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 9963 
 
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 E 90.O44C75 
 
 Sayenqueraghta. king 9|*,,|{!JI5,|,?,?||Mffi|i||i 
 
 3 1924 028 676 694 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this bool< is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028676694 
 
^i>:'i\:£'i:«2^<j^''«U:i>'l^: aiv J''iE'U- i^SU'*^^ 
 
 ^SAYENQUERAGHTA,Dx> 
 
 QOTTtl-E SEWECAS. 
 
 >s-®^«=-^ 
 
 BY GEO.S. OON^OVER 
 
 {HY-WE-SAUS.) 
 GENEVA, ONTARIO COUNTY, N. Y. 
 
 I 
 
 Waterloo : 
 
 ODSERVER STEAM JOB PRINTING HOUSE 
 1885. 
 
 li 
 
SAYENQUERAGHTA, 
 
 KING OF THE SENEGAS. 
 
 GEO. S. OOEOVEE, GENEVA, U, T. 
 
 This paper is the result of a pitient investigation and research made during the 
 pkst 6 or 8 years, and tlie materials have been gathered togetlier and the matter 
 written np for the Cayuga Historical Society, at the special request of its President, 
 Rev. Cllarles Havvley, D. D., Auburn, N. Y. 
 
 The name SATENQUERAaHTA appears to 
 be of I he Mohawk dialect. Inasmuch, 
 however, as it has been commonly used 
 in the New York Colonial Documents as 
 the name of a distinguished and noted 
 Seneca Indian, Ihe sibj ct of this paper, 
 it has been adopted, in the present in- 
 stance, as the proper nppellation Al- 
 though several variations in spelling of 
 Ihe name are to be found, the orthogra- 
 phy adopted is the signature to the ire 
 liminary art cles of peace made witli Sir 
 WiUiara Johnson in 1764 Sayenqueeagh- 
 TA has, however, been more commonly 
 known 1 1 the white peop'e as Old King, 
 or Old Smoke, and in order to maintain 
 his identity, he will of necessity be fre- 
 quently thus designated in ibis paper. 
 Som times, also, he has been designated 
 us the King op Kanadesaga, 
 
 The name Sayekqueraghta in the Sene 
 ca,language appears to'be Ga yah-gwaah- 
 doh, and it is thus spelled by tho Hon. 
 O. H. Marshall and other late inves iga- 
 tors. It has. however, been written a 
 little differently bv other good authority; 
 Rev. Asher VVright, who spent many 
 years of his life as a missionary to the 
 Senecas on the Cattaraugus Reservation, 
 writing it Gui-yah gwaah-doh,* and the 
 Seneca chief N. T. Strong, an educated 
 Indian of much knowledge and ability 
 writing it Gui ya gua .doh.f 
 
 The same name is now held by a vener- 
 able and prominent Mohawk Chipf, yet 
 Uving on the Reservation in Canada, 
 wBose'name is John S. Johnson, but who 
 is commonly known as Smoke Johnson, 
 His Indian name in trie Mohawk dialect 
 a^i written by himself, (a prominent in- 
 vestigator I says) is Sakayenkwaraton, 
 the final syllable having the nasal sound 
 of the French word ton and is freq jently 
 written toh, or to. This same gentleman 
 says that a few years ago the old Chief 
 pronounced his Indian name for him and 
 hat he wrote it down Soi-en ga-rah ta, 
 and could make nothing else of it. 
 
 Horatio Hale in his 'Iroqnois B lok of 
 Rites, 'II page 89, gives the name as 
 Sjwcayenqwaraton. In a private "letti^r 
 written since the publica.tion of his book 
 says: The old Chief hims If spells his 
 Indian name, I find,SAKAYEN(^WARAGHTON. 
 In my book the guttural "aspirate gh is 
 omitted, as the person from whom I first; 
 heard the name did not happen to sound 
 it distinctly. The Secretary of the Coun- 
 cil, who is an educated Indian, spells the 
 name, Sakayengwaratonh.' 
 
 * Ketchum's Buffalo and the Benecas. Vol. I 
 p. 337. 
 
 t PubI^c.^tlons of Buffilo Historical Societv. 
 Vol, I. p. 40. 
 
 t Wm 0. Brvant, Esq. Buffalo, N. Y. 
 
 II Published by D. G,' Brintou, SI. D. Philadel- 
 phia, 1883. 
 
SAYENQUBRAGHTA, KING OP THE SENEGAS. 
 
 The spel'ing and pronunciation of this 
 name would vary m the rliffereut dialects 
 of the several tribes of the Iroquois, and 
 as the white people had no other authori- 
 ty for the names or places in the Indian 
 country than that heard from the mouth 
 of the Indian, such natnes would be writ- 
 ten down as best they could be from the 
 pronunciation thus gi* en. The fancier of 
 the different writers in the use of letters 
 and words to express the sounds heard 
 would also vary a gnoi deal. Hence, the 
 name of Sayenqueraghta is found vari 
 ously written asGuyanguahta.Giengwah- 
 toh, Koyingquautah, Siongorochti. Cay- 
 eiiquaraghta, Sayenquarahta, Sakayen- 
 gwalaghton, and in other ways, as will 
 hereafter appear in the passages that may 
 be quoted, the name being written just 
 as it is found. 
 
 The first mention of the name (that the 
 writer of this has been able to find) is in 
 N. Y. Col. Doc. Vol. IV, page 729. where 
 is to be found an account of a conference 
 of the Earl of Bellomont with a large dep 
 utation of Indians, held at Albany. August 
 27th, 1700. The name of Hajenquerah- 
 ToN appears at the head of the list of the 
 'Sinnekees,' He, however, c luld not have 
 been the subject of this paper.for,although 
 he was a very aged man when he died, 
 he could not have been old enough to have 
 become a warrior at ihat time, even if he 
 was then born, let alone a chief. 
 
 The first probable' mentinn we have is 
 m the journal of CammerhofE and Zeis- 
 berger of their journey to this oountrv in 
 1750. These Moravian brethren, on their 
 return from a visit to the large western 
 vihage of the Seneca<, while resting in 
 the shade of a hut at Canandaigua, were 
 told bv a friendly Indian that there whs 
 •a chief living at Ganechsatage by the 
 name of Gajinquechto' and that -his 
 hou^e was large and that we could put up 
 there.'' 
 
 On the afternoon of the next day they 
 'arrived at Ganechsatage* and repaired t > 
 the house of the chief Gajinquechto. Hh 
 and his wife were not at home, but caine 
 up after we had been there a short time 
 and received iis very kindly, at once of- 
 fering us veni-on. We nude inquiry Cdii 
 cerning the route we were to take. The 
 sachem's wife went with us and pointed 
 it out and so we journeyed on, passing 
 old Ganechsatage. f 
 
 There may be a question as to whether 
 the 'sachem' Gajinquechto is rqally Old 
 King, but to the wriiertheie seems to be 
 no doubt as to ihe identity. 
 
 The further reCord that is to be found 
 in relation to Saybnqueraghta is as fol- 
 lows: 
 
 He is mentioned in 1751: 'A son of 
 Cayenquaraghta, a Sineker chief, was 
 killed ill the late war with the Jiiiglish.' 
 Pa. Col. Epc. V. 542. 
 
 In July 1754, at the treaty of Philadel- 
 phia, the name of S4Kayenquaraghta 
 follows immediately after Tagkaghsado, 
 « hose name on the deed is Takeghsatu, 
 but the first name mentioned above is not > 
 on the deed. Pa. Col Rec. VI. 128. 
 
 At the great treaty at Easton in 1758, 
 Kayenquaraghtqn is callel a Seneca 
 war captain and the name of Sagkchsa- 
 DON appears as chi f man of all the Hene- 
 cas. Pa. Archives III. 558 
 
 Up to this period of time.TAO'-CHSADON 
 appears >o have been the chief of lead ng 
 influence among the eastern Serecas. He 
 is mentioned (N. Y. Col. Doc. VII. 254.) 
 as being c e of the Seneca sachems from 
 tlie Old Castle present at a meeting at - 
 Fort Johnson, June 10, 1757,and under 
 the different variations in which his name 
 i-i written, he i< mentioned as being the 
 'chief man of the Senecas,' or -principal 
 chief.' His name ceases to appear after 
 n^S, al hough his decease piv.bably did 
 not occur until 17(14, as in September of 
 that year. Sir William Johi son, in an 
 official let' er says: 'Having this moment 
 heard of the dea h of the chi f of all the 
 Senecas, who "as for some years past at- 
 tached to our inter, sts." Buffalo and the 
 Senecas. I. 155. 
 
 Sayenqqeraghta had at this time bf- 
 come the leading chief, and it is apparent 
 that he was the sujcessorof Taqechsadu, 
 and obtained the most infliience and 
 wielding the greatest power. 
 
 In April 1764, as one of ihe deputi s of 
 the Seneca iia ion, Sayenquekaghta 
 Signed preliminary articles of peace at 
 Johnson Hall, his signature beh:ig tlie 
 first one to the treaty, thu-i evidencing 
 that he was the chief or leading sachem, 
 N, Y. Col. Doc. VII. 623. 
 
 In January, 1785, Samuel Kirkland. un- 
 der the protection' of Sir William Jolni 
 son, went to the Senecas. Upon his ar- 
 rival at KanadesMga. in the month of 
 February, he was taken to the house of 
 the 'Chief sachem.' who received him 
 kindly. The next, day a council was con 
 vened and the message of Sir William 
 Johnson having been delivered, 'the head 
 
 * On Slata Eoek or Burrell Creek, some five 
 miles southwest, of Geneva. 
 
 t At the White Spring, one and a half miles 
 southwest of Geneva. 
 
