Little Beard
Encyclopedia
Little Beard, Si-gwa-ah-doh-gwih ("Spear Hanging Down") (died 1806), was a Seneca chief who participated in the American Revolutionary War
on the side of Great Britain
. After the war, he became reconciled with the outcome and continued to reside in New York
.
His village, Little Beard's Town
was located near two other Seneca villages in modern Leicester
in Livingston County
, New York
, and consisted of about 130 houses. Little Beard participated in the Cherry Valley massacre
of 1778, and presided over the torture and death of Boyd and Parker
, captured scouts of the Sullivan Expedition
of 1779. Subsequently, Little Beard's Town was destroyed by the American forces. Mary Jemison
, then a resident of the village, fled with the natives to more secure villages. The modern town of Cuylerville
was built at the spot.
Little Beard was one of the Seneca chiefs signing the Treaty of Canandaigua
of 1794 that established some reservations for the Iroquois
. He was also a signatory to the Treaty of Big Tree
in 1797 that opened up Western New York
for settlement. He died as the result of injuries received during a brawl at a tavern in 1806.
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
on the side of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. After the war, he became reconciled with the outcome and continued to reside in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
His village, Little Beard's Town
Little Beard's Town
Little Beard's Town, also known as Chenussio and "Genesee Castle", was a powerful Seneca town in the Genesee River Valley near modern Leicester in Livingston County, New York, where Cuylerville stands today. It was named after its founder, Little Beard, a prominent Seneca sachem in the late 18th...
was located near two other Seneca villages in modern Leicester
Leicester (town), New York
Leicester is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 2,287 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Leicester Phelps, an early inhabitant....
in Livingston County
Livingston County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,328 people, 22,150 households, and 15,349 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 24,023 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and consisted of about 130 houses. Little Beard participated in the Cherry Valley massacre
Cherry Valley massacre
The Cherry Valley Massacre was an attack by British and Seneca forces on a fort and the village of Cherry Valley in eastern New York on the cold, snowy and rainy morning of November 11, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It has been described as one of the most horrific frontier...
of 1778, and presided over the torture and death of Boyd and Parker
Boyd and Parker ambush
The Boyd and Parker ambush was a minor military engagement in Groveland, New York on September 13, 1779, during the American Revolutionary War...
, captured scouts of the Sullivan Expedition
Sullivan Expedition
The Sullivan Expedition, also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, was an American campaign led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton against Loyalists and the four nations of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War.The...
of 1779. Subsequently, Little Beard's Town was destroyed by the American forces. Mary Jemison
Mary Jemison
Mary Jemison was an American frontierswoman and an adopted Seneca. When she was in her teens, she was captured in what is now Adams County, Pennsylvania, from her home along Marsh Creek, and later chose to remain a Seneca....
, then a resident of the village, fled with the natives to more secure villages. The modern town of Cuylerville
Cuylerville, New York
Cuylerville is a hamlet in Livingston County, New York.The latitude of Cuylerville is 42.776N. The longitude is -77.871W.The community was named for William Cuyler....
was built at the spot.
Little Beard was one of the Seneca chiefs signing the Treaty of Canandaigua
Treaty of Canandaigua
The Treaty of Canandaigua is a treaty signed after the American Revolutionary War between the Grand Council of the Six Nations and President George Washington representing the United States of America....
of 1794 that established some reservations for the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
. He was also a signatory to the Treaty of Big Tree
Treaty of Big Tree
Treaty of Big Tree was a formal treaty, held from August 20, 1797 until September 16, 1797, between the Seneca nation and the United States of America. The delegates for both parties met at the residence of William Wadsworth, an early pioneer of the area and Captain of the local militia, in what is...
in 1797 that opened up Western New York
Western New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
for settlement. He died as the result of injuries received during a brawl at a tavern in 1806.