OCR Text |
Show ' ' - * ! " ' ? | k A ' ' ' "VJ VJ " ra 4 * 'H H ' | * iw- iw iws.1 ? - < < * s.1 s1 * " ! ! ' . & - . Iih . m N'eviY NeviY Celebr Celebrations Ce CeIih a ration . ti tins ns in in New-Yor New Yor e w wI I - : A/ A Ar / r r > 1 i # t - $ ' ; If r rnor pn nor sfrf . 9 ' r r"Greyest J . { , , ' "Greyest Greyest IIGretatest " .C C . re afes l ' + Arnerican American merican ' ! of His Day " : " ' " ' " " I " " " " " ' 'r r ' " " " ' " . , * , tfi f fSeriat fi fiSerie Seriat Serie Series ' of tJf Page Pageants nts in Mohawk Valley Recall the tho Arrival 200 Year Yaar * ' Ago AgoHof Hof of f a . < Y Young Yurig Ynuilg urig Ir it MIImmigrant . * . ) ( * Immigrant Who . , as an English Baronet and Mohawk Indian Indiall . Chieftain , . Rulpd Rulnd Ruled Oygp OygpWiidernoss'Empire Ovo OverWilderness'Empire OverWildernessEmpire ; Wildemosl&npiro Wildemoslnpiro Wiidernoss'Empire WiidernossEmpire ' & and Helped Shape Shapo Shope tho the Doitiny DQitiy Destiny . , . , ! jot .of of . America Americo tn to Cot Cotnt Colonial nt 4 ' l Doys Days Day ! . , ' 0 C G Western Nn'IPa NnIPa Newipspe H w ' ? ap e > r , ; Union UWO By fly ELMO SCOTT WATSON WATSONDN WATSONI WATSONN N THE THF THE ! ? htsto historic histoxtc l Mohawk MohawkValley MohawkValley MohawkValley . DN IN I Valley Valleyof of New York aseries a aseries series of historical pag pag- pageants pageants pag- pag pageants - - eants , memorial services andother and andother andother other gatherings have beenheld been beenheld beenheld held this summer as a bicen bicen- bicentennial bicentennial bicentennial - - tennial commemoration of a agreat agreat agreat great American who is too toolittle toolittle toolittle little known to later genera genera- generations generations generations - tions of Americans He wasnot was wasnot wasnot not only the greatest Amer Amer- American American American - ican of his day , but he was wasUa was"a was"a wasa Ua "a a " world figure ; a great con con- constructive constructive constructive - structive genius , the greatest greatestlandowner greatestlandowner greatestlandowner landowner in North Amer Ampr- Ampr Amer- America Amprica America - ica , a wise Wlse magistrate , a vic victorious VIC- VIC vie- vie VICtonoU8 vietonous - torious tonoU8 tonous soldier , a builder bUllder ofcities of ofcitIes ofcities citIes amid a wilderness , a aredeemer aredeemer aredeemer redeemer of men"He men"He men men"He "He He " was a Baronet of the theBritish theBritish theBritish British Realm , His Majesty'sSuperintendent MajestysSuperintendent Majesty's Majestys Majesty'sSupermtendent Majesty'sSuperintendent ' Supermtendent Superintendent of Indian Af Affairs Af- Af Affairs Affairs - fairs for all North AmericaHe America AmericaHe AmericaHe He was wasthe . -the the .the - only living lIvmg whIte whIteman whiteman whiteman man implicitly imphcltly trusted by the theS thevages thesavages thesavages S \vages vages savages \ of this continent contment beV beF be- be beBIockhouse - . , . . F , c + r + V ps ' e > an " " " ' awo ' 'M M rxm ' yr " R 1 1p 1KYk f"s "s s f p KYk " > } h X [ ka'yl kayl . , f fX f"t ? ' -"t "t t : - "tr " av avE avz ' + t r " E z - < , 3 3Blockhouse BIockhouse Blockhouse at Johnson Hill Hall Han Hancause ) cause he never broke hisword hI'3 hI3 his hI'3word hisword ' word to them tbem He ' was 'Was , per per- perhaps perhaps perhaps - haps , the onlyrepresenta only representa representatIve representative representative tIve ofroyal of royal authority authonty in m the theWesterl theWestern theWestern Westerl\ Westerl Western Westerl.Henu \ .Hemisphere Hemisphere ierrusphere .Henu Henu . . ) phere utterlybelieved Qtterly gtterly QtterlybelJeved gtterlybelieved belJeved believed in m by the dishonesttyranncal dishonest dishonesttyranrlCal dishonesttyranrical tyranrlCal tyranrical , and stupid packof pac.k pack pac.kof packof . of Royal Governors , MagIs MagIstrates Magistrates Magistrates trates and lesser vermin vermm that