Council at Canawangus--Interesting reminiscence of Red Jacket--Address of
Farmer's Brother--Jasper Parrish--Horatio Jones--Red Jacket's visit at
Hartford, Conn.
A council of the Iroquois was held at Ca-na-wau-gus, near West Avon, in
the autumn of 1798. Connected with it is a reminiscence of Red Jacket of
much interest, as an item of history, and it serves well to illustrate the
orator's mental habit.
His conduct was such on this occasion, as to excite the observation as
well as curiosity of Captain Parrish, who related the occurrence.
For the first few days of the council, he uttered not a word. He appeared
to be in deep thought, and was exceedingly reserved.--The expression of
his countenance was severe, and there was much _hauteur_ in his manner. He
ate scarcely anything, and his appearance was so remarkable, as to excite
the wonder of all present. At length on the third or fourth day of the
council, he arose with great dignity, and solemnity of air, and commenced
speaking. His exordium was for the most part a beautiful and highly
wrought enconium on the character and history of the Indians; particularly
of his own people, in the past. They were taken back, as by a magic spell,
to primitive times. The days of their renown, when the name and glory of
their nation, were the admiration of the world. When from the rising to
the setting sun, there was no power to stand before them, or hinder the
victorious march of their warriors through the land. As they glided over
the waters of river or lake, as they ascended the mountain, or passed
through the valley, they could feel that their dominion was wide, and
undisputed. Every deer that bounded through the forest, every bird that
winged the air, and the fish in all the waters, were theirs, and they were
happy. Such was the glowing picture he drew, they did not realize the
present, from the engrossing theme of the past.
He next proceeded to sketch their history, as affected by the coming of
the white man among them. The friendly relations, that marked their early
intercourse. Their small beginnings, and the imperceptible manner of their
increase. How they began to line the eastern shores,--plant themselves
upon the borders of their rivers, and gather into neighborhoods, and
towns, and cities. How these new and wonderful things engaged the
attention of the Indians, and kept them spell-bound, so that they were
insensible to what had been going on till the whites were firmly planted,
like a tree that has taken deep root, and sends its branches out over the
land.
He next drew their attention to a time when the signs of a great tempest
began to appear. When the clouds began to overspread the heavens, when the
lightning flashed, and the thunders rolled, and the land was shaken by
their power. A mighty whirlwind came sweeping through the land, the tall
trees of the forest were uprooted, the branches torn off and sent flying
through the air. So has our nation he said been uprooted,--the strong men
torn from us, and scattered, and laid low. Thus he went on recounting as
few could, the circumstances of their history, and as he advanced, his
expressions matured in their intensity, his thoughts appeared to be
winged, and came glowing, as if from some furnace in nature, where all her
materials are wrought under intense heat, and sent forth in forms of
highest brilliancy, and beauty. His hearers were amid the heavings of the
earthquake,--the blackness of the storms,--the wild and irresistible sweep
of the tornado. The heavens, the earth, the elements, seemed to be
careering under the rapid and startling flights of his fancy.
He next adverted with much feeling, and with evident sadness, to the
transactions of the past year, by which they had become dispossessed of
the largest part of their ancient inheritance: and then he drew, with a
prophetic hand, a picture of their probable future, that brought sorrow to
their hearts, and tears to their eyes.--He closed his harangue by
pronouncing a most withering phillipic against the whites.--The effect of
his speech was wonderful.--Mr. Parrish declared that it exceeded, in its
brilliancy and force, all his former utterances, of which he had any
knowledge; and he never heard from him afterward, anything that could
compare with it. His auditors were mainly those of his own people. His
flow of thought was not interrupted by the slow, and embarrassing process
of interpretation. The full grief of his heart, in view of the
transactions of the previous year, was poured forth, and came like the
irresistible sweep of a whirlwind. [Footnote: Conversation of the author
with Samuel J. Mills, Esq., formerly of Mt. Morris, N. Y., later of
Nevada, Iowa. Mr. Mills heard Mr. Parrish give this description of Red
Jacket and of his speech, while sitting at one time on the porch of one of
the hotels at Avon Springs. Mr. Parrish pointed out the ground occupied by
the Indians, when this speech was delivered. It was only a little distance
from the porch where they were sitting.]
It was some little time after the delivery of this speech, before the
minds of the Indians were sufficiently composed to attend to the main
business of their council, which was presented in a speech by Farmer's
Brother, and embodied in an address to the Legislature of New York, thus:
"The Sachems, Chiefs and Warriors of the Seneca Nation, to the Sachems,
and Chiefs assembled about the great Council Fire of the State of New
York:
"BROTHERS: As you are once more assembled in council for the purpose of
doing honor to yourselves and justice to your country, we, your brothers,
the Sachems, Chiefs and Warriors of the Seneca Nation, request you to open
your ears, and give attention to our voice and wishes.
