Guyasuta

Seneca Chief and diplomat

Guyasuta

Portrait of Guyasuta, late 18th century

Seneca leader
Personal details
Born| c.1725
Western New York
Died| c.1794 (aged 68–69)
Cornplanter Grant (near Corydon, Pennsylvania)
Relations|

* Cornplanter (nephew)
* Handsome Lake (nephew)

Military service
Battles/wars|

* French and Indian War
* Pontiac's Rebellion
* Siege of Fort Pitt
* Battle of Bushy Run
* American Revolutionary War
* Battle of Oriskany

Guyasuta[1] /ˌɡaɪəˈsuːtə/ (c. 1725-c. 1794; Seneca: Kayahsotaˀ, either "he stands up to the cross" or "he sets up the cross") was an important Native American leader of the Seneca people in the second half of the eighteenth century, playing a central role in the diplomacy and warfare of that era.

## Early life and family[edit]

Born in a Mingo community in upstate New York, probably on the Genesee River,[2] he and his family migrated along the Allegheny River and after 1725 they settled in Logstown, a mostly-Iroquois village in Pennsylvania.[3] Guyasuta was a maternal uncle to Cornplanter and Handsome Lake.[4]: 114, 188, 347 The paternal half of his ancestry were decorated warriors.[citation needed]

## Journey with Washington, 1753[edit]

George Washington (left) meeting with French military commander Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre at Fort Le Boeuf in 1753. In the background are Tanacharison and another Indian from Logstown, possibly Guyasuta.

Guyasuta first appears in colonial records when he met the 21-year-old George Washington, who had been assigned to deliver a message to the French commandant at Fort Leboeuf. In late 1753, Virginia Governor Dinwiddie appointed newly-commissioned Major Washington as a special envoy to demand that the French vacate the Ohio Country, which the British had claimed.[5] Arriving with Christopher Gist in Logstown on 23 November, Washington held council with Native American leaders, including Shingas, Scarouady, and Tanacharison. Washington explained his mission, and received assurances that the Indians and the English "were brothers." Tanacharison told Washington that "he cou’d not consent to our going without a Guard, for fear some Accident shou’d befall us," and volunteered to accompany Washington, along with Kaghswaghtaniunt (White Thunder),[6] Guyasuta, and Jeskakake. Their purpose was to return three belts of wampum sent by the French as a symbol of friendship. Returning the wampum was a gesture intended to show that the sachems at Logstown were allied with the English. Washington wrote in his diary that "I knew that returning of Wampum was the abolishing of Agreements; & giving this up was shaking of all Dependence upon the French." Guyasuta referred to George Washington as "Tall Hunter," and is referred to as "The Hunter," and "one of their best Hunters," in Washington's journal, Journey to the French Commandant.[7][8]: 191

Washington and his men left Logstown on 30 November and reached Venango at French Creek on 4 December, where they were warmly greeted by Philippe-Thomas Chabert de Joncaire, who was in command of the French troops at Venango. Joncaire provided Washington's men with wine and brandy, and when intoxicated, Washington's Native American companions, including Guyasuta, declared their loyalty to the French. It took Washington three days to persuade them to move on to Fort Le Boeuf, where they met the French commander Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre. Tanacharison tried to return the wampum to Saint-Pierre, "who evaded taking it, & made many fair Promises of Love & Friendship; said he wanted to live in Peace & trade amicably with them; as a Proof of which, he wou’d send some Goods immediately down to the Logstown for them.[7] As they prepared to leave, White Thunder was injured, and Tanacharison decided to stay with him, sending Guyasuta to accompany Washington and Gist, but as Washington's horses were slowed down by baggage, Washington and Gist left them with Guyasuta and a driver and proceeded on foot. Guyasuta returned to Logstown on 15 January 1754.[9]

## French and Indian War[edit]

### Battle of the Monongahela[edit]

In July 1755, as the Braddock Expedition marched towards Fort Duquesne, the French recruited Native American warriors, including Ottawas, Ojibwes, Mississaugas, and Ohio Valley Indians including Guyasuta, to assist in its defense.[2] General Claude-Pierre Pécaudy de Contrecœur felt that the warriors would be less effective in or near the fort, and instead deployed them in the open forests south of the fort, where their rifles could hit targets at long range while the Indians fired from behind rocks and trees. The British were unable to employ traditional volley fire tactics and were routed.[10] When Guyasuta met Washington many years later, the warrior described how he had attempted to shoot Washington twice on the field of battle, and both times something had mysteriously deflected his bullet.[11]

### Delegation to Montreal[edit]

Guyasuta was recognized for his participation in the victory, and in late 1755 was selected to lead a party of twenty Senecas to visit Montreal accompanied by Philippe-Thomas Chabert de Joncaire, who served as interpreter. At the Château Vaudreuil the Indians were received in the council chamber with much ceremony by the Governor General of Canada, the Marquis de Vaudreuil.[2][8]: 371–72 Guyasuta, chief and orator of the Senecas, addressed Vaudreuil, seeking a formal alliance with the French. The delegation remained in Montreal until the following spring.[12]: 210

