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| ISBN-13: | 9781462051007 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | iUniverse, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 10/17/2014 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 486 |
| File size: | 880 KB |
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The Mingwe Kyasuta
A Historic Novel
By Basil Bachelor
iUniverse
Copyright © 2014 Basil BachelorAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-5098-7
CHAPTER 1
Betrayal
It was the dead of night, under a starlit cloudless sky. Although winter was almost over, there were still some white patches of snow covering the ground upon the steep slopes running down from the high cliffs above the Cuyahoga Falls ... running down to the raging river below.
As the quarter-moon crossed the heavens, high up in the cliffs above the falls, the yellow glow of a small campfire provided some warmth for several of the Muncie Lenape, as well as the Mingo/ Seneca Kyasuta and Teantorian.
By this time the Seneca had been ostracized, and dubbed "The Mingwe" or "The Mingo" (meaning the treacherous) by the Iroquois League, because they had broken away from the Six Nations, to join the Ohio tribes', who had sided with the French during the late war. Now in their buckskins and leather leggings, wearing blankets over their shoulders as they moved around the fire pit ... their shadows danced upon the overhang of the small recessed cave.
With the scent of kinick-kinick rising up from their pipes, and the sound of the river falling below, Kyasuta sat nearly motionless, staring into the flames ... thinking back over many recent events', and considering all of the unknown ramifications of finding oneself, on the losing side of the war.
Kyasuta was born and raised up in the Iroquois tradition. He was proud of his heritage, but as a direct result of the Walking Purchase, he had grown up around more of the Delaware, than any of the Iroquois (most of who lived up in New York). Although he spoke Iroquoian, he had learned the Algonquian language, and had become very close with the Munsee Lenape (or the Delaware Wolf Clan). Many of whom were here with him now. He looked up for a moment, to stare at their faces' in the firelight. Custaloga, Shingas, Kaylamond, Hopocan, and Wingenund—these were his closest companions' next to Teantorian. They had all been through very difficult times in recent years, and now, they all feared that it was going to get worse. Still, as he looked around the fire at his companions, Kyasuta was glad to have so much bravery and strength surrounding him. It had allowed him to call for a daring plan.
Staring back into the flame, Kyasuta smiled as he remembered when he was just a boy, when his uncles had taught him about the forest. They taught him how to track and hunt game, and they always warned him to be aware of panthers. A panther was the deadliest hunter in these woods. They also showed him which plants were eatable, which ones were poisonous, and which roots' had secret healing powers. A couple of his uncles had also introduced him to the white man's whiskey.
Kyasuta had then chuckled aloud to himself ... thinking of the day when his one uncle took several drinks' and was having great fun ... until he fell off of a rock, and down the hillside, breaking his arm. Several other tribesmen had become mean spirited and were dangerously out of control when they became drunk. It was unseemly. Kyasuta had learned a valuable lesson that day—never take more than one strong drink. It was a lesson that he would almost always adhere to.
In those days the French did very well trading with all of the different tribes' of the Ohio country and around the Great Lakes. The Indians' could bring in their furs' at Fort Detroit, or Michila-mackinac. The furs were then sent down through the lakes to Niagara, and then down Lake Ontario ... to Montreal and Quebec. Before finally heading down the St. Lawrence Seaway ... and then across the Atlantic Ocean, bound for Europe.
Even though the Iroquois had maintained control over a vast amount of territory in what is now New York, Pennsylvania, and parts of Ohio, the Iroquois, or the Six Nations' preferred to trade with the English, at Albany.
By the time Kyasuta was a young adult, the Iroquois League had chosen to do all of their trading with the Englishman, William Johnson. William Johnson was very good to the Six Nations, but for the more western tribesmen of the Iroquois League (mainly the Western Seneca) Albany was just too far to travel to every season. So, a trader named John Frasier began to bring some goods west, and had set up a small trading post at Venango. It was a nice gesture, and while the Seneca had preferred the cheaper, and better-made English goods, there were seldom enough of the goods' to go around ... so the Seneca had continued to find plenty of what they wanted and needed from the French, at Niagara.
Very soon thereafter, George Crogan began to bring pack mule trains of English goods' from Philadelphia, westward ... over the Allegheny Mountains, to trade with the Seneca, the Delaware, and the Shawnee at the place called Logstown, just seventeen miles downstream from the forks of the Ohio River.
George Crogan was an honest, likeable man. He had a funny, generous laugh, and a firm handshake. Crogan was well liked by the chiefs'. He had very quickly gained the friendship of all the tribesman at Logstown ... as well as win the approval of Queen Aliquippa, who had been appointed by the Iroquois League, to watch over the Forks of the Ohio River (the gateway to the West).
Crogan made several successful trips back and forth over the Allegheny Mountains, bringing more goods each time, until he enjoyed near celebrity status among not only the Seneca, the Delaware, and the Shawnee, but even some of the Wyandotte, and the Miami, who had traveled to Loggstown, instead of going to Fort Detroit.