thatafflicted thatafflicted thatafflicted afflicted the colonies colonlLS wIth wIththe withthe withthe the British plague * ' He was kind kmd and greatAll great greatAll greatAll All loved him All mournedhim mourned mournedhIm mournedhim hIm For he watf was wall a d very per perfeet perfeet perfeet feet gentleman who prac prac- practIced practiced practiced - ticed truth and honour and andmercy andmercy andmercy mercy , an unassuming unassummg andrespectable and andrecpectable andrespectable recpectable respectable : ; man who lovedlaughter lovedlaughter loved lovedIclUghter IclUghter laughter and gaiety and plainpeople plam plain plampeople plainpeople people " He lie was thus characterized In Inan inan inan an h " stoncal "toncnl toncnl storical novel of the Colomal Colonial Colomalnnd Colonialand Colonialnnd nnd and Revolutionary days But letit let letIt letit It be added at once , historianshave hIstorians hIstorianshave historianshave have confirmed the novelist no\.eltst no.eltst no .eltst eltst \ . sjudgment s sIHlgm.nt sjudgment IHlgm.nt IHlgmnt judgment ) ( . of bir Sir Ir William WIlham Johnson JohnsonIt It was just 200 years ago that thata a till t'111 t111 ' rugged handsone handsorie yung young youngIrishman yungIrishman y ) ungIrishman Irishman aged twenty three threelanded threelanded threelanded landed in Boston and went immediately 1m im 1mmedIately immediately medIately afterwards to the the'small small 'small ' dull and dirty city ofNew of ofNew ofNew New York to become the guest of ofhiS ofhis ofhis hiS uncle Sir Peter Warren the thefamous thefamous thefamous famous British admiral Here Herefor Herefor Herefor for a few months young Johnson Johnsonentered Johnsonentered Johnsonentered entered whole-heartedly whole heartedly - - into 1Oto the thegay thegay thegay gay social soclall life e for which the NewYork New NewYork NewYork York of that period was noted Then with the true spirit of thepioneer the thepIOneer thepioneer pIOneer stirring stirr10g In him , Johnson Johnsontook Johnsontook Johnsontook took a boat up the Hudson to toAlbany toAlbany toAlbany Albany and then went by wagon wagonto wagonto wagonto to the Mohawk valley where he hewas hewas hewas was to be in charge of a largetract large largetract largetract tract of land belonging belongmg to hisuncle his hisuncle hisuncle uncle This land 13 000 acres ofwilderness of ofwllderness ofwilderness wllderness wilderness , lay along the south southbank southbank southbank bank of the Mohawk river near nearwhat nearwhat nearwhat what is now South AmsterdamHe AmsterdamBe Amsterdam Be He B'comes Bcomes B4comes Becomes ' a TraderWlthm TraderWithin Trader TraderWithin Within Wlthm a year Johnson , withthe With Withthe withthe the help of several mechanicsand mechanics mechanicsand mechanicsand and a d few settlers whom he hadbrought had hadbrought hadbrought brought with him had surveyed surveyedthe surveyedthe surveyedthe the land built a house opened a ageneral ageneral ageneral general store and was br10ging bringing br10gingolher bringingother bringingother olher other settlers to the place The TheprincIpal Theprincipal Theprincipal princIpal patrons of his tradingstore trading tradingstore tradingstore store were the Indians of thegreat the thegreat thegreat great Iroquois confederation , especially es especlally espectally peclally pectally the Mohawks and before beforelong beforelong beforelong long this trade was vital to the thewell thewell thewell well beoi bell bait g of these Indians Soon SoonJohnson SoonJohnson SoonJohnson Johnson was one of o1 the greatest greatesttraders greatesttraders greatesttraders traders in 10 the colony with hisoperations his hisoperatlOns hisoperations operatlOns operations extending far beyondthe beyond beyondthe beyondthe the Mohawk valley valleyAlthough valleyAlthough valleyAlthough Although Johnson lived at atpeace atpeace atpeace peace with his Indian neIghbors neighborshis , his life was not free from danger