorry that I cannot go to Buffalo on the occasion, for I feel a deep interest
in its purposes. I trust the day has come when the people of New York will look
up and make a record of facts bearing upon its history.
I may be able to write you again to call your attention to other things which may
bear upon the purposes of the celebration.
I am truly yours,
HORATIO SEYMOUR.
The committee discussed informally the program of the various
exercises, which substantially will be as follows :
The proceedings at Forest Lawn will occur in the forenoon—con-
sisting of funeral ceremonies by the representatives of the Six
Nations; the interment; a poem suitable for the occasion; and an
address by Wm. C. Bryant, Esq., of this city, and the laying of the
corner-stone.
In the evening it is proposed to have a free meeting at Music Hall,
at which addresses will be made and other appropriate exercises
take place.49
No doubt the occasion will be one of marked historical interest
and attract to our city many of the most learned and distinguished
of our citizens. The society is receiving from historical societies
assurance of sympathy, and many of the distinguished archaeologists
of the country are deeply interested.
As usual, in all matters of public good, our citizens have responded
liberally with subscriptions, so that the Historical Society are confi-
dent that the event will confer a new dignity upon our city.APPENDIX No. 3.
Njo. I, Ga.-non-da-gie; .... Destroy-Town.
“ 2, Gui-en-gwah-toh, . The Young King.
r‘ 3, SA-go:ye-wat-ha, ..Red Jacket.
“ 4. Ga-on-do-wau-na, . Captain Pollard.#
“ 5, Jish-ja-ga,.......Little Billy .
“ 6, Ha-no-ja-cya......Tall Peter.
('c 7, 8, & 9..Three unknown.Braves in
each grave.
* Catherine, wife of Capt. Pollard
and his little grand child are hurded
with him: in No.. 4
a a a a a Five Flms.
Forest Lawn
BUFFALO,
New York.APPENDIX No. 4
From the Buffalo Daily Courier, October 9, 1884.
HO-DE’-NO-SAU-NEE.
THE BONES OF RED JACKET AND OTHER CHIEFS OF THE SIX
NATIONS TO BE PLACED IN FOREST LAWN TO-DAY.
But, ah! What once has been shall be no more.
The groaning earth in travail and in pain
Brings forth its races, but does not restore,
And the dead nations never rise again.
The re-interment of the remains of Red Jacket and other chiefs
of the Senecas, which takes place at Forest Lawn to-day, makes this
a veritable red letter day in the history of the red man. At ten
o’clock, a. m., the funeral cortege will form at the Western Savings
Bank, corner of Main and Court streets, where for more than five
years the bones of Red Jacket have lain in a vault awaiting the
ceremonies of to-day. Six hearses will convey to Forest Lawn the
oak caskets containing the mortal remains of Red Jacket, Little
Billy, Destroy Town, Tall Peter, Young King and Captain Pollard.
There will be about sixty carriages for the mourners, and street cars
will also run for the accommodation of those desiring to visit the
graves, which are located near the main entrance to the cemetery on
Delaware avenue. At the grave, prayer will be offered by Rev. Z.
L. Jemison, an Indian native minister, to be followed by an address
by William C. Bryant, and, probably, other addresses by the Indian
chiefs of the Senecas who are expected to be present, wearing the
dress and arms of their tribe. A funeral dirge by an Indian choir
will be a feature of the proceedings. In the evening, at Music Hall,
the commemorative exercises will be free to the public. The prin-
cipal oration on that occasion will be by the Hon. George W.
Clinton, and it is expected that General Ely S. Parker, Judge
Sheldon and prominent Indians will take part in the proceedings.
752
Upwards of fifty Indians belonging to the Six Nations arrived in
Buffalo yesterday and are now the guests of members of the Buffalo
Historical Society and their friends. Mr. Bryant, along with the
members of the committee on reception, viz., the Hon. Philip
Becker, General John C. Graves and William K. Allen, waited upon
the distinguished strangers who are the lineal descendants of the
ancient lords of the soil, and saw that they were duly accommo-
dated at various hotels and elsewhere. Most of the delegation who
have arrived so far wear the dress of the white man, and but for
their unmistakable complexion and broad features might be looked
upon as ordinary members of the farming class. Indeed most of
them are tillers of the soil, and some have in this way settled down
to a comfortable and even profitable means of livelihood. Only a
few of those seen here yesterday exhibit the dress of a native.
After partaking of refreshments the party proceeded to the rooms
of the Historical Society, where the preliminaries were talked over
in the Indian language and also in English. Mr. Bryant, who, by
the way, is a Seneca by adoption, extended to his red brethren a
cordial welcome and explained to them the nature of the ceremonials
which were intended to commemorate and perpetuate the eloquence
and oratory of the Six Nations. The bones of six of their departed
leaders lay in the caskets before them, including those of Red
Jacket. It was explained that pall-bearers would have to be selected
from the representatives of the several nations, and it was intended
that the Indians should commemorate the event in their native
tongue by the singing of a dirge and by addresses which would
afterward be translated and published. They were particularly
informed that they were at liberty to celebrate their illustrious dead
in their own way, with such assistance from the white man as they
might be able to render. General Ely S. Parker, who during the
war was secretary on General Grant’s staff, was also present and
addressed his brethren. General Parker is well known as an
authority on Indian matters. His speech in the Indian tongue
seemed to be highly appreciated by the Indians present. He fully
explained the object of that great gathering of sachems and chiefs,
the like of which would probably never again be witnessed in their
history.APPENDIX No. 5
From the Buffalo Express of October 7, 1884.
SA-GO-YE-WA-THA’S REST.
LAST MEETING OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY PREPARATORY
TO THE FUNERAL OF RED JACKET—SOME OF THE
INVITED GUESTS.
Yesterday afternoon the Librarian of the Buffalo Historical
Society was busy mailing invitations to the ceremony attending the
burial of Red Jacket and contemporary chiefs, to take place at
Forest Lawn Cemetery next Thursday. Among the invited guests
are President Arthur, Governor Cleveland, and the Hon. George
Bancroft, the historian; Mayor Scoville, the Common Council, City
Clerk Burns and other prominent city officials and citizens; the
presidents of all historical societies in the United States and Canada;
Professor D. Wilson, the eminent English ethnologist, now of Toronto
University, Ont.; the Hon. Horatio Seymour of Utica, and the
Hon. Judge George W. Clinton of Albany, who will deliver the
address; Mrs. Harriet Maxwell Converse of New York, whose
husband was a noted Indian teacher and historian; Gen. Ely S.
Parker of New York, the highest chief in the Seneca Nation,
formerly of General Grant’s staff; the Hon. James G. Blaine of
Augusta, Me., and Mr. W. Furness of Crystal Springs, N. Y.; Mr.
G. A. Shaw, editor of the New York Evening Telegram, and Lieut.
Col. J. T. Gilkison, Superintendent and Commissioner of Indians,
Brantford, Ont. Besides these the presidents and officers of the
Buffalo Young Men’s Christian Association, the Buffalo Society of
Natural Sciences, the German Young Men’s Association, the Young
Men’s Catholic Association, the Fine Arts Academy, and the
Lutheran Young Men’s Association have been invited.
The Misses Eva and Pauline Johnson, daughters of the late Chief
George H. M. Johnson of Chiefswood, near Brantford, Ont., will be54
the guests of the family of Judge Sheldon, on Main street. Miss
Jessie M. Osborne, of Brantford, a great-granddaughter of the cele-
brated Mohawk Chieftain, Joseph Brant, will be entertained, together
with Chief John Mountpleasant and wife, of the Tuscarora Nation,
by the family of William C. Bryant, Esq. These young Indian
ladies are well educated and accomplished.
About forty chiefs and sachems are expected as delegates, besides
the many Indians who will come out of interest and curiosity from
the Allegany, Tuscarora, and Cattaraugus reservations. They will,
as far as possible, be dressed in native costume, with ornaments and
arms. The head chiefs will wear sashes.
A reporter of the Express talked last evening with William Jones
of the Snipe Clan of the Senecas. Mr. Jones is an hereditary chief
of the Six Nations and an interpreter. His father was for many
years the interpreter for the missionaries. He has a fair education,
and talked in substance as follows :
“ The Indians are all very thankful to the white people for the
interest they take in us, especially at this time, when they wish to
honor Red Jacket and other chiefs. We wish to thank the officers
of the Historical Society for their kindness and for the manner in
which they have guarded Red Jacket’s remains. We shall join with
them gladly in the ceremony. Although we reverence his memory
we are too poor to build such a monument. John Jacket, a grandson
of Red Jacket, is my father-in-law. He is very much pleased to see
such honors paid to his grandfather, and wishes me to thank the
good white people for him*. He will be here Thursday.
“When we moved away from the old Buffalo Creek Reservation in
1844 I was fourteen years old. The cemetery which then surrounded
the Mission Church was well kept and was not sold. It belongs to
us now. We intended to fence it in, but have never done so. There
we buried all our chiefs, but for the past thirty years we have used
the cemeteries at the new reservation, at Cattaraugus, where the
Methodists and Presbyterians have separate graveyards, and the
Pagans bury their dead at Newtown, upon the reservation ground.
“ At the old cemetery, where they took up the bones of Destroy
Town, Twenty Canoes, Little Billy, Tall Peter, and the other chiefs,
little remains for us. There were about eight acres, but the white
men have encroached upon it inch by inch. The Germans who
have settled near it bury their dead there, but they have no right to
do it. The cemetery is out Seneca street, about four miles from
Main street.”55
Chief Jones went home last night to make further arrangements
for the coming of the delegates from Cattaraugus.
In speaking of the removal of the remains, Mr. W. C. Bryant
said:	“We found that the Indians buried their dead much deeper
than the whites. In some instances we had to dig down beside and*
tunnel under the graves of white people who had not been buried
more than a year. There are no more chiefs buried at the old
cemetery that we could identify. The bones we have are dry; many
are much decayed. The remains of Red Jacket will be placed in a
casket made of polished oak, with silver trimmings. Each of the
six chiefs will have a like casket and a separate hearse. We have
engaged seventy-five carriages, but there will be many more in the
procession.
The stage at Music Hall, where the principal exercises will be
held, will be appropriately ornamented, under the supervision of
Miss Grace Sheldon, with palms and flowering plants from the
conservatory of Judge Sheldon.
A meeting of the society was held last evening at the office of W.
C. Bryant, Esq. Eight officers were present. In the several reports
made it was learned that nine bodies of unknown chiefs have been
buried on the Red Jacket lot during the past week; that the grave
of Red Jacket will be of cement; that after the remains are placed
in it an air-tight, impenetrable cement top will be made, leaving the
bones as secure as though in a vault, and that the bearers for each
casket will be chosen, two from each of the Six Nations. The
finance committee expect to raise $2,500. Already $1,800 have been
collected for the ceremony and the monument fund. The delegates
from Canada will arrive at 12.30 p. m. to-morrow; the Indians from
Versailles at 11.30 A. m. They will be met at the trains by com-
mittees and escorted to hotels. Police will be detailed for special
duty at the rooms of the Historical Society, at Music Hall, and at
the cemetery. Mr. C. W. Miller, who donates the use of six hearses
and five hacks, and volunteers to supply the vehicles needed, was
present by invitation last evening. He was made a member of the
general committee. So was Mr. H. D. Farwell, the undertaker, who
will be master of ceremonies.
The funeral cortege will move at 10 a. m. sharp, on Thursday,
from the corner of Court and Main streets. At Forest Lawn all
necessary arrangements have been made. The public is cordially
invited to attend the exercises at Music Hall and at Forest Lawn.
Both will be free. It is hoped that there will be a large attendance.APPENDIX No. 6.
From the Buffalo Express, October 8, 1884.
RED JACKET CEREMONIES.
In the rooms of the Buffalo Historical Society in front of the
president’s chair, six caskets stand. They hold the remains of Red
Jacket, the great orator of the Iroquois, and Destroy Town, Tall
Peter, Captain Pollard, who led the massacre of Wyoming, Young
Chief, and Twenty Canoes, his contemporary chiefs of the Seneca
Nation. They are placed in the position in which they will be
buried. The caskets are of polished oak with silver trimmings, and
without glass fronts. All that remain of these famous sachems are
bones—dry, decayed and broken. Each skull is intact, and on that
of Tall Peter some of the hair remains. The bones of Red Jacket
were transferred to the casket Monday evening from the box which
has held them in the vault of the Western Savings Bank for six
years. Mr. H. D. Farwell, who has kept the remains of the five
other chiefs at Tiis undertaking rooms on Pearl street, Councilor
W. C. Bryant and Librarian G. G. Barnum of the Historical Society,
made the removal. On the skull of Red Jacket was found some of
the plaster of Paris used by a phrenologist fifty years ago in an
unsuccessful effort to take a cast of the cranium.
All ^necessary preparations have been made for the ceremonies at
the grave and at Music Hall. Delegations of Indians will arrive
to-day. They will be quartered at different hotels until Friday
morning.APPENDIX No. 7
LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS TO THE FUND.
Wm. P. Letchworth,
Wm. C. Bryant,
Jonathan Scoville,
S. S. Jewett,
Geo. Howard,
M. P. Bush,
Philip Becker,
D.	P. Rumsey,
W. H. H. Newman,
John C. Graves,
S. M. Clement,
J. M. Richmond,
S. V. Ryan,
B.	C. Rumsey,
Gibson T. Williams,
James M. Smith,
E.	L. Stevenson,
Alonzo Richmond,
F.	H. Root,
Adam, Meldrum & Ander-
son,
W. D. Fobes,
H. D. Taylor,
R. K. Noye,
Chas. D. Marshall,
Franklin D. Locke,
Taylor & Crate,
Howard Iron Works,
Warren Bryant,
Pascal P. Pratt,
D. K. Morse,
H. G. Nolton,
C.	W. M ’ Cune,
Jno. T. Hudson,
Wm. B. Flint,
A. J. Wheeler,
J. P. Dudley,
J. C. Forbush,
Wm. H. Walker,
C.	B. Wheeler,
H. W. Box,
Thos. B. French,
Chas. A. Gould,
Jno. R. Linnen,
Geo. B. Hayes,
Gowans & Stover,
E. D. Dart,
C. J. Hamlin,
Geo. R. Potter,
Brown, Merritt & Brown,
L. M. Brock,
C.	G. Fox,
Jno. Lyth,
W. S. O’Brian,
D.	N. Lockwood,
E.	D. Tuthill & Son,
C.	B. Armstrong & Co.,
D.	H. McMillan,
J. C. Barnes,
E.	S. Dann,
Wm. S. Tweedy,
J. B. Stafford & Bro.,
Ansley Wilcox,
Altman & Co.,
Sibley & Holmwood,
Sidney Shepard & Co.,
W. P. Burns,
W. A. Bird,
Geo. J. Sicard,
H. Hellriegel,
R. Stafford,'
R. Keating,
James Sheldon,
Wm. Hodge,
Geo. Wadsworth,
B. H. Williams,
Truman C. White,
Porter Norton,
J. C. Fullerton,
Chas. A. Sweet,
W. S. Bissell,
Joel Wheeler,
W. L. White,
R.	P. Wilson,
Elias S. Hawley,
L. & I. J. White,
J. N. Scatcherd,
B. D. Rogers,
O. A. Trevallee,
L. S. Oatman,
S.	Hume,
Geo. W. Tifft, Sons & Co.,
H. R. Howland,
J. E. Barnard,
Zink & Hatch,
H. T. Appleby,
J. P. Gething,
Brown & Friend,
O. C. Hoyt,E.	L. Hedstrom,
Geo. Urban,
Estate of Wm. H. Greene,
R.	V. Pierce,
Jacob Stern,
Matthew McComb,
John M. Bedford,
John Wilkeson,
E. P. Beals,
J. C. Jewett & Son,
Erie Preserving Co.,
G.	B. Rich,
E. T. Smith,
C.	F. Bingham,
Goodyear Rubber Co.,
W. H. Peabody,
J. N. Adam & Co.,
Fairbanks Co.,
John Esser,
J. S. Lytle,
S.	G. Le Valley,
H.	L. Meech,
M.	Kingsley,
John H. Cowing,
Denton & Cottier,
Chas. Beckwith,
Thos. Cary,
E.	H. Hutchinson,
F.	M. Loomis,
58
Geo. G. Barnum,
Young, Lockwood & Co.,
Sherman S. Rogers,
Iiumburch & Hodge,
Geo. H. Bryant,
J. C. Nagel,
Alex. Brush,
Albert Haight,
Geo. W. Townsend,
Isaac Geiershofer,
M.	M. Drake,
E. H. Movius,
H. F. Allen,
N.	Hall,
Weed & Co.,
W. Laverack,
Campbell & Porter,
O.	W. Clark,
Frank C. Bolt,
H. H. Koch,
D.	E. Morgan,
P.	Paul & Bro.,
Ulbrich & Kingsley,
Ball & Levy,
W. W. Hammond,
G.	L. Lewis,
J. G. Milburn,
J. E. Ewell,
Wm. F. Rogers,
Dahlman, Spiegel & Weil,
O. O. Cottle,
Geo. F. Christ,
Otto Besser,
John P. Diehl,
Wm. K. Allen,
Merritt Brooks,
Geo. B. Matthews,
C. F. Sternberg,
Worthington & Sill,
Stringer & Cady,
J. H. Carmichael,
R. F. Schelling,
E.	W. Hatch,
Garson, Kerngood & Co.,
Moses Smith,
O. J. Eggert,
A. W. Hickman,
M.	Nellany,
N.	Moersfelder,
Irlbacker & Davis,
H.	A. Menker,
John Hauenstein,
Chas. W. Miller,
H. D. Farwell,
John Feist,
Gilbert Brady,
Geo. W. Maltby,
Orin P. Ramsdell.APPENDIX No. 8
OFFICERS OF THE BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
For the Year 1884.
