The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-05-31
4 Selfftfb Gale.
THE DEATH COUNCIL
1R THE SECOND POCAHONTAS.

BY HENRY TRACY.
The first white settler of the town of West
noreland, in Oneida county, New York, was
James Dean, Esq, native, OF New England,
and a graduate, we. believe, of Dartmouth,
College. In his boyhood he had been sent
among the Indians on the Susquehana river, to
acquire their language, as it was the intention
of his parents that he should become mis-
sionary to carry the gospel among the dark
skinned sof the forest.
He ebecame intimately acquainted with In
dian character and customs, so that upon his
appointment to the post of Indian Agent, with
the rank oil Major, after his studies were com
pleted, and upon the breaking out of hostilities
in HTS he made himself a favorite with the
@Oneidas, in whose vicinity he was stationed
during most Of the war, and was adopted into
the tribe according to Indian custom, and be-
came favorite SON of the wife of chief.
In, 1857 he found himself settled upon a
tract of land, two miles square, granted to him
by the Oneidss ut the close Of the war and on
which he had erected small house, which af-
forded comfortable shelter for his young wife
and two rosy children, one two years Old and
the other an infant of u few months.
Major Dean was at this time happily sua-
ted, so far as himself or any human intellect
could discover to the contrary. The war OF
the revolution was ended. His beloved conn-
try, although she had waded thro' seas Of blood
to achieve her independence, was now, thank
God, free. Major Dean was far on the from
tiers of civilization, almost in the bosom OF
tribe of savages-the Qneidas, who alone OF
the Six Nations had fought under the Amerl-
can standard, and he was an adopted son of
the tribe 1t is true that his young wife often
sished as she thought of the home she had left
behind in pleasant village in the valley of the
Connecticut, now celebrated for its onions;
but he reminded her of the advantages of their
early location in the section OF the country
whose fertility would soon attract the enterprI,
sing New Englanders to the neighborhoods
which then seemed so lonely.
Although there were no white residents
within many miles, yet the redskins were
friendly. The wife of Shenandoah, the great
chief of the Oneidas, was his mother by Indian
adoption, and she often visited the wigwam ot
her palefaced son, with presents for lis ''white
squaw and little pappooses. They lacked not
for soft moccasins, ornamented with beeds, and
auilIs of the porcupine, dyed scarlet, blue, and
yellow. And especially did the good Ntnkoah
delight in adoruing the person of the oldest
OF -pappoose after the Indian fashion, with trinkets
and guads which seemed to civilized eyes more
grotesque than comely; and her black eyes
sparkled with delight when she saw the little
boy toddling about, q miniature brave, lacking
only the tattooing and the scap-lock. She al
so bestowed upon the family presents which
in their circumstances were more valuable to
them. Their larder never lacked for game,
even when the Majors rifle and fowling piece
failed to procure asupply, for Nankoah brought
the choicest the forest afforded Just when it was
most needed, and most acceptable. If any
member of the little household fell sick, Nam
koah was at hand with healing roots and herbs
which had greater efficacy than the more ex.
pensive medicaments of the professional leech.
Without prying into the affairs Of his family
after the civilized fashion, she was enabled by
her native gift of intuition, to discover and an
ticpate many little wants, and thus she added
materially to the sum Of their happiness, sccu-
ded as they were from intercourse with their
own race.
Thus did the dark countenance Of the In-
dian woman become light to Major Deau's
cottage. She was beautiful, as those who in
later years have seen favorable specimens of
her noble tribe, will readily believe. Here was
wild and solemn beauty, SO to speak, which
seemed reflected from the dark evergreens Of
her native forest. Her form, which had never
been improved in the modern fashion, was fault
less; her raven hair was always arranged with
a certain degree of TASTE. her black eyes were
calm and loving in their ordinary expression,
while it was manifest to keen observer, that
when passion stirred her heart, hatred and
scorn would fash in lightning through them
from its depths.
The orange colored mantle of autumn had
been thrown over the forests and the crops,
SMALL but valuable, which Major Dean had
cultivated on his clearing, were already gar
nered. For some days he had noticed that the
Oneidas, whose village was situated about three
miles off, had apparently avoided him; and as
he was on the most friendly terms with them
as o tribe, and some among them had ever
treated him with particular marks Of esteem,
he was unable to account for this sudden cold
ness. On several occasions when he had
saontere,l into the skirts of the woods in search
of game, he had casually met with an Oneida,
but before he could gain an opportunity to ac-
cost him, the wiley red-skin had disapp cared
in the depths of the underwood. Theso cir
cumstances had begun to produce an impress
sion on his mind, for he knew that they toded
no good to him when at length, an Indian
who was especially indebted to him for kind
ness, came suddenly upon him in the edge of