Chief Gomo
Encyclopedia
Chief Gomo (d. 1815) was a 19th century Potawatomi
chieftain. He and his brother Senachwine
were among the more prominent war chiefs to fight alongside Black Partridge
during the Peoria War
.
, his village being located 25 miles above present-day Peoria, Illinois
. In 1809, he was one of several chieftains visited by Joseph Trotier who brought "assurances of peace and friendship" from Ninian Edwards
, territorial governor of Illinois. He and other Potawatomi chieftains were approached by Tecumseh
and the Shawnee
during Tecumseh's War
, however he was one of several chieftains who wished to remain neutral during the conflict.
In July 1811, Gomo spoke with U.S. Indian Agent Thomas Forsyth
on behalf of Missouri territorial Governor William Clark requesting he surrender the Potawatomi responsible for the Gasconade murders which had occurred earlier that year. He denied his own bands involvement and sympathized with Clark, instead casting suspicion towards Tecumseh's brother The Prophet
, however he replied that he did not have the power to "enforce his sole will against so many". He also informed Clark of the whereabouts of Main Poc
who was staying in Detroit for the fall. Along with 120 of his warriors, Main Poc was preparing for hostilities the moment Great Britain
and the United States
went to war.
After the Potawatomi responsible were located on , Captain Samuel Levering proceed to Gomo's village with 50 men. Intending to deliver a letter from Clark, he sent a French trader to inform Gomo of his arrival. However, an Indian had arrived ahead of the Frenchman and reported to Gomo of the soldiers approaching the village. He later sent a message to Levering that he would not meet with him without an escort of 14 warriors. On August 5, he had an American flag flown from his village and allowed Levering to enter as to receive the letter from Clark. He told Levering that he was willing to cooperate with Clark, at least to the best of his ability, and called a council of the local chieftains. Levering left some tobacco as a gift for the council while they visited other villages upriver. Gomo encouraged other chieftains to attend and hear the address of the governor for themselves so that he would not be accused of treachery or of being a "sugar mouth". Held on the morning of August 16, the Potawatomi discussed the escalating violence and horse stealing against the settlers. The council refused to turn over the perpetrators, although they eventually agreed to return the horses. Little Chief returned two horses to Captain Nathan Heald
at Fort Dearborn
while Gomo promised to return the rest. The murderers of the Coles party were also found in a village 20 miles west of .
Although denying his bands involvement, he feared he might be coerced into ceding Potawatomi lands and avoided meeting with Governor Ninian Edwards the following year to discuss the issue further. In April 1812, he finally agreed to a conference with Governor Edwards at Cahokia
which included Senachwine
, Comas
and Black Partridge
as well as eighteen other minor chiefs and warriors. During the conference, Edwards warned the Gomo and the others of British ambitions in the region. Although he assured the Potawatomi that the United States government had no intentions of forcing the Potawatomi from their lands, Gomo and the others were reluctant to accede to their requests.
During the War of 1812
, his village was one of a number of Potawatomi settlements destroyed during an expedition by the Illinois Rangers. Under orders from Governor Edwards, a detachment of Illinois Rangers set fire to every major Potawatomi settlement on the Illinois River
between Edwardsville
and Quincy, Illinois
. During the burning of Peoria
, he and two other warriors provided food and shelter for the women and children escaping from the village and gave them bark canoes to travel upriver to Cahokia.
A later participant in the Peoria War
, he and twelve other chieftains, including Senachwine
, Shick Shack
, Comas
, Crow
and Black Partridge
, were escorted to St. Louis, Missouri
by Colonel George Davenport
to negotiate a peace treaty. He was one of the signatories when the treaty was successfully signed soon after arriving in St. Louis. Gomo was succeeded by his brother Senachwine following his death in 1815.
