The War Chief of the Six Nations

A free download from http://www.dertz.in


The War Chief of the Six Nations

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.net
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