The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1908-06-17
MIR. WHEELER AND THE INDIANS.
A Letter From One of Them Brings
Him Back to Days of His Youth.

Wheeler, of Endeavor, Pa, arrived at
Washington, where he served his first term
iu the House, his rapidly expanding mail
contained letter which took him back TO
the days of his early youth when as lum'
herman he was accustomed TO make the
perilcus logging journey from the headwat'
ers of the Allegheny to the out-rushing OF
waters of the Mississippi. In terse but
picturesque diction one Thomas W. Jacobs
claimed acquaintance with the new legis-
lator, dating their friendship from the lum'
Der camp days of the early sixties. "You
friend of mine. friend of yours. | In
dian. You my friend. We ride the river
with logs. Long time ago." declared the
writer, who sought to enlist Mr.. Wheeler's s
assistance IN obtaining for the Indians the
right to go into court and establish their
claims to one square mile of land in the
vicinity of Marietta, o., granted over
century ago to the old Seneca chief, Corn
planter, in the recognition of his services to
the infant republic and the colonists. A
little time later Mr.. Wheeler's mail was
further enriched by some documents Of
great historic interest which his new-found
friend of the old days forwarded in authen-
tication of the claims of himself and his
brethren. Among these papere are the
treaty made between Cornplauter aud the
first Congress of the United States during
one of the early sittings at Philadelphia;
Cornplanter's last address to his people and
his white neighbors dated October 10, 1922,
and the treaty, bearing date 1883, whereby
Cornplanter and his descendants were
granted certain tract of land lying west
of the Conewango river, one of the outlets
of Lake Chautauqua.
FAMOUS NAMES AFFIXED.
Affixed to this instrument, which for over
an epoch-making century has been care
fully preserved by the little band Of Senecas
who are residents of Mr.. Wheeler's district,
are the names and tribal emblems of
Giantwahia, the Cornplanter, Broken Twig,
Dogs-about-the.Fire Twenty Canoes, the
New Arrow, Bandy Legs, Broken Toma-
hawk, Big Tree, The Blast, Thrown-in-the
River and score of other chiefs whose
names once spelled terror TO the early set
tiers of the state Following the "marks"
of the warriors are the Indian names be-
meath which are placed the English eQuiya-
lent Another document of interest to the
historian is letter from Benjamin Chew,
Jr, of Philadelphia, written at Pittsburgh
and addressed to Cornplanter at Halt. town
Pa. Written before the days of envelopes
the missive which bore the Pittsburgh post.
mark was folded and duly sealed with wax.
In lieu of the stamps of today was the
written inscription, ''payd." Mr.. Chew's
letter promised the old chief assistance in
his lands, which were even then
in dispute, in return for Cornplanter's good
offices in acquainting Mr.. Chew with the
location of certain lead mine popularity
supposed to exist in the vicinity of Frank
lin. As matter of fact, the lead mine
was myth cleverly invented by the In
dians who, by displaying pieces of lead OBJ
tained from their French companions.in-
arms during the French and Indian war
succeeded in arousing the cupidity of their
white brothers.
OBTAINS THE LEGISLATION.
Interesting himself in the cause of his old
time compvnion, Mr. Wheeler succeeded in
getting bill through congress whereby
descendants will be enabled
to go into cort and have their claims pro-
perly adjudicated, course impossible
otherwise, as the Indians, still maintaining
tribal relations, are wards of the nation and
as such do not enjoy the rights of citizen
ship. In the course of the investigation
necessary to the progress of the bill a page
in the history of Giantwahia, the Corn
planter, one of the most picturesque and
benefcently forceful character in the his
tory of the commonwealth was brought to
light. Twelve miles above Warren, Pa,
stands monument erected in 1866, by the
authority of the legislature of Pennsylva-
MIA to the memory Of the great leader of the
Senecas and the friend of George Washing
ton. Cornplanter, sometimes called John
O'Bail, was the son of a Dutch trader,
Thomas Abeel, and the daughter of Seneca
chief He was bern about 1887, and at that
time 1t was customary for the tribe to pro-
vide wives for those traders who lived
among them. Having finished his trading
at Canowangus, Abeel returned to his peo-
nle and NornnlantarSs ,,otba, .han o,o..;.1
Seneca husband, rearing family which
numbered among its members the celebrat-
ed Governor Black Snake of the Senecas and
Ganeodiwy, or Handsome Lake, the Proph.
ct of the Seneca people and the originator
of their tribal code of religious observance.
Both were chiefs, aud, as the tribal status
was always derived from the mother, she
was undoubtedly of chieftains blood.
HELPED To DEFEAT BRADDoCK.
Cornplanter witnessed the destruction of
his native town by Gen. Sullivan in his ex.
petition against the Six Nations in 1879, a
fact he comments upon in speech 10 Gen.
Washington in 1890, and indications point
to his having been member of the band
who in l775, in alliance with the French,
accomplished the defeat of Gen Braddock
at Braddock's Fields. Owing to their fail
ure to keep their treaty promises, the
Senecas were at this time bitter against
the British, state of affairs not improved
by the conduct of Cornplanter's father in
iealty to whom he journeyed 600 miles to
visit "When 1 started home my father
gave me no provision to eat on the way.