A MAN OF MARK AMONG THE DELAWARES
STORY OF TAMMANY, WHITE EYES AND CAPTAIN PIPE
Tammany was the most famous of the Delaware Indian chiefs. He died
toward the close of the eighteenth century. His reputation is that of
a mighty warrior, a lofty patriot, and the greatest statesman ever
born among his people. Such were his perfections that his countrymen
believed he talked with the Great Spirit. In 1776, when Colonel George
Morgan, of Princeton, New Jersey, was sent to the western Indians
by Congress, he was so liked by the Delawares that they called him
"Tammany," "in honor and remembrance of their ancient chief, and as
the greatest mark of respect which they could show to that gentleman,
who they said had the same address, affability and meekness as their
honored chief."
When the first whites visited this country, the Lenni-Lenapes or
Delaware Indians, one of the most important members of the Algonquin
family, occupied the valleys of the Delaware and Schuykill. They were
so powerful that they impressed themselves upon all the tribes from
the Hudson to the Chesapeake. This power lasted till the rise of the
Iroquois, or Six Nations of New York, the greatest confederation that
ever existed among the American race. It soon crushed the Delawares,
who lost in a sense their independence. At an assemblage near
Lancaster, in 1774, the Iroquois forbade the Delawares to sell their
lands without the permission of their masters, who even called them
"squaws," and looked upon them with undisguised contempt.
About the middle of the eighteenth century, the Delawares removed
to the banks of the Susquehanna. They learned the principles of
non-resistance from William Penn and the missionary Zinzendorf, for
which they suffered much at the hands of the English and the Iroquois.
The former charged that they were under French influence, while the
Iroquois, angered at their neutrality, despoiled them without mercy and
expressed contempt for the tribe.
The Delawares produced two remarkable chiefs, of opposing views. One
wanted peace, and the other wished war. Each had hundreds of friends,
and the tribe was broken up by quarrels, which often resulted in
bloodshed.
The leader of the peace party had a hard Indian name, but was dubbed
"Captain White Eyes" by the Americans. Whether this was due to any
peculiarity of his organs of vision, we have not been able to learn. It
may have been on account of his peace principles, which were as open
as those of the Friends. He was the leading chief of the Turtle clan
in Ohio, and his bitterest enemies never denied his lofty honor, pure
life, and unselfish patriotism.
When the Revolution broke out, the British authorities used every
effort to win the Delawares over to their side. Congress strove equally
hard to hold them neutral. Thus two opposing factions faced each other.
White Eyes was the sleepless champion of peace, and Captain Pipe of war
to the knife. Both had ingenuity, tact, and strong will. Captain Pipe,
on his part, could count upon the natural, revengeful temper of his
countrymen. They had many wrongs to brood over, and the Indian dearly
loves war. White Eyes admitted the wrongs his people had suffered,
but insisted that the true interests of the Delawares forbade them to
take the side of either of the opponents. If they did, they were sure
to suffer, and many of their bravest men would be slain. There was no
difference between the British and Americans; one was as likely to
prove as good or ill a neighbor as the other.
It followed that the Delawares in breaking apart joined one or the
other of the warring champions. They lost sight of the principles at
stake, and identified themselves with the leaders. The Delaware tribe
had passed under the sway of two great sachems or "bosses." Which was
to prevail?
White Eyes gave many proofs of his personal courage. When war became
certain, he and several of his tribe went to Pittsburg to meet in
conference a number of Senecas, members of the Iroquois or Six Nations
and resolute allies of the British. White Eyes boldly opposed their
designs, and used such biting words that the Senecas were angered. They
told him he was the last one to prate of independent action by his
tribe, when every one knew they had been made _women_ by the Iroquois.
White Eyes scornfully faced the chief who uttered this insult, and
replied:
"I know you look upon us as a conquered nation; as your inferiors; as
women, made such by you. You say you have placed hoes in our hands and
ordered us to dig and plant for you, and that we shall wear petticoats.
But look at _me_! Am I not a full-grown man and am I not in the dress
of a warrior! Do I not carry a musket the same as you? And (waving his
hand toward the Allegheny) all that is mine!"
These were daring words, and greatly disturbed many of his own warriors
who believed the fiery Senecas would revenge themselves upon White Eyes
and his friends. They sent word to the Iroquois that they did not think
like White Eyes, and that they would not stay by his side. Captain Pipe
had much to do with this cowardly action. He and White Eyes set to work
with more resolution than ever, and each had varying success. White
Eyes' message to the Wyandots at Sandusky was insultingly answered
by notice to the Delawares to hold themselves ready to take the war
path with them against the Americans. He visited a portion of the same
tribe at Detroit. They refused to receive his peace belts except in the
presence of the British governor. When the proffer was made before him,
he snatched the belts from the hands of the chief, cut them to pieces,
and threw them to the ground in a high rage.
[Illustration: AN INDIAN FAMILY]
"And you," he said, turning angrily upon White Eyes, "if you value your
life, will leave here within half an hour!"
This remarkable man was often in imminent peril from his own people.
Passion ran high, and among the friends of Captain Pipe were many who
would have assassinated White Eyes had they not lacked the courage.
It is hard to understand how he escaped, and how he retained his
influence over so many fiery warriors. Early in 1778, a number of
Tories from Pittsburg came among the Indians with word that the
Americans were hurrying against them, and their only hope of escape was
to begin war without delay.
These rumors threw the Delawares into a panic, and for several days
White Eyes could do nothing to stay the rising tide. When he was able
to soothe them to some extent, he called a council to which he said he
was satisfied that the reports were lies, and it would never do for his
warriors to make a mistake in such a matter. He, therefore, asked them
to do nothing for ten days. This would give time to learn the facts.