dangerEngland dangerEngland dangerEngland England and France were enter entermg entering entering mg ing upon their contest for supremacy su supremacy supremacy premacy in North America andfor and andfor andfor for several years in the early1740s early early1740s early1740s 1740s Johnson s 8 post was on con constant constant conslant stant watch for a r raid 1d by the theFrench theFrench theFrench French and their Indian allies awes awesBy alliesBy By 1745 the situation had be become become become come precarious CommissIOns Commissionshad had failed falled in the past so Covertor Gover Gover"or Govereor "or or eor " Clinton put Johnson on theboard the theboard theboard board of Indian wdian lpdian commissionersand commissioners and on August 28 1746 . , be he was wasappointed wasappointed wasappointed appointed "Colonel Colonel " of the Forcest6 Forcestb Forces Forceslions t6 tb be raised out of the Six N Na NaLions a at.ions . lions t.ions tions " It was left fqr Johnson Johnson10 Johnsonto Johnsonio to io win all the Indians over oyer to the \ . . y , ar l . . ' . , i . . , f I o- o - oA A 4 II ' 3 3Johnson z 3z [ i 1 Johnson " , . " [ I tall . , baronial " ' 0 . . mansion Of 0 . . " of ' Sir ; William " .Of Of . Johnson , . . . . . . English side , which whioh he soon did . Th They y made him a Mohawk war warchIef warchief warchief chIef and gave him the name ofWarraghiyagey of ofWarraghlyagey ofWarraghiyagey Warraghlyagey Warraghiyagey , "Chief Chief " Big Business Busi Business Business ness ' a fitting name for this energetic en energetlc energetic ergetlc ergetic young merchant , who satat sat sata satat a at t their council fires , jOin joined joinel in intheIr intheir intheir theIr games and dances , , reject reect- reect reected re rejected ect- ect ected - - ed their traditions and folK tolk'ays tolkays tolk'aysand folkwaysand ' ays aysand and treated them fairly - a aunique aunique aunique unique experience expenence for them intheir in intheIr intheir theIr dealings deahngs with the Englishcolonists EnglishcolonistsSo Enghsh English Enghshcolonists Englishcolonists colonistsSo colonists So when the Six Nations met in inAlbany InAlbany InAlbany Albany in 10 1746 the Mohawks MohawluJ were wereImmediately wereimmediately wereimmediately Immediately won over to tl1 the theEnglish theEnglish English side by the man whoPl whom whoPlthey whomthey whomthey they considered their brother andthe andthe and andthe the other five tribes followed their theIrlead theirlead lead Indian relations improvedand improved improvedand improvedand and in 1748 , when Johnson re- re reorganized reorganized re reorganized - - organized the Albany county mili mili- miii- miii militIa miiitia militia - tia under his command , life be beI became became became I came safer sater in the districtThe district . . The Appeal of the Mohawks . To equip the braves and tokeep to tokeep tokeep keep them happy with presentsrequired presents presentsrequired presentsrequired required much money and credIt credItJohnson creditJohnson creditJohnson Johnson advanced supplies supphes and andmoney andmoney andmoney money until he was loaded down downwith downwith downwith with debts which the New York Yorkassemb1y Yorkassembly Yorkassembly assemb1y assembly assemb1ywas , was never in m any hur hur- hurry hurry hur- hur hurry - - ry to settle , and the burdenbecame burdenbecame burden burdenbecame became so heavy that in 1751 tothe to tothe tothe the dismay of the Mohawks ohawks , John-son John son John- John Johnson Johnson - son resigned reSJgned all his public offices officesand officesand officesand and commands At the next In Indln Indrin Indnn dln drin ' } council the Mohawks ap- ap appealed ap- ap appcaled ap appealed - - pealed pcaled to th the fovernor ( governor , to reI re reStatue " I . , " . . w CYda w"3 w3 w"3c c * ex i ipry pry - nfi : y a at t lb lbi lbt lbs i a t s 6 6a 6a 6y a n SYn y . 