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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/17014.txt b/17014.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c9f9033 --- /dev/null +++ b/17014.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3670 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The War Chief of the Six Nations, by Louis Aubrey Wood + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The War Chief of the Six Nations + A Chronicle of Joseph Brant + Volume 16 (of 32) in the series Chronicles of Canada + +Author: Louis Aubrey Wood + +Editor: George M. Wrong and H. H. Langton + +Release Date: November 5, 2005 [EBook #17014] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WAR CHIEF OF THE SIX NATIONS *** + + + + +This etext was produced by Gardner Buchanan. + + + + + +CHRONICLES OF CANADA +Edited by George M. Wrong and H. H. Langton +In thirty-two volumes + +Volume 16 + + +THE WAR CHIEF OF THE SIX NATIONS +A Chronicle of Joseph Brant + +By LOUIS AUBREY WOOD +TORONTO, 1915 + + + + +CONTENTS + +I. THE YOUNG MOHAWK +II. BATTLE OF LAKE GEORGE +III. SCHOOLDAYS AND AFTER +IV. THE WAYS DIVIDE +V. ACROSS THE SEA +VI. BRANT MEETS HERKIMER +VII. FORT STANWIX AND ORISKANY +VIII. FIGHTING ON THE FRONTIER +IX. CHERRY VALLEY +X. MINISINK AND THE CHEMUNG RIVER +XI. OVER THE BORDER +XII. ENGLAND ONCE MORE +XIII. STATESMAN OF THE TRIBES +XIV. THE CHURCH BELL RINGS +XV. THE PINE-TREE TOTTERS +BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE + + + + +CHAPTER I + +THE YOUNG MOHAWK + +A group of huntsmen were camping on the Ohio river. The +foliage swayed in the night wind, and the argent light +of the moon ran in fleeting bars through the dim recesses +of the forest. From the ground arose a ruddier glare. +High and dry, fires had been built and the flames were +darting and curvetting among the trees. In the weird +light the hunters were clustered about in squads, silently +stripping their prey or preparing their weapons for the +morrow's chase. In the background were the women, moving +here and there in the dancing shadows. One was bending +low over a newborn infant, and as she uttered his name +in the stillness of the evening it blended with the music +of the tree-tops. + +'Thayendanegea!' [Footnote: Pronounced Tai-yen-da-nay-geh.] + +The name was taken from the great book of nature. It was +a birth-name of the Mohawks meaning two sticks of wood +bound together, a sign of strength; and the woman hoped +that her tiny child might one day be a man of valour +among the Mohawks. Could she have but known it, her desire +was to be more than realized, for in vigour of mind and +body he was destined to surpass all the offspring of his +race. + +So it was, in the pear 1742, in the reign of King George +the Second, that Thayendanegea was born among the Mohawks +on the banks of the Ohio. To the untaught savage this +sluggish stream was a thing of life, and he called it the +'River Beautiful.' The Ohio valley was at this time the +favourite hunting-ground of the Indian peoples. Because +this valley was rich in game and comfortable to dwell in, +it had been a scene of bitter strife. The problem of rule +on the Ohio was of long standing. For a whole century +Delaware and Shawnee and Wyandot and Six Nations contended +for the territory; tribe was pitted against tribe, and then +at last the answer was given. The Iroquois confederacy, +or Six Nations, [Footnote: Mohawks, Cayugas, Senecas, +Oneidas, Onondagas, and Tuscaroras.] whose villages lay by +the Hudson river, united, determined, and vengeful, had +gained the ascendancy; from the banks of the Hudson to the +seats of the stranger beside lake Erie the lands belonged +to them; and other tribes to the east and west and north +and south paid them tribute. The Mohawks were the mightiest +of the Six Nations; in the confederacy they were chief in +council; from their ranks was chosen the head war chief, +who commanded on the field of battle; they took the +first-fruits of the chase, and were leaders in everything. + +Some time was to pass, however, before Thayendanegea +could understand that he was sprung from a race of +conquerors. As yet he was but a simple Indian babe, with +staring brown eyes and raven-black hair. Of the mother +who cared for him history has practically nothing to say. +She may have been a Mohawk, but this is by no means +certain. It has even been hinted that she came from the +Western Indians, and was a damsel of the Shawnee race +who had left the wigwams of her people. At all events we +may be sure that she had the natural instincts and impulses +of a forest mother; that she knew where the linden grew +high and where the brown-red sycamores clustered thick +by the margin of the stream. It may be supposed that when +the sun mounted high she would tie the picturesque, richly +ornamented baby-frame containing her boy to some drooping +branch to swing from its leathern thong in the cooling +breeze. We may imagine her tuneful voice singing the +mother's Wa Wa song, the soft lullaby of the sylvan glades. +Thayendanegea's eyes blink and tremble; he forgets the +floating canopy above him and sleeps in his forest cradle. + +The hunting excursion to the Ohio came at length to an +end, and then the Mohawks started for their lodges in +the far north-east. Up the broad river sped the strongest +canoe-men of all the peoples of the forest, with +Thayendanegea stowed snugly in the bottom of some slender +craft. Over the long and weary portages trudged his +mother, her child bound loosely on her shoulders. Their +route lay towards Lake Erie, then along the well-trodden +trail to the Mohawk river; and the baby was for the first +time among the fertile cornfields and the strange Long +Houses of his people. At this period the Mohawks lived +farthest east of all the tribes of the Six Nations. Their +main settlements were along the Mohawk river in what is +now the state of New York, but they claimed authority +over the region stretching thence towards Montreal. They +had three settlements on the Mohawk, the central one of +which, called Canajoharie Castle, was the home of +Thayendanegea's parents. Near by lived the celebrated +William Johnson, His Majesty's representative for Indian +Affairs in the colony of New York, who some years later +became sole superintendent of 'the six united nations, +their allies and dependents.' + +When Thayendanegea grew stronger he began to romp with +the other boys of the village. With them he followed the +women down to the river's brink, picking up shiny pebbles +from the sand, or watching the minnows dart about in the +sunlight. With them, when the days were long, he crawled +through the brambles, looking for luscious berries, or +ran with the wiry Indian dogs into copse and brushwood. +Then he learned to swim, to fish, and to dip his paddle +noiselessly in the stream. Like every red child, +Thayendanegea listened rapt in wonder to the tales that +were told him. The Mohawks had a storehouse of fable, +and he soon became versed in the lore of the forest. +Perhaps, too, he sat beside his wrinkled grandfather, +who was a sachem, [Footnote: That Thayendanegea was the +grandchild of one of these sachems who were so honoured +appears from information given in an article published +in the London Magazine; of July 1776. The material for +this account of him is supposed to have been supplied by +the famous author James Boswell, with whom, while on a +visit to England in that year, he was intimate.] or petty +king, of the Six Nations, and heard the old man tell the +romantic story of his trip to England in the pear 1710, +when Anne was sovereign queen; heard how five sachems at +this time had gone on an embassy for their people and +were right royally entertained in the city of London; +how, as they passed through the streets, the little +children flocked behind, marvelling at their odd appearance; +how at the palace they appeared in garments of black and +scarlet and gold and were gladly received by the queen, +whom they promised to defend against her foes; and how, +after seeing the soldiers march, and after riding in the +queen's barge and enjoying various amusements, they +returned to their own country. + +There is some obscurity surrounding the identity of +Thayendanegea's father, but it is generally agreed that +he was a full-blooded Mohawk and a chief of the Wolf +clan. [Footnote: The Mohawks were divided into three +clans--the Tortoise, the Bear, and the Wolf.] By some +writers it is said that he bore the English name of Nickus +Brant. Others say that Thayendanegea's father died while +the son was still an infant and that the mother then +married an Indian known to the English as Brant. By and +by, as Thayendanegea mingled with the English, he acquired +the name of Joseph, and so came down through history as +Joseph Brant; but whether he acquired this name from his +father or from his step-father we cannot tell, and it +does not really matter. We shall know him hereafter by +his English name. + +In the traditions of the Mohawk valley it is told how +one day a regimental muster was being held, in Tryon +county, in the colony of New York, at which William +Johnson was present. Among the throng of those who were +out to see the sights was Molly Brant, Joseph's elder +sister, a lively, winsome girl of sixteen years. During +the manoeuvres a field-officer rode by, mounted on a +spirited steed. As he passed, Molly asked if she might +get up behind. The officer, thinking it a bit of banter, +said she might. In an instant she had sprung upon the +crupper. Away went the steed, flying about the field. +Molly clung tight to the officer, her blanket flapping +in the breeze and her dark hair floating wide. Every one +burst into merriment, and no one enjoyed the spectacle +more than Colonel William Johnson himself. A flame of +love for Molly was kindled in his heart, and, being a +widower, he took her home and made her his bride after +the Indian fashion. It would seem quite natural, then, +that the superintendent should be interested in the career +of Molly's brother Joseph. Born, as the young redskin +was, of princely stock, he might, with such an advantage, +be expected to attain to honour and dignity among the +people of the Long House. There was, however, one obstacle; +although Joseph's father was a chief, he did not inherit +rank, for it was the custom of the Six Nations to trace +descent through the blood of the mother, and his mother, +who had brought him over hill and water from the banks +of the Ohio, was of humble origin. If Joseph wished, +therefore, to rise among his fellows, he must hew out +his own path to greatness. By pluck and wisdom alone +could he win a lasting place in the hearts of his people. +As we tell his story, we shall see how he gathered strength +and became a man of might and of valour. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +BATTLE OF LAKE GEORGE + +No one delighted more in the free and easy life of the +frontier than did Colonel William Johnson. He was a +typical colonial patroon, a representative of the king +and a friend of the red man. The Indians trusted him +implicitly. He had studied their character and knew well +their language. He entered into their life with full +sympathy for their traditions and was said to possess an +influence over them such as had never been gained by any +other white man. For a long time he lived at Fort Johnson, +a three-storey dwelling of stone on the left bank of the +Mohawk, and later at Johnson Hall, a more spacious mansion +several miles farther north. Here all who came were +treated with a lavish hand, and the wayfarer found a +welcome as he stopped to admire the flowers which grew +before the portals. Within were a retinue of servants, +careful for the needs of all. When hearts were sad or +time went slowly, a dwarf belonging to the household +played a merry tune on his violin to drive away gloom +from the wilderness mansion. + +On one occasion, however, Johnson's hospitality was taxed +beyond all bounds. This was at Fort Johnson in the year +1755, just after he had been made a major-general in the +colonial militia. The French from Canada had already been +making bold encroachments on territory claimed by the +English to the north and the west. They had erected Fort +Duquesne at the junction of the Alleghany and Monongahela +rivers, where the great city of Pittsburgh now stands; +they had fortified Niagara; and now they were bidding +defiance to all the English colonists between the Alleghany +Mountains and the sea. War had not been declared in +Europe, but the inhabitants of the Thirteen Colonies, +only too eager to stay the hand of France in America, +planned a series of blows against the enemy. Among other +things, they decided that an attempt should be made to +capture the French stronghold of Fort Frederic at Crown +Point on Lake Champlain. The officer selected to Command +the expedition to be sent on this enterprise was William +Johnson, now a major-general of the colony of New York. + +It flashed at once across Johnson's mind that his redskin +friends could aid him in the undertaking; so he sent +messages with all speed to the tribes, asking them to +gather at his house. Eleven hundred hungry Indians answered +the summons. From all quarters they came in, taking up +their residence for the time being upon his broad domain. +Johnson's bright and genial face clouded as he looked +upon the multitude of guests and saw his food supplies +vanishing and every green thing that grew upon his fields +and meadows being plucked up. But he bore it all +good-naturedly, for he was determined to win their support. +Seated on the grass in squads, according to their tribes, +they listened while he addressed them and told them of +their duties to the English crown. With rising eloquence +he said that they were bound in their allegiance to the +English as though with a silver chain. 'The ends of this +silver chain,' he added, 'are fixed in the immovable +mountains, in so firm a manner that the hands of no mortal +enemy might be able to move it.' Then as he bade them +take the field, he held a war belt in his hands and +exclaimed with fervour: + +'My war kettle is on the fire; my canoe is ready to put +into the water; my gun is loaded; my sword is by my side; +and my axe is sharpened.' + +Little Abraham, sachem of the lower Mohawk valley, took +the belt from him, Red Head, a chief of the Onondagas, +made reply, telling him that from every castle warriors +would follow him to the north. A war dance followed, and +a large body of the Six Nations were ready for the fray. + +No doubt young Joseph Brant was in this great audience, +listening to the speeches of his elders. He was only +thirteen years of age at the time, but the spirit of the +war-path was already upon him. The zealous appeals of +the major-general must have stirred him greatly, and it +may well be that this lad, with youthful frame and boyish +features, here received an impulse which often sustained +him in later years during his long career of active +loyalty on behalf of the English cause. As it happened, +Joseph was soon to be in active service. On August 8, +1755, Johnson's expedition left Albany, and a week later +arrived at the great carrying-place between the Hudson +and Lac St Sacrement, as Lake George was then called. At +this point Fort Lyman [Footnote: Afterwards named Fort +Edward.] had been built the same summer. Thence the +major-general set out, with fifteen hundred provincials +and three hundred Indians, on his journey northward. King +Hendrick, a chief of the Mohawks, led the tribesmen, and +under his direction a number of braves were being tested +for the first time. One of these--we may imagine the +boy's intense delight--was young Joseph Brant. + +On reaching Lac St Sacrement Johnson made a halt and took +up a strong position on the shore. Soon reinforcements +arrived under General Phineas Lyman, his second in command. +Johnson re-named the lake. 'I have given it,' he says, +'the name of Lake George, not only in honour of His +Majesty, but to assert his undoubted dominion here.' + +Meanwhile Baron Dieskau, the commander of the French +forces, having landed at South Bay, the southern extremity +of the waters of Lake Champlain, was moving down through +the woods. His army was made up of a large body of French +Canadians, Indians, and regular soldiers of the regiments +of La Reine and Languedoc. He marched by way of Wood +Creek, and was bent on making a vigorous attack on Fort +Lyman. But when he arrived at a point about midway between +Fort Lyman and Johnson's camp on Lake George, his Indians +became unruly, declaring that they would march no farther +south nor venture off the soil that belonged to France. +There was nothing for Dieskau to do but to change his +plans. Swerving in a north-westerly direction, he struck +the new road that Johnson had made to the lake. This he +followed, intending to fall upon the English forces +wherever he should find them. + +Johnson's scouts, prowling to the southward, detected +this move. Back to the encampment they brought the news +of Dieskau's approach and the English leader at once made +ready to defend his position. Trees were felled; the +wagons and bateaux were brought up; a strong breastwork +was built across the new-cut roadway; cannon were put in +position to play upon the advancing enemy. Then discussion +took place as to the advisability of making a sortie +against the foe. It was suggested that five hundred men +would be sufficient, but at the mention of this number +King Hendrick, the Indian leader, interposed. What, +indeed, could such a paltry handful do in the face of +the oncoming Frenchmen? + +'If they are to fight,' he said, 'they are too few; if +they are to be killed, they are too many.' + +In the early morning, September 8, 1755, a force of twelve +hundred set forth, only to learn the wisdom of Hendrick's +advice. Dieskau was proceeding cautiously, hoping to +catch the English in a trap. He sent out flying wings of +Indians and Canadians, while his French regulars formed +the centre of his force. As the English advanced along +the road, they found themselves suddenly attacked on both +sides by the enemy. A stiff struggle then took place in +which Johnson's men were badly worsted. King Hendrick's +horse was shot down, and before he could free himself +from his saddle he was slain by a bayonet thrust. Retreat +now became necessary, and by a steady movement the English +fell back upon their camp. There they determined to make +a decisive stand. Dieskau, emboldened by the success of +his previous advance, led his troops towards the lake in +battle array. His progress, however, was stopped by the +rude barricade which had been piled across the road, and +by eleven o'clock the second engagement of the day was +already being fought. + +Brant has described his feelings when, as a mere boy, he +received his baptism of fire upon this battle-ground. +When the clatter of the musketry fell upon his ears, his +heart jumped and an indescribable fear seemed to take +possession of him. His limbs trembled, and in despair he +looked for something to steady him in the ordeal. Near +by grew a slender sapling, and he clutched at this and +held on tenaciously while the bullets went whizzing by. +After a few volleys had been fired he regained his natural +poise and took his place beside the old fighters who were +holding their own against a savage attack. From this +moment he acquitted himself with valour in the battle, +and, youth though he was, he fulfilled his desire 'to +support the character of a brave man of which he was +exceedingly ambitious.' + +At length the French troops began to recoil before the +sweep of the English cannon. Dieskau received a severe +wound and the ardour of his followers was visibly cooled. +At four o'clock the English general thought the opportune +moment had arrived to make a sortie, and his men climbed +over the rampart and drove the French to flight in every +direction. The wounded Dieskau was made prisoner and +borne to the camp of his enemy. Johnson's leg had been +pierced by a bullet, and in this condition he was carried +to his tent. + +As the two generals lay helpless on their litters, several +redskins entered the tent and scowled upon the recumbent +Dieskau. 'These fellows have been regarding me with a +look not indicative of much compassion,' said the French +commander. 'Anything else!' answered Johnson, 'for they +wished to oblige me to deliver you into their hands in +order to burn you, in revenge for the death of their +comrades and of their chiefs who have been slain in the +battle.' Then he added: 'Feel no uneasiness; you are safe +with me.' + +This affair at Lake George was only an opening battle in +the Seven Years' War between France and England which +was waged in three continents and closed in America with +the fall of Montreal in 1760. For his victory over Dieskau +William Johnson was made a baronet, and thus became Sir +William Johnson. He continued to offer his services until +the war ended; and during the memorable campaign of 1759, +while Wolfe and Amherst were operating in the east, he +was sent with Brigadier Prideaux to effect, if possible, +the capture of Fort Niagara. The expedition ascended the +Mohawk in June, crossed over to Oswego, and thence followed +the south shore of Lake Ontario to its destination. The +French fort stood at the mouth of the Niagara where it +enters Lake Ontario, and was under the command of Captain +Pouchot. No sooner had this officer heard of the English +approach than he sent to Presqu'Ile and other points in +the west asking that reinforcements should be dispatched +with all haste for his relief. + +The English investing army consisted of twenty-three +hundred regulars and provincials, together with nine +hundred Indians from the tribes of the Six Nations. At +the very outset Prideaux was accidentally killed by the +premature bursting of a shell from a coehorn and Johnson +had to take command. Acting with vigour he prosecuted +the siege until July 24, when firing in the distance told +that help for the besieged would soon be at hand. +Straightway Johnson selected one-third of his men and +marched to meet the relieving force, which was led by +Captain D'Aubrey and comprised eleven hundred French and +several hundred redskins from the western tribes. The +conflict which ensued was short but desperate. The Six +Nations, posted on the flanks of the English line, fought +valiantly, and, largely owing to their valour, the French +were put to rout. On the same day Pouchot capitulated. +By this success the chain of French forts stretching from +the St Lawrence to Louisiana was snapped near the middle. +Although Brant's deeds have not been recorded, it is +stated on good authority that he was with Sir William +Johnson on this occasion and that he bore himself with +marked distinction. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +SCHOOLDAYS AND AFTER + +Through the storm and stress of these campaigns, the eyes +of the Mohawks were upon Joseph Brant. They expected much +of him, and he earnestly tried to fulfil their hopes. +Still in his teens, he was already a seasoned warrior, +having 'fought with Death and dulled his sword.' The +Mohawks were pleased. Let a few more autumns strew the +carpet of the forest, and they would have in him a brave +and robust leader worthy of their tradition. Joseph, on +the other hand, was dissatisfied. He had lived and communed +with white men and had come to know a greatness that was +not to be won by following the war-path. He had wielded +the tomahawk; he had bivouacked among armed men on the +field of battle: now he was eager for the schoolroom. He +wished to widen his knowledge and to see the great world +that lay beyond the rude haunts of the red men. + +Joseph was in this frame of mind when an Indian with the +very English name of David Fowler came to Fort Johnson. +Fowler was on a long journey from his home by the sea +and rode on horseback. He had something to relate, he +said, that was of significance for the Indian people. At +Lebanon, in the colony of Connecticut, there was an +institution for the education of any young redskin who +might be able to come, and he had been sent by Doctor +Eleazar Wheelock, its principal, to gather recruits. +Addressing Sir William Johnson, he asked him if there +were among the Six Nations Indians any lads whom he should +like to send to the school. + +Sir William was not slow to act. Joseph Brant, the pride +of Canajoharie Castle, thirsting for knowledge, must +surely go. Two other boys, named Negyes and Center, were +chosen to accompany him. These were 'three boys,' as Dr +Wheelock afterwards wrote, 'who were willing to leave +their friends and country, and come among strangers of +another language and quite another manner of living, and +where, perhaps, none of their nation, then living, had +ever been.' + +The trip to Connecticut was made in 1761, and the lads +arrived at Lebanon about mid-summer. They were not at +all sure that the school would be to their liking and +had planned, if such should prove to be the case, to make +a hasty flight back to the Mohawk valley on the horses +they brought with them. Negyes and Center looked rather +woebegone as they came into Dr Wheelock's presence: 'Two +of them,' he says, 'were but little better than naked.' +Brant, however, created a good impression. 'The other, +being of a family of distinction, was considerably clothed, +Indian fashion, and could speak a few words of English.' + +The school was kept up by a number of benevolent persons +who contributed liberally to its funds. Sir William +Johnson was ready to do his share to aid the good work, +and some four months and a half after the Mohawk boys +had arrived he wrote to the principal: 'I shall not be +backward to contribute my mite.' A house in which to hold +the classes and two acres of land had been given by a +farmer named Joshua Moor; hence the institution was +generally called Moor's Indian Charity School. The +principal, Dr Wheelock, was a man of wide scholarship, +and became later on the founder of the seat of learning +in New Hampshire now known as Dartmouth College. + +But little is known of the course of study pursued by +Joseph at Moor's School. When he entered it his knowledge +must have been very slender, and as a young man he began +to learn things ordinarily taught to a mere child. It is +likely that he now became much more fluent than formerly +in his use of the English tongue. From the beginning his +progress was very rapid, and Dr Wheelock does not stint +the praise that he bestows upon him: 'Joseph is indeed +an excellent youth,' was his comment; 'he has much endeared +himself to me, as well as to his master, and everybody +also by his good behaviour.' + +The master here spoken of was Charles Jeffrey Smith, a +young man of ample means who wished to be of service to +the Indians. He had come to the school after Joseph's +arrival and helped the principal in giving instruction. +He very soon remarked the superior intelligence which +Joseph showed among the twenty-five pupils in his charge. +Intending to make a missionary tour among the Indian +tribes, he proposed to take his young pupil with him as +an interpreter. Writing to Sir William Johnson about the +matter, he referred to Joseph in most glowing terms: 'As +he is a promising youth, of a sprightly genius, singular +modesty, and a serious turn, I know of none so well +calculated to answer my end as he is.' + +It was with sad misgivings that Joseph thought of turning +his back upon the school, where he had been for scarcely +two years; but Smith promised to continue as his teacher +when they were together in the Indian country, and to +pay him something for his work as an interpreter. This +appealed to the young redskin. It appeared that his +schooldays were ended in any event, for his people were +jealous of his prolonged stay in the lodges of the stranger +and he had received a message calling him back to +Canajoharie Castle. + +In the month of June 1763, master and pupil set out +together, but, as fate would have it, Smith's quest among +the tribes was to be quickly ended. Hardly had he begun +his pilgrimage when he found the Indians in wild commotion. +Again the hatchet had been unburied, and for the sake of +security he had to bring his mission to an abrupt end. + +Pontiac, great chief of the Ottawas, had raised the +standard of revolt against English rule. This was an +aftermath of the struggle just concluded with France, +and began when the Western Indians saw that another race +of pale-faces had come upon their lands. With skill and +adroitness Pontiac had gathered many tribes into a strong +offensive league. He declared that if they followed in +his train he would drive the feet of the intruder from +the red man's territory. There was a savage rising in +May 1763. In a twinkling eight English posts in the +interior fell before the savages. Fort Ligonier and Fort +Pitt, [Footnote: Formerly Fort Duquesne.] at the head-waters +of the Ohio, and Fort Detroit in the west, were alone +left standing of all the places attacked, and Detroit +was besieged by Pontiac with thirty-six chiefs at his +back. The call to arms in defence was urgent. A portion +of the Six Nations joined their old allies, the English, +and among the warriors who went out was Joseph Brant. +'Joseph tarried,' we are told, 'and went out with a +company against the Indians, and was useful in the war, +in which he behaved so much like the Christian and the +soldier, that he gained great esteem.' + +A body of Mohawks were among the troops which brought +succour to Major Gladwyn in his resistance at Fort Detroit +in 1763, and it is possible that Brant was in the thick +of the fight in this vicinity. It is possible, too, that +he was with Colonel Bouquet in August at the battle of +Bushy Run, near Fort Pitt. In this engagement, after two +days of strenuous backwoods fighting, the Indians were +finally worsted. Pontiac's star had begun to set. With +hopeless odds against him, the stubborn chief of the +Ottawas kept up the struggle until the following year, +but at last he was compelled to sue for peace. + +In the meantime Brant's reputation among his tribesmen +was steadily rising. In the spring of 1764, when the +fighting was at an end, he returned to Canajoharie Castle. +There he built a comfortable house, wedded the daughter +of an Oneida chieftain, and dwelt for some years in peace +and quiet. Two children, Isaac and Christiana, were born +to him of this, his first, marriage. We may pass rapidly +over these tranquil years of Brant's life. He did his +domestic duties as a man should; and Sir William Johnson, +finding him trustworthy, had constant work for him, and +sent him on many important missions to the Indians, even +to the far-western tribes. During this period Brant became +a communicant in the Anglican Church, and, knowing well +what hardships the missionaries had to endure, he gave +them what help he could in their work among the red +people. He assisted the Rev. John Stuart, a missionary to +his tribe and afterwards a distinguished clergyman in Upper +Canada, in his translation of the Acts of the Apostles, +in a History of the Bible, and in a brief explanation of +the Catechism, in the dialect of the Mohawks. It is +related that a belated missionary, footsore and weary, +crept one day to Brant's abode, where he was given food +and cared for in his sickness. 'Joseph Brant,' the +missionary wrote in grateful tribute, 'is exceeding kind.' + +It was well that a man of judicious mind and fearless +heart was coming to the fore among the nation of the +Mohawks. A cloud had begun to fleck the horizon; soon +would come the sound of the approaching tempest. How +would it fare with the Six Nations in the day of turmoil? + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE WAYS DIVIDE + +The happy ending, in 1763, of the war with France left +the English colonies in America with little to disturb +them, except the discontented red men beyond the Alleghany +Mountains. The colonies grew larger; they did more business +and they gathered more wealth. But as they prospered they +became self-confident and with scarce an enemy at home +they became involved in a quarrel with the motherland +across the sea. England, they said, was taxing them +unjustly and posting soldiers in their chief cities to +carry out her will. They were by no means disposed to +submit. As early as 1770 a mob in Boston attacked an +English guard and drew upon themselves its fire, which +caused bloodshed in the city's streets. This was the +prelude of the American Revolution. A brief lull came in +the storm. But as Britain still insisted on the right to +tax the colonies and made an impost on tea the test of +her right, rebels in Boston accepted the challenge and +were inflamed to violence; they swarmed on a tea-ship +which had entered the bay, dragged the packets from the +hold, and cast them into the waters of the harbour. When +news of this act of violence reached England, parliament +passed a bill providing for the shutting up of the port +of Boston and removing the seat of government to Salem. +In 1774 General Gage, the recently appointed governor of +Massachusetts, placed the colony under military rule, +and it was cut off from the rest of the country. The +signal for revolt was thus given, and a general revolution +soon followed. + +The colonists immediately divided into two parties; on +the one side were those who felt that they must obey what +they thought to be the call of liberty; on the other were +those who had no desire, and felt no need, to follow a +summons to insurrection against His Majesty the King. +The red man began to see clearly that the whites, the +'Long Knives,' brethren of the same race, would soon be +at one another's throats, and that they, the natives, +could not remain neutral when the war broke out. + +During these alarming days Sir William Johnson died, when +scarcely sixty years of age. He had seen that the break +with the motherland was coming, and the prospect was +almost more than he could bear. On the very day of his +death he had received dispatches from England that probably +hastened his end. He was told, under the royal seal, of +the great peril that lay in store for all the king's +people, and he was urged to keep the Six Nations firm in +their allegiance to the crown. On that morning, July +11, 1774, the dying man called the Indians to council, +and spoke what were to be his parting words to the tribes. +They must, he said, stand by the king, undaunted and +unmoved under every trial. A few hours later the gallant +Sir William Johnson, the friend of all the sons of the +forest, the guide and helper of Joseph Brant, had breathed +his last. His estates and titles were inherited by his +son John Johnson, who was also promoted to the rank of +major-general in the army. The control of Indian Affairs +passed into the hands of his son-in-law, Colonel Guy +Johnson, an able man, but less popular and wanting the +broad sympathies of the great superintendent. Brant was +at once made secretary to Guy Johnson, and to these two +men Sir William's work of dealing with the Indians now +fell. Their task, laid on them by their king, was to keep +the Six Nations true to his cause in the hour when the +tomahawk should leave its girdle and the war fires should +again gleam sullenly in the depths of the forest. + +Joseph Brant set about this work with restless energy. +He was no longer the stripling who had gone away to the +West that he might aid in bending the pride of Pontiac. +Ten years had passed, and now he was a mature man with +an ever-broadening vision. Some time during these years +he had reached the position among his tribesmen which he +long had coveted. He had been recognized by the Mohawks +as one of their chieftains. This honour he had won by +right not of birth but of merit, and for this reason he +was known as a 'Pine-tree Chief.' Like the pine-tree, +tall and strong and conspicuous among the trees of the +forest, he had achieved a commanding place in the Mohawk +nation. True, he was a chief merely by gift of his tribe, +but he seems, nevertheless, to have been treated with +the same respect and confidence as the hereditary chiefs. +He rejoiced in his new distinction. Evil days were ahead, +and he was now in a position to do effective work on +behalf of his people and of the British when the inevitable +war should break out. A still greater honour was in store +for him. When war was declared he at once became recognized +as the war leader of the Six Nations--the War Chief. The +hereditary successor of King Hendrick, who was slain at +Lake George in 1755, was Little Abraham; but Little +Abraham, it appears, desired to remain neutral in the +impending struggle, and by common consent Brant assumed +the leadership of the Iroquois in war. + +Two things favoured Brant in any appeal he might make in +the interests of the British to the loyalty of the Six +Nations. For over a hundred years they had taken from +the colonial agents who represented the crown wampum +belts as a sign of treaty obligations. Treaties had been +made with the king; the word of the red man had been +given to the king. Promises made to them by the king's +agents had always been performed. Why, therefore, should +they now plight their faith to any other than their Great +Father the King, who dwelt far over the waters? Besides, +by recent actions of the colonists, the resentment of +the Indians had been fanned to a fury. In 1774 some +colonial land-hunters were scouring the country of the +Shawnees. Without any real cause they fell upon some +redskins and butchered several in an inhuman way. Not +satisfied with this act of cruelty, they seized two brave +chiefs, Bald Eagle and Silver Heels, and killed them in +cold blood. The anger of the Indians was aroused and they +rallied under the banner of the noble Logan, 'Mingo Chief' +of the Shawnees. Against him the Virginians sent a large +force of more than two thousand men. A fierce battle took +place at the Great Kanawha river, at the point where that +stream flows into the Ohio. For a time Logan and his +Indian ally Cornstalk and their followers fought +desperately, but in the end they were forced to flee +across the Ohio. This war was short, indeed, but it had +no just warrant, and the Indians could not forget the +outrage that had been committed. The memory of it rankled +with the Six Nations, especially among the Cayugas, to +whom Logan was bound by ties of blood. + +While Joseph was doing his utmost to keep the Indians +loyal and was keeping watch upon those who were plotting +to win them from their allegiance to the crown, Sir John +Johnson was growing anxious for his own life. So great +was his, fear of being killed or abducted that he increased +his body-guard to five hundred men. At the same time, +he placed swivel-guns about his house, in order to +withstand a sudden attack. He energetically organized +the settlers on his domains into a protecting force. In +particular the Highland loyalists in his district rallied +to his aid, and soon a hundred and fifty brawny clansmen +were ready to take the field at the shortest notice. + +But the Six Nations were by no means united in their +loyalty to the crown. Brant saw that the tribe most +wavering in its support was the Oneidas. He found that +their missionary, Samuel Kirkland, was in league with +the rebels, and sought to have this clergyman removed. +Failing in this, he wrote to the Oneida chiefs, urging +them to remain loyal to the king. A letter that an Oneida +runner let fall at this time on an Indian path is the +earliest bit of handwriting that we have from Joseph +Brant's pen. In it he warns the Oneidas against the subtle +work which the colonists were carrying on. 'Guy Johnson +is in great fear of being taken prisoner by the Bostonians,' +he says. 'We Mohawks are obliged to watch him constantly. +Guy Johnson assures himself, and depends upon your coming +to his assistance... He believes not that you will assent +to let him suffer.' The appeal thus made seems, however, +to have met with little response from the Oneidas, and +Brant was rebuffed. Even before this they had sent a +letter to the governor of Connecticut expressing in, +plain terms their desire to remain neutral when hostilities +should commence. 'We cannot intermeddle in this dispute +between two brothers,' was their decision. 'The quarrel +seems to be unnatural.' The Oneidas had the right to +their opinion, but their conduct must have stung the +heart of the chief of the Mohawks. Yet never for a moment +did his courage fail. He knew that the bulk of the Six +Nations were willing to give their life's blood in the +service of the king. He and they would be true to the +old and binding covenant which their forefathers had made +as allies of the crown. 'It will not do for us to break +it,' said Brant, 'let what will become of us.' + +Civil war was now impending in the colonies. The battle +of Lexington had been fought, and the whole country was +taking breath before the plunge into the conflict. Guy +Johnson and Brant were waiting to declare themselves and +the time was nearly ripe. The first move was made just +after the Mohawk chiefs had been summoned to a council +at Guy Park, [Footnote: 'A beautiful situation immediately +on the bank of the Mohawk. The elegant stone mansion is +yet [1865] upon the premises giving the best evidence of +substantial building.'--William L. Stone, _Life of Joseph +Brant_, vol. i. p. 71.] about the end of May. Secret +orders had come from General Gage, and Johnson knew +precisely what course he was expected to follow. Leaving +his house to what fate might befall it, he started westward +with Brant and a force of Indians and white men. At their +first important stopping-place, Cosby's Manor, a letter +was sent back to throw a blind across their trail. Then, +with their faces still towards the setting sun, the loyal +band wended their way through the dark mazes of the forest. + +After a weary journey the loyalist party emerged among +the populous western villages of the Iroquois confederacy. +There, at Ontario, south of the lake of that name, was +held a great assembly, and fifteen hundred warriors +listened to the messengers of the king. In reply the +chiefs of the assembled throng expressed their willingness +to 'assist his Majesty's troops in their operations.' +Johnson and Brant then went on to Oswego, on the margin +of the lake, where an even larger body heard their plea. +Johnson prepared for the redskins a typical repast, and +'invited them to feast on a Bostonian.' The Indians avowed +their willingness to fight for the king. Then, while the +summer days were long, a flotilla of canoes, in which +were many of the most renowned chiefs of the Six Nations, +set out eastward for Montreal over the sparkling waters +of Lake Ontario. In one of the slender craft knelt Joseph +Brant, paddle in hand, thoughtful and yet rejoicing. He +was but thirty-three years old, and yet, by shrewdness +in council and by courage on the field of battle, he +already occupied a prominent place among the chiefs of +the confederacy. Moreover, great days were ahead. Soon +the canoes entered the broad St Lawrence and were gliding +swiftly among its islets. With steady motion they followed +its majestic course as it moved towards the sea. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +ACROSS THE SEA + +Before many suns had set, this company of dusky warriors +had brought their canoes to shore near the swift rapids +which run by Montreal. The news of their coming was +received with enthusiasm by the officers stationed at +this place. Every friendly addition to the British ranks +was of value now that war had begun. Sir Guy Carleton, +the governor of Canada, was especially delighted that +these bronzed stalwarts had made their appearance. He +prized the abilities of the Indians in border warfare, +and their arrival now might be of importance, since the +local Canadian militia had not responded to the call to +arms. The French seigneurs and clergy were favourable to +the king's cause, but the habitants on the whole were +not interested in the war, and Carleton's regular troops +consisted of only eight hundred men of the Seventh and +Twenty-Sixth regiments. + +No time was lost by the governor in summoning the redskins +to an interview. Chief Brant, it appears, was the leading +spokesman for the Indians on this occasion, and a sentence +or two of the speech made by Carleton has been preserved +by Brant himself. 'I exhort you,' was Carleton's earnest +request of the Indians, 'to continue your adherence to +the King, and not to break the solemn agreement made by +your forefathers, for your own welfare is intimately +connected with your continuing the allies of his Majesty.' +In reply the Indians asserted once more their ancient +pledges. 'We acknowledged,' said Brant, 'that it would +certainly be the best in the end for our families and +ourselves to remain under the King's protection, whatever +difficulties we might have to contend with.' + +In order that he might render due service to the army, +Brant was put under military discipline, and was given +a captain's commission in the king's forces. He was in +Montreal when Ethan Allen, a colonial adventurer, made +an unauthorized attempt (Sept. 24, 1775) to surprise and +capture the city. Carleton had been apprised of Allen's +project; the plan miscarried, and Allen, along with other +members of his band, was sent to England as a prisoner +of war. Meanwhile General Montgomery had been advancing +from the south, and, in September, he laid siege to Fort +St John, the English stronghold on the Richelieu river. +This post was stoutly defended by Major Preston with a +force of regulars until Fort Chambly, near by, fell into +the enemy's hands, and further resistance was useless. +Whether Brant's services were employed in or about either +of these forts cannot be ascertained, but we know that +he had left the neighbourhood and was on his way to +England before Montreal capitulated on November 17. + +Brant's visit to Montreal had no doubt an important +influence on his career. This was perhaps the first time +he had ever seen a sea-port. [Footnote: It is thought +possible that he had gone down the St Lawrence as far as +Montreal with Sir William Johnson in 1760.] At this time +Montreal had some five or six thousand inhabitants and +was a walled town of growing commercial importance. It +had several commodious religious houses, some large, +well-built churches, and a number of handsome residences. +As Brant stood on the river's bank, he saw a medley of +craft afloat in the current: ships of the fur traders +laden with peltry; transports coming and going with food +for the garrisons, or new men for the service; +sloops-of-war, lying at anchor with their complement of +guns, grim and menacing. + +All this gripped as with an iron hand the imaginative +nature of the Mohawk chief. The spirit of romance was +aglow within him, and he had a wondering desire to see +the lands that lay beyond the ocean. He would sail upon +the high seas; he would stand in the presence of the +Great King. How beautiful was this land called England! +and how powerful were its army and navy! Doubtless Guy +Johnson and other officers at Montreal encouraged Brant +to undertake the journey which he fain would make. It +may be that it was they who first showed him how such a +journey was possible. At any rate, before the ice had +begun to lock the green waters of the St Lawrence, in +the year 1775, he had passed through the Gulf and was +tossing on the billows of the deep Atlantic. Towards the +end of the year he arrived, along with Captain Tice, in +the English metropolis. London had altered greatly since +the days of Queen Anne more than half a century before, +when his grandfather had been there. It had become a +greater market for trade, and the common people had been +elbowing their way to the parts where only fine residences +had once stood. Two kings of the House of Hanover had in +the meantime reigned and died, and now King George III, +another of that line, sat upon the throne. + +On reaching London Chief Brant was escorted to a small +hostel of not very imposing appearance called 'The Swan +with Two Necks.' It was intended that he should soon be +taken to other lodgings that would be more in keeping +with his rank; but the innkeeper and others were so kind +to him that he was loth to leave, and could not be coaxed +to other quarters during his whole stay in London. In +the streets he was accustomed to dress like the Europeans +of the day, but on state occasions he wore a gala costume, +his head crowned with waving plumes and his body decked +with those fancy ornaments that pleased the proud Indian. +On the burnished tomahawk that glistened in his belt was +traced the initial 'J,' followed by his Indian title, +'Thayendanegea.' + +Brant appeared at court and had audience with the king, +for whose person he felt a sacred reverence. He loved +freedom, but at the same time he always had a great +respect for authority. A story is told of the pointed +answer he made to his old instructor, Dr Wheelock, who, +thinking to draw Brant over to the side of the colonists, +or at least to keep him neutral, had written him a long +and earnest appeal. The Mohawk chief replied in a kindly +fashion, referring to the pleasant hours he had spent at +the school. He remembered especially the prayers that +were said in the household, and one prayer in particular +that had been repeated over and over again; as they bent +their heads in entreaty before the Maker of all things, +the request had ever been 'that they might be able to +live as good subjects, to fear God and honour the King.' + +Not only did high officials in London treat Brant with +consideration, but men of learning, as well as of social +position, vied with one another to make his visit +interesting and pleasant. Among those who entertained +him was James Boswell, who knew all the gossip of London +society and was a man of rare talents. He took a peculiar +liking to the bronzed chief of the Six Nations and +persuaded him to sit for his portrait. The Earl of Warwick +also wished to have Brant's picture, and the result was +that he sat for George Romney, one of the most famous +artists of the day. This portrait was probably painted +at the artist's house in Cavendish Square, and we may +accept it as a good likeness of Brant as he appeared at +this time. With head erect, the strong-knit figure of +the chief stands at repose. The eyes are mild and wide-set +and about the lips a smile is playing. In the portrait +we see, too, the resolute heart, the thoughtful mind, +and the restless energy that made Joseph Brant a ruler +of the native races. + +On being asked as to the help he might render to the +English arms in the New World, Brant asserted strongly +that he and his people were loyal. He said that, as War +Chief, he would lead three thousand of his warriors into +the struggle, and that they would fight manfully as +subjects of the king. He knew full well how desperate +the contest was going to be, and wishing to have some +article on his body that would identify him in case of +death, he bought from a London goldsmith a ring, in which +he had his full name engraved. This he wore through the +vicissitudes of many a long year. + +Before the winter was over Brant was anxious to return +to his tribes, for he knew that when the hatchet was +whirling the wigwam was more fitting for him that the +palaces of London. Accordingly, in the spring of 1776, +he set out for his western home. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +BRANT MEETS HERKIMER + +When the ship on which Brant was a passenger touched the +shores of America, he was landed secretly somewhere near +New York city. He was now face to face with the difficulty +of reaching his friends--a task that called forth all +his alertness. He was in a hostile country, a long way +from the forests of the Mohawk valley lying above Albany. +But he was a wily redskin, too clever to be caught, and +after adroitly evading many dangers he eventually reached +the border country and crossed over safely into Canada. + +In July 1776, several weeks before his arrival, the +colonists had declared their independence. The language +of the Declaration of Independence was confident, but +soon after it was uttered the colonists suffered a series +of defeats. Arnold was beaten by Carleton on Lake Champlain +and Washington was forced to retreat until he had crossed +the Delaware. It has been said that Brant took part in +the Battle of the Cedars, where, on the north bank of +the St Lawrence, Captain Forster overpowered a body of +four hundred Americans; but this occurred in May 1776, +and since Brant's ship did not arrive until July he could +not have been one of the combatants in this engagement. +What Brant was doing during the greater part of the year +following his arrival in Canada has not been recorded. +In the spring of 1777 we are able to pick up his trail +again. While the armies were preparing for another summer +campaign, Brant returned once more to his old haunts near +the frontier of the colony of New York, taking up his +position at a place called Oquaga on the Susquehanna +river, south of the Mohawk valley. This was a favourite +resort of the Indians, and Brant was well aware that from +this point he could carry on to advantage a guerrilla +warfare against the rebels and their sympathizers. + +His coming sent a shiver of dread through all the +neighbouring settlements. Hitherto this part of the colony +had been remote from the main theatre of the war, but +now that Brant was there any moment might bring an attack, +and the inhabitants began to make ready their defences. +More particularly were steps for protection taken in +Cherry Valley, a rich and fertile area stretching up +towards the Mohawk. Because of its strength and situation, +the house of Colonel Samuel Campbell, one of the prominent +farmers in the valley, was selected for a fortified post, +and logs and earth were banked about it and the two +adjoining barns. Thither from all sides the people +collected, thinking that at any moment the chief of the +Mohawks might pounce upon them. + +Brant did, indeed, intend to assail this fortress, as it +contained many of the leading rebels of that district, +but a strange incident deceived him with regard to the +strength of the place and made him change his purpose. +It was not a common thing for him to make errors of +judgement, but for once he was misled--hoodwinked--in a +very simple manner. Like a wise commander he had set out +to reconnoitre the enemy's position, and proceeded in +the direction of Campbell's house with a small body of +men. When about a mile away, he concealed himself behind +some thick shrubbery on the crest of a hillock. As he +peered through the tangled foliage his view was obscured, +and he descried what seemed to him to be a battalion of +troops marching near the house. This was nothing more than +a number of boys with wooden guns in their hands playing +at soldiers and parading in great glee upon the grassy +sward beside the fortified house; but so well did they +perform that Brant imagined they were soldiers training +for active service in the war. 'Colonel Campbell has got +his house well guarded, I perceive,' he said, turning +about and addressing his followers. Thinking that it +would be folly to venture near the spot with his slender +force, Brant decided to retire and he took the road +leading towards the Mohawk river. The same evening, as +he lay in wait with his men behind a large boulder, two +horsemen approached. One was an officer named Wormwood, +the other a settler. Without having suspected an ambush, +they suddenly found themselves in the clutches of an enemy. +In the struggle Lieutenant Wormwood met his death, much +to Brant's sorrow, as they had been good friends before +the war. After this event the chief returned to Oquaga. + +As the weeks passed, his following on the Susquehanna +grew apace. The name of the great War Chief had a charm +about it that drew to his command warriors from every +part of the forest. Little wonder that the settlers became +more and more alarmed. At length they resolved to try to +negotiate peace with him. One of their number, Nicholas +Herkimer, decided to go to the Susquehanna and there have +an interview with the chief himself. Herkimer was a +citizen noted for his integrity and had been made a +brigadier-general in the provincial army. He had formerly +lived three miles from Brant, when his home was on the +upper Mohawk, and knew him well. Nothing has ever been +said to show that Herkimer lacked courage. But he was +vain enough to think that a few words from him might +weaken Brant's steadfast loyalty. Furthermore, like too +many frontiersmen of his day, he held the Indian race in +little esteem and, as we shall see, he did not scruple +to treat them with the basest kind of treachery. The plea +may be made that he was apprehensive of duplicity on the +part of the Mohawk chief, but this does not wholly excuse +his conduct. + +After duly making his plans, Herkimer invited Brant to +meet him at Unadilla, on the Susquehanna, higher up than +Oquaga. He arrived at this place in the month of July +with three hundred and eighty militiamen, but had to wait +a week before Brant put in an appearance. The fact that +he came with such a numerous escort was well fitted to +cause suspicion. Captain Brant also came with a large +contingent of warriors, pitched his camp at some little +distance from the Americans, and sent a runner to ask +the general why he had been honoured with this visit. +Herkimer replied that he merely wished to have a talk +with his brother Brant and that would be all. The runner +said he would bear the message back, but first asked +slyly whether all these men were anxious to talk with +the War Chief also. Before departing, Brant's messenger +signified that the colonials must not trespass upon the +field that stretched away towards the Indians' camp. +About half-way between the two parties a shed was now +put up, large enough to seat two hundred people. It was +agreed that each side should send a deputation to this +hall, where a meeting would be held. On no account, +however, were any firearms or other weapons to be brought +from the camps. + +Upon the day appointed Herkimer was the first to reach +the spot, while Brant arrived a little later. The Indian +chief had scented danger and was strictly on his guard. +With him were two pale-faces, a Mohawk chief, about two +score warriors, and an Indian woman. It was the custom +in such a parley to draw a circle on the ground and for +the leaders to stand or sit within this. Herkimer and +two officers entered the circle, while Brant was accompanied +by the inferior chieftain. Brant was all the time watching +the general like a hawk and again asked him what was the +meaning of his visit. Herkimer repeated that it was only +for the sake of good fellowship. + +'And all these have come on a friendly visit too?' asked +Captain Brant. 'All want to see the poor Indians; it is +very kind.' Unaffected by Brant's irony, Herkimer next +referred to the troubles between England and the colonies, +and tried to draw out Brant. The chief was slow and +taciturn in answering, but at last burst forth in no +uncertain language. He said that 'the Indians were in +concert with the King, as their fathers had been; ... +that General Herkimer and his followers had joined the +Boston people against their Sovereign.' For all that, he +had no fear of the result and knew 'that although the +Boston people were resolute, yet the King would humble +them.' + +The meeting did not break up before there were signs of +coming violence, but finally better feelings appeared to +prevail and they decided to assemble again on the following +morning. + +In the interval Herkimer is said to have devised one of +the vilest schemes that has ever been charged against a +man of his rank. He selected a settler, named Joseph +Waggoner, and three other trusty men as his accomplices. +These persons were to assist him in a conspiracy against +Brant's life that was simply an attempt at murder. The +details of the plot were furnished in a confession made +afterwards by Waggoner. As the parties stood in the +circle, the four accomplices were to take a cue from +Herkimer and shoot the Indians down without warning. But +Herkimer was reckoning without his host. Joseph Brant +was far too shrewd to walk headlong into such an open +snare. It is plain that he had come to suspect the +intentions of his adversary. Next morning, as he stepped +into the circle, he assumed a grave and dignified mien. +Addressing Herkimer, he spoke in stern accents: + +'I have five hundred warriors with me, armed and ready +for battle. You are in my power; but as we have been +friends and neighbours, I will not take advantage of you.' + +As he ended, a great band of redskins advanced from the +engirdling forest, and the war-whoop rent the air. Backed +by his faithful warriors, the War Chief could speak in +tones of authority to his foe. He did not forget to thank +him for his coming, but bade him direct his steps once +again towards his home on the Mohawk. Thereupon Brant +turned about and strode away among the trees. Just then +thick clouds blotted out the sky; a terrible storm swept +in violence across the land, a fitting presage, as men +thought, of the scourge of war that must now bring ruin +and havoc in its wake. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +FORT STANWIX AND ORISKANY + +Fresh from undoing Herkimer's ugly plot, Brant abandoned +the Susquehanna and went off in the direction of Lake +Ontario. A great Indian council was to be held at Oswego, +and possibly he was hurrying to this meeting. + +A vigorous campaign had been set on foot for the midsummer +of 1777 by General Burgoyne, who was now in command of +the British forces at Montreal. It was arranged that +Burgoyne should strike southward with the main army until +he reached the Hudson river. Meanwhile another body of +troops, under Lieutenant-Colonel St Leger, would make a +long detour by way of Lake Ontario and the western part +of the colony of New York. The object of this latter +movement was to rally the Indians, collect a force of +loyalists, and fight through the heart of the country +with the hope of forming a junction with Burgoyne's army +at Albany. + +St Leger reached Oswego about the middle of July. There +he was joined by a regiment of loyalists, the famous +Royal Greens, and a company of Tory Rangers under Colonel +John Butler. Brant was present with two hundred Mohawks, +while a large band of Senecas were also grouped under +the king's standard. In all there were seventeen hundred +men, fully one thousand of whom were Indians under the +supreme command of Captain Brant. + +On starting out, St Leger, who knew that a surprise might +be attempted, outlined his order of march with great +care. A detachment from one of the battalions was sent +on ahead, and this was later joined by Captain Brant with +a party of his warriors. Five columns of Indians went in +front, in single file; the flanks also were protected by +Indians at a distance of one hundred paces from the +central column. + +It was intended that the first blow should be struck at +Fort Stanwix, on the head-waters of the Mohawk. This was +an old English stronghold that had fallen into decay, +but was being repaired and defended in the interest of +the revolting colonies by Colonel Peter Gansevoort. It +lay on the traffic-road to Oneida Lake, and was considered +a strong point of vantage. Its garrison was made up of +about seven hundred and fifty colonials. They had provisions +enough to last for six weeks and a goodly supply of +ammunition, and hoped to be able to withstand attack +until help should arrive. + +The English leader reached this fort on August 3, and +immediately began to invest it. A demand was sent in +under a flag of truce calling upon the garrison to +surrender. St Leger said it was his desire 'to spare when +possible' and only 'to strike where necessary.' He was +willing to buy their stock of provisions and grant security +to all within the fort. The offer was generous, but the +garrison rejected it with a good-tempered disdain and +the siege went on with renewed earnestness. The Indians, +hiding in the thickets, poured their fire upon those who +were working on the walls. The presence of the savages +lent a weird fury to the scene, made it, indeed, well-nigh +uncanny. One evening in particular they 'spread themselves +through the woods, completely encircling the Fort, and +commenced a terrible yelling, which was continued at +intervals the greater part of the night.' Fort Stanwix +was soon in dire straits. The news of the investment had +sent a thrill through the whole of the Mohawk valley. +The colonials came together in haste, and soon about a +thousand of them, led by Nicholas Herkimer, were ascending +the river in straggling array. They hurried on their +course with such zeal that they did not even send out +scouting parties to warn them of danger and prevent +surprise. On August 5 this relief force was close to +Oriskany, and only eight miles distant from St Leger's +position. Herkimer now matured a clever plan, the success +of which he confidently expected would bring him victory. +He chose three men and sent them forward to gain entrance +to the fort and to tell Gansevoort that help was coming. +The moment they arrived the besieged were to fire three +guns in rapid succession. This was to be Herkimer's +signal; he would speed at once along the road to the +British position and fling himself on its rear, while, +at the same time, Gansevoort must issue forth and attack +it in front. St Leger's army, it was hoped, would crumble +in hopeless defeat between two shattering fires. + +As fortune would have it, this ruse was doomed to complete +failure. The messengers set out at eleven o'clock at +night, and Herkimer thought they would surely reach the +fort by three in the morning. But he waited in vain the +whole night through; no sound of cannonade disturbed the +quiet air. As the hours crept by his officers became +fretful and impatient; in the end they declared for an +immediate advance, denouncing Herkimer as a faltering +coward. At length the old man, sorely against his will, +gave the order to march. The relief party streamed through +the forest with disordered ranks. In the meantime Brant's +Indians had not been idle. They had carefully watched +the manoeuvres of the hostile force, and had given timely +warning. St Leger at once took steps to bar the road to +attack. For this purpose a division of the Royal Greens +was detailed, as well as the Tory Rangers, with Butler +in command. The bulk of the contingent, however, were +Indians, and it fell to the lot of Joseph Brant to fasten +Herkimer in the strong meshes of his net. + +The ground over which the Americans had to pass was +uneven, and this had not escaped the watchful eye of +Brant. He was an adept in the tactics of Indian warfare, +and now used his knowledge to good effect. Herkimer had +not gone far along the narrow trail before he found +himself in difficulties. The road slanted down into a +boggy hollow some six or seven miles below Fort Stanwix. +This hollow had a winding course in the form of a crescent, +and across its march a causeway of heavy logs had been +built. Between the ends of the encircling ravine there +was an elevated position, thickly wooded and dry. Upon +this Brant had laid his ambush, having posted his men +with only a slight opening in their ranks towards the +incline of the road. + +Down into the gully came the colonials, their wagons and +a small guard bringing up the rear. As they toiled up +the opposing ascent, the gap was closed upon them, and +they were surrounded on every side. The rear-guard were +left behind with the wagons and fled in a tumult, with +a throng of Indians in close pursuit. From the sheltering +trees a deadly fusillade swept the hapless files of those +who were hemmed about on the rising ground. Darting from +their cover, the Indians sprang upon such as lay wounded +and dispatched them with knife and tomahawk. + +The first onslaught had resulted in a carnival of blood. +Now the colonials, owing to their numbers, were able to +get together and to place themselves on the defensive. +The fight soon became hand to hand and there ensued one +of the most gruesome melees of the whole War of the +Revolution. The men were able to look into one another's +faces; they fought at quarters too close for bullets, +and relied upon gun-stock, knife-blade, and bayonet. +There was slashing and cutting, clubbing and throttling, +and often in their frenzy they grappled tight and died +in one another's fast embrace. In the midst of it all +Herkimer proved himself no craven. With his leg ripped +by a bullet he propped himself against a tree, lit his +pipe, and directed the order of the battle. Above the +din rang out clear the wild cries of the red men, their +painted bodies flashing bright among the trees. In the +forefront was Brant, fighting vehemently, his towering +form set firmly, his deep voice echoing loud. + +While the battle was at its height, rolling clouds had +gathered and a drenching storm checked the combatants in +their work of slaughter. The colonials were still fighting +desperately, but for them the day was lost. After the +few moments' interval they re-formed their scattered +ranks and resolutely faced the foe. No sooner, however, +had the struggle again commenced than the noise of cannon +came reverberating upon the moist air. The appointed +messengers had arrived at Fort Stanwix, many hours late, +and the signal had been given. Deceived by the cannonading +and fearing that St Leger might be in distress, the +loyalists rapidly drew off with their Indian allies, +leaving their opponents on the crimson field. But so +exhausted were the colonials by the fierce fighting they +had experienced that they could not follow after the +retreating army and were forced to move dejectedly down +the Mohawk valley. Four hundred of their men had fallen +in the battle, dead or wounded, nearly half the number +that had entered the swampy ravine. On a litter of green +boughs General Herkimer was carried to his stone house +on the river, where, a few weeks after the cruel fight, +he died with the same fortitude that he had shown when +under fire. + +The laurels for this victory at Oriskany rested with +Captain Brant. He had commanded the greater part of the +loyalist forces and his plan had placed the enemy at +their mercy. Thanks to this success, the colonials had +received a stunning blow, and Colonel St Leger's army +was possibly saved from an utter rout. But the Indians +had paid a heavy price for their victory; many of their +chiefs and warriors lay dead upon the field. + +The siege of Fort Stanwix was kept up until August 22. +By this time St Leger had reached a point one hundred +and fifty yards from its outer wall. During the interval +the word of Herkimer's defeat had brought General Arnold +with a strong body of militiamen to the rescue. While +still some distance away this commander thought that he +might create a false alarm in the English camp. A +half-witted fellow, who went by the name of Hon-Yost +Schuyler, had been captured and was in Arnold's camp. He +was freed on condition that he should go to the English +camp and give an exaggerated account of the new force +which was coming to the relief of Fort Stanwix. When he +reached the camp Schuyler went first among the Indians, +showing a coat riddled with bullets, and told of the host +that was on its way. When asked how many there were, he +pointed to the fluttering leaves above his head. The +redskins always had a superstitious awe of this stupid +fellow and now they were terror-stricken by his words +and antics. Panic seized the besiegers. Perhaps Brant +tried to quell the disorder, but, if he did, his efforts +were in vain. St Leger himself seemed to share in the +panic, for he beat a hasty retreat, following the road +leading to Oswego. But the War Chief of the Six Nations--it +is pleasant to relate--did not retreat with him. While +St Leger journeyed to the north, Brant had called together +a band of his willing followers. Then he took one of +those flying marches which made him famous in border +warfare. Crossing the territory of the enemy with great +skill and daring, he hurried eastward, and in a short +time he was in the camp of General Burgoyne on the banks +of the Hudson. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +FIGHTING ON THE FRONTIER + +Brant was now regularly in the pay of the British, and +until the close of the war he was to be employed actively +in weakening the colonists by destroying their settlements +intervening between the populous centres of the Atlantic +states and the borders of Canada. In this unhappy +fratricidal war each side used the Indians to strike +terror into the hearts of its enemies, and as a result, +in the quiet valleys lying between the Hudson and Ohio +and the Great Lakes, there was an appalling destruction +of property and loss of life. Brant proved himself one +of the most successful of the leaders in this border +warfare, and while he does not seem ever to have been +guilty of wanton cruelty himself, those under him, on +more than one occasion, ruthlessly murdered their foes, +irrespective of age or sex. That he tacitly permitted +his followers to murder and scalp unarmed settlers shows +that he was still much of a savage. As one historian has +written: 'He was not a devil, and not an angel.' It is +true, as we shall see, that on several occasions he +intervened to save Tory friends and acquaintances, but +these are isolated examples, and his raids were accompanied +by all the horrors of Indian warfare. The only excuse +that can be offered for him is that he was no worse than +his age, and that the white loyalist leaders, such as +the Butlers, as well as the colonial commanders of the +revolutionists, were equally callous regarding the +destruction of property and life. + +Brant appears to have spent the winter of 1777 and 1778 +in Canada, but with the opening of military operations +in the spring he was again at Oquaga and Unadilla. One +of his first exploits of the year 1778 was at Springfield, +a small settlement lying some miles beyond Cherry Valley +at the head of Lake Otsego. When news of Brant's approach +reached this place, a number of the men-folk fled for +their lives. Those who remained were taken prisoners. +The chief gathered the women and children into one house +and set the torch to all the other buildings in the +settlement. Brant's care for the weaker sex and the +children during this expedition shows that he had a +tenderness of heart unusual among the red men of his +time. + +During the hay-making season the chief was reconnoitring +in the Schoharie district, which was situated some distance +west of Albany and south of the Mohawk river. The scythe +had been at work in the tall grass, and a farmer's lad +was busy in a sunlit meadow raking hay. As he dragged +the loose bundles over the stubble, he heard a footfall +in his rear. Turning about he saw that a sturdy Indian +dressed in warrior's garb had stolen upon him. The boy +involuntarily raised his rake as though to strike. + +'Do not be afraid, young man,' the intruder said in good +English; 'I will not hurt you.' + +The warrior then asked the youth in friendly terms where +a Mr Foster, a loyalist, had his dwelling. He went further +and asked the lad his name. + +'I know your father well,' said the redskin, when the +boy had answered his questions; 'he lives neighbour to +Captain McKean. I know McKean very well, and a fine fellow +he is too.' + +The boy was now quite reassured that the Indian would do +him no harm, and boldly inquired who his interrogator +might be. + +'My name is Brant,' answered the redskin, although he +pondered for a moment before replying. + +'What! Joseph Brant?' said the youth, as a sharp thrill +went coursing through his veins. + +'No!' answered the warrior, 'I am a cousin of his'; but +a smile lit up his dark countenance, and the boy knew +that his denial was just a bit of native humour. Thereupon +Brant disappeared in the direction of Foster's house. +The boy at once rushed from the field to the fortified +post near by to tell his story, and a hue and cry was +soon raised. A party hurried to the loyalist's house to +seek Brant, but he was not there. Foster said that he +had never come and that he knew nothing of him. So, +checkmated in their search, the group of would-be captors +had to wheel about and go back disappointed to their +fortress. + +Brant was fast gaining an unsavoury reputation which he +but partly merited. Owing to the character of the country +in which he was fighting, and to the lack of discipline +in the force under his command, destruction of property +and plunder were certain to occur. Brant, as we shall +see, did little to discourage this among his warriors. +His argument was that his antagonists had taken up arms +against their lawful king. As rebels, their lands and +property were forfeited to the crown and were justly +liable to seizure by the king's forces. To the settlers +on the border, however, Brant was looked upon as a ruthless +marauder, thirsting for blood. Whenever acts of wanton +cruelty took place, the blame was generally laid at his +door. This explains the bitterness of their attitude to +him both during and after the conflict and the singular +fear which his name inspired among them. + +At Unadilla Brant had begun to fortify an area which lent +itself to defence, and thither the tribesmen flocked from +the surrounding districts. So determined were the settlers +to capture him that they offered a reward to any one who +would bring them any knowledge of his movements. Even +men like Captain McKean, whom Brant had mentioned so +kindly to the farmer's boy, were hot upon his trail. This +officer set out with five other men in order, if possible, +to effect Brant's capture. While on their quest the little +party came one night to the house of a Quaker. To their +great delight, the Quaker told them that Brant had been +at his place during the day and would come back. He warned +them, however, that Brant was prepared to meet them, and +that if he returned suddenly their lives would be in +danger. McKean, however, was stubborn in his resolve to +stay. + +'Your house, friend Sleeper,' he said, with a show of +bravado, 'shall be my fort to-night.' + +But the Quaker would have none of them, and sent the +searchers on their way. Then Captain McKean wrote a letter +to Brant. Placing this in a stick, he cast it on an Indian +path, where it was soon found by a redskin and carried +to the War Chief's wigwam. In the letter McKean arraigned +Brant for the ferocious manner in which he was fighting, +and dared the Mohawk chief to single combat, or to send +a chosen body of men to meet him in fair field against +an equal number. If he showed his face in Cherry Valley, +threatened McKean, 'they would change him from a Brant +into a Goose.' + +Brant knew the impulsive nature of McKean and took this +amusing letter for what it was worth. Yet the letter was +not without its effect upon him. They had dared him; +they had taunted him with threats; he would show them +that Joseph Brant would have a day of reckoning and that +right early. 