Native American Documents

Know All men by These presents That I Peter Waunenauwauhoot alias Neshaunis of Stockbridge in the County of Berkshire and Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Indian Planter To assist and provide for my family I acknowledge To have receiv'd The Sum of Ten Pounds of Benjamin Willard of the Town county and Province afore Said and in consideration of Said Sum of Ten Pounds I the Said Peter have delivered over and put into the possession of the Said Benjamin one certain Tract or parcel of Meadow Land lying in Said Stockbridge and on the South side of the River Containing Two acres by Estimation be it more or less it being the whole of that Meadow Lot that was laid out To Said Peter on the South side of the River by the Courts Committee all which said Lot I the Said Peter for my self my heirs deliver over and into the possession of the Said Benjamin Willard his heirs and assigns for Security of Said Sum of Ten Pounds Hereby Engaging the possession and improvement of the premisses To him the Said Benjamin and his heirs free and clear without molestation or demands from the Said Benjamin or his heirs untill The Said Sum of Ten Pounds be well and truly paid by me or my heirs To the Said Benjamin or his heirs with the Lawfull interest of the Same. And further I the Said Peter hereby promise whenever the way may or can be made Lawfull To Execute a good deed of Sale To the Said Benjamin and his heirs of the above Said lot of Land in case the above Said sum be not well and Truly paid as above Said within The Space of Seven years from the Date of these presents As Witness my hand and Seal this Eighteenth day of August Anno Dom one Thousand Seven hundred and Sixty Two and in the Second year of the Kings Reign George the Third &c

Signed Sealed and Delivered in presence of Elias Willard Jacob unkaumug

Peter Waunenauwauhoot

Peter Neshehi Security to Benjamin Willard 1762

Know All men By These presents That I Timothy Woodbridge of Stockbridge in the county of Berkshire and Province of the Massachusetts in New England Esqr. For and in Consideration of the Sum of fifteen pounds well secur'd To me for the use and Benefit of Mary Wepuekshuh an aged Indian woman belonging to Said Stockbridge Said mary having prefer'd her petition To the Great and general Court for Liberty To make sale of a tract of Land belonging To said Mary lying in said Stockbridge Containing thirty seven acres be it more or less being butted and bounded as follows(viz) North on Joabs Land which was land formerly belonging To Said Mary South on the Land that was laid out to Ebenezar Poopoonnuck East on the Brook called Konkopots Brook west on the high way that lead from Stockbridge to Great Barrington And Whereas the Great and General court on the petition of Said Mary at Their Sessions in January one Thousand Seven hundred and SixtyTwo did grant leave and licence To Said Mary To make sale of Said Tract of Land as above described and impowered me the Said Timothy To Sell the same and execute a Deed of Said Tract of Land Resolving [that?] said deed should be legal[?] To all intents for the conveyence of SAid[d?] Tract of Land. By vertue of Said Trust for the use above said By Elias Willard BenjamiN Willard and Joseph Willard all of Stockbridge in the County and Province afore Said Yeomen Do give grant sell aliene and Convey The above described Tract of Land To them The Said Elias Benjamin and Joseph To them Their heirs and Assigns in Equal proportions. To Have And To Hold with all the priviledges Thereto belonging or any ways Appertaining as an absolute Estate in Fee Simple with all the rights titles and emoluments any ways belonging To the same To them the Said Elias Benjamin and Jospeh Their Heirs and assigns forever. In Witness Whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and Seal this Twentieh Day of August Ann Dom one Thousand Seven hundred and Sixty Two In the Second year of the Kings Reign George the Third of Great Britain &c

Signed Sealed & Delivered In presence of Stephen nash John Naunauphtaunk

Timo Woodbridge Berkshire Ss:

Berkshire Ss Augt Septr 10th 1762 Personally Appear'd The within Named Timothy Woodbridge and acknowledged the within Instrument To be his free act and Deed [Corm?] Jospeh Dwight Just Pac

Berkshire Ss Great Barrington Septr: 10th: 1762 recd: and recorded in Lib: No: 1 folo: 306: and compd: per Mark Hopkins Regr

Timo Woodbridge's Deed to Elias Willard & others

Recd Septr. 10: 1762.

