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By Frank R. Stockton
Originally published in 1896
This method of making peace was pursued not only by
idividuals, but by nations. Very often women had this
important political duty thrust upon them, – a duty for
which they were probably very well qualified, for it is
seldom that the women of a nation desire war.
This national disposition in regard to peacemaking
was once the occasion of a serious misfortune to the
tribe of Lenni-Lenape. The tribes to the north, who
bad formed themselves into a powerful body called the
Five Nations, had long been jealous of their neighbors
the Lenni-Lenape, and contrived a plan to humiliate
them, and render them less important in the eyes of the
Indian world. Being at war with some other tribes,
these Five Nations came to the Lenni-Lenape and pretended to desire peace, but stated that this was too
important a case to be managed by women. They
declared that this was a great work, which should be
&en only into the hands of a quiet, dignified, and
honorable tribe, such as their great neighbors, and
wed the Lenape to undertake negotiations for the
cessation of hostilities.
As all this seemed reasonable enough, the Lenape
were at last persuaded to become peacemakers, and,
as might be supposed, they were entirely successful;
but they suffered for their kindness and good feeling.
Ever afterwards they were looked upon by other Indian
tribes as no better than women. In Cooper's novels
there are references to the fact that the noble Lenape
were sneered at as peacemakers and squaws.
But we will now return to our guardian angel. It
was after a visit of the Indians to the vessel of De
Vries, that the peacemaking instinct took possession of
the wife of one of the Indian chiefs; and quietly and
stealthily, unperceived by her people, she managed to
get on board the "Squirrel," when she informed the
commander of the real object of his visitors, who had
invited him to sail up Timber Creek. It was
the desire of the Indians to destroy this
company of white men; and the narrow
stream where they wished to make the
attempt was much better adapted for
their purpose than the broad waters
of the river.
Wishing to prevent an encounter in
which the sturdy Dutchman would probably kill
some of her countrymen before they
themselves were destroyed, she had
come to implore the
whites not to run
into the trap which had been set for them. She told
them that the crew of an English shallop, which not
long before had come to visit the place, probably from
a ship afraid to venture higher up the river, had all
been slaughtered, and that it was the jackets of these
men that some of her countrymen were wearing.
Like a sensible man, De Vries paid attention to this
story, and did not venture into Timber Creek. Whether
or not he rewarded the good woman who came to warn
him of his danger, is not known; but his account of
the affair places her in the position of one worthy of a
monument by the women of the State.
When the Indians came again to De Vries, he declared
them that his Great Spirit, or "Maneto," had
revealed their wicked purposes, and that he would not
sail up the Timber Creek, nor would he allow one of
them upon his vessel; and, having ordered them all
on shore, he dropped some distance down the river.
This conduct doubtless inspired the Indians with
great respect for the brave Dutchmen, and shortly
afterwards the chiefs from nine different tribes came
on board the "Squirrel" for the purpose of making a
treaty of peace and commerce with the Dutch. All of
these were now dressed in furs, which were their ordinary
garments; but some of them were recognized as
the same men who had formerly worn the jackets of
the murdered English sailors. These, however, were
not as cordial and friendly as any of the others, and
there is no reason to suppose that they now intended
treachery. The visitors sat down on the deck of the
yacht, and held a regular council, and, with appropriate
ceremonies, made presents of beaver skins to the
whites, and solemnly concluded a treaty of friendship.
Authority:
This Web version, edited by GET NJ, COPYRIGHT 2003
"History of New York." Brodhead.
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