'fl fl ' y Y ? L , SY r Jx1qs1 Jx1qs1w Jx1qs1mkr ! _ w \ RT RTy RTStatue r y mkr mkrr Statue of Johnson In InJohnstown InJohnstown inJohnstown Johnstown , N . Y . , instate Johnson because "he he "hehas "hehas "hehas hehas " has large Ears and heareth hearetb agreat agreat a agreat great deal , and what he hears hetells he hetells hetells tells to us , he also has large Eyesand Eyes Eyesand Eyesand and sees a great way , and conceals con conceals conceals ceals nothing from us " Johnsonwas Johnsonwas Johnson | was at once appointed to the thecrown thecrown thecrown crown council councii , , the upper house houseof houseof houseof of the legislature where , al although although although though he had no direct respon- respon responsibihty responSlbIhty responsibility - - ' sibihty SlbIhty sibility for Indian affairs , he wasable was wasable wasable able to use his influence 10fiuence influenceSeveral 10fiuenceSeveral influenceSeveral Several years of comparatIve comparatIveqUiet comparativequiet comparativequiet qUiet followed until untll the outbreak outbreakof of the French and Indian war warin warin warin in 1755 Then Johnson the trad trader trader trader er the landowner , the councilorblossomed councilor councilorblossomed councilorblossomed blossomed out as a military milttary leader lead leader leader er of the first rank . . In August,1755 August1755 August , 1755 he started ctarted ; for Crown Po Point Pointon Pointon lOt lOton on Lake C Champlain amplain with a force forceof forceof forceof of Indians and New England mlli mill mllitIamen milltiamen milltiamen tIamen and established tabliShed , a camp campat campat campat at the southern end bpd pd of LakeGeorge LakeGeorgeWhen Lake LakeGeorge LakeGeorge George GeorgeWhen - When the French attacked FortEdward Fort FortEdward FortEdward Edward in September , Johnson Johnsonsent Johnsonsent Johnsonsent sent a relief reltef force which was am ambushed ambushed ambushed bushed by the French and was wasabout wasabout wasabout about to be routed when re- re reinforcements reinforcements re reinforcements - - inforcements under the coinmander rom corn rommander cornmender mander mender arrived Johnson , whorushed who whorushed whorushed rushed into the heat of fire , re received re- re receIved received - - ceived a bullet wound and wascarried wascarried was | carried to his tent during the battle bat bat- battle battle - tle The enemy was not pursued pursuedbecause pursuedbecause pursuedbecause because the supplies were low lowand lowand lowand and many of the troops were un un- - unfit unfit unfit - fit tor for duty Nevertheless , theFrench the theFrench | French were definitely deftmte17 deflmtely halted haltedAn haltedAn haltedAn An Important Victory.Johnson's Victory.Johnsons VictoryJohnsons Vlctol'7 Vlctol7 Victory ' . Johnson's Johnsons ' ' victory was wu important Impor Impor- Important Important - I ' tant It bolstered the faltering falteringfaith falteringfaith falteringfaith faith of the Iroquois ! In n Britls British Britishprowess Britishprowess I prowess The Indians bad had seentheir seen seenthell seentheir thell their ' white wlute chief triumph on tbebattlefield ttoe the ttoebattlefield thebattlefield battlefield and they realized realied % thatit that thatit thatit it would be folly to desert thevictor the thevictor thevictor victor It Il was , after all , tha the ftrs firer firerpurely first"purely firstpurely " purely American victory over overregular overregular overregular regular European troops The TheEnglish TheEnglish TheEnglish English parliament par1iament was so sopleased sopleased BOpleased pleased that William Johnson was made Sir William W1U1am WUllam J"ohnson Johnson J"ohnsonand Johnsonand " Johnsonand and given $ $25,000 25000 $ , , with the thenka thanks thenkaof thanksof thanksof of the nation , and nd in February February,1756 February1756 , 1756 , . a royal commission madehim made madehim madehim him "Sole Sole "Sale Sale " Agent and Superin Superin- Superintendent Superintendent |