Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/81

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TEFFT
TEGANISSORENS

life he was in feeble health. Ohio Wesleyan university gave him the degree of D. D. in 1846, and Madison university that of LL. D in 1852. Besides pamphlets, lectures, addresses, and contributions to current literature, Dr. Tefft was the author of "Prison Life," based on data furnished by Rev. James B. Finley (Cincinnati, 1847) ; "The Shoulder-Knot, a Story of the Seventeenth Century" (New York, 1850); "Hungary and Kossuth" (Philadelphia, 1852); "Webster and his Masterpieces" (2 vols., Auburn, N. Y., 1854); "Methodism Successful, and the Internal Causes of its Success," with an introductory letter by Bishop Janes (New York, 1860): "Our Political Parties" (Boston, 1880); and "Evolution and Christianity" (1885). He edited Erwin House's " Sketches, Literary and Religious " (Cincinnati, 1847), and Dr. Charles Elliott's "Sinfulness of American Slavery" (1850).


TEFFT, Thomas Alexander, architect, b. in Richmond, R. I., 3 Aug., 1826; d. in Florence, Italy, 12 Dec, 1859. He was graduated in the scientific course at Brown in 1851, and after studying architecture in Providence furnished designs for many private and public buildings. In 1856 he went to Europe in order to study art and to announce his ideas of a uniform currency for all nations, on which subject he read a paper before the British institute of social science. After his death the principal features of his scheme were incorporated in the plan that was agreed upon by an international conference at Paris in 1867, at which nineteen nations were represented. He contributed papers on architecture to the "New York Crayon," and "Letters from Europe". to the "New York Times" in 1857-'8, and published " Our Deficiency in Art Education" (Providence, 1852), and "Universal Currency: a Plan for obtaining a Common Currency in France, England, and America, based on the Decimal System" (London, 1858). See "Memoir" by the Rev. Edwin Martin Stone (Boston, 1869).


TEGAKOUITA, Catharine, Indian convert, b. in Gandahouague, or Gandawague, in northern New York, in 1656; d. in Caughnawaga, Canada, 17 April, 1680. The name Tegakouita means “who puts things in order,” and is still in use at Caughnawaga. Her father was a heathen Iroquois, and her mother a Christian Algonquin. Her parents died when she was a child, and she was brought up by her uncle, who was a chief. Her first knowledge of Christianity appears to have been obtained from Jacques Fremin and two other missionaries, whom she entertained in her cabin. She embraced the new creed with fervor, resolved to remain single, and suffered much ill treatment from her relatives because of her refusal to marry; but she was not baptized until 1676. Her refusal to work on Sundays increased the hostility of her tribe toward her, and she had on one occasion a narrow escape from death. Calumnies were spread about her character, and she finally resolved to escape to the Christian village of La Prairie, which she reached in October, 1677, after many dangers. The rest of her life was spent in prayer, labor, and mortifications of the severest kind. She enrolled herself in the Confraternity of the Holy Family, and began to be regarded both by the French and Indians as a great saint. After death her grave became a place of pilgrimage, and, although an effort was made by the priests of the neighboring parishes to check devotion to her, she was invoked as a saint throughout Canada. Numerous miracles are said to have been wrought at her tomb, or by her relics. The third plenary council of Baltimore petitioned the holy see to take steps toward her canoniza- tion in 1884. See “Life of Catharine Tegakouita,” by Father Claude Chauchetiere (New York, 1886); her life by Cholonek, in vol. xii. of “Lettres édifiantes” (Paris, 1727); and Kipp's “Jesuit Missions” (New York, 1847).


TEGANAKOA, Stephen, Indian convert, d. in Onondaga, N. Y., in 1690. While still a pagan he was noted for the innocence of his life and manners and his attachment to his wife and children. He went with his family to the mission of Caughnawaga, or Sault Ste. Louis, when he was about thirty-five years old, applied for baptism, and after the usual probation was received with his wife and six children. He was afterward considered a model of every virtue. In August, 1790, he went on a hunting expedition with his wife and another Indian. In the following September the party was attacked by a band of seventeen Cayugas and brought to Onondaga. One of his captors said to Stephen that he might attribute his death to his having left his tribe to live among “the dogs of Christians at the Sault.” Stephen replied: “Do what you will with me, I fear neither your outrages nor your fires. I willingly give my life for a God who shed his blood for me.” The savages then put him to death with slow tortures. He bore his sufferings calmly, and died praying for his murderers.


TEGANISSORENS, Indian chief, b. in Onondaga, N. Y.; d. in Sault St. Louis, or Caughnawaga, on Lake Champlain, after 1711. He was strongly attached to the French, and in 1682 was placed at the head of a deputation of Iroquois chiefs that was sent to Montreal to make terms with Frontenac and his Indian allies. It was soon discovered that the Iroquois had sent Teganissorens as a blind, and were taking the field against the Illinois, while pretending to wish for peace. But the French governor dismissed him with honor, knowing that his influence did not extend to all the Iroquois tribes. He set out on a similar mission in 1688, and the preliminaries for a treaty were arranged between Denonville, the Canadian governor, and the Iroquois deputies. The Hurons were dissatisfied with the proposed treaty, and, on the return of Teganissorens and his party, they were attacked by Kondiaronk, a Huron chief. Some were killed and others taken prisoners, among the latter Teganissorens, who, on complaining of this attack on an ambassador and a friend of the French, was told by Kondiaronk that the latter themselves had sent him. To show that he spoke sincerely, he at once released the Iroquois ambassador. Teganissorens, however, remained loyal, and continued to render such services that he ranked with Oureouharé and Garaconthié as one of the three Indians to whom the French colony in Canada was most indebted. He became a Christian in 1693, and in May, 1694, arrived in Quebec with eight deputies. He was received with kindness by Frontenac, the governor, who gave him many presents. He proposed the restoration of Fort Catarocouy (Kingston), and that it should be strengthened and made the bulwark of the colony. The suggestion was eagerly adopted by Frontenac, who prepared a large escort which was to conduct to that port a garrison, mechanics, and all necessary stores, but he was obliged to countermand the expedition, owing to an order from the French court. He excited the displeasure of the governor afterward by not returning to Montreal at a fixed date with the submission of some of the Iroquois tribes who were holding back. But the reason of his delay was that he found his efforts to bring about a general reconciliation between the Iroquois and the French abortive. He remained