Major John Norton

John Norton, or Teyoninhokarawen, was the son of a Cherokee man and a Scottish woman. His father had been adopted by a British officer as a boy and spent time in Scotland. John Norton was sent to school in Scotland. He joined the military in 1784 and left it in 1788 while in Canada. He became friends with Joseph Brant of the Mohawk, who taught him the Mohawk language. By 1793 he was acting as a fur trader in the Detroit area. He also acted as an interpreter for the Mohawk in the Grand River area. In 1799 he was adopted as a nephew by Brant and made a chief of the Six Nations.

He was one of the major leaders of the Native people during the War of 1812. The British gave him the military rank of captain and asked his opinion on Native matters. Most of his time was spent on the Niagara frontier, as it was near to his adopted people at the Grand River, but he took part in the capture of Detroit with Tecumseh and General Brock. His band of Mohawks also contained a number of African-Americans, many of whom were runaway slaves who had been adopted into the tribe. Norton was promoted to major after the war.

Norton wrote a "Journal" which he hoped to publish. In it he describes his life among the Native people and his role in the War of 1812.

John Norton

See more: A mention of the skirmishes at River Canard.

See more: The Surrender of Detroit.

See more: Norton's account of the Battle at the River Raisin.

See more: What Norton was told about Procter's attack on Fort Meigs.