Morris tribune., 1886-03-10

TIE TUSCAiE)RAS.

The story OF the Tuscaroras is a
checkered one. They were adopted
into the Iroquois in 1712. They came
from North Carolina in 1908. where
they had 10 towns and 1900 warriors.
Their existence there was the same as
all other tribes, the same old story
encroachments by the whites, who
robbed them of their lands, and when
resistance followed long and bloody
border wars ensued. They burnt one
Lawson, the surveyor general of North
Carolina, who had marked some of
their territory. into lots 1or settlers.
They captured the German Baron de
Graffenried but released him after five
weeks on his promise that he would
occupy none of their lands without
their consent. In 1713 invaders of their
territory captured 800 Tuscaroras in a
fort on the Neuse river. These were
killed and sold Us slaves into South
Carolina. The remnant migrated to
New York as others had previously
done. Previous to this Tuscaroras, on
the 22 of September, I'LL, had killed
130 Whites on Albemarle sound.
In tho war Of the Revolution most of
the Hoquois adhered to the English,
but many of the Tuscaroras and Oneidas
were friendly to the colonists. When
Gen. Sullivan and Col. Gansevoort
made their destructive campaign a.
gainst the Indians on the route to the
lower Mohawk castle they were treated
with every mark of friendship and hos
pitality in passing through the Tusca-
rora and Oneida castles. These officers
had been ordered to- spare the Tusca-
roras and Oneidas. Such portions of
these tribes as had been English allies
escaped in canoes on Oneida lake,
thence down the Oswego river, and
coasted along Lake Ontario to the Brit
ish garrison at Fort Niagara In 1880
the Tuscaroras camped on mile square
given them by the Senecas, which is a
part of their present reservation. The
Holland company subsequently gave
them two square miles, of which in
1904 they added by purchase 1929
acres, making the total OF their reser-
vation 6, 249 acres The United States
government paid for the purchase $13,-
722, being part of the trust funds held
by the United States on final adjust
ment of the claims of the Tuscaroras
upon North Carolina Thus the Tus-
caroras commenced their settlement in
the town of Lewiston II years previous
to the advent OF the Holland Land COM
pany and 10 or 20 years before the
commencement of settlements there by
whites. The Tuscaroras were thus the
pioneer settlers in this region, and the
most kindly relations have existed be-
tween them and the whites ever since.
In the war OF 1872 the Tu5caroras were
the allies Of the Americans against the
English.
The Mount Pleasant family, of whom
John is now the chief of the "Tusca-
roras, have prominent history in the
border wars of the old time. His grand
father was "big Indian, having been
q captain in the British army, and at
one time commandant of Fort Niagara.
His son John was the fatherof the pres
ent chief. He was 68 years old in 1349,
and has left records of his early expe-
ricnce in this region. He states there
were no crows in the Niagara region
until after the war of 1872. Deer were
not plenty, and the wolves haunted
them, driving them into the lake, and
waiting until they, Wearied with swim
ming, came on shore and were caught
and dcvourcd When the wolves were
hunted out deer became plenty. Bears
were plenty in some localities, and
panthers were occasionally killed here
abouts. Bttern's white owls, and flocks
Of swan were seen about Niagara falls
and on the islands and in the marshes.
Wild eranberries aboundcd, and there
wereia great number of beaver dams.
Salmon three feet long were often
taken in Eighteen Mile creek, near
Lockport, aud below the fails of the
Oak orchard. The woods are fulP' of
IndiaIrstories and romances through
out allrtliis region of Niagara county.
The lands .Iereabout belonged to the
original Holland purchase. The first
white child born on the great Holland
purchase was on the 10th of June,
1901 "a fine boy" as the records
state. He was subsequently Col. Henry
b. Ransom, of Clarence. In October,
1898, which was before the Holland land
purchase, on the present site of Buffa-
10, there were but eight buildings, all
log houses, of which Asa Ransom oc-
cupied one. He subsequently removed
to Pine grove, and was the father of the
ssfinc boy AS late as 1906 there were
only 10 dwellings in Buffalo -Ransona-
ville (N. ~ Cor. Troy Bsldgct.