| CHAPTER ONE
(Sunrise over Armewamex-watercolor by Glynneth Llewellyn) ARMEWAMEX New Jersey's first residents arrived sometime before the year 6000 B.C., give or take a thousand years. Today, nearly 8000 years later, our only reminder that the Indians ever lived here is the discovery of an occasional arrowhead or other artifact. The Indians created their own civilization by trial and error. They adapted themselves to the land, accepting things as they were. They had a great deal of respect for nature and the land upon which they lived. As they moved from place to place in search of either more fertile land or better hunting grounds, they developed a culture peculiar to that particular area. This culture would be governed by the Indian's basic needs to survive-the available resources, the terrain, type of trees and soil, and the availability of water. The best example of this is housing. The tribes to the north of the state lived in caves, while the tribes to the south built wigwams or log huts. The Indians along the Delaware River called themselves "Lenni Lenape," meaning original people. The white settlers, never being satisfied with things as they were, chose to call the Indians "Delawares" after the river along whose banks and tributaries they lived. There were three major groups of the Lenni Lenape Nation in New Jersey: The Minsi, "People of the stony country," the Unami, "People down the river," and the Unalachtigo, "People who live near the ocean." These groups were further broken down into tribes. The first residents of Gloucester were of the Unalachtigo group and the tribe was Armewamexes. In 1623, the Dutch landed at Gloucester Point. They built a fort and a trading post here to trade for furs from the Indians. They dealt with the Armewamexes whose main village was situated along the banks of Little Timber Creek, about where the present Gloucester City High School now sits. They also traded with the other nearby villages. These were the Amakaraonck Tribe who lived near what is now Collingswood and the Moerankonck Tribe who lived near the site of what is now the Deptford Mall. All of these tribes lived very close to at least one major waterway. The many rivers and creeks provided an easy means of transportation. The only alternative was to walk. The Indians established several north-south and east-west "Highways" in different parts of the state. One of the oldest highways in the state originated in Gloucester. The Cohansey Trail was a major artery in the Indians' transportation network. From Gloucester the trail went through Woodbury, Bridgeport, Swedesboro, Woodstown, turning toward Alloway, then over to Bridgeton, where it roughly followed the coastline to Cape May. At first, the Indians helped the new settlers adjust to their new home. They taught the Dutch the necessary skills to survive. Some of the settlers did not even know how to hunt for food. The Indians shared all their secrets with the white men, such as the right way to till the soil, the method to plant seeds with a fish for fertilizer, and the construction of the most effective shelter against the harsh New Jersey winters. As the Dutch grew more accustomed to life in the new world and the word spread throughout Europe about all the bounties of the new land, more and more settlers came to live in Gloucester and throughout the state. The Indians did not know how to cope with the increasing number of
white settlers. The white men and the red men did not always see things
eye-to-eye. The better they got to know each other's ways, the more they
disagreed with each other. The Indians could not understand the white
men's ways, such as the needless killing of game for fun and the raping
of their women. The Indians, although usually peaceful, sometimes
resorted to violence. They occasionally may have won a battle, but in
time the Indians realized that the two cultures could not co-exist.So
the Indians loaded their few belongings into their canoes and quietly,