SAYENQUERAGHTA, KING OF THE SENECAS. 
 
 sachem Sakayekgwalaghton, made a 
 very handsome and animatHd reply.' 
 SomB days afterwapls 'the head sachem' 
 took Mr. Kh-kland to the cou'icd-house 
 whf're a speaker announced that the 'head 
 sachem' adonted him into his family as 
 liisson After a few days, 'his newly 
 adopted father, SAKAYE^■QWALAGHTON,' 
 . took him into a smaller council, and he 
 was there Jiotified of the arrangements 
 that had been made for his residence. 
 During his entire residence of more than 
 a yearat Kanidesaga, he continued im- 
 der the pntection of the head sachem' 
 who in later days was known as Old 
 King, and Kirkland uniformiiy desig- 
 nates a-i the ohi f or head sachem, by 
 wliora he had been adopted as a son, who 
 treated him as such, always exhibiting 
 to^ ardshim an affectionate consi 'eration. 
 
 Sayenquaraghta appears sga n at 
 Johi'son Hall at a CO ference, Julv, 1771, 
 (N. Y. Col. Doc. VIII. 283.) and at a con- 
 gress with some of the principil ciiiefs 
 and wan iors of the six nations at John 
 son Hall, on the 18th of April 1774 a sin- 
 !jle Indian being named as ihe chief of 
 each nation, .Sayexquaraghta is named 
 as the chief of the senecas.and he made a 
 lengthy speech to Sir William Johnson on 
 th it and the s icceediiig day (N. Y. Col. 
 Doc VIII. 434 8), and on th- 33d, again 
 made an address to Sir William. (Vill.- 
 43W). 
 
 On tho 13lh of July, 1774, Sir William 
 Johnson was buried nnd on the next day 
 ceremonies of condolence were held by 
 the Indians with Col. Guy Johnson, afer 
 which a few short speeches were made on 
 business matters, on the afternoon of tlip 
 15th. 'Col. Guy Johnson had a private 
 con'eence with Sayekquaraghta and 
 Slime other principal m n to whom he 
 pointed out the danger to "hich thf^ Ohio 
 Senecas woild be exposed unless the 
 present disturbances were accommodat 
 ed ' N. Y. Col Doo. VIII. 484. 
 
 The name of Sayenqderaghta again 
 appears at a meeting of the chiefs and 
 warriors of the six nations h'ld at 
 Johnstown in September, 1774, (N. Y. 
 Col. Doc. VIII, 496) and at a congress 
 held the same montli, in consequencH of 
 the appointment of Guy Johnson as the 
 successor of his father in law. Sir William 
 Johnson to the Br tish agency of Indian 
 affairs a number of chiefs were formally 
 presented to him, the third on the list be- 
 ing Sayenqderaghta, the speaker say- 
 ing: 'These are all great men who rule 
 us, they are of one mind, resolved to re 
 member Sir William Johnson's words 
 
 and follow your advice. They are men 
 to be trusted. This, brother, is our old 
 custom, which has al>vays been used, to 
 acquaint those who get the management 
 of India' IS with the names and chara ters 
 of our great men. This we did on for- 
 mer occasions. We did it with Sir Wil- 
 liam, and now we do it with yoi. We 
 ae at the sime time sensible that you 
 know them all, and we hope that you will 
 regard them as they mean to do you.' 
 (N. Y. Col. Doc, VII I, 506 ) 
 
 On the 2d of March, 1775, 'Col. Guy 
 Johnson delivered out some presents to 
 the principal raOM, particularly to Say- 
 EKQUARAGHTA, the faithfid chief of all 
 the Lower Senecas, and his family,' 
 (N. Y. Col. Doc. Vlll. 559). and on 
 the 35th of August 1775, an ancient belt of 
 wampum is alluded to in connection with 
 "Kayinguaraghtoh," of the Seneca na- 
 tion, (VIII, 612), the belt beins produced 
 on the 2nd of Sf-pt, and mentioned as the 
 one given by ''Kayi.nguaraghtoh, in be 
 half of the nx nations," VIII.638. 
 
 Mrs. Colonel Samuel Campbell one of 
 ilip prioners taken at the Cherry Va ley 
 rnassacie in November, 1778, was in cap- 
 tivity at Kanadesaga during the winter. 
 An exchange of prisoners having been 
 agreed upon, through the interven- 
 tion of Culnnel John Butler, she was re- 
 leased from her captivity amoiii; the In- 
 dians in the spring of 1779. The follow- 
 ing in relation to the matter is taken 
 from the ' 'Aunals of Tryon county," page 
 179. 
 
 'The residenc of Mrs. C. was intended 
 to have been only tempsrary at Caiada- 
 seago. This spring she was to have been 
 placed in a family in the Gent-s^e village, 
 IV ho were kinsfolks of the family with 
 whom she lived at this time, and a!so of 
 Guyanguahto, or as he was usu illy called 
 GK.1.HTA, the Seneca King. It was neces- 
 sary to obtain the r a sent, and the Cld 
 King himself s t out on this errand. 
 Having succeeded he returned to Cana- 
 daseago, and immediately informid Mr.-i. 
 C. that site was now free. The good old 
 King had always been kind to her. 
 Though considerdb'y advanced in life, so 
 that he did not join in the war, yi t he 
 perlonned this journey on foot. Before 
 her departure for Niagara, he came up 
 from his residence near the outlet of the 
 Seneca lake, to bid her adieu, and to wish 
 her success on her journey. 'You are 
 now about to return to your home and 
 frientis. I rejoice. You live a great wav, 
 many days jouriipy from here. I am an 
 old man, and do not know that I shall live 
 
4 
 
 SATENQUEEAGATA, KING OF THE SENEGAS. 
 
 to the end of the war. If I do, whs" the 
 war is over, I will come and see you.' 
 This was spoken through an interpreter," 
 
 On the brd of July, 1778, only a few 
 months hefore the ma sacre at Cherry 
 Valley ,the battle of Wyoming took place, 
 the valley having been invaded by a force 
 of British soldiers and tories undnr the 
 command of Col. John Butler accompani- 
 ed by large bands of Indians. 'J he at- 
 trocities that were committed have been 
 ascribed to the savage cruelty of the cel- 
 ebrated Mohawk Chief Joseph Brant, 
 who, it has been asserted, com- 
 manded the Indians in their .merci- 
 less foray It h;is, however, been 
 satisfactorily ascertained that Brant was 
 not there at the tin)e and in endeavoring 
 to cUar up the accusation against hitn the 
 od'Um has been casi upon Old King. 
 
 In a note- at the bottom of page 343. 
 Vol 1, 4th edition of Stone's "i^ife of 
 Brant," it is stated that "The Indians en- 
 gaged were chiefly Seneca. Their leader 
 was a Chief named Gi en gwah toh who 
 wus succeeded by Young King." 
 
 In volume I, paj^e 364, Publications of 
 Buffalo Historical Society, is an account 
 of the interview between Col. Stone, 
 Orlando Alen and the Seneca Chief, Cap- 
 tain Pollard, and which was narrated by 
 Mr. Allen at a meeting of the club of the 
 Historical soc ety. He states that he took 
 Col. Stone to the resilience of Pollard on 
 the Reservation, and says: "We found the 
 chief coiifiued to his bed by an attack of 
 rheumatism. I in.troduced Colonel Stone to 
 him, and told him the object of our vi-it; 
 to vinaicate, if possible, the memory of 
 the dead, and settle a vexed question in 
 history. Captain Pollard maintained a 
 thoughtful silence .for a few moments, 
 and then said to me in the Seneca tongue: 
 •I was at Wyoming, and probably know 
 as much about that affair as any living 
 man. You know that I was once a pagan 
 warrior, but that I have since became a 
 Christian, and look up m the scenes of my 
 younger days with abhorence and regret, 
 I dislike to dwell in thought unon this 
 subject, much more in words. But as it 
 is a duty to vindicate the dead I will con 
 qUer my reluctance and tell you what I 
 know. There were two war parties at 
 Wyoming. One was composed of Senecas 
 ltd by a chief now living and whom vou 
 know. The other was composed of On- 
 ondagas, led by a man now livina: on 
 tliat reservation, and wliom you also 
 know, — he is a very age'1 man. Besides 
 there were a f'-w Mohawks, but not 
 enough to form a di-tinct band, and they 
 
 joined our part}', the Senecas, (for they 
 were our neighbors then,) encamped at 
 Lewis' on, on the Niagara, Captain 
 Brant was not there. I know the fact. 
 He was at Niagara at the time." 
 
 "Mr, O. H. Marshall.— 'Who did Cap- 
 tain Pollard say led the Senecas at 
 Wyoming?' Mr. Allen. — 'It was Old King, 
 as I remember. ' " 
 
 In response to an inquiry, Mr. Marshall 
 replied, Dec. 15th 1879, "on page 365 of the 
 1st. vol. , of the coUectibns of the Buffalo 
 Historical Society, just published, I find 
 the interview to which you allude, be- 
 tneen the Hon. Orlando Al'en and Capt. 
 P.dlard;the leader of the Senecas at the 
 massacre of Wyoming could not have 
 been 'Old King,' because he was not then 
 living and could not liaye been known by 
 Mr. Allen, fur he was mentioned in Sav- 
 ary's Journal, page 129, as being dead in 
 1794 He was too old a man in 1778 to 
 have been leader of the Senecas. Pol- 
 lard's authority, as given in theinterviaw 
 with Orlando Allen is against it, for he 
 says, 'the Senecas were led by a person 
 known to Mr A'len.' The latter must 
 have bepn mistaken in his answtr lo my 
 inquiry if he said Old King." 
 
