Shingas, Delaware Chief

[chicheman]

Shingas, along with his brother´s Tamaqua (Beaver, also called King Beaver) and Pisquetomen, became a prominent leader during the French & Indian War. Pushed more and more out of their traditional eastern homeland toward the west, Lenape (Delawares) under the mentioned leaders established villages in Ohio, while some tribal people remained in western parts of Pennsylvania. Famous among the Lenape still remaining in western PA was Teedyuskung.
In Ohio Delawares shared the Ohio country with the Shawnees, Wyandotte, Mingoes and other´s.
Originally being allies of the British, Shingas and his followers soon became disenchanted about the intention of the British when Gen. Braddock made it clear to the Indians, that they will have no land rights after victory over the French, even though the Indians would fight for the British cause. Disapointet Shingas and other leaders
allied themselves with the French and tried in this way to fight for their right, lands, families and way of life. During this time Chief Shingas was given the name "Shingas the terrible", because he fought bitterly. But his enemies forgot to tell the other truth about him. Several sources tell about him being kind to prisoners, treating them well. He also was in favor for peace after all the fighting.In some articles the translation of his name isn´t quite correct. According to the late Nora Thompson Dean, a fluent speaker of Southern Unami Lenape (1907 - 1984) and a highly respected Delaware Elder, and other´s his name translates as "Swamp Person" (C.A. Weslager, The Delaware Indians). After the F & I War and Pontiac´s War, in about 1764 he disappeared from history and it seems it is not know what became of him. King Beaver and other leaders became prominent then.

Here some links:

explorepahistory.com/odocument.php?docId=1-4-1D

www.bchistory.org/beavercounty/BeaverCountyCommunities/Beaverfolder/Shingas/Shingas.html

explorepahistory.com/storydetails.php?storyId=1-9-6&chapter=0


chicheman

[kingsleybray]

An important paper by Francis Jennings on this phase of Delaware history, 'The Delaware Interregnum' from the PENNSYLVNIA MAGAZINE OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY, available as a PDF file

dpubs.libraries.psu.edu/DPubS?service=Repository&version=1.0&verb=Disseminate&handle=psu.pmhb/1172259698&view=body&content-type=pdf_1#

[chicheman]

Thanks a lot Mr. Bray, for this additional, interesting information.
This paper gives well an overview of all the unlucky happenings and injustices done to the Lenape people, so that finally they lost all their land back east. It also sheds more light on Pisquetomen, brother of Shingas, who became unpopular with the English since he was following a path of preserving the rights and lands of his people.
It looks like Pisqutomen was more important than history reports have preserved, if we do not take a careful look, as the text suggested.

chicheman

[cinemo]

Shingas, his proper name was rather Shingask, translates roughly into English as "boggy or marshy ground overgrown with grass." .
His person was small, but in point of courage, activity and savage prowess, he was said to have never been exceeded by any one. Shingas was courageous all right, but he was very kind to his prisoners. As a peace loving man forced into combat, he was gentle when he could, but also hard if he had to.
In 1753, when Washington was on his expedition to fight the French on the Ohio (Allegheny), Shingas had his house at Kitanning.
King Shingas was at Fort Duquesne when Colonel Armstrong destroyed Kitanning.
In 1756 the Governor of Pennsylvania set a price  of 200 pounds for the scalp of Shingas. His date of death is unknown. He probably died from smallpox contracted from infected British blankets about 1763, given to the Delaware as an early form of germ welfare ( 1 ). On 19 August 1766, David Franks listed King Shingess in the war losses.

Speech of Shingas at Kuskuskies, 1758 :

The English and the French fight for lands that belong to neither, but to the Indians, and this fighting is taking place in the land the
Great Spirit has given us.The English intend to destroy us and take our lands, but the land is ours and not theirs. ...
It is you that have begun the war. ...
We love you more than you love us, for when we take any prisoners from you, we treat them as our own children. We are poor,
and we cloathe them as well as we can, though you see our children are as naked as at the first. By this you may see that our hearts are
better than yours. ...
Why do not you and the French fight in the old country and on the sea? Why do you come to fight on our land? ...
You want to take the land from us by force, and settle it. Thewhite people think we have no brains in our heads.


Note :

1. Excerpt of William Trent's journal at Fort Pitt ( June, 24, 1763 ) :

...Out of our regard to them ( the Delawares ) we gave them two Blankets and an Handkerchief out of the Small Pox hospital. I hope, it will have the desired efect...

cinemo

[chicheman]

Thanks Cinemo, this gives at least a glimpse on the final destiny that might have happend to Shingas / Shingask.We will never know for sure, since he suddenly didn´t appear anymore in history. Still remembered and honored among the Lenape descendants.

Some additional informations about the Delawares role in the French & Indian War here to find :

journals.psu.edu/phj/article/viewFile/59446/59169