|
|
THE HISTORY OF
STRATFORD
Golden Hill Indians THE HISTORY OF
STRATFORD
Wm. Howard Wilcoxson Establishing
Title to the Land FORREST MORGAN
Lifestyles, Government, Religion and WarIndian Titles and Mohegan Land TroublesSowheag, Uncas, and MiantonomoOwenoco, the Son of Uncas
THE? HOUSATONIC CHARD POWERS SMITH The
Promised Land ALEXANDER JOHNSTON
|
Benjamin Trumbull The History of Connecticut Government The Counsellors of the Indian kings in New
England, were termed the paniese. These were not only the wisest, but largest
and bravest men to be found among their subjects. They were the immediate
guard of their respective sachems, who made neither war nor peace, nor
attempted any weighty affair, without their advice. In war, and all great
enterprises, dangers, and sufferings, these discovered a boldness and
firmness of mind exceeding all the other warriors. To reserve this order
among the Indians, great pains were taken. The stoutest and most promising
boys were chosen, and trained with peculiar care, in the observations of
certain Indian rites and customs. They were kept from all the delicious
meats, trained to coarse fare, and made to drink the juice of bitter herbs,
until it occasioned violent vomitings. They were beaten over their legs and
shins with sticks, and made to run through brambles and thickets, to make
them hardy, and, as the Indians said, to render them more acceptable to
Hobbamocko. These paniese or ministers of State, were in league with the
priests or powwaws. To keep the people in awe, they pretended, as well as the
priests, to have converse with the invisible world, and that Hobbamocko often
appeared to them. Among the Connecticut Indians,
and among all the Indians in New-England, the crown was hereditary, always
descending to the eldest son. When there was no male issue, the crown
descended to the female. The blood royal was held in such veneration, that no
one was considered as heir to the crown, but such as were royally descended
on both sides. When the female acceded to the crown, she was called the sunk
squaw, or queen squaw. There were many petty sachems, tributary to other
princes, on whom they were dependent for protection, and without whose
consent they made neither peace, war, nor alliance with other nations. The
revenues of the crown consisted in the contributions of the people. They
carried corn, and the first fruits of their harvest of all kinds, beans,
squashes, roots, berries, and nuts, and presented them to their sachem. They
made him presents of flesh, fish, fowl, moose, bear, deer, beaver and other
skins. One of the paniese was commonly appointed to receive the tribute. When
the Indians brought it, he gave notice to his sachem, who went out to them,
and by good words and some small gifts, expressed his gratitude. By these
contributions, his table was supplied; so that he kept open house for all
strangers and travellers. Besides, the prince claimed an absolute sovereignty
over the seas within his dominion. Whatever was stranded on the coast, all
wrecks and whales floating on the sea, and taken, were his. In war, the
spoils of the enemy, and all women and royalties of the price of the
conquered, belonged to the one who made the conquest. If you
have any questions email me at: |
ALEXANDER JOHNSTON
SOUTHPORT Colonial History of Pequot Swamp COLONIAL INDIAN ARCHIVES Hon. Ralph D.
Smith David D. Fields Sarah Day Woodward Winthrop’s Journal |