The War Chief of the Six Nations | Page 9

Abraham; but Little Abraham, it
appears, desired to remain neutral in the impending struggle, and by
common consent Brant assumed the leadership of the Iroquois in war.
Two things favoured Brant in any appeal he might make in the interests
of the British to the loyalty of the Six Nations. For over a hundred
years they had taken from the colonial agents who represented the
crown wampum belts as a sign of treaty obligations. Treaties had been
made with the king; the word of the red man had been given to the king.
Promises made to them by the king's agents had always been performed.
Why, therefore, should they now plight their faith to any other than
their Great Father the King, who dwelt far over the waters? Besides, by
recent actions of the colonists, the resentment of the Indians had been
fanned to a fury. In 1774 some colonial land-hunters were scouring the
country of the Shawnees. Without any real cause they fell upon some
redskins and butchered several in an inhuman way. Not satisfied with
this act of cruelty, they seized two brave chiefs, Bald Eagle and Silver
Heels, and killed them in cold blood. The anger of the Indians was
aroused and they rallied under the banner of the noble Logan, 'Mingo
Chief' of the Shawnees. Against him the Virginians sent a large force of
more than two thousand men. A fierce battle took place at the Great
Kanawha river, at the point where that stream flows into the Ohio. For
a time Logan and his Indian ally Cornstalk and their followers fought
desperately, but in the end they were forced to flee across the Ohio.
This war was short, indeed, but it had no just warrant, and the Indians
could not forget the outrage that had been committed. The memory of it
rankled with the Six Nations, especially among the Cayugas, to whom
Logan was bound by ties of blood.
While Joseph was doing his utmost to keep the Indians loyal and was
keeping watch upon those who were plotting to win them from their
allegiance to the crown, Sir John Johnson was growing anxious for his
own life. So great was his, fear of being killed or abducted that he
increased his body-guard to five hundred men. At the same time, he
placed swivel-guns about his house, in order to withstand a sudden
attack. He energetically organized the settlers on his domains into a

protecting force. In particular the Highland loyalists in his district
rallied to his aid, and soon a hundred and fifty brawny clansmen were
ready to take the field at the shortest notice.
But the Six Nations were by no means united in their loyalty to the
crown. Brant saw that the tribe most wavering in its support was the
Oneidas. He found that their missionary, Samuel Kirkland, was in
league with the rebels, and sought to have this clergyman removed.
Failing in this, he wrote to the Oneida chiefs, urging them to remain
loyal to the king. A letter that an Oneida runner let fall at this time on
an Indian path is the earliest bit of handwriting that we have from
Joseph Brant's pen. In it he warns the Oneidas against the subtle work
which the colonists were carrying on. 'Guy Johnson is in great fear of
being taken prisoner by the Bostonians,' he says. 'We Mohawks are
obliged to watch him constantly. Guy Johnson assures himself, and
depends upon your coming to his assistance... He believes not that you
will assent to let him suffer.' The appeal thus made seems, however, to
have met with little response from the Oneidas, and Brant was rebuffed.
Even before this they had sent a letter to the governor of Connecticut
expressing in, plain terms their desire to remain neutral when hostilities
should commence. 'We cannot intermeddle in this dispute between two
brothers,' was their decision. 'The quarrel seems to be unnatural.' The
Oneidas had the right to their opinion, but their conduct must have
stung the heart of the chief of the Mohawks. Yet never for a moment
did his courage fail. He knew that the bulk of the Six Nations were
willing to give their life's blood in the service of the king. He and they
would be true to the old and binding covenant which their forefathers
had made as allies of the crown. 'It will not do for us to break it,' said
Brant, 'let what will become of us.'
Civil war was now impending in the colonies. The battle of Lexington
had been fought, and the whole country was taking breath before the
plunge into the conflict. Guy Johnson and Brant were waiting to
declare themselves and the time was nearly ripe. The first move was
made just after