Because of this, Queen Aliquippa had requested that Crogan tell the Pennsylvanians' to build a fort at the Forks of The Ohio River. But Crogan had already decided to take up the Miami Chief's offer, instead. Crogan then built a very large trading post at Pickiwillany, further west, and deep in the Ohio Country ... where he would be closer to the most distant tribes'.
Within a few years, Crogan had built a great fortune at Pickiwillany. But he had also raised the ire of the French at Detroit and Niagara. In fact, the French had become very angry about Crogan's encroachments so deep into the wilderness.
In the spring of 1749, Kyasuta and Teantorian had left Venango and traveled north, going up to Lake Erie (arriving at present-day Erie, Pennsylvania) hoping to intercept some of the French boats' that were bringing goods' and supplies' to Fort Detroit. The Seneca were hoping to trade some of their pelts' and furs', for the best French-made goods' (long before those boats' ever made it to Detroit).
However, upon their arrival at Lake Erie, they found the Frenchman, Celeron de Blainville, and more than fifteen hundred Frenchmen encamped there.
Celeron had then paid the Seneca, to lead him and all of their boats ... down the Portage Road ... to the headwaters' of French Creek.
Teantorian and Kyasuta accepted the offer. They would then lead the French southward along the portage trail, going back down to French Creek.
When they had arrived above the embankment of French Creek, they had spotted several bison ... all spread out in the fields' on the hillsides around the stream. They had stopped to set up their encampment ... calling it Fort Lebouef.
Celeron and his men had then nailed a tin plate to a tree. Then they had buried a lead plate in the ground ... claiming all of the land for New France.
A few days later, they rowed down French Creek, to its mouth at the Allegheny River (at Venango). Stopping long enough to bury another lead plate ... Celeron and his men, then continued rowing downstream on the Allegheny River to its mouth, at the Forks of the Ohio ... where they buried another plate.
The French had then continued following the Great River (Ohio) all the way down to the mouth of the Wabash River ... proclaiming all of the territory for New France.
Returning by a land route, traveling northward toward Detroit, Celeron had made a visit to Pickiwillany ... but they were harshly treated, and insulted by the Miami Indians' there. The French then became very angry that George Crogan had become such a strong presence there.
In the summer of 1752, Michel de Langlade and a band of the Ottawa, the Chippewa, and the Pottawatomi, came down from Detroit and attacked Pickiwillany, killing all of the Miami men. The Frenchman and his Indians'had spared the women and children, but they had ransacked and destroyed the town, taking all of Crogan's trade goods' and the furs' before going back to Detroit ...
Crogan was already heading back east when the attack had occurred, or he would have been killed, at Pickiwillany. But now, he had lost everything!
Uncertain of what he should do, Crogan had remained in the West for a time, before finally turning to the Governor of Virginia.
Kyasuta was still just a boy when George Crogan first started bringing trade goods over the mountains, but he was becoming a young warrior when he first met George Washington, at Loggstown, late in the fall of 1753.
Kyasuta had always liked Crogan, but he was leery of this tall young man from Virginia.
There were several inches of snow on the ground, and more snow was falling when George Washington and Christopher Gist had come and had asked The Alleghany Seneca, to guide them through the countryside, to speak with The French. There was already a growing tension in the wilderness, between the French and the English, so during very bad weather, The Seneca would lead George Washington and Christopher Gist over the hills to Venango ... and then up French Creek, to Fort Le bouef, to deliver a message from The Royal Governor of Virginia, to The commander of all French troops' in The Ohio country. Kyasuta had acted as a hunter for the party.
After making the long and difficult treck through the snow, the blue-eyed Virginian stood very tall, as he read the message to the French commander at Ft. Lebouef. "You are all trespassing on Indian Land, which is protected by The Royal Colony of Virginia, for The King of England. In the name of King George The 2nd we demand that all French Troops' withdraw from the Ohio country, at once."
The French commander had then just laughed, telling Washington that he could only withdraw his troops' from the region, under orders' from The King of France.
After delivering the message, Washington and Gist did not want to wait around for their now intoxicated and disorderly Seneca guides ... so they had just left the fort, following French Creek down to Venango, and then down the northwest bank of the Allegheny River ... They had then crossed the Allegheny River on a make-shift raft ... The river was swift and very dangerous, with big chunks of ice floating in the current ...
George Washington had then nearly drowned after falling off of the raft into the icy stream. Washington had been submerged for a time ... but then resurfacing, he had managed to swim back to the raft, and then hold on to the edge, until Gist had poled them safely into the shallows ... Washington had then climbed up onto the riverbank.
Gist had then hurriedly gathered up some fire wood, and had started a fire. Washington took off his wet clothes, and huddled under a dry blanket very close to the small fire. Gist had continued to gather more wood, and they had soon built a very nice fire, enough for Washington to fight off hypothermia, and to dry his clothes.
The next day, shortly after breaking camp and heading south east for Virginia, Washington and Gist had come across several hostile Indian braves'.
Suddenly one of those braves' had fired his musket at the two Virginians! Both men then took off ... even as the musket ball had whistled into the trees' and then ricocheted just behind them ... The two Virginians did not stop fleeing until they had traveled several miles' through the snow to retrieve their horses ... But the braves' did not follow after them.
