AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF AND OF THE SIX NATIONS OF INDIANS. AND THE REPORT OF Samuel P. Johnson , ON THE ERECTION OF THE MONUMENT AT JENNESADAGA, TO THE MEMORY OF CORNPLANTER. HARRISBURG, PA: SINGERLY & MYERS, STATE PRINTERS. 1867....

Senate of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, March 15, 1867. The report of Hon. Samuel P. Johnson , on the completion of the monument authorized by the last Legislature, to be erected to the memory of Cornplanter , a Chief of the Six Nations, having been presented to the Senate, by Senator Brown , of Mercer, the following resolution was adopted: Resolved , That one thousand copies of said report, together with the historical sketch, with accompanying documents, prepared by Hon. James Ross Snowden , be pr

A joint resolution of the Legislature of Pennsylvania was passed on the 7th day of March, 1867, inviting Hon. James Ross Snowden to deliver, in the Hall of the House of Representatives, his historical address on Cornplanter , and the Six Nations of Indians. Pursuant to this resolution, on the 14th of March, the members of both Houses, and a number of citizens, being convened, Hon. John P. Glass , Speaker of the House of Representatives, was called to the chair; and Geo. W. Hamersly , Esq., Clerk

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: At the last session of the Legislature a joint resolution was passed by your honorable bodies, appropriating five hundred dollars, for the erection of a monument to the memory of Cornplanter , an Indian Chief of the Seneca tribe, whose remains were deposited at Jennesadaga, where he had resided, in the county of Warren. By said resolution, I was appointed to superintend the execution of this generous purpose. This du

Friends of Cornplanter and fellow citizens: By a joint resolution of the Pennsylvania Legislature, approved by the Governor the 25th of January, 1866, the State Treasurer was directed to pay to me, the sum of five hundred dollars, "to be expended in erecting and enclosing a suitable monument to Cornplanter , as a recognition of his eminent services to the State during its early history." This duty I have endeavored to perform, as well as the limited means at my disposal would permit. You have be

The last War Chief of the Senecas, and of the Iroquois, or Six Nations. AN HISTORICAL SKETCH BY JAMES ROSS SNOWDEN. A solitary traveler, after the close of the Revolutionary war, in 1783, wandering near the shores of Chatanque lake, [A] found himself benighted; and ignorant of the path which should lead him to his place of destination, he feared he would be compelled to pass the night in the forest and without shelter. But when the darkness of the night gathered around him, he saw the light of a

I have recently examined Mr. Ketchum's history of Buffalo and the Senecas. The facts he presents corroborate the views I have presented of the character and services of Cornplanter . I am surprised, however, to notice that he expresses an opinion adverse to our Chief. He does him great injustice when he says; "There is no doubt that Cornplanter was at heart in the British interest, up to the period of Wayne's victory in 1794." He also makes the extraordinary assertion, that Cornplanter acted in

The following addresses were then made by the Indians herein mentioned; they were translated by Harrison Halftown and Benjamin Williams , both Senecas. Mr. Snowden took notes of these addresses, and has written them out as follows: John Luke , a councillor of the Seneca nation, said: Brothers! White men and Indians:—It has been laid upon me to say a few words. We were well pleased when we heard that the State of Pennsylvania had directed that a monument should be put up to the memory of Cornplan

The following is a brief statement of the present location and population of the Six Nations of Indians: SENECAS. 1. Senecas on the Allegheny river, in Pennsylvania, fifteen miles above Warren, at Cornplanter's town, (Jennesadaga.) 2. Senecas on the Allegheny reservation, in New York, a few miles above the Pennsylvania line. 3. Senecas on Cattaraugus reservation, in Erie and Cattaraugus counties, New York. 4. Senecas at Tonnawandas, in New York. 1. Oneidas, in Oneida and Madison counties N. York

JOINT RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CORNPLANTER MONUMENT. The Joint Resolution of the Legislature of Pennsylvania, authorizing the erection of the monument to Cornplanter , is in the following words: WHEREAS, Solomon O'Bail , a grandson of Cornplanter , an Indian, who rendered eminent services to the State and Nation, during the Revolutionary war and the early history of Pennsylvania, and Mark Pierce , his interpreter, have just had a hearing before the Senate: And whereas , A recognition of the em

TO PRESIDENT WASHINGTON, AT PHILADELPHIA, IN THE YEAR 1790. Father! The voice of the Seneca nation speaks to you, the great councillor, in whose heart the wise men of all the Thirteen Fires have placed their wisdom. It may be very small in your ears, and we therefore entreat you to hearken with attention, for we are about to speak of things which are to us very great. When your army entered the country of the Six Nations, we called you the Town Destroyer; and to this day, when that name is heard

OF PRESIDENT WASHINGTON TO CORNPLANTER, DEC. 29, 1790. The reply of the President of the United States, to the Speech of The Cornplanter , Half-Town and Great Tree , Chiefs and Counsellors of the Seneka Nations of Indians . I, the President of the United States, by my own mouth, and by a written Speech, signed by own hand and sealed with the seal of the United States, speak to the Seneka nation, and desire their attention, and that they would keep this Speech in remembrance of the friendship of

IN REPLY TO PRESIDENT WASHINGTON'S ADDRESS. Father:—Your speech, written on the great paper, is to us like the first light of the morning to a sick man, whose pulse beats too strongly in his temples and prevents him from sleep. He sees it and rejoices, but is not cured. You say that you have spoken plainly on the great point. That you will protect us in the lands secured to us at Fort Stanwix, and that we have the right to sell , or to refuse to sell it. This is very good. But our nation complai

OF CORNPLANTER, HALF TOWN, AND BIG TREE, SENECA CHIEFS, ON TAKING LEAVE OF PRESIDENT WASHINGTON. Father! No Seneca ever goes from the fire of his friend until he has said to him, "I am going." We, therefore, tell you, that we are now setting out for our own country. Father! We thank you from our hearts, that we now know there is a country we may call our own, and on which we may lay down in peace. We see that there will be peace between your children and our children, and our hearts are very gla

TO PRESIDENT WASHINGTON, PHILADELPHIA, FEBRUARY 28, 1797. Father! I thank the Great Spirit for protecting us through the various paths which we have trod since I was last at this place. As I am told you are about to retire from public business, I have come to pay my last address to you as the Great Chief of the Fifteen Fires, and am happy to find that I have arrived here in time to address you once more as father, and to advise with you on the business of our nation. You have always told us that

TO THE GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA, FEBRUARY, 1822. I feel it my duty to send a speech to the Governor of Pennsylvania at this time, and inform him of the place where I was from, which was at Connewaugus, on the Genessee river. When I was a child I played with the butterfly, the grasshopper and the frogs; and as I grew up, I began to pay some attention, and play with the Indian boys in the neighborhood, and they took notice of my skin being of a different color from theirs, and spoke about it. I in

All presumed typographical errors were corrected. Hyphenation of proper names was not standardized. On page 27 , Sir William Johnston is the father of Sir John Johnston who is mentioned twice. The quotation beginning on page 60 lacked a closing quote which was placed based on an internet search of the document quoted....