The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1870-02-19
CORNPLANTER.
From Days History Of P Pennsylvania.

of Ccrnplanter. His Indian name was Ga
nio di-euh, or Handsome Lake. He was
born at Conewagus, on the Genesee river;
being half-breed, the son Of a white man
named John O'Bail trader from the Mo-
hawk valley, In letter written in later
years to the governor Of Pennsylvania,
he thus speaks of his early youth:
"When 1 was a child 1 played with the
butterfly, the grasshopper, and the frogs
and as grew up began to pay some. at
tention and play with the Indian boys IN
the neig ighborhood and they took notice of
myskin being of different color from theirs
and spoke about it. I inquired of my
mother the cause, and she told me that my
father was resident in Albany. 1 still
ato my victuals out of birch dish. |
grew up to be young man, and married
me wife, and had no kettle or gun. I
then knew where my father lived, and went
to sec him. and found he was white man
and spoke the English language, Ha gave
no victuals while 1 was at his house, but
when started to return home, he gave me
no provision to eat on the way. He gave
me neither kettle nor gun." *
Little further is known of his carly life
beyond the fact that he was allied with the
French in the engagement against Gen.
Braddock in July, 1875. He was proba.
ably at that time at least twenty years
old. During the revolution he was war
chief of high rank, in the full vigor of
manhood, active, sagacious and brave; and
he most probably participated in the prin.
cipal Indian engagements against the Uni
ted States during the war, He is supposed
to have been present at the crueities of
Wyoming and Cherry Valley, in which the
Senecas took prominent part. He was
on the war path with Brant during Gen.
Sullivan's campaign, in 1873; and in the
following year, pnder Brant and Sir John
johnson, he led the Senecas in sweeping
through the Schoharie Kill and the No
hawk. On this occasion be took his faith
er prisoner, but with such canton as to
avoid an immediate rccoenization' After
marching the old man some ten or twelve
miles, be stepped before him, faced about
and addressed him in the following terms :
"My name is John Bail, commonly
called Cornplanter | am your son You
are my father You are now my prisoner,
and subject to the customs of Indian war.
fare. But you shall not be harmed. You
need net fear. am a warrior. Many
are the scaps which | have taken! many
prisoners | have tortured to death am
your son. | was anxious to see you, and
greet you in friendship. | went to your
cabin, and took you by force /; but your life
shall be spared. Indians love their friends
and their kindred, land treat them with kind
ness. If now you choose to follow the for
tunes of your rellow son, and to live with
our people, l will cherish your old age with
plenty Of venison, and you shall live easy
But if it is your choice to return to your
fields and live with your white children,
will send party Of my trusty young men tc
conduct you back in safety. | respect you
nv father. You have been friendly to In
dians, and they are your friends" Tht
elder OBail preferred his white children
and green fields to his yellow offspring anc
the wild woods, and chose to return.
Notwithstanding his bitter hostality whilt
the war continued, he became the tas
friend of the U. s., when once the hatche
was buried. uis sagacl0us intellect com
pretended at a glance the growing power
Of the United States, and the abandonment
with which Great Britain had requited the
fidelity Of the Senecas. He therefore
threw all his infuance, at the treaties ot
Fort StanwiX and Fort Harmar in favor oi
peace and, Notwithstanding the vast con
cessions which he saw his people were ne,
cessitated to make, still, by his energy and
prudence in the negotiation, he retained fol
them an ample and beautiful reservation
For the course which he took on those oc
casions the state of Pennsylvania granted
him the fine reservation upon which he
resided, on the Allegheny. The Senecas
however were never we'll satisfied with hi
courte in relation to these treaties; and Rec
Jacket, more artful and eloquent than hi
elder rival, but less frank and honest, seizeC
upon this circumstance to promote his owl
popularity at the expense of Cornplanter
Having buried the hatchet, Cornplan
ter sought to make his talents useful to hi
people by conciiating the goodwill of tht
whites, and securing from. further encroach
ment the little remnant of his national do
main. on more than one occasion, whel
some reckless and bloodthirsty whites oil
the frontier had massacred unoffeL dinl
Indians in cold blood, did Cornplanter IL;
terfere to restrain the vengence of his peo
pie. During all the Indian wars from L.
81 to 1894, which terminated with Wayne
treaty, Cornplanter pledged himself tina
the Senecas should remain friendly to th,
Uuited States He often gave notice tt
the garrison at Fort Franklin of intended
attacks from hostile parties, and even haz
arded his life on a mediatetial mission t.
the WesterR tribes. He ever entertained
high respe,t and personal friendship 70
Gen. Washington, the great councillor o