Sayenqueraghta (1786) was the war chief of the eastern

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 ...

in the mid-18th century. He was born the son of Cayenquaraghta, a prominent Seneca chief of the Turtle clan in western New York. He lived most of his life at Kanadaseaga, near the present day town of

Geneva, New York Geneva is a City (New York), city in Ontario County, New York, Ontario and Seneca County, New York, Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is at the northern end of Seneca Lake (New York), Seneca Lake; all land port ...

. He obtained his rank of war chief in 1751. Before the American Revolution he was referred to as chief of the Senecas. He served on the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

side against the French 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 ...

and was present at the Battle of Fort Niagara. During

Pontiac's War Pontiac's War (also known as Pontiac's Conspiracy or Pontiac's Rebellion) was launched in 1763 by a confederation of Native Americans who were dissatisfied with British rule in the Great Lakes region following the French and Indian War (1754– ...

he was the Seneca war-chief who defeated a British force at the

Battle of Devil's Hole The Battle of Devil's Hole, known to the Anglo-Americans as the Devil's Hole Massacre, was fought near Niagara Gorge in present-day New York (state), New York state on September 14, 1763, between a detachment of the British 80th Regiment of Ligh ...

. In 1764 the Seneca came to

Fort Niagara Fort Niagara, also known as Old Fort Niagara, is a fortification originally built by New France to protect its interests in North America, specifically control of access between the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, the easternmost of the Great L ...

where they made peace with the

British government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

and Sayenqueraghta "buried the Axe" with Britain. In 1765 he received

Samuel Kirkland Samuel Kirkland (December 1, 1741 – February 28, 1808) was a Presbyterian minister and missionary among the Oneida and Tuscarora peoples of central New York State. He was a long-time friend of the Oneida chief Skenandoa. Kirkland graduated ...

, Sir William Johnson's envoy, and at that time extended protection to Kirkland by adopting him into his family. Also in 1765, he along with Handsome Lake and about one hundred other Seneca warriors went on an expedition against the Cherokee and Choctaw. This expedition was remembered nearly a century later for the loot of scalps and other trophies obtained.

Names

Sayenqueraghta's name in the Seneca language, meaning "Disappearing Smoke", is phonetically rendered as Kaieñãkwaahtoñ, and was spelled in a variety of ways, including Gayahgwaahdoh and Kayenquaraghton. In historical records he is most often known as Sayenqueraghta (or Sayengaraghta), which was his name in the

Mohawk language Mohawk () or (' anguageof the Flint Place') is an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian language currently spoken by around 3,500 people of the Mohawk people, Mohawk nation, located primarily in current or former Haudenosaunee territories, predomin ...

, or by nicknames such as Old Smoke or the Seneca King. It is also said that he was called Old Smoke because he held the official position as the "smoke-bearer".

American Revolution

Early in the Revolutionary War, Sayenqueraghta tried to keep 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 ...

neutral. He attempted in June, 1777 to retrieve Seneca warriors who had joined the Loyalist officer Butler at

. In July, 1777, the Seneca decided to enter the war on the British side and he was named, along with

Cornplanter John Abeel III (–February 18, 1836) known as Gaiänt'wakê (''Gyantwachia'' – "the planter") or Kaiiontwa'kon (''Kaintwakon'' – "By What One Plants") in the Seneca language and thus generally known as Cornplanter, was a Dutch- Seneca ch ...

, to be the war chiefs of the

confederacy. He was one of the organizers of the ambush at the Battle of Oriskany, where his son was killed. He was the primary Indian leader at the

Battle of Wyoming The Battle of Wyoming, also known as the Wyoming Massacre, was a military engagement during the American Revolutionary War between Patriot militia and a force of Loyalist soldiers and Iroquois warriors. The battle took place in the Wyoming Val ...

. His village of Ganundasaga was destroyed during the Sullivan Campaign and was not rebuilt. Sometime before 1781 he and his family relocated to Buffalo Creek, near

. In 1779, he started receiving a pension from the British of one hundred dollars per year. He resented the favourable treatment the British gave to

Joseph Brant Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York and, later, Brantford, in what is today Ontario, who was closely associated with Great Britain du ...

. Sayenqueraghta was at the Battle of Johnstown and other battles. In 1781, he led a war party towards Fort Pitt. He was described by General Frederick Haldimand as "by many degrees the most leading and the man of most consequence and influence in the Six Nations". In 1783, a British officer said "He is a sensible old man and has been a very good warrior in his day, but like the rest is very much addicted to liquor". He died in 1786 in Smoke Creek, Lackawanna, New York.

Legacy

* Smoke Creek, New York is named after him.

References

{{reflist 1700s births 1786 deaths Native American leaders Native American people in the American Revolution Indigenous people of Pontiac's War Seneca people People of the Sullivan Expedition Turtle Clan of the Iroquois