Coral’s family history · Chapter 4

Chief Cornplanter

Chief Cornplanter was born in a little town called Conaewaugus on the Genesee River in New York State. He was the son of a Dutch trader and an Indian Royaneh, a member of a Seneca noble family and a hereditary matron of the Wolf Clan. His father was a white man named John O’Bail. Cornplanter pronounced his English name John Abaal. He became a well known warrior who led his people into battle against the British in the French and Indian Wars.

The Senecas were a part of the Iroqouis League which was later called the League of Six Nations. The Iroquois called themselves Haudenosaunee, pronounced ho-dee-no-show-nee, which means people of the longhouse. Each town consisted of longhouses. Along the inner sides of the longhouses families of a clan lived in semi-private compartments. Central areas were used for social and political meetings.

The Iroquois had an agricultural economy based on corn with crops of squash, beans and tobacco and later orchard fruits such as apples and peaches. They crafted pottery, ash splint baskets and mats of cornhusks. They also made maple syrup.

When the American Revolution started, both sides told the Native peoples to remain neutral. Before too long, both the British and the Continental Army wanted help from the Iroquois. The British offered them generous amounts of rum and goods if they would join them in the fight. The Iroquois met together at Oswego on July 1777 to decide what to do. Cornplanter and his relative Red Jacket voted to stay neutral, but the majority voted to join with the British. This turned out to be a big mistake. Cornplanter and Red Jacket honored their decision. Cornplanter was a captain of Indians during the war. He led war parties against the Colonial forces, particularly against General Sullivan in New York. In retaliation Washington ordered an invasion of Seneca territory, sending General John Sullivan to the region. The Sullivan campaign destroyed everything in it’s path including dozens of Seneca villages. Some of the people, including Cornplanter, fled north to Fort Niagara. Cornplanter went first to Niagara and then to Tonowanda and finally to Jenuchsadago, (Burnt Town), where his wife’s family lived. Fourteen people lived with him in his two-storied cabin including his wife, six children and the family of his half brother, Handsome Lake. Sullivan’s group laid waste to hundreds of acres of cornfields and fruit tree orchards, leaving a burned out scarred countryside. The Iroquois suffered terribly because of this. The next winter was a hard one. It was called winter of the deep snow. It was extremely cold and four feet of snow lay on the ground. Many Iroquois froze or starved to death. Cornplanter was devastated by these events and began to realize the strength of the new nation. He envisioned a bleak future for his people. Cornplanter was a practical man. He knew that his people would have the best chance of survival if they were friendly with the United States. He worked for peaceful relations between his people and the new nation. Some of the Senecas, including Red Jacket wanted to resist the white people but Cornplanter knew his people would be destroyed if they fought them. He was not always popular with his own people, but he continued to do what he thought was right. Red Jacket used this against Cornplanter to gain favor with the people.

Chief Cornplanter tried to keep friendly relations with the United States. When he heard of raids being planned he warned Fort Franklin. He visited George Washington several times on business for his tribe. In 1794 a group of Native Americans rebelled. They attacked the Americans. Gen.

Anthony Wayne defeated them at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Cornplanter was not able to keep the others from fighting, but he did keep his own people from taking part in the rebellion. Because of this they remained safe.

In 1792 Pennsylvania granted Cornplanter five hundred acres of land. After one particularly harsh winter Cornplanter sold his tract along the mouth of Oil Creek. After the sale he realized he had been swindled. The money was counterfeit. The swindler had already left the state. The two men that purchased the land from the swindler had legal title and founded Oil Creek Furnace. Cornplanter had no grudge against the men and visited their new village often until his death. Oil Creek Furnace later became Oil City. In 1998 Oil City erected a six foot bronze statue of Cornplanter overlooking the Allegany River.

On the 16th of March, 1796 Pennsylvania gave him a large piece of land in Warren County on the Allegany River. He settled his people on this land which became known as the Cornplanter Tract. In 1798 there were four hundred Senecas living on the land. This land belonged to Cornplanter and his people. It was not a reservation. He remained on the tract until his death in 1836. During his lifetime he had two wives. He lived to be about one hundred years old. His descendants continued to live there for many years.

Thirty years after his death, a monument was erected at his gravesite. A hundred years later the Indians were dispossessed of their lands to make room for the Kinzau Dam.

Six Nations survivors of the war of 1812