Kanuksusy “Capt. Newcastle,”“Col. Fairfax”

Kanuksusy or Kos Showeyha (c. 1701 to November 1756) was a member of the Seneca tribe and son of Seneca chieftain Queen Alliquippa. He acted as a liaison between the Ohio Seneca and the Pennsylvania Colony during the French and Indian War as well as an intermediary and messenger for the Six Nations among other Native American tribes during the early part of the 18th century.

Known to the English as Captain Newcastle and Colonel Fairfax, Kanuksusy held numerous names among various other Native American tribes including Canachquasy, Cashuwayon, Ah Knoyis, Kosshoweyha, Cashiowaya and Cashunyon.

Notes

In November 1753, his name was listed as one of the Mohawk chieftains "now entrusted with the conduct of public affairs among the Six Nations". As allies of the British, he accompanied his mother to travel with a group of Mingo Seneca to Fort Necessity to assist George Washington. While staying with Washington in June 1754, his mother requested that he might let her son be taken into Council given her failing health. Calling his Indian allies, Kanuksusy was presented with a medal which Washington asked him "to wear it in remembrance of his great father, the King of England" and was named Colonel Fairfax after the Virginia colonist Thomas Fairfax. He was told this signified, "the First in Council".

Although neither he or his mother participated in the Battle of the Great Meadows on July 3-4, during a meeting of the Philadelphia Council he was personally commended by Governor Robert Hunter Morris as one of seven Indian chieftains who fought under General Edward Braddock at the Battle of the Monongahela the following year. He was, however, critical of Braddock's actions during the battle commenting on "the pride and ignorance of that great General that came from England. He is now dead; but he was a bad man when he was alive; he looked upon us as dogs, and would never hear anything that was said to him. We often endeavored to advise him and to tell him of the danger he was in with his Soldiers; but he never appeared pleased with us, & that was the reason that a great many of our Warriors left him & would not be under his Command." [2]

Living among the hostile tribes of the Upper Susquehanna for a year, he acted as a messenger and spy for Governor Morris before returning to Philadelphia where he died from smallpox in November 1756.[6]

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From Page 234 of Otzinachson: A History of the West Branch Valley of the Susquehanna: Its ... By John Franklin Meginness (1889)

Vol. II., New Series, pages 698-9, New Castle is also called Cashunyon. After the defeat of Jumonville, when Washington, in anticipation of an attack of a large French force, was busily engaged in enlarging and strengthening Fort Necessity, the Indians began to flock to him. Towards night, on the 1st of June, 1754, Ensign Towers arrived with the Half King Tanacharison, Queen Alliquippa and her son, and other Indians. On the 10th Washington wrote to Governor Dinwiddie: "Queen Alliquippa desired that her son, who is really a great warrior, might be taken into council, as she was declining and unfit for business, and that he should have an English name given him. I therefore called the Indians together, by the advice of the Half-King, presented one of the medals, and desired him to wear it in remembrance of his great father, the King of England, and called him by the name of Colonel Fairfax, which he was told signified The First In Council. This gave him great pleasure." At a council held at Easton, November 17, 1756, Governor Denny, addressing Teedyuscung, said: "Since I set out I have heard of the death of several Indian friends by the small-pox at Philadelphia, and particularly Captain New Castle is dead, who was very instrumental joined with you as agent in carrying on this good work of peace." New Castle's daughter's name was Canadahawaby.

Links

• link to Setting All the Captives Free: Capture, Adjustment, and Recollection in Allegheny Country. Ian K. Steele McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, Nov 1, 2013 - History - 552
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanuksusy