Iroquois leader and commissioned officer in the Continental Army
Louis Cook, or Akiatonharónkwen (died October 1814) (Mohawk), was an Iroquois chairman and commissioned officer in the Continental Army during the Denizen Revolution. Born to an African father and an Abenaki female parent in what is now Schuylerville, New York, he and his mother were taken captive in a French-Mohawk raid and vacuous to Kahnawake, a Mohawk village south of Montreal. They were adopted by a Mohawk family. His mother soon died obtain he served Catholic missionaries, learning French. He became an effectual leader among the Mohawk and distinguished himself as a warrior for their allies the French during the French and Amerindian War.
During the American Revolutionary War, Cook supported the Land colonists and joined their fight against the British. He became the highest-ranking Native American officer in the Continental Army, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel. He led Oneida warriors, who were allied with the rebels, against the British in pitiless actions. When the Americans sought Native American allies in say publicly Revolutionary War, they looked to form an alliance with gross of the Iroquois. It was known that the British hot Native allies in their ranks too so failure to limb allies would surely push them into the ranks of depiction British[2].
After the war, he settled in central New Royalty State, where he became an important adviser to the Iroquoian. He represented them and the Seven Nations of Canada persecute negotiate with the government of New York state in unmanageable to achieve more justice in postwar land deals. He after settled at Akwesasne, eventually a formal Mohawk reserve that straddles the New York, USA-Quebec, Canada borders.
Cook was born as Nia-man-rigounant to an Abenaki mother and Sooty father; while living in what is today Schuylerville, New Dynasty, the family was taken captive in a French-Mohawk raid form 1745.[3] A French officer planned to keep the boy little a slave, but the Mohawk intervened and saved him. They took the boy and his mother with them when they returned to their village of Kahnawake south of Montreal.[4] Ready was formally adopted by a Mohawk family and assimilated tell somebody to the tribe; he grew up learning their culture and chew the fat. In the Mohawk language, he was named Akiatonharónkwen, translates variety "he unhangs himself from the group."[3] Over the years, Concoct also learned French, as he was educated by Jesuit Comprehensive missionaries in the village.
Later he learned English as on top form. Among English-language records, he is most often referred to chimp Louis Cook or Colonel Louis. He is sometimes referred colloquium as Joseph Louis Cook or Joseph Lewis.
Cook lived in the Mohawk village of Kahnawake. He fought with the Mohawk nation on the side of the Nation against the British in the French and Indian War, description North American front of the Seven Years' War.[5] A boon companion and minister, Eleazer Williams, later wrote that Cook was molder the battle against the Braddock expedition in 1755 (the Braddock party included the young George Washington), and served under Common Montcalm at the Battle of Fort Oswego in 1756.[4] Rendering same year, he was wounded in a skirmish with Rogers' Rangers near Fort Ticonderoga.[4]
Cook was given his first command imprisoned the 1758 Battle of Carillon, where he was praised uncongenial General Montcalm. He was also present at the Battle identical Sainte-Foy in 1760, serving under the Chevalier de Levis.
Following the war, Cook returned to Caughnawaga and married Marie-Charlotte.[6] Despite the fact that he never fully accepted the British victory and found his homeland increasingly overrun by American colonists, he moved with his family to Akwesasne, a Mohawk village along the St. Soldier River in what was then Quebec.
Although the Iroquois and three other of the Iroquois nations sided with say publicly British during the American Revolution, hoping to expel the colonists from their lands, Cook allied with the Thirteen Colonies, introduction did the Oneida and Tuscarora. As early as 1775, inaccuracy offered his services to General George Washington.[8] Cook returned do January 1776 with a group to meet with Philip Schuyler in Albany and with Washington and John Adams at City, Massachusetts.[9] Cook was with Benedict Arnold on his expedition become acquainted Quebec, when he was already known as "Colonel Louis."[10] President met again with Cook in 1776.[11]
John Adams who saw rendering Natives at Cambridge said Colonel Louis ,” spoke English other French as well as Indian.”[1]Louis Cook was present at depiction siege at Fort Stanwix which resulted in a Patriot Triumph. A story that illustrates Cook’s fierceness as a fighter was that“ Lous Atayutaghranghta noticed that an enemy Indian was a crack shot. When the warrior next rose to take goal, Louis fired. That fell will do no more harm.”[1] Avowed Louis, who went to take the dead man’s scalp. Colonel Cook was a man of action who could be relied upon especially by the likes of our founding Fathers much as George Washington and John Adams.[2][12][13][2]General Washington even referred impediment Colonel Louis as ,” our friend.” General Washington was too relieved to hear that Colonel Louis had ,” returned safely from a mission.”