 The conversation, as before related, 
 was firs' pubhshed in Lossing's American 
 Historical Record, Volume I, page 116. 
 There the answer to Mr. Marsh-iUs query 
 is, "It was Young Kini<-, as I remember." 
 This puts another phase upon the matter, 
 although it does not at all settle the ques- 
 ti n as to who was the leader of the Sen- 
 ecas at Wyoming. In relati n to this, 
 V/m. C. Bryant, Esq., of Buffalo, N. Y., 
 has kindly furnished the wr ter of this 
 with the following: "It is claimed that 
 Young King was too young to be the 
 leader of a war party. T fear it will never 
 be known who i hat leader was " he late 
 Rev. Wr. Wright once told me that he ha 1 
 made inquiries of aged Indians who in- 
 formed him that Col. Shongo was that 
 leader, but I doubt its reality and Wr. 
 WrigVit did not attich much importance 
 to it. Young King was certainlv a very 
 prominent chief in 1791; I think he was a 
 much older man tlian he has been repre- 
 seted 10 be. (See narrative of Col. Thomas 
 Proctor, Appendix to. Buffalo and the 
 Senecas.) I am positively ceriain thai 
 Mr, Allen'gave the name of Young King, 
 Warriors often took the war p ith at an 
 eai-ly age— striplings in fact. Young King 
 was a man of gigantic .-tature,and hercu- 
 lean mould. The prestige of his rank 
 and desce.it. unked with his magnificent 
 physique and dauntless courage wonld 
 
SAYENQUERAGHTA, KING OF THE SBNECAS. 
 
 5 
 
 overbalance all considerations growing 
 out of hiB youth," 
 
 There may be an objection to the above 
 conclusion in that Young King could have 
 no such prestige as is claimed, inasmuch as 
 in the spring of 1780, the lad Benjamin 
 Gilbert had been adopted into the family 
 of Old King in such a maimer as to be- 
 come his successor; it seems evident that 
 this adoption was intended to secure and 
 retain the prominence and influence 
 which, at that time the Montour's possess- 
 ed ; as the wife of Captain Roland Mon- 
 tour was the daughter of Old King and 
 her mother was a Cayuga, such power 
 and influence could be retained in the sue 
 cession in no other way. To this may be 
 added the fact that a few years after the 
 release of the Gilbert lad from captivity, 
 another Indian had been selected as the 
 successor of Old King, but in consequence 
 of his being tilled in the spring or early 
 summer of 1790, another choice had to be 
 made and it was not until then that 
 Young King riecur ed the succession. 
 
 The conversation between Mr. Allen 
 and Capt. Pollard, it will be recollected, 
 was carried on in the Seneca language, 
 and I he name given by the Feneca chief 
 as the leader of the Senecas at Wyoming, 
 according to Col. Stone, who was present 
 at the interview was Gi-en-guah-toh 
 wliich is really one of the variations of 
 Old King's Indian name, as it was also of 
 his successor, Young King. 
 
 The matter in relation to O'd King is 
 discussed by Mr. Ketchum in his"Buffalo 
 and the Senecas," published in 1864, page 
 327, 8. and he is decidedly of the opinion 
 that there was some error in regard to 
 the name if it was inten-led to be applied 
 to Old King. Mrs. Campbell, a prisoner 
 at Kanadesaga, has already been narrat- 
 ed, in the spring of 1779, some 8 or 9 
 months after the Wyoming massacre, 
 says that ''he was considerably advanced 
 in lire so that he did not join in the war." 
 From this testimony and others of like 
 strong character, Mr. Ketchum says "it 
 is impossible that he should have been the 
 leader at Wyoming in 1778." A conclu- 
 sion which is irresistable and which must 
 be arrived at by every thorough investi- 
 gator. 
 
 The Indians generally acknowledge 
 that "Governor Blacksnake" was quite 
 prominent and one of the leaders on that 
 occasion. Dr. Morgan says that the 
 Iroquois had two supreme military chipf- 
 tains. whose duty it was "rather to take 
 the general supervision of the affairs of 
 war than the actual command in the 
 
 field, although they were not debarred 
 from assuming it if they were disposed to 
 do so." These offices were hereditary 
 and were assigned to the Senecas. The 
 first was named Ta-wan'-ne ars, and was 
 hereditary in the Wolf clan; the second 
 was So-NO so-WA, and belonged to the 
 Turtle clan, * The first of these posi- 
 tions was held by Governor Blacksnake 
 and as he was yet livina: at the time of 
 the interview between Mr. Allen and 
 Capt, Pollard, some have concluded that 
 he was the person Pollard intended to al- 
 lude to. Governor Blacksnake died at 
 Cold Springs, Allegany Reservation, 
 December S6ih, 1859, aged over 100 years. 
 Dr. Wilson writes his name or title. 
 Tha-o WA NYATHS, and believed him to be 
 120 or 130 years old. 
 
 In the spring of 1780 the Gilbert family, 
 residing near present Weissport, Carbon 
 County, Pa., were taken prisoners by a 
 roving band of Indians commanded by 
 Captain Roland Montour, his brother 
 John being second in command From 
 the "Narrative of the Captivity and Suf- 
 ferings of Benjamin Gilbert and his Fam- 
 ily," London reprint of 1st edition, 1790, 
 the following information and extracts 
 are taken: 
 
 As the Indians approached their homes 
 near Niaaara, with their pr.soner-, Cap- 
 I ain Roland Montour s wife came to the 
 company. "She was the daughter of 
 SlANGOKOCHTi. king of the Senecas, but 
 her mother bein^ a Cayuga she was 
 ranked among that nation." Rebecca 
 Gilbert, aged about 16 was at tliis time 
 given by the captain to his wife as her 
 daughter, "whereupon she took a silver 
 ring oil her finger and put it on Rebecca's 
 (page 28.) When the prisoners reached 
 the settlement, the adult males were 
 obliged to run the gant'et, and while they 
 were being most unmercifully beaten 
 "the king came and put a stop to any 
 further cruelty by telling them 'It was 
 sufficient,' which they 'immediately at- 
 tended to," (page 30.) Rebecca Gilbert 
 and Benjamin Gilbert, junior, were sep - 
 arated from their friends and connectians 
 at a place called the Five Mile Meadows, 
 which was said to be that distance from 
 Niagara. The Seneca King's daughter to 
 whom they were allotted in the distribu- 
 tion of the captives took them to a small 
 hut where her father Siangorochti, his 
 queen and the rest of tne family were, 
 eleven in number. Upon the reception of 
 the prisoners into the family there was 
 much sorrow and weeping." (page 77.) 
 ♦League o£ the Iroquois, p. 74. 
 
6 
 
 SAYENQUEEAGHTA, KING OP T^E SENEGAS. 
 
 This was the rite of their adoption, and 
 was of such a character and nature that 
 Benjamin, a lad of about 11 years of age, 
 "was considered as the king's successor, 
 and entirely freed from restraint, so t)aat 
 he soon began to be delighted with his 
 manner of life," (page 80) and'-as a badge 
 of his dignity; wore a silver medal pend- 
 ant from his neck." (p. 81.) 
 
 The time that these two captives sep- 
 arated from the rest, was on or about the 
 24th of May, 1780. as on that day the 
 father, mother and Jesse Gilbert were 
 taken to Fort Niijgara, and on the 25th 
 were surrendered to Col. Johnson. (p,32, 
 3.)* 
 
 In continuing the narrative of Rebecca 
 and Benjamin, who bad been adopted 
 into the family of Old King, at the Five 
 Mile Meadows, we find that "After three 
 days the family removed to a place call- 
 ed the Landing, on the banks of Niagara 
 river: here they continued two days 
 more," and then the captives were taken 
 to Fort Niagara "to procure clothing 
 from the king's stores" and were permit- 
 ted to ride on horseback to Fort Schlosscr 
 about eighteen miles distant from Fort 
 Niagara. and here* they stayed six days. f 
 page 78. "From Niagara Fort i they 
 went about eighteen miles above the Falls 
 to Fort Erie, a garrison of the English 
 and there continued their journey about 
 four miles further up Buffalo creek and 
 pitched their tent. At this place they 
 met with Rebecca s father and mother,by 
 adoption, who had gone before on horse 
 back. p. 78. "This spot was intended for 
 their plantation, they therefore began to 
 clear the land for their crop of Indian 
 corn. While the women were thus employ- 
 ed, the men built a log house for their res 
 idence,and then went out hunting, (p. 79) 
 
 It has been deemed necessary to be 
 thus explicit in relation to the movements 
 of Old King's family, inasmuch as it has 
 been stated that they did not remove to 
 Buffalo Creek until the spring of 1781 
 instead of in June 1780, as is shown in 
 the foregoing. In addition, it may be 
 stated that on page 36 we learn that the 
 mother, Elizabfth Gilbert, about the 1st. 
 of June, 1780, saw and conversed with 
 Elizabeth Peart, another of the captives, 
 and also that "the Indian woman who 
 had adopted Rebecca as her daughter, 
 came also to the I'ort, and Elizabeth Gil- 
 bert made use of the opportunity to in- 
 quii'e concerning her daughter." Al- 
 though it would seem that Rebecca did 
 not see her mother, yet while she was de- 
 tained in the neighborhood of Fort Niag- 
 
 ara, she had an opportunity of seeing and 
 conversing with Elizabeth Peart, although 
 the Indiatns would not allow them to be 
 frequently together, [page 78.] 
 