often unnoticed, headed Although not a widespread practice, in some parts of the state white men actually enacted laws against the Indians. They were considered as much a nuisance as wolves and other varmints. They were not welcome in the settlements and they were liable to be shot, beaten, taken prisoner, or enslaved. Despite the many incidences of cruelty towards the Indians, New Jersey holds the distinction of being the only state that was totally purchased from the Indians. In 1677, the Quaker settlers in this area bought all the land from Sassackon, the Indian name for Timber Creek, to Rancocas Creek. The eastern boundary was the ocean while the western boundary was the Delaware. The deal was made with the chief of the tribes living in that area, Chief Katemus Sekappio. The payment was in the form of thirty guns, thirty axes, thirty hoes, thirty jewsharps, one hundred fish hooks, some brandy, and some other small trinkets. The tribes then vacated the area that they sold, some moving south and.north. In 1690, as the settlements along the river began to grow, and new settlements sprang up farther inland, the Indians felt that their way of life was threatened by the white settlers. There remained but one alternative for the Lenni Lenape. It was in that year that the first group of "Original people" began their trek westward. They moved across the Delaware to the hills of Eastern Pennsylvania, which was to be the first of many moves. New Jersey also claims another first in dealing with the Indians. In 1758, the first Indian reservation in America was established near Medford Lakes, now known as Indian Mills. This did not prove too successful and the tribes that lived there sold the land and moved to a big reservation at New Stockbridge, New York. By 1802, Indian tribes, as the first colonists knew them, were only a memory in the minds of some of the elders still living on the reservation in New York. Most of the younger people of the Lenni Lenape Nation had already gone to live in Ohio and Wisconsin. New Jersey would never see another Indian tribe. Today, most of the descendents of the Lenni Lenape now live in Ontario and Oklahoma, with a very few still living in New Jersey. These Indians left behind them very little, materially speaking. However, some of the words that we use every day came from these Indians. Words like "canoe," "chipmunk," "hickory," "papoose," "persimmon," "sassafras," and "wigwam." They left, also, a lesson in ecology and conservation. It appears that the Indian's greatest sin was the introduction of tobacco to the white man.The Indians smoked it in tubular pipes made of clay or hollowed out wood. It was used on special occasions and not on an everyday basis as we now know it. Surely, no other people have been as misunderstood, or so mistreated, as the American Indian. Ronald Baile PREHISTORIC ERA Eons ago, the land upon which homes are built, residents walk and
play, and vehicles move was part of the seabed of the Atlantic Ocean.
The shore line was north of Gloucester City, following a line from
Trenton to Newark. Many fossils found in central and southern New Jersey
provide evidence of the various forms of marine life which inhabited the
ocean. A wide band of greensand marl found in South Jersey has yielded
fossils of marine plants, fish, and 70-feet-long sharks. During the Age of Reptiles (the dinosaur period), large marine reptiles lived in the area. Mososaurs, giant lizards, swam in the ocean and trachodon, a duck-billed dinosaur, roamed the marsh lands. The bones of a trachodon were excavated in Haddonfield and can be seen at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Other fossil remains can be seen in museums in Trenton, Princeton, and New Brunswick. When glaciers covered North Jersey during the last Ice Age, the sea
waters began to recede. Large prehistoric land animals dominated. For a
time, giant sloths and pigs, mastodons and mammoths flourished. It is
also possible that primitive man, not the American Indian, lived here
during this period and was responsible for the extinction of the
mastodon. Stone objects found in a Trenton gravel pit gave rise to the
theory that man lived in New Jersey ten to fifteen thousand years ago or
from two to seven thousand years before the arrival of the Indian. If primitive man did roam the coastal plain of South Jersey, the physical evidence of human remains needed by anthropologists has not been found. Another question which would have to be answered is what happened to these people. Thus, one more mystery about the history of the state remains to be solved. Eventually a pine and oak forest covered New Jersey. By the time the Indian arrived in this area, many kinds of trees could be found within the forest. Stands of birch, beech, cedar, willow, gum, hickory, and holly were scattered over the land. Conditions were ideal for the many varieties of animals and birds which inhabited the area. The woods were full of elk, deer, bear, wolves, panthers, foxes,
squirrels, and other small animals. Along the small rivers, creeks, and
streams, muskrats, otters, and beavers lived on the many fish and
shell-fish. The trees were homes for the passenger pigeons, blue jays,
cardinals, red-winged blackbirds, mockingbirds, and other winged
creatures. Also to be seen were Canadian geese, wild ducks, and turkeys.