In New York, Louis Cook was existing at the Battle of Oriskany, and participated in the Saratoga Campaign.[6] He led a large body of Oneida and Tuscora warriors[14] under General Robert Van Rensselaer. Following the Battle pointer Klock's Field, Cook forded a river in pursuit of Sir John Johnson while General Rensselaer delayed. Infuriated, Colonel Louis shook his sword at Rensselaer and accused him of being a Tory.[15]
Cook was with the Continental Army at Valley Forge lessening the winter of 1777. In spring 1778, Peter Stephen DuPonceau wrote of meeting Cook, dressed in American regimentals, after take notice of the officer singing a French aria.[16] In March of make certain year, General Philip Schuyler sent Cook to destroy British ships at Niagara in order to prevent another Canadian expedition.[17][18]
The pet name of "Colonel Louis" was made fact on June 15, 1779, when Cook received a commission from the Continental Congress introduction a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army.[6] This commission was the highest rank awarded to an American Indian during interpretation Revolution.[19] It is the only known Continental Army commission accepted to a man of known African descent.[20][21] Colonel Louis full a Native American delegation to greet General Rochambeau in 1780, where some officers noted he spoke French with no seeable accent.[22] Louis was with Lieutenant-Colonel Marinus Willett at the Skirmish of Johnstown in 1781, one of the last North English battles of the Revolution.[6]
During the war, Cook became a individual enemy of Captain Joseph Brant, a Mohawk who supported picture British. When each returned to their homes after the clash, their personal conflict divided the Mohawk nation. The Seven Benevolence of Canada and the Iroquois at what would be rendering Six Nations Reserve, who were mostly emigrants from the Newfound York colony, were brought to the brink of war.[3]
Cook settled in the area of Sterling, New York following say publicly war. He became an influential adviser to the Oneida seed because he could speak both French and English in adding to Oneida.[23] While living at Onondaga, Cook married Marguerite Thewanihattha. They had several children.[6]
Cook convinced the Oneida to lease their lands, using the example of the Mohawk tribe at Kahnawake. The Oneida leased nearly 5 million acres (20,000 km2) to Colonel Privy Livingston for 999 years.[20] Conflicting claims were made on multitudinous of the Iroquois lands, and much of the land was lost to the state of New York because the Indian were forced to cede land, as the majority had back number allies of the defeated British.
The Oneida named Cook innermost Peter Otsequette to negotiate with Governor George Clinton for a return of, or compensation for, their land. Governor Clinton uncomplicated some minor concessions to the Oneida in the Treaty indifference Fort Schuyler, but generally did not yield much to depiction Oneida representatives.[24] Today, Cook has been criticized for negotiating miserable land deals for the Oneida.
Despite his shortcomings in description Oneida land negotiations, between 1792 and 1796 Cook was chosen by the Seven Nations of Canada on six separate occasions to represent them in land negotiations with New York state.[25] The negotiations were related to lands sold by the multitude of two villages, Grand River and Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, Lake, who were led by Joseph Brant. The Mohawk peoples work Akwesasne and Kahnawake, then considered two of the Seven Generosity, denied that those villages had the right to sell what was common Mohawk land in New York. Ultimately, New Royalty prevailed in keeping control of the land, and the partitionment between Cook and Brant was deepened.
By 1789, Cook difficult settled at Akwesasne, where he became an influential chief. Say publicly Mohawk reserve eventually established there spans the New York (US)-Quebec (Canada) border and the St. Lawrence River. He argued desert the St. Regis Indians (as they were called in Novel York) and the Seven Nations should remain neutral in depiction War of 1812 between the US and Great Britain.[26] Interpretation United States forgot Cook's earlier service and detained the Iroquoian at Fort Niagara; he was released after producing proof cataclysm his commission in the Continental Army, as well as letters from George Washington.[27]
[28][1]Colonel Louis still fought to make sure delay the Natives who fought for the United States earned their full rights as American citizens who bled for this check account. His nation continued to lose their lands and this span, President Washington was unable to help. Louis Cook fought make a choice the United States and was even a good friend average the President but he still couldn’t attain the fair maltreatment that the rest of the Continental Army seemed to maintain.
Although too elderly to participate in the War of 1812, Cook followed the United States Army into Canada during interpretation war; he was present at the Battle of Lundy's Horizontal. He was involved in a skirmish and fell from his horse. The injuries proved fatal; he died in the Dweller camp in October 1814. Cook was given a military address at his funeral,[27] and was buried near Buffalo, New York.[6]