Lewis Bennett

Deerfoot (c. 1828 – 18 January 1896, Cattaraugus Reservation) was an American Seneca runner. His most noted achievements took place in England.

Biography

Deerfoot–Red Jacket, or Hut-goh-so-do-neh in his native tongue, was born into the Seneca tribe on the Cattaraugus Reservation in about the year 1828. Other sources claim his birth year was either 1830, 1826, or 1825. Deerfoot, also known as Lewis Bennett, was first recognized for his racing talent in 1856 when he won a five-mile race in Fredonia at the Chautauqua County Fair by running it in 25:00 flat, cashing in on a $50 purse. Deerfoot sometimes raced under his fondly dealt nickname Red Jacket, a title that both referenced a celebrated Seneca chief and cited his colorful and often revealing racing outfits.

In a race in New York City, Deerfoot gained attention while running against the English national team coached by his future manager, George Martin. He went to England in 1861 under Martin to embark on a 20-month running tour, and was matched against the best long-distance runners in the world, defeating nearly all of them. He lost a six-mile race against Edward (or Teddy) Mills in September 1861, but defeated John (or Jack) White — “the Gateshead Clipper”

Deerfoot had four children with Ida Yellow Blanket, also of the Cattaraugus Reservation. The couple had three sons and one daughter: Augustus, Juila, Dwight, and Heenan Bennett, all born between 1852 and 1857.

Persona, tactics, and fans Deerfoot gained fame and attention for many reasons in England: his scorching fast times, his infuriating tactics, and his scantily clad athletic garb attracted a wide variety of fans. One race was recorded to have up to 13,000 fans, with an additional 2,000 arriving to the event by train. The spikes had risen in popularity due to the plushy nature of tracks at the time period, which were often mulch based instead of compacted materials people run on currently.

Maintaining champion status In order to preserve his status as the best runner in the world, George Martin, Deerfoot's agent, resolved to fix races in a running troupe that toured England, utilizing top name runners to bolster Deerfoot's shining reputation. The "Deerfoot Troupe" raced every day of the week except Sunday, with the runners being forced to walk to some of the races, sometimes great distance. The group was recognized quickly as a farce and although the tour continued through England, Martin resolved to force the runners onward. Deerfoot decided that at this point he needed to quit the troupe and run competitions again, with the hope of bringing gold and trophies home to his Seneca tribe Deerfoot's grave was moved in 1901, from an unmarked grave to his current resting place in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York.