distinguished, eloquence as pure, bravery and prowess as unquestionable, as was possessed by those who, pre

served for a greater time in their national integrity by their remoteness from

became of more

civilization,

esteem in their relations to the government but less noble in their purposes. It has been the object of the author to trace the his

tory of the Indians from the earliest period; to show their original position in the family of nations, and that

which they subsequently maintained

;

the wrongs which

they suffered, and the triumphs which they won ; their In the narrative, liberal use greatness and their decay. has been made of current histories, so far as their state

ments were found to be

in accordance with the facts.

Acknowledgment, it is believed, has been fully made, and even to an extent which is not customary. Very notes have been introduced for the purpose of explaining the text and enabling the reader to judge

full

of the correctness of the conclusions drawn therefrom.

As far as possible the narrative has been divested of the recitation of events which do not pertain to it, and though necessarily running beyond the limits of the territory regarded as the valley of the Hudson, has been as closely confined to it as possible, too closely perhaps,

as

it

is

believed

that

the

eastern

PREFACE.

v

Indians have the same claim to consideration as a con federacy as the western.

The work is submitted to

the

judgment of the