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...
chieftain. He and his brother Senachwine
Senachwine
Senachwine or Petchaho was a 19th century Illinois River Potawatomi chieftain...
were among the more prominent war chiefs to fight alongside Black Partridge
Black Partridge (chief)
Black Partridge or Black Pheasant was a 19th century Peoria Lake Potawatomi chieftain...
during the Peoria War
Peoria War
During the War of 1812, the Illinois Territory was the scene of fighting between Native Americans and United States soldiers and settlers.Tensions in the Illinois Territory between U.S. settlers and Native Americans were on the rise in the years before the War of 1812...
.
Biography
Gomo is first recorded as a chieftain living on the Illinois RiverIllinois River
The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the State of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . This river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water route...
, his village being located 25 miles above present-day Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
. In 1809, he was one of several chieftains visited by Joseph Trotier who brought "assurances of peace and friendship" from Ninian Edwards
Ninian Edwards
Ninian Edwards was a founding political figure of the state of Illinois. He served as the first and only governor of the Illinois Territory from 1809 to 1818, as one of the first two United States Senators from Illinois from 1818 to 1824, and as the third Governor of Illinois from 1826 to 1830...
, territorial governor of Illinois. He and other Potawatomi chieftains were approached by Tecumseh
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy which opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
and the Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
during Tecumseh's War
Tecumseh's War
Tecumseh's War or Tecumseh's Rebellion are terms sometimes used to describe a conflict in the Old Northwest between the United States and an American Indian confederacy led by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh...
, however he was one of several chieftains who wished to remain neutral during the conflict.
In July 1811, Gomo spoke with U.S. Indian Agent Thomas Forsyth
Thomas Forsyth (Indian Agent)
Major Thomas Forsyth was a 19th-century American frontiersman and trader who served as a U.S. Indian agent to the Sauk and Fox during the 1820s and was replaced by Felix St. Vrain prior to the Black Hawk War...
on behalf of Missouri territorial Governor William Clark requesting he surrender the Potawatomi responsible for the Gasconade murders which had occurred earlier that year. He denied his own bands involvement and sympathized with Clark, instead casting suspicion towards Tecumseh's brother The Prophet
Tenskwatawa
Tenskwatawa, was a Native American religious and political leader of the Shawnee tribe, known as The Prophet or the Shawnee Prophet. He was the brother of Tecumseh, leader of the Shawnee...
, however he replied that he did not have the power to "enforce his sole will against so many". He also informed Clark of the whereabouts of Main Poc
Main Poc
Main Poc was a leader of the Yellow River villages of the Potawatomi native Americans in the United States...
who was staying in Detroit for the fall. Along with 120 of his warriors, Main Poc was preparing for hostilities the moment Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
went to war.
After the Potawatomi responsible were located on , Captain Samuel Levering proceed to Gomo's village with 50 men. Intending to deliver a letter from Clark, he sent a French trader to inform Gomo of his arrival. However, an Indian had arrived ahead of the Frenchman and reported to Gomo of the soldiers approaching the village. He later sent a message to Levering that he would not meet with him without an escort of 14 warriors. On August 5, he had an American flag flown from his village and allowed Levering to enter as to receive the letter from Clark. He told Levering that he was willing to cooperate with Clark, at least to the best of his ability, and called a council of the local chieftains. Levering left some tobacco as a gift for the council while they visited other villages upriver. Gomo encouraged other chieftains to attend and hear the address of the governor for themselves so that he would not be accused of treachery or of being a "sugar mouth". Held on the morning of August 16, the Potawatomi discussed the escalating violence and horse stealing against the settlers. The council refused to turn over the perpetrators, although they eventually agreed to return the horses. Little Chief returned two horses to Captain Nathan Heald
Nathan Heald
Nathan Heald was an officer in the United States Army during the War of 1812...
at Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn was a United States fort built in 1803 beside the Chicago River in what is now Chicago, Illinois. It was constructed by troops under Captain John Whistler and named in honor of Henry Dearborn, then United States Secretary of War. The original fort was destroyed following the Battle of...
while Gomo promised to return the rest. The murderers of the Coles party were also found in a village 20 miles west of .
