Kanuksusy
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Kanuksusy or Kos Showeyha (c. 1701-November 1756) was a member of the
Seneca tribe The Seneca ( ; ) are a group of indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking people who historically lived south of Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes in North America. Their nation was the farthe ...
and son of Seneca chieftain
Queen Alliquippa Queen Alliquippa or Queen Aliquippa (died December 23, 1754) was a leader of the Seneca tribe of American Indians during the early part of the 18th century. Biography Little is known about Queen Aliquippa's early life. Her date of birth has bee ...
. He acted as a liaison between the Ohio Seneca and the
Pennsylvania Colony The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn, who received the land through a grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania was derived from ...
during the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
as well as an intermediary and messenger for the Six Nations among other Native American tribes during the early part of the 18th century. Known to the English as Captain Newcastle and Colonel Fairfax, Kanuksusy held numerous names among various other Native American tribes including ''Canachquasy'', ''Cashuwayon'', ''Ah Knoyis'', ''Kosshoweyha'', ''Cashiowaya'' and ''Cashunyon''.


Biography

Although much of his early life is unknown, he was born to
Queen Alliquippa Queen Alliquippa or Queen Aliquippa (died December 23, 1754) was a leader of the Seneca tribe of American Indians during the early part of the 18th century. Biography Little is known about Queen Aliquippa's early life. Her date of birth has bee ...
of the Mingo Seneca and presumably grew up along the three rivers (the
Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
, the
Allegheny River The Allegheny River ( ; ; ) is a tributary of the Ohio River that is located in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York in the United States. It runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border, nor ...
, and the
Monongahela River The Monongahela River ( , ), sometimes referred to locally as the Mon (), is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 river on the Allegheny Plateau in nor ...
) near present-day
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
. He is first recorded as Canachquasy, the leader of a band of ten young Mingo warriors whom he led from
Kuskusky Kuskusky, also known as the Kuskuskies Towns, Kuskuskie Towns, or Kuskuskies' Indian Town, with a wide variety of other spellings, were several Native American communities inhabited near New Castle, Mahoning, and Edinburg, Pennsylvania, and Yo ...
to
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
arriving in the city on November 11, 1747. Delivering news of French activities in western Pennsylvania, the first reports to be heard from outside the colony, he later addressed the Pennsylvania Council that he and his group were representatives of the "Six Nations" and confirmed its neutrality during
King George's War King George's War (1744–1748) is the name given to the military operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748). It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in ...
which had earlier been decided at the Onondaga Council. After leaving the capital, he spent the winter living with the
Nanticoke Indian Tribe The Nanticoke people are a Native American Algonquian-speaking people, whose traditional homelands are in Chesapeake Bay area, including Delaware. Today they continue to live in the Northeastern United States, especially Delaware, and in Okl ...
at the mouth of the
Juniata River The Juniata River () is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed August 8, 2011 in central Pennsylvania. The river is ...
. In November 1753, his name was listed as one of the
Mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans *Mohawk people (Kanien’kehá:ka), an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language (Kanien’kéha), the language spoken by the Mohawk people *Mohawk hairstyle, from a ...
chieftains ''"now entrusted with the conduct of public affairs among the Six Nations"''. As allies of the British, he accompanied his mother to travel with a group of Mingo Seneca to
Fort Necessity Fort Necessity National Battlefield is a National Battlefield in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, which preserves the site of the Battle of Fort Necessity. The battle, which took place on July 3, 1754, was an early battle of the ...
to assist
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
. While staying with Washington in June 1754, his mother requested that he might let her son be taken into Council given her failing health. Calling his Indian allies, Kanuksusy was presented with a medal which Washington asked him ''"to wear it in remembrance of his great father, the King of England"'' and was named Colonel Fairfax after the Virginia colonist
Thomas Fairfax Sir Thomas Fairfax (17 January 1612 – 12 November 1671) was an English army officer and politician who commanded the New Model Army from 1645 to 1650 during the English Civil War. Because of his dark hair, he was known as "Black Tom" to his l ...
. He was told this signified, ''"the First in Council"''. Although neither he or his mother participated in the
