Treaty with The Seneca and Shawnee
December 29, 1832
Articles of agreement, made and concluded at the Seneca
agency, on the head waters of the Cowskin river, this 29th
day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and thirty-two, by and between Henry. L. Ellsworth
and John F. Schermerhorn, Commissioners, on behalf of the
United States, and the Chiefs and Headmen of the "United
Nation" of the Senecas and Shawnee Indians, on behalf
of said Tribe or Nation.
WHEREAS certain articles of agreement and convention were
concluded at Lewistown, Ohio, on the 20th day of July, A.
D. 1831, by and between the United States and the Chiefs and
Warriors of the mixed band of the Senecas and Shawnee Indians,
residing at or near Lewistown, in the State of Ohio: And whereas,
by the 2nd article of said agreement, the United States stipulated
and agreed, with said Tribe, in the words following, to wit:
"to grant by patent, in fee simple, to them, and their
heirs forever, as long as they shall exist as a nation and
remain on the same, a tract of land, to contain sixty thousand
acres, to be located under the direction of the President
of the United States, contiguous to the lands granted to the
Senecas of Sandusky, by the treaty made with them at the City
of Washington, on the 28th of February 1831, and the Cherokee
settlements - the east line of said tract shall be within
two miles of the west line of the lands granted to the Senecas
of Sandusky; and the south line shall be within two miles
of the north line of the lands held by the Cherokees -
and said two miles between the aforesaid lines, shall serve
as a common passway between the before-mentioned Tribes, to
prevent them from intruding upon the lands of each other."
And the treaty aforesaid was ratified and confirmed by the
President and Senate of the United States, on the 6th day
of April, A. D. 1832. And whereas, the said mixed Band of
Senecas and Shawnees removed from their homes in Ohio to settle
upon the lands assigned them west of the Mississippi, in pursuance
of the provisions and stipulations of the treaty aforesaid:
And whereas, the said Senecas from Sandusky, and the mixed
Band of Senecas and Shawnees, have lately formed a confederacy,
and have expressed their anxiety to unite as one Tribe or
Nation, to be called the "United Nation of Senecas and
Shawnees," to occupy their land as tenants in common - and
have the whole of the country provided for them by the United
States located on the east side of Ne-o-sho or Grand river,
which runs through and now divides the same: For the purpose
of affording a more convenient and satisfactory location to
said United Nation, the parties aforesaid do, therefore, hereby
stipulate and agree as follows:
Article I.
The United Tribe of Senecas and Shawnee Indians do hereby
cede, relinquish and forever quit claim to the United States,
all the land granted to them on the west side of Ne-o-sho
or Grand river, by treaties made respectively with the Senecas
of Sandusky and the mixed Band of Senecas and Shawnees of
Lewistown, Ohio, on the 20th day of July, 1831, and on the
28th day of February, 1831.
Article II.
In consideration of said lands, described and ceded as aforesaid,
the United States will grant, by letters patent, to the Tribe
or Nation of Indians aforesaid, in manner as hereinafter mentioned,
the following tract of land lying on the east side of Ne-o-sho
or Grand river, viz: bounded on the east by the west line
of the State of Missouri; south by the present established
line of the Cherokee Indians; west by Ne-o-sho or Grand river;
and north by a line running parallel with said south line,
and extending so far from the present north line of the Seneca
Indians from Sandusky, as to contain sixty thousand acres,
exclusive of the land now owned by said Seneca Indians, which
said boundaries include, however, all the land heretofore
granted said Senecas of Sandusky, on the east side of Grand
river. And the United States will grant said tract of land,
by two letters patent; the north half, in quantity, to be
granted to the mixed band of the Senecas and Shawnees of Ohio,
and the south half to the Senecas from Sandusky, aforesaid:
the whole to be occupied in common, so long as the said Tribes
or Bands shall desire the same. The said patents shall be
granted in fee simple; but the lands shall not be sold or
ceded without the consent of the United States.
Article III.
The United States, at the request of said "United Nation,"
agree to erect immediately a grist mill, a saw mill and a
blacksmith shop, and furnish the necessary tools and machinery
in anticipation of a re-imbursement from sales of land, ceded
to the United States, by the treaties aforesaid, of 28th of
February, 1831, and July 20th, 1831, and so far in fulfilment
of the same.
Article IV.
The United Nation of Seneca and Shawnees having presented
a claim for money advanced by them for forage while removing
to their new homes in the west, and for horses and other property
lost on the journey, the United States, in order to a final
settlement of such claim, agree to pay one thousand dollars,
as follows, viz: - six hundred dollars to the Seneca tribe
of Indians from Sandusky; and the sum of four hundred dollars
to the Senecas and Shawnees from Lewistown, Ohio, to be distributed
by their respective tribes among the claimants, as they may
deem just and equitable; and to be received by them in full
payment and satisfaction of all the claims aforesaid.
Article V.
Nothing in these articles of agreement shall be construed
to affect the respective rights of the Seneca tribe of Indians
from Sandusky, and the Senecas and Shawnees from Lewistown,
Ohio, as secured by existing treaties, except so far as said
treaties are inconsistent with the provisions of the articles
aforesaid.
Article VI.
This agreement or treaty shall be binding and obligatory
upon the contracting parties from and after its ratification
by the President and Senate of the United States.
In testimony whereof, the said Henry L. Ellsworth and John
F. Schermerhorn, commissioners, and the chiefs and head men
of the United Nation of Seneca and Shawnee Indians, have hereunto
signed their names and affixed their seals, on the day and
year above written.
- Henry L. Ellsworth, [L. S.]
- John F. Schermerhorn, [L. S.]
Seneca chiefs:
- Comstick, (first chief Seneca nation,) his x mark, [L. S.]
- Seneca Steel, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Small Cloud Spicer, his x mark, [L. S.]
- George Curly Hair, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Tall Chief, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Captain Good Hunter, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Hard Hickory, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Wiping Stick, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Seneca John, his x mark, [L. S.]
- John Johnson, his x mark, [L. S.]
- John Sky, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Isaac White, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Joseph Smith, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Captain Smith, his x mark, [L. S.]
Chiefs of mixed band:
- Me-tho-mea, or Civil John, (first chief Senecas and Shawnees,) his x mark, [L. S.]
- Pe-wy-a-che, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Skilleway or Robbin, his x mark, [L. S.]
- John Jackson, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Quash-acaugh or Little Lewis, his x mark, [L. S.]
- To-ta-la or John Young, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Mingo Carpenter, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Jemmy McDaniel, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Civil John's son, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Yankee Bill, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Big Ash, his x mark, [L. S.]
- Civil John's young son, his x mark, [L. S.]
Signed, sealed, and delivered in the presence of us:
- S. C. Stambaugh, secretary to commissioners,
- St. John F. Sane, Indian agent,
- Augt. A. Chouteau,
- Wm. Young,
- George Herron, Seneca interpreter,
- Baptiste Peoria, Shawnee interpreter.
Don't forget to check out our American Indian Jewelry and Native American Books.
|
Native American Legends A-B