"You will recollect the late contest between you and your father, the
great king of England. This contest threw the inhabitants of this whole
island into a great tumult and commotion, like a raging whirlwind, which
tears up the trees, and tosses to and fro the leaves, so that no one knows
whence they come, or where they will fall.
"BROTHERS: This whirlwind was so directed by the Great Spirit above, as to
throw into our arms two of your infant children, Jasper Parrish, and
Horatio Jones. We adopted them into our families, and made them our
children. We loved them and nourished them. They lived with us many years.
At length the Great Spirit spoke to the whirlwind, and it was still. A
clear and uninterrupted sky appeared. The path of peace was opened, and
the chain of friendship was once more made bright. Then these, our adopted
children, left us, to seek their relations. We wished them to return among
us, and promised if they would return, and live in our country, to give
each of them a seat of land for them, and their children to sit down upon.
"BROTHERS: They have returned, and have for several years past been
serviceable to us as interpreters. We still feel our hearts beat in
affection for them, and now wish to fulfil the promise we made them, and
to reward them for their services. We have therefore made up our minds to
give them a seat of two square miles of land lying on the outlet of Lake
Erie, about three miles below Black Rock, beginning at the mouth of a
creek known by the name of Scoy-gu-quoy-des Creek, running one mile from
the river Niagara, up said creek, thence northerly as the river runs two
miles, thence westerly one mile to the river, thence up the river as the
river runs to the place of beginning, so as to contain two square miles.
"BROTHERS: We have now made known to you our minds; we expect and
earnestly request that you will permit our friends to receive this our
gift, and will make the same good to them, according to the laws and
customs of your nation."
By the laws of the State, no sale or transfers of Indian lands could be
made to private individuals, without permission from the government. Hence
the address embodying the request as presented above, which was complied
with, and the land secured as desired by the Indians.
The above is certainly an able document, and has been justly admired for
its originality, and the boldness of its figures. It is in keeping with
the high order of mind, that has marked the history of the Six Nations.
One expression in it has been pointed out, as an instance of the truly
sublime: "THE GREAT SPIRIT SPOKE TO THE WHIRLWIND, AND IT WAS STILL."
We may observe here that in tracing the history of the Iroquois, the
instances are not rare of a true nobility of character. Their confidence
and esteem once secured, no slight cause would interrupt, none appreciated
more highly the offices of kindness,--and none would go further in making
a generous return for favors rendered.
Jasper Parrish and Horatio Jones were favorite interpreters of Red Jacket,
and as they passed no inconsiderable part of their lives among the
Indians, a further notice of their history is desirable.
The early life of Captain Jasper Parrish was marked by scenes alike trying
and eventful. He was a native of Connecticut, from which State his family
removed to the waters of the Delaware, in the state of Pennsylvania. In
1778, when but eleven years old, he accompanied his father on a short
expedition, to remove a family of backwoodsmen, to a less exposed part of
the settlement. On their way they were attacked by a small party of
Indians, and made captives. The father was taken to Niagara, and after a
captivity of two years, was exchanged and enabled to return to his own
family.
The son was claimed by a war-chief, who treated him kindly, and after a
time took him to the waters of the Chemung. On entering an Indian village,
the war-party which accompanied them, sounded the war-whoop, and it was
answered by the Indians and Indian boys who came out to meet them. They
pulled the young prisoner from the horse he was riding, scourged him with
whips, and beat him with the handles of their tomahawks, one of the forms
of their gauntlet, until his master humanely rescued him. He was after
this sold to a family of Delawares, and taken to reside with them on the
Delaware river, where he suffered much from want of proper clothing, and
from scanty fare. To inure him to cold, the Indians compelled him almost
daily, to strip and plunge into the icy waters of the river.
He was with the Indians when General Sullivan invaded their country, and
witnessed their retreat, after the battle at Newtown, until they found
protection from the guns of the British, at Fort Niagara. Here they
subsisted during the winter by rations from the garrison, and to induce
them to return again to their villages, on the Genesee river, the officers
pledged them an increased bounty for American scalps.
On one occasion, while with the Delaware family at Niagara, he came near
being a victim of the British bounty for scalps. Left alone with some
Indians, who were having a carousal, he overheard a proposal to kill the
young Yankee, and take his scalp to the fort, and sell it for rum. In a
few moments one of them took a large brand from the fire and hurled at
him, but being on the alert he dodged it, and made his escape. The Indians
pursued, but it was dark and they did not find him.
