While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
The Tuscarora Indians
have for more than a century been a firm friend to the
United States. In the Revolutionary war they took an active
part for the declaration of independence; many took part,
but few were enrolled, consequently, but few that drew
pension from the United States.
For instance, Nicholas Cusick, a Tuscarora Indian;
where shall you look for another instance of friendship, greater
than his, towards the distinguished Marquis de Lafayette, or for
Christian principle more firm and true than he evinced
concerning his pension.
In the war of the Revolution he was under command of
Lafayette. Many years after peace was concluded, as he was
passing through Washington, he accidentally heard the name of
his old commander spoken of in the office in which he stopped on
business. The moment his ear caught the sound, his eyes
brightened, and full of earnestness he asked, "Is he yet alive?"
"Yes," was the reply, "he is alive and looking well and hearty."
With decided emphasis, he said, "I am glad to hear it." "Then
you knew Lafayette, Mr. Cusick?" "Oh, yes;" he answered. "I knew
him well, and many a time in battle threw myself between him and
the bullets, for I loved him ."
On asking him if he had a commission, he said, "Yes;
General Washington gave me one, and he was Lieutenant." This
suggested to his friends that he was entitled to a pension, and
on looking over the records, the truth of what he said was
confirmed, and he received one for several years.
Afterwards, congress passed a law making it necessary
that each recipient should swear that he could not live without
the pension. When the old warrior was called upon to do this, he
said, "Now, here is my little log cabin, and it is my own; here
is my patch of ground, where I raise my corn and beans, and
there is lake Oneida, where I can catch fish; with these I can
make out to live without the pension, and to say that I could
not, would be to lie to the Great Spirit."
This is the honor of the Tuscarora hero. How many among
those of the white people who receive a pension would have done
likewise, for conscience sake. Cusick could speak the English
language very well, but when he made an audible prayer, or said
grace at the table, he used his native Tuscarora language,
"because," said he, "when I speak in English, I am often at a
loss for a word; when, therefore, I speak to the Great Spirit, I
do not like to be perplexed, or have my mind distracted to look
after a word, when I use my own language, it is like my breath,
I am composed." In this is exemplified that he fully understood
the reverence which was due to the great Architect of the
universe.
Solomon Longboard, also a Tuscarora Sachem, took an
active part in the Revolutionary war, with many others of his
nation. In one of their scouting parties, he, with others, was
taken captive by the British Indians and brought to fort
Niagara, where they were kept for some time, and urged to take
up arms and fight against the revolutionists. Finally, this
celebrated sachem, Longboard, held a secret council among the
captives, and instructed them all to take arms and advance with
the British Indians, and use their influence to lead them to a
place where they might be captured, and they with the rest,
which they successfully effected, and were re-captured by the
Americans. Instead of gaining honor and laurels to his crown, he
was to be sentenced to be shot as a traitor, but through the
entreaties of the Tuscarora chiefs, and the influence of the
feasibility of their story that was made on the executives, he
was released, but never drew pension as did Mr. Cusick.
The Tuscarora again evinced their friendship for the
United States in the war of 1812, when they were asked to guard
the Niagara river at Lewiston and down the river, against the
British crossing it.
Here again we hear of the Tuscarora sachem, Solomon
Longboard, with about thirty-five Tuscarora volunteers,
stationed at Lewiston on guard. I have recorded some of the
names of these volunteers, which I was able to obtain from some
of the old people that were yet living in the year 1878, which
are as follows, to-wit: The two sons of Solomon Longboard, Jacob
Taylor, Joseph Cusick, John Cusick, David Cusick, John Black
Nose and his brother, Samuel Thompson, John Obediah, Aaron
Pempleton, James Pempleton, John Mt. Pleasant, Harry Patterson,
John Green, Isaac Allen, Capt. Williams, Gau-ya-re-na-twa, Wm.
Printup, better known as little Billy, Black Chief, John Printup,
Isaac Green, Surgin Green, George Printup. There were but few of
these that drew pension, as it was alleged that they were not
enrolled upon the army roll.