### Adoption of Simon Girty[edit]

In August 1756, Guyasuta participated in the capture of Fort Granville, taking captive 22 soldiers, 3 women, and 5 or 6 children, among whom were 15-year-old Simon Girty, his three brothers, and his mother and stepfather. Simon Girty was adopted by Guyasuta and lived with him until 1763, when by arrangement with Colonel Henry Bouquet, over 200 white captives were handed over to British authorities. Guyasuta took Girty to Fort Pitt and handed him over directly to Lieutenant Alexander McKee, assistant deputy agent for the British Indian Department. Having learned nine Native American languages during his years with the Seneca, Girty became an interpreter for the British Army and, in this role, encountered Guyasuta frequently during negotiations.[13]

### Battles of Fort Duquesne and Loyalhanna[edit]

In September 1758, Guyasuta was again called to defend Fort Duquesne when the Forbes Expedition arrived. A reconnaissance force under Major James Grant had gone ahead, and Grant decided to attack the fort, thinking that the garrison would be easily overcome. Instead, in the ensuing Battle of Fort Duquesne, French marines and Native American warriors overwhelmed Grant's troops, capturing him. James Smith described the battle:

"The French and Indians knew not that Grant and his men were there until they beat the drum and played upon the bagpipes, just at daylight. They then flew to arms, and the Indians ran up under cover of the banks of Allegheny and Monongahela, for some distance, and then sallied out from the banks of the rivers, and took possession of the hill above Grant; and as he was on the point of it in sight of the fort, they immediately surrounded him, and as he had his Highlanders in ranks, and in very close order, and the Indians scattered, and concealed behind trees, they defeated him with the loss only of a few warriors; most of the Highlanders were killed or taken prisoners."[14]

Guyasuta's warriors decapitated the bodies of Grant's highlanders and arranged the heads on the fort's walls.[15]: 52

In October 1758, Guyasuta led a force of warriors in the Battle of Loyalhanna, together with over a thousand French troops, but the British, under the command of Colonel James Burd, repulsed the attack.[8]: 373–74

### Peace conference at Fort Pitt[edit]

In July 1759, Guyasuta, two other chiefs and sixteen warriors of the Six Nations, along with a number of Lenape, Shawnee and Wyandot leaders, attended a conference at Pittsburgh with George Croghan, William Trent, Colonel Hugh Mercer, and the officers of Fort Pitt.[12]: 210 At this conference the terms of the 1758 Treaty of Easton were reaffirmed, and the tribal leaders promised to hand over captives taken during the French and Indian War.[8]: 375

## Pontiac's War[edit]

He was a major player in Pontiac's Rebellion--indeed, some historians once referred to that war as the Pontiac-Guyasuta War.[8]: 294, 319, 394 As early as 1761 he and Seneca war chief Tahaiadoris were circulating a large red wampum belt, known as the war hatchet, among the Native American communities near Detroit.[2] According to Sir William Johnson's deputy, George Croghan, the purpose was to bring on a general uprising, which appeared imminent.[16]: 182 Croghan learned that Guyasuta and Tahaiadoris were planning to incite the tribes around Detroit, the Ottawa, Potawatomi, and Wyandot, to surprise the garrison there and take over the fort, giving their warriors access to abundant stores of guns and ammunition. Next, the nations in the Ohio River Valley, the Delaware, Shawnee, and Twightwee, would attack the smaller forts around Fort Pitt. The Mingo and other Iroquois allies would attack and capture the French-built forts of Presque Isle, Fort Le Boeuf, and Fort Venango. Finally, the Iroquois Six Nations Confederacy would cut communications between Fort Niagara, Oswego, and the Mohawk Valley. With these communication and supply routes secured, the major military posts at Niagara and Fort Pitt could be starved into surrender, as the Native Americans were not inclined to try to take these forts by force, being unaccustomed to siege warfare. This scheme assumed that the French would support the uprising with weaponry and hopefully troops. Guyasuta and Tahaiadoris also suggested forming an alliance with the Cherokee, who were traditional enemies of the Iroquois.[17]: 5 [18]

## Later life and death[edit]

At the outset of the American Revolutionary War, the American revolutionaries attempted to win Guyasuta to their cause but, like most Iroquois, he sided with the British because they seemed willing to cooperate. He took part in the Battle of Oriskany. After the war, the aging Guyasuta worked to establish peaceful relations with the new United States as his nephew, Cornplanter, became a more diplomatic figure. As he saw his dream of a peaceful and strong Native American nation crumble, he turned to alcohol.[citation needed]

Statue of Guyasuta in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania.