The cunning Pipe also called a council. He gave out the impression that
he knew the whole truth, and he called upon his countrymen to declare
that man an enemy to the nation who did anything to prevent their
taking up arms against the American people.
White Eyes parried this blow by saying that if the Delawares were
determined to go upon the war path, he would go with them. "I have done
what I could for peace," he said, "but if you choose to believe these
lying vagabonds, you shall not go without me! And I shall not _follow_;
I shall place myself at your head and none shall fight harder than I;
I shall be the first to fall, for I do not wish to survive my nation;
I will not live to mourn the destruction of a people who deserved a
better fate."
This appeal was overpowering. The council, with more enthusiasm than
such a body generally shows, declared that they would wait the ten
days, while others said with equal emphasis that they would never fight
the Americans unless led by White Eyes.
The baffled Pipe and his friends worked more determinedly than ever,
and with such success that after several days, many of the Delawares
began preparations for war White Eyes was warned that if he interfered
again, he would be killed. Nine days had passed without a single fact
appearing to disprove the rumors of the coming of the Americans. It
looked as if nothing could calm the rising war spirit.
Providentially, at this juncture, the German missionary Heckewelder,
who had arrived among the Christian Delawares, not far from the village
of White Eyes, learned of the crisis, and made haste to the settlement.
His coming drew wide attention, and the warriors flocked thither from
all points, anxious to learn the errand that had brought the white man
thither.
[Illustration: A PIONEER'S CABIN]
The missionary and White Eyes had always been friends, but the chief
now scowled at him and refused to take his offered hand. Heckewelder
was amazed, but quickly read the meaning of the rebuff. Pipe had
his spies in the crowd watching everything. If White Eyes welcomed
the missionary, it would show that he had been invited to come, and
that the whole affair was a scheme to throw dust in the eyes of the
Delawares. If the chief showed a distrust, it would tell the contrary
story.
Heckewelder demanded the reason of the chief's churlish action. He
answered:
"I will tell you. If what has been told us is true, we have not a
single friend among the Americans; therefore, we are the enemies of
every white man and can look upon you as coming to us only to put us
off our guard that our enemies may take us by surprise."
Heckewelder strongly denied the charge, declaring that if he was not
the friend of the Delawares, he never would have come among them. White
Eyes fixed his piercing gaze upon the missionary, and in the hush that
fell upon the throng, asked:
"Will you tell me the truth as to what I shall ask you?"
"I always strive to speak the truth and I shall not deceive you," was
the reply.
"We are told that the American armies have been cut to pieces, that
General Washington has been killed, that there is no more Congress, and
that those that have not already been hanged will be taken to England
and hanged by the king, that all the country beyond the mountains is
in possession of the English, and the few thousand Americans who have
escaped are gathered on this side of the mountains to kill us and our
women and children. Now, tell me the truth; are all or any of these
things true?"
With all the solemnity he could command, the visitor replied that
there was not a word of truth in the rumors that had been brought to
the Delawares. The Americans had not been defeated, Washington was
unharmed, the cause of patriotism was making the best of progress, and
he carried with him the proof that one of the greatest of the British
armies had surrendered to the Americans only a few months before.
Heckewelder then unfolded and displayed a newspaper which told of the
capture of General Burgoyne and his troops. Then the visitor added that
he had with him also the friendly messages which the Americans wished
him to deliver to the Delawares as a sign of their good will.
[Illustration: MASSACRE AT FORT MIMMS.
This fort in Alabama was attacked by eight hundred Creek warriors,
August 30, 1813, led by the noted half-breed and Chief Weathersford.
The fort held five hundred soldiers, men, women and children, but being
taken by surprise, over two hundred people were scalped.]
[Illustration: DEATH OF TECUMSEH THE GREAT INDIAN CHIEF.
Tecumseh was one of the most famous chiefs and Indian warriors of the
eighteenth century. He organized many expeditions against the whites
but lost his life at the Battle of the Thames, October 5, 1813. He was
an ally of the British in the War of 1812.]
Every warrior present knew that the visitor was a man of truth, and his
words caused a sensation. White Eyes seized the "psychological moment,"
and, turning to the assemblage, asked whether they should listen to the
words of those who had always been their friends. The warriors replied
as one voice that they would. Accordingly, the drum was beaten and the
whole body moved to the council house, where friendly addresses were
spoken. When they were finished, White Eyes stepped forward and offered
his hand to Heckewelder, saying: "You are welcome, my brother," and the
others did likewise.
It was a triumph. Captain Pipe was silent, and soon after, his spies
brought him word that everything told by the white men was true. White
Eyes sent his runners to the Shawnees, where the Tories had already
gone to stir up enmity against the Americans, and the messengers did
their work well. Never was a more complete victory gained by diplomat,
statesman, or military leader.
Ever anxious for peace, White Eyes made a visit to Pittsburg in the
winter of 1779-80, to talk with the Indian agent. He went with General
McIntosh to the country of the Tuscaroras, where a fort was to be built
for the protection of the neutral Indians, but, sad to say, he took the
smallpox and died.
The death of the great and good chief caused profound grief not only
among the Delawares, but with other tribes. One of the truest friends
the American Indians ever knew had gone to his final hunting grounds.
White Eyes being out of the way, Captain Pipe naturally gained control
of his people. He fought on the side of the British, and at times
showed a high sense of honor and chivalry. He is believed to have died
about the year 1820.