Connecorte was a highly influential political leader in the 1750s. In British documents, he was usually called “Old Hop,” because of his lameness. Connecorte’s physical limitations seem to have dated to his young adulthood, at least; he had no war titles or any indication that he had been active in hunting or warfare as a younger man, an unusual background for a Cherokee leader and one that sometimes earned him criticism. On at least one occasion, a younger man mocked him for his war record, calling him “but an old woman that he was no Warriour neither ever had given any proof thereof by Killing his Enemy.”1 Unlike the other Cherokees leaders who appeared frequently in South Carolina records, Connecorte was unable to travel to Charlestown, or even to Fort Prince George. Regardless, his opinion and judgments were respected and sought after by colonial officials, including the royal governors.
Connecorte first appeared in South Carolina records in the early 1750s, when he was around his sixties. He jockeyed for increased power for his hometown of Chota, often at the expense of rival towns like Tellico. His style of leadership emphasized building coalitions and avoiding conflict. He often avoided making direct (and unpopular) decisions by stalling or allowing others to make them. Missionary William Richardson railed against this political tactic, writing that Connecorte stonewalled his numerous attempts to gain permission to preach publicly in Chota, telling him to wait until the warriors and other headmen returned, and then the Cherokees would meet in council.2 Likewise, when Fort Loudoun’s officers tried to get him to talk about recent hostilities arising in Tellico, Connecorte said it was for the warriors to answer; as a political leader or “beloved man,” his office was to govern men, secure presents, and conduct diplomacy; he had no authority to interfere in matters of war.3
Despite his interest in consensus and abiding by Cherokee governance that emphasized group decision-making, Connecorte also played politics by supporting different rivals. He had a contentious relationship with his nephew Attakullakulla, stressing to nearby officials at Fort Loudoun and in faraway Charlestown that the younger man was not to be trusted and was a French sympathizer. He instead stressed that another relative, Oconostota, was unswervingly loyal to the British (despite evidence that Oconostota also had French connections at times). His attempts to undermine Attakullakulla’s growing influence often fell flat, as his nephew also enjoyed the ear of the governor and colonial officials by the late 1750s.
As a largely political leader, Connecorte was not heavily involved in the Seven Years’ War, neither leading war parties nor organizing men to join them. That task fell to younger men like Oconostota and Attakullakulla. He responded to messages from Governor William Henry Lyttelton and others, often professing his ignorance of hostilities towards colonists. In July 1758, for instance, Connecorte, Attakullakulla, and Willinawa denied any involvement in or foreknowledge of the raiding on the frontier, saying that “some will be Rogues, and we have to many amongst us, Especially the Lower Towns.”4 As tensions heated up, Connecorte worked to smooth over relations between Chota and Governor Lyttelton, expressing sorrow over recent skirmishes and sending white beads symbolizing Chota’s commitment to peace.5
Connecorte was not among the delegations who attempted to negotiate peace with Lyttelton in fall 1759, nor was he involved in the controversial treaty Lyttelton forced upon Cherokee delegates (many of whom were being held hostage). Connecorte died in January 1760, leaving a power struggle in Chota between rivals Oconostota, Ostenaco, and Attakullakulla, as well as the eventual man who was selected to replace Connecorte, Standing Turkey.
- 5 March 1754, South Carolina Council Journal No. 23: January 1, 1754-August 7, 1754. (South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia), 122-123. ↩︎
- 18 December 1758, 4-5, 11, 22-23, and 30 January 1759, “William Richardson Diary” (South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC), 22, 28-31, 39-41, 48. ↩︎
- John Stuart to William Henry Lyttelton, 12 June 1757, “William Henry Lyttelton Papers” (Clements Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), correspondence box 5. ↩︎
- Paul Demere to William Henry Lyttelton, 30 July 1758, “William Henry Lyttelton Papers” (Clements Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), correspondence box 8. ↩︎
- Paul Demere to William Henry Lyttelton, 1 October 1759, “William Henry Lyttelton Papers” (Clements Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), correspondence box 12. ↩︎