Know all Men by these Presents that I Garrit Kauhauwop of Stockbridge in the County of Berkshire and Province of the Massa chusetts Bay in New England Indian Hunter : do acknowledge that I have Received of Elias Willard of the Same place Town County and province aforesaid Yeoman the Sum of Seven pound Twelve Shelling New york money in order to pay my Just Debts and in consideration of Said Sum of Seven pound Twelve Shillings I the Said Garrit Kauhauwop have delivered over and put into the possession of said Elias, one Certain Tract or parcell of Meadow Land lying in Said Stockbridge and on the South Side of the River Containing by Estimation Two acres and a half be it more or less it being the whole of that Meadow Lot that was laid out to Noah Mhausquontom by the Courts Committee on the South Side of the River all which Said Lot I the Said Garrit Kauhauwop for myself my heirs Deliver over and into the possession of the Said Elias Willard his heirs and and assigns for Security of Said Sum of Seven pound Twelve Shillings hereby Enagaging the possession and Improvement of the primises to him the said Elias and his heirs without Molesta =tion or Demands of said Elias or his heirs untill the Said Sum of Seven pound Twelve Shillings be paid well and Truly by me or my heirs to the Said Elias & his heirs with the Lawfull Intrest of theSame and further I the said Garrit Kauhauwop hereby promise whenever the way may be made Lawfull to Execute a good deed of Sale to the Said Elias & his heirs of of the above said Lot of Land in case the above said sum be not well & Truly paid as above said Sum within the space of Seven years from the Date of these presents, as witness my hand and Seal this Thirteeth day of March Annoq. Domini one thousand Seven hundred & Sixty three and in the third year of the Reign of King George the third &c

Signed Sealed and Delivered in presence of Corno. V. Schaack Junr. Tobias Van [Hick?]

Garrit Kauhauwop his [symbol] mark

Know all men By these presents that I Garrit Kauhauwop

Kinderhook 30th March 1763 a Deed or Agreement Between Garrit Kauhauwop [with?] Elias Willard

Know all men By these presents that I Garrit Kauhauwop

Kinderhook 30th March 1763 a Deed or agreement Between Garrit Kauhouwop [with?] Elias Willard

Know all Men by these Presents that I Garrit Kauhauwop of Stockbridge in the County of Berkshire and Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England, Indian Hunter: do acknowledge that I have Received of Elias Willard of the Same place Town County and province aforesaid Yeoman, the Sum of Seven pound Twelve Shelling New York money, in order to pay my Just Debts, and in consideration of Said Sum of Seven pound Twelve shellings I the Said Garrit Kauhauwop have delivered over and put into the possession of Said Elias, one Certain Tract or percell of Meadow Land lying in Said Stockbridge and on the South Side of the River Containing by estimation Two acres and a half, be it more or less, it being the whole of that Meadow Lot that was laid out to Noah Mhausquontom by the Courts Committee on the South Side of the River all which Said Lot I the Said Garrit Kauhauwop for myself my heirs Deliver over and into the possession of the Said Elias Willard his heirs and and assigns for Security of Said Sum of Seven pound twelve Shellings, hereby Engaging the possession and Improvement of the Primises to him the said Elias and to his heirs without Molestation or Demands of said Elias or his heirs until the Said Sum of Seven pound twelve Shellings be paid well and Truly by me or my heirs to the said Elias or his heirs with the Lawfull Intrest of the Same, and further I the said Garrit Kauhauwop hereby promise whenever the way may be made Lawfull to Execute a good deed of Sale to the Said Elias & his heirs of the above sd. Lot of Land in case the above sd. Sum be not well & truly paid as above said Sum within the space of Seven years from the Date of these presents, as witness my hand and Seal this Thirteeth day of March annoq. Domini one thousand and Seven hundred & Sixty three and in the third year of the reign of King George the third &C

Signed Sealed and Delivered in presence of Corno. V. Schaak Junr. Tobias Van Hick

Garrit Kauhauwop his x mark

Here is also a certifyed Copy of another Deed whereby Daniel Gedeon, Jacob Canestagie, Jacomyne and Sonina sold another Tract of those lands about 43 years ago to Peter Brower for the Term of 999 years.

And tho' we have not at present the Deed in our possession, yet we know, and if necessary will prove, it that some of your nation also about the same timesold another parcel of those Lands to Jan Wump.

We have also heard that several of your nation were about the same Time in contract to sell to others part of those Lands.

Brethren. Your wise men and Sachems being thereupon justly alarmed convinced that the continuance of these bargains would of course break up your settlement, and consequently that your power Influence and very Existance would dwindle away, therefore deputed three of their number to apply to us who complaining of these proceedings, earnestly requested us in their name, to come up to receive from them a Deed for the whole of the said Lands.

