New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-20
THE RED JACKET MEDAL.


called to meet him in i79. at Philadelphia and
which was attended by fifty OF the most prom'n'n'
Indian sachems in the country. Washngton's OBJ
,ect in calling this meeting TO bring about an
Improvement i'm the social and moral con"iuo's
~ the various tribes: but the Indians themselves
looked upon ii opportunity 10 dehhe '"o'
relations with the United States Government anu
gave the meeting corresponding importance
The conference was probably the most disniAeo
and formal In which Washington ever pa'''c'P'''
The Indians. by nature deliberate "e'o NJ,
than ever cautious and took five days 10 o'ses'
even the brief address OF welcome ~h'oh wac w"
,vcred TO them Tho conference itseii ia''eu
,oor,b and a half As beftted his position as /"
sachem OF the most important Indian ripe anu ''o
most elonuent of InriGn orators ne" JAM W.
nut forward as the spokesman OF 'he o"'iS on
rext TO Washington himself was the most pio"''
ncnt figure in the gathering. washington NAV
special effort to attach the great ch'eita'' ~
o,a =, the conclusion of the meeting hed JacNe'
WAS named as the bearer OF the fres'ue''' '
massage TO all the Indians ..a,
Doubtless on these accounts. ana "s /" .
~ n. friendship between the two men ana inc '"o
rconles Washington gave TO hed Jache' wv ,
o,d olso = nine rrade in the form of tomdha"N
,vbicb Tho chief smoked TO the end OF MS H'',
The medal is Of silver, oval In shape seven .
long and five in width. Its face pears '"o rs
ono a white man ond the other an Indian ro''.'u
tho white man is a man poughing neid "n''e ..''
,rd;o, stands beneath one of his native trees i'0
Indians tom lhawk lies on the ground AT MS '
and he is in the act of receiving the P'po "a
from his white brother. Below the Hsu'e' -o,,
.s.r;,,io, George Washington President. lay
The reverse side IF the medal bears the sheiu % 0
United States. with the American e"sie "o'u'"5
oro talon n bundle of arrows and in the DINER inc
branch of peace At present the medai Is "ieSseu ~
black and white wampum. the pack sis"ii9"e
sorrow and the white perpetual peace o'' ''''
xan,,um was put on by General Parker on the
ToA kaf
III =, yuNo,o in 1851 and does not belong 10 the
original medal ,,,.o.o pod
Jacket represe ,ed his people as anxious not only 10
perpetuate their friendly relations with the ''eu
states but also receive the religion ana cl'inZt-
,iou from their white brothers But though ne had
spokcn fair eno,eh to President Washington ana
executed his commission as peace-bearer idi'"i"is'
his desire for The blessings OF tnfls'lah4'! anu
civilization was short-lived. and TO the end OF MS
life he was opposed to what he regarded as inc
malignant attempts OF the whites 10 destroy 'ie
customs and sacred traditions of the Indians
chief Sagoyewatha Ohe name. Dy-the-way is
translated The Keeper Awake. and Is an appeHa-
ton some white orators might envy) in spite OF his
disdain for white customs, was very proud Of his
medal and of the friendship of the great white
chefain. lie always wore the medal ON state coca
sions and ii the only decoration mat ne per
mit;ed adorn his noble breast.
The great failing OF Red Jacket, as of so many
of his brethren inordinate fondness Tor
tirunkard and when he not keeping company
with q bottle in his cabin he was pretty sure 10 be
found in one of the barrOOmS OF the nearby town
OF Buffalo. lii the course of his sprees MS cher
ished medal put up as security for liquor with
nearly every dispenser of irewater in that place.
But il always recovered by some compassion
ate white by his fellow Senecas and re-
turned TO the OLD chief. He wore II on the occa-
sion OF iafayette'S visit 10 this country, when ne
received the distinguished Frenchman. and II was
in his possession when he died .
The symbolic meaning which Red Jacket himself
attached 10 the medal is interesting. He said. ac-
cordng 10 William L. Stone, who wrote the lie OF
1ne great orator: ITS costly material is emblem
atical of the friendship which is ever 10 subsist
between the United States and the Indians: while
peace between my own people and the whites. Its
pure will show the slightes; tarnish which
NAV accidentally come upon Ii, and both parties
must i'm that case set to work together TO remove
The bleinsh.' 1t is doubtful however. " anybody
did more tarnish the medal than its famous
owner himself.
on Red Jackets death. in 1850 the medal
70 lanes Johnson, his successor in the SachemShip.
and so far as be learned. IL drifted about for
many years from one family TO another on the Cat
medal was once exhibited in dime museum. but
that doubtful. as II was in the possession of the
Indians in the early sixties. when General Parker
The Bmffao Historical Society, which already has
number of relies relating 10 the life OF Red Jack
Of is irving TO secure the medal and II IS said
that an effort viii also be made by the few
rants Of the Seneca Indians to obtain IL and restore
a. 10 their council house on the Cattaraugus
vstton The medal is valued az 500. and will prob
ably be sold for that amount 1t is interesting and
unique as forming the connecting link between the
foremost American and the most famous repre-
sentative OF the original Inhabitants of this cont
nent.