#ostenaco

This engraved frontispiece shows the Cherokee war chief Ostenaco. While the details of his life are hazy, it is well-known that he was extensively traveled and a leading diplomat between the Cherokee and the British. He was born around 1710 in modern-day Tennessee and over the course of his life ranged as far as Virginia, Pennsylvania, the Carolinas, and Georgia for purposes as diverse as diplomacy, war, and resettlement. A warrior of great prowess, he allied with the British against the French and later the rebellious American colonies. In addition, Ostenaco was one of three Cherokee leaders who traveled to London in 1762. Following the American Revolution, Americans razed Cherokee towns in reprisal for the Cherokee’s allegiance to the British. Ostenaco and his followers settled in remote Georgia and then Tennessee, sporadically raiding American towns and commerce. He died in 1780, aged roughly 70 years. 

Images from:

Pierre-François-Xavier de Charlevoix’s A Voyage to North-America. Dublin: Printed for John Exshaw and James Potts, 1766.

Call Number: F1030 .C503 1766

Sir Joshua Reynolds

Portrait of Scyacust Ukah (Ostenaco)

England (1762)

Scyacust Ukah’, or Ostenaco as he is now known, was the leader of a group of Cherokee who came to England on a diplomatic mission. The three-man delegation attracted intense interest during their stay in London, which culminated in an audience with George III.

Ostenaco wears around his neck a silver gorget, a military mark of rank given by the British to Native Americans they regarded as allies. He also wears a medal the British had awarded him after a recent peace treaty.

aseantoo submitted to medievalpoc:

Sir Joshua Reynolds

Scyacust Ukah

England (1762)

[Source]

Wikiart says: