[Transcriber's Note:
Italicized text delimited by underscores.
Bold text delimited by equal signs.]
Redmanship in Kentucky
FOR
Fifty Great Suns
BY PAST SACHEM
FRANK L. SMITH
GREAT CHIEF OF RECORDS
LEXINGTON
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR
G. S. D. 418
[Illustration: publisher's logo]
TO
MIANTONOMO TRIBE No. 1
IMPROVED O. R. M.
THE MOTHER TRIBE OF THE
GREAT COUNCIL
THIS BOOK IS
DEDICATED
IN F. F. & C.
CONTENTS
Page
CHAPTER I. The Fore-History, 1765-1833. 9
CHAPTER II. The Establishment of the Improved Order
of Red Men, 1833-1847. 13
CHAPTER III. The Establishment of the Improved Order
of Red Men in Kentucky by the Great Council of the
United States, 1852. 15
CHAPTER IV. The Great Council of Kentucky, 1854-1884. 16
CHAPTER V. Kentucky Under the Jurisdiction of the
Great Council of Ohio, 1884-1894. 48
CHAPTER VI. Kentucky Under a Deputy Great Incohonee
and the Establishment of Tribes by the Great Council
of the United States, 1894. 50
CHAPTER VII. Establishment of the Great Council of
Kentucky and Its Record from 1895 to 1908. 53
CHAPTER VIII. Brief Review of the Institution of Each
Tribe in Kentucky, with the Significance of Its Name
Where Possible. 126
CHAPTER IX. Roster of the Old Great Council of
Kentucky. 155
CHAPTER X. Roster of the Present Great Council of
Kentucky. 160
CHAPTER XI. Biographies of Past Great Sachems of
Kentucky. 169
CHAPTER XII. Roster of Chiefs of the Old Great Council. 203
CHAPTER XIII. Roster of Chiefs of the Present Great
Council. 205
PREFACE
I trust that no apology is necessary for the making of this book.
It is merely a record of facts which if not soon presented in this
tangible form might easily be blotted out forever.
As it is intended as a history and record of Redmanship in Kentucky
only, I have made but brief mention of those intensely interesting
events leading up to the establishment of the Great Council of the
United States. They will be found recorded in the Official History of
the Order in detail, and the reader is referred to its pages for the
most complete information.
The records of Redmanship in Kentucky have been diligently searched,
a careful digest made of them, and I believe the information herein
contained may be regarded as authentic.
I am indebted to many brothers for kindly assistance in the
compilation of these pages, and I wish to thank them one and all for
the many courtesies shown me.
Fraternally, in F. F. & C.,
FRANK L. SMITH.
Lexington, Kentucky, 1st Snow Moon, G. S. D. 418.
STYLE OF DATING
Prior to the year A. D. 1865, the Jewish style namely, the Year of
the World, was observed by Red Men in dating their documents. At
the Council held in G. S. 5626, this system was discontinued and G.
S. D. (Great Sun of Discovery) was adopted, the year of 1492 being
considered G. S. D. 1. For convenience it was determined that the
Great Sun should commence on the first of the Cold Moon, to conform to
the common era.
CHAPTER I.
THE FORE-HISTORY (1765-1833).
The history of the Improved Order of Red Men is so interwoven with the
history of the struggles of the American Colonies for independence that
to record the one is to repeat the other in a great measure.
The first settlers upon this continent were imbued with the spirit
of freedom, and to gain this object left their mother country.
The American shores became the asylum of the oppressed of all
nationalities. They were not, however, thus easily to escape the
hand of British tyranny. The British Government soon learned that
the American colonists were a thrifty, prosperous people, strong and
skilled in the arts and sciences and were rapidly gaining wealth. The
temptation to tax these people for the maintenance of its government
and army was too strong upon the mother country, and severe taxes were
imposed; but the right of representation in the British Parliament was
denied them.
This usurpation of power created the greatest dissatisfaction among
the colonists, who repeatedly memorialized the English Government for
relief, and for redress for their many wrongs, but without avail.
As early as 1765, it was the custom of the citizens of the city of
Boston and vicinity to assemble and discuss the aggravating situation.
Their favorite place of meeting was under the famous Liberty Tree,
which stood at what is now the corner of Essex and Washington streets.
These citizens had perfected a permanent organization, bound together
by signed pledges to appose by all legitimate means the enforcement
of the obnoxious "Stamp Act." It is not known that at that time they
had any particular name for their organization, but Col. Barre, in a
speech in the House of Commons, February 7, 1765, referred to American
colonists in opposition to the stamp act as the "Sons of Liberty," and
this name seems to have been applied to them from that time.
On the 13th of May, 1766, the news of the repeal of the stamp act was
received in Boston and was celebrated under the Liberty Tree and on
the Commons with great rejoicing.
The repeal of the stamp act, however, did not satisfy the patriots.
While the excessive taxation that had been so oppressive and
burdensome had been removed, the English Government still held to
their right to tax the colonists, and did so tax them, though in a
lighter degree.
The Sons of Liberty called a meeting on the afternoon of the 13th of
May, 1767, at Faneuil Hall and prepared a petition to the Governor for
the removal of a British warship from Boston harbor which was there for
the purpose of enforcing the taxation laws.
A meeting was held March 6th, in Faneuil Hall, with nearly three
thousand members present, Samuel Adams presiding, to protest against
the presence of British soldiers in the city, the result of their
presence being riot and bloodshed.
November 3, 1773, a meeting of the Sons of Liberty was called under
the Liberty Tree to protest against the landing of certain ships
supposed to be laden with taxable tea. Notice of the meeting was
posted, and it bore at the bottom this legend: "Show me the man that
dare take this down."
There is also a record of a meeting of the Sons of Liberty in the old
tavern in Providence, R. I., at about the same time, November 3, 1773.
On the 16th of December, 1773, occurred the famous "Boston Tea Party,"
given under the auspices of the Sons of Liberty of Boston and Vicinity.
On March 1, 1776, the Sons of Liberty held their first meeting in
Baltimore. Wm. Paca, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was
the secretary. In Savannah, Ga., the first meeting was held July 14,
1774, when they concurred in the action of their Northern brethren. In
1765, the first meetings were held in South Carolina, and in New York
meetings were held about concurrent with those in Massachusetts.
When first organized the Sons of Liberty had no thought of
Independence, but were loyal to the British crown, though protesting
against "taxation without representation."
Their motto was "FREEDOM," however, and as that could not be obtained
under British rule, as a last resort they determined to be free and
independent.
It is unnecessary to here record the many deeds of heroism performed by
the Sons of Liberty, the "Liberty Boys," the "Minute Men" and the
members thereof. They will be found emblazoned upon every page of the
history of the American Revolution.
In many localities the Sons of Liberty adopted the title of "Sons of
Saint Tamina," or "Saint Tamina Society," and set apart the first day of
May as their anniversary.
We quote from the Official History of the Great Council of the United
States, page 158, as follows:
"In this year, 1771, and for many years later, there existed in the town
of Annapolis a society called the 'Saint Tamina Society,' who set apart
the first day of May in memory of Saint Tamina, their patron saint,
whose history is now lost in fable and uncertainty. It was usual, on the
morning of this day, for the members of this society to erect in some
public location in the city 'a May-pole,' and to decorate it in a most
tasteful manner with wild flowers, gathered from the adjacent woods, and
forming themselves in a ring around it, hand in hand, perform the
'war-dance' with many other customs which they had seen exhibited by the
'Children of the Forest.' It was also usual, on this day, for such of
the citizens as chose to enter into the amusements, to wear a piece of
buck-tail in their hats, or in some conspicuous part of their dress.
General invitations were given out, and a large company usually
assembled during the course of the evening, and whilst engaged in the
midst of a dance, the company would be interrupted by the sudden
intrusion of a number of the Saint Tamina Society, habited like Indians,
who, rushing violently into the room, singing war songs and giving the
'whoop,' commenced dancing in the style of that people. After this
ceremony, they made a collection of money, and retired evidently well
pleased with their reception and entertainment."
At a later date the day for celebration was changed from the first day
of May to the 12th, which is now observed as "St. Tamminy's Day."
After the close of the Revolutionary War, the object for which they had
banded themselves together having been accomplished, the Sons of
Liberty, or Saint Tamina Societies, became less prominent in public
affairs, and it was the differences of opinion among the citizens as to
the permanent form the government should take that brought them again to
the front as a political organization with the addition to their motto
of "FRIENDSHIP."
The Saint Tamina Societies, or Societies of St. Tammany, as they were
variously called, became quite powerful in the political affairs of the
young nation and were organized in all parts of the country from the
close of the Revolutionary War up to as late as 1820.
The only record we find of this Society in Kentucky is in Ranck's
History of Lexington, from which we quote the following:
"A St. Tammany Society was instituted in Lexington about this time,
1811, and continued to exist up to 1820. The 'Wigwam' was in the second
story of a building which stood on the corner of Main and Broadway. The
sons of St. Tammany often paraded through the streets disguised as
Indians, and magnificent in red paint, feathers, bows, tomahawks, and
war clubs. It was one of the most noted Democratic organizations in the
West. Thomas T. Barr, Richard Chinn, and others successively filled the
office of 'Sachem.' We give verbatim one of the Society's orders, viz.:
St. Tammany's Day.--The Sons of St. Tammany, or Brethren of the
Columbian Order, will assemble at the council fire of their great wigwam
on Tuesday, the 12th of the month of Flowers, at the rising of the sun,
to celebrate the anniversary of their patron saint.
A dinner will be provided at Bro. John Fowler's garden, to which the
brethren will march in procession, where a long talk will be delivered
by one of the order.
An adjourned meeting of the Society will be held on tomorrow evening,
at the going down of the sun. By order of the Grand Sachem. N. S.
PORTER, Sec.
8th of the month of Flowers, [1]Year of Discovery, 326."
During the second war with Great Britain, Fort Mifflin, on the Delaware
River, near Philadelphia, was garrisoned for a time by a military
company composed of the sons of the leading citizens of Philadelphia. At
Fort Mifflin, and among these volunteers originated the "Society of Red
Men," about the year 1813. Their motto was "Freedom and Friendship," and
they were a natural outgrowth from and sequence to the St. Tammany
Societies.
The records of the Society of Red Men are abundant and the Great Council
of the United States in its Official History of the Order traces its
growth and decline in detail as well as its customs and ceremonies. It
flourished until about the year 1828, when it began to decline, and in
1832 was about extinct. The elements of conviviality, which seems to
have been inseparable from all fraternal organizations of that period,
finally produced such a degeneration in the Society as to disgust the
better element, and cause the reorganization in its present form, and
the incorporation of the word "Improved" in its title.
[1] It will be observed that the present style of dating was used
nearly one hundred years ago, though subsequently changed to the Jewish
method.