Little Beard's Town
Encyclopedia
Little Beard's Town, also known as Chenussio (in Seneca) 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 century. It had about 130 houses, fruit orchards, fields of corn and a large council building, built around a central square. The town was famous for its beautiful surroundings and the productivity of its vegetable gardens. It was located near three other Seneca towns, all of which were destroyed during the Sullivan Expedition
in the American Revolutionary War
.
The Seneca and three other Iroquois nations fought on the British
side during the American Revolutionary War
. Little Beard and his warriors participated in the Cherry Valley massacre
and the Boyd and Parker ambush
. In retaliation, troops of the Continental Army
under Major General John Sullivan
attacked Little Beard's Town and other Iroquois settlements in the Genesee and Mohawk valleys, destroying buildings and crops. The residents had to flee. Cuylerville was later built on the site by European-American settlers.
One famous resident was Mary Jemison
, a Scots-Irish immigrant colonist who had been captured by the Seneca at age 15 with her family, most of whom were killed. She was adopted and married into the tribe, and lived with them all her life. She fled with the natives to more secure villages, around Niagara Falls
.
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
Valley near 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...
, where 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....
stands today. It was named after its founder, Little Beard
Little Beard
Little Beard, Si-gwa-ah-doh-gwih , was a Seneca chief who participated in the American Revolutionary War on the side of Great Britain...
, a prominent Seneca sachem in the late 18th century. It had about 130 houses, fruit orchards, fields of corn and a large council building, built around a central square. The town was famous for its beautiful surroundings and the productivity of its vegetable gardens. It was located near three other Seneca towns, all of which were destroyed during 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...
in the American Revolutionary War
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...
.
The Seneca and three other Iroquois nations fought on the British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
side during the American Revolutionary War
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...
. Little Beard and his warriors 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...
and the Boyd and Parker ambush
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...
. In retaliation, troops of the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
under Major General John Sullivan
John Sullivan
John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....
attacked Little Beard's Town and other Iroquois settlements in the Genesee and Mohawk valleys, destroying buildings and crops. The residents had to flee. Cuylerville was later built on the site by European-American settlers.
One famous resident was 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....
, a Scots-Irish immigrant colonist who had been captured by the Seneca at age 15 with her family, most of whom were killed. She was adopted and married into the tribe, and lived with them all her life. She fled with the natives to more secure villages, around Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
.