Manuscript Volume 1:3. Record of a council held upon the Tonawanda reservation January 1 and 2, 1846, and a letter from the chiefs and also from John Blacksmith to Lewis H. Morgan.

1846-01-01

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Morgan Journal V1:3

Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

AM85

Cover:
Record of the Council held upon the Tonewanda Reservation January 1 & 2, 1846 and a letter from the Chiefs and also from John Blacksmith to L.H. Morgan

Annual Councils were held at Onondaga in the fall prior to Sullivan's? ? ? & the expulsion? of the Mohawks

[Page 1]
A Report of a Seneca Council held at the Indian 
Meeting house upon the Tonawanda Reservation
January 1st and second 1846. Ely [-] Parker [-] [-]

The Council was called for the purpose of hearing 
Read a letter from L H Morgan of Rochester to 
J Blacksmith a Seneca Sachem. Council hearing
Con[-] I was called upon to read to them the letter
I read it to them. John Blacksmith was then called
Upon by the Council to give his views concerning
The matter contained in the letter. He arose & spoke
In words nearly as follows.
Chiefs & Nations. Mohawk
Heard & comprehended the contents of the letter we have 
Lately received. We all understand that it was written
To us by the Great Sachem of that hand who, we have 
Heard, style themselves Hodenohsonnee. It is a Society
That has lately come into existence & as far as I know 
any thing about it, it is of an Indian Character. I have 
just been informed by my grandson who is himself a 
member of that band, that I also have been made a 
member of it. I mention this fact to you that you may
not think I have been recently drawn into a snare
when I would be obliged to go against the interest of my
people. But as to the letter it is good. There is
manifest in it a spirit of disinterested Friendship. 
I love. They offer to assist us. Can we reject their 
Offers, when they are so disinterested? They tell no they 
Know that many have failed to affect any thing of those 
Who have heretofore assisted us. But it does not dis= 
Courage them, they say they are resolved to try. Let 
them do it. And for one I say, I approve of the letter 
& let us write to them & encourage them & [-] them 
To push the work on. And on our part let 
Us not be idle 
James Johnson succeeded [illegible] him in words nearly as follows

[Page 2]
Chiefs & Nations. The letter we have just
Heard read tells us of the organization of a band 
Called Hodenosonnee. That band proposes to assist
Us in our endeavors to rescue our lands from the 
Grasp of the Ogden Land Company. We have not craved
Their assistance but they have offered is of their own will. They 
Have assumed that name under which our Nations have
Existed for many years. We the Old Confederacy of 
Iroquois, are upon the point of dissolution & extinction. 
We exist now, only in name. Our power has been broken. 
In our stead is springing up a new Confederacy. Thye
Are of a different color than we. But yet for one
I cannot do otherwise than to wish them success in their 
Undertaking. And also I cannot believe, although we have many
Times been deceived by treacherous white men, that they will 
Deceive us, if we confide in them & accept the assistance 
They offer. I also am in favor of writing to them & giving
Them encouragement to prosecute the plan they have laid
Out
James Johnson having assumed his seat, Jesse 
Spring [-] & [-] as follows Ha sque sa oh. 
Chiefs & warriors, give 
Strict attention to the worlds I may speak to day. You
May not assume that what I shall say is the [-]
Conviction of the heart. There are many men of good
Minds , who clothed in the mantle of sincerity, will utter
What they do not themselves believe for the sake of popularity
But I will not deceive you in what I say. I have take 
Into close [-] the contents of the letter. I see no 
Objection why we should not accept the proffered aid
& why the new Band of Hodenosonnee should not good
In their [-] work. I for one say let them go on 
With the work they have communicated. But why a member of 
White people banded together should style themselves Hodenoson[off page]
May be a mystery to some. I have before heard of the 
existence of such a society. It was told me by La Fort

[Page 3]
who is a member. He says that he never has attended
any of their meetings, but at the same time he has a
comprehensive view of the object of the Society. I under-
stand also that my cousin ([E. S. Parker]) is a member.
I would therefore propose that he give us somewhat
of an idea of the Society & its objects before we
proceed any further. This I think will be right, for before
we [trust] too fully to them, we should know some of the causes
of their writing to [them].

The [Chief] having concluded that
they would like to know something about the Society, called upon
me to say something respecting it. I spoke to them in
words nearly as follows.

It is about two years ago
since I first became acquainted with the New
Confederacy of Iroquois, although it seems that at
that time they were not permanently established as such.
But they had [assumed] that name & were pushing forward
their [investigating]. Their investigations were mainly directed
to the investigation of the history, government traditions & treatises of the
Six Nations of Indians. They soon [ascertained] that the
Six Nations of Indians had a form of government by which
they had so perfectly preserved their alliance with one
another. It therefore became absolutely necessary for
their new organization to become acquainted with their
form of government & if possible to establish themselves
upon the same formations, since, they had assumed
the name of [Onggwanosommee], Much time was spent
in this. They have learned enough of the government of the
Iroquois to establish themselves. They have consequently
turned their attention to other matters connected with
the Indians. Their first [care] as a matter of course, was to examine
the condition of the remnants of that once powerful
People of the Six Nations. They found none to be
in such pitiable condition as the Senecas. They imme-
diately resolved to yield them asistance in this suffering condition.

[Page 4]
You have heard what plans they have resolved upon
in rendering assistance to the suffering Indians of the
Seneca Nations. I think I can testify to the
sincerity & purity of their motives in aiding the suffering
Indians. There are many of them & I am confident
that whatever they resolve to do, will be done if it is
a possible thing. And in this matter, which has been explained
to you in the letter, I think if the Senate of the US can be moved
at all, it will be done by them. In this, you may rest assured
that they will do what they have promised, that is they will
try

Afterwards nearly all the Chiefs spoke expressing
the same opinion as Blacksmith, Johnson & [Spring].
It being late it was finally determined that they
should [meet] again the next day for further action
upon the subject.
January 2nd 1846. All the Chiefs present & a number
of warriors. After consulting among themselves it was
determined that a letter should be written to L H Morgan
on behalf of the Seneca Chiefs upon the Tonowanda Reservation.

The following sachems & Chiefs also spoke in Council.
Daniel Spring [Ga no ga ee]
Benj Jonas [Ga neo di yo] }Sachems
Samuel Parker [Jo qua ya nee]
Lewis Poodry [Go gweh]
Jesse Tiffany
Isaac [Shanks] [Da ga so deh] }Chiefs

Morgan, Lewis Henry, 1818-1881, “Manuscript Volume 1:3. Record of a council held upon the Tonawanda reservation January 1 and 2, 1846, and a letter from the chiefs and also from John Blacksmith to Lewis H. Morgan.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed March 14, 2025, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/5186.