Although denying his bands involvement, he feared he might be coerced into ceding Potawatomi lands and avoided meeting with Governor Ninian Edwards the following year to discuss the issue further. In April 1812, he finally agreed to a conference with Governor Edwards at Cahokia
Cahokia
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is the area of an ancient indigenous city located in the American Bottom floodplain, between East Saint Louis and Collinsville in south-western Illinois, across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. The site included 120 human-built earthwork mounds...
which included Senachwine
Senachwine
Senachwine or Petchaho was a 19th century Illinois River Potawatomi chieftain...
, Comas
Chief Comas
Chief Comas was a 19th century Potawatomi chieftain who, as one of several leaders of the Illinois River Potawatomi, was a war chieftain during the Peoria War...
and Black Partridge
Black Partridge (chief)
Black Partridge or Black Pheasant was a 19th century Peoria Lake Potawatomi chieftain...
as well as eighteen other minor chiefs and warriors. During the conference, Edwards warned the Gomo and the others of British ambitions in the region. Although he assured the Potawatomi that the United States government had no intentions of forcing the Potawatomi from their lands, Gomo and the others were reluctant to accede to their requests.
During the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, his village was one of a number of Potawatomi settlements destroyed during an expedition by the Illinois Rangers. Under orders from Governor Edwards, a detachment of Illinois Rangers set fire to every major Potawatomi settlement on the Illinois River
Illinois River
The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the State of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . This river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water route...
between Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Illinois
Edwardsville is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,293. It is the county seat of Madison County and is the third oldest city in the State of Illinois. The city was named in honor of Ninian Edwards, then Governor of the Illinois...
and Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
. During the burning of Peoria
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, he and two other warriors provided food and shelter for the women and children escaping from the village and gave them bark canoes to travel upriver to Cahokia.
A later participant in the Peoria War
Peoria War
During the War of 1812, the Illinois Territory was the scene of fighting between Native Americans and United States soldiers and settlers.Tensions in the Illinois Territory between U.S. settlers and Native Americans were on the rise in the years before the War of 1812...
, he and twelve other chieftains, including Senachwine
Senachwine
Senachwine or Petchaho was a 19th century Illinois River Potawatomi chieftain...
, Shick Shack
Shick Shack
Shick Shack was a 19th century Potawatomi chieftain and leader of a band of the Illinois River Potawatomi. He was also involved in several conflicts during the Indian Wars, particularly during the Peoria and the Black Hawk Wars...
, Comas
Chief Comas
Chief Comas was a 19th century Potawatomi chieftain who, as one of several leaders of the Illinois River Potawatomi, was a war chieftain during the Peoria War...
, Crow
Chief Crow
Crow was a Sioux chief who gave the opening battle cry at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.-References:*Lafarge, Oliver. . A Pictorial History of the American Indian. Crown Publishers Inc. Page 177....
and Black Partridge
Black Partridge (chief)
Black Partridge or Black Pheasant was a 19th century Peoria Lake Potawatomi chieftain...
, were escorted to St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
by Colonel George Davenport
George Davenport
Colonel George Davenport was a 19th-century American frontiersman, trader and US Army officer. A prominent and well-known settler in the Iowa Territory, he was one of the earliest settlers in Rock Island and spent much of his life involved in the early settlement of the Mississippi Valley and the...
to negotiate a peace treaty. He was one of the signatories when the treaty was successfully signed soon after arriving in St. Louis. Gomo was succeeded by his brother Senachwine following his death in 1815.
Further reading
- Burr, Daniel P. The Boundaries Between Us: Natives and Newcomers Along the Frontiers of the Old Northwest Territory, 1750-1850. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 2006. ISBN 0873388445
- Edmunds, R. Davids. The Potawatomis, Keepers of the Fire. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1978. ISBN 0-8061-2069-X