On the night of December 19th, 1813, the British army
and British Indians crossed the Niagara River near Calvin
Hotchkis' place, about two miles below Lewiston. They noticed at
first there were lights going across the river during the night,
and at the dawn of day were dispatched, Jacob Taylor (better
known as Colonel Jacobs), and another Indian to accompany him
both being Tuscarora. On their return they reported that the
British Indians had crossed the river in great numbers. The news
was circulated in the village of Lewiston and the neighboring
country that they might evacuate their places and go east, which
they did, taking the Ridge road. The Tuscarora volunteers took
the rear of the train as they moved eastward, commanded by their
Sachem, Solomon Longboard.
The British Indians went on the pursuit. After they had
gone about two miles from the village of Lewiston, where the
Tuscarora Indians branched off on a road leading to their
reservation, known as the Indian hill, or Mountain road. As they
had advanced part way up the mountain they observed a Canada
Indian on horseback, who headed off some of the train, and among
the rest was also Bates Cooke, of Lewiston. One of his legs had,
a little previous to that time, been amputated, and the main
Canada force were about half a mile in the rear on pursuit. The
commander of the Tuscarora force ordered that the Indian heading
off the train be shot, which was done by John Obediah. The
Indian tumbled off the horse and fell to the ground, and then
got up and ran down the little hill into the wood, where it is
said he died from the wound he received.
When the report of the gun was heard by the
Canadian force and they saw the effect it had on their comrade,
they halted. Their commander, Mr. Longboard, of the Tuscarora
which numbered at that time twenty-six, from them selected three
men and instructed them to get upon and to go along the top of
the mountain and to blow a horn occasionally, which they had in
their possession, and to keep nearly opposite the Canada
Indians. The object was to serve as a scare-crow, to make them
believe that there was a force also on the mountain in the act
of flanking them. But the remaining force of Mr. Longboard
rushed down the mountain with their war whoops as if legion were
coming down, and pursued the Canada Indians, while the train of
white people had gone on in their flight. The Canada Indians
retreated about one mile and a half, near to where the main
force were. Then one of their men halted and aimed his gun at
one of our men, John Obediah, and the latter also aimed to his
opponent, while Samuel Thompson got behind a large elm tree. In
the meantime, John Obediah spoke to the stranger in all the
different six languages of the Iroquois, but did not get an
answer. These were the only two men in pursuit at this time, as
the rest of them had halted some ways back. Finally the British
Indian retreated backwards, keeping aim as he went, and all at
once gave a spring and ran off. The three men that were on the
mountain kept occasionally blowing the horn as they went, as the
road is parallel with the mountain.
By this time the train of white people had gone quite a
good ways in their flight: it is evident that the timely
intervention of the Tuscarora Indians, saved great slaughter of
men, women and children among the white people.
The Tuscarora then went back and kept in the rear of
the white people in their flight. The British Indians perceiving
that it was the Tuscarora Indians that killed one of their
number and repulsed them, made their way to their reservation,
(the nation had already deserted their homes), and began to burn
their houses indiscriminately, and also a meeting-house which
was built by them, except eight dollars, a convenient chapel
where the early Christian Tuscarora such as Sacaresa and Solomon
Longboard, both sachems, with many others, delighted to worship
the Almighty in the simplicity of their faith. And after they
had finished their destruction they went down in pursuit of the
fleeing train of white people on the ridge road: by this time
the Tuscarora had stationed themselves at a log house, eight or
ten miles from Lewiston, near Nathan Peterson's, which was used
as an armory; when the Tuscarora first came, there were a few
white men there breaking open the powder kegs in this log house,
making it ready to set on fire but the chief, Mr. Longboard,
remonstrated in having it burned, and was interpreted to them by
Colonel Jacobs, so they consented not to destroy the powder.
When the British Indians came in sight, Mr. Longboard instructed
his men to keep moving back and forth from the log house or
armory, to a thicket in the rear of the house, for the purpose
of making the enemy believe that there was a large force
stationed there; the enemy halted and finally went back, and
thus the armory was saved. The maneuver of the Tuscarora Indians
in these two cases above, was done with but very little
sacrifice on their part, but the beneficence was great; but
then, who cares anything about that, it was nothing but an
Indian affair anyhow; this will probably be the thought of those
who peruse my little pages.
When the Tuscarora evacuated their reservation they
went to Oneida Castle and remained there during the war. In
about the last part of June, 1814, there was a company of
volunteers composed of about thirty Tuscarora and a number of
Oneida Indians that started from Oneida Castle to Sackett's
Harbor, to join themselves to an army that was commanded by
General Brown; on their way there, when they arrived at
Tonawanda. an officer came to them and asked where they were
going; they answered, "to Sackett's Harbor, to join General
Brown's army." The officer said, "that is right;" he then asked
them if they lacked anything, and they said, "nothing more than
being short of victuals, but we can get along with what game we
can procure on the way." The officer then gave them one dollar
each and told them to go and buy some bread.
