Photographs (left to right): Red-tailed Hawk, Rush, New York; Medusa Jellyfish, Chattanooga Aquarium, Tennessee; Apple Blossoms, Cornell Univ., New York

Wampum Belt Archive

ca Fort Chambly Wampum Belt

PC X.72.667.1

Description:

Black shell bead belt with fie white, outlined shell bead diamonds. On display at Fort Chambly.

Was the above belt the one described given by Stevens?

The Caughnawaga [Quebec Mohawk] Indians expressed a “great desire to live in peace” and they wanted the English to know this. Stevens responded that it was their own fault and they breached a former agreement, but that the English rulers in Boston invited them to discuss the issue. Stevens gave them a belt of wampum to deliver to their Chiefs to entice them to come to Boston; if they came by way of No. 4, then Stevens promised to escort them to the Massachusetts Governor. This was received cheerfully and the Indians left on good terms (page 205). Stevens was probably referring to an event which occurred at Fort No. 4 in June 1749. Even though the peace treaty had been signed in 1748 ending hostilities between France and England, Indian raiders attacked No. 4 unexpectedly and killed a resident of the Fort (Ensign Obadiah Sartwell) and took Stevens’ son Enos captive. Enos was returned unharmed by mid-September. (Source: History of Charlestown NH by Henry H. Saunderson. Claremont, NH, 1876, page 50).

Purchased by Saul Hendier in 1965, purchased by Joseph Guindon rom the Order of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in St. Laurent in 1962, donated by M. P. Robitaille to the Order in 1912, purchased by Theordore Robitaille, his brother, and Lt. Governor of the Province of Quebec from the Tessier-Desriieres family in 1880.

Reference:

Saunderson, Henry H. 1876. History of Charlestown NH. Claremont, NH.