THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 1 5 



this country since history began — first, between the Kahquas and 

 Iroquois ; next, between the Iroquois and French ; next, French 

 and EngHsh; next, English and Americans in the two wars of 1776 

 and 181 2 ; and lastly between Canadians and Fenians. 



The old fort at the mouth of the Niagara River, which had been 

 built by La Salle in 1678, was captured from the French in 1759 by 

 Sir William Johnson, commanding a little army of 2,000 English 

 and 1,000 Indians. The youthful warrior Brant, or Thayendinaga, 

 first figured in Canadian history at this battle. Five years later, on 

 the close of the Pontiac war, one of the larges. Indian councils ever 

 held upon this continent took place at Niagara. In the spring of 

 1764 Sir William Johnson, who was married to the sister of Brant 

 and who attained a commanding influence in Indian affairs, from 

 his place called Johnson Castle, near the mouth of the Mohawk, 

 sent out runners all over the north and west, summoning the Indians 

 to meet him in council at the mouth of the Niagara River, and when 

 he, with an escort of 500 Indians, stepped from the canoes by 

 which they had travelled by way of Oswego River and Lake 

 Ontario, he found there assembled an immense concourse of Indians, 

 embracing delegates from all the nations dwelling in that vast region 

 between the pine forests of Nova Scotia and the 'head springs of the 

 Mississippi, the margin of Hudson's Bay and the shores of Lake 

 Superior. The Sioux and Pottawattamies alone were absent, conscious 

 of their own misconduct and afraid to trust the English, whom they 

 had greatly injured. The task before Sir William was a delicate 

 one — that of threatening some, conciliating others and moulding 

 these various tribes, many of whose delegates were red-handed from 

 the massacres of Michillimackinac and Bloody Run, into friends and 

 allies. The council lasted for over a month, and proved of great 

 benefit to the British and to the cause of peace. 



Twelve years later the American revolution broke out, lasting 

 from 1776 to 1783, resulting in the Mohawks under Brant fleeing to 

 Canada and settling upon a grant of land upon ihe Grand River, 

 formerly called the Ouse. Brant established his headquarters at 

 what is now the small village called Mohawk, one and a-quarter 

 miles from Brantford, where is at present the small church which 

 Brant established, which was the first church ever erected in 

 Ontario. In it is still preserved a massive silver communion ser- 

 vice, presented to the tribe by Queen Anne in 17 10, while they 