They then went on, and on the 3rd or 4th of July they
crossed the river from Sackett's Harbor, and on the 4th, they,
with General Brown and his army approached an entrenchment of
General Riall's, which was in a strong position. Brown told the
Tuscarora that he with his army would attack the enemy direct,
"but," said he, "you must go around and attack the enemy on
their flank."
It is acceded by all American nations that the
characteristic of the Indians in their war battles, is to fight
in scouting and to attack by surprise: consequently, it seems
that General Riall instructed the British Indians, which
numbered several hundred, that when he was attacked, they the
Indians, should move and attack their enemy also on the flank;
it seems that they moved in the shape of a V with the two points
foremost. On the 5th occurred the battle of Chippewa; the
contest was obstinate and bloody; the Tuscarora Indians in
moving on the flank of Brown's army, they entered in the enemy's
moving V of British Indians, and when they arrived at the fork,
and not until then, did the Tuscarora know where they were; but,
nevertheless, they all made the war-whoop, fired and made a
desperate charge at one point and broke through the ranks of the
enemy. Strange as it may seem, there was but one wounded and
that slightly on the cheek, and not one killed; it was a very
close contest, we getting away with the loss of but a few guns
and coats, for when the enemy took hold of their coats they
would only pull off and run. It was then that the enemy's V
closed in on the rear of the Tuscarora and the bloody scene
began; the enemy fired against themselves, and not until they
had completely destroyed themselves did they discover in what
frenzy they were; but at length the Americans were victorious.
These same Tuscarora were present at the memorable battle at
Bridgewater near Niagara Falls, where a desperate engagement, it
is said, ensued, commencing about sunset and lasting until
midnight, where Generals Brown and Scott were wounded.
In every instance when the United States were in
trouble, the Tuscarora were ever ready to sacrifice their blood
upon the American altar, which they again fully evinced in the
war of the rebellion, when twenty-three of the Tuscarora Indian
warriors enlisted as volunteers in the United States army, some
of whom died in the service of the country; but some were spared
by the good Providence, and were permitted yet to share the
sweets of home; some inherited diseases which they will probably
carry down to their graves.
In the year 1862 Cornelius C. Cusick, a grandson of
Nicholas Cusick, the revolutionist, was commissioned to the
office of Second Lieutenant. There were four other Tuscaroras
mustered in with him in the 3d N. Y. Volunteers, 132d Reg't, Co.
D, to-wit: Jeremiah Peters, John Peters, Hulett Jacobs, George
Garlow, and there are others who enlisted afterwards at
different times during the war, to wit:
Twelfth N. Y. Vol's, Cav., Co. M. Ozias Chew, John
Pempleton, Charles Pempleton, Nichodemus Thompssn.
Bat. K, 1st N. Y. Light Art. Samuel Bearfoot (Ely Patterson),
Wm. Joseph (Lewis Patterson), Alexander John (Davis Miller),
Zhacariah Johnson (Elijah Johnson), Wm. Anderson (Samuel Jack).
Clinton Mt. Pleasant, 3Oth, transferred to 31st N. J. Vol's.
Inv. colored brigade. Wilson Jacobs, 1st N. Y., Vet. Cav., Co.
M. Edward Spencer (Edward Anderson), Inv. sway. Co. A. 17th
Corps. Alvis D. Hewett, 151st N. Y. Vol's. Thomas Cornelius, Co.
K, 2d N. Y. Mounted Rifles. Charles Green, 120th N. Y. Vol's,
Co. K. John Longboard, Samuel Mt. Pleasant.
During the war, Cornelius C. Cusick was promoted to
First Lieutenant, and at the close of the war he was promoted to
Captain. He was some time afterwards commissioned into the
regular army of the United States as First Lieutenant.
This site
includes some historical materials that may imply negative stereotypes
reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. These
items are presented as part of the historical record and should not be
interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in any way endorse the stereotypes
implied .
Legends, Traditions, and Laws of the Iroquois, or Six Nations and History of the Tuscarora Indians
