Chainbreaker: The Revolutionary War Memoirs of Governor Blacksnake as Told to Benjamin WilliamsOne of the earliest memoirs by an American Indian, Chainbreaker presents the recollections of a Seneca chief, also known as Governor Blacksnake. A fighter in the American Revolution who lived more than a century, Chainbreaker told his story as an old man in the 1840s to a fellow Seneca, Benjamin Williams, who translated it and committed it to paper. Epic in scale and yet intensely personal, Chainbreaker's story provides a rare Native view of warfare and diplomacy during a crucial period in American history. His account is only fully available in this edition, featuring extensive commentary by Thomas S. Abler. Thomas S. Abler is a professor of anthropology at the University of Waterloo. He is the author of Hinterland Warriors and Military Dress: European Empires and Exotic Uniforms. |
Contents
Prelude to Conflict | 16 |
Commitment to the Kings Cause | 58 |
Blacksnake Takes the War Trail | 81 |
Negotiating Peace | 151 |
Ambassadors to the Western Nations | 181 |
The Revelation of Handsome Lake | 203 |
Epilogue | 216 |
Introduction to the Williams Text | 227 |
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Common terms and phrases
Albany Allegany Reservation Allegheny River army battle belt Blacksnake's Blacksnake's narrative British Brothers Buffalo Creek called Canada Captain Hudson Cattaraugus Cayugas Cherry Valley clan Claus Coldspring command commissioner Conawagus confederacy Corn Cornplanter Cornplanter's council fire Deardorff Delaware delegation Draper Draper's notes enemy father fight force Fort Niagara Fort Stanwix frontier Genesee River give Governor Blacksnake Graymont Handsome Lake Historical Indian Department Iroquois John Butler Johnson Joseph Brant killed King lands live longhouse Loyalists Lyman Draper manuscript Mary Jemison miles Mohawk Nations of Indians Niagara Night NYCD Obail officers Old Smoke Oneida Onondaga Oriskany Oswego Parker peace Pennsylvania Philadelphia Pittsburgh rebels Red Jacket Redjackett sachems Seneca chief Seneca Nation settlement side Sir William Johnson Six Nations snake speech spring Stanwix Sullivan tion took town treaty tribes uncle United village Wallace wampum wanted warriors Washington western Indians Williams Wyoming York