Upon this Invitation the City of Albany sent John Depuyster Mayor, Derik Ten Broeck recorder, Reyer Gerritse Jacob Lansing and Cornelius Cuylen Aldermen and John Visscher Jun. assistant to your Castle for that purpose There your ancestors unanimously executed a Deed for those Lands to us in Trust nevertheless for you the said Mohawk Indians so long as you should be a nation and be there settled. and from and immediately after the remainder to the city for ever.

Thus you devised and put into Execution the only Expedient which could safely and has preserved to you ever since the free use and enjoyment of the remainder Residue of those Lands.

The persons who had before bought from you part of those Lands well knowing that their Title was imperfect unless confirmed by the Kings Grant or Letters patent, and as the City had already such a Grant from the Crown, they therefore applyed to us by your consent and approbation and voluntarily became and [attorned?] Tenants under us for those lands, by accepting and taking also from us Deeds for the same lands.

Brethren. After we had received your Deed we intrusted deposited the same into the hands of said John De Peyster, who about three years there after [the?] same was dep intrusted in his Custody was requested by William Cosby our then Governor who was then at Albany in Treaty with the five nations to attend on him with the said Deed which he accordingly did and the said Governor who gave it to one Arie an Indian with signs and directions to destroy it, he who accordingly tore the Deed in peices and threw the same into the fire. In this manner, against our consent & by the contrivance of a designing Governor and one single Indian, we Lost a Deed executed by your whole Castle.

Friends and Brethren of the Mohawk Nation. of the Lower Castle or village

We have requested from Sir William Johnson your attendance here, that we might have an opportunity to lay before you a detail of our claim and proceedings respecting the Lands at Tionnondoroge, and that we may also offer you our best assurances to secure those Lands, upon the basis of your former agreements with us and others, and by means whereof endeavour to remove the supposed wrongs and Injuries you pretend to have received from us.

It is not unknown to you that our ancestors the Dutch and English upon their first arrival in this country, were the first white people, with whom you entered into an alliance of Friendship, which has remained inviolate from its commencement until this day.

The Inhabitants of the City of Albany, the nearest and chief christian Settlement to you, have always cultivated your Friendship, and deemed their preservation and Interest to be inseparately connected with yours against the perfedy and encroachments of the French and their Indian allies, and as our Danger from that Quarter was equal we acted in every emergency like Friends and Brethren, by giving and receiving aid and protection of and to each other against the Common Enemy.

About 86 years ago while we lived with you on this friendly footing the Inhabitants of Albany obtained from Thomas Dungan the then Governor over this province under James the 2d. King of England by Letters patent or charter of Incorporation the Liberty and Licence at their pleasure to purchase from you the Quantity of one thousand acres of Low or meadow Land at Tionnondorge; which said Quantity of 1000 acres the said Thomas Dungan Did thereby in behalf of his said majesty give grant and confirm to the said Inhabitants of Albany by the name of the Mayor Aldermen and Commonalty & their Successors for ever.

Brethren. Under this Grant the Inhabitants of Albany never have or intended to encroach on or usurp your Lands, but on the contrary always deemed it a happiness as well to them as you, that the Individuals of your nation were deprived by this Grant, from making any legal conveyance of selling parcels of those Lands to white people, and thus your property as a nation in those Lands was rendered safe to you and your posterity while a nation and so long as you continued in possession thereof Yet not long thereafter several of your nation from motives of Interest or otherwise proceeded to the sale of divers parcels of those Lands to white men.

Here is a Deed by which Tenegwanegie one of your ancestors about 52 years ago sold a peice of this Land to Abraham Cuylere.

Here is also a nother Deed by which Aaron, Segehowanie & Collian about 33 years ago sold to him another parcel of those Lands.

Our Great Father, the President of the United States We the Chiefs and Sachens of the Seneca Nation of Indians, been appointed delegates Of the tribe, from its different reservations of land, to represent the condition of their whole people, to their Great Father who is the friend of his red children - We are determined to do all we can for ourselves, and to better our condition and to open the door for our children to do more, and we wish the privilege of getting a claim to land at Green Bay, for the use of our Posterity if they should want it - Some time ago a book was put into our hands From Washington, which we were told, contained, What the Secretary of War had said to the people of Of the great council fire, upon the subject of gradually removing the red people to the west, and then teaching them how to take care of themselves - [?] We have thought upon the subject, and find that our people, should they remain as they are, might in a few years be so poor, that they would from necesity go away - Our object is to preserve our people - We had several small reserva= tions of land a great ways from our large one, - Our large ones contained more land then