Mohawk Chief Smoke Johnson “Sa-kay-en-qu-doh” was one of the most famous, and even infamous, of the Confederacy Chiefs of the late 1700th and early 1800th centuries. He fought bravely, fearlessly and with distinction during the War of 1812-14, earning the respected of his allies and the fear of his enemies.
Following his death in 1886 at age 96, Mohawk Chief Johnson was venerated by both his own people of Six Nations, and by United Empire Loyalists equally with funeral ceremonies at the home of Chief A.G. Smith.
Pallbearers were Elias Lewis, N.H. Burning, A.G. Smith, William Wage, and Benjamin Carpenter. The coffin was described as being, “a handsome black cloth covered casket.” His Haudenosaunee family and friends “chanted a mournful requiem” as they followed the casket
with a long processional march to the Mohawk Chapel burial ground for internment.
It was an especially hot day and the procession stopped to rest in the shade of a cluster of trees before continuing to the tomb of Joseph Brant at the chapel to be buried near his old friend and fellow warrior.
Representing the Johnson immediate family were “Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Allan Johnson of Hamilton, and “the misses Johnsons, and other members of the family of the late Chief.” Also listed in attendance were members of the family of G.H.M. Johnson, Chief Joseph Johnson “and his sons,” Mrs. William Elliott, W. Elliott, Mrs. Peter Davis, and other members of the family not named.
Chief Smith read from a Mohawk translation of the bible after which testimonials and eulogies were delivered by Rev. D.J. Caswell, Chief John Buck, and Col. J.T. Gilkison, among others. All spoke of the positive example to generations to come. Childhood friend, Mr. D. Clifford, conducted the ceremony.
Another plot beside his own, was identified as the place for the reinterment of the remains of his predeceased wife from a family plot near the entrance gate of the Chapel cemetery.
The news coverage from the1886 Brantford Expositor specifically noticed the deep mournfulness of Smoke Johnson Indian entourage.
“The entire family and gathered Indians were deeply moved during the burial, testifying to their grief at the death of oldest and most respected chief,” says the article. “Though the ceremony though, almost purely that prescribed by the Church of England, yet possess a peculiar Indian mournfulness that made it particularly impressive.”
John Smoke Johnson is one of the most famous of the Six Nations Warriors from the War of 1812.