It was truly a hunter's paradise. COMING OF MAN It was to this picturesque, bountiful land that the Indian came in their long migration from the homeland in Asia. Wandering across the Bering Strait, western Canada, and the Great Lakes area, the Indian finally arrived in New Jersey many generations after the emigration. Spear points and bones of animals killed for food clearly mark the trail taken by these people. The Indians who made their homes in New Jersey were members of the Algonquin family of tribes and were called the Lenni Lenape. There are three translations for this name: "original people," "Indian man," and "men of men." The lands belonging to the Algonquin stretched from the Carolinas to Labrador, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. The Lenni Lenape held claim to eastern Pennsylvania, all of New Jersey, and the lower part of New York. The Lenni Lenape were divided into three clans or sub-tribes. The northwestern part of New Jersey, northeastern Pennsylvania, and lower New York were occupied by the Minsi, known as the mountain or wolf clan. The Unami or turtle clan held the area of the Lehigh Valley and Palisades or the upper Delaware. The ocean people, Unalachtigo or turkey clan, controlled the lower Delaware River and had several villages in this area. The total number of Lenni Lenape, about the time the Europeans arrived, was probably about 8,000. Approximately 40 local villages in the Delaware Valley were occupied by perhaps 3,000 Indians. Stone mortars, big hammer stones, and parts of clay pots have been found to indicate the possibility that, at one time or another, villages were located in South Gloucester near the junction of Little Timber Creek and the Delaware River, at Brown and Mercer Streets, and along Newton Creek where it crossed Route 130. It is believed that the main village, when the Dutch arrived, was located on the present site of the Gloucester City Jr.-Sr. High School. The village of Armewamexes, later shortened to Arwames, was part of a community of two or three villages. For many years, children and adults found arrowheads in the woods
formerly on the site.When the excavation for the new building was being
done, more arrowheads were found. Unfortunately, no archeological survey
was done and much of the area has now been covered by a land fill
project to extend the athletic fields for present and future use. WALUM OLUM In the early 1830's, Constantine Samuel Rafinesque discovered and translated the following birch bark legend: At first, in that place, at all times, above the earth, That was the beginning. Then unhappiness (a snake) came to the tribes with bad weather, sickness, and death. Because of the snake, the people left their homes and wandered until the snake left. Finally they came to New Jersey. Walum Olum, as the legend is called, ends. Watcher was chief, he looked toward the sea. It is impossible to know who the "whites" were because the
time of the writing is unknown. LIFE OF THE ARWAMES Armewamexes contained about 50 persons, mostly from one family. The Indians lived in wigwams made of poles and mats of reeds or bark. Roofs of chestnut bark served together with strips of corn stalks could not be penetrated by rain. The wigwams were surrounded by a palisade of poles driven into the ground to form a type of stockade. This afforded them protection from animals and their enemy, the Iroquois. Indian government was almost nonexistent as we know government. Tradition rather than positive law was followed, and there was no special code of jurisdiction. Instead of magistrates, the Indians selected advisers who were respected for their age, wisdom, and goodness. Advisers, together with the strong force of public opinion, maintained peace and justice in the village. The council or powwow functioned as the community action group and made decisions for the village. The chief was selected by the council to be its spokesman before the assembly. All male members of the tribe or village: made up the assembly. This group would hear the decisions made by the council, listen to the reading of important deliberations or treaties, vote wampum (money) for enforcing decisions, preserve important treaties on parchment, wampum strings, or belts, and consider other important tribal matters. The Lenni Lenapes recognized the right of an individual to own property within the family unit, however, they also observed the principle of community goods. Since land belonged to the community, Indians had no conception of transferring land by deed. Consequently, they did not understand what was occurring when white men bought land from individual Indians who, by Indian belief, did not own the land. The local community or group was fully responsible for the acts of its members. When one Indian harmed another, the injured family could demand justice. The penalty of "a life for a life" was invoked only when the payment offered was not acceptable. There were no trials with evidence given. Advisers or the council settled all disputes. Gicel emu kaong or the Great Spirit was the creator of all things in Lenni Lenape religion. They also worshipped many lesser deities that controlled nature and the affairs of mankind. Like Christians, the Indians believed in the immortality of the soul and in the concept of heaven for the blessed. Personal guardians spirits existed to protect each member of the tribe from evil. The shaman, or doctor-priest, treated the sick, foretold the future, and had visions which he interpreted. Their strong religious beliefs made it relatively easy to convert the Indians to Christianity, if they settled down instead of being "wild roamers" as one Quaker minister described them. In physical appearance the Lenni Lenape would be considered attractive. The skin tones ranged from pale ochre to deep brown. Clear cut features were accented by high cheek bones, black narrow eyes, and a Roman nose. Although the Indians were friendly and hospitable, they were revengeful when wronged. Known for being restrained and dignified, Lenapes made good listeners and were not talkative. Both sexes went nude above the waist in warm weather. The men usually wore buckskin moccasins, the women wore short skirts open at the sides. In winter both wore capes or robes made of skins with the fur or hair on the inside and arm coverings like the leggings. The Indians decorated their clothing with floral designs made with dyed moosehair, dyed porcupine quills, and wampum. Jewelry and beads were worn more by the men than by the women. The majority of the men wore their hair long and braided with a feather or two in back. Skin caps covered with feathers or headbands of wild turkey feathers were commonly used. Warriors were noted for their scalp locks. Where there was no hair, the warriors painted their heads red. They also painted their faces many different colors. Women usually allowed their hair to hang loose. Sometimes it was pulled back to resemble a beaver's tail and fastened with a stone on a thong, which had been given to the woman by an Indian brave. CUSTOMS OF THE INDIANS Indians traced their descent on the mother's side. From birth to death they were guided by tradition, respect for elders, religious belief, and laws of nature. Because of high infant mortality, Lenni Lenape mothers used tricks to "fool the ghosts." The infant might be wrapped in an old robe instead of a new one, might have his wrists tied with slender strips of corn husk to bind him to the earth, or might wear moccasins with holes in the soles so that he could not travel far. At birth, the infant was dipped into the river, especially in the winter, to initiate the child into the ruggedness of life. At nine months old, the child was taught to swim. Shredded cedar bark was used to keep the baby clean and for him to lie on in his am bee'son or cradle. Children were taught to believe in the supreme, benevolent Great Spirit. Although children were never subjected to threats, compulsions, or punishments, they were very sensitive to disapproval and ridicule. They were taught to respect their elders and to distinguish between good and evil. Parents were not strict; they taught by example. Education was practical-how to survive; how to hunt, fish, plant, and harvest; how to care for a home and family. Young children had time for games and sports. As they grew older, they had less time but continued to participate whenever possible. Boxing, wrestling, and archery were sports to the Indians but they also sharpened skills needed to survive. Dice games were popular among all age groups. Girls were particularly fond of playing with dolls and tops. Moccasin-guessing the location of a hidden object-was a game played by boys and girls. Cha' chees, a sport using long poles, was played on the ice. Ball games included lacrosse, cup and pin, and jackstraws. When a boy reached warrior age, he took part in a ceremony called huskanawing. The Indian boy was left over night in a cage in the woods. If he survived the terrors of having wild animals coming up to the cage, trying to get him, and the growling and howling of the animals, a feather was placed in his scalp lock. He was considered old enough to marry after bringing a specific number of animal skins to his father. At age 14, a girl was considered ready for marriage. She would make a dress of turkey feathers and sit with a chaperone on a trail near her village. When the right male appeared, the chaperone would nudge the girl. Proposals could be made two ways. The mother of the groom could go to the girl's family or the groom could handle the situation directly. If approval was granted, they were married. Since there were no marriage vows or ceremonies, the marriage of an Indian couple was sealed by an exchange of symbols. The groom gave the girl a bone to symbolize that he would provide meat. The bride gave the young man an ear of corn to symbolize that she would provide grain. Marriages were not contracted for life and could be ended by either person. If the wife took the children and left the family wigwam, the marriage was ended. Indians would eat only when hungry, usually morning and afternoon. Meat provided by the hunters included venison, bear, and various birds. This was supplemented by fish and shellfish from area rivers, streams, and bays. From the small garden plots, the Indians obtained beans; peas, corn, and other vegetables. The vegetables were boiled, crushed, mixed with water and tobacco juice,and made into cakes. With this simple diet, the Indians lived to be 70 to 80 years old. Numerous artifacts found in South Jersey indicate the type of utensils, tools, and weapons used by the Lenni Lenape. Clay pots used for storage and cooking had egg shaped bottoms; this distinguishes them from other Indian pottery. The Indians used stone to make tools such as grooved axes, flint drills, scrapers, celts, knives, hoes, net sinkers, and flint fish hooks. Dugout canoes were made from burned out logs. Fishing was done by using hooks, spears, nets, and weirs. Spear points and arrow heads varied in size according to the game being hunted. Boys would fish until they reached the age of 14 and were then permitted to hunt with bow and arrow. The Indians would also travel to the seashore to collect food. Some of this would be dried for future use. Traveling for food gathering or pleasure was relatively easy for the
Indians. The creeks and streams made it possible for the Indians to
travel far inland by canoe. Big Timber Creek extended to a point near
Berlin and Pine Valley. After crossing "a going over place" by
foot, the Indians could travel by another canoe to the Great Egg Harbor
River and on to the seashore. Local trails made overland travel easy,
because they connected with main trails. Both King and Market Streets
were originally trails. Another trail began at the north end of King
Street, went east to Brown and Hudson Streets, then went along the ridge
(presently Brown Street) to the spot where it joined the main trail near
Sparks Avenue. The trail met another from Cooper's Point at Haddon
Heights. From this point the trail continued to Berlin, Blue [Chart of Lenni Lenape words or names Kickeesickenom, Kintakosy, Whiscatme, Hattowens, Schinna, Quetayaha, Mahamecum alias King Charles, Machkierck-Allom, Necomis, Pam, Meopeny, Opa Hoge, Seketarius, Hokgo Sooway, Sacotoris, Sacetorius, Tospammink, Kerpennsming] Upon death,a Lenni Lenape was buried. The body was usually buried in
an erect, sitting position with the feet drawn up and bound. A hand was
bound in front of the face and the head faced east. Adding to the
evidence of maps and artifacts found to indicate Indians had lived in
Gloucester was the discovery of the bones of nine bodies. On June 5,
1909, while workmen were digging to do some repair work at the New York
Shipyard, the bones were excavated. Down about six feet the bones of an
arm and then a body were found by one of the men. Underneath the head
was a piece of pottery that crumbled about an hour later. Eventually COURT RECORDS-1690'S Salem-one Indian recorded his ear mark. SICKNESS AND MEDICINE Although the medicine man or powwow doctor usually administered to the sick, the women know how to use the common herbs and other remedies. Teas were made from boneset, penny royal, and catnips. Poultices made from vegetables and animal waste were applied to wounds. In many cases a "devil chaser" was employed to frighten away the evil spirit causing the disease. Dressed in grotesque, hideous garb the chaser would dance, jingle shells and beads, whirl stones, and chant. One of the most ingenious devices was the collassu or sweat bath. A kind of oven made of clay and stones was built to hold two or three people. One opening allowed the patient to enter and another allowed smoke out. A fire was built to heat a bed of stones until they were very hot. After the embers were brushed out, the patient crawled in. The two openings were closed with skins and water was poured over the hot stones. When the patient was cooked to the limit, he would run out of the oven to the nearby stream, crying at the top of his voice in an imitation of his animal totem. Upon reaching the stream, the patient would jump in and swim. After he emerged from the stream, he was immediately wrapped in skins and placed near a fire. There is also a record of an Indian who cured a man of cancer in
Hunterdon County. The man had been treated for cancer on his face by his
family physician but nothing helped. He visited an Indian medicine man
who powwowed over him and then gave him a dark powder to apply regularly
to the infection. The growth was drawn out of the cheek until it hung
down about two inches and finally dropped out. The man lived for many
years after and the disease never returned. ARRIVAL OF WHITE MEN The white men who first encountered the Indians described them as "handsome, well built, friendly, and eager to please." The early settlements succeeded when the Indians were treated fairly, but the Indians retaliated when they were mistreated. However, there is no historical evidence that any organized Indian attack ever took place in this area. The Indian provided food and trading furs to the settlers in return for blankets, match cloth, and guns. Land was sold to the settlers and that was the beginning of the end. The Indian introduced the white man to smoking tobacco, and the white man introduced the Indian to drinking rum and to disease. The question remains: who did a favor for whom? The Dutch bought land on both banks of the Delaware River. One section of two leagues just above Fort Nassau and a second tract of 5 1/2 leagues along the river with convenient kills (streams), woods, and fine land were purchased on the east bank. The Dutch paid 50, 60, or 70 guilders and 50, 60, or 70 ells of Osnaburgh black linen that sold for 15, 16, 18, or 20 stivers. Since the Indians could not write words, they signed their names with symbols.These can be found on land deeds still in existence. Eventually the English took over the Delaware Valley. They got the land from the Indians with treaties despite the fact that the Indians had no understanding of the meaning or consequences of signing the documents. The chiefs who sold the land between the Rancocas and Timber Creeks in 1677 were Jackickon, Katamas, Peanto, Rennowighman, and Sokappie. The purchase price was 46 fordome of Duffelds, 30 blankets, 150 pounds of powder, 30 guns, 200 fadomes of wampum, 30 kettles, 30 axes, 30 small hoes, 30 awls, 30 needles, 30 looking glasses, 30 pair of stockings, 7 anchors of brandy, 30 knives, 30 barrels of lead, 36 rings, 30 Jew's harps, 30 combs, 30 bracelets, 30 bells, 30 tobacco tongs, 30 pairs of scissors, 12 tobacco boxes, 30 flints, 10 pewter spoonsful of paint, 100 fish hooks, and one gross of pipes. The deed was witnessed by Thomas Watson, Andrew Swanson, Swan Swanson,and Lasey Swanson. As time went on, more treaties were made and more land was traded. When the Indians began to gain more knowledge of English, they began to understand what was happening and brought complaints against the government. The state legislature put an end to all claims and disagreements in 1832. The state treasurer was ordered to pay Bartholomew S. Calvin, an attorney acting in behalf of the Delaware Nation of Indians, the sum of two thousand dollars to relinquish all claims against the state and its citizens. The receipt for the money was signed by Calvin on April 10, 1832. The first Indian reservation in the United States was located in Eves
ham, Burlington County, New Jersey. The land was purchased in 1762 and
was called Brotherton. John Brainard was named superintendent and
guardian of the Indians. The Lenni Lenape could not adapt to the white
man's ways or to life confined to a reservation. In 1802 the Indians
requested permission to move to Lake Oneida in New York and it was
granted. The tribe later moved to a reservation on Green Bay in
Michigan. However, members of the tribe scattered to many parts of the
northeast. The day of the Lenni Lenape had ended. INDIAN WORDS AND PHRASES (1684) Kecko larense-What is thy name? Looking back at the demise of the Indian culture, one can pinpoint numerous factors that contributed to the situation. The Europeans brought the advantages and disadvantages of civilization to the Indians. The Lenni Lenapes were quick to imitate some of the practices of the white man but could not totally adapt to his life style. The Indian became highly skilled with guns and rifles. Since the white man bought all the animal skins the Indian could provide, the Lenape over-hunted the woods and streams, killing more than he needed for food and clothing. The animals were not protected by any laws but were simply the medium of exchange. Slowly came the realization that the abundance of wildlife was becoming quite limited. Then the new owners of the land began to pass laws which restricted the Indians' right to hunt on the land. Homes, crops, and pastures soon took the place of the hunting areas. The Indian had to move on to survive. Many items used by white men began to take the place of traditional Indian wares. The Lenape became accustomed to metal tools, scissors and tongs, copper kettles, and pewter spoons. The blue, orange, and red cloth made by the Dutch was attractive to the Indian who gave up his furs and leather in exchange for it. Woolen stockings soon took the place of the soft leather leggings. Although the Lenape had used shells and colored stones for decorative purposes for hundreds of years, they quickly gave them up for metal rings and bracelets and bells to be attached to their dancing skirts. Men adopted the Dutch clay pipe for smoking and women desired the looking glass. How long would the skills of the Indian craftsmen last if their goods were not longer needed or desired? Quickly it became necessary for the Indians to assume jobs they were unaccustomed to perform. Some Indians became slaves. Proof of this can be found in many wills recorded during the late 1600's and early 1700's. Indians of all ages are listed by name and description as parts of estates. Some became servants. There are also newspaper accounts of runaway Indian servants and slaves with rewards offered for their return. Some Indians put themselves out for hire for a prearranged sum. During the early 1700's John Ladd, Jr., kept very accurate records of
