Note 63 — Western Indians

Tioga, the name given by the Iroquois to the wedge of land lying between the Chemung river and north branch of the Susquehanna; from Teyaogen, an interval, or anything between two other things [Bruyas, Agniers Racines]. Teiohogen, the forks of a river (Gallatin's vocabulary 387). This has from time immemorial been one of the most important strategical points of the country of the Five Nations. Zeisberger passed through here in 1750 and says that "at Tioga or the gate, Six Nations Indians were stationed for the purpose of ascertaining the character of all persons who crossed over into their country, and that whoever entered their territory by any other way than through the gate, or by way of the Mohawk, was suspected by them of evil purpose and treated as a spy or enemy." An Indian town of Tioga near the point, destroyed by Col. Hartley in 1778.

The earliest known account of the place is found in Champlain, who sent out one of his interpreters, named Stephen Brulé, in 1615, to arrange with the Carantouannais for a force of five hundred warriors, to co-operate with him in an attack on the Onondaga stronghold, then located on the town of Fenner, Madison Co., N.Y. Brulé with a small party of Hurons passed through the country of the Five Nations, to the great town of Carantouan, containing more than eight hundred warriors, then located on the so-called Spanish Hill near Waverly. Brulé returned to Carantouan after the expedition, and the next year, 1616, went down the Susquehanna to the sea "where he found many nations that are powerful and warlike."

The three Dutchmen mentioned in note 44 passed down the Susquehanna Branch and were probably the first white men who ever saw that river; Brulé, the first that ever saw the Chemung.