Battle of the Great Meadows The Battle of Fort Necessity, also known as the Battle of the Great Meadows, took place on July 3, 1754, in present-day Farmington in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The engagement, along with a May 28 skirmish known as the Battle of Jumonville ...
on July 3-4, during a meeting of the Philadelphia Council he was personally commended by Governor
Robert Hunter Morris Robert Hunter Morris ( – 27 January 1764), was a prominent governmental figure in Colonial Pennsylvania, serving as governor of Pennsylvania and Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. Early life and education Morris was born in ...
as one of seven Indian chieftains who fought under General
Edward Braddock Edward Braddock (January 1695 – 13 July 1755) was a British officer and commander-in-chief for the Thirteen Colonies during the start of the French and Indian War (1754–1763), the North American front of what is known in Europe and Canada as ...
at the
Battle of the Monongahela The Battle of the Monongahela (also known as the Battle of Braddock's Field and the Battle of the Wilderness) took place on July 9, 1755, at the beginning of the French and Indian War at Braddock's Field in present-day Braddock, Pennsylvania, ...
the following year. He was, however, critical of Braddock's actions during the battle commenting on ''"the pride and ignorance of that great General that came from England. He is now dead; but he was a bad man when he was alive; he looked upon us as dogs, and would never hear anything that was said to him. We often endeavored to advise him and to tell him of the danger he was in with his Soldiers; but he never appeared pleased with us, & that was the reason that a great many of our Warriors left him & would not be under his Command."'' On August 22, Kanuksusy led a delegation to the Pennsylvania state house where he met with Governor Morris and members of the provincial council as well as
Andrew Montour Andrew Montour ( – 1772), also known as Sattelihu, Eghnisara,Hagedorn, 57 and Henry,Montour was also called Henry, possibly due to the similarity of sound with the French ''"Andre".'' was an important mixed interpreter and negotiator in th ...
,
Conrad Weiser Conrad Weiser (November 2, 1696 – July 13, 1760), born Johann Conrad Weiser, Jr., was a Pennsylvania German pioneer who served as an interpreter and diplomat between the Pennsylvania Colony and Native American nations. Primarily a farmer, ...
and other intermediaries to discuss, among other issues, the defeat of General
Edward Braddock Edward Braddock (January 1695 – 13 July 1755) was a British officer and commander-in-chief for the Thirteen Colonies during the start of the French and Indian War (1754–1763), the North American front of what is known in Europe and Canada as ...
by a combined force of French and Native Americans the previous month and efforts to enlist the aid of Indian allies. During this meeting, he was honored by the British for his services and received "an English name" from Governor Morris who stated: :''"In token of our Affection for your parents & in expectation of Your being a useful man in these perilous Times, I do in the most solemn manner adopt you by the name of Newcastle ..., because in 1701 I am informed that your parents presented you to the late Mr William Penn at Newcastle."'' In January 1756, while at another council meeting in
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
with Governor Morris, he was "adopted" by the
Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...
as a colonial messenger and given the name Ah Knoyis. He and
Teedyuscung Teedyuscung (c. 1700–1763) was known as "King of the Delawares". He worked to establish a permanent Lenape (Delaware) home in eastern Pennsylvania in the Lehigh, Susquehanna, and Delaware River valleys. Teedyuscung participated in the Treaty ...
were appointed by the Philadelphia council as official agents regarding Indian transactions for the colony on July 20. Living among the hostile tribes of the Upper Susquehanna for a year, he acted as a messenger and spy for Governor Morris before returning to Philadelphia where he died from
smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
in November 1756. Hanna, Charles Augustus. ''The Wilderness Trail: Or, The Ventures and Adventures of the Pennsylvania Traders on the Allegheny Path''. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1911. (pg. 79-80)


Further reading

*Horn, William Franklin. ''The Horn Papers: Early Westward Movement on the Monongahela and Upper Ohio, 1765-1795''. Waynesburg, Pennsylvania: Greene Co. Historical Society, 1945. *Sargent, Winthrop. ''The History of an Expedition Against Fort Du Quesne, in 1755: Under Major-General Edward Braddock''. Philadelphia: Lippencott, Grambo & Co., 1855. *Sipe, Chester Hale. ''Fort Ligonier and Its Times: A History of the First English Fort West of the Allegheny Mountains''. Harrisburg: Telegraph Press, 1932. *Wallace, Paul A.W. ''Conrad Weiser, 1696-1760: Friend of Colonist and Mohawk''. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1945. *Wallace, Paul A.W. ''King of the Delawares: Teedyuscung, 1700-1763''. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1949.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kanuksusy Seneca people Native American leaders 1700s births 1756 deaths Year of birth uncertain Native American people from Pennsylvania Mingo people