President,
WILLIAM D. FOBES.
Vice-President,
STEPHEN M. CLEMENT.
Recording Secretary,
LEON F. HARVEY, M. D.
Librarian, Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer,
GEORGE G. BARNUM.
Councilors.
W. H. H. NEWMAN,
Hon. JAMES M. SMITH,
WILLIAM C. BRYANT,
EMMOR HAINES,
ANSLEY WILCOX,
Hon. JAMES SHELDON,
Hon. ELIAS S. HAWLEY,
THOMAS B.
Rev. A. T. CHESTER,^D. D.
O. H. MARSHALL,
JARED H. TILDEN,
Rev. SAMSON FALK,
GEORGE W. TOWNSEND,
CHARLES B. GERMAIN,
MAURICE KINGSLEY,
FRENCH.
8APPENDIX No. 9.
The following letter from Col. J. T. Gilkison, Superintendent
of Indian Affairs at Brantford, Ontario, explains the formal
action taken by the Six Nations in Council, October 14, 1884,
concerning their reception and the ceremonies of October 9,
1884, at Buffalo.
It is a memorable fact to relate that the council of the
sachems, chiefs and warriors of the Six Nations, held at the
rooms of the Buffalo Historical Society on the eighth of Octo-
ber, 1884, and which is described in this book, was the first
general council of the united Iroquois which has been held
since the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, and the con-
sequent disruption of the League. When this gathering and
council was first proposed the Canadian Iroquois refused to
unite with their estranged brothers who lived in the State of
New York. A few moments’ conference, however, and a few
bursts of Indian eloquence, melted all their hearts into a feel-
ing of common sympathy, and the council proceeded with
kindly and fraternal feeling.
Indian Office, Brantford, Ont., Oct. 15, 1884.
Sir:	By request of the Six Nations Indians in Council yesterday
I have the honour to transmit to you the accompanying extract of
minutes, which I will thank you to lay before the Buffalo Historical
Society. In doing which, permit me to add, I cordially concur with
the sentiments of the Council.
The compliment paid and kindness extended to the delegates of
the Six Nations will ever be remembered by them, your reception
having far exceeded their expectations.6i
For myself I have to express my high sense of the consideration
shown my Indian people by you and the gentlemen associated with
you, and for the courtesy and hospitality extended to me personally.
I have the honour to be, sir,
Your most obedient servant,
J. T. GILKISON,
Visiting Superintendent and Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
EXTRACTS FROM MINUTES.
The Six Nations in Council,
October 14, 1884.
Present—The Visiting Superintendent, Interpreter and twenty-nine Chiefs.
The chiefs having deliberated upon and discussed the report of their delegates
attending the recent ceremonies in the City of Buffalo, the Speaker of the Council
rose and, addressing the superintendent, said :
On the arrival of their delegates in Buffalo, on Wednesday last, they had the
honour of being received by a deputation of gentlemen, conducted to carriages and
conveyed to a hotel, where they were entertained in the most hospitable manner,
made to feel at home among friends, not as strangers. They were requested on the
same day to meet their brethren resident in the State of New York, when, being
assembled, they were invited to consult and arrange for Indian ceremonies attending
the re-interment of the remains of Red Jacket and his warriors upon the following
day.
The delegates were astonished and gratified with the grand and imposing
processioit and other proceedings, and felt proud in being chosen to assist on so
solemn and memorable occasion. This Council acknowledge the honour conferred
upon the illustrious dead of their race, and feel the red man has received a recog-
nition hitherto unsurpassed, if not unprecedented, which will not be forgotten, but
be a lasting record in the hearts of the Indians and in succeeding generations.
The Council desire to express its warm and grateful thanks to the gentlemen
of the Buffalo Historical Society for the great attention and consideration shown
their delegates, and for generosity, which contributed so much to their convenience
and comfort.
The Council express the wish that the superintendent will be pleased to transmit
a copy of these minutes to Mr. W. C. Bryant, for the information of the Buffalo
Historical Society.APPENDIX No. 10.
From the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser.
HOW THE GREAT CHIEF’S REMAINS WERE LOST
AND RECOVERED.
The famous soldier and Indian chief, Gen. Ely S. Parker, who
was chief of staff to Gen. Grant during the war, and wrote out the
terms of Lee’s capitulation, recently sent the following letter to Mr.
William C. Bryant, of the Buffalo Historical Society:
No. 300 Mulberry Street, New York, May 8, 1884.
W. C. Bryant, Esq., Buffalo, N. Y. :
Dear Sir—Yours of the 25 th ult. was duly received. I am very much obliged
to Mr. Marshall for mentioning to you the circumstance of my having written him
on the subject of the re-interment of Red Jacket’s remains. My principal object
was to obtain an assurance of the genuineness of the remains. This I did because
I was informed many years ago that Red Jacket’s grave had been surreptitiously
opened and the bones taken therefrom into the City of Buffalo, where some few
Indians, under the leadership of Daniel Two Guns, a Seneca chief, recovered them
a few hours*after they were taken. They were never re-interred, but were securely
boxed up and secreted, first in one Indian’s house and then in another. At length
I saw by the papers that they were now lodged in the vault of some bank in
Buffalo. I wished only to be satisfied that the remains which the Buffalo Historical
Society proposed to re-inter were really those of the celebrated chief Red Jacket.
That was all. Whatever views I may have entertained respecting this scheme,
which is not new, is now of no consequence, for your letter advises me that the
subject has been fully discussed with the survivors of the families of the departed
chiefs, and also of the Council of the Seneca Nation, who have all assented to the
project of re-interment and to the site selected.
I am, with respect, yours, etc.,
ELY S. PARKER.63
Mr. Bryant sent to the general the following reply, which will be
found of great interest, and may be considered the first authoritative
statement of the matter ever made:
Buffalo, June 25, 1884.
Gen. Ely S. Parker:
Dear Sir—In 1852, Red Jacket’s remains reposed in the old Mission Cemetery
at East Buffalo, surrounded by those of Young King, Capt. Pollard, Destroy Town,
Little Billy, Mary Jemison, and others, renowned in the later history of the Senecas.
His grave was marked by a marble slab, erected by the eminent comedian, Henry
Placide, but which had been chipped away to half of its original proportions by
relic hunters and other vandals. The cemetery was the pasture ground for vagrant
cattle, and was in a scandalous state of dilapidation and neglect. The legal title to
the grounds was and still is in the possession of the Ogden Land Company, although
at the time of the last treaty the Indians were led to believe that the cemetery and
church grounds were excluded from its operation. At the time mentioned (1852),
George Copway, the well-known Ojibwa lecturer, delivered two or more lectures in
Buffalo, in the course of which he called attention to Red Jacket’s neglected grave
and agitated the subject of the removal of his dust to a more secure place and the
erection of a suitable monument. A prominent business man, the late Wheeler
Hotchkiss, who lived adjoining the cemetery, became deeply interested in the
project, and he, together with Copway, assisted by an undertaker named Farwell,
exhumed the remains and placed them in a new coffin, which was deposited with
the bones in the cellar of Hotchkiss’ residence.
There were a few Senecas still living on the Buffalo Creek Reservation, among
them Moses Stevenson, Thomas Jemison, Daniel Two Guns, and others. They
discovered that the old chief’s grave had been violated almost simultaneously with
its accomplishment. Stevenson, Two Guns, and a party of excited sympathizers
among the whites, hastily gathered together and repaired to Hotchkiss’ residence,
where they demanded that the remains should be given up to them. The request
was complied with and the bones were taken to Cattaraugus and placed in the
custody of Ruth Stevenson, the favorite step-daughter of Red Jacket, and a most
worthy woman. Ruth was the wife of James Stevenson, brother of Moses. Their
father was a cotemporary of Red Jacket and a distinguished chief. She was a
sister of Daniel Two Guns. Her father, a renowned warrior and chief, fell at the
battle of Chippewa, an ally of the United States.
When the demand was made by the excited multitude Hotchkiss manifested
considerable perturbation at the menacing attitude of the crowd. He turned to
Farwell and, indicating the place of deposit of the remains, requested that Farwell
should descend into the cellar and bring up the coffin or box, which, by the way,
was made of red cedar and about four feet in length.
Ruth preserved the remains in her cabin for some years and finally buried them,
but resolutely concealed from every living person any knowledge of the place of
sepulture. Her husband was then dead and she was a childless, lone widow. As
she became advanced in years it grew to be a source of anxiety to her what dispo-
sition should finally be made of these sacred relics. She consulted the Rev. Asher
Wright and his wife on the subject, and concluded at length to deliver them over to64
the Buffalo Historical Society, which, with the approval of the Seneca Council, had
undertaken to provide a permanent resting-place for the bones of the old chief and
his compatriots.
I do not believe that there is any ground for doubting the identity of the remains,
and I think Hotchkiss and his confederates should be acquitted of any intention to
do wrong. It was an impulsive and ill-advised act on their part. The few
articles buried with the body were found intact. The skull is in excellent preserva-
tion and is unmistakably that of Red Jacket. Eminent surgeons, who have exam-
ined it and compared it with the best portraits of Red Jacket, attest to its
genuineness.
The Rev. Asher Wright was a faithful missionary among the Senecas for nearly
half a century.
There was no opportunity afforded Hotchkiss and his companions to fraudu-
lently substitute another skeleton, had they been so disposed. I knew Hotchkiss
well and have his written statement of the facts. Farwell, who still lives, and is a
very reputable man, says that when the remains were surrendered to the Indians
the skull had (as it has now) clinging to it in places a thin crust of plaster of Paris,
showing that an attempt had been made to take a cast of it, which probably was
arrested by the irruption of Two Guns and his band.
I have dictated the foregoing because on re-perusal of your esteemed letter I
discovered I had not met the question which was in your mind when you wrote
Mr. Marshall, and I greatly fear that I have wearied you by reciting details with
which you were already familiar.
The old Mission Cemetery, I grieve to say, has been invaded by white foreigners,
who are burying their dead there with a stolid indifference to every sentiment of
justice or humanity.	Yours very respectfully,
WILLIAM C. BRYANT.
General Parker, in acknowledgment of the last communication,
said that he had never entertained a doubt as to the identity of the
remains, but was curious to know how the Indians had been induced
to surrender them to the possession of the whites.
RUTH STEVENSON.
This estimable woman died at the Cattaraugus Reservation about
a year ago. The following notice of her is extracted from Miss
Johnson’s “Iroquois; or, Bright Side of Indian Character”
(D. Appleton 6° Co., N. Y., 1855) :
* * * The first Sabbath I attended [the Mission] church I noticed by my
side a fine-looking woman, with the richest tint of clear Mingoe blood upon her
cheeks, and her raven hair in soft, flowing masses, curving upon her temples, and
twined in classic braids behind. Tall and portly in figure and dignified in deport-
ment, she particularly attracted my attention, and the sweet and intelligent expression
of her face told that she was no common woman.65
I asked who she was, and learned that she was the step-daughter of their most
distinguished chief, Red Jacket, and one of whom he was particularly fond. She
was a child when he was an old man, and sat on his knee, and stroked his withered
cheek and kissed his brow, and received his most affectionate caresses. Her mother
was the second wife of the great orator, and the faithful friend of the missionaries,
and a consistent member of the little Mission Church during all the latter years of
her life. The daughter, therefore, has had a Christian education, and is a thoroughly
sensible and very interesting woman.
DEATH OF RED JACKET.
*	*	* The wife and daughter were the only ones to whom he spoke parting
words or gave a parting blessing; but as his last hour drew nigh his family all
gathered around him, and mournful it was to think that the children were not his
own ; his were all sleeping in the little churchyard where he was soon to be laid;
they were his step-children—the children of his beloved wife.
So there were none around his dying bed but step-children. These he had
always loved and cherished, and they loved and honored him, for this their mother
had taught them. The wife sat by his pillow and rested her hand upon his head.
At his feet stood the two sons [Henry and Daniel Two Guns], who are now aged
and Christian men, and by his side the little Ruth, whose little hand rested upon
his withered and trembling palm. His last words were still, “ Where is the mis-
sionary ? ” And then he clasped the child to his bosom while she sobbed in
anguish—her ears caught his hurried breathing—his arms relaxed their hold—she
looked up and he was gone (pfi. ig8, igg, idem).
Note.—Miss Johnson Obtained the materials for her interesting
volume during many months sojourn among the Senecas, and while
an inmate of the family of Rev. Asher Wright, the venerable
missionary.APPENDIX No. 1 1.
RED JACKET’S DISAPPOINTED-AMBITION.
The following exceedingly interesting letter from General
Parker was in response to a letter of inquiry addressed to him,
and which grew out of a remark of his, when in Buffalo in
attendance at the obsequies, to the effect that Red Jacket’s
greatest disappointment was in not attaining to a place among
the fifty Great League sachems:
New York, November 26, 1884.
William C. Bryant, Esq., Buffalo, N. Y.:
. Dear Sir—I owe you many apologies for not before answering
yours of October 25 th, which was duly received, but I have had so
many other things to attend to that your letter was temporarily laid
aside. I will- now, however, respond as briefly as I can to your
queries respecting Red Jacket. You say you “ have always been led
to believe that Red Jacket did not belong to any of the noble or
aristocratic families in which the title or distinction was hereditary.”
Also, “was his mother of noble birth,” etc., etc. Let me disabuse
your mind of one matter in the outset. Such a thing as aristocracy,
nobility, class caste or social grades was unknown among the Iroquois.
A political superiority was, perhaps, given by the founders of the
League to the Mohawks, Onondagas and Senecas, who were styled
“ brothers,” and were addressed as “ fathers ” by the Oneidas and
Cayugas, who also were “ brothers ” and yet “ children.” Nor were
the Turtle, Bear and Wolf clans invested with the first attribute of
nobility or aristocracy because they were also the elder brothers and
cousins to the other clans. I am of the opinion that no purer and
truer democracy, or a more perfect equality of social and political
rights, ever existed among any people than prevailed among the67
Iroquois at the time of their discovery by the whites. Often at that
time and since persons attained positions of prominence and power
by their superior intellectual abilities or their extraordinary prowess
and success on the war-path. (Conspicuous examples of this fact
are Joseph Brant and Red Jacket.) Successes of this kind, however,
brought only temporary and ephemeral distinction to him, his family,
his relations, his clan, and, perhaps, reflected some honor on his tribe.
But this accidental or fatuitous distinction was not transmissible as a
rightful or hereditary one, and was retained only so long as the
intellectual superiority, military prowess or personal bravery could
be maintained by the person or family.
When declining years broke one’s intellectual and physical powers
some younger person immediately dropped in to fill the gap, and the
old warrior or councilor fell away into obscurity. Thus it is easily
seen how the hand of power and distinction could be constantly
shifted from one person or family to another, and could never remain
settled longer than he or they were able to uphold the qualities
entitling them to the supremacy. The founders of the League may
or may not have considered this question in the organization they
made. They perfected a confederacy of tribes, officered by forty-
eight hereditary sachems or peace men and two hereditary military
sachems or chieftains. They ignored the individuality of persons
(except Tododaho) and families and brought the several tribes into
the closest relationship by the establishment of common clans or
totemships, to whom was confided the hereditability of the League
officers. It was a purely accidental circumstance that some of the
clans in some of the tribes were not .endowed with sachemships and
that others got more than one. But because some of the clans got
more than one sachem, and that a family in that clan was temporarily
intrusted with the care of it, the clan or family were not in conse-
quence thereof ennobled or made aristocratic. Bear in mind this
fact, a sachemship belongs to a clan and is the property of no one
family. Honorary distinctions are only assumed by the tribes or
clans from the fact that the League makers gave them the rank of
the elder or younger, and the family government and gradation of
kinship was introduced to bring the same more readily to their
comprehension, understanding and remembrance.
This idea of Indian social grades with titles is all a vain and foolish
fancy of the early imaginative writers, who were educated to believe
in such things; and the idea is retained, used and still disseminated
9by our modern susceptibles who love and adore rank and quality,
and who give and place them where none is claimed. I do not deny
that Royaner in the Mohawk means Lord or Master, but the same
word, when applied to terrestrial or political subjects, only means
Councilor. The Seneca word is Hoyarna, Councilor—Hoyarnago-
war, Great Councilor. These names are applied to the League
officers only, and the term “ great ” was added to designate them
more conspicuously and distinguish them from a great body of lesser
men who had forced themselves into the deliberations of the League
Councilors. The term Hasanowaneh (great name) is given to this
last great body of men, a body now known as chiefs. They were
never provided for and, as I believe, were never contemplated by
the League originators, but they subsequently came to the surface, as
I have hereinbefore set forth, and forced a recognition of their exist-
ence upon the “ Great Councilors,” and, on account of their following
and ability, were provided with seats at the council board.
Red Jacket was one of these “ chiefs.” He was supremely and
exclusively intellectual. He was a walking encyclopedia of the affairs
of the Iroquois. His logical powers were nearly incontrovertible, at
least to the untutored Indian generally. In his day, and to the
times I am referring, the “ Great Councilor’s ” word was his bond; it
was of more weight and consequence than the word of a chief.
Red Jacket knew this well, and, while he could not be made a League
officer, he used every means which his wisdom and cunning could
devise to make himself appear not only the foremost man of his
tribe but of the League. He was ever the chosen spokesman of the
matrons of tribes. He was spokesman of visiting delegations of
Indians to the seat of government, whether state or federal. In the
signing of treaties, though unsuccessfully opposing them in open
council, he would secretly intrigue for a blank space at or near the
head of the list of signers, with a view, as the Indians asserted, of
pointing to it as evidence that he was among its early advocates, and
also that he was among the first and leading men of his tribe. He
was even charged with being double-faced and sometimes speaking
with a forked tongue. These and many other traits, both good and
bad, which he possessed worked against him in the minds of his
people, and interposed an insurmountable bar to his becoming a
League officer.
After the war of 1812, whenever Red Jacket visited the Tonawanda
Reservation, he made my father’s house his principal home, on69
account of his tribal relationship to my mother, who was of the Wolf
clan. My father and his brother Samuel were both intelligent men,
and knew and’understood the Indians well, and were also fairly-
versed in Indian politics. During my early youth I have heard
them discuss with other Indians the matters above referred to, and,
while they always agreed as to the main facts, they generally differed
only as to the underlying motives and intentions of Red Jacket in
his varipus schemes.
White men visiting Indians for information usually ask specific
questions, to which direct and monosyllabic answers are generally
given. Seldom will an Indian go beyond a direct answer and give a
general or extended reply; hence, I am not surprised that you had
never heard anything respecting my statement, for as such a thing
had never occurred to you, you have never thought to ask concerning
it. The fact, however, remains the same, and I do not consider it
derogatory of or a belittling of Red Jacket’s general character.
Men of mind are nearly always courageous and ambitious. Red
Jacket was not an exception.
You suggest the performance on my part of an act which is simply
impossible. The words sachem, sagamore, chief, king, prince,
cazique, queen, princess, etc., have been promiscuously and inter-
changeably used by every writer on Indians ever since their discovery.
I have seen three of the above terms used in one article with refer-
ence to one and the same person, showing great looseness and want
of discrimination in the writer. Yourself, let me say, mentions John
Mt. Pleasant as “ the principal hereditary sachem of the Tuscaroras.”
Now, my classification of Iroquois officers would be to rank the fifty
original councilors as sachems, because they are the highest officers
of the League. I would not use the term sagamore* because its use
is almost wholly New England, and has been applied promiscuously
to heads of bands, large and small, and sometimes to mere heads of
families. To use other terms, such as king, prince, or princess (see
King Philip, King Powhattan and Princess Pocahontas), is prepos-
terous and presumptuous, considering the total absence among these
people of the paraphernalia, belongings and dignity of royalty. My
classification is:	League officers, fifty in numbers, u Sachems ” all
others “Chiefs” The Tuscaroras, for certain reasons, were not
admitted to a perfect equality in the League. They were not granted
sachemships. Hence, Mt. Pleasant is not a sachem, only a chief.
His talent, and character might, indeed, constitute him the head70
chief of his tribe, but I doubt if his successor in name would take
the same rank or exercise the same influence over the tribe that he
does. Besides, the sachems alone can exercise a general authority
in the League, while the chiefs’ authority is confined to their respect-
ive tribes or bands. To invent a new name now for our fifty League
officers would produce endless confusion in papers and books relating
to them and their affairs. The task is too herculean to undertake.
Pardon me for having been so prolix. I may also have failed to
make myself understood, for I have been compelled for want of time
to leave out a great deal of explanatory matter. But you are such a
good Indianologist that I feel certain of your ability to comprehend
me. I am, with respect,
Your obedient servant,
ELY S. PARKER.APPENDIX No. 12.
MR. HORATIO HALE’S VIEWS.
This eminent philologist and scholar has kindly contributed
to this work the following essay:
RED JACKET’S OFFICIAL NAME AND RANK.
In Morgan’s admirable work on the “ League of the Iroquois ” we
are told that “when the celebrated Red Jacket was elevated by
election to the dignity of a chief, his original name, Otetiani, 4 Always
Ready,’ was taken from him, and in its place was bestowed Sagoye-
watha, ‘Keeper Awake,’ in allusion to the power of his eloquence.”
The name thus given requires some explanation. The Iroquois
monosyllabic root, ye (spelt ie by the French missionaries, and pro-
nounced exactly like the English affirmative “ yea ”), may be com-
pared with the English monosyllable “wake,” and like that has many
derivatives. Kayeon signifies wakeful. Kayewate is “ to be awakeped.”
Adding the causative affix, tha, we have Kayewatha, “to awaken or
arouse.” Substituting for the first syllable the compound pronoun,
sago or sako, meaning “he-them,” we get the word in question,
Sagoyewatha, “ he who awakens them,” or, briefly, “the awakener,”
or “arouser.” No word, certainly, could characterize better an
orator of Red Jacket’s peculiar eloquence, which, from the accounts
given of it, was largely made up of stimulating appeals, pungent
sarcasms and startling denunciations.
The rank to which Red Jacket was thus elevated was, as is well
known, not the highest grade in the Indian community. This high-
est rank was that to which Morgan, in his work, has given the title
of sachem, a name hardly appropriate, inasmuch as it is properly an
Algonquin term, applied in that language to chiefs of any grade. It
seems better to use either the native designation of royaner, or its
literal translation, “ lord,” or “ noble ” ; or else, if anyone prefers it,7 2
the descriptive epithet of “chief councilor.’’ This rank was to Red
Jacket unattainable, for the simple reason that it was hereditary in
certain.families, and that his own family did not belong to this class.
There was, however, a secondary order of chiefs, which, if not coeval
with the formation of the confederacy, must have come into existence
soon after that event, and has played a great part in the history of
the League. This order bore in Iroquois the rather cumbrous
designation of roskenrakehte-kowa, which may be literally Englished
“great warrior.” This translation, however, would be somewhat
misleading. All the men of the Iroquois nations, as of other Indian
tribes, were warriors. With us, where the fighting men form a class
apart, the word warrior retains its original force. Among the Indians
it is often used simply as a synonym for “man,” as contradistinguished
from woman or child.1 “ Great warrior,” as an official designation,
is, therefore, the same as “ great man,” or “ head man.” The Iroquois
of Western Canada, who have kept the ancient usages of their con-
federacy with scrupulous care, render this title in English sometimes
“ war chief ” and sometimes “ assistant chief.” The latter rendering
expresses most nearly the view which the Iroquois take of the origi-
nal and proper office of the chiefs of this order. According to the
theory of their government, every “ lord ” or “ chief councilor ” was
entitled to an assistant chief or executive officer, whose duty it was
to carry out the behests of his principal. The “ assistant chief ” was
nominated by the royaner, but this nomination must be approved
both by the Council of the nation and by the Great Council of the
confederacy. Of course, it was the special object of each “lord” to
have the most distinguished and influential assistant that he could
1 Oskenra is an ancient word for “war.” Kakehte is “to carry.” The com-
pound word, roskenrakehte, means “ one who carries on war,” and with the affixed
adjective kowa, “ great,” makes the title, “great warrior.” But since the Iroquois
men have ceased to be a race of soldiers the word roskenrakehte has come to be
taken in a larger sense, particularly in the Eastern Province. “ This word,” says
M. Cuoq, in his Iroquois lexicon, “ has now a more extended signification ; it is
equivalent to the Latin mas, the Spanish varon, the Algonquin mini.” The author
of the recent Iroquois translation of the Four Gospels, published in Montreal in
1880 (an educated Indian), has, therefore, used this term with perfect linguistic
propriety in rendering the last word of the verse (Mark vi: 44), “ And they that
did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.” The change of meaning in
this word is one of those transitions common in all languages, which etymologists
have often occasion to note. Among the most curious illustrations in our own
tongue may be mentioned the Anglo-Saxon cniht and cnapa, each of which meant
originally “ boy,” but which, in modern English, have assumed the widely dissimilar
acceptations of “ knight ” and “ knave.”73
obtain. Thus, any Indian who became eminent, either for sagacity
and eloquence or for leadership in war, was almost certain to be
raised, sooner or later, to this rank. These assistants sat in council
with the hereditary chiefs and were the most prominent in the debates
—the dignified nobles usually reserving themselves in silence for
the higher office of giving the decisive judgment. The situation was
much the same as it would be in England if the lords and commons
sat in the same assembly and the lords had alone the right of voting.
Of course, in such an assemblage, an able and eloquent commoner,
who was known to have the people at his back, would soon acquire
a preponderating influence.
Nearly all the most noted chiefs of the Iroquois nations, Garagon-
thie, Garangula, Sadekanahtie, Dekanesora, Canasatego,. and others
who have made themselves historical by their skill in negotiation
and their capacity for the direction of affairs—the Walpoles, Pitts,
Cannings and Gladstones of this forest commonwealth—have been
of this nominally secondary grade. It has been commonly sup-
posed—and the supposition is countenanced even by so high an
authority as Morgan—that the chieftainship to which Red Jacket
was raised belonged to this order. But this supposition appears
to be questionable.
By the rules of the League—rules which are strictly maintained in
the Canadian branch of the confederacy—the number of assistant
chiefs was limited by that of the superior chiefs or great councilors.
Thus, the Mohawks had nine royaners to represent them in the
council, and they would have nine “ great warriors,” and no more.
A list of the chiefs who compose the present Great Council on the
Canadian Reserve of the Six Nations has lately been furnished by
their secretary, himself an “ assistant chief,” and it entirely confirms
this statement. This list, however, comprises no Senecas. The
Seneca nation remained in its own country, and its political consti-
tution had a peculiar development. That development had, in fact,
commenced long before the disruption of the confederacy, and was
due to special circumstances which affected this nation alone. The
Senecas were the nearest to those other tribes of the Huron-Iroquois
stock which the Iroquois overcame and incorporated with their own
people—the Attiwandaronks or Neutrals, the Hurons, Eries, and
Conestogas. There is reason to believe that when the confederacy
was formed the Senecas did not much, if at all, exceed in number
any of the other nations. There is a tradition, indeed, that they had74
been reduced by the first Atotarho to a state of subjection to his
people, the Onondagas. These later accessions, however, enlarged
the population to an altogether disproportionate number. When Sir
William Johnson, in 1771, made a sort of census or estimate of all
the Indian tribes (which Stone, in his Life of Johnson, has preserved
for us) he set down the Senecas as numbering 1,050 warriors, while
the other five nations together counted only 900. Yet, according to
the original constitution of the confederacy, while the Mohawks,
numbering 160 men, would have eighteen chiefs (nine nobles and
nine assistants), the Senecas, with over 1,000 warriors, would have
only sixteen chiefs (eight royaners and their eight assistants). It is
clear that this number, which might have been sufficient when the
confederacy was formed, would, under these different circumstances,
be altogether inadequate for the domestic government, or what may
be called the home police, of the nation, with its many villages and
its numerous fragments of ill-amalgamated tribes. A new class of
chiefs was therefore established, specially for this nation, with the
title of hasennowane, which is rendered by Morgan “ an elevated
name.” It means properly “ great name/’ being derived from kasetina,
name, and kowane, great. Morgan has well described the origin and
character of this order of chiefs, but has made the mistake—which,
at the time and under the circumstances in which he wrote, was
almost unavoidable—of confounding them with the “ great warriors ”
who sat in the confederate council. At the date of Morgan’s work
(in 1851) the number of Seneca chiefs, exclusive of the eight lords,
was no less than seventy. The jealous nobles of the League would
certainly not have allowed this overwhelming number of Seneca
“ war-chiefs ” to sit in their Great Council. But, in fact, at that time
the Great Council did not exist, except in its Canadian revival. The
hasennowane, or “ chiefs of distinguished name,” were purely a Seneca
creation. In 1851, as Morgan informs us, the total number of souls
in the Seneca nation of New York was only about 2,500. There
was thus one chief to every thirty-five persons, or, on an average, one
to every seven families. The rank which the office conferred was
evidently not a high one. It hardly attained to the dignity belonging
to that of a justice of the peace or a village councilman among their
white neighbors.
