Smithtown, A History: Wyandanch and Gardiner

Richard Smythe's bull ride may be legend, but the beginnings of Smithtown actually had to do with the friendship of a Native American sachem and an English commander.

The sachem was Wyandanch, and it's believed he was born in Montauk around 1620. A sachem was a chief who played intermediary between the Algonquian tribes and the new settlers. The commander was Lion Gardiner who was chosen to head up Fort Saybrook at the mouth of the Connecticut River.

John A. Strong, professor emeritus of Long Island University's Southampton campus, wrote of Wyandanch and Gardiner's alliance in his book The Montaukett Indians of Eastern Long Island. According to Strong's findings, Wyandanch and Gardiner shared an allegiance from their first meeting in 1637.

"Wyandanch visited Gardiner because he knew he had to form new alliances," said Strong in a recent interview.

According to Strong, after the massacre of a Pequot village near Mystic by the English, Wyandanch came to Gardiner explaining that the Montauks wanted friendly relations.

Gardiner asked Wyandanch to kill Pequots including an influential sachem that were involved in the murder of Englishmen on Long Island. Wyandanch was unwilling to kill Pequots in the area. Instead he joined English troops in southern New England and returned 12 trophy heads to Gardiner.

Wyandanch and Gardiner joined forces many times. One encounter occurred in 1649 when an English woman was murdered in Southampton by the Shinnecocks. Gardiner advised Wyandanch to capture those responsible. To assist him the commander gave the sachem a paper that asked settlers to protect him and provide food for Wyandanch and his men.

According to Strong, it was this mission that strengthened Wyandanch's political position with both his people and the English. "He became the go-to guy if tribes wanted to trade with the English," said Strong.

The sachem also learned how to deal with the court system. He appeared in court a few times during his life and even brought charges against an Englishman who caused damages to his canoe. Strong writes that this case may have been the earliest trial involving a Native American plaintiff and an English defendant.

"He was able to adjust, to understand and know how to deal with the English courts," said Strong.

Wyandanch granted the land that would become Smithtown to Gardiner on July 14, 1659.  According to Strong's writings, it was the sachem's way of repaying the commander for his kindness.

Wyandanch died later that year. Gardiner believed that he was poisoned even though he never proved it. As far as the life and death of Wyandanch, Strong said all we know is based on Gardiner's accounts.

The proof of this friendship between a Native American and English settler however exists today in the form of Smithtown.