Documents relating to the Delaware and Seneca Indians, holographic copies

Collection — huntington box: 8 - folder 1

Identifier: 9030

Scope and content

The handwritten documents are all copied from existing documents. They include a short biographical sketch about Chief Cornplanter and his sons; a letter written by John Langdale to Benjamin Franklin in 1764 about the nobility of character among the American Indians; a letter describing an incident involving a drunk Delaware Chief at a council meeting; a document about Chief Teedyuscung; extracts from a pamphlet entitled Some Observations on the Situation, Disposition, and Character of the Indian Natives of this Continent, published 1784; essay on religious opinions of the Muncy Delaware or Lenne Lenape Indians in their original state; and Captain Croughan's address to Indians on the Susquehanna River, with notes mentioning the similarity of the speech to others.

Dates

1763-1784.

Creator

no primary creator (Person)
Benezet, Anthony, 1713-1784. (Title of work: Some observations on the situation, disposition, and character of the Indian natives of this continent..) (Person)
Croughan, Captain. (Person)
Huntington Free Library (Former owner, Organization)

Biographical / Historical

Cornplanter was a Seneca chief also known as John O'Bail. His father was either English or Dutch and his mother was a Seneca. He participated in several treaties and was granted a tract of land by the state of Pennsylvania for his services to the whites, as well as a pension from the United States. In 1790 he met with General Washington in Philadelphia regarding the grievances of his people. One of his sons, Henry Obeal, became an alcoholic later in his life.

Biographical / Historical

Teedyuscung was chief of the Five Nations of the Delaware. He negotiated with Quaker leaders of Pennsylvania about their land and hostilities by the Delaware Indians.