The office, however, did undoubtedly give the right of sitting in
the local council of the Seneca nation; and it was certain that any
member of that council who possessed the capacity and eloquence75
of Red Jacket would quickly become the premier and virtually the
ruler of the nation. A knowledge of this fact will account for the
eagerness which he showed to attain the chieftainship. From the
time he gained this office he controlled by his natural powers the
destinies of his people, so far as it was possible for one individual to
do so. He was at once the Pericles and the Demosthenes of this
little primitive democracy. His impassioned harangues “fulmined
over ” it to Albany and Washington, where they produced effects of
which his people still feel the benefit. If he had enjoyed a wider
field for the display of his remarkable powers it may fairly be doubted
whether any statesman of ancient or modern times would be deemed to
have surpassed him in the qualities of an orator and a leader of men.
Whatever may have been the nominal rank which the title of “ Ex-
alted Name” conferred upon him, we may safely affirm that the
designation, in its literal sense, was never more fitly bestowed.
Note.—Since the foregoing was written, a further study of the
subject has recalled to mind an important letter of Mr. Morgan,
which was published in the appendix to Schoolcraft’s “ Notes on the
Iroquois,” and which should, in justice to its eminent author, be
noticed. • The letter is dated Oct. 7, 1845,—-some six years before the
publication of Morgan’s work on the “ League of the Iroquois.” He
had just attended, for the first and probably the only time, a meeting
of the “ Great Council ” of the Six Nations, held at Tonawanda, and
comprising apparently members of all the tribes,—probably the last
of such meetings ever held south of Lake Ontario. The information
which he there received had given him new ideas of the “ vastness
and complexity of the Indian fabric.” More than twenty letters,
he declares, would be needed to explain all that he had seen and
heard. But he sketches, in a few words, with perfect correctness, the
outline of the Iroquois constitution. “We learn,” he says, “that at
the establishment of the confederacy, fifty sachemships were founded,
and a name assigned to each, which they are still known by, and
which names every sachem of the several sachemdoms, from the
beginning to the present time, has borne. There were also fifty sub-
sachems, or aids; that is, to every sachem was given a sub-sachem to
stand behind him,—in a word, to do his bidding.” Brant, he was
assured, was only “ a chief, or an officer of the third and lowest class”
During the following years, Morgan pursued his researches, but, as it
would seem, almost entirely among the Senecas, whose political
1076
institutions had undergone a radical change. The result was that in
his published work the “ sub-sachems ” are not found. Only one
class of chiefs below the sachems is recognized, the hasennowane,
whose number is represented as unlimited. This was a correct ac-
count of the Seneca system, as it then existed, but gave, as has been
shown, an erroneous view of the proper Iroquois constitution.APPENDIX No. 13.
OTETIANI, OR ALWAYS READY.
ITS ETYMOLOGICAL DERIVATION—LETTER FROM THE DIS-
TINGUISHED PHILOLOGIST, HORATIO HALE, ESQ.
Clinton, Ontario, Jan. 22, 1885.
My Dear Mr. Bryant:
That Red Jacket’s original name, Otetiani, signified “Always
Ready,” cannot reasonably be doubted, as this interpretation was, in
all probability, furnished by the chief himself. On the other hand,
the evidence of General Parker and of Zachariah Jemison, which you
have obtained, makes it clear that the word is not nowT known in the
Seneca language. We must, therefore, as Jemison suggests, look to
another dialect of the Six Nations for an explanation of the name.
Fortunately there is no difficulty in finding it.
In the old French Onondaga dictionary, composed about two
hundred years ago, and published by Dr. Shea in his “ Library of
American Linguistics,” we find under Prest (i. e. prH, ready) the
composite form agadeyennoktahi, I am ready, desadeyennoktahi, thou
art ready, dehadeyennok, he is ready. Here the first two syllables of
each word aga, dera and deha, are the pronouns, I, thou and he, with
—in the last two forms—the “cislocative ” particle de (here) prefixed.
The root deyen, “ready,” follows, with the terminal affix oktahi
(abridged in the third person to ok) annexed. This affix is probably
from okta (Onondaga), okte (Mohawk), signifying “ end ” or “ final ”—
“I am finally ready,” or, “I am ready at last.” De-ha-deyenn-ok may
be literally rendered “here-he-is ready-at last.”
Deyen is evidently identical with tian> the difference being merely
in orthography. The t and d are interchangeable in all the Iroquois
dialects. In O-te-tian-i, the initial O (for ho) is the pronoun “he.”78
Te is perhaps from the first syllable of tiotkont (Onondaga), dyatgont
(Seneca), “always.” The final i is an inflection, verbalizing the
word. The name will then signify “ He-always-is ready.”
That the name should have been retained among the Senecas,
though the meaning has been lost in their language, is not at all sur-
prising. It was, doubtless, one of the “ clan names ” which were in
use in one particular clan throughout the Six Nations. In the
changes of language, which time inevitably brings, the root of the
word might become obsolete in one or more dialects—or indeed in
all, but the name would still be retained,—precisely as has happened
among ourselves with common Anglo-Saxon names, such as Alfred
and Edwin. The opinion which generally prevails that all Indian
proper names are significant, is true only in the sense in which the
same may be affirmed of all English names. All originally had a
meaning, but in many cases this meaning has been lost. As you are
aware, the names of the fifty great chiefs, or councilors, who framed
the Iroquois League, continue in use to this day; but the meaning of
about one-fourth of these names is now unknown. The Indians tell
you that they are “just names,” and nothing more. It is only by the
chance of our possessing an ancient Onondaga lexicon that we are
enabled to explain the purport of Red Jacket’s original name, which
doubtless was as clear to his forefathers, some centuries ago, as that
of William or Frederick was to our own.
Yours very faithfully,
HORATIO HALE.APPENDIX No. 14.
GARANGULA, THE GREAT IROQUOIS
ORATOR.1
BY HORATIO HALE, ESQ.
The Canadian Iroquois have no tradition concerning Garangula,
so far as I can learn, and they were unable to give any satisfactory
explanation of the name, in the form in which we have it. It has
probably been much corrupted in the utterance of the white people,
as is usually the case with Indian names. If we did not know the
origin of “ Oneida,” who would suspect its Indian form to be O-nong-
yo-te, or its meaning to be “ protruding stone ? ” The notion that
Garangula is a corruption of the French Grande Gueule, “ Great
Mouth,” seems to me a most improbable one. We can test the like-
lihood of it by a simple supposition. If the English hunters and
traders had tieen accustomed to speak of the chief as “ Big Mouth,”
can we imagine that an English traveler or missionary would transform
that name into Biggamotha, or anything similar, with the notion of
Indianizing it ? The idea is plainly absurd.
The corruption was probably the other way. The chief had an
Indian, name somewhat resembling in sound Grande Gueuley and as
he was noted for his eloquence—or what the common people would
call his power of jaw—it was natural enough that the French “coureurs
de bois ” should invent and use this corrupt form in lieu of the correct
name,—precisely as the English sailors converted the classic name of
their war-ship, the Bellerophon, into the more intelligible “ Billy
Ruffian.”
I think it likely that the chief’s name, or official title, was Garen-
hona (which, in another and perhaps exacter orthography, would
become Garanghuna), meaning “ Lofty Tree.” The word occurs in
1 See Judge Clinton’s Address.8o
its Mohawk form, and verbalized, in the list of Mohawk royaners, or
councilors, as sharenhowane, which was explained to me as meaning
“ He is the loftiest tree.” It is composed of garenha, tree-top, and
kowane, great. In the ancient Onondaga idiom, which admitted the
r (now disused), it would assume, as a noun, one or other of the
briefer forms which are given above, and which, with the not uncom-
mon change of n to /, approach nearly to Garangula.
This Mohawk councilor belonged to the Bear clan. It is probable
that the name of “ Lofty Tree,” which he bore, was one of the names
which belonged to that clan in all the Iroquois nations. Its signifi-
cance would naturally cause it to be selected among the Onondagas
as the official name of a distinguished war-chief and noted leader in
council, like Garangula.
“ Great Mouth ” would be rahsowana ; but it is not at all likely that
the chief received his name from any physical trait of that sort. It
is seldom, if ever (except in novels), that an Indian is named from
any personal characteristic.APPENDIX No. 15
SKETCHES OF THE FIVE INDIAN CHIEFS
RE-INTOMBED WITH RED JACKET.
THE YOUNG KING.
The Young King, or Gui-en-gwah-toh, was born at or near the
site of the present village of Canandaigua about the year 1760. He
was probably the nephew, on his mother’s side, of the Senfeca
sachem, popularly known as Old Smoke, or the Old King—renowned
in our earlier annals—to whose title, Gui-en-gwah-toh, “ the bearer
of the smoking brand,” or, more literally, “ the smoke has disap-
peared,” he succeeded. This titular dignity, which invested him
with the right to kindle and extinguish the council fire of his nation,
—always the most numerous and powerful in the Iroquois confed-
eracy,—bestowed upon him and his uncle, the Old King, a delusive
prestige and rank which led the whites to speak of them as royal
personages.
Young King was a man of lofty stature and herculean mould, and
of great force of character, though not endowed with the rare
intellectual qualities which rendered his uncle the most influential
Seneca chieftain of his period.
The leader of the Indians at the so-called massacre of Wyoming,
history alleges, was a Seneca chief known to the natives by the name
of Gui-en-gwah-toh. Careful investigators affirm that Old King was
too aged, and Young King too juvenile, to have taken part in that
lamentable tragedy. It is certain, however, that there was never
more than a few weeks’ interregnum between the death of an Indian
chief and the appointment of his successor, and Seneca tradition is
silent as to any intervening bearer of the council brand, although,
indeed, there may have been one. Col. Proctor, who was delegated
by President Washington in 1791 to treat with the Indians, visited82
the Senecas at Buffalo Creek in the spring of that year. The Young
King was then apparently the leading man of his nation, or second
only to the great war chief, Cornplanter. He seemed to be largely
under the influence of Col. Butler and the British. Proctor says
that “ the Young King was fully regimentaled as a colonel; red,
faced with blue, as belonging to some royal regiment, and equipped
with a pair of the best epaulets, so that,” he adds, “ from his after
conduct it may not appear extraordinary when the King has thrown
in his opposition to my errand, he being paid so well for his influence
over the Indian nations as to carry his favorite point in question.” 1
Red Jacket is mentioned by Col. Proctor, as the “young prince of
the Turtle tribe,” and allusion is made to his engaging countenance
and remarkable gifts of oratory. It is natural to infer that Young
King was the senior of Red Jacket, and old enough to have followed
his patron, Co'l. Butler, to the bloody field of Wyoming. Captain
Pollard, a noted Seneca chief, affirmed that the Young King led the
Indians on that occasion.2 Indian youths, of comparatively tender
years, often enrolled themselves in the ranks of a war party, and won
an enviable name for their enterprise and valor.
The Young King during the war of 1812 espoused the cause of
the United States against the British, and in one engagement was
seriously wounded.
In his earlier days he was addicted to intemperance, but on his
conversion to Christianity he became a zealous advocate of temper-
ance as well as the leading promoter of education and progress in
his tribe. During his more reckless days, in a brawl,—where the
testimony shows he was not the aggressor,—he lost an arm and
suffered other mutilation, and yet to the last his gigantic figure and
commanding features wore the grandeur of a desolated and battered
Colossus.
“ He was the first man who built a rod of fence on the Buffalo
Reservation, where the missionaries first resided; and often in the
cold winter days would be seen on Saturday crossing the creek in his
little canoe, to see if the church were supplied with fuel for the
Sabbath, and if it were not, with his one hand wielded the axe and
chopped the little pile, which he also carried to the door to be sure
that it was ready for the morning service, saying that he came so late
into the vineyard, he must work diligently in order to accomplish
1	History of Buffalo and the Senecas, vol. 1, p. 423, Appendix.
2	American Historical Record, vol. 1, p. 116.83
anything before he was called away.”1 11 His manners were
peculiarly suave and refined. His hospitality and benevolence were
proverbial. He died in 1835 and was buried at East Buffalo in the
old Mission Cemetery.
CAPTAIN OR COLONEL POLLARD.
Captain Pollard, Ga-on-do-wau-na, Big Tree, a Seneca sachem of
the first class, was a cotemporary of Red Jacket and only second to
him as an orator. In moral attributes he was the superior of Red
Jacket, being literally a man without guile and distinguished for his
benevolence and wisdom. In youth he was an ambitious warrior,
and made himself conspicuous in the many forays against the border
settlements by the British and Indians during the Revolutionary war.
He participated in the affair at Wyoming. He was one of the
earliest fruits of missionary labors at Buffalo Creek, and after his
conversion to Christianity always spoke with abhorrence and deep
contrition of the events of his warrior days, and he afterwards led a
blameless and beneficent life.
Pollard was a half-breed, his father being an English sutler or
Indian trader,—whose headquarters appear to have been at Fort
Niagara,—and his mother a Seneca woman. The celebrated Cath-
arine Montour (Queen Catharine) became his step-mother and bore
to his father three sons, all of whom were renowned in the border
warfare of those troublous times.
Pollard was formally selected by the Indians as their leader, or
war captain, at the commencement of the war of 1812, and was an
able and valiant ally of our forces during the entire struggle. He
was a man of commanding presence,—of dignified and benevolent
aspect, showing but little traces of his Indian lineage. He died at
an advanced age on the 10th day of April, 1841, and was buried in
the old Mission Cemetery. He left no descendants. His wife,
Catharine, who survived him several years, was buried by his side,
together with the last of his family, a little granddaughter. The
three sleep together in the new Indian burial-lot at Forest Lawn.
Ketchum (“ Buffalo and the Senecas ”), who knew him personally,
says that “ after the death of Farmer’s Brother the most considerable
of the chiefs of the Senecas was Captain Pollard, or Kaoundowana.”
1 Miss Johnson’s “ Iroquois,” p. 218. See also Letchworth’s “ History of the
Pratt Family*”
1184
Colonel Stone (“ Life and Times of Red Jabket,” p. 373), says:
44 Captain Pollard, or Ka-oun-do-wa-no, is yet living (1841,) a vener-
able-looking old man, with a finely developed head which would
form a noble subject of study for Dr. Combe.”
LITTLE BILLY.
Little Billy, Jish-ge-ge, or Katy-did (an insect), is always men-
tioned in cotemporary records as 44 The War Chief.” He died at
the Seneca village, Buffalo Creek, December 28th, 1834, a very aged
man. There is a tradition extant which asserts that he was one of
the Indian guides who accompanied the youthful Washington on his
memorable mission to Fort Duquesne during the old French and
Indian war.1 The few aged Senecas who remember him affirm that
he was a man of marked integrity and of irreproachable habits.
Only the most meagre materials for his biography remain, although
his name is appended to many treaties and occurs in the 44 Life and
Times of Red Jacket,” and other writings relating to the Indians.
The same remark is equally applicable to the two chiefs next
mentioned.1
DESTROY-TOWN.
Destroy-Town, Go-non-da-gie, 44 He destroys the town” (more
accurately, O-shah-go-non-da-gie), was a leading councilor in his
nation, a brave warrior, a man noted for the soundness of his judg-
ment, his love of truth, his probity and his bravery as a warrior.