 It having been stated that Old King's 
 residence was probably at Nunda in the 
 spring and summer of 1780,although what 
 has been written shows to the contrary, a 
 careful examination of the Gilbert narra- 
 tive shows thit the Nunda King spoken 
 of is some other Chief. Joseph Gilbert 
 was taken to Nunda and resided for sev- 
 eral weeks in the king's family, 'whose 
 hamlet was superior to the other small 
 huts.' He was treated very kindly by 
 the king who intended his adoption 'in 
 the place of one of his sons,who was slain 
 when General Sullivan drove them from 
 their habitations.' He was finally adopt- 
 ed 'into the family of .one of the king's 
 son's and their residence was at Caraca- 
 deia II about seven miles from Nunda, 
 [p. 46.] 
 
 Thomas Peart was adopted into a family 
 in place of an old man who 'had never 
 been considered by his family as possess- 
 ed of any merit,' [p. 96] and was taken 
 by the family to Nunda. 'The head of 
 this family was a chief or king of the 
 Senecas.' [p. 97.] -Some time in the fall, 
 the king (whose brother Thomas was 
 called,) died, and be was directed to hew 
 boards, and make a coffin for him; when 
 it was completed they smeared it with 
 redpaUit ' [p. 106.] 
 
 As this last mentioned king died in the 
 fall of 1780, he could not have been Old 
 King. If, however, the first mentioned 
 is another person, it is a sufficient answer 
 
 * See also Srd edition of Gilbert narrative p. 64. 
 
 t 3rd edition, Gilbert Narrative, p 141. 
 
 J 3rd edition, p . 143, more correctly says, "Fort 
 Slush'r," ^Sohlosser.) 
 
 II Oaneadca, probably. John Huston, or Hud- 
 son who accompanied Roland Montour in the cap- 
 ture of the Gilbert family in 17tJ0, was king or 
 head chief ol Oaneadea. He had a brother 'i'hom- 
 as who was apparently the husband of Catharine 
 Montour. W. C. Bryant E q , has Itindly furnish- 
 ed the following extract from his notes, taken in 
 short hand, of a conversation with the late Seneca 
 Chief Thomas Jemison or "Buffalo Tom" who 
 knew Hudson well. 
 
 "John Huds9n, great chief he was; lived close 
 by, He and Col. Shongo, great chiefs. John Hud- 
 son lived at Caneadea when I was there. After- 
 wards he lived at Wiskoy. He had two daugh- 
 ter-S and three boys; all dead. Hudson good look- 
 ing fellow he was; orator, great Chief, He dress- 
 ed altogether Indian fashion, wore feathers on his 
 head. Shongo wore Indian dress and feathers. 
 Remember Hudson used to talk in Council good 
 deal. Good speaker and fine looking man. Slow 
 and dignified: large i^traight man; would weigh 
 170 pounds 1 should think.' 
 
 Jamison was a very intelligent and a guileless 
 man. He died a few years ago nearly 90 years of 
 age. 
 
SAYENQUERA.GHTA, KING OF THE SENECAS. 
 
 to say that Jo opli Gilbert made his es 
 cape from captivity while yet residing at 
 Nunda in the summer of 1781. In his 
 flight, after journeying two days and 
 nights, he reaciiOd Fort Niagara and re- 
 ceived the protection of Col, Johnson. 
 'After a few days' stay, he emb:irked on 
 a vessel for Montreal, with suob of the 
 otht-rs as had obtained their freedom, 
 [p. 51,] and this vessel sailed about the 
 middle of August, [p. 57 ] This king's 
 residence, therefore, continued at Nunda 
 until August 1781 and, consequently could 
 not have been Old King, 
 
 1 he son of the king mentioned as hav- 
 ing been lulled in the Sullivan expedition, 
 may have been ihe one spoken of as the 
 King of Kanadksaga that was reijorted 
 to Gen. Sullivan as having been killed. 
 
 Before leaving the (xilbert narrative, a 
 little more information in relation to Old 
 King can be gleaned. 'Notwithstanding 
 thfcf family they lived with was of the 
 first rank among the Indians and the 
 head of it styled a king, they wera under 
 the necessity of latioring, as well as those 
 of lower rank, although they often had 
 advantages of procuring more provisions 
 than the rest. This family raised this 
 summer about one hundred skipples of 
 Indian corn (a skipple being about equal 
 to three pecks) equal to seventv-five 
 bushels.' [p. 79.] 'lliey drew provisions 
 this summer from the forts, which fre- 
 quently induced the Indians to repair 
 thither. The king, his daughter, grand- 
 daughter and Rebecca, went together up- 
 on one of these visits to Fort Erie, where 
 the British officers entertained them with 
 a rich feast, and so great a profusion of 
 wine that' ttie Indian king was very 
 druni^, and as he had to manage the ca- 
 noe in their return, they were repeatedly 
 in danger of being overset amongst tlit 
 rocks in the lake.' [p. 80] 
 
 On another occasi-jn 'the king, queen 
 and another of the family, together with 
 Rebecca and her cnusin Benjamin, set out 
 for Niagara. ' Having accomplished the 
 object of their journey they set out on 
 their reiurn home,' As they hail pro- 
 cured some rum to carry home with them 
 the chief was frequently intoxicated, and 
 always in such unhappy fits, behaved re- 
 markably foolish.' [p. 81]. 
 
 In the spring of 1784, Peter Ryckman 
 was employed to go to Niagara with a 
 message to the Indians inviiing them to a 
 council, in the instructions from Governor 
 George Clinton, April 12, 1784, is the fol- 
 lowing: 'Cayenqukrachta, the Seneca 
 .■-achem, must have particular attention 
 
 paid to him, and you must privately 
 prnmise him that ynu will recommend 
 him to the notice of the Commissioners.' 
 Hough's Indian Treaties, [p, I'i ] 
 
 Sayenqderaghta, or as he has more 
 commonly been called Old King or Old 
 Smoke, was of the Tortoise or Turtle dan, 
 and was the head chief or sachem of the 
 Turtle Village of the Senecas, the grand 
 village and the prominent head of the 
 eastern Senecas, call-d (ia-nun-dasa ga. 
 or as it is now more commonly known 
 as the Old Castle or Kanadesaga [with 
 more than eighty different variations of 
 spelling], situated in ihe town of Geneva, 
 N, Y.. nearly two miles north-westerly 
 from the foot of Seneca lake.* 
 
 In N. Y. Col. Doc. VII, at page 631, is 
 printed the 'Preliminary Articles of Peace 
 with the Seneca Indians,' April 3, 1764. 
 At the end of the document, it is stated 
 that the 'marks of their tribes' were af- 
 fixed opposite the signatures of the In- 
 dians. As there was only L. S. in the 
 printed copy at the place indicated, ap- 
 plication was made to Berthold F-rmw, 
 Esq. , clerk in charge of the ancient his- 
 torical records and colonial mss. in the 
 office of the secretary of state f to exam- 
 ine the original copy procured by Mr. 
 t.rodhead, and if the tribal marks were 
 there to furnish a tracing of them. The 
 matter sought for not being found, Mr. 
 Feinow very kindlv sent a request to a 
 clerk in the 'Public Record Office' in Lon- 
 don, and on the 7th of December, 1881, a 
 re.sponse was made inclosmg the desired 
 tracing. The following is extracted from 
 the letter: 
 
 'Plantations General R. No, 86 contain- 
 ing amongst its enclosures a paper en- 
 titled -Preliminary Articles with the Sen- 
 
 * After the destruction of the*place by Sullivan's 
 army in 17(9. no permanent settlement was ever 
 attemrited. In the course of S or 4 years, pioneer 
 explorers and traders penetrated the country and 
 a transient gatheringr was made on the shore of 
 Seneca lake, "under the hill," south of lower end 
 of the present SeneciL street. " Huts and cabins 
 were here built from time to time and this place 
 finally became the heidqiiarters of the 'Lessee 
 Company," in their negotiations with the Senecas. 
 Hence, some of the early maps and surveys have 
 this locality noted on them as Kanadesap:a. The 
 manuscript survey and map of John L" Harden- 
 ber^b, now in possession of the Cayuga County 
 Historical Society, made in 1789 or '90, has, on the 
 map, Kanadesaga located on the lake shore appar- 
 ently about where the Franklin House now 
 stands. The former site of Kanadesaga at this 
 time and alteiwards was universally called the 
 Old Castle, the name Kanadesaga being adopted 
 for the other locality, 
 
 t By an act of the L'^gtslature these documents 
 have been transferred to the state Library, form- 
 ing a separate department, Mr. Fernow remaining 
 the clerk in charge. 
 
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 CO 
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 CD 
 
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SAYENQUEEAGHTA, KING OP THE SENEGAS. 
 
 eca Indians, April 3, 1764' is only an en- 
 closure of a C'py of the original docu 
 ment which I have identified.' 
 
 'The real document in the matter is to 
 be found in 'America <fe West Indies No. 
 131, Military 1763 to 1765' and is an en- 
 closure to a letter of Maj General Thos. 
 Gag-'s dated, New York, April 14, 1764.' 
 
