New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-23

the hero? This property, for which Bruce Price
drew the plans OF a Colonial Dutch house for Edwin
Thorne and which will be ready for occupation this
fall once belonged to Long Island Indians.
The original deed signed by six Indians. And
this hero Indian. what had he to do with It? Well.
history hath IT that ION August II. 1858. he marked
out by blazing trees. three necks of meadow for
the Inhabitants of Huntington on the south side, In
the western part OF the present town Of Babylon.
which necks were afterward in controversy" The
village Of Amityve now occupies part of the up
land bordered by the meadow. 1t states In the deed
that Choconoe for HIS wages. and going to marke
out the Land shall have for hmsefe one coat. foure
pounds of poudar. six pounds of led one dutch
Ratchet. as also SEVENTEEN shillings in wampum."
The part Of Babylon here referred to Is now called
West Isip, and It Is here that Mr.. Thorne's new
house IL being built, and in excavating for the
foundation the Indian relics were found.
Tho ancient historians OF Long Island made sad
havoc with the spelling of his In various
places 1t is spelled Cheekanoo. Cockenoe, Chickino,
Chekkonnow and Cockoo.' No matter; he lived,
he a great Indian. and in spite Of the affirmr
ton that there are no good Indians except dead
Indians. the only records that time has preserved
OF Cockenoe to his credit so 1t is fair to assume
that even while he lived he a good Indian.
When the man Is made OF the right kind OF ma
terial and the opportunity offers. he almost ALWAYS
shows the inherent qualities that develop into
greatness In his early youth. SO 1t was with Cooke
noe. 1t is little foggy whether he just happened 20
In 1873 when Captain John Mason and Captain John
Underhill gave the Pequods such a trouncing. for
Cockenoe Long Island Indian. but he
taken prisoner. In this war many OF the younger
Indians. especially those taken in Connecticut.
carried Boston and there sold into slavery dis
tribued around the country for limited period of
servitude 1t fell to Cockenoe's lot to be given to
n prominent citizen of Dorchester, Mass, who
a sergeant in this same war, and possibly his cap
tor Richard Callcot.
This was Cockenoes first opportunity. his first
Introduction to letters which he seized with avidity,
and the next thing learned of him he could read and
speak English. lie became a man OF letters. and
he remained a man Of letters to the end of his
career. In some of the deeds written by Cockenoe
1t demonstrated that HIS spelling little
queer. but by than that Of his
contemporary white scrbes.
While Cockcnoe in the service of Richard
Calicot the Rev. John Eliot had the good fortune
to meet him. There is little doubt that this same
young Indian was the means through which Mr..
Eliot was enabled to complete his Indian Bible
Eliot's Indian Bible has become rare. and
when occasionally copy is to be had at the sale
OF valuable collection of books II brings from
500 to sl.loo. Cockcnoe became Mr. Eots teacher
in the Indian language. and his interpreter In his
evangelical work among the Indians. 1t is highly
probable that the name OF the young Indian was
either given to him by Mr.. Eliot the various
Indians for whom he afterward served as In
terpreter. for Cockenoe means Interpreter or the
repeat man, literally. II say what he says"
Wherever this young Indian travelled and he
did travel around great deal In his capacity as in
terpreter. and in whatsoever language his name
was translated 1t always preserved It's Specification
OF the interpreter.
The young Indian was in his crude way dip
lomat. When his people rot into ENVIRONMENTS
through the dishonesty Of the whites. II Cock
enoe who drew UP their petitions for them and
pleaded their cause. The Indians who were living
Shelter Island were disturbed by whites
who said they had bought the island from them.
But Cockenoe proved that the whites could
have bought IT, moreover. than the who s.
serted that he bought the land poor to buy
and that the Indians had given 10 him part OF
the island and marked his possessions out by trees.
In return for this kindness the white man wanted
It all. and attempted drive his benefactors off
Cockenoe won his case. and the whites were obliged
He was of humble origin. but he was mindful OF
the advantages Of rank and social station. when
he placed himself by marrying. he had the good
his lifetime he must have had than one WIFE
for William Wallace Tooker In his history of this
says: "Cockenoe was then living with his first wife.
the sister OF the four sachems OF Eastern Long
Island who united in the East Hampton convey
ance. She AT this date. in consequence of tho
death OF her brother Nowedonah the Sunck Squaw
that u.s. the woman sachem Of the Shinnecock
tribe-a fact which proves that by marriage he
came into the house OF the sachems. and was en-
titled to be designated as Sycamore as We find him
sometimes called
From place 10 place he went, acting as inter
prefer between his people and the whites In 1851
he marked out the boundaries OF Hampstead. In
Queens County. This he did ut the order OF Wyan-
dance, who was sachem over all the Indians or
Long Island far west M Canarsie. on the rec
ords OF Hampstead March 2S. 1855 may be read:
This day ordered Mr.. Gldersleeve, John HEX
John Seaman Robert Jackson and William Foster
to go with Checknow. sent and authorized by
the Monake Sachem. to mlfck and by out the
general bounds OF ye lands belonging 10 We town
Of Hampstead according to ye extent OF ye limit
and Jurisdiction OF ye sd towne. to be known by
ye mark trees and other places OF note To con
time forever" These boundaries are named in
the release Of the following My which cheeknow
witnesses" SO his ma me H. the records Of Hemp
stead.
The island then settling up fast with whites
They bought the land OF the Indians, and gener-
ally kept them waiting a long time for their pay
IL Land until n La md