Destroy-Town bore the same name that the Iroquois bestowed on
General Washington, who, in consequence of his generosity toward
this conquered and despairing people, at the close of the Revolution-
ary war, was enshrined in their affections and reverenced not less
than William Penn, the just pale-face.
TALL PETER.
Tall Peter, Ha-no-ja-cya, according to the orthography of pub-
lished treaties and other documents, was also a compeer of the great
Seneca orator. His Indian name should be written Wa-o-no-jah-gah
and signified he has swallowed a tooth. In middle age he became a
Christian and thereafter led a useful and exemplary life. The few
aged Indians who remember him speak of him with respect and
1 Washington, in his narrative of that expedition, mentions a Seneca chief named
Jes-ka-ka-ke, evidently another form of spelling Little Billy’s Indian name.85
affection. He was one of their leading chiefs. I have been able to
glean only these few particulars concerning him.
He was a man of gigantic stature, fully seven feet high, and died
and was buried at the Mission Cemetery some fifty years ago, aged
probably about seventy years.
THE NINE UNKNOWN BRAVES.
Near the center of the old Mission Cemetery and opposite the
main entrance, was a cluster of graves in which were buried Red
Jacket and his brother chiefs. The pride and valor and wisdom of
the nation, before it became spiritless and moribund, slumbered
there. There were no monuments, not even a head-stone, to mark
the respective resting-places of these aboriginal lords,—only a vener-
able walnut-tree which stretched out its sheltering arms and spread
its canopy of foliage over the hallowed spot. Humphrey Tolliver,
an aged runaway slave from Virginia, with his white wife and
mulatto children, occupied a cottage and cultivated a few acres of
garden land bordering the cemetery grounds. He had lived there
many years,—when Red Jacket was in his glory and the leader of
his people. He continued to reside there long after the last loitering
Seneca turned his back upon the ancient seat of his tribe, never
more to return. Thereafter Tolliver became the self-appointed
sexton of the old graveyard when the crowd of white immigrants
surged in to fill the places of the departed Senecas, and he buried
the pale-faced dead in the holy ground which had been consecrated
as the place of sepulture of the red men. Never could he be induced,
however, to consent that the sacred area, about the walnut tree,
should be profaned by the spade of the grave-digger. He would
shake his gray head and say, “ The big men of the Senecas were
buried there.” He knew them well, those silent, composed and
mysterious men, in strange, picturesque garb and speaking an incom-
prehensible language. He died a few years since at a very advanced
age, and a new custodian of the Indian cemetery,—a white man who
lacked sensibility and was superior to the weakness of superstition,—
succeeded to the humble office.
Besides the remains we have been successful in identifying, there
reposed in this little area the ashes of Two Guns, Twenty Canoes,
John Snow, White Chief, and several other chieftains, all of whom are
numbered among the nine undistinguished dead re-inferred with
Red Jacket,86
Sagoyevvatha sleeps at Forest Lawn surrounded by the same dusky
group of compatriots and friends who stretched their weary frames
and laid them down to rest beside him in the old Mission Cemetery
at East Buffalo.
W. C. BRYANT.
NOTES.
1.	Rev. Dr. Breckenridge had an interview with Red Jacket and his brother
chiefs at the residence of General Porter at North Buffalo in 1821. He says, “ Red
Jacket was dressed with much taste in the Indian costume throughout. He wore a
blue dress, the upper garment cut after the fashion of a hunting-shirt, with blue
leggings, very neat moccasins, a red jacket, and a girdle of red about his waist. I
have seldom seen a more dignified or noble-looking body of men than the entire
group.”—Stone's Life of Red Jacket, p. 400.
2.	“ Tollifer,” Anglice, Talliafero, one of the F. F. V.’s. He was a very tall
and jet-black negro,—an honest and worthy man.
3.	The last Seneca who lingered on the Buffalo Creek Reservation after the
fraudulent treaty which ceded it away to the infamous Ogden Land Company, was
Johnny John, whom I remember as a noble-looking type of the full-blooded Iroquois.
He refused to surrender possession of his humble abode, and was finally evicted,
pursuant to a decree of the Supreme Court in an action of ejectment.
4.	Red Jacket’s Indian name or title should be pronounced Sa-gd-ye-wat-ha
—a as in fate, a as in far ; strongly accented on the second and fourth syllables.
5.	Henry Placide, the eminent comedian, some thirty-five years ago caused a
marble slab with a brief and suitable inscription to be placed at the head of Red
Jacket’s grave. Relic hunters and other vandals mutilated and chipped it away in
a pitiless manner. What they left of it is deposited in the rooms of the Buffalo
Historical Society.APPENDIX No. 16.

From the Deseronto Tribune.
THE MOHAWK CENTENNIAL
AT TYENDINAGA, ON THE BAY OF QUINT®, CANADA, SEPTEM-
BER 4, 1884.
The Mohawk Indians celebrated the hundredth anniversary of
their landing on the Tyendinaga Reserve on Thursday, September
4th. The place selected for the demonstration was the beautiful
grove adjoining Christ Church; and certainly no more charming
locality could be selected for the purpose, the grove which overlooks
the bay being one of the finest in this part of the district. There was
a very large attendance of visitors from all parts of the adjoining
country, all of whom appeared to enjoy the day’s proceedings, which
proved highly interesting and eminently successful. The Indians of
the Reserve were out in force, several being dressed in the costumes
worn by the nation in ye olden time. On the grounds there could be
seen an old wigwam on which there was in large figures 1784, and
near by a handsome white tent with 1884. There was a good display
of bunting, the Union Jack predominating, and a large stand had
been erected under some grand trees from which the various speakers
could be well heard by all present. The Deseronto cornet band was
in attendance and played several selections during the proceedings,
while a well-trained choir, under the leadership of the teachers of the
Reserve schools, also contributed various patriotic songs, etc., with
good taste, between the various speeches. The speeches were of a
high order, and in this respect this centennial was probably superior
to others held elsewhere this year in Canada.
After devotional exercise and prayers, which were read by Rev.
Rural Dean Baker, Mr. Solomon Loft, who admirably performed the
duty of chairman, called on Chief Sampson Green, the first speaker,88
who, in full costume, came to the front and extended a welcome, on
behalf of the Mohawk nation, to all visitors. He said it was custom-
ary for his forefathers, when they assembled for council, to commence
their proceedings by smoking the pipe of peace. He would, there-
fore, in accordance with this old usage, ask the distinguished visitors
on the platform to join him in smoking the pipe of peace. The pipe
was accordingly lighted by the chairman and each present took a puff
as a token of their amicable intentions. The chief then proceeded
to explain the reasons why the Mohawks happened to be now on the
Reserve, and went back to the earliest treaties of England with his
nation—treaties which had been faithfully observed by both parties.
Prior to the American Revolution, the Mohawks had dwelt in the
valley of the Mohawk River, New York, where they occupied a large
territory, having fine farms and prosperous villages. When the colon-
ists rebelled, the Indians remembered their treaty and remained loyal,
and with a small minority of colonists stood to their colors. When
the independence of the Colonies was acknowledged, the question
came up whether they would remain, or go to Canada and commence
life again. The Six Nations remained true to King George, gave up
homes, fields and everything beside, and came to Canada, being led
by the great Tyendinaga and John Deseronto. They crossed the St.
Lawrence and came to Lachine, near Montreal, where they remained
seven years. With the U. E. Loyalists they were informed that
grants of land would be given them in lieu of what they had lost, and
in anyplace they should choose. They proceeded west to Cataraqui,
where it was agreed around a council fire to dispatch the chiefs to
explore and select a proper place. Captain Brant went up the lakes
to Grand River near Brantford, and Chief Deseronto came up the
Bay of Quinte to Tyendinaga. They returned and reported, and it
was decided that the nation should divide, and accordingly fifteen
families came up the bay and landed at a spot near what is now
known as McCullough’s dock, in May, 1784. The rest of the nation
passed up the lake and settled at Grand River. To these fifteen
families, whose landing they were celebrating, George III., in a deed
dated April, 1783, granted the Tyendinaga Reserve. They had pros-
pered fairly, had two churches, one of which had cost $7,000, the
other $4,000, and had four school-houses for the instruction of their
children. The fifteen families who had landed had increased to a
community of over one thousand souls. He thanked his audience
for joining ip. their celebration, and that there was no enmity now89
between white and red men—all were Christians. The chief then
took his seat amid loud applause, the choir singing “ Rule Britannia.”
The next speaker was Rev. J. C. Ash, of Shannonville, who first
expressed the pleasure it afforded him to take part in this unique
celebration. It was exceedingly appropriate to sing “ Rule Britan-
nia,” for the Indians had never been enslaved. The past history of
the Mohawk nation, he stated, afforded an illustration of the unswerv-
ing loyalty which had never been surpassed, if indeed ever equaled.
They had given up their magnificent territories and had come to
Canada in order to be under the old flag. Britain had always pro-
tected and remained true to the aboriginal tribes, and always evinced
a parental regard for the aboriginal people who come under her
dominion. When he came to Canada, thirteen years ago, it was said
that the Indian races were doomed to extinction, but the remarks of
their chief, showing that they had grown from fifteen families to 1,000
people, contradicted such an assertion. Under the benign influences
of religion and the absence of the cursed firewater they were certain
to prosper and enjoy greater blessings to come. He trusted that
the harmony and good-will would, as in this country, continue to exist
between all parts of the British empire. On taking his seat Mr. Ash
was accorded hearty applause.
After a selection from the Deseronto cornet band, the Rev. R. H.
Harris, of Brighton, spoke, referring the principle of loyalty which
actuated the Mohawks to the result of the influence of religion.
Religion was not a mere mass of dogmas, but a living, practical
reality. The Mohawk nation had left a mark, broad and deep, on
the history of the country.
John White, Esq., M. P., on coming to the front, was loudly
cheered. After an amusing ancedote, he referred to the fact that there
were 100,000 Indians in the Northwest, and that these were ever
ready to yield obedience to the British flag, and this he illustrated by
an instance in the life of McDougail, the great Methodist missionary
in the Northwest. He had been cordially welcomed on his recent
visit to the West, because he came from the home of the great
Mohawk nation. Referring to the fact that the Indians had, as
tenants, many white men who acknowledged that their landlords were
good fellows,—would (said he) that such were the case in Ireland.
One thousand mounted police could not keep the peace in the North-
west, were it not for the respect paid by the Indians to the British
flag, under which he hoped to live and die.go
After a song from the choir, Wm. Hudson, Esq., M. P. for East
Hastings, gave a short speech. He was glad to meet so many of his
supporters met to commemorate such an important event. The Six
Nations were not behind the whites in their attachment to the good
flag; they had taken up arms nobly in defense of the crown.
Dr. Oronhyatekha followed in an excellent speech abounding with
wit and humor. He said that after so much eloquence from clergy-
men and members of parliament, they would not consent to listen to
a common Indian. Still he was proud of being a Mohawk, as they
were the best people on the face of the earth, and that for the follow-
ing reasons: Every Mohawk who was left alive had left the other side
after the war, but not so the whites—some of them remained. He
then gave a humorous account of the origin of the Indians, which
accounted for the superiority of the red men. It was asserted that
Indians made women do all the work and treated them as inferior
creatures; but this was incorrect, as they knew to their cost. They
did just as they pleased, and as a matter of fact the chieftainship in
Indian tribes descends by the woman, and woman controlled the
education of the children. Sir John Macdonald, as Mr. White had
stated, had reason to be a friend to the Indians, as he had got the
idea of confederation from the confederacy of the Six Nations.
Again philologists had shown that language is the index of character.
Indians cannot swear except in English, and, further still, they had
never drunk whisky until the advent of the whites. This was the
result of bad company. He prayed the white men to keep liquor
from the Indian. He wanted the members of parliament present to
tell of the class of people they had met, and to work in order that the
Indians might get the right of the franchise.
“ Home, Sweet Home ” was then sung by a number of children.
Rev. S. Forneri, of Adolphustown, was the next speaker. Referring
to the remark of a previous speaker who had said that a centennial
was a thing which occurred only once in a life-time, he stated that
he had been present already this year at three centennials. He judged
from the remarks of the previous speaker that the Indians were
susceptible to flattery, and, in the presence of the deadly tomahawk,
he would proceed in the same strain. The Indians were, he pro-
ceeded to say, in the first rank of U. E. Loyalists, as, according to
Rev. Dr. Stuart, they had landed on Quinte fourteen days before their
white brethren. They were Loyalists/^ excellence, because though
the whites were allowed to carry away their valuables, the Indians
were burnt out of house and home, forty villages being destroyed,91
and their loyalty afterward put to the proof by bribes, but all in vain.
The Indians had pioneered our religious institutipns, having built
the first church, and they were Loyalists in the highest degree, as
they were proud of Canada and British connection. The idea of a
confederation was suggested to the United States by the Six Nations,
and we had got the idea, from our neighbors.
He thought we all should continue to sink or swim with England;
there would be no sinking, however, we would get on swimmingly
together. Independence and separation were the dreams of a youth
ashamed of cord and bonds. We should rather remain satisfied with
British connection. The Mohawks did not wish to sever their con-
nection with Britain, and if closer connection were made, as some
supposed, the Mohawk nation would have a representative, as in i860
they had elected the Prince of Wales a chieftain. The speaker con-
cluded an excellent address amid great applause.
Rev. Mr. Foster, of Shelby, followed in a brief speech, inculcating
the principles of loyalty to country and respect for religion, and the
necessity of all uniting to work for the welfare of our common country.
Rev. E. H. M. Baker, Rural Dean, then addressed the assemblage,
expressing the pleasure it afforded him, as the clergyman who had
the Indians as his spiritual charge, of welcoming so many visitors.
He had come from the United States, but he was born a British sub-
ject, and had strong U. E. L. sympathies. He said that they were
that day by a curious coincidence celebrating three great events;
first, it was the tercentenary of the handing over by the Six Nations
of the Ohio valley to the British authorities; secondly, it was the
bicentenary of the conversion of the Mohawks to Christianity, and,
thirdly, their landing in 1784. The Mohawks had-come from the
United States because they foresaw it would be for their good, and
he then graphically described the encroachment of the whites
on the Indians in that' country. He said that he discerned in
the near future two political movements, viz., the passage of a
prohibitory law, which would be a boon to the Indians, and the
other, the enfranchisement of the Indians, a measure which he
asserted was favored by Mr. John White and Hon. Speaker Kirk-
patrick. When these two measures were secured there was sure to
follow prosperity for the Indian population of Canada.
Rev. G. A. Anderson, of Penetanguishene, succeeding Mr. Baker,
expressed the pleasure he felt to meet so many old friends after so
many years of absence and to find that there were no divisions or
i29*
troubles among them. He dealt with the religious history of the
Mohawks. Rev. Dr. Moore had been sent out by Queen Anne to
the Mohawk valley. He was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Andrews in
1710, who brought the communion service which was there to be
seen beside him on the stand. He had erected a chapel, the money
being furnished by the Queen’s bounty. . Mr. Barclay was the next
clergyman, and he in time was followed by the well-known Dr. John
Stuart, who came with them to Canada and erected a chapel of large
oak timber, the remains of which could be seen a few years ago. The
Mohawks when they came brought a little captive white girl who
refused to part from the Indians, even at the solicitation of her friends.
Her name was Christina Smart and she died in 1881, aged hi years,
and she was the great grandmother of their honored chief, Sampson
Green. The Reserve previous to their arrival had been occupied by
the O jib ways, and many old relics of that tribe had been turned up
during recent years. He hoped the Nation would continue to prosper
and that God’s blessing would descend upon their children’s children.