'Cherry Valley people,' he wrote in the +postscript of a short note sent to an ardent loyalist, +'[are] very bold, and intended to make nothing of us; +they call us wild geese, but I know the contrary.' + +Early in July a bloody engagement had occurred in the +valley of Wyoming, an extensive region in Pennsylvania +on the north branch of the Susquehanna river. For many +years after the encounter it was commonly believed that +Brant was the leader of the Indians who took part in it. +The valley of Wyoming had once been a possession of the +tribes of the Six Nations but, in 1754, they had been +ousted from their inheritance by a colonizing company. +When the Revolutionary War began it was already well +peopled with settlers. Naturally eager for vengeance, +the dispossessed Indians invited the co-operation of +Colonel John Butler and his rangers in a raid. Butler +accepted the invitation, and the Indians and rangers to +the number of five hundred made a swift descent of the +Susquehanna and invaded the valley. Their approach, +however, had been discovered, and the entire militia of +the district, mustering eight hundred, advanced against +them. In the battle which followed, the defenders were +defeated with great slaughter and many scalps were taken. +Older American historians misrepresented the fight as a +cruel massacre of non-combatants and asserted that Brant +was present. British writers, following them, fell into +the same error. Thomas Campbell's poem, 'Gertrude of +Wyoming,' written in 1809, gives a gruesome picture of +the episode, telling of the work which was done by the +'monster Brant.' During his visit to England in 1823, +the War Chief's youngest son, John Brant, vindicated his +father in a letter to Campbell, and showed that the +reference to his father in this poem was based on false +information. He declared that 'living witnesses' had +convinced him that his father was not in the neighbourhood +of Wyoming at the time of the so-called massacre; testimony +has been forthcoming to support the claims which John +Brant then made. It has been shown that the tribesmen of +the Six Nations whom Butler had with him were Senecas, +while the rest were Indians from the western tribes, and +that Brant's tribe, the Mohawks, were not present. +Nevertheless the Wyoming slaughter differs only in degree +from other scenes of bloodshed and plunder in which Brant +took part. In the month, indeed, in which the vale of +Wyoming was being bathed in blood, he swept down on the +little hamlet of Andrustown, and, bearing away a few +captives and much booty, disappeared with his followers +in the surrounding forest. + +It was now nearing the time of harvest, and in the Mohawk +valley the grain had ripened to a golden brown. Even amid +the din of war men must live, and so the settlers began +to garner the season's crop. Nowhere on the river were +there fuller barns than in the populous district that +went by the name of the German Flatts. Bordering the +Mohawk river on either side, it stretched for ten miles +along the valley, rich in soil, and with broad green +pastures and plenteous herds. The settlers knew that the +enemy was not far off, and they grew more afraid of attack +with each passing day. They had two strongholds to which +they could flee in case of trouble, Fort Herkimer on one +bank of the river, Fort Dayton on the other; but these +would be of little use to the settlers if they had not +sufficient warning of the approach of the enemy. Mindful +of this, they sent four of their number to act as scouts +and to warn the settlement of any danger. While on this +mission three of the party met with death at the hands +of their adversaries, but the fourth escaped and hastened +back to the German Flatts. One evening, just before +sunset, he arrived with the fearful tidings that Brant +was moving up the river with a large band of Indians and +would soon be upon them. The alarm was spread through +the valley, and men, women, and children gathered up what +articles of value they could take with them in their +hurried flight, and rushed pell-mell to the forts. During +the evening some carried off a portion of their household +effects in small boats. In the meantime Caldwell, commanding +a party of rangers, with Indians under Brant, had come +to the outskirts of the settlement. Then, even before +the first gleam of daylight had begun to slant across +the valley, the Indians were flitting like ghostly spectres +in and out among the buildings. Almost at the same moment +flames arose in every direction, flashing and darting +against the morning sky. Powerless to stay the destruction, +the settlers, huddled behind their defences, witnessed +a melancholy sight. Houses and barns, everything that +could be given to the fire, were soon a heap of smoking +embers. + +Caldwell had no means of laying siege to the forts, as +he was without cannon; so he made no effort to effect +their capture. But he did not check his warriors from +roaming at will over the valley. Running down the slopes +into the pasture land, they rounded up the horses, the +herds of black cattle, and the browsing sheep; and, having +collected these together, they drove them from the meadows +and disappeared with them among the trees. Before sundown +they were many miles away, leaving behind desolation and +blank dismay. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +CHERRY VALLEY + +The next occurrences in Brant's life are even more +deplorable than those narrated in the preceding chapter. +The Cherry Valley episode can only be regarded as a sad +instance of what the use of Indian allies sometimes +involved. A peaceful farming district was devastated; +peasants were plundered and slain. It is true that some +of them were in arms against British rule, but as a whole +they were quietly engaged in farming operations, striving +to build up homes for themselves on the outskirts of +civilization. In this work of devastation and death Brant +was only second in command; the leader was a white man +and a British officer. But neither Brant nor Butler, who +commanded the expedition, was able to restrain the cruelty +and ferocity of the Indian warriors until much havoc had +been wrought. + +A haze was now brooding over the Susquehanna, and the +autumn leaves were being tinged with red. The struggle +of the year 1778 seemed over and Brant decided to spend +the winter at Niagara. Accordingly he set out with a band +of warriors from his entrenched position at Unadilla and +went forward by easy stages along the old and well-beaten +Indian trail leading towards Lake Ontario. He had proceeded +well on his way when, to his surprise, a party of former +allies crossed his path in the forest. Led by Captain +Walter N. Butler, a son of Colonel John Butler, the +victorious leader at Wyoming, a body of the Tory Rangers +who had been with Brant at Oriskany were going eastward. +In 1777 their youthful officer had suffered harsh +imprisonment among the enemy, and, burning for vengeance, +he was making a late-season tramp into the rebels' country. +He had asked for a number of his father's rangers, and +his request had been granted. He was also allowed the +privilege of taking Brant along with him, should the +chieftain be found willing to join his force. + +On meeting with Brant so opportunely by the way, he gave +him an outline of the measures of retaliation which he +proposed to adopt. As the scheme was unfolded, the +war-scarred chief of the Mohawks saw that he was meant +to serve under this youth of small experience. Brant +was ready for almost any work that might be of service +to his king, but he was at first reluctant to serve under +Butler. The situation between the two leaders became +strained, but at last Brant gave in; their differences +were patched up, and the two men came to friendly terms. +Orders were issued by Brant to his motley throng of +redskins, and five hundred of them reversed their march. +The united contingent of seven hundred men first headed +for the banks of the Tioga river, one of the branches of +the Susquehanna. Here a conference was held, and it was +agreed that they should make a combined attack upon the +settlers of Cherry Valley. To Butler this was more than +pleasing, eager as he was to pay off what he considered +a heavy score. The heart of the War Chief throbbed with +savage delight. A flaunting challenge still rang in his +ears; the settlers had invited him to enter their valley, +and now he would answer their gibing call. Little did +the inhabitants of Cherry Valley dream what was in store +for them. During the summer they had carried most of +their movable property to a well-built fortress. But as +everything had now grown tranquil, they had taken it back +to their homes again. Yet hardly had this been accomplished +before Colonel Ichabod Alden, commandant of the fort, +received a note from an official source telling him that +enemies were near at hand. + +In spite of the trustworthy source from which it came, +Colonel Alden gave barely any heed to this warning message. +He declared that the threatened danger was but an idle +rumour, that all would be well, and that he would take +every precaution for the safety of his people. On November +9 spies were sent out in different directions with a view +to getting fuller information. One body of these went +boldly down the Susquehanna, where their own carelessness +brought about their undoing. At nightfall they lit a +fire, and, wrapping themselves up snugly, had gone fast +asleep. But to their astonishment, as they rubbed their +eyes in the light of morning, they were surrounded by a +party of Indians, were bundled off as prisoners of war, +and hurried into the presence of Brant and Butler, who +extracted much useful information from them. In the light +of this information plans were made for an immediate +attack on the settlement in Cherry Valley. The settlers +were still unsuspecting, when, on the evening of November +10, the enemy arrived within a mile of the fort and crept +to the summit of a hill densely shaded by evergreens, +and hid themselves from sight. The snow was fluttering +down, but towards morning this had changed to a drizzling +rain, and the air was thick and murky. Groping their way +forward as silently as possible, they stole upon the +slumbering cluster of habitations. Just as they came near +the edge of the village, a settler was seen riding in on +horseback. An Indian fired and wounded him. But the man +clung to his horse and pressed on heroically to sound +the alarm. Before rushing to the onslaught, the Rangers, +under the immediate command of Butler, paused a moment +to see what damage their powder had taken through the +wet. This moment was fatal for the settlement, for the +Indians now rushed on in advance and sped into the doomed +village like hounds let slip from their leashes. + +The savages were now beyond control, and Brant knew that +even he could not stay the slaughter. Fiercest of all +were the Senecas, who tomahawked and slew with the +relentless fury of demons. But the War Chief thought of +the family of a Mr Wells, whom he knew and hoped that he +might save. He took a short cut for this settler's house, +but the way lay across a ploughed field, and as he ran +the earth yielded under his feet and he made slow progress +through the heavy soil. When he came to the house, he +saw that it was already too late. The Senecas and other +Indians with them had done their work. Not one of the +inmates had escaped the tomahawk. + +While the attack upon the houses was in progress, the +Indians made several assaults upon the fort, but to no +avail. Their work of destruction, however, went on +unchecked among the habitations of the settlers. It was +not long before flames were mounting in every quarter. +Butler, dismayed to see the Indians so completely beyond +control, was forced to hold his regular troops in readiness +to oppose a sally from the garrison. Brant meanwhile +exerted himself in performing numerous acts of kindness, +and did what he could to check the rude violence of his +savage band. In one house he found a peasant woman working +calmly at her daily toil. + +'Are you thus engaged,' he questioned, 'while all your +neighbours are murdered around you?' + +'We are the king's people,' was the simple response. + +'That plea will not avail you to-day,' said the chieftain. +'They have murdered Mr Wells's family, who were as dear +to me as my own.' + +'But,' replied the woman, 'there is one Joseph Brant: if +he is with the Indians, he will save us.' + +'I am Joseph Brant,' came the rapid answer, 'but I have +not the command, and I know not that I can save you.' + +No sooner had he done speaking than his sharp eye detected +a group of Senecas coming to the house. 'Get into bed +quick,' he said abruptly, 'and feign yourself sick.' The +woman did his bidding, and the Indians when they entered +were completely deceived by her pretence. Then, as they +departed, Brant gave a piercing signal, and some of his +Mohawks gathered into the room. He had called them to +help him save this woman and her family. His mark on them +would, he believed, make them safe even in this time of +general slaughter. He had no colouring matter with him +and he asked the Mohawks to use theirs. With deft fingers +the Indians then placed the chief's own mark upon the +woman and her children in order to protect them. + +'You are now probably safe,' said Brant and moved out +again into the smoke of fire and battle. + +When the massacre was over, it was found that thirty or +forty settlers had escaped death and had been made +prisoners. From one of these Brant made inquiries respecting +the whereabouts of Captain McKean. He learned that this +officer had taken his family away to the Mohawk valley. + +'He sent me a challenge once,' remarked Brant; 'I have +now come to accept it. He is a fine soldier thus to +retreat.' + +'Captain McKean,' was the rejoinder, 'would not turn his +back upon an enemy where there was a possibility of +success.' + +'I know it,' said Brant, with open generosity. 'He is a +brave man, and I would have given more to take him than +any other man in Cherry Valley. But,' he added, 'I would +not have hurt a hair of his head.' + +On the evening of the day of carnage the prisoners were +led down the valley to the loyalist encampment, several +miles to the south of the fort. Fires had been lighted +on every side, and within the extensive range of these +fires the luckless captives were corralled for the night. +But the air was chill, and many who were clothed in scanty +fashion passed the hours of darkness in helpless agony +on the cold, bare ground. During the night the shrill +cries of the Indians, as they gloated over the scene of +their triumph, resounded through the forest. The spoils +were divided among the raiders, and with the dawning of +another day they set out in the direction of Niagara. + +The captives were separated into small parties, and +apportioned among the different sections of the force. +They had expected little mercy from the victors, but to +their surprise clemency was shown to them. Butler had +now succeeded in reasserting his authority on their +behalf. As the marching bands came to a standstill, they +were collected together and the women and children were +released. Only the wives of two colonial officers with +their families were held captive and carried away into +the western forests. In Cherry Valley heaps of smoking +debris were all that remained. Groups of redskins still +hovered about the unhappy village until, on the following +day, they saw that an enemy was approaching. A body of +militia had come from the Mohawk river, but they were +too late; the savages, avoiding an encounter, departed, +and the scene was one of havoc and desolation. As one +chronicler has written: 'The cocks crowed from the tops +of the forest trees, and the dogs howled through the +fields and woods.' + + + + +CHAPTER X + +MINISINK AND THE CHEMUNG RIVER + +Brant now proceeded to the loyalist rendezvous at Niagara, +but his restless spirit would not allow him to remain +idle. He was soon intent on forwarding a design of +far-reaching import, in the prosecution of which he hoped +to receive the assistance of the western tribes. He held +intercourse with the Delawares and the Shawnees, and +planned a joint campaign with them to take place during +the winter months. The Western Indians were to make an +attack on the borders of Virginia, while he would lead +an expedition into the heart of the colony of New York. +This bold enterprise, however, was fated to miscarry. +Word came that Governor Hamilton, the British commander +of Fort Detroit, had been overpowered by Colonel George +Clark, in February, on the Wabash river. Hamilton, who +had captured Fort Vincennes there, had for some time been +endeavouring to interest the western tribes in the British +cause; but, on July 5, 1778, Clark had captured the town +of Kaskaskia in the Illinois country, and, after a forced +march from that place to the Wabash with his Virginia +militia, had appeared at Fort Vincennes and compelled +Hamilton to surrender. The blow was a severe one and +robbed the western tribes of their courage; they were so +discomfited, indeed, that they would not venture into +the country of the enemy. Balked in his purpose, Brant +was forced to remain inactive at headquarters. + +During the spring of 1779 the whole struggle in America +was rather bare of events. The raids against Wyoming and +Cherry Valley had roused the indignation of the Congress +of the United States, and it had turned its attention +energetically to the Indian races who were opposed to +its rule. They must be crushed at all hazards. On February +25 Congress had voted that means should be taken to bring +aid to those settlements which had been suffering from +the Indians. A campaign of vengeance into the homeland +of the Six Nations was to be the crowning effort of the +year. This was the plan. A numerically strong force was +to operate under the command of General Sullivan. Sullivan +was to move up from Pennsylvania, and along the Susquehanna +until he reached the Tioga river. At the same time, +General James Clinton was to advance from the north, +meeting his brother officer by the way. The two divisions +should then follow the bed of the Chemung river, and +sweep mercilessly upon the villages of the Senecas and +Cayugas. + +Clinton was at Canajoharie Castle on June 16. With +difficulty he crossed the twenty-mile portage to Lake +Otsego, and by the end of the month was able to tell +General Sullivan that he was ready for the last stage of +the journey. Sullivan, on the other hand, was making no +attempt to hasten. He moved forward at a leisurely pace, +and Clinton grew very impatient at the delay. Even Brant +marvelled at Sullivan's inaction. The War Chief knew only +too well that when the two rebel forces met the struggle +to save the homes of his people would be difficult. + +At this juncture the great Mohawk lay with a considerable +body of warriors at Grassy Brook. He had learned that +Minisink in the Shawangunk Mountains close to the New +Jersey line was left unguarded, and decided to fall upon +it. Taking sixty redskins and twenty-seven white men +apparelled as Indians, he advanced so stealthily that +his approach was unnoticed. During the night of July 19 +he surprised the town, burnt it to the ground, and carried +off prisoners and booty. + +Orange county, in which Minisink was situated, was at +once in a state of tumult. The local militia flocked +together, and were eager to follow hard after their daring +foe. Some thought it more prudent to stay at home, but +the majority wished immediately to take up the chase. +The matter was settled when Major Meeker sprang on his +horse, waved his sword, and cried with vehemence: 'Let +the brave men follow me, the cowards may stay behind.' +With this, the ill-advised settlers picked up the trail +of the redskins and started in pursuit. A body of scouts +who were slightly in the lead emerged, after various +exciting adventures, upon the broad hills that skirt the +Delaware river. Below them they could see the Indians +twining in and out among the trees. The red men were +evidently making for a shallow place where they might +ford the stream. + +To the colonials this seemed a stroke of good fortune. +They would dash down the hill and dispute Brant's passage +of the river. Acting on the impulse, they swung confidently +along, only to find themselves outgeneralled. No sooner +had they sunk from sight in the forest than Brant had +artfully changed his march. He slipped through a deep +ravine and came out on the enemy's rear. Then he chose +his own position for an ambush. The Orange county men, +looking high and low for the Indians, at length came to +a halt, when to their dismay they found that the enemy +were posted in an unlooked-for quarter. There, in +concealment behind them, lay Brant's force. The War Chief +now issued from among his redskins, and made overtures +to the opposing force. He advised them to surrender +without offering resistance; if they did so he would see +that no harm befell them. Should the battle begin, he +added, he might be unable to restrain his followers. The +only answer which came was a hurtling bullet that clipped +a hole through the covering of his belt. In an instant +Brant had faced about and disappeared under cover. +Straightway the enemy bore down at break-neck speed upon +the tree-sheltered lair of the Indians. In wading through +a narrow brook that obstructed their advance, their ranks +became disordered, and Brant made effective use of the +situation. His voice rose in a war-whoop and his warriors +sprang into motion. After delivering one sharp, destructive +volley, they seized their tomahawks and surged into the +midst of their foe. From an hour before noon until sundown, +sheltered by trees and rocks, both sides fought stubbornly. +At last the whites gave way, and the battle closed with +appalling slaughter. Of the retreating remnant thirty +survived, while the bodies of many of their comrades were +left upon the field of battle. Of those