He died in his Pennsylvania cabin in 1794, and was buried nearby with his tomahawk, shotgun, knife, trophies and various other personal items in his coffin.[citation needed] Although never baptized, Guyasuta was given a Christian burial and may be buried at Custaloga Town Scout Reservation, now a Boy Scout camp located along French Creek at the former site of Chief Custaloga's village in French Creek Township, Pennsylvania.[19]: 21 [8]: 408 [20][21][22][23]

## Legacy[edit]

In Pittsburgh, he is honored, along with George Washington, in a large public sculpture called Point of View, which overlooks Point State Park. The Laurel Highlands Council of the Boy Scouts of America has a camp property named in his honor.[24] A statue of Guyasuta stands at the intersection of Main and North Canal Streets in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania.[2] A historical marker in Sharpsburg also honors Guyasuta.[25]

The Allegheny Reservoir, the artificial lake created by the Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny River, has a beach and camping park named "Kiasutha Recreation Area."[26]

Guyasuta was portrayed by Boris Karloff in the 1947 film Unconquered.[27]

## References[edit]

1. ^ The many spelling variations include Guyashuta, Guyasoota, Guy-a-soot-er, Guyasootha, Guyasotha, Guyasutha, Kayashota, Kayasota, Kayasutha, Keyashuta, Kiasota, Kiashuta, Kiasutha, Kiosola, Kiyashuta, and Kyasoota.
2. ^ a b c d e Thomas S. Abler, "KAYAHSOTAˀ," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 4, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed April 20, 2024
3. ^ Brady J. Crytzer, Fort Pitt: A Frontier History, Arcadia Publishing, 2014
4. ^ Wallace, Anthony. Death and Rebirth of Seneca. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2010.
5. ^ Hale, Edward Everett. The Life of George Washington Studied Anew. G.P. Putnam's sons, 1887.
6. ^ William A. Hunter, "Kaghswaghtaniunt," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 3, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed April 20, 2024
7. ^ a b George Washington, "Journey to the French Commandant: Narrative," Founders Online, National Archives. The Diaries of George Washington, vol. 1, 11 March 1748 – 13 November 1765, ed. Donald Jackson. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976, pp. 130–161.
8. ^ a b c d e f C. Hale Sipe, The Indian chiefs of Pennsylvania, or, A story of the part played by the American Indian in the history of Pennsylvania: based primarily on the Pennsylvania archives and colonial records, and built around the outstanding chiefs. Ziegler Printing Co., Inc. Butler, PA, 1927; pp 371-408
9. ^ William A. Hunter, "Tanaghrisson," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 3, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed April 20, 2024
10. ^ Holton, Woody. Liberty Is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution. Simon & Schuster, 2021.
11. ^ Ed Wolf, "Braddock’s Campaign," Bridgeville Area Historical Society, August 30, 2018
12. ^ a b Christopher Gist's Journals, with Historical, Geographical and Ethnological Notes, William Darlington, ed. Pittsburgh: J. R. Weldin & Co, 1893
13. ^ Butts, Edward. Simon Girty: Wilderness Warrior. Canada: Dundurn, 2011.
14. ^ Smith, James (1799). An account of the remarkable occurrences in the life and travels of Colonel James Smith. p. 102.
15. ^ Baldwin, Leland D. Pittsburgh: The Story of a City, 1750-1865. University of Pittsburgh Press, 1937.
16. ^ Parkman, Francis. The Conspiracy of Pontiac and the Indian War After the Conquest of Canada. New York: Macmillan, 1885.
17. ^ Richard Middleton, "Pontiac: Local Warrior or Pan-Indian Leader?" Michigan Historical Review, Vol. 32, No. 2, Fall, 2006, pp. 1-32
18. ^ Nicholas B. Wainwright, ed., "George Croghan's Journal, 1759-1763," Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, vol 71, no. 4, 1947: pp 410-11
19. ^ Galloway, Edward (2011). "Guyasuta: Warrior, Estate, and Home to Boy Scouts". Western Pennsylvania History. 94 (4). Senator John Heinz History Center: 18–31.
20. ^ Marsha Fleeger, "Researchers believe Seneca leader buried at Custaloga Town," Record-Argus News, July 16, 2018
21. ^ "History Recalled as Guyasuta's Grave Goes to Historical Society," The News-Herald, Franklin, Pennsylvania; Sat, June 26, 1965; p. 8
22. ^ Edith Darlington Ammon, "Guyasuta's Grave," 1886 photo. Historic Pittsburgh
23. ^ "Bones of Guyasuta Being Sought for Carnegie Museum," The Pittsburgh Post, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mon, Jun 10, 1918; p 5
24. ^ "Camp Guyasuta". Laurel Highlands Council. Boy Scouts of America.
25. ^ Mike Wintermantel, "Guyasuta (1720-1794)," Historical Marker Database, April 6, 2014
26. ^ "Kiasutha Recreation Area," U.S. Forest Service, September 24, 2023
27. ^ Unconquered, (1947) at IMDB

## Further reading[edit]

* Crytzer, Brady (2013). Guyasuta and the fall of Indian America. Westholme. ISBN 9781594161742.
* Galloway, Edward (2011). "Guyasuta: Warrior, Estate, and Home to Boy Scouts". Western Pennsylvania History. 94 (4). Senator John Heinz History Center: 18–31. Western Pennsylvania History article on the Guyasuta Boy Scout estate.