Rev. T. G. Porter, of Shannonville, owing to the late hour, spoke
very briefly; he had no doubt that the trials and sacrifices which they
had passed through as a people in their early history were the direct
means of preserving their existence as a nation at this day, and they
should be thankful for the fact. They now enjoyed the protection
of the British flag, whereas if they had remained in the United States,
they would have been compelled to leave their homes and move
farther on, as had been the case with the tribes in that country.
After an eloquent speech in Mohawk by the chairman and an
address in English by Chief Green, thanking all for their kindness in
attending, and the ladies who assisted in preparing refreshments,
cheers were given for the Queen, Sir John Macdonald, Lady Mac-
donald and others. “ God save the Queen ” was sung with great
effect and the meeting came to a close.
There were several other speakers present, among whom was
J. J. Watson, Esq., of Adolphustown, but time did not allow any
more speeches and these gentlemen waived their privilege. The best
of order prevailed, refreshments were bountifully supplied by the
ladies, who had also arranged a grand museum of curiosities and
other attractions. Interesting games and sports went on until dark-
ness set in and every one appeared happy and satisfied. The people
on the Reserve have, in fine, every reason to be proud of their
successful demonstration.APPENDIX No. 17.
From the Brantford Evening Telegram.
THE MOHAWK CENTENNIAL
ON THE GRAND RIVER RESERVE, NEAR BRANTFORD, ONTARIO,
OCTOBER, 24, 1884.
Friday was the closing day of the Seventeenth Agricultural
Exhibition of the Six Nations Indians. On the day previous there
was a very large assemblage of natives and visitors upon the grounds,
something over three hundred dollars being taken in at the gate.
There was a very material diminution in the attendance on Friday,
the cold, blustering weather doubtless detaining many who would
otherwise have been present. Among the visitors were the Hon. J.
Burr Plumb, of Niagara, Wm. Patterson, M. P., ex-Mayor Robert
Henry, Supt. Gilkison and a number of Brantford people. The
Agricultural Exhibition was of especial interest, manifesting the
material strides toward civilization, which our Indian neighbors are
making. The exhibit in all departments were said, by the secretary,
to be more numerous and better in quality than last year. In the
horse department there were one hundred and nineteen entries,
including some very fine animals in the heavy-draught, agricultural
and carriage classes. The entries in this department last year were
but seventy-eight. A corresponding increase was also noticeable in
the cattle sheds, there being one hundred and seventeen entries in
this department, all belonging to native farmers. Among the cattle
were noticed several well-bred Durhams, and the entire display was
better than has been made at any previous exhibition held by the
society. In swine and sheep the number of exhibits were small.
The industrial hall contained the displays in grain, field crops, fine94
arts, ladies* work, farm and dairy produce, fruit, etc. The show of
fruits, grain and field crops, although not large, was a good one,
reflecting credit upon the agricultural skill of the Indians. In
canned and preserved fruit, bread, cakes, etc., the exhibit was large.
In ladies* work a number of patch-work quilts, as well made as if
from the needle of the most skilled “ pale-faced " seamstress, tidies
in crochet and Berlin wool, and a general assortment of fancy work
were displayed. A natural history collection, consisting of ornitho-
logical and mineralogical specimens, attracted much attention from
the visitors. Another interesting exhibit was a collection of wooden
work made by the natives. The display consisted of lacrosse sticks,
canes, marvelously carved, when the simplicity of the tools used is
taken into consideration, papoose boards, ladles, war-clubs, tipped
and loaded with lead, bows, arrows, quivers, and a variety of other
articles. A primeval corn-mill, made by burning a hollow in a block
of wood, and adding an immense pestle of hickory with which the
grain is crushed, stood in one corner bearing the “ red ” ticket. Of
course the show of “ fine arts ” was meagre. A few Berlin wool,
shell and hair-work wreaths and half-dozen water colors, in all of
which the aborigines, in full war-paint and bedecked with feathers,
appeared prominently, comprised the display.
On the whole, the exhibition was a very good one, and reflected
much credit upon the Indians of the Reserve, and the president and
directors of the society.
One hundred years ago the ancestors of the inhabitants of the
Reserve received, at the hands of Sir Frederick Haldimand, the
Royal Charter, granting to them, as a reward for their fidelity to the
British Crown, during the American Revolution, the land which
their descendants still hold. In commemoration of this event a
celebration was^ held yesterday to which the Lieut.-Governor of the
Province, Senator Plumb and other prominent gentlemen, together
with a number of Indian chiefs, were invited. At elevated points on
the show grounds flag-staffs were erected, from which floated the
British ensign, for the honor of which the Mohawks and confederate
tribes had sacrificed so much, and a speaker's stand was provided
for the accommodation of the distinguished visitors. Shortly before
noon Senator Plumb, Superintendent Gilkison and other gentlemen
arrived on the grounds. A diminutive cannon, announced the event
by frequent discharges, which served the dual purpose of demon-
strating Indian patriotism, and frightening all the horses on the95
grounds. Two Indian bands were in attendance and saluted the
visitors with several musical selections. It had been intended to
hold the meeting in the open air, but as the hour approached, it
began to snow and blow, necessitating an adjournment to the
Council House. Upon the platform were seated Hon. J. Burr
Plumb, Wm. Patterson, M. P., Supt. Gilkison, ex-Mayor Henry, Dr.
Wm. T. Harris and Chiefs Henry Clinch and Alex. Smith, the first
named acting as chairman and the latter as interpreter. To the
right of the stand were seated Chiefs Elias Johnson, of the Lewiston
Reserve, La Forte, of Onondaga Castle Reserve, near Syracuse,
N. Y., Jacob Hill, of Green Bay, Wis., and Powless, Fraser, Thomas,
Doxtater, Hill, Key, Buck, Porter, Jonathan and Wage, of the Six
Nations Reserve, and Rev. Bearfoot, of Point Edward.
Superintendent Gilkison, upon arising, said that the occasion they
had met to celebrate was one memorable in the history of the Six
Nations Indians and it was with pleasure that he acted as chairman.
He stated that owing to unavoidable causes they were deprived of
the presence of the Lieut.-Governor and the General Superintendent
of Indian affairs. The speaker then spoke of the fidelity of the Six
Nations to England’s King, in a time of great need, and reviewed
the granting of the Brant Reserve to them as a slight compensation
for the losses sustained' by them, and the hardships to which they
were subjected during the struggle. In this connection Mr. Gilkison
read a copy of the decree, signed by Sir Frederick Haldimand, by
which a tract of land, six miles deep, on both sides of the Grand
River, extending from its. mouth to the source, was ceded to the
Mohawks and allied tribes. The speaker then alluded to the great
strides which the Indians had made toward civilization, as shown in
their churches, schools and in the agricultural exhibition, which
had just been concluded. In conclusion, Mr. Gilkison read a letter
from Mr. Wm. C. Bryant, of Buffalo, an adopted chief of the Seneca
tribe, expressing regret on behalf of himself and other gentlemen who
had been invited, that they were unable to be present at the celebra-
tion, and expressing the earnest hope that it would be long before the
Mohawks would be merged into the pale-faced race.
Wm. Patterson, M. P., was then introduced. He expressed his
gratification at being present and witnessing the advancement made
by the Indians as demonstrated by their exhibition. On such an
occasion as they had met to celebrate it was meet that references of
a historic nature should be made, and he was pleased and honored96
to see that Senator Plumb, a leading citizen of Canada, one who had
always studied and manifested an interest in Indian affairs, was
present to give them some historical facts in regard to the Six
Nations. The speaker then referred to the great advancement the
country had made, and said that inhabitants of Brant County, and
especially the city of Brantford, were under deep obligations to the
Indians for the lands which had been procured from them. The
Government had always dealt honorably with the Indians, and the
speaker expressed a hope that this policy would always be pursued
in the future. For years the white men and the Indians had dwelt
in harmony, side by side, without murmurings, much less revolt, on
the part of the latter, which he hoped would continue in the future.
Mr. Patterson's remarks were received with much applause.
Senator Plumb was next introduced. He began his eloquent and
interesting address by stating that he felt highly honored and pleased
by the invitation to attend the exhibition, and take part in the cele-
bration with those whom the Government were bound to protect and
cherish in every way in their power. He then referred to the forma-
tion of the league of the “ Long House," by which the several tribes
composing the Six Nations were bound together and became an
invincible power upon the continent. The immense territories
acquired 1?y them, and the many nations which they conquered, with
no other weapons but those formed of shell and stone, were recounted
by Mr. Plumb in graphic language. In the middle of the seventeenth
century the Six Nations had reached the summit of their power.
The Dutch settlers had entered into friendly relations with them, and
this was continued by the English. With them the Mohawks formed
a covenant chain, which had never been broken, but remained
untarnished still. The Six Nations were the highest type of Indians
ever known upon the continent, and the speaker hoped that their
nationality would never be merged into that of the whites. The
hatchet was buried, and he hoped that they would be as successful in
peace as they had been in war. It was with great sorrow that they
had abandoned their beautiful lands in the center of New York, but
they remained true to the cause of Britain's King and sacrificed all
to keep their promise as expressed by the covenant chain formed in
previous years. The gratitude of the King to them for their aid was
shown by the liberal grant of land which had been made to them.
After having passed through a period of war and semi-civilization,
they were rapidly reaching a complete civilization, as evinced by their97
schools and agricultural exhibition, which latter would compare
favorably with many of the local fairs held by their white brethren.
Education was now the first necessity, and every one should take
advantage of the school privileges held out to him. A great im-
provement had been made, but there was still room for more, and
the speaker hoped that they would continue until they had reached
a complete civilization. Mr. Plumb closed his remarks by express-
ing regret that the Governor-General and Lieut.-Governor had not
been able to be present, and assured his Indian friends that he would
always retain an interest in their race and their advancement.
At the conclusion of Senator Plumb’s address, remarks were made
by Chiefs Clinch, Smith, and Jacob Hill, of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Messrs. Cleghorn and W. F. Cockshutt and Rev. Mr. Caswell, the
representative upon the Reserve of the New England Company.
Several of these gentlemen made excellent remarks, but scarcity of
space forbids more than a brief mention. The occasion throughout
was very pleasant, and will long be remembered by the Indians
and their white brethren who were fortunate enough to have been
present.APPENDIX No. 18.
ORIGIN OF THE NAMES OR TITLES OF THE FIFTY
ORIGINAL IROQUOIS SACHEMSHIPS.
BY MRS. CAROLINE MT. PLEASANT (gE-GOH-SA-SEh).
Whoever has read Mr. Morgan’s “ League of the Iroquois ” must
naturally have been struck with the whimsical names which the
founders of the confederacy bestowed on the fifty hereditary sachem-
ships, such as (interpreted into English) “ War-club-on-the-ground,”
“At-the-great-river,” “ Falling-day,” “ Dragging-his-horns,” “ Hang-
ing-up-rattles,” “A-man-with-a-headache,” “ On-the-watch,” “Wear-
ing-a-hatchet-in-his-belt,” etc. The explanation is very simple.
During my childhood I often heard the tradition concerning this
matter from the lips of aged Indians who were the repositories of the
legends and lore, handed down from father to son, for countless
generations among my tribe.
After the scheme of a confederacy of the different Iroquois tribes,
or “ nations,” had been perfected by Hiawatha and his partisans,
and the reluctant assent of the redoubtable Onondaga chief, Toda-
daho (Atotarho), been obtained, the fifty hereditary sachems who
were to administer the affairs of the new Indian empire, were selected
from the different nations. The number was not equally apportioned
among the tribes. For instance, to the Onondagas were assigned
fourteen sachemships, while the Senecas had only eight; but as
unanimity was a requisite of every decision of this forest senate, it
mattered little. A wise old chief from the more eastern tribes,—
possibly Hiawatha himself,—was chosen and instructed to journey
westward and apprise the several nominees to the great office of
League-sachem of their selection. He was also invested with the
prerogative of inventing and conferring the permanent titles of these
sachemships. He wisely resolved that, instead of leaving it. to his
fancy or invention, he would let chance, or what we call Providence,
suggest and determine the name, and he proceeded on the westward99
trail to fulfill his mission. When he came to the wigwam of a family
thus to be honored, he gave the elected head of the household a
sachem name or title, which was to be hereditary and last as long as the
League should endure, and which was suggested by his appearance,
his occupation at the moment of encountering him, his condition and
natural surroundings at the time. For instance, calling at the lodge
of one of the Mohawk nominees, the messenger surprised the former
in the act of hanging up on the ceiling of the wigwam the fawn-hoof
rattle-bracelets which warriors wore on their ankles in the war-dance.
He was forthwith invested with a title which, translated into English,
signifies “Hanging up rattles.” His successor in office to-day wears
the same name. Another, upon whom he called, impressed him by
his lofty, intellectual forehead, and “ High Forehead ” became his
title. Another, a Seneca, was surprised in the act of mending his
moccasins, and exasperated at the accidental breaking of his bone
needle; the title of his office became “ The Needle Breaker.”
The foregoing explanation is ingenious and probably true. I have
heard that the titles of barons and other nobles in the old country
had their origin in just such trivial circumstances.1
Alas! so much has perished of the unwritten traditions of my
people, and so much is being enshrouded in the thickening darkness
of a night which will know no morning.
11. e., Honi soil qui mal y pense; Count Von Gellhorn (of the . screeching
horn), etc.
13APPENDIX No. 19.
ANECDOTE OF RED JACKET—LEAF FROM A DIARY.
Oct. 27TH, 1878.—Spent most of the day in the cabin and on the
grounds of Ruth Stevenson, which latter were the site of one of the
villages belonging to the extinct Kah-kwahs or Neutrals, and are
rich in relics of that lost people. Ruth said that her step-father, Red
Jacket, scarcely ever smiled, although far from being a morose man.
His forehead was bald; back from the middle of the crown the hair
was thick and long, reaching down below his shoulders. This he
invariably wore in the form of a single braid. It was Ruth’s office to
braid the old man’s locks every morning. Formerly they took their
meals squatted on the floor, and, when the weather was warm, on the
grass under the trees. They were often surprised at such times by
white visitors.
Once when they were dining in this primitive fashion, her mother
looked up and exclaimed, in Seneca, “ See, two carriages are ap-
proaching, filled with white people! ” At the same time she arose to
withdraw from their too curious gaze. Red Jacket replied, “ Stay, do
not go. The white people are obliged to eat as well as we. There
is no cause for shame or fear.” The mother, however, insisted on
retiring. The strangers, among whom were several ladies, alighted
from the carriage, came up and saluted Red Jacket, who, although
attired simply in his blouse and moccasins, arose with great dignity,
bowed, and shook hands with each, and with the grace of a courtier.
A few days afterward Red Jacket walked to the village of Buffalo,
and at sundown his wife and the children descried him in the near
distance bearing on his back a large cherry dining-table, which he
soon placed before his wife, saying, “Now, mother, we can eat like
white folks.” After this all their meals were spread on this table,
which Ruth still keeps and which she exhibited to me.
Red Jacket, she said, was quite fair,—-lighter in complexion than
most Indians. Her mother would sometimes playfully taunt him withIOI
being half-white, saying he was of too light a hue for a pure Indian.
This invariably caused him to exhibit a mild irritation.
Red Jacket would say that he was the last of his family, having
survived all his children, his brothers and sisters. Nevertheless,
after his death a considerable number of Indians participated in the
ten days* funeral feast customary among the Iroquois when a leading
chief dies, and claimed a share in the distribution of his effects.
