Portrait of Mass Murder. Welby Thomas Cox, Jr.
Introduction
(authors note: The following is a historically documented story in a journal recording of my great-great-great-great grandmother Bartheny Lanham, born in County Cork, Ireland and came to America to marry a man named Finney Simpson, a self-taught veterinarian, settling in Western New York. Believe it or not, each time I have read the journal of the dear little Irish grannie, I dream of her as though she and I are seated at the kitchen table having a sip of Irish whiskey while she puffs on her tiny corn cob pipe. This, then is my Grannie B.'s story as the Narrator in her own hand with apologizes for the dialect but have made the translation for the ease of the reader)
Grannie B., Narrator
"De interest whaich de warrld is takin' in al' whaich relates ter de 'istory av our native americans, an' de greediness whaich is manifest in de devourin' av sensational stories published whaich glamorize falsely, fillin' a child’s mind an' their imaginashuns wi' stories av wild indian life on de plains an' borders, withoyt regard ter de truthfulness, cannot but… be 'armful; an' therefore dis scribe, after tree years' av annotated experience on de plains, feels desirous av givin' youthful minds a more true so 'tis 'istory av de red paddy an' 'is daily activity in de camps av our forests. thus, de true so 'tis stories 'ill teach de laddies, in time ter cum, de original race whaich once dominated dis continent; especially before de white race manifestly marked dem for exterminashun... destroyin' de source av life whaich existed on 'unting-grounds granted ter de native american by treaties banjacked for de outright possession av de united states america in each an' every executed treaty."
Translation:
(The interest which the world is taking in all which relates to the history of our Native Americans, and the greediness which is manifest in the devouring of sensational stories published which glamorize falsely, filling a child’s mind and their imaginations with stories of wild Indian life on the plains and borders, without regard to the truthfulness, cannot but… be harmful; and therefore this scribe, after three years' of annotated experience on the plains, feels desirous of giving youthful minds a more true history of the red man and his daily activity in the camps of our forests. Thus, the true stories will teach the children, in time to come, the original race which once dominated this continent; especially before the white race manifestly marked them for extermination... destroying the source of life which existed on hunting-grounds granted to the Native American by treaties broken for the outright possession of the United States America in each and every executed treaty.)
(Unlike the extermination of an estimated five million Jews during the mid- twentieth century who went gently into their good-night, the Native American fought to the end, experiencing the total brutality of the psychopath who murders mercilessly to get what they want, and thus…A Portrait of Mass Murder.) Welby Thomas Cox, Jr. author
Grannie B., Narrator
“so 'oy are we supposed ter nu de rights an' wrongs av de indians in order dat de truth can be known aboyt de way de indian befriended de white tren, savin' dem from starvashun in de first brutal winter av pionare life whaen de mayflower came ter dees shores.” “as de writer, oi propose nigh, only a 'istory av indians since oi began ter know de "six nations" in western new york. since den, dees 'av dwindled down ter a 'andful, an' chucker not nigh exist in their separate tribal relashuns, but 'avin' been forced ter assimilate, far away from de bonny lakes they once inhabited."
Translation:
(“So how are we supposed to know the RIGHTS and WRONGS of the Indians in order that the truth can be known about the way the Indian befriended the white men, saving them from starvation in the first brutal winter of pioneer life when the Mayflower came to these shores.”
Grannie B:
“as de writer av dis journal, oi propose nigh, only a 'istory av indians since oi began ter nu de "six nations" in western new york. since den, dees 'av dwindled down ter a 'andful, an' chucker not nigh exist in their separate tribal relashuns, but 'avin' been forced ter assimilate, far away from de bonny lakes they once inhabited."
Translation:
(“As the writer of this journal, I propose now, only a history of Indians since I began to know the "Six Nations" in Western New York. Since then, these have dwindled down to a handful, and do not now exist in their separate tribal relations, but having been forced to assimilate, far away from the beautiful lakes they once inhabited.")
“SO WHERE DID THE INDIANS COME FROM, YOU ASK?”
“the origin av de native american 'as flummoxed de wisest 'eads, an' dis lonely scribe most av al'. de most plausable theory seems ter be dat they are wan av de lost tribes av israel; dat they crossed a narrow natural bridge from de confines av asia, an' dat their tradishuns, so'tiz said, go far ter prove it.” “i 'ad 'eard for instance, dat de sioux tell us dat they were, many moons ago, set upon by a race larger in number than they, an' were driven from de norn in deadly fear, till they came ter de banks av de norn platte, an' findin' de river swollen up ter its banks, they were stopped dare, wi' al' their weemen, laddies, an' 'orses. de enemy wus pursuin', an' their 'earts gru white wi' fear. they made an offerin' ter de deadly spirit, an' yer man blew a wind into de water, so as ter open a patt on de scratcher av de river, an' they al' went over in safety, an' de waters, closin' up, lef their enemies on de other side."
Translation:
(“The origin of the Native American has puzzled the wisest heads, and this lonely scribe most of all. The most plausible theory seems to be that they are one of the lost tribes of Israel; that they crossed a narrow natural bridge from the confines of Asia, and that their traditions, it is said, go far to prove it.”)
Grannie B:
“i 'ad 'eard for instance, dat de sioux tell us dat they were, many moons ago, set upon by a race larger in number than they, an' were driven from de norn in deadly fear, till they came ter de banks av de norn platte, an' findin' de river swollen up ter its banks, they were stopped dare, wi' al' their weemen, laddies, an' 'orses. de enemy wus pursuin', an' their 'earts gru white wi' fear. they made an offerin' ter de deadly spirit, an' yer man blew a wind into de water, so as ter open a patt on de scratcher av de river, an' they al' went over in safety, an' de waters, closin' up, lef their enemies on de other side."
Translation:
(“I had heard for instance, that the Sioux tell us that they were, many moons ago, set upon by a race larger in number than they, and were driven from the north in great fear, till they came to the banks of the North Platte, and finding the river swollen up to its banks, they were stopped there, with all their women, children, and horses. The enemy was pursuing, and their hearts grew white with fear. They made an offering to the Great Spirit, and he blew a wind into the water, so as to open a path on the bed of the river, and they all went over in safety, and the waters, closing up, left their enemies on the other side.")
(“So, is it, probable, that this legend is derived from a tradition of their forefathers, coming down to them from the passing of the children of Israel through the Red Sea?”)Welby Thomas Cox, Jr. author
Grannie B:
“elias boudinot, many years ago, a minister in vermont, published books ter show dat de american indians were a porshun av de lost tribes, from resemblances between their religious customs an' dohs av de israelites. lay-ra still, a converted jew named simon, undertuk ter identify de ancient south american races, mexicans, peruvians, etc., as descendants av ancient israel, from similarity av language an' av civil an' religious customs. dees authors 'av taken as their starting-point de resolushun whaich, esdras informs us (in de apocrypha), de cock an' 'en tribes tuk after bein' first placed in de cities av de medes, viz., dat they wud leave de multitude av de 'eathen an' go into a lan' wherein never mankind dwelt, dat they might dare keep de cock an' 'en commandments given ter abraham by god; an' they suppose dat, in pursuance av dis resolushun, de tribes continued in a northeasterly direcshun 'til they came ter behrin' straits, whaich they crossed, an' set foot on dis continent, spreadin' over it from norn ter south, 'til, at de discovery av it by columbus, they 'ad peopled every part. it must be admitted dat dis