From the Delaware family, he was sold to an Indian of the Mohawk tribe,
called Captain David Hill. At a council of the British and Indians, he was
afterwards adopted with much ceremony, into the family of Captain Hill, as
his own son. He resided with him at the Mohawk settlement near the present
village of Lewiston, till the close of the war, and being surrendered in
accordance with the stipulations of the treaty at Fort Stanwix in 1784, he
returned once more to his own father's house.
It was with some effort he recovered again the use of his own native
tongue. During his captivity he had acquired and could speak fluently, the
language of five different tribes, and his qualifications as an
interpreter, together with his known faithfulness and integrity, coming to
the knowledge of our government, he received an appointment in the Indian
service, and during the greater part of his subsequent life, was actively
employed in business relating to the welfare of the Indians. He died at
his residence in Canandaigua, July 12th, 1836, in the sixty-ninth year of
his age.
Captain Horatio Jones, was a native of Chester county, Pennsylvania. At
the age of sixteen he enlisted as a volunteer, in a company commanded by
Captain John Boyd. It was when the Indians, led by the notorious Butler,
Brant, and Nellis, were committing their depredations and massacres among
the settlers of the frontier, sparing neither age nor sex, from the
tomahawk and scalping knife. With the ardor of youth he engaged in the
active employments of a soldier, and accompanied Captain Boyd on several
important and dangerous expeditions, in which himself and commander had
the good fortune to escape unhurt.
At length in the spring of 1781, while Captain Boyd and his men, numbering
thirty-two, were in pursuit of Nellis, they were surprised by a large
party of Indians, who killed about half their number, and of the rest took
eight prisoners, Jones and his commanding officer being among the number.
The Indians conducted them to their towns on the Genesee river, where they
had to run the gauntlet, and having passed with safety through this trying
ordeal, they next came near losing their lives in a savage frolic. The
warriors, on returning from their excursion, gave themselves up to
drinking and merriment. Partaking freely of the intoxicating bowl, they
soon became much excited, and the ferocity, which a time of war engenders,
was thoroughly aroused among them. One of the prisoners they killed, and
severing his head from the body, carried it about the camp, on the end of
a pole, with wild shouts and frantic yells.
They next meditated the death of Boyd and Jones, and while discussing the
manner in which they would have them suffer, a few squaws conveyed them
away and hid them. Jones was subsequently adopted into an Indian family,
became familiar with their customs and language, and after the declaration
of peace, was appointed by President Washington as Indian interpreter, the
duties of which office he discharged with fidelity, until within a year or
two of his death.
Mr. Jones was about the ordinary stature, firmly built, and qualified by
nature for duties requiring activity and endurance. Possessing uncommon
mental vigor, and quick perception, he was enabled to form a just estimate
of character, and determine with readiness the springs of human action.
His bravery, physical power, energy and decision of character, gave him
great command over the Indians with whom he was associated, and having
their entire confidence, he was enabled to render the government
invaluable service in her treaties with the northern and north-western
tribes. He was a favorite interpreter of Red Jacket, and his style is said
to have been energetic, graphic, and chaste. He died at his residence near
Genesee, on the 18th of August, 1836.
It was not far from the time of this council at Canawangus that Red Jacket
visited Hartford, Conn.
In the adjustment of the land difficulties between the states of
Connecticut and Pennsylvania, owing to the indefinite terms of their
original charters, Connecticut obtained, as we have seen, a title to that
part of Ohio, called Western Reserve. The Senecas laying claim to this, on
the ground of conquest, negotiations were entered into with them for the
extinguishment of their title. This was the occasion of the orator's
visit, concerning which there is but a very brief record. His appearance,
however, has been spoken of in terms of high commendation, and a single
passage only of the speech he made on that occasion has been preserved.
"We stand,"--said he, when representing the condition of his people,--"a
small island in the bosom of the great waters. We are encircled,--we are
encompassed. The evil spirit rides upon the blast, and the waters are
disturbed. They rise, they press upon us, and the waves once settled over
us, we disappear forever. Who then lives to mourn us? None. What marks our
extermination? Nothing. We are mingled with the common elements."
The entire speech was listened to with feelings of profound admiration,
and his action elicited praise for its dignity and grace. He entered the
august assemblage, before which he was called to appear, with a step
measured, firm and dignified,--a countenance erect, bold and discursive,--
without manifesting surprise, fear or curiosity; and his effort sustaining
fully his high reputation as an orator, made the occasion one of great
interest, to those whom it had been the means of bringing together, or who
had been attracted by curiosity, to see one whose fame had reached the
land of steady habits. [Footnote: Col. Stone, from collections by J. W.
Moulton.]