He had no ornaments, save the Washington medal, but the medal
and his wardrobe were claimed by members of his clan who are
accounted relatives among the Iroquois. The late chief, Jemmy
Johnson, was heir to the medal presented to the old chief by Gen.
Washington; by him it was transmitted to Gen. Ely S. Parker, the
present owner of this precious relic. The cross, set with precious
stones, and which history affirms Red Jacket desired to be buried
with him, Ruth had never seen, and it is probably apocryphal.
His forehead was high and expansive; it retreated but little, if
at all.	B.
A GLIMPSE OF RED JACKET’S FAMILY AND TRIBES-
MEN IN 1794, AT THE MEMORABLE COUNCIL AT
CANANDAIGUA.1
Fifth Day, Oct. 30.—After dinner, John Parish and myself rode
to view the Farmer’s Brother encampment, which contained about
five hundred Indians. They are located by the side of a brook, in the
woods; having built about seventy or eighty huts, by far the most
commodious and ingeniously made of any that I have seen:	The
principal materials are bark and boughs of trees, so nicely put to-
gether as to keep the family dry and warm. The women as well as
the men appeared to be mostly employed. In this camp there are a
large number of pretty children, who, in all the activity and buoyancy
of health, were diverting themselves according to their fancy. The
vast number of deer they have killed since coming here, which they
cut up and hang round their huts, inside and out, to dry, together
with the rations of beef which they draw daily, give the appearance
of plenty to supply the few wants to which they are subjected.2
1	Diary of William Savary, Friends’ Library, vol. 1, pp. 370-382.
2	On another page of this journal Mr. Savary says they sometimes killed more
than a hundred deers in a day.102
The ease and cheerfulness of every countenance, and the delight-
fulness of the afternoon, which these inhabitants of the woods seemed
to enjoy with a relish far superior to those who are pent up in
crowded and populous cities, all combined to make this the most
pleasant visit I have yet made to the Indians, and induced me to
believe that before they became acquainted with white people, and were
infected with their vices, they must have been as happy a people as any in
the world. In returning to our quarters we passed by the Indian
council, where Red Jacket was displaying his oratory to his brother
chiefs, on the subject of Colonel Pickering’s proposals.
On another page Mr. Savary says of the orator:
Red Jacket visited us with his wife and five children, whom he
had brought to see us. They were exceedingly well clad, in their
manner, and the best behaved and prettiest Indian children I have
ever met with.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DELAWARES, REV. ALBERT ANTHONY
AND THREE CHIEFS.
Our people, the Delawares, call themselves Lenape, meaning men,
or the real or true men. We often speak of ourselves as the Wa-pa-
nachki, or People of the Morning,! in allusion to our supposed Eastern
origin. Our traditions affirm that at the period of the discovery of
America, our Nation resided on the Island of New York. We call
that island Man-a-ha-tonh, The place where timber is procured for bows
and'arrows. The word is compounded of N’man-hum-in, I gather,
and tan-ning, at the place. A$ the lower end of the island was a
grove of hickory trees of peculiar strength and toughness. Our
fathers held this timber in high esteem as material for constructing
bows, war-clubs, etc.
When we were driven back by the whites our Nation became
divided into two bands. One was termed Minsi, The great stone;
the other was called We-naw-mien, Down the river, they being located
further down the stream than our settlement.
1 The Senecas called the Delawares Dyo-hens-gwoh, literally, From whence the
morning springs.	B.103
We called the Susquehanna^ A-theth-qua-nee, The roily river.
The Monongahela was called Meh-man-nau-wing-geh-lau, Many
land-slides.
When we lived on the banks of that river, say as late as one hun-
dred and thirty years ago, a herd of bisons used annually to come
down to the western bank of the river. We called this animal Ah-pa-
quah-checoe, Wild cow. The Allegany mountains were called by us
Al-lick-e-wa-ny, He is leaving us and may never return. Reference is
made, I suppose, to departing hunters or warriors who were about to
enter the passes of those rugged mountains.
There are about one hundred and thirty of our people residing on
the Grand River Reserve. The residue are scattered over the
continent.APPENDIX No. 20.
THE RE-INTERMENT OF RED JACKET.
BY E. PAULINE JOHNSON,
(A Mohawk Indian girl, daughter of a distinguished sachem lately deceased, and one of the
invited guests of the Historical Society.)
So still the tranquil air,
One scarcely notes the falling of a leaf,—
But deeper quiet wraps the dusky Chief
Whose ashes slumber there.
Sweet Indian Summer sleeps—
Trusting a foreign and a paler race
To give her gifted son an honored place
Where Death his vigil keeps.
Before that slumber fell,
Those ashes in their eloquence had stirred
The stubborn hearts, whose heirs to-day conferred
A Christian burial.
Through war’s o’er-clouded skies
His higher flush of oratory ’woke,
And factious schemes succumbed whene’er he spoke
To bid his people rise.
The keenest flint or stone
That barbed the warrior’s arrow in its flight,
Could not outreach the limit of his might
That he attained alone.
Early he learned to speak,
With thought so vast, and liberal, and strong,
He blessed the little good and passed the wrong
Embodied in the weak.
So great his mental sight,
That had his form been growing with his mind,
The fir had been within his hand a wand
With superhuman might.The world has often seen
His master mind pulse with the waning day,
That sends his waning nation to decay
Where none can intervene.
And few to-day remain :
But copper-tinted face, and smoldering fire
Of wilder life, were left me by my sire
To be my proudest claim.
And so ere Indian Summer sweetly sleeps
She beckons me where old Niagara leaps;
Superbly she extends her greeting hand,
And, smiling, speaks to her adopted land,
Saying, “ 0, rising nation of the West,
That occupy my lands so richly blest;
O, free, unfettered people that have come
And made America your rightful home—
Forgive the wrongs my children did to you,
And we, the red-skins, will forgive you too.
To-day has seen your noblest action done—
The honored re-intombment of my son.”
Chiefswood, Ontario, October 9, 1884.
RED JACKET, (FROM ALOFT.) .
(Impromptu, on Buffalo City's Commemoration of, and Monument to, the
old Iroquois Orator, Oct. Q, 1884.)
BY WALT WHITMAN.
Upon this scene, this show,
Yielded to-day by fashion, learning, wealth,
(Nor in caprice alone—some grains of deepest meaning,)
Haply, aloft, (who knows?) from distant sky-clouds’ blended shapes,
As some old tree, or rock or cliff, thrill’d with its soul,
Product of Nature’s sun, stars, earth direct—a towering human form,
In hunting-shirt of film, arm’d with the rifle, a half-ironical smile
curving its phantom lips,
Like one of Ossian’s ghosts looks down.
Camden, N. J., Oct. 9,1884.io6
ONONDAGA CASTLE.
Within a few miles of Syracuse is situated the former capital of the Six Nations,
that once powerful confederacy whose arms were the terror of the north. It is well
known as Onondaga Castle, and the position is beautifully chosen amid the sur-
rounding hills.
A remnant of the Onondagas now reside upon the site, clinging with the tenacity
of the Indian to their home, but they have degenerated from their former condition,
and nothing remains at present but a melancholy wreck of former greatness.
Where yonder mount arises from the vale,
With smooth ascent, though steep, of lofty shade,
That swells with stately view above the wild,
Were gathered once, the strong and noble hearts
Of nations leagued for peace or savage war,	N
As to a center, sacred as of old,
The Forum, whence the eagle mandates flew
With winged speed o’er all the conquered world.
Proud rulers of the far extended north,
Their war-song waked each echoing woody dell,
With dreadful note of wild, untutored war,
And on a thousand lakes of silver tide,
Or deep, majestic streams, their hostile .fleets
Poured silent forth, t* avenge the mutual wrong,
And wreak a dreadful vengeance on the foe.
But here their place of rest, and sacred home,
This mount in air, this sweetly flowing vrave,
Where stern victorious hearts enjoyed the peace
Won by triumphal arms, and with the tale
Of noble deeds, inspired the soul of youth
With love of fame to gain the warrior’s bays,
Or yield the life to guard their country free.
The light of nature was their guide alone,
And thence their savage virtues purely sprang,
The patriot deeds that gild their ancient time.
They looked upon creation’s wondrous scene,
And from their souls went up the hymn of praise
To some great hand divine, some spirit blest,
Whose essence none could tell, but whose dread power
They viewed in ceaseless change, and signs that told *io7
Their lowly hearts, of all his might and love.
To him, the offering for their earthly bliss,
Or earnest prayer to save from tearful woe,
Whose eye of light, with justice stern surveyed
Their works of ill or good. So passed they on,
Rude sons of nature’s hand, and in the war
With savage foes, or on the hunting-ground,
Found all their pleasures, and their glorious fame.
But time’s eventful course hath spoiled the home
Long cherished by the heart, the eagle nest,
Where danger never came of old, and low
The chieftain’s pride is bowed, and all the hosts
Of warriors bold, that once were gathered here,
Long since departed to the spirit land.
Behold the last sad remnant of their race,
Now circled ’round the expiring council fires,
And clinging to their fathers’ cherished shrines,
Unmindful of the tide that soon will bear
The last memorial of their ancient state,
To that lone ocean, on whose silent shore
Forgotten shades, through time, still wander on.
The Indian fades away, and leaves on earth
No monument to speak in future days
Of deeds heroic, or preserve the fame
Of nations lost amid the flow of time.
There is a mystery in their decay,
The falling of strong hearts that oft have braved
Destruction on the field, who knew no lords
Below, yet breathe their souls upon the gale,
And sink in silence to the shades of death.
Sages and heroes, those whose brows are white
With silvery locks, the prattling tongue of youth,
And woman’s stifled voice, all gliding down
Oblivion’s vale. They are around us yet,
With haughty souls e’en in their ruin proud,
Yet with us hold no converse : their’s the wilds
Where nature blooms unpruned, and there they raise
Rude altars to the spirit great and good.
Here once their fathers roamed, and firm the step
14io8
Of warrior pride, nor soars the monarch bird
More free amid his heavenly clouds than moved
Those sons of earth; here burned their council fires,
Where stern resolves sate on the lofty brows,
And bosoms thrilled with savage eloquence.
The bowers of love were here, and these the seats
Of mighty ancestors, whose loved remains
Reposed beneath, and charmed the holy place.
Those days of greatness all have passed away,
And to the rude yet sacred homes, the hearths
Where blazed the social fire, with charms as loved
As e'er the Lares of old time possessed,
Came desolation, and the mighty hand
Upraised, of Force. The struggle of the soul
Ensued, that trembled with the power of hate,
And deep and silent grief that had no utterance,
And the proud spirits bowed unto the earth.
No arm of strength will save them from their end,
But sadly moving on, a mournful band,
They go to join their fathers' wandering shades
That joyful rove the bright Elysian plains,
And soon in memory's trace will only live,
Like nations mighty in some ancient time,
Whose names alone are breathed, their lofty deeds
Erased by centuries of changing time.
August, 1839.log
BURYING THE BONES.
{Red Jacket, Buffalo, Oct. p, 1884)
BY ANSON G. CHESTER.
It is half an age since he passed away,
The Chief we honored that autumn day.
The day was bright, but what of the deed ?
Ah! that depends on the make of the creed.
It is well that his bones find rest at last,
But what of the wrongs of the silent past?
To judge from the Law brought down from the Mount,
It will need much more to square the account.
He spoke for his people, great and small,
But our ears were closed to his plaintive call.
He sued for justice, he sought for right,
But died, as he lived, without the sight.
We gave no heed to his living tones,
But what of that ? we buried his bones!
He plead for his own and we heard him not,
But see the monument he has got!
The story returns from the ages gone:
He asked for bread and they gave him a stone!
Buffalo, Nov. 7, 1884.APPENDIX No. 21
Otetiani—Changes effected by Time in Unwritten Languages—Onas, William
Penn—Little consequence attached to Personal Names among the Iroquois—
Such names Clan Property, but liable to be Superseded by Newly Invented
Ones—-Letter from General Parker.
New York, Feb. 17, I885.
Wm. C. Bryant, Esq., Buffalo, N. Y.:
Dear Sir—Your esteemed letter of the 30th ult. was duly received,
for which accept my thanks.
I am extremely gratified that you sent Mr. Hale's letter for my
perusal. He certainly makes an exhaustive analysis of the name
Otetiani, and presents strong evidence of the correctness of his
conclusions. I agree with him most emphatically that “ time inevit-
ably brings" great changes in languages. The Iroquois is not now
spoken as it once was. Many words have become obsolete and new
ones have been introduced. Nor is there any doubt that many
proper names have become disused. Onas, the name of “ Penn," is
no longer used, arid I have never found a Seneca in my day who
could tell me anything about Onas. Yet the fact is beyond question
that William Penn was called Onas, and that the name signified a
quill. All Iroquois names are clan names, and those given to and
which appertain exclusively to children were never regarded as of
much consequence. Children's names and adults' names were not
necessarily continuous from generation to generation. Old ones
were dropped and new ones adopted at any time. Dreams were
sometimes at the bottom of changes, sometimes they were bestowed
for friendship’s sake, and sometimes it was a personal whim or fancy,
I will not assert it as a fact, but I will say that I do not believe the
name Otetiani has ever been borne by any other Iroquois since Red
Jacket's youth, so little consequence is attached to names by the
Indians. The only Iroquois names to which a perpetuity is attached
are those of the fifty sachems or League officers, and these onlyIll
because they are so nominated in the organic law of the League,
which our fathers taught us were immutable and unchangeable. To
make myself more clearly understood, but with no intention of egoism,
I will cite my own case. From my earliest recollection, and up to
the day I was promoted and installed as one of the fifty sachems, I
bore the name Hasanoanda. That name was then shed or cast off,
and as completely forgotten by the Indians as if it had never been,
and I have never heard that it has ever been deemed worthy to be
bestowed upon any other young Indian.
Begging your pardon for delaying my response so long, I remain,
with respect,
Your Obedient Servant,
DONEHOGAWA,
or ELY S. PARKER.
EXTRACT FROM LETTER OF HORATIO HALE, ESQ.
Clinton, Feb. 23, 1885.
My Dear Mr. Bryant :
I am greatly indebted to you for the opportunity of perusing
General Parker’s interesting and admirably written letter. His ap-
proval of my views on the origin of Red Jacket’s original name gives
me great satisfaction.
He will be pleased to know that the word onas, though obsolete in
the Seneca dialect, is still retained in the Mohawk. Cuoq, in his
Iroquois Lexicon, gives “ Onas, -^feather, plumage, pen” and adds,
“ Hence the compound onasakenrat, lit. white plumage, the Iroquois
word for swan.” *	*	*	*
Ever Sincerely Yours,
HORATIO HALE.INDEX.
Allen, Hon. Lewis F., 3, 22.
Allen, Hon. Orlando, 3, 22.
Allen, William K., 7, 52.
Anthony, Albert, a Delaware Indian
and delegate, 24, 28, 46, 102, 103.
Atotarho (Todadaho), 39, 67, 49, 98.
Buffalo Historical Society, 3, 7 ; Coun-
cil of Six Nations in hall of, 12, 25,
27; rich in unpublished matter, 28 J
Senecas’ appreciation of, 44; publi-
cations of, 22, note ; expression of
thanks to by Canadian Iroquois, 61,
62; officers of, 59, 60.
Braves unknown buried with Red
Jacket, 85.
Buck, John, wampum-keeper, 12, 23;
funeral chant at Red Jacket’s grave, 24.
Barnum, George G., 55, 59.
Butler, Col. Wm., 33.
Butler, Col. John, 82.
Big Tree, a Seneca sachem, 34.
Big Tree, treaty of, 35.
Becker, Hon. Philip, 7, 52.
Brant, Joseph, 67, 88.
Breckenridge, Rev. Dr., 86.
Bryant, W. C., 6, 7, 15; address of,
40, 47, 52, 55.
Bisons or buffalo visit Western Pennsyl-
vania 130 years ago, 163.
Committees in charge of re-interment, 7.
Ceremonies at Forest Lawn Cemetery,
11-24.
Commemorative exercises at Music Hall,
24-44.
Clinton, Hon. George W., 9; address
of, 26,27.
Chester, Rev. A. T., 59.
Carpenter, Benj., a Cayuga chief, 12.
Cusick, David, 39.
Clinck, Oneida chief, 12.
Converse, Harriet Maxwell, 13, 53.
Copway, George, Ojibwa, violates Red
Jacket’s grave, 63.
Chant sung by Indians at Forest Lawn,
23.
Clement, Stephen M., 24.
Clinton, Gov. De Witt, 29, 36, 37.
Cornplanter, 29, 34, 82.
Conover, Geo. W., 29.
Courier, Buffalo, article from, 51.
Commercial Advertiser, article from, 47.
Chester, Rev. Anson G., poem *4 Bury-
ing the Bones,” 109.
Delaware Indians, interview with chiefs
of, 102, 103; call themselves Len-ah-
pe, men, or Wa-pa-nach-i, people of
the morning; resided on the Island
of Manhattan; meaning of the name
of the island; afterwards divided into
two bands, the Minsi and Wenawmien,
102; Senecas call the Delawares Dyo-
hens-gua, from whence the morning
springs; Delaware names of the Sus-
quehanna and Monongahela rivers and
. their signification; acquainted with the
bison in Pennsylvania; Indian name
of this animal; Allickewany (Allegany)
its meaning, 103; dispersed condition
of the remnant of the nation, 103.
Delaware chief, Capt. Pipe, deprecates
the Indians taking up the hatchet in
white men’s wars, 32.Destroy Town, io, 12, 4, 84.
David, Robert, a Cayuga chief, 12.
David, Thos., a Cayuga chief, 12.
Deseronto, a Mohawk chief, leads a por-
tion of the expatriated Mohawks to
Bay of Quints, 88.
Express Buffalo, extracts from, 5,51, 56.
Farmer’s Brother, 6, 29.
Farwell, Henry D., 9, 63.
Fires, the Thirteen, 36.
Forest Lawn Cemetery, 6,3, 8; diagram
of Indian burial lot, 50; ceremonies
at, 12, 28, 49.
French, Thomas B., 7, 59.
Fobes, Wm. Dana, 7, 24; president
Buffalo Historical Society, 59.
Fraser, a Mohawk Indian, 12.
Furniss, F. H., 29, 53.
Friends, joint committee of, 37.
Falk, Rev. S., 59.
Garangula the great Onondaga orator,
34; his name or title not a corruption of
Grand Gueule; probable significance
and etymology of the name, 79, 80;
a sub or assistant sachem, 73.
Garanghuna or Garanghula, 80; not
named from any physical trait, 79, 80;
“ Great Warriors,” assistants to hered-
itary sachems, sat in council and were
most prominent in debates but had no
vote; nearly all the most noted Iroquois
chiefs belonged to this class, 73; this
office open to any eminent or gifted
Indian.
Gazing-at-the-fire, 40.
Governesses (chief matrons of families),
35, 18.
Good Peter, 34.
Gilkison, Lt. Col., 8, 53, 60, 61, 93, 95.
Graves, Gen. John.C., 7, 52.
Great Britain, her treatment of, and
policy toward the Iroquois, 18,32.
Grand River Reserve, Ontario, Indians
celebrate the centennial of their settle-
ment at, 93.
Germain, Charles, B., 7, 59.
Hale, Horatio, 17, 22; (Book of Rites)
22,33; essay, 71; paper on Garan-
gula, 79.
Halftown, Seneca chief, 34.
Haldiman, Sir Frederick, 94.
Hall, Hon. N. K., 40.
Hill, David and John, Seneca chiefs, 12.
Hill, Moses, chief, 12.
Hiawatha (Hyenwatha, Seneca dialect),
18, 28, 35, 39, 98.
Heckewelder, 31.
Hotreoute, 34.
Honnondeuh, 5, 6.
Hodenosaunee, 51.
Hotchkiss, Wheeler, surrenders Red
Jacket’s remains to the Indians, 63,64;
extract from letter of, ill.
Harvey, Leon F., 7, 59.
Hawley, Hon. Elias S., 7, 59.
Iroquois, polity of the, 17 ; language.
and oratory of the, 17, 33, 71;
patriotism and fidelity, 18, 41 ; their
treatment of women, 18, 25, 26, 34,
35, 68, 90; desertion of by Great
Britain at close of revolutionary war,
31; Romans of the stone age, 31;
unity and conquests of, 31; command
our admiration, 32; generosity and
transcendent eloquence, 33 ; comeli-
ness of, 35 ; State of New York al-
ways just toward, 37 ; error of the
French in antagonizing, 41; Holland
Dutch, wiser policy, 41; Sullivan’s
expedition against, 18, 42 ; Washing-
ton’s humanity toward, 42; loyalty to
the United States since revolution,
42, 43 ; a pure democracy, 66; three
elder nations styled “ brothers; ”
younger two, “ children,” 66 ; bounds
of conquests of, 48 ; decadence of, 15,
36; first council of the estranged
tribes since revolution, 60; sachems
and chiefs of, 68, 69, 70, 72, 73, 76 ;
Morgan’s League of the Iroquois, 71 ;
assistant chiefs or sub-sachems, how
appointed — one for each grandIroquois—Continued:
sachem, 73 ; a new and third class
established specially for the Seneca
nation, 71 ; Red Jacket belonged to
this class, 71, 75 ; origin of titles of
sachemships, 98, 99 ; highest type of
Indians on the continent, 96; sug-
gested the idea of confederation to
the United States and Canada, 90;
before contact with the whites a happy
people, 102 ; they attach little conse-
quence to personal names ; constant
changes in such names ; clan prop-
erty ; only the names or titles of
sachems unchangeable, no, 111
Iroquois, Canadian, 8; express
thanks to Buffalo Historical Society,
60, 61 ; peculiarly conservative, 72,
73; Mohawk centennial celebration
of settlement at Tyendanaga, 87 ; at
Grand River, 93.
Jacket, John, grandson of Red Jacket,
6, 12, 40.
Jonathan, Levi, an Onondaga chief, 12.
Jemison, Rev. Z., 12, 15.
Jemison, Mary, the captive, 4, 12.
Jemison, Thomas, Cayuga sachem, 12.
Jemison, Thomas, grandson of the
“ White Woman,” 63.
Jones, Charles, son of Horatio Jones,
the captive, 45.
Jones, William (Tho-no-sa-wah), 12, 54.
Johnson, the Misses Eva and Pauline,
Mohawks, 14, 46, 53 ; Miss Pauline's
poem “ Re-interment of Red Jacket,”
104.
King, The Young, 4.
Lay, C. C., 15.
Letchworth, Plon. William P., 3, 57.
Little Billy, 4, 10, 12, 50 ; notice of, 84.
Lay, Thomas, Seneca chief, 12.
Logan, the Mingo, 33.
Long House, 36, 42, 96.
Love, Thomas C., 38, 40.
Marshall, Orsamus H., 3, 7, 27.
Montour, (Queen Catharine), 83.
15
Morgan’s League of the Iroquois, 71;
erroneous conclusions of, 74, 75, 76.
Mission Cemetery at East Buffalo, 4, 9,
64,85.
Mohawks, the, celebrate the centennial
of their settlement at Bay of Quinte,
85, 92 ; after their expatriation made
temporary settlement at Lachine, 88 ;
Chiefs Thayendanegea (Brant) and
Deseronto leaders of the emigating
nation, 88 ; Brant leads the greater
portion to Grand River country;
Deseronto settled with fifteen families
at Bay of Quints, 88 ; remarkable in-
crease in population, 88 ; loyalty to
the British flag, 90, 91; religious his-
tory of, 92 ; celebration of centennial
on Grand River Reserve, 93 ; pro-
gress of, 94 ; grant of land to by the
British crown, 95 ; sorrow on aband-
oning Mohawk Valley, 96 ; delegates
attending Red Jacket obsequies, 46.
Miller, C.W., 55.
Mt. Pleasant, chief of the Tuscaroras,
12, 54, 69, 70.
Mt. Pleasant, Mrs. Caroline, 46, 98 ;
paper by, on the origin of the sachem-
ship titles, 98, 99.
McDonald, Sir John and Lady, 90, 92.
Nephew, William, grandson of Black-
snake, a delegate, 15.
Names, Indian proper, significance of
many lost; significant only in the
sense in which the same may be
affirmed of English names; never be-
stowed from any physical character-
istic, 80; absurd nomenclature, 69,
98, 99, no, in ; Otetiani, meaning
and derivation of, 77 ; Garangula, 79,
80 ; Sagoyewatha, etymology of, 71.
Needle-Breaker, the, 99.
Newman, Wm. H. H., 7, 59.
Old White Chief, 4.
Onas (Wm. Penn), Mohawk name for
pen or quill, no, in.
Oronhyatekha, 90.Ongwehonwe, 31, 36.
Osborne, Thos. A., 38.
Osborne, Miss Jessie, descendant of
Captain Brant, 14, 46, 54.
Otetiani (Always Ready), 19, 33.
etymology of the word, 77.
Onondaga Castle, a poem, 106, 108.
Old Mission Cemetery at East Buffalo*
4, 9,10, 85, 86.
Parker, Gen. Ely S., one of the fifty
Iroquois sachems, 12 ; address of, at
Music Hall, 41 ; exhibits medal pre-
sented by Washington to Red Jacket,
44, 62, 64 ; letter from, 66 ; a man of
mark, 38; letter of, on personal
names and titles, among the Iroquois,
no; Donehogawa, sachem title of,
in.
Parker, Nicholas H., 12.
Penn, William, 84; Indian name and
meaning of, in.
Pierce, Maris B., 28, 46.
Pipe, Captain, the Delaware, 32.
Powless, Peter, Mohawk sachem, 12.
Pollard, Captain, 4, 10, 50, 82 ; sketch
of, 83, 84.
Placide, the comedian, causes a marble
slab to be erected at head of Red
Jacket’s grave, 63, 86.
Proctor, Colonel, visits the Senecas in
1791, 82.
Plumb, Hon. J. Burr, 93, 94, 95, 96,97.
Poems, 104-109.
Queen Catharine, married a sutler, or
trader, the father of Captain Pollard,
a Seneca chief, by a previous mar-
riage with an Indian woman; his
sons prominent warriors in the revo-
lutionary struggle, 83.
Red Jacket, original place of sepulture,
4 ; history of project for re-burial, 3,
4, 5, 7 ; re-interment of, 12 ; bearers
of remains, 12 ; funeral procession,
13 ; ceremonies at the grave, 13 ; Mr.
Bryant’s address, 15-22 ; Indian
chant and ceremonies at new* grave,
Red Jacket—Continued :
23, 24 ; wampum belt used in funeral
ceremonies, 23 ; intemperate habits,
22, 27, 29, 30 ; greatest of Indian
orators, 27 ; his death and last words,
30, 28 ; his marvellous memory, 21,
68; opposed to Christianity, 21, 43 ;
grave of, desecrated, 22, 43 ; descend-
ants of, 45 ; Stone’s life of. 43 ; Wash-
ington medal exhibited by Gen.
Parker, 44, 101; ceremonies at re-
intombment arranged by the Indians,
and described, 3, 7, 52, 62 ; effort to
preserve the nationality and inheri-
tance of his people, 22 ; death of, 65 ;
disappointed ambition, 66 ; dissimu-
lation of, 23, 68 ; marble slab erected
over his grave by the comedian Pla-
cide, 63 ; remains of, 9, 56: recovery
of, 63, 64; inability to comprehend
rights of conquest as affecting Indian
lands, 43; his original name, Otetiani,
19, 33» 67, 68, 69, 71 ; his official
name and rank, 71 ; the Pericles and
Demosthenes of his people, 74, 75 ; a
walking encyclopedia of the affairs
of the Six Nations, 68; ever the
chosen spokesman of the matrons of
tribes, .68 ; Sagoyewatha, etymology
of the word and how pronounced, 71;
Red Jacket’s official name and rank,
71 ; description of, 86, 100, ior ; the
last of his family ; light complexion
for an Indian, idi ; funeral feast and
distribution of his effects among his
clan, iqi ; glimpse of his family, 101,
102 ; personal ornaments of; apocry-
phal cross, 101.
Sachems of the League, 65, 67 ; absurd
nomenclature, 68, 98, 99.
Sagoyewatha, see Red Jacket.
Seymour, ex-Governor, 27, 47, 48.
Subscribers, list of, 57, 58.
Sullivan’s campaign, 18, 19.
Stone, Col. Wm. L., 84.
StevenSon, Moses, a Seneca, 63.
Stevenson, James, husband of Ruth, 63.
Smith, Hon. James M., 59.Senecas, corruption in blood of, 15 ;
progress of before the revolution, 16,
17, 18 ; Judge Clinton’s appeal to,
39; tradition as to origin of, 30;
cruelty of Great Britain and France
toward, 31 ; desire to maintain neu-
trality at beginning of revolution, 18 ;
Red Jacket’s unavailing efforts to
. preserve nationality and inheritance
of, 22 ; introduce changes in consti-
tution of the League, 74, 76.
Scalps, 33.
Silver Smith, a Seneca chief, 12.
Snow, Andrew, 12.
Snow, John, 4.
Shelton, Rev. Dr., 40.
Sheldon, Chief Judge, 7, 14, 24, 59;
address of, at Music Hall, 25, 26;
Gov. Seymour’s letter to, 47, 48, 49 ;
daughters of decorate burial caskets
of the dead braves with flowers, 14;
Miss Grace Sheldon decorates stage
at Music Hall with palms and flower-
ing plants, 55.
Sachems, hereditary, had the right to
nominate one assistant each ; the lat-
ter sat in council but had no vote ;
the most eminent and gifted Iroquois
chiefs belonged to this secondary
grade. Red Jacket belonged to a
third and inferior class of chiefs spe-
cially created for the Senecas, 73, etc.
Savary, William, extracts from journal
of, 101, 102.
The White Woman, 4.
Tamenund, 35.
Tall Peter, 10, 12, 84.
Tompkins, Gov., 21.
Tolliver, Humphrey, 85.
Todadaho, 39, 98.
Thomas, David, present Atotarho, 39.
Tracy, Albert H., his description of
Red Jacket, 29, 40.
Tuscaroras, not admitted to perfect
equality in the League, 69.
Twenty Canoes, 4.
Two Guns, 4, 63, 64*65.
Traditions fast perishing, 99.
Tyendinaga Reserve, Mohawks celebrate
the centennial of their settlement at,
87.
Tilden, Jared H., 59.
Townsend, George W., 7, 59.
Unknown braves re-interred with Red
Jacket, 50, 81, 85, 86.
Wampum belt used at re-burial of Red
Jacket, 23.
Washington, Gen., 29, 34, 84.
Western Savings Bank depository of
Red Jacket’s remains, 7.
Wright, Rev. Asher, 3, 38, 63, 64, 65.
Wright, Mrs. Asher, 3, 4, 9.
Women Iroquois, 18, 25, 26, 34, 35, 68.
Wyoming, massacre of, 82, 83.
Young King, The, (Guiengwahtoh), 4,
10, 12 ; sketch of, 81 ; wounded in
1812, 81, 82, 83.{'