who sought safety +by swimming the Delaware, a number were killed in the +water by the Indians, who fired upon them as they struggled +towards the opposite bank. + +After the fight, as Brant traversed the blood-stained +field he bent over the wounded form of Gabriel Wisner, +who was a magistrate of Orange county. The fallen man, +though suffering excruciating pain, was still able to +speak, but the chieftain saw that he was dying. There +were wolves in the forest, and these would soon visit +the scene of carnage. To bear Wisner from the field would +avail nothing. For a moment the War Chief debated what +he should do. Then, turning the attention of the wounded +man in another direction, he poised his hatchet. In a +flash it had smitten the skull of the dying magistrate +and his misery was at an end. In this act as in others +Brant showed that his contact with civilization had not +freed him from the basic instincts of his savage nature. +Few white men could have performed such a deed even on +the field of battle with so much calmness. + +Brant now returned to the border country and, together +with Sir John Johnson, drew up a plan of defence. It was +resolved that they should fortify a position on the +Chemung river, to resist the advance of the Americans +into the Indian country. The place selected was not far +from the village of Newtown. A breastwork was built, half +a mile in length, and this was protected on one side by +the river and on the other by two stretches of elevated +ground. Upon these ridges battalions were placed. But +the defenders were able to muster only a comparatively +small force, vastly inferior to the foe in numbers. In +all, the garrison consisted of about eight hundred men, +two-thirds of whom were Indians. + +It was barely four weeks after the battle on the Delaware +that Generals Sullivan and Clinton joined forces at Tioga. +They had a very powerful army, consisting altogether of +some five thousand men, including a strong brigade of +experienced riflemen and an artillery corps with a number +of heavy guns. They had sent out corps of light infantry +in advance and were now moving slowly against the defences +occupied by the king's forces. + +The War Chief was in charge of the Indians, and despite +the strength of the opposing force he had resolved to +make a determined stand. As the foe came on, he sent out +his men in small parties from the works to annoy them +and retard their advance. The Indians attacked the invaders +after the manner of bush-fighters, firing and then seeking +cover while they reloaded their muskets. The conflict +that ensued was desperate beyond description. Every bit +of cover--bush, tree, or boulder--held its man. With +dogged valour the savages stood their ground, till driven +back by the very impetus of the onset. The enemy were +massed deep in front and but little impression could be +made on their compact ranks. More distressing still, the +Americans had brought their heavy artillery into play, +and it began to thunder against the defences. On this +day Brant was an inspiring figure to his thin line of +warriors. His resolute countenance gave them hope; his +resonant voice rang out strong and clear amid the clamour +and spurred them to resist. Wherever the fight was fiercest +he made his way, issuing his orders with care, speaking +words of cheer, and, in the face of death, striving to +stem the current of certain defeat. + +Meanwhile General Sullivan had caught sight of the troops +that infested the rising ground. A detachment was +immediately told off under Major Poor with orders to +storm the slopes and drive the defenders from their +position. The War Chief grasped the situation in an +instant. In a last attempt to save the day, he rallied +his warriors and, with the aid of a battalion of Rangers, +threw himself with renewed energy into the struggle. But +though Brant hurried from place to place with the utmost +energy, it soon became evident that the day was lost. +The Americans climbed the ascent and, in the teeth of a +brave opposition, turned the loyalists' flank. The troops +of the enemy began to fold about the garrison. + +'Oonah! Oonah!' The savages' doleful cry of retreat +vibrated upon the air. Moving towards the stream, redskins +and white men crossed it together in headlong flight. It +was an Indian custom to carry the dead from the field of +battle, but on this occasion so precipitate was their +retreat that eleven corpses were left to lie where they +had fallen in the struggle. Sullivan and his army had +undisputed possession of the field. To Brant and to the +men of the Six Nations this was a day of grief and +disaster. The gates of their country were thrown open; +their villages were left undefended; there was nothing +to prevent the ravager from treading down and plundering +the fair land of their fathers, the pride of a noble +race, the gift of the centuries. But in the light of +their conduct at the affair in Cherry Valley it must be +said that their fate was not undeserved. + +As General Sullivan advanced, burning and devastating, +he came at length into the valley of the Genesee. This +he made 'a scene of drear and sickening desolation. The +Indians were hunted like wild beasts, till neither house +nor fruit-tree, nor field of corn, nor inhabitant, remained +in the whole country.' One hundred and twenty-eight houses +were razed in the town of Genesee. Sullivan became known +to the Indians as the 'Town Destroyer.' 'And to this +day,' said Cornplanter, in a speech delivered many years +afterwards, 'when the name is heard, our women look behind +them and turn pale and our children cling close to the +necks of their mothers.' + +The War Chief had, indeed, been beaten on the Chemung +river. And yet, in the hour of defeat, he had added lustre +to his name. In the annals of the forest there are few +incidents as glorious as this Spartan-like struggle on +the frontiers of the Indian country. Points of similarity +can be traced between this battle and another which was +waged, in 1813, by the great Shawnee warrior Tecumseh, +at Moravian Town, on the Canadian Thames. Like Brant, +Tecumseh was allied with a force of white men, and, like +the chief of the Mohawks in the struggle on the Chemung, +Tecumseh played the leading role in the battle of the +Thames. In each engagement the fight was against an army +much stronger in numbers; in each the defeat was not +without honour to the Indian leader. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +OVER THE BORDER + +Instead of proceeding to attack the strong loyalist fort +at Niagara, General Sullivan re-crossed the Genesee on +September 16. Lack of provisions, he asserted, was his +reason for turning back. Before this, Brant had frustrated +a plot which was afoot among the Indians to desert the +British cause. Red jacket, an influential chief of the +Senecas and a very persuasive orator, had suggested that +the Six Nations should negotiate a permanent peace with +the colonists. 'What have the English done for us,' he +exclaimed, as he pointed in the direction of the Mohawk +valley, 'that we should become homeless and helpless for +their sakes?' A considerable following embraced the view +of the Seneca chieftain, and it was agreed that a runner +should be sent to the camp of General Sullivan to acquaint +him with their desire to come to terms. If Sullivan was +prepared to negotiate with them, he was to be asked to +send his proposals under a flag of truce. These proceedings +came to Brant's knowledge and, whether his act may be +justified or not, he adopted probably the only means of +preventing a wholesale desertion to the enemy. He chose +two of his trustiest warriors and gave them instructions +to waylay the bearers of the flag of truce from Sullivan's +camp. The bearers were killed and the proposals of the +American commander fell into Brant's hands, and Red Jacket +and his party were left to imagine that Sullivan had not +been gracious enough even to send them an answer. + +Not long after the rout of the Six Nations on the Chemung +river and the destruction of their villages the snow had +begun to fall. The winter of 1779-80 was an unusually +severe one, and the Indians suffered untold hardships +through famine and disease. They were driven to trek in +great numbers to the vicinity of the English fort at +Niagara. Brant was there at this time, and during his +sojourn he saw a wedding performed according to the sacred +rites of the Anglican Church. He had lost his first wife, +the mother of Isaac and Christiana, and had married her +half-sister, Susanna; but she also had died childless, +and Brant had taken to his tent the daughter of a Mohawk +chief, whom he now decided to wed after the manner of +the white people. His third bride, who was about twenty-one +years of age at the time of her marriage, is known in +history as Catherine Brant. She bore Brant three sons +and four daughters, and lived for some years after his +death. Her father was the leading sachem of the Tortoise +clan and consequently she was able to bestow high rank +within the Mohawk nation upon her son, Ahyouwaighs, or +John Brant. + +The story of Brant's part in the War of the Revolution +from this time on can be related very briefly. Before +spring he was again on the war-path and helped to destroy +the villages of the Oneidas, because of their active +sympathy for the rebel cause. In the month of April he +closed in upon the settlement of Harpersfield and levelled +it to the ground. As he was making his way back from +the last adventure, he was seized with fever and forced +to move by slow stages. He allowed his warriors to travel +only every other day. There is an anecdote telling how +he cured himself of his malady in a very Indian-like +manner. Taking his position on the side of a hill, a +haunt of rattlesnakes, he waited till one should crawl +out to bask in the sun. When at length a snake showed +itself he seized it and bore it to his camp. This reptile +was cooked in a broth, and Brant supped eagerly of the +hot decoction. And after partaking of this wonderful +remedy, according to the story, he was well again in a +very short time. + +In August of the same year, 1780, Brant again invaded +the Mohawk valley. On this occasion he gained his object +by an artful device. He learned that some stores were +being borne to Fort Schuyler and pretended that he was +going to seize them and attack the fort itself. The local +militia marched to the fort's defence and, while they +were intent on this, Brant doubled back to the rear. +Swooping down upon the white settlement at Canajoharie, +he laid everything low and carried away captive many +women and children. Later in the season he made a similar +descent into the Schoharie-kill, but here there is on +record to his credit at least one act of kindness. After +the raid, a group of settlers were gathered together, +telling of all the mishaps that had occurred to them. +One sad-eyed woman told of the loss of her husband and +several of her children. She had been bereft even of an +infant, which had been torn from its cradle. But that +morning, while the officers of the colonial camp were +seated at their breakfast, a painted redskin sprang into +their midst carrying in his arms a slender child and +handed a letter to the officer in command. It was the +woman's child that he bore, and the letter was from Joseph +Brant. + +'Sir,' ran the epistle, 'I send you by one of my runners +the child which he will deliver, that you may know that +whatever others do, I do not make war upon women and +children. I am sorry to say that I have those engaged +with me in the service who are more savage than the +savages themselves.' + +The year 1781 brought the war to its climax. On October +19 Lord Cornwallis, hard pressed at Yorktown by an army +of sixteen thousand men under Washington and a powerful +French fleet under Admiral de Grasse, was forced to +surrender. This was the last important episode before +peace was arranged. During the summer the War Chief had +still been fighting on the border and harassing the +country of those who sympathized with the Americans. In +August he was found in the west, having defeated a part +of Colonel Clark's forces near the Great Miami river, +which empties into Lake Erie. + +The treaty of peace between Great Britain and the United +States of America was signed in November 1782. Canada, +Newfoundland, and what are now the Maritime Provinces of +the Dominion remained in the hands of the crown, but the +independence of the other English colonies in the New +World was recognized. In the whole text of the treaty +there was not a word about the Six Nations. But all their +lands south of Lake Ontario as far as the banks of the +Hudson came into the possession of the United States. +For some time it seemed as though the Indians' sacrifices +on behalf of His Majesty the King were to be reckoned as +nothing, and the tribesmen who had been loyal were very +wroth. They had fought valiantly for the crown, and now +expected that the king should do something for them in +return. All that they had to fall back upon was the +promise that their rights would be respected when the +conflict ended. + +'Now is the time for you to help the King,' General +Haldimand had said to the assembled redskins in 1775. +'The war has commenced. Assist the King now, and you will +find it to your advantage. Go now and fight for your +possessions, and, whatever you lose of your property +during the war, the King will make up to you when peace +returns.' + +Sir Guy Carleton had also assured the Indians that money +would be spent to give them the same position after the +war that they had occupied before it, and that the +government would not be lax in dealing with their needs. +In 1779, when General Haldimand was already in command +of all the forces in Canada, he had reiterated his +promises, and said that he would do his best to fulfil +them, 'as soon as that happy time [the restoration of +peace] should come.' + +When the war was ended most of the Mohawk nation were +dwelling on the west bank of the Niagara river. They had +pitched their wigwams close to the landing-place, now +Lewiston, which was some miles above the fort. Their old +territory was situated in the heart of the country of +their conquerors and to this they could not return with +safety. The Senecas, who lived near by, saw how sad was +their plight and offered them land upon which they might +reside. The Mohawks appreciated the kindness of this +proposal of the warlike nation which had fought by their +side in the long struggle, but they could not accept the +offer. In the words of Brant himself, they were resolved +to 'sink or swim' with the English. + +To settle the matter the War Chief journeyed down the St +Lawrence to confer with the Canadian leaders. At Quebec +he met General Haldimand and was welcomed by this officer +with the sincerest friendship and given a chance to +discuss the unhappy lot of his homeless people. Haldimand +said that he would be quite ready to fulfil the promises +that he had made during the war. Brant replied that his +tribesmen would like to settle on English ground, and +named the region on the Bay of Quinte as a spot suited +to their needs. These lands were especially fertile and +beautiful, and Haldimand was quite willing that the grant +should be made in accordance with their wishes. He said +that a tract would soon be purchased and given to the +warriors of the Six Nations. Brant must have been well +accompanied on his journey to the east, since on his way +back twenty Indian families turned aside and pitched +their abodes in the territory allotted to them on the +Bay of Quinte. They were ruled by an Indian named Captain +John, and a thriving Mohawk settlement was thus begun. +Brant continued his journey along the south side of Lake +Ontario, and came once again to Niagara. + +But when the War Chief told the waiting redskins of his +negotiations with General Haldimand there was a great +outcry of dissatisfaction. The Senecas, who were the +chief objectors, stated that they could not allow their +kinsmen and old comrades-in-arms to go so far away from +them as the Bay of Quinte. The Senecas were still afraid +that they might have difficulties with the people of the +United States, in whose country they were dwelling. The +Mohawks must be near at hand to come to their rescue +should the hatchet again be upraised. + +Brant felt very keenly for the Senecas, who had done him +such yeoman service in the war. They could be cruel in +combat, but were very loyal to their friends, and he knew +that something must be done for them. Accordingly, he +repaired a second time to Quebec and again discussed the +situation with General Haldimand. The outcome was that +he obtained another grant of land, on the Grand river, +which runs with a southerly course into the waters of +Lake Erie. A tract six miles wide on each side of this +stream, extending from its source to its mouth, was +allotted to the Six Nations. This beautiful district, +bordering on the shore of Lake Erie, only forty miles +from the outer fringe of the Seneca villages, was in a +direct line of intercourse between the Six Nations and +the many tribes of the west and the upper lakes. Brant +obtained the title-deeds to this territory for the Indians +in the autumn of 1784, under the seal of royal authority. +It was a gift, as indicated by the terms of the award, +'which the Mohawks and others of the Six Nations... with +their posterity,' were to enjoy for ever. + +Having been provided with a new home, the band of +copper-hued patriots now began to cross the Niagara. They +were loyalists of another than the white race, and, like +the other Loyalists, they had left their Long Houses +behind in the hands of the stranger. On their bodies were +the marks and scars of many a campaign; their limbs had +become suppler with the long march and swarthier in the +summer sun; they did not dare to cast a glance back at +the fair land that had been the hunting-ground of their +fathers. With them were their women, dark-eyed Amazons +of the north. Their little ones toddled by their side. +The journey was shortly over and they beheld the waters +of the Grand river, flowing between their narrow banks. +Here, in the flowering glades, they raised their tents +and lit anew their council fires. Then they toiled up +against the current, searching out the borders of their +country; down-stream they shot again, their glad eyes +beaming as they saw how wide and goodly was their heritage. + +The nation of the Mohawks had come to Canada to stay. +Among them settled many from their kindred tribes, red +men who would not forsake their Great White Father the +King. By the sheltering boughs of the regal maple, the +silver-garbed beech, or the drooping willow they built +the rough huts of a forest people. Then they tilled the +soil, and learned to love their new abode. Although of +a ferocious stock, unrivalled in the arts of savage +warfare, the Mohawks and other Indians of the Six Nations +in Canada have rarely, if ever, been surpassed by any +other red men in the ways of peace. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +ENGLAND ONCE MORE + +Meanwhile, how was it faring with the tribesmen of the +Six Nations who had remained in their former territories +east of the Niagara? They were anxious to come to terms +with the government of the United States, but not by +themselves alone. In any treaty which might be made, they +wished the concurrence of the western tribes. The officials +of the new republic were, however, opposed to this and +treated their desire with scant courtesy. In 1784 a +conference was called at Fort Stanwix, but the western +tribes were not invited to come. While this was taking +place, Red Jacket, the Seneca orator, rose in the company +of his fellows and uttered a speech burning with eloquence. +His attitude towards the Americans had undergone a change +since Brant had undone his treachery before the war had +closed. The Six Nations should renew the contest, said +Red Jacket. Never should they submit to the yoke of their +oppressors. On the other hand, Chief Cornplanter, with +sounder judgment, argued for peace. It would surely be +an unwise thing for the Indians to enter upon a fresh +war single-handed, and without the assistance of their +former allies, the English. + +At length Cornplanter had his way, and on October 22 a +treaty was made with the representatives of the United +States. By this treaty the Indians were to give up all +the prisoners of war still in their hands. Until this +was done, six hostages were to be furnished from among +their number. At the same time, the boundaries of the +country over which they held sway were defined. + +Loud murmurs of complaint arose within the Six Nations +on the completion of this pact, and no one was more angry +than Joseph Brant himself. He was at Quebec, on the point +of leaving for England, but he hurried back on learning +the terms of the treaty. He was especially exasperated +because Aaron Hill, one of the lesser chiefs of the +Mohawks, was to be given up as a hostage. Arriving at +Cataraqui, Brant, on November 27, sent a long and stirring +letter to Colonel Munroe. In this he showed that his +Indians were in no way to blame for the retention of +prisoners of war. The fight was over, and the Six Nations +wanted harmony restored. With considerable feeling, he +referred to the 'customs and manners of the Mohawks.' +'They are always active and true,' he protested; 'no +double faces at war or any other business. + +The difficulty was quickly righted and the War Chief +satisfied, but he saw that all the Indian races were in +a precarious position and might, sooner or later, be +drawn into hostilities. Meanwhile he was meditating a +scheme which might be likened to the bold conception of +Pontiac. In vision he saw all the Indian tribes united +into one far-reaching confederacy for the assertion of +their liberties. Brant was of a singularly ambitious +disposition and had no humble idea of his own capacities. +He pictured himself as the chosen head of such a vast +league of the native races. It was with this in view that +at this very time he paid a visit to the western tribes +and sought to ascertain their ideas upon the subject. + +At the close of 1785 Brant was ready to make his second +journey across the Atlantic. It was indeed fitting, after +his years of active service for the crown, that he should +do homage once more at the English court. He desired, +also, to plead the cause of his Mohawks, who had lost so +much in the struggle. It is even likely that he was +pondering over his design of uniting all the tribes and +wished to disclose this scheme to the home authorities. +A striking sketch of the War Chief's appearance during +this period is given by the Baroness Riedesel. This +talented lady, who had met the Mohawk chief at Quebec, +was the wife of the noted general who led a troop of +Hessians in the War of the Revolution. + +'I saw at this time,' she writes, 'the famous Indian +Chief, Captain Brant. His manners are polished: he +expressed himself with fluency, and was much esteemed by +General Haldimand.' The strenuous scenes through which +Brant had lived, indeed, seem to have left but little +impression on his face. 'I dined once with him at the +General's,' continued the baroness. 'In his dress he +showed off to advantage the half military and half savage +costume. His countenance was manly and intelligent, and +his disposition very mild.' + +On his arrival in London for the second time, Brant +received a welcome even exceeding that which was given +him on his first visit. He was lauded as king of the red +men and lord of the boundless forest. In the houses of +the most illustrious people in the realm he was given a +place of high honour. One of those who took delight in +Brant's company was Lord Percy, heir to the dukedom of +Northumberland. Lord Percy had served in America and had +been adopted, according to Indian custom, into one of +the tribes of the Six Nations, and was called in its +language the Evergreen Brake. Charles James Fox, the +statesman, was also among the admirers of the War Chief. +Fox caused a beautiful silver snuff-box to be sent to +Brant, engraved with his initials. The Prince of Wales +was attracted by the chieftain and took Brant with him +on many of his jaunts about the capital. Brant was amazed +at some of the places to which his royal conductor +resorted. At the royal palace he was warmly greeted by +King George and Queen Charlotte and held in high esteem. + +His official visit to their Majesties was marked by a +somewhat uncommon incident. As a dutiful subject, it was +in keeping with tradition that he should kiss the king's +hand, but this he refused to do. The War Chief could not +bend, even before the greatest of potentates. Turning to +the queen, however, after the fashion of a cavalier, +Brant said that he would be only too pleased to kiss her +hand. George III did not seem in the least annoyed. He +appeared rather to be delighted at this courtesy shown +his queen, and so the affair passed happily. + +One humorous episode which happened during Brant's stay +in London caused quite a sensation. Through the good +graces of Earl Moira, he was invited to attend a masquerade +ball in Mayfair. It was to be a festive event, and people +of distinguished rank were expected to be present. Brant +did not go to any pains to deck himself out artfully for +the occasion, but was attired only in the costume of his +tribe. To change his appearance, he painted a portion of +his face, and arrived in this guise at the place of +entertainment. As he entered the gay ball-room, his lofty +plumage swayed grandly and a glittering tomahawk shone +from his girdle. The scene that met his eyes was resplendent +with life and beauty. Masked figures were flitting by, +clad in every imaginable garb. Here was a sleek-faced +friar, rotund and merry; there, a gypsy maid, or mild-eyed +shepherdess with her stave. Lonely hermits and whimsical +jesters, cackling witches, and members of a pilgrim +band--all thronged together with laugh or grimace, adding +their own peculiar lustre to the brilliant assembly. By +and by a Turk came strolling down the floor; he was a +diplomat of high degree, and two nymphs from the paradise +of Islam hovered near at hand. Suddenly the Turk caught +sight of the painted features of the sturdy redskin. He +stopped, and fixed the Indian with his gaze. Here, he +thought, was the chance for a bit of frolic. In a moment +he had lost his stately demeanour and lurched jocularly +towards the warrior. He reached for the Indian's face, +thinking it was screened with parchment. The next instant +he had tweaked the nose of the great chief of the Six +Nations. Above the confusing medley of sounds burst the +wild accents of the blood-freezing war-whoop. On the +instant Brant's tomahawk was forth from his girdle, and +was whirling about the head of the astonished offender. +Never had such a cry been heard within the halls of +fashion. Faces turned ashen pale and screams resounded +through the spacious mansion. Helter-skelter, in every +direction, fled the terrified masqueraders. The Moslem +thought that his last hour on earth had come. Then Brant's +arm fell; his tense features relaxed, and he had become +once more the genial 'Captain of the Mohawks.' According +to his own declaration, which may or may not have been +exactly true, he only intended a playful contribution to +the pleasures of the evening. The Turk was calmed, and +the frightened company came slowly streaming back. +Everything was explained and Brant became a greater hero +than ever before. Yet it is hardly likely that the pompous +follower of Islam ever forgot the lively scene which his +rashness had produced. + +Notwithstanding the gay round of entertainment in which +he joined, Brant had been attending to the business +matters that had brought him to England. He had sent a +letter relative to the affairs of the Six Nations to Lord +Sydney, the secretary of state for Colonial Affairs, and +he delivered a speech upon the same topic in Sydney's +presence. He told him of the losses sustained by the +Indians, and hoped that a speedy settlement would be made +with them by the British government. 'On my mentioning +these matters, since my arrival in England,' wrote Brant, +'I am informed that orders are given that this shall be +done; which will give great relief and satisfaction to +those faithful Indians, who will have spirit to go on, +and their hearts [will] be filled with gratitude for the +King, their father's, kindness.' + +Just before leaving for America, Brant received a letter +from Lord Sydney saying that King George desired that +the red men should receive justice. 'His Majesty,' said +Sydney, 'in consideration of the zealous and hearty +exertions of his Indian allies in the support of his +cause, and as a proof of his friendly disposition toward +them, has been graciously pleased to consent that the +losses already certified by the Superintendent-General +shall be made good.' + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +STATESMAN OF THE TRIBES + +When Brant appeared again in the open councils of his +people, he found the red men still in a fretful mood. +The Treaty of Fort Stanwix was a source of constant +aggravation to them. The white settlers were pressing +over their frontiers so boldly that the Indians felt that +their lands must sooner or later slip from their grasp. +England feared an outbreak of war, and the Indians believed +that in such a case she would aid them. A proof of this +was the manner in which she was keeping garrisons in the +western posts which she had agreed to surrender. It is +now conceded that this was done because the United States +had failed to live up to its pledges. Be that as it may, +Joseph Brant was expected in case of hostilities to +organize the strong league of native races that he had +planned to form. + +In November 1786 a great council of Indian tribes was +held at Huron Village, on the Detroit river. This was +well attended, and its deliberations were very grave. An +address, probably written by Brant, was sent by order of +the assembled Indians to the Congress of the United +States. Peace was desired, but it would be necessary for +the Congressional representatives to treat with the +redskins as a whole; difficulties had been engendered +because the United States had entered into negotiations +with separate tribes--'kindled council-fires wherever it +saw fit'--without ever deigning to consult the Indians +as a whole; this, affirmed the address, must happen no +longer. + +During the next few years the War Chief was unsparing in +his efforts to come to some solution of the problem which +the attitude of the United States had presented. He was +quite aware that there was not enough concerted action +among the various tribes. In his efforts to unite them +he was aided and supported in all that he did by the +English officials. But, try as Brant might, it seemed +impossible to arrive at that wide union among the tribes +at which he was aiming. On every hand were differences +of opinion and petty jealousies. In 1789 General St Clair, +indeed, was able to make two separate treaties with the +Indians, much to the delight of the government at +Philadelphia. 'I am persuaded,' St Clair wrote confidently, +'[that] their general confederacy is entirely broken. +Indeed it would not be very difficult, if circumstances +required it, to set them at deadly variance.' + +But though unwilling to unite, it was with jealous and +angry eyes that they watched the white men cross the +Ohio. The year 1790 found the western tribes ablaze with +passion and again on the war-path against the United +States. The Shawnees, Potawatomis, and Miamis were the +leaders of the revolt. An expedition under General Harmar +marched against them, but it was defeated with great +loss. The Six Nations were the next in arms, and fell +without mercy on the settlements by the Alleghany river. + +The horizon was now dark and it seemed as though a +widespread struggle with the Indians was certain to occur. +While the British authorities trusted implicitly in Joseph +Brant, the executive of the United States was also trying +to win his confidence. Both sides clearly recognized that +the future of the red men depended largely on the policy +that Brant should adopt. To have two great nations each +striving to enlist one's services is a fair indication +that the possession of those services will give either +nation a distinct advantage. Brant did not lack vanity, +and on this occasion he was more than flattered. But, to +do justice to Brant, it must be admitted that all the +time he had been in favour of peace. He did not wish the +tribes to go madly into an unequal contest when there +was very slight hope of success, and yet he was strongly +of the opinion that his people must not bow too readily +to the avarice of the pale-face. The Ohio river should +be the dividing-line between the Indian territories in +the west and those of the republic, and by this they must +stand or fall. + +The government of the United States at length concluded +that neither Brant nor the tribes would listen to its +terms and that war was inevitable. It determined to carry +the fight vigorously into the very strongholds of the +western tribes. General St Clair was chosen for this +purpose, and he was given a large force to deal with a +certain unrest which had developed in the country of the +Miamis. What the War Chief had feared was now about to +happen. His hatchet was dull and rusted, and he had grown +unused to the strain and hazard of the war-path. But +could he hold aloof? The 'Long Knives' were moving against +the lodges of his brethren in the west, and so he bent +his ear once more to hear the warrior's call. + +St Clair set out from Fort Washington in September 1791 +and proceeded in the direction of the Miami villages, to +the south-west of Lake Erie. As he advanced, he found +himself worried by bands of redskins who hung upon his +line of march. By November 3, however, he had come within +fifteen miles of the Indian villages. When he pitched +his camp, his army of militiamen and regulars numbered +about fourteen hundred men all told. The Indians were +also fairly numerous, and were under the guidance of +Little Turtle, a brave chief of the Miamis. Though drawn +from various nations, their hearts were knit together by +the peril which confronted them. Within their ranks were +a hundred and fifty stalwarts of the Mohawk tribe, as +well as a number of white men and half-breeds from Canada, +who had come to their assistance. + +When the fight began the Mohawks were seen to do the +bidding of a tall and agile chieftain. Though Little +Turtle was the nominal leader, it is conceded that the +main antagonist whom St Clair had pitted against him in +this engagement was Joseph Brant. Having sent his militiamen +on in advance, the American general had bivouacked with +the regulars by the side of a small stream, which ran +into the Wabash. Just before daybreak on November 4, the +raw militiamen found themselves suddenly attacked by a +force of redskins. The Americans, who were about a quarter +of a mile from the principal camp, turned and fled in +confusion. This was what the Indians desired. So hotly +did the militiamen retreat towards the camp that St +Clair's main force was almost carried off its feet. A +rally was made, but the Indians dashed forward with +swiftness and daring. Following on the heels of the +fleeing militiamen, they were soon at the very edge of +the encampment. There they began to pick off the American +gunners one by one. + +In a short time St Clair's invading army was hemmed in +on every side and many of his officers had fallen. Charge +after charge was made by his men, but all to no avail. +At length he saw that the day was lost and gave orders +for retreat, hoping to save what was left of his force. +A weak spot was found in the redskins' line, and a remnant +of St Clair's proud army went free, scurrying off in wild +precipitation to Fort Jefferson, thirty miles away. The +ground was thickly strewn with their dead. It has been +computed that in this battle eight hundred of St Clair's +force were killed or wounded. + +This disaster in the country of the Miamis showed the +United States how hard it would be to break the spirit +of the red men. War having effected nothing, it was again +decided to resort to entreaty. A number of chiefs of +different tribes were invited to go to Philadelphia, and +among them was Captain Brant. 'I can assure you,' wrote +the secretary of state in the federal government to Brant +on February 2, 1792, 'that the President of the United +States will be highly gratified by receiving and conversing +with a chief of such eminence as you are, on a subject +so interesting and important to the human race.' After +some persuasion Brant consented to go and, proceeding on +horseback by way of the Mohawk valley, he arrived at the +capital city on June 20. There he was gladly welcomed, +and every effort was made to win him for the United +States. 'I was offered a thousand guineas down,' wrote +the War Chief at a later time, 'and to have the half-pay +and pension I receive from Great Britain doubled, merely +on condition that I would use my endeavours to bring +about a peace. But this I rejected.' The American +authorities then held out an even more tempting bait. +They would give him pre-emption rights over land estimated +to be worth twenty thousand pounds and an annual allowance +of fifteen hundred dollars. But Brant steadfastly refused, +and his reason was very plain. How could he accept such +a bribe? 'They might expect me,' he said, 'to act contrary +to His Majesty's interest and the honour of our nations.' +He did, however, promise that he would urge the Miamis +to come to terms with the United States, and that he +would go to them for that purpose. + +As he was on his way home from Philadelphia he found that +a Dutch-American, named Dygert, was pursuing him with +the intention of making an attempt upon his life. In New +York, while he was talking to several officers at his +lodgings in Broadway, he happened to peer out, and saw +a man in the street below with his eyes intently fixed +on the window of his room. + +'There is Dygert now,' he cried. + +Colonel Willet, one of the officers, went down and accused +the man of basely plotting Brant's assassination. + +'Do you know,' said the colonel, 'that if you kill that +savage, you will be hanged?' + +'Who,' said Dygert in surprise, 'would hang me for killing +an Indian?' + +You will see,' answered Willet; if you execute your +purpose, you may depend upon it that you will be hanged +up immediately.' + +At this the would-be criminal went off and did not trouble +the War Chief any more. + +On his safe return to Canada Brant was taken ill and was +not able to attend a grand council held in the autumn at +Au Glaize, on the Great Miami. When the council met it +was agreed that hostilities should be suspended until a +fresh council should be held at Miami Rapids. + +During the winter of 1792-93 Brant received a visit from +Simcoe, lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada, at his home +on Grand River. This officer, who had lately been installed +at Niagara, carried a letter to the War Chief from his +old friend Lord Percy, now the Duke of Northumberland, +together with a brace of pistols that the duke had sent +to him. Simcoe was on his way to Detroit by sled, and +stopped for three days at the Mohawk village. A _feu de +joie_ was fired in his honour, flags were hoisted, and +the Indians made a display of their trophies of war. + +Brant and some of the redskins accompanied the +lieutenant-governor as far as the Thames river, where +was situated the village of the Delawares. Here the War +Chief was forced to return. Soon afterwards His Excellency +again halted at Grand River on his way back. The Indians +entertained him in royal style, performing the calumet +dance, the feather dance, and several other dances of +their tribe. + +In the middle of the summer of 1793 a great assembly of +Indians took place at Miami Rapids. Commissioners who +were sent to represent the United States were not allowed +to approach the place of meeting. Brant made three +speeches, urging upon the Indians the advisability of +peace. But the red men were still headstrong, and the +commissioners had to go away without having reached any +understanding with them. + +The end of the struggle, however, was coming fast. In +1794 General Wayne marched to the neighbourhood of Fort +Miami with a numerous force, defeated the Indians at the +Fallen Timbers, and drove them before him in all directions. +Crestfallen and heartsore, they saw that the day of the +white man had come at last. Brant stood by as their helper +to the very end, but it availed them little. The Black +Snake, as they called General Wayne, had beaten them, +and they knew he would beat them again. The tribesmen +who had come from the far west withdrew sullenly across +the Mississippi, the other races submitted, and the Treaty +of Greenville was signed with General Wayne on August 3, +1795. The ox-cart began to rumble north of the Ohio; the +tall forests fell before the settler's axe, and the red +man lived and walked no more alone by the 'River Beautiful.' + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE CHURCH BELL RINGS + +Joseph Brant had been a valiant warrior; he had dealt +with the affairs of the Six Nations wisely and well. But +he had never forgotten that one of the first duties of +any ruler is to be, in some sense, a priest unto his +people. From a lad, he seems to have been a devoted +Christian. The alarms of war had drawn his mind for a +period, it is true, to worldly considerations alone, but +now that strife had ceased he became once more the friend +of the missionary and sought to supply the spiritual +needs of the tribes over which his influence was felt. + +Like every Indian, the wonderful things which Brant saw +all about him in nature held his mind in a spell. To him +there was One who had created all things, and who was +ever ready and willing to sustain His children. On one +occasion in council Brant spoke of the primitive freedom +of the Indian people, and then exclaimed: 'This country +was given to us by the Great Spirit above; we wish to +enjoy it.' He went on to tell how the Indians had tried +to get peace, how their efforts had failed, and how their +patience was now all gone. Yet there was one covert in +which they might find shelter in time of storm. 