Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-06-15
Pioneer bife and History of
Nyandut County.
BT A. W. BRINKERIOFT.
CHI HAPTER IV-No. 8.

'"hp'- ~ W llo WIS. stl>tt. IOilI ~
missionary amongst the Wyandots, we
select the following:
The NIANDoTS were formerly called
llURoNs; and So fair as history aud their
traditions inform us, they were the orig
maj proprietorS OF all the country from
Mackinaw. down the lakes to Quebec,
west to the Great Mama river. and north.
west to lake Michigan. When the French
first settled in Canada, the nation was
in possession OF this whcle country
They were then a numerous. bold aud
warlike people; and were considered the
'suon@est and Oldest tribe of all the Nor
thern Indians, and Were, therefore, callt d
the 'Grand- athers." All the surround
ing tribes looked to them for connseli
and their decisions were respected, and,
IN most cases. were final. When the
French settled in Canada it was by their
permission. At that time the Ilurons
(NyandotS) were ut war with the Six
Nations $50 called) all living in the State
of New York. Their traditions say that
this war lasted seventy summers. and
was Il bloody conflict. The Six Nations
being much better furnished with arms
and ammunition, ut first Yanquished the
Nyandots and carried the war into their
country; but the Ottowas and ChipI e.
was united with the Wyandots and droN c
the Six Nations back to their former
|
have cut them off entirely, nut for the
! interpoSitlon of the French and English.
who brought about Il treaty, Which so
! much offended the Nation as to cause Il
lasting separation; and small part set
| tied below Quebec, of which there is Il
portion yet remaining. Another part,
supposed to be fully ere third of the
Whole nation, left their country and went
down the Mississippi river, and by tril-
| ders who can speak the Wyandot Ian
gnagc. are supposed now to be the Semi
noies of the South, from the fact of their
speaking nearly the same dialect"
The other part continued in the vi
entity of Detroit. While the nation re-
manned together, with their allies. they
were Il terror TO all surrounding tribes.
They drove the Sac anu FOX. and the
Sioux tribes, west of the Father of Wa
tiers (the MisSissippD and had long and
bloody wars with the CherokeeS. Ken
tucky was their battle ground; and it is
said this Is the reason why kentucky was
never settled by Indians. Each party
frequently went there TO hunt, but it was
always ut great hazard"
The WyandOts were always humane
and hospital nation. This is clearly man
ifested in their suffering their former
enemies to settle on their lands. when
driven back before the white population.
goHs, Mohcgans. Mohawks, pelawares,
and Shawnees, and spread a deer-skin
for them 70 git down upon; signifying
the allotmeh. OF certain portion of their
country, the bOun larry of which was
designated by certain rivers, or points
on certain lakes. and IIGeJy given for
their use, without money ..ud with hout
price"
This fact was clearly developed when
the different tribes came to sell IHeir
land to the governments. The Nyali-
dots pointed out these bounds; and |
heard Be-tween-the-logs, Il distinguished
chief. say, that the Senecas on the Sam
dusk river had no right to sell their Ia I'D
without tie consent of the Wyandot
chiefs, for they ut first only borrowed it
from thenI.'
"AnotheE proof of their humanity is
their treatment of their prisoners. the
most of whom they adopted in their fam
lilies. and some i'll place of their own
chiefs wno had fallen in battle"
"llence ihe greater part OF their own
nation is now very much mixed with
our own people; us the families of Brown,
Walker, Zane, Armstrong, and others,
whose descendants now constitute the
strongest part of the nation"
"According to their traditions, it Is
about two hundred years since this ma
tion divided; before which time l was
told by HOMES, one of their most VEN
erabie chiefs. that the warriors of their
nation were called upon to put each one
grain of corn into ii wooden tray that
would hold more than half buShel. and
that before all had done so, the tray was
full and running over"
''Ihey were numerous and powerful
people, covering 81 large tract of country
along the great lakes. and extending
their claim along the Ohio river. But
now like many Othcr mighty nations of
the earth, they are gone into the shades
of forgcttuIne>s. and another race, with
its teeming millions, is filling up the
whole extent of their vast possessions"
'Their history, like themselves, too, is
almost extinct; and hut little is left to
tell of the deeds of Valor, or the mighty
achievements of these heroes of the for
est"
In connection with this, from the same
author we might add much of interest TO
the general reader of the customs and
habits of the Indian, but as we now, and
here, are more particularly trying to get
at the histery of the WyandotS we deem it
foreign TO our duty to treat of their Gus
toms, generally, but may, in some other
chapter refer more particularly to that
interesting feature i'll the life of poor
Indian -
Prior to tie Revolutionary war but
little was known, diStinctively. of the
Wyandots, by the whites. and what we
have heretofore presented was gathered
from the red men long after tha at eventful
period. The savage tribes WERE how
ever. not Indifferent observers of that
| long struggle for American Indepeud =.
ence, and British gold. with British triRk
cts, combined with base misrepreSenta-
| tions, did much to cause the Indians to
assist the British in the attempt to sub
| iugate the American colonistS.
With the scenes and trials of that long
and severe struggle the Indian spirit OF
opposition to American settlement SEEM
Ell to control the action of every tribe
| having a home upon our American soil,
and when the bloody days of revolution
! had passed the fires of savage resistance
seemed but to burn brighter, and the life
| of the border settler became one of eX-
| tLeme hazard. while many fell by the
| edge of the tomahawk, and became the
victims of the scalping knife; while still
others were stolen from their homes. and
became captives of savage bands. never
| more to see home. friends and ciyiliZa-
tioni Such being the case. and the Wy
andotS being included amorg the depre-
dators, particularly along and above the
| Ohio river, an effort was made 20 end
such barbarous praIice by furnishing the
offenders. but which was most calama-
| tous in its results.
In 1873 an expedition was planned
against the Wyandot village. (ncar the
waters OF the Sandusky. hoping, thereby,
| to end all depredations in future, such as
were known or supposed to have been
committed by the Wyandots prior to and
about that time.
The volunteers were to be ready and
assemble. on the Goth day of May, on the
northern shore of the Ohio. at or near an
old Mingo village, not distant from Fort
| Pitt. One Colonel Crawford was select
ed as the leader of the expedition. At
the time appointed nearly five hundred
brave fathers, brothers and sons-men OF
like feelings with misunderstanding
mothers, wives, sisters and daughters as
have we, and whom they desired to save
from the attacks OF predaceous bands OF
savages, assembled at the "Old village
| (Only such in namel and anNiOuSly