 This tracing has been photographed 
 and copies presented to various historical 
 societies. It contains the totems or tribal 
 marics of each of the Indian signers set 
 opposite their respective names. Sayen- 
 QUERAGHTA heads the list and opposite 
 his name is the mark of a toitoise or tur- 
 tle, which is conclusive evidenca that he 
 was of that clan, 
 
 III regard to the interpretation and 
 meaning of the name, Rev. Asber Wright 
 in speaking of Young King who t)ore the 
 same Indian name, says* that ''he held the 
 important office of iiiternimcius between 
 the grand c uncil of the Six Nations and 
 the Seneca Nation. He bore the smoking 
 brand from the great cou'xil fire to kindle 
 that of the Senecas. His official name 
 was GUI YAH-GWAAH DOH.vphich 1 under 
 stand to mean the smoke has passed by, 
 fiom givaah, smoke and oahdoh, it is 
 passed or has passed by. but the idea in- 
 tended to be conveyed was smoke-bearer.' 
 
 Another interpretation of the name is 
 that -it is from o-yah gwaah smoke, and 
 oA-ttia/i- do/i, it is extinguished, or it has 
 disappeflred; in other words, it has gone 
 out of sight. ' Buffalo and the Senecas, I 
 337. 
 
 The late Seneca Chief. N. T. Strong, a 
 highly educated Indian, and a corresiiond 
 ing member of tlie B ifilalo Historical So- 
 cifty. said '-Smolte's name was Ga yah- 
 GUA DOH, meaning the smoke has disap- 
 peared or the smoke is lost." Pub. of Buff 
 Hist. Soo. I. 40. 
 
 The in'erpret-^tion thus given, conveys 
 the idea of a glimpse of a flying runner 
 bearing a smoking brand, hurrying and 
 soon lost in thtj obscurity of the wilder- 
 ness — one moment th^ banner of smoke is 
 seen and then lost. It is an exclamation put 
 into the mouth of the beholder. The 
 word is idiomatic but wonlerfully pictur- 
 esque, and is very applicable to an official 
 position of smoke bearer or fire kindler. 
 
 Horatio Hale in his "Iroquois Eook of 
 Rites," page 39, says that the interpreta- 
 tion or me.ining of the Mohawk Chief, 
 •'Smoke Johnson's" Indian name is "dis- 
 appearing mist." He says '-it signifies 
 proper ly,~I was told, the haze which rises 
 from the ground in an autumn morning, 
 and vanishes as the day advances." He 
 
 farther says, page 40, "Sakayengwara- 
 TON is not an elected chief, nor does lie 
 bear one -of the hereditary titles of the 
 Great Council, in which he holds so dis 
 tinguished a station. Indeed his office is 
 one unknown to the ancient constitution 
 of the Kanonsionni. It is the creation of 
 the British Government,to which he owes 
 with I he willing consent of his own peo- 
 ple, his rank and position in the council. 
 The rrovincial administration saw the 
 need of a native official who should be, 
 like the Speaker of the English House of 
 Commons, the mouth piece of the Coun- 
 cil, and the intermediary between it and 
 the representative of the Crown." 
 
 His attention having been called to the 
 matter, since the publication of his book, 
 Mr. Hale has mada further investigation 
 and writes that Smoke Johnson informs 
 him that he has borne the nam« from his 
 childhood, and that it had nothing to do 
 with his office as speaker of the Coum-il. 
 He has also made careful iuquiiies about 
 the name SAKAYENawARAHTON,wliichhas 
 been borne, m various dialectic forms, by 
 several chief. s, and was assured by those 
 of whom he inquired, including the ven- 
 erable Chief John S. Johnson, who bears 
 the name that it is not a title of office, but 
 is merely a favorite name, which happens 
 to have bpen borne by two or thre:- chiefs 
 of thu second rank, (great warriors) who 
 attained high distinction and influence. 
 It means, says Mr. Hale, disaispearing 
 mist, or as some renaer it, vanishing 
 smoke. Mr. Hale also says that Smoke 
 Johnson is of the Tortoise clan. 
 
 Another prominent investigator, in re. 
 lation to Smoke Johnson's Indian nam", 
 says, that the roots of the old chief's 
 naiiein Uohav/'k. a.Te Oyenkwara, smoke, 
 and Onton disappearing or passing 
 away. 
 
 Although from the foregoing it would 
 appear that the name was not an 
 official title, yet the interpretation is 
 striki-igly applicable to the office of 
 "smoke bearer," representing as it does 
 the vanishing, disappearing or passing 
 away of the smoke from the burning 
 t rand, which such official carried to liglit 
 the council fire. 
 •'Each Clan, "says Minnie Myrtle,"had its 
 peculiar name, so that when a person's 
 name was mentioned it was immedi- 
 ately known to what clan he belonged." 
 The Iroquois, p. 143. 
 
 Rev. Asher "Wright (Bufllalo and the 
 Senecas. I. 337) says, "all names are clan 
 
 * Buffilo and the Senecas. I. 327. 
 
10 
 
 SAYENQUEEAGHTA, KING OF THE SENEGAS. 
 
 property, so to speak." Dr. Morgan (Lea- 
 gue of the Iroquois.p. 89) says.— 'In each 
 'nation' the proper names were so 
 strongly marked by a tribal peculiarity 
 that the tribe [clan] of the individual 
 could usually be determined frum the 
 name alone. Making as they did a part 
 of their language, they were all signifi- 
 cant." 
 
 It is very evident that each clan had a 
 stock of names for its warriors, distinc- 
 tive and peculiar to the clan, and from 
 this treasury of appellations the names 
 were usually bestowed. It is also appar- 
 ent that SAYENQUEEAGHTA was a name 
 belonging to the Turtle clan, and that not 
 only of one of the tribes or "nations," but 
 to such clan in each of the tribes that com 
 posed tbe original League, modified of 
 course in the pronunciation by the dialec- 
 tical variations that existed. As each 
 clan was a brotherhood" through the 
 whole League, so a Moliawk Turtle 
 would bn a brother to a Turtle in the 
 Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca 
 tribes or "nations." Thus there would 
 necessarily be a Ga-yah gwaah-doh 
 among the, Seuecas, and a Sakayen- 
 gwaeahton among the Mohawks, with 
 contemporaries of the same name in each 
 branch of the tribe throughout the Lea- 
 gue. 
 
 Payenqueeaghta has been styled in 
 many of the papers and dooumi-nts yet 
 extant, the head or chief Sachem of the 
 Senecas and has also been called the King 
 of the Senecas. Some have thought tliat 
 he could not have been a Sachem, because 
 the name is not in the list of Sachemships 
 in Dr.Morgan's " League of the Iroquois," 
 nor in the list of heredi ary councillors in 
 Mr. Hales "Iroquois Boole of Eites " 
 
 An Indian who had won distinction 
 under the^name that had been bestowed 
 upon him in his youth would naturally be 
 averse to abandoning his early name. 
 Smoke Johnson is a striking example of 
 this, as he is rarely known or called by 
 his official name or title, Wakaneg'tola, 
 the Tall Pine Tree. It is true the Indi- 
 ans were not unmindful of official titles 
 and a Sachem would be recognized and 
 called by his official name in council. 
 The name belonged to the council.but; not 
 necessarily out of it. Hence an Indian 
 would be called by his familiar name and 
 not that of the Sachemship, There ap- 
 pears to be abundant evidence to war- 
 rant the conclusion that Sayenquer 
 AGHTA was the name borne by hitii for 
 many years as a 'war captain," and that 
 the same name had previously been borne 
 
 by other famous warriors. He appears to 
 have succeeded Tagechsadon as chief 
 sacheni about 1764. and who is often men- 
 tioned as the chief man of all the Senecas. 
 Having borne a distinguished name for 
 thirty years or more, it is not reason- 
 able to suppose that the whole tribe 
 would abandon that and address him by 
 his new official title. They would do so 
 in council of course, but out of council he 
 would be called by his familiar name. 
 
 Sir. William Johnson, in a letter to Ar- 
 thur Lee, May 28,. 1771, (Doc. Hi^t. N. Y. 
 IV. 430) said, "there is in every nation a 
 sachem or chief who appears to have 
 some authority over the rest, and it is 
 greatest among the most distant nations." 
 And again, — '-The chief sachem, by some 
 called the King, is so,, either by inherit- 
 ance, or by a kind of tacit consent." 
 
 The title of King was first applied by 
 the white people to those chiefs or sach- 
 ems who were prominent in authority, 
 and in time the title became accepted and 
 used by the Indians themselves. The 
 title is interchangeable with that of "head 
 chief" and "chief sachem," and it cannot 
 be found in tbe history of any tribe or 
 clan, that the appellation of King was ap- 
 plied to any individual who \va^ not a 
 sachem, or the head of the tribe, or of the 
 detached clan. The title of King was 
 constantly used among the dependent 
 tribes of Pennsylvania and Ohio in all 
 cases as the head of the particular clan 
 and clans of the Delaware^, Shawanese, 
 Mohicans and others, for the time being, 
 and ex-officio of the head of the council. 
 T'lsay that Saybnqueraghta was not 
 King of the Senecas is to say that Dekan- 
 nisera was not King of the Onoudagas, 
 and ex officio King of all the Iroquois. 
 SAYENQUEEAGHTA is as often called King 
 of tbe Senecas, as Hendrick was univer- 
 sally known as King Hendrick of the 
 Mohawks. 
 
 Bishop de Schweinetz in his "Life and 
 Times of Zeisherger,' page 132, speaks of 
 Hendrick, the illustrious King of the 
 Mohawks." and in a foot note on same 
 page, ' SoiENGARAHTA, Or KiugiHendrick, 
 the principal sachem of the Mohawks.'' 
 
 It must not, however, be assumed that 
 the title of King, or any official position 
 that might have been held, carried with 
 it the pijwer of the supreme authority. 
 Bishop, de Schweinitz (Life of Zeisherger, 
 p. 25) says, "The Indian was absolutelv 
 free, acknowledged no master, and yield- 
 ed obedience to law only so far as he ' 
 chose. His chiefs did not rule in the or- 
 dinary sense— they had no power which 
 
SAYENQTJERAQHTA, KING OF THE SENEGAS. 
 
 11 
 
 they coald enforce. They could claim no 
 tribute, however common it was to bring 
 themgifis. Tlieir authority was, based 
 upon personal influence and upon the skill 
 with which they guided their counsellors. 
 The title of head chief or King was purely 
 conventional among the Iroquois. It 
 grew out of the necessity of leadership 
 which inheres in savage- as well as civil- 
 ized society. A subordinate chief who 
 happened to be endowed with the attri- 
 butes that most strongly appealed to popu 
 lar favor, would be the must influential, 
 and therefore the head chief of his band. 
 
 The ofiice of sachem was heredit- 
 ary in the clan to which it had 
 originally been assigned. Horatio 
 Hale, says that the word Sachem is not of 
 Iroquois but of Delaware origin and that 
 the title in- ihe Mohawk dialect is Koya- 
 NER, meaning nobleman or lord. The 
 council of sachems perhaps somewhat re- 
 sembles the House of Lords in Great 
 Britain, and like that country where the 
 premiers have arisen from the "Com- 
 mons," so it has been among the Iroquois 
 where certain chiefs have obtained great- 
 er influence and power than the saciiems. 
 Tne great Indian chieftains by th Ir pow- 
 ers of sagg,city and wisdom, oratory and 
 diplomacy, Gaeacontie, Gaeangula, 
 Cannassatego, Brant, Kkd Jackut an I 
 others can be well compared with the 
 English Premiers Walpole, Pitt, Fox, 
 Canning, Peel, D Israeli and Gladstone, 
 who, without being noble, have wielded 
 more influence than any of the peers. 
 
 While the Indian had reverence and 
 respect for the incumbent of a high official 
 position, yet a dull, groveling man, how- 
 ever great his inherent rank, could have 
 little influence or power; whde on the 
 other hand, an official obtained his real 
 power and influence, not by viriue of his 
 position, but through his own personal 
 merit and by his judicious and wise coun- 
 sels and acts. 
 
 It, will be recollected that in "Annals of 
 Tryon county," it is said that "lie was 
 usually called Grahta, the Seneca King." 
 The following from well-known and 
 prominent Seneca chiefs, is an addition- 
 al, positive evidence that Sayenqueragh- 
 TA was of the great Turtle clan, and is an 
 .acknowledgment from high Indian au- 
 thority as to his being a great king, and 
 also gives some information as to the 
 time of his death: 
 
 In 1790, two Senecas were murdered by 
 white men on Pine Creek in Pennsylva- 
 nia. This, highly exasperated the Sene- 
 cas, who made an immediate demand up 
 
 on the Governor of Pennsylvania for re- 
 dress. This was in the form of a mes- 
 sage.signed by Little Beard Bed Jacket, 
 GissEHAKiE, Caunhesongo, chlcfs and 
 warriors of the Seneca "nation," dated at 
 Geneseo River Flats. August 1790. After 
 saying they are glad that a/ reward of 
 eight hundred dollars has been offered 
 for the murderers, they add; — 
 
 "Brothers— The two men you have kill- 
 ed were very great men and were of 
 the Great Turtle Tribe, one of them was 
 a chief, and the other was to be put in 
 the great king Gaeoughta s place, who 
 is dead also." 
 
 "Brothers, you must not think hard of 
 us if we speak rash, as it comes from a 
 wounded heart, as you have struck the 
 hatchet in our head, and we can't be re- 
 conciled until you come and pull it out. 
 We are sorry to tell you, that you have 
 killed eleven of us since peace," &c. , &c. 
 Pa. Col. Rec. XVI, 396 and Phelps and 
 Gorham Purchase, 289. 
 
 Colonel William L Stone in his "Life 
 and Times of Red Jacket." gives an ac 
 count of the proceedings at the "Morris 
 Treaty" or Treaty at Big Tree in 1797, the 
 facts of which he says he obtained from 
 the manuscripts of Thomas Morris and 
 from conversations with him. After the 
 main question of the treaty had been de- 
 cided, and all the principal obstacles re- 
 moved, a formidable difficulty presentf'd 
 itself by "the arrival at the council of 
 Young King, a descendant of Old Smoke, 
 a notable chief of the Senecas many years 
 before. Old Smoke wag the most power- 
 ful, as he was deemed the wisest sachem 
 of his time. He was the principal sachem, 
 or civil chief of the nation, and his word 
 was law. When he thought proper to 
 convene a council it was only for the pur 
 pose of announcing his intentions, and 
 none said nay to his hehnsts. His infali- 
 biiity was never questioned. and although 
 he had been dead many years, his memo- 
 ry was yet held in great reverence. 
 Young King, though literally a young 
 man and of talents far inferior to Old 
 Smoke, was nevertheless, by inheritance 
 the chief sachem of the Seneca nation; 
 and the usual deference secured to him 
 by virtue of his office, was greatly aug- 
 mented by reverence for his descent. As 
 chief sachem, it was necessary to the 
 validity of the treaty that it should re- 
 ceive his assent and signature. He was 
 for a time, utterly opposed to the sale oP 
 their lands; and both the Cornplanter and 
 Farmer's Brother assured Mr. Morris, 
 that without his approbation, the work 
 
13 
 
 SAYENQUERAGHTA, KING OF THE SENEGAS. 
 
 was all at an end. Still, by dint of great 
 persuasion, he was ultimately induced to 
 sisn tlie treaty." Life of Red Jacket, p. 
 247. 
 
 'I'his glowing tribute to Satenqueeagh 
 TA, who is here called Old Smoke, and 
 who received this cognomen not only 
 from tbe fact that smoke was in his 
 name but also because he held the promi- 
 nent official position as the "smoke- 
 bearer," the sole and only custodian of 
 the council Are among the Senecas, shows 
 the reverence and veneration with which 
 he had been held by the Senecas, and the 
 great influence and prominence he had 
 attained, was made from inlormation 
 derived from the very best authority, 
 for Thomas Morris was the negotiator of 
 the treaty. 
 
 The customs and usages of the Senecas, 
 however, have not as yet been fully un- 
 derstood. Their history seems -to malie 
 them, to a certain extent, diflferent from 
 the other tribes or 'nations' of the League. 
 It is evident that these tribes or 'nations' 
 differed internally, to some extent, from 
 one another, quite probably as much as 
 the different States of our Union now 
 differ. They had, we know, different 
 clans and probably in some respects <lif- 
 ferent political organizations. 
 Young King or as he is sometimes called 
 Young Smoke,held ihe same Indian name 
 that Old Smoke had, and he was his im- 
 mediate successor. It will be recollected 
 that the lad Benjamin Gilbert had been 
 adopted inio Old Smoke's family in such 
 a mani,er as to be "considered the king's 
 successor" and ''as a badge of his dignity, 
 wore a silver medel pendant from his 
 neck." These facts give a strong assur- 
 ance that Old Smoke held an official posi- 
 tion that was herediiary and belonged to 
 the immediate family or portion of chc 
 clan to which Sayenqueraghta. belonged 
 which we know was the great Turtle 
 family or clan. 
 
 By some it has been stated that Young 
 Kmg was a son of Old Smoke. This 
 could not be, as a son belonged to the 
 mother's clan, and consequently could 
 neither succeed his fai her in office, nor 
 even bear his name. This point, how- 
 ever, is settled by Mr. Schoolcraft in his 
 "Notes on the Iroquois," 1846, page 150, 
 where, on the authority of Seneca Tetoy- 
 OAH, he says that Hi-ade o ni was ihe 
 father of Young King, Others say that 
 he was the grandson, and again other;: 
 say that he was the nephew, the latter 
 assumption being probably correst, 
 The occurrence that took place at the 
 
 treaty of Big Tree, would seem to indicate 
 that he possessed almost supreme power 
 and that as a consequence not only of his 
 official position, but also from the very 
 great esteem and regard yet existing for 
 his predecessor. This, however, may not 
 have been the only reasoa for the inter 
 luptioa of tlie proceedings, for we must 
 bear in mind that unanimity was an es- 
 sential feature and condition of Iroquois 
 legislation. If a prominent chief or sach- 
 em .entitled to be heard in countil.oDposed 
 the majority, no result could be attained 
 until he was won over. This would not 
 necessarily indicate that bis position was 
 very high, save that perhaps in the ca^e 
 of Young King, in the present instance, 
 his office gave him the right or power to 
 extinguish the council fire and thus put 
 an end to the business under discussion. 
 
 In the "Iroquois Book cf Rites," jjage 
 25, Mr. Hale says:— "Each nation has al- 
 ways had a head chief, to whom belong- 
 ed the hereditary right and duty of ligut- 
 iug the council Are and taking the first 
 place in public meetings." This statement 
 seems to fit the case of Sayenqeeaghta — 
 Old Smoke and Young King -precisely, 
 and describe the official position held by 
 each of them in turn, each tjeing com- 
 monly called and designated as the 
 ' 'smoke bearer," who alone could carry 
 the smoking brand to light the Council 
 fire. 
 