his transactions with Jeremy, the Indian. Jeremy was to work for a half
year for eight pounds. A careful listing of the days Jeremy took off was
made by Ladd. It shows the Indian took time off to go home, to hunt, to
harvest, to attend a fair, and to drink. Some of the items purchased by
Jeremy were a pair of garters, an old shirt and drawers, an old jacket,
powder and shot, tobacco, cloth, and shoes. He was sometimes given cash
instead of goods. Cash payments were made at Christmas, to pay money
owed to other people, to go to the fair, and to go to Gloucester. In
return Jeremy The Indian numbers were also decimated by diseases the Europeans brought. Indians had no resistance to small pox, measles, yellow fever, and other illnesses and rarely recovered. The only hope was to leave the area inhabited by these new settlers and to establish new homes. In 1748 many South Jersey Indians migrated to Pennsylvania with the Nanticokes. In 1757 the northern groups of Indians presented a number of grievances to the Legislature. Several laws were passed: no Indian should be imprisoned for debt; intoxicating beverages could not be sold to Indians; no traps larger than 3 1/2 pounds should be set; 1600 pounds was to be appropriated to purchase a general release of all claims. State representatives met with the Indians of the Six Nations at Crosswicks near Easton, Pennsylvania, in 1758. A council of 507 men, women, and children had gathered to settle their claims against New Jersey. The committee appointed by the Indians and given their power of attorney was composed of Tom Store, Moses Tottomy, Stephen Calvin, Isaac Stelle, and John Pompshire. New Jersey paid one thousand Spanish dollars for deeds covering all claims. Witnessing the agreement for New Jersey were William Tennent, Jacob Lawrence, Abel Middleton, and Amos Middleton. Former Indian residents of South Jersey claimed in 1832 that the
agreement made in 1758 was illegal because they had not been consulted,
notified, or involved in the proceedings. Their case must have been
strong because the Legislature passed a law authorizing the payment of
$2,000 to them for relinquishing all claims forever. Witnesses for the
state were Jeremiah Johnston, Charles Stephens, Austin Quinney, Sampson
Morquis, and Andrew Miller. Governor P.D. Vroom signed the executive
order, and Charles Parker paid the money from state funds. The receipt
for the money was witnessed by William Hyer and John McKelway. MAHALA LEGEND According to legend, an Indian maid is given credit for saving the lives of Captain DeVries and his crew in 1632 when the ship anchored on the Count Ernest River (Newton Creek) or at the mouth of Timber Creek. Apparently the Indians were seeking revenge for the killing of an Indian brave when he was attempting to steal a sign of the arms of Holland. The ship had anchored to barter with the Indians for corn and the
Indians had plans to kill any Dutch who came near their village. Mahala,
wife of one of the Indians involved in the plot, overheard the plans for
the massacre and warned the Dutch. The Dutch believed her and left. COURT RECORDS 1690'S Gloucester County-Callbuquehickon, an Indian, delivered a panther head to John Wood and was paid 12 guilders for killing the panther. Gloucester County-a settler petitioned the court for satisfaction for
suffering great damage when Indians destroyed several of his hogs. One
Indian had confessed to killing several of them but the Grand Jury took
no action. The Bench at Gloucester ordered that goods be given by the
Indians and brought to John Reading for appraisal and distribution to
all farmers who had lost hogs. SOME INDIAN WORDS IN USE TODAY Pennsauken PLAN OF AN INDIAN VILLAGE Indian villages were built along waterways that could be used for rapid, easy transportation and at the edge of a forest which provided wildlife for food. A sandy beach was important but not absolutely necessary. Flat areas close to the village were cleared and used for garden plots. The land was cared for by the women while the men hunted or performed other duties. The most important structure was the Big-House which was used for powwows or council meetings. It was also used for various celebrations and feasts. Individual homes were usually named for the women who lived in them. Close to the stream, a sweat house used to treat the sick was constructed. Back to Front Matter Back to Master Page of Book Links Continue to Chapter Two
|