As Kyasuta was recalling this, Custaloga (the Munsee Lenape chief) stood up and had then placed two more logs on the fire. The sparks flew up into the darkness, as the flames grew higher ... licking upward into the night. Kyasuta did not speak, but he had smiled at the Wolf Clan leader, then he continued staring into the flame ... thinking back in time.
Kyasuta had liked both Frasier and Crogan, although he had distrusted George Washington (after seeing the wanderlust in his eyes). As an Iroquois, he had always preferred to trade with the English, and he had even learned to speak a little English. But then, as there was trouble brewing in the deep woods, The Seneca could plainly see that the French were the dominant force in the region, at that time.
During the springtime of 1754, Kyasuta had become incensed when he came down to find several hundred redcoats' clearing the land ... to build a new fort at The Forks of The Ohio River. The English worked fast, clearing the timber along the south-east bank of The Allegheny, and along the east bank of The Monongahela. They had then dug the trenches for the palasades, and were cutting the wood into planking for the walls ... when suddenly 2,000 of The French and Indians' had arrived there on the site.
The 300 Englishmen had no other choice but to put down their tools', and head back toward Virginia ... The French then took over the site, and had completed the construction of the new fort at the forks of The Ohio River, which they had named Fort Duquesne.
During that summer George Washington would lead The Virginia militia troops into a skirmish with The French. But after a miserable nine hour firefight in the rain, Washington was forced to surrender. He was then permitted to take his troops and return to Virginia.
George Washington had lived to fight another day. And that day would come not long thereafter.
In the spring of 1755, the English General Edward Braddock had arrived with his troops, and Washington would serve as his aide-de-camp. The General gathered up the militia to strengthen his regulars, planning to lead an attack against the French Fort at the forks of the Ohio.
As they began the long trek over the mountains, General Braddock began expanding the road, so that his fifteen hundred men, and all of the horses and wagons (and all of the supplies, and the camp followers, just ahead of the cattle herd) found the old mountain trail passable. It was still very slow going at times, and many of the men became sick with dysentery. It was a very long and difficult journey.
As General Braddock's army got closer to Fort Duquesne, Washington and many others had suggested that the General should send out scouts' and a large forward guard, because the French and Indians' were sure to be waiting for them, somewhere, just up ahead ... But General Braddock did not heed the advice. He had then marched them all right into an ambush!
The French and the Indians' came out from behind the trees to fire their muskets' and arrows' at the men in the long line of redcoats' coming down the road! The Indians would fire their weapons, and then disappear behind a tree, to reload, and then turn back to fire again!
Kyasuta had laughed as he remembered this ... Many of those men had dove for cover ... but most of the redcoats' had maintained their lines ... shooting at anything that they saw moving in the trees' ... as General Braddock rode back and forth amid all the musket fire, ordering his men to remain strong, and to maintain their lines.
Amazingly, Braddock was not shot in the action, but his horse was then shot out from under him!
At that point, the General had called for another horse, even as he walked back and forth ... barking out commands to his men. Demanding they not break ranks, or leave their lines. But to stand firm, and return fire!
Still on foot, Braddock had spotted a militiaman, who had broken away from the line, to reload behind a tree ... General Braddock had then ordered the man to return to his line. When the man laughed, and then refused the order, General Braddock took out his pistol, and shot the man for insubordination!
Moments later ... the brother of that man, came up and had then fired his musket at General Braddock ... dropping Braddock, to the ground!
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Mingwe Kyasuta by Basil Bachelor. Copyright © 2014 Basil Bachelor. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse.
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Table of Contents
Contents
PREFACE, ix,PROLOGUE, xi,
CHAPTER 1: BETRAYAL, 1,
CHAPTER 2: THE CRYING PROPHET, 22,
CHAPTER 3: THE INDIAN REBELLION, 42,
CHAPTER 4: CROGAN RETURNS TO THE WEST, 64,
CHAPTER 5: THE TREATY OF FORT STANWIX, 76,
CHAPTER 6: THE BATTLE OF POINT PLEASANT, 94,
CHAPTER 7: AWAITING UNCERTAINTY, 107,
CHAPTER 8: THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION BEGINS, 128,
CHAPTER 9: THE DEATH OF CORNSTALK, 152,
CHAPTER 10: THE DEATH OF WHITE EYES, 165,
CHAPTER 11: THE DEATH OF BLACKFISH, 183,
CHAPTER 12: LIFE ON THE FRONTIER, 198,
CHAPTER 13: THE ATTACK OF COSHOCTON, 213,
CHAPTER 14: THE MORAVIANS, 231,
CHAPTER 15: TROUBLE IN THE OHIO COUNTRY, 249,
CHAPTER 16: TREATIES OF FORT SCHUYLAR AND FORT MCINTOSH, 270,
CHAPTER 17: FORT HARMAR AND FORT WASHINGTON, 301,
CHAPTER 18: THE CONSTITUTION, 324,
CHAPTER 19: MAD ANTHONY WAYNE, 342,
CHAPTER 20: THE OHIO COUNTRY, 364,
EPILOGUE, 381,
THE AUTHOR'S NOTES, 389,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, 395,