Mohawk – Wyandot Ancestry of Lt. John Young's ... - Davidkfaux.org

Pre – Revolutionary Evidence Relative to the Specific Ancestry of Catharine:1) Young Family Links to Mohawk Lands, Ft. Hunter, New York State - Duringthe Revolution:Two uncles of Lt. John Young, although residing in the Canajoharie District prior to thebeginning of the Revolution in 1776, are documented as having been residents ofMohawk property in the Mohawk Flats area of Ft. Hunter New York in 1780. Thislocation was on the west side of Schoharie Creek, some thirty miles to the east of theirpermanent residences near what is today Ft. Plain and Canajoharie. Since some Mohawkfamilies had not left for Canada at this time, clearly John Young’s uncles had permissionto occupy the homes of those Mohawks who had vacated their lands to join the British.Andrew Young, brother of John’s father Adam Young, and Theobald Schremling, brotherof John Young’s mother (who was married to Adam Young’s sister – hence a doubleuncle to John Young), resided among the few remaining Mohawks prior to the raid of SirJohn Johnson on 18 October 1780. The area known as the Mohawk Flats, betweenSchoharie Creek and Auriesville, was owned in whole or in part by the Hill family,prominent Mohawks. Aurie’s Creek was named after Aurie Kanaghowende “of the Hill”.For example, Mary Hill Katehriunigh was the wealthiest individual (male or female) atFt. Hunter prior to the Revolution. The list of claims for wartime losses included 112acres of rich flat land commonly called the Mohawk Flats (National Archives, ColonialOffice Vol. 42, Q Series, p.242). This claim was made at Lachine, Quebec 11 April1784. Her brothers Aaron Hill Kanonraron and David Hill Karonghyontye each owned100 acres of land, but submitted their claims at Niagara (Colonial Office Records, QSeries, Vol. 24, pt. 2). This family was by far the wealthiest at Ft. Hunter in terms ofboth land and material possessions.During the above noted raid of Sir John Johnson and his Loyalist troops, after devastatingthe Caudauhrity settlement to the south, they moved toward the Mohawk River andcaptured Peter Martin and Andrew Young (Simms, 1883, p.441), as well as the aboveMary Hill Katehriunigh (Claus Papers, MG19, F1, Vo. 25, p.66). However, the troopsfailed to recognize Theobald Schremling as kin to the Young family, and he was killedoutside his house, the present residence of Richard Hudson (Simms, 1845, p.423).According to an Atlas of the area dated 1853, R. Hudson was residing betweenAuriesville and the Schoharie Creek, closer to the latter, his house being near a hillside,where three trails intersected. This home is one of very few located on the Mohawk Flats– there being considerably more houses in the uplands closer to Auriesville. Later maps,from the 1880s, show the property to be occupied by a B.R. Hudson.It seems clear that the Hudson property on the Mohawk Flats (which had been occupiedby Schremling in 1780), was originally (before 1777) owned by a prominent Mohawkfamily. It was on this property, in the care of Schremling, where the precious items fromthe Ft. Hunter Chapel were buried for safekeeping. These furnishings, were put in ahogshead [barrel] by the Mohawks and buried on the side of the hill south of the BoydHudson place near Auriesville, N.Y. (Reid, 1901, p.91). The silver items, a gift from5