 At an interview h^d by the Hon. O. H. 
 iVlarshall with the venerable chief Seneca 
 White at his house on tbe Cuttarauyus 
 Reservation, in 1864, he informed Mr. 
 Marshall that Old Smoke was the most 
 influential man among tlie Senecas in the 
 Revolatiouary war, and that lie opposed 
 the Indians taking any part in the war. 
 According to the Senecas be was a large, 
 portly man of commanding presence. 
 That he was a man of great prominence 
 at Kanadesaga as early as 1765,is evidenc- 
 ed from his position in the councils then 
 held. His closing speech in the council 
 at'tbat time, in defence of Rev. Samuel 
 Kirkland, whose life was in imminent 
 danger in consequence of the death of his 
 host, was full of convincing argument 
 and was a master-piece of eloquence that 
 bore down all opposition and elicited a 
 general shout of applause "which made 
 the council house ring." f 
 
 While tlie official position held by Old 
 Smoke gave him great piominenoe.yet his 
 greater popularity and influence resulted 
 from his individual personal merit. He 
 was a valiant warrior— his bravery and 
 sagacity in war won for him the trust 
 
SAYENQUEEAGHTA, KING OF THE SENEGAS. 
 
 13 
 
 and confidence of his peoi)Je. He was a 
 wise and judicious counsellor, and this 
 secured for iiirn their respect and esteem. 
 Red Jacket, at the Pckering treaty at 
 Caiiandaigua in the fall of 1794, testified 
 of him that he was "a man of great un- 
 derstanding." i 'J'his is evidenced by 
 his astute and subtle reasoning in the 
 lengthy speech he made to Sir William 
 Johnson in 1774, 1 in which the gretit 
 powers of his mind were brought into 
 active play and were very forcibly ex 
 hibited. His superior talents together 
 with his good and sterling qualiti s gained 
 for him the regard and veneration of the 
 Indians and secured for him a great- 
 er prominence and a more com- 
 manding iuflujncp, than that possessed 
 by the sichems, or obtained by any of 
 the chiefs of his time. He was indeed 
 one of the most distinguished men of the 
 Iroquios, tne most popular and promi- 
 nent of the Senecas, always a firm friend 
 where he pledged fidelity, possessing a 
 warm and generous heart.had the respect 
 of enemies and the love of friends, was 
 brave, sagacious, wise and v\ ith a tender 
 heart as sympathetic as a woman. 
 
 Old Smoke died at his last place of res- 
 idence .which was near the creek that 
 bears his name, some five or six miles 
 south of Buffalo. The date of his death 
 is unknown. Red Jacket said he was 
 alive at t'he time of the treaty of Fort 
 Stanwix in the autumn of 1784, * His 
 name, however ,does not appear in any of 
 the proceedings as published in Hough's 
 Indian Treaties, and it is probable that 
 tie was not present at that time. 
 
 In the auiumn of 1788, Rev. Samuel 
 Kirkland was sent, by Governor George 
 Clinton, on a mission to the Indians in 
 western New York at -'Kanadasegea," 
 on the Genesee river and especially the 
 settlement near the Niagara river. His 
 m>s journal, in the State Library, gives 
 an ace uut of his journeyings and of the 
 private conferences be held withproaii- 
 nent chiefs, as well as the proceedings of 
 the councils he held with the Indians. 
 Red Jacket,Big Tree.Faemer's Brother 
 and other Indian chiefs are named, but 
 the only reference to Old Smoke in an in- 
 
 terview he had with the "Seneka warrior 
 called the Infant, son of ihe old chief 
 SuGWAYEENGWALAGHTON." The promi- 
 nence that Sayenquekaghta or Old 
 Sirjokehad fo.vmerly possessed, his known 
 friendship for the government, the fact 
 that Mr. KirKland had once been his 
 adopted son and the fatherly care and 
 protection that Mr. Kirkland had received 
 from him during his residence of more 
 thari a year at KanadiiSaga, would nat- 
 urally seem to require some mentio.i of 
 his name if he had been alive, and it 
 might be inferrt d that ho was then d ad. 
 .still the infirmities of old age had doubt- 
 less for soiue time prevented Old Smoke 
 from pai ticipatiig in the affairs of his 
 people and his residence being at a dis 
 tance from the route thaf. Kirkland was 
 obliged to take in order to accomplish the 
 object of bis important mission as speedly 
 as possible might account for such omis- 
 sion. In the extract of the letter, here- 
 tofore quited, we, have positive evidence 
 that he was dead when that letter was 
 written, in August 1790. 
 
 Smoke's creek, near which he lived ai d 
 died, and which bears his name, is the 
 only monument lo nis mem ry, and as 
 the interpretation and meaning of his 
 Indian name is 'the smoke has disappear- 
 ed" the name is indeed significrini;. 
 '■But their name is on our waters 
 And we may not wash it out.'' 
 
 1^" In addition to the obligations that 
 the writer is imder to the late Hon. O. H. 
 Marshall, BnflEalo,N. Y.,he wou d express 
 his heartfeli thanks to Horatio Hale. Esq., 
 Clinton, Ontario.Canada, also to William 
 C. Bryant, Esq., Buffalo, N. Y., for much 
 valuable information and very many use- 
 ful suggestions; and also to Gen. John S. 
 Clark, Auburn, N. Y., for valuable aid 
 and assistance; his kind and assiduous 
 attention and the large amount of infor- 
 mation freely furnished, calls for es- 
 pecial expressions of gratitude. 
 
 + Lothrop's Life of Kirliland. Chapter B.Sparks' 
 American, Biograph.v, Vol. XXV. 
 t LifeoiKed Jacliet, p, 2a4, 
 II N.Y. Col. Doc. Via. 4*4 9. 
 * Life of lied Jacliet. p. 224. 
 
14 
 
 KANADESAGA, THE OLD CASTLE. 
 
 Nearly two miles in a north-westerly 
 direction from the foot of Seni ca lake, at 
 the mtersection of the Old Pre-emption 
 and the Old Castle roads, was fhe location 
 of the Capital of the Sjsnecas, ciilled 
 KANADESAGAjDut in later days more com- 
 monly known as the Old Castle. 
 
 The name in the Seneca dialect is Ga 
 NUN-DA-SA-GA, meaning 'new settlement 
 village.' Leaj^ue of the Iroquois. 394. 
 
 It is slightly different iu the Mohawk 
 diaUct whijh differs but little from the 
 Oneida. Kanadesaga is not,probably,the 
 pure Mohawk form of the word, but as 
 near as the early settlers could pronounce 
 it. 
 
 Sir William Johnson, in 1763, says Kan- 
 ADESERO, which means the grand village; 
 nor, ihat it was different from the others, 
 but becauso.the Turtle, the most noble of 
 all tie clans, was the dominant or ruling 
 power of tho village, and it was the resi- 
 dence of Sayenqueraghta, the grand 
 representative of the 'nation,' to whom 
 was committed the! charge of lighting the 
 council-fire. 
 
 It is evident there was no settlement of 
 any note at this place in 1750, when Cam- 
 merhoft' and Zeis berger journeyed t hrougb 
 the country. At that time the settlements 
 of the Seneoas were in scattered frag- 
 ments along Burrell creek, some 5 miles 
 south-west of Greneva. 
 
 The settlement at Kanadesaga was 
 probably made in 1756, when Sir William 
 Johnson erected a stockade fortification 
 and block-houses at that place for the 
 benecas, to protect them fr-.m the French 
 with whom the English were then at war 
 The stockade enclosure was about 125 
 feet broad, from east to west, and 200 
 feet long, from north to south at its east- 
 ern side, the west side being longer, as the 
 south row of palisades, instead of being 
 at right angles, were set in a south-west- 
 erly direction, so that the southwest cor- 
 ner rested in Kanadesaga or Castle 
 brook. The block-houses were at the 
 northwest and southeast corners. The 
 palisades were of oak and the work was 
 done according to the following memo- 
 randum: 
 
 "The stockades to be 15 feet long, 3 of which to 
 be sunk in the ground, well pounded and rammed, 
 and the two teaching sides square, so as to lay 
 close. Loop hoWs to be made 4 feet distant. Two 
 blocfchnuses. 80 feet ?qiiare, below, and above to 
 project 1^ feet over the beams, wall roofed and 
 shingled and a good sentry box ou the top of each ; 
 a good gate of 8 inch oak plaak and iron hinges, 
 and a small gate of oak pl*nk of same thickness." 
 Doc. Hist. N. Y. II., 717, 720 See also N. Y. Col, 
 I Doc. VII, 91, etc. 
 
 I A few paces to the north of the site of 
 the old palisade enclosure is an artificial 
 b.irial mound which in 1847. when visited 
 by Lewis H. Morgan, was about one hun- 
 dred paces in circuit and ahout six feet 
 high; the trenches of the palisade enclos- 
 ure were at that time plainly to be seen. 
 
 The centre of the mound is about 200 
 feet directly south of North street or the 
 Old Castle road. 190 feet 'directly west of 
 the Old Pre-emplion road and 265 feet 
 South-west from the corntr of the south 
 and west lines of the two roads. 
 
 The north line of the palisade enclosure 
 IS 1.S5 feet south of the centre of the 
 burial mound, or about 235 feet south 
 from the south line of the Old Castle road 
 at a point distant about 200 feet west 
 from the west line of the Old Pre-emption 
 road; the northeast corner was 60 feet 
 west from the west line of the Old Pre- 
 emption road at a point 170 feet south of 
 the Old Castle roail , and about 150 feet 
 further south the east line of the palisades 
 were 50 feet west of the road. 
 
 These distances are from measurement made in 
 the autumn of 1683, but as the lines of the roads- 
 were estimated from the situation of the fences 
 they are not absolutely correct. 
 
 For a sketch and description of the palisade en 
 closure and burial mound see Squiers* Antiquities- 
 of New York, p. 85, see also Morgan's League of 
 the Iroquois, p, 425 
 
 At the time of the destruction of the 
 place by the army of General Sullivan, on 
 the 8th of September, 1779, the village 
 consisted of about fifty houses, with thirty 
 more in the immediate vicinitj. The 
 dwellings in the town, some of wtiich 
 were framed buildings, were irregularly 
 located around a large green plot on 
 which the stockade fortification had stood 
 the remains of which were plainly visible 
 to the army. An extensive apple orchard 
 was in the town and many apple trees 
 scattered over the fields in the neighbor- 
 hood. A large peach orchard was about 
 half a mile north of the village, and wild 
 plum, mulberry, hickory nut, walnut and 
 butternut trees were in great abundance. 
 Large corn fields were to the north and 
 north-east, and a considerable quantity of 
 corn , also many skins and Indian trinkets 
 were found in the cabins, by the soldiers, 
 and a number of horses and cows were 
 captured. The army destroyed the entire 
 village with all the growing crops of corn 
 and vegetables, girdled the fruit trees, 
 burned the stacks of hay and entirely de- 
 vastated the place. On the morning of 
 the 9th of September, when ready to 
 break camp; 'the soldiers destroyed all 
 
KANADBSAGA, THE OLD OASTLffi. 
 
 15 
 
 the corn, beans, peas, sqiiashps, potatoes, 
 ODions, turnipM, caboage, ciiotimbers, wa 
 tennelons, carrots and parsnips, the men 
 horses and catile could not eat." Journal 
 of Moses Fellows. ^uij.^iir^'-T 
 
 About a halt mile.«aiiit ffom the village, 
 on the Loomis farm, is a larpe tree,known 
 as the Great Council Tree of the Sen- 
 egas. It is in fact a dout)le tree, the two 
 branches separating a short distance 
 above the gro ind. Its measurement, 
 August 21, 1879, was as follows: Trunk, 
 just aboie the ground, 25 feet in ciroura- 
 ference;two feet above this or about three 
 fpet from the ground, 81 feet 3 inches; 
 trunk of west branch, 13 feet, 6 inches; 
 east branch, 15 feet, 2 inches; the last 
 measurement being five feet from the 
 ground. Spiead of the whole tree 130 
 feet. 
 
 This noble elra wai in the midst of the 
 corn fields of Kanadesaga. A little to 
 the north of it was a lurge peach orchard 
 that was destroyed by Sullivan's army, 
 but in a few years it was again in a 
 flourishing condition and in 1797 one hun- 
 dred t)ushels of peaches were bold from it 
 to a neighboring distillery, The same year 
 a farmer on one of the old castle farms 
 sold cider to the amount of one thousand 
 two hundred dollars, which was made 
 from apples grown in the old Indian 
 orchard, the trees of which had been 
 girdled by Sullivan's army, but had 
 sprouted from the roots and ^Vere again 
 in full bearine. ^Doc. Hist. N. Y. , 1143- 
 1141(0 
 
 Under the eastrrn edge of this old elm 
 tree is a largo stone deeply Imbedded in 
 the ground; it is about four feet long and 
 
 twentv inches wide and has a hollow 
 cooped out towards one end; it was used 
 by the Indians for poumliug corn in, and 
 is in the same place where it was used 
 and left by thpm, 
 
 An Indi'in orator once said: "We sliall 
 not long occupy much room in living; we 
 sliall occupy slill less when we are 
 } are gone; a single tri-e of the ihonsands 
 j wliich sheltered our fore-falhers, one old 
 1 elm under which the tribes used to ineet, 
 will cover us all; biit we would have our 
 bodies entwined in death among its roots 
 on the very soil where it grew, Verhaps 
 it will last the longer from being fertiliz- 
 ed with their decav." 
 
 The name Ga nun-da-sa ga, save Dr. 
 Morgan, was bestowed by the Indians not 
 only upon the village itself, but "upon 
 the lake, the creek, and also upon the out- 
 let. At a subsequent day it was transfer- 
 red to Geneva. "League of the Iroquois, 
 p. 424. 
 
 The precise point in Geneva where at 
 first, the name Kanadesaga became fixed 
 was on the lake shore, "under the hill," 
 at and south of the lower end of present 
 Seneca street. At the same time toe site 
 of the former village was almost univer- 
 sally called the Old Castle. The dist nc- 
 tive difference was well known and fully 
 recognized by the earlv settlers and is 
 evidenced by many documents yet in ex- 
 istence. The traverse of Seneca lake, 
 made in August 1789, by John L. Harden- 
 bergh, one of the surveyors of the "Mili- 
 tary Tract," places Kanadesaga at the 
 point indicated as can be seen from his 
 origiijgl field notes in possession of the 
 Cayuga Historical Society, Auburn, N.Y. 
 
N. B. In his investigations,the writerlias 
 not overlooked the fact that. that indefa- 
 tigable gleaner of border warfare remin- 
 iRcences, the late Jeptha R Simms, Fort 
 Plain, N. Y.. says that Kayingwaurto, a 
 Seneca Chief', commanded the Indiar.s at 
 ■Wyoming. He bases his opinion from 
 the contents of two papers that it is al 
 leged were found on the person of an In- 
 dian killed in Sullivan's expedition, 
 1779. The papers are as follows: (Fron- 
 tiersmen of N. Y. ir. 160,274.) 
 
 "This may certify that Kayinffwaurtcthe Sanaka 
 Chiel, has beed on aa expedition to Fort Stan- 
 wix and has taic<*n t-ro scalps, one from an officer 
 and a corporal that were a gunning near tlie fort, 
 for which I promise to pay at sight, ten dollars for 
 each scalp. Given under my hand at Buclc" 
 iB'and. 
 
 John Butler, Col and Supt.,ofthe Six Nations 
 and che Allies of his Majesty.* 
 
 Westmoreland, 5th .Tulv 17T8. 
 
 •'This doth hereby certify that Lieut. Elisha 
 Scovell has surrendered his garrison with all his 
 people to ffovfrnment, and to remain as neutral 
 during the present contest with Great Britain and 
 America: in consideration of which. Col. John 
 Butler, Superintendent of the Six Nations of Indi- 
 ans, their allies, etc,, with Kayingwaurto, the 
 chief of the Sanake nation and the other chief 
 warriors of the Six Nations, do promise, that thev 
 shall live In quiet possession of their places with 
 their families, and shall be duly protected from 
 insult as far as lies in their power, and. provided 
 that they should be taken it is our desire that they 
 may forthwith be released. 
 
 [L S ] John Euti,br. 
 
 j Device of I Kayingwaurto. 
 
 ) Turtle, i 
 
 These papprs, it is stated, were in the 
 possession of Capt. Machin. of Sulhvan's 
 army. After the war the first was sent 
 
 to congress as a proof of the fact that the 
 British government had authorized the 
 pavmeut of money for scalps. The sec- 
 ond paper was received by Mr. Simms 
 with some other of Capt. Machin's papers 
 and about 1859 he -sent the same to the 
 Historical Society at Philadelphia, but 
 never knew wliether it had been received 
 or not. 
 
 The first paper evidently refers to the 
 case of Capt. Gregg and his subordinates 
 who were scalped near Fort Stanwix, in 
 1778. The name Kayingwaurto .although 
 similar to Gienguahtoh could not possi-' 
 biy have reference to Old King. Cnl, 
 Butler was a man of education,- familiar 
 with the Mohawk dialect and ' with the 
 records of the proceedings with the In- 
 dians. He perfectly well knew that the 
 name of the "principal Seneca Chief," 
 was Sayenqueeaghta, and would thus 
 have written it, had it referred to Old 
 King, as some have asserted. The papers 
 undoubtedly belonged to the dead Indian 
 uj)on whose person they were found, and 
 Sayenquebaghta or Old King was alive 
 for some years after. At the time these 
 papers were written. Col. Guy Johnson 
 was Superintendent of Indian affairs for 
 the British Government, and as Col. John 
 Butler had never held the position it is 
 preposterous to suppose that he would 
 make such an assumption in writing, and 
 besides it cannot for a moment be sup 
 posed that he would write s-uch a word as 
 "Sanake" as. found in both papers. 
 
 "Ye say that all have passed away. 
 
 The noble race anil brave; 
 That their light canoes have vanished 
 
 From off ihMMcrested wave; 
 That 'mid the forests where they roamed 
 
 There rings no hunter's shout; 
 But their name is on yoiir waters— 
 
 Ye may not wash it out. 
 
 Ye say their cone- like cabins 
 
 Thal^ clustered o'er the vale 
 Have disappeared, like withered leaves, 
 
 Before the autumn gale ; 
 But their mem'ry liveth on your hills. 
 
 Their baptism on your shore ; 
 Your ever-living waters spc-ik 
 
 Their dialect of yore." 
 
 Mrs. Sigoubney. 
 
 Geneva, N, Y., March 1st, 1885, 
 
J