Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-10-13
TALES
OF THE
CHIEFS
BY
Editha
l..
Watson
SHIKELLAMY AND
TAHGAHJUTE

In marked contrast to Spemlcalawba
Is Tahgahjute DANES or John Logan,
the Cayuga son of white father.
This father, knownato the whites as
Shikellamy. was Il Frenchman who had
been adopted into the Oneida tribe.
He was q remarkable man. combining
the astuteness of the white man with
deep affection for the Indians This
enabled him to help his adopted people
In many ways. and they trusted him
entirely
Shikellamy was appointed as a dep
uty for the Six Nations and their tribu-
tary tribes. and most of the business
of these people was transacted through
him. In 1871 he delivered an ulti-
matum to the governor OF Pennsyl-
vania to the effect that the liquor
traffic must be regulated, or the friend
| " relations of the SIX Nations would
be withdrawn. The liquor problem
was an important one. The Shawneo
had migrated to the Ohio river the
! year before, and the French were try
| ing to gain them as allies. Pennsyl-
yanIa wanted the friendship OF the Iro-
quois, and endeavored through Shlkel-
lamy to call council for that pur-
pose
Trouble came, however when, after
the Iroquois had decided their lands to
| the British. another deed was signed
| ~ - he Tvli In land
to which they had no claIm-which
belonged, In fact, to the Delawares.
Shkellamy was the agent who &C
complIshed this most unwise act, which
sowed the seed of discord and finally
caused nearly ten years of bloodshed
In Pennsylvania However, "Pennsyl-
vania suffered that a nation might
live" and the results OF conciliating
the Iroquois were far-reachlng indeed,
not so much In what they accomplished
as In what they prevented.
Shikellamy. as an old man, caused
smithy and Moravian mission to
be established at Shamokin (now Sun
bury Pa) for the benefit OF the In
dams and was Of great assistance In
the preparation Of an Onondaga die
tionary. He died In 1748
Logan, his son. took his name from
James Logan, who was secretary and
for time acting governor of Pennsyl-
yania. He was born in Shamokin, but
about TITO he moved to the Ohio
river and In 1T74 he lived at Old
Chlicothe.
A number of white emigrants had
been killed In this region, and In re-
venge, the white settlers on the Ohio
took the lives of several Indians, In
Guiding Logan's sister, who was soon
to bear a child, and some other rea-
tiyes. (Some chronicles say that the
whites pretended no provocation.")
A man named Greathouse was the
leader Of the whites In this massacre,
brought to believe that Michael Cresap,
who had not been present, was the
guilty man. Logan's rage was indie
scribable. He had already acquired
Incorporate habits and these added to
the violence of his feelings.
His desire for revenge led him to
commit the most awful barbaritles.
Men, women, and even children Of the
border settlements were killed, under
horrible conditions. He seemed to
have undertaken an orgy Of killing
without end, and months went by be
fore peace was again established.
Iogans famous speech Is well known,
but part Of it bears repeating here:
II appeal to any white to say, II
ever he entered Logan's cabin hungry,
! and he gave him not meat, II ever he
came cold and naked, and he clothed
! him not I had even thought to
have lived with you. but for the In
juries of one man, Colonel Cresap, the
last spring, In cold blood, and IN
provoked, murdered all the relatives OF
Logan; not even sparlng my women
and children. There runs not drop
Of my blood in the veins Of any living
creature This called on me for ven
geance. have sought it. I have
killed many. | have fully glutted my
vengeance. Who Is there to
: mourn for Logan? Not one Y
|. This speech, from the exaggerat1ons
!. contained In 1t, is supposed to be an
| enlargement upon his real statement
1t was read at the treaty meeting at
o Chillicothe, Ohio, from which Logan
/ was absent.
! From being drunk with blood, the
unfortunate chief turned to his pre-
vious drink the white mans whisky
Ii was not long before he abandoned
himself to intemperance, and became
Q quarrelsome drunkard.
He was about f1fty-fve years old
+ when he died. He had been on .
I Journey to Detroit, and on his return
Q his nephew, during a fierce quarrel
u ~