'We +therefore throw ourselves,' was his final utterance, +'under the protection of the Great Spirit above, who, we +hope, will order all things for the best.' + +While Brant was on his second visit to England, the +Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign +Parts asked his help in getting out their printed books +for the Indians. He willingly assented, and soon had a +new edition of the Prayer and Psalm Book in preparation, +He translated also the Gospel of St Mark. The Prayer and +Psalm Book and his translation of the Gospel of St Mark +were issued as one book. The publication of this volume +must have brought a feeling of pride to the breast of +the Mohawk chief. The book was a work of art, well printed +and with some fine engravings. The frontispiece depicted +the inside of a chapel, in which the king and queen were +standing with a bishop on each side of them. The monarch +and his consort were handing sacred books to the Indians, +who were clustered about in an expectant attitude. + +A few years later Brant translated into the Mohawk tongue +the Liturgy of the Anglican Church as well as a doctrinal +primer. Copies of these were sent to Harvard University, +and its corporation replied with a cordial vote of thanks +to the War Chief for his gift. Brant also planned to +write a comprehensive history of the Six Nations, but +unfortunately this work seems never to have been commenced. + +Hardly had the Mohawks settled at Grand River when they +began to feel that they should have a church building in +which to worship. Funds were gathered, and as early as +1785 they were laying the foundations of a suitable +edifice. This building, which was reared in the depths +of the forest about two miles from the centre of what is +now the city of Brantford, generally went by the name of +'The Old Mohawk Church.' In 1904, on a petition to the +king, it was given the title of 'His Majesty's Chapel of +the Mohawks.' Thus was restored the name of the church +in which the Indians were wont to worship in the Mohawk +valley. With its square tower, quaint slender steeple, +and the graves of bygone generations of red men who have +worshipped in it gathered about its walls, it is a +venerable reminder of the past. The Bible which was first +used in 'The Old Mohawk Church' was a gift from Queen +Anne to the tribesmen in 1712 and was brought to Grand +River from their former home on the Mohawk. The silver +communion plate was part of a service which had also been +presented to them by the same queen before they came to +Canada. It was of burnished silver and bore the Royal +Coat of Arms. The remaining pieces of this set were given +to the Indians who settled in the Bay of Quinte district. +In the year 1786 there was sent to the church a large +and melodious bell. This was a presentation from the +British government, and on it was stamped the arms of +the reigning House of Hanover. + +In all the wide region later known as the province of +Upper Canada, as yet no other Protestant sanctuary had +opened its doors for the use of Christian believers. With +the erection of this temple of the Mohawks begins the +history of the Protestant churches in one of the fairest +sections of the Dominion of Canada. It was a sweet and +solemn bell that pealed out its message when service was +held on those Sabbaths in pioneer days. Into the solitudes +it rang, wakening the stillness, echoing to hill-top, +and throbbing down to distant valley. Up and along the +river stole the gladsome strain, the first call to prayer +ever heard in this scarcely broken wilderness. From among +the trees emerged the exiled people of the Long House. +They mingled together; they entered the courts of the +Great Spirit, silent and full of awe. There they listened +to the Gospel story and burst forth into many happy songs +of thanksgiving and of love. + +Brant was very desirous of securing a missionary who +would suit the tastes of all. He tried to get a resident +missionary in the person of his friend Davenport Phelps, +but the bishop of Quebec refused Phelps ordination; and +it was not until 1822, when the New England Company took +over the missionary work on the Mohawk reserve, that the +Indians of Grand River had a resident pastor. Brant also +had won from General Haldimand a promise that a school +should be built for the education of the Indian children, +and that a flour-mill should be erected for the grinding +of corn. + +Brant was deeply interested also in the native amusements +of the people of the Long House. He seems to have retained +a boyish heart in the later years of his life, and he +saw with pleasure the sports and pastimes of the Indian +youth. Hour after hour he would sit as an honoured +spectator watching them play a hard-fought game of lacrosse +that required fleetness of foot and straightness of limb. +An eye-witness who sat with Brant at one of these games +has told of the excitement which the match aroused. On +this occasion a great company of Senecas had come all +the way from New York state in order to compete for the +mastery with their kinsmen, the Mohawks. The contest +lasted for three days before the Senecas finally won the +valuable stakes which were offered as the prize. + +The field which was cleared for the game was fairly +extensive, the goals being placed about five hundred feet +apart. The teams had sixty men a side. When any one +dropped out from either party another was supposed to +take his place, and so the energies of the contestants +did not flag. The netted rackets employed in the game of +lacrosse were three and a half feet in length, straight +at the handle but curved at the other end. The broad +portion used for throwing or carrying the ball was formed +of thongs of deerskin, interwoven and drawn firm and +tight. It was a picturesque sight when the opposing teams +were ready to commence play. The animated warriors were +nude except for a breech-cloth reaching to the knee. When +all was in readiness, an Indian maiden came tripping into +the centre of the field. She was prettily attired after +the custom of her tribe, wore bracelets of silver and a +red tiara decked with eagle feathers. Placing the ball +among the players, she hurried from the field of play. +Two experts from the rival parties then raised the ball +between their rackets and strove to make the first +successful throw. The great game had now begun, and each +time the ball went through a goal it counted one tally. +The score-keepers, who were chosen from the older sachems +of the tribes, were invested with peculiar powers. If +one team was making far less tallies than its opponent, +they could diminish its rival's score (without the players' +knowledge, however) in order that the contest might be +protracted. Games of this vigorous kind have made the +athletes of the Six Nations noted in both Canada and the +United States down to the present day. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +THE PINE-TREE TOTTERS + +It came to pass before long that the Indians wished to +dispose of some of the land granted to them on Grand +River. The United Empire Loyalists and others, lured by +the prospect of cheap land, kept crossing into Canada +from the United States; accessions to the population of +the Great Lakes region had come by immigration from the +British Isles, and the country was making forward strides. +Straggling settlers and speculators were often anxious +to purchase land in the richer districts when they could +get it at a low price. It happened, however, that after +the redskins had sold and leased bits of their territory +to such persons, the provincial government began to +interfere. The land, it said, belonged to the Indians +only so long as they remained upon it. They could not, +therefore, sell any of it, as they had no direct ownership +of the soil. + +This decision shed a new light upon the proprietary rights +of the Six Nations in Canada and the Indians were sorely +perplexed. All along they thought that they held their +lands like other settlers who had proved their loyalty. +Brant vigorously took up their case, made several able +speeches on their behalf, and freely corresponded with +the authorities of the province regarding the matter. In +1793 Governor Simcoe issued a new proclamation respecting +the grant, but this did not end the dispute. The province +still claimed the right of pre-emption with respect to +the whole of their reserve. Later on the matter was +carried to England, and the British government tended to +favour the Indians' claims. But nothing was done, owing +to contentions among the redskins themselves. It was +only, indeed, after Brant's death that the affair was +finally settled. The sale of large tracts of Indian land +was then authorized, and the money received was safely +invested for the benefit of the Mohawks and others of +the Six Nations in Canada. In connection with this +difficult question Brant had intended making a trip to +England, but was forced to abandon the idea. + +During the latter part of his life Brant visited different +parts of America and twice journeyed as far as the Atlantic +seaboard. On these occasions he had the opportunity of +talking over old campaigns with officers who had fought +against him in the war, and he delighted his listeners +with stirring stories of his experiences in the field. +On one occasion, when in Philadelphia, he was entertained +in sumptuous fashion by Colonel Aaron Burr. A dinner +party was held in his honour, and among the guests were +Talleyrand and Volney. Early in the evening the War Chief +was rather taciturn, and the other guests were somewhat +disappointed. But this was only a passing mood, from +which Brant soon freed himself. Launching into the +conversation, he was soon the centre of attraction. + +Though Captain Brant was able to pass his later years in +comparative ease, his life was marred by the occurrence +of two untoward events. His eldest son, Isaac, was a +reprobate over whom the father exercised little influence. +Isaac had been guilty of acts of violence and had begun +to threaten Joseph Brant himself. He was jealous of the +numerous children of Catherine Brant and took occasion +to offer her various insults. In 1795 both father and +son were at Burlington Heights, at a time when the Indians +were receiving supplies from the provincial government. +Isaac, crazed with liquor, tried to assault his father +in one of the lower rooms of an inn, but he was held in +check by several of his youthful companions. + +Captain Brant drew a dirk which he usually carried with +him, and in the excitement of the moment inflicted a +slight wound on Isaac's hand. The cut was not serious, +but Isaac would not allow it to be properly treated, and +subsequently died from an attack of brain fever. The War +Chief was sorely grieved at the result of his hasty +action, and fretted about it until the end of his days. +He is said to have hung the dirk up in his room and to +have often wept as he gazed upon it. The other source of +trouble to Brant was the revolt against his rule of a +small minority among the tribes. This movement was led +by Brant's old adversary, Red Jacket, and another chief, +the Farmer's Brother. A council was held by the dissenters +at Buffalo Creek in 1803, and Joseph Brant was formally +deposed as head of the confederacy of the Six Nations. +But as this meeting had not been legally convoked, its +decisions were of no validity among the Nations. The +following year, at another council, legitimately assembled, +the tribesmen openly declared their confidence in the +War Chief's rule. + +Because of Brant's many services to the crown, the British +government gave him a fine stretch of land on the north-west +shore of Lake Ontario, near the entrance to Burlington +Bay. On his estate, known as Wellington Square, he erected +a large two-storey house, in which he might spend the +remaining years of his life. A number of black slaves +whom he had captured in the war were his servants and +gave him every attention. Brant is said to have subjected +these negroes to a rigid discipline and to have been more +or less of a taskmaster in his treatment of them. In his +declining years he was wont to gaze over the waters of +Lake Ontario, remembering the country stretching from +the southern shore where once he had struggled, and the +valley of the Mohawk, where had been the lodges of his +people. + +But the giant pine-tree of the forest was now beginning +to bend. Tall and erect, it had out-topped and outrivalled +every other tree of the woodland. Men knew that that +pine-tree was tottering. In the autumn of 1807 the Captain +of the Six Nations was in the grip of a serious illness. +Friends and neighbours came to bring solace and comfort, +for he was widely revered. Racked with pain, but +uncomplaining, he passed the few weary hours of life +which were left. On November 24, 1807, the long trail +came to an end. Close by Brant's bedside. John Norton, +[Footnote: Norton was a Scotsman who, coming to Canada +early in life, settled among the Mohawks and won a chief's +rank among them. He played an important part in the War +of 1812.] a chieftain of his tribe, leaned to catch the +last faltering word. + +'Have pity on the poor Indians,' whispered the dying War +Chief; 'if you can get any influence with the great, +endeavour to do them all the good you can.' + +The body of Captain Brant was taken to Grand River and +buried beside the walls of the church he had helped to +rear. In the centre of the busy city of Brantford--whose +name, as well as that of the county, commemorates his +--stands a beautiful monument, picturesque and massive, +to his worth and valour; in the hearts of the people of +Canada he is enshrined as a loyal subject, a man of noble +action, and a dauntless hero. Seldom in the annals of +Canada do we find a character so many-sided as the Captain +of the Mohawks. He was a child of nature, and she endowed +him with many gifts--a stout and hardy frame, a deportment +pleasing and attractive, and an eloquent tongue. It was +these natural endowments that gave him endurance in the +conflict, pre-eminence in council, and that won for him +the admiration of his contemporaries. + +The education which Brant received was meagre, but he +could hardly have put what knowledge he had to better +advantage. After he had been relieved from the arduous +life of the camp, he began to satisfy again his desires +for self-culture. His correspondence towards the close +of his life shows a marked improvement in style over that +of his earlier years. There is no lack of convincing +evidence that Brant had a penetrating and well-balanced +intellect; but his chief glory is the constant efforts +he put forth for the moral and religious uplift of his +people. + +With respect to Brant's abilities as a military leader, +there will continue to exist differences of opinion. That +he possessed the craftiness of his race in a superlative +degree, and that he used this to baffle his opponents on +the field of battle, cannot be denied. Some will go +further and assert that he had a remarkable genius in +the art of stratagem. Whatever powers he had he used, +from his boyhood days, in the interests of British rule +in America, and the services rendered by this last great +leader of the Six Nations in the War of the Revolution +were not among the least of the influences that enabled +Great Britain to maintain a foothold on the North American +continent. Joseph Brant in the War of the Revolution and +his descendants in the War of 1812 played essential parts +in firmly basing British institutions and British rule +in Canada. + + + + +BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE + +The principal authority for material on Joseph Brant is +William L. Stone's _Life of Joseph Brant_ (Thayendanegea), +2 vols. (1838). This includes an account of the border +wars of the American Revolution and sketches of the Indian +campaigns of Generals Harmar, St Clair, and Wayne. A +brief biography entitled _Memoir of Captain Joseph Brant_, +'compiled from authentic records,' was published anonymously +in Brantford in 1872. _History of Brant County_ (1883), +Part II, pages 85-149, is devoted almost exclusively to +Brant and his family. Samuel G. Drake's _Biography and +History of the Indians of North America from its First +Discovery_ has one chapter (pp. 577-93) given exclusively +to Brant. The chapter in the same work dealing with Red +Jacket will also be found of interest to the student of +Brant's career. William L. Stone, Jr.'s _Life and Times +of Sir William Johnson_, 2 vols. (1865), contains much +valuable information regarding the events which shaped +the early career of Brant. B. B. Thatcher in his _Indian +Biography_, 2 vols., dismisses Brant with an unsympathetic +and prejudiced paragraph, but several of his chapters, +particularly the one dealing with Red Jacket, throw much +light on the struggles in which Brant took part. + +Other works which contain much material relating to Joseph +Brant are Mrs Holden's _The Brant Family_; Eleazar +Wheelock's _Narrative of the Original Design, Rise, +Progress and Present State of the Indian Charity-School +at Lebanon, In Connecticut_ (1763); William V. Moore's +_Indian Wars of the United States_; Jean N. McIlwraith's +_Sir Frederick Haldimand_, and A. G. Bradley's _Lord +Dorchester_ in the 'Makers of Canada' series; Lewis H. +Morgan's _League of the Ho-de-no-sau-nee, or Iroquois_; +E. M. Chadwick's _The People of the Long House_; _Documents +relating to the Constitutional History of Canada, +1759-1791_, selected and edited by Adam Shortt and Arthur +G. Doughty; _Haldimand Papers_, January 1779 to March +1783, copies of which are in the Dominion Archives; +_Handbook of Canadian Indians_, edited by James White, +F.R.G.S. + +See also in this Series: _The Dawn of Canadian History_; +_The Father of British Canada_; _The War Chief of the +Ottawas_; _Tecumseh_. + + + +END + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The War Chief of the Six Nations +by Louis Aubrey Wood + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WAR CHIEF OF THE SIX NATIONS *** + +***** This file should be named 17014.txt or 17014.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/7/0/1/17014/ + +This etext was produced by Gardner Buchanan. + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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