﻿HISTORY 
  OF 
  THE 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  IROQUOIS 
  383 
  

  

  without 
  effect. 
  Not 
  long 
  after, 
  it 
  was 
  reported 
  that 
  the 
  British 
  

   had 
  seized 
  Grand 
  Island. 
  This 
  was 
  thought 
  a 
  cause 
  for 
  war, 
  

   and 
  this 
  declaration 
  was 
  made 
  : 
  

  

  We, 
  the 
  chiefs 
  and 
  councilors 
  of 
  the 
  Six 
  Nations 
  of 
  Indians, 
  

   residing 
  in 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  New- 
  York, 
  do 
  hereby 
  proclaim 
  to 
  all 
  the 
  

   war-chiefs 
  and 
  warriors 
  of 
  the 
  Six 
  Nations, 
  that 
  war 
  is 
  declared 
  

   on 
  our 
  part 
  against 
  the 
  provinces 
  of 
  Upper 
  and 
  Lower 
  Canada. 
  

   Therefore, 
  we 
  hereby 
  command 
  and 
  advise 
  all 
  the 
  war-chiefs 
  and 
  

   warriors 
  of 
  the 
  Six 
  Nations 
  to 
  call 
  forth 
  immediately 
  the 
  war- 
  

   riors 
  under 
  them, 
  and 
  put 
  them 
  in 
  motion 
  to 
  protect 
  their 
  

   rights 
  and 
  liberties, 
  which 
  our 
  brethren, 
  the 
  Americans, 
  are 
  

   now 
  defending. 
  

  

  A 
  council 
  at 
  old 
  Onondaga 
  followed, 
  Sep. 
  28, 
  1812, 
  and 
  an 
  

   address 
  was 
  sent 
  to 
  the 
  president, 
  saying: 
  

  

  Brother, 
  — 
  The 
  undersigned, 
  chiefs 
  of 
  the 
  Oneida, 
  Onondaga, 
  

   Stockbridge 
  and 
  Tuscarora 
  tribes 
  of 
  Indians, 
  as 
  far 
  west 
  as 
  Tona- 
  

   wanda, 
  regularly 
  deputed 
  by 
  our 
  respective 
  tribes, 
  have 
  this 
  day 
  

   lighted 
  up 
  a 
  council 
  fire 
  at 
  Onondaga, 
  the 
  ancient 
  council 
  ground 
  

   of 
  the 
  Six 
  Confederated 
  Nations. 
  

  

  They 
  had 
  been 
  advised 
  to 
  be 
  neutral 
  and 
  were 
  surprised 
  at 
  the 
  

   declaration 
  of 
  the 
  Buffalo 
  council, 
  but 
  added 
  : 
  " 
  We 
  are 
  few 
  in 
  

   number, 
  and 
  can- 
  do 
  but 
  little, 
  but 
  our 
  hearts 
  are 
  good, 
  and 
  we 
  

   are 
  willing 
  to 
  do 
  what 
  we 
  can." 
  They 
  took 
  no 
  part 
  till 
  the 
  next 
  

   year, 
  when 
  400 
  Senecas 
  under 
  Young 
  Cornplanter 
  aided 
  in 
  the 
  

   defense 
  of 
  Buffalo. 
  In 
  a 
  later 
  engagement, 
  July 
  17, 
  the 
  Six 
  

   Nations 
  gave 
  efficient 
  aid. 
  General 
  Boyd 
  said 
  at 
  this 
  time: 
  

   " 
  The 
  bravery 
  and 
  humanity 
  of 
  the 
  Indians 
  were 
  equally 
  con- 
  

   spicuous." 
  They 
  also 
  took 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  battle 
  of 
  Chippewa, 
  July 
  

   5, 
  1814, 
  led 
  by 
  Captain 
  Pollard, 
  a 
  Seneca 
  chief. 
  Stone 
  said 
  

   that 
  Kawaskant, 
  or 
  Steel 
  Trap, 
  an 
  old 
  Onondaga 
  warrior, 
  had 
  

   expected 
  this 
  honor, 
  but 
  was 
  not 
  even 
  named 
  in 
  the 
  council. 
  

   He 
  went 
  home 
  at 
  once, 
  saying, 
  " 
  They 
  think 
  me 
  too 
  old, 
  and 
  

   that 
  I 
  am 
  good 
  for 
  nothing." 
  Clark 
  also 
  said 
  that 
  Hoahoaqua, 
  

   or 
  La 
  Fort, 
  an 
  Onondaga 
  chief 
  who 
  was 
  killed 
  in 
  this 
  battle, 
  

   was 
  chosen 
  leader, 
  but 
  this 
  was 
  an 
  error. 
  

  

  