Portrait of Mass Murder. Welby Thomas Cox, Jr.

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СКАЧАТЬ whose name I forget, but who became suddenly seized with the idea of his unfitness to defend the town against the threatened Indian invasion, and did the wisest thing he could, and resigned his commission on a plea of "_sudden indisposition_." The doctor walked the street as bold as a lion, but acting also with the shrewd cunning of the fox. And now, my young friends, instead of weaving a bloody romance in the style of the "Dime Novels," depicting the terrible massacre, which might have happened, with so great a wrong to provoke the hostility of the poor Indians, I am about to tell you how the town was saved, and how the doctor outwitted them. If you pause here, and guess, I think you will be far from the mark in reaching the shrewdness of the surgeon, who had not been bred among the hills of old Vermont for nothing.

      As I said, at Auburn there is a State prison, and when the convicts die, their bodies, unless claimed by relatives or friends within twenty-four hours after death, are at the disposal of the surgeon for dissection. As good luck would have it, a Negro convict died at the time of our story; and the doctor conceived the idea of getting out of his difficulty by transferring the dead body of the negro Jim to the despoiled empty grave of Onondaga! This done, he easily persuaded the Indians to go back and find the body of their chief all right: and so he succeeded in humbugging the Indians, while the bones of old Onondaga were duly prepared and hung up to show students how Indians and all men are made of bone and muscle. The doctor thought he had done a good thing; but when I went into the office and saw the horrid skull grinning at me, I was thankful that the spirit of old Onondaga could not say of me, "You did it!"

       Grannie B.:

       “The most notable av de chiefs belongin' ter de six nashuns were 'iawatha, thayendanega (or brant, 'is Sasanach name), sagoyewatha, or red tennis racket,--the most intelligent av de chiefs, an' who is said ter 'av been de uncle av general parker, a full-blud chippewa, an' at wan time indian commissioner at washington. (parker served as an aide av general grant durin' de war. in early life, yer man wus a pupil at de normal school, in albany; an' wus reckoned quite proficient in music by prof. bowen.) most av dees tribes, inhabitin' de country borderin' on de mohawk river, onondaga lake, skaneateles, owasco, cayuga, seneca, ontario, an' erie, migrated at an early day ter green bay, an' ter de straits av mackinaw. as remnants av de onondagas were passin' through auburn, they often slept on de floor av our kitchen, an' they never stole anythin' or did us any 'arm. wan day, they were passin' de american 'otel, an', as usual, begged a few sixpences av al' they met.” a gentleman sittin' on de porch said ter wan av dem, "no, you'll spend it for whisky." "oh, naw," yer man replied; "give it ter me struggle an' strife for she's a methodist woman_!"

      Translation:

      (“The most notable of the chiefs belonging to the Six Nations were Hiawatha, Thayendanega (or Brant, his English name), Sagoyewatha, or Red Jacket,--the most intelligent of the chiefs, and who is said to have been the uncle of General Parker, a full-blood Chippewa, and at one time Indian Commissioner at Washington. (Parker served as an aide of General Grant during the war. In early life, he was a pupil at the Normal school, in Albany; and was reckoned quite proficient in music by Prof. Bowen.

      Most of these tribes, inhabiting the country bordering on the Mohawk River, Onondaga Lake, Skaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Ontario, and Erie, migrated at an early day to Green Bay, and to the Straits of Mackinaw. As remnants of the Onondagas were passing through Auburn, they often slept on the floor of our kitchen, and they never stole anything or did us any harm. One day, they were passing the American Hotel, and, as usual, begged a few sixpences of all they met.”

      A gentleman sitting on the porch said to one of them, "No, you'll spend it for whisky."

      "Oh, no," he replied; "give it to my wife for she's a Methodist woman_!")

       Grannie B. continuing,

       “i met a tribe av chippewa’s at marquette, a short time since, on lake superior, whither they 'ad migrated from green bay. _an-ges-ta_, de chief, wus a tall, noble-lookin' fella. yer man wanted de church ter 'elp 'is people, who were pure stoney broke. angesta said, "we lived in green bay a deadly while, but whaen oi looked into our cabins an' saw so many av dem empty, an' into de graveyard, an' counted more graves than we 'ad livin', me 'eart wus sad, an' oi went away farther toward de settin' sun!"

      Translation:

      (“I met a tribe of Chippewa’s at Marquette, a short time since, on Lake Superior, whither they had migrated from Green Bay. _An-ges-ta_, the chief, was a tall, noble-looking fellow. He wanted the church to help his people, who were very poor.

      Angesta said, "We lived in Green Bay a great while, but when I looked into our cabins and saw so many of them empty, and into the graveyard, and counted more graves than we had living, my heart was sad, and I went away farther toward the setting sun!")

       Grannie B. continuing,

       “he made an eloquent speech ter de prince av wales on 'is visit ter de west, an' it wus pronounced a gran' piece av natural oratory. a few remnants av de new york tribes are livin' not far from buffalo, on a reservashun, wha they cultivate farms an' 'av schools an' churches. such were de oneidas, onondagas, cayugas, senecas, mohawks, an' chippewas. only wan ban' is lef in new york state nigh, dat av de onondagas.”

      Translation:

      (“He made an eloquent speech to the Prince of Wales on his visit to the West, and it was pronounced a fine piece of natural oratory. A few remnants of the New York tribes are living not far from Buffalo, on a reservation, where they cultivate farms and have schools and churches. Such were the Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, Senecas, Mohawks, and Chippewas. Only one band is left in New York State now, that of the Onondagas.”)

       The Author:

      “The present generation of grown people have read with delight the beautiful novels of James Fenimore Cooper, Esq., but they have been disappointed in not finding any living examples of his noble heroes. As a general thing, the Indian of our day is an untidy lord of the soil, over which he roams unfettered by any laws of society, and often--in his wild state--not controlled by its decencies or in possession of its privileges. But I think this is the fault of Christians more interested in foreign pagans, while neglecting these heathen at our own doors.

       THE FIDELITY OF AN INDIAN CHIEF.

       Grannie B.:

       “Early in de settlement av de western part av new york, oi wus livin' in whitesboro', four miles west av utica. al' raun wus an unbroken forest av beech, maple, an' other trees, 'eld by wild tribes of indians, who 'ad been for ever so long owners av de muk, feelin' 'oy much oi wus at their mercy in me lonely place, oi wus anxious ter keep on gran' terms wi' dem, an' secure their friendship in return. many av de chiefs 'ad 'eard av me friendly ways, an' came ter clap me, carryin' presents, cos av de gifts oi 'ad sent them; but oi wus much troubled dat an auld chief av de tribe, 'avin' deadly influence with 'is people, 'ad never cum ter clap me, or sent me any presents, or shown any signs av failte. after a while oi made up 'is mind to go an' clap de sachem in 'is wigwam, an' thus secure a friendship whaich oi might rely on in case av any difficulty. me family wus wee,--only a bottle av water, a widow, an' 'er only wane, a gran' fella, foive years auld. so, wan day oi went ter pay de chief a visit, takin' de widow an' 'er son along wi' me. oi foun' 'imself seated at de dure av 'is tent, enjoyin' a nice breeze av a gran' summer's mornin', an' wus welcomed by de auld chief wi' kind manners an' de ward "sago," meanin', "how chucker yer chucker?" oi presented me bottle av water an' 'er wee fella ter de auld chief, an' said they 'ad cum ter live in 'is country; they were anxious ter live in peace wi' dem, an' introduce among dem de arts av civilizashun.

       The Author:

      (Judge СКАЧАТЬ