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Her perspective was that she was a patriot and wanted to help the patriots with getting their freedom.

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"In a short time, Prudence was back in Pepperell sending an alert out to other women. She had decided to stop the Tories if at all possible. Word was sent from house to house for the women to meet at Jewett’s Bridge over the Nashua River – between the towns of Pepperell and Groton – where a person coming from the north would have to cross."

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American Patriot and Minutewoman

Image: Battle of Lexington
First battle of the Revolutionary War

Prudence Cummings was born November 26, 1740, at Dunstable, Massachusetts, the daughter of Samuel and Prudence Lawrence Cummings. She was raised in a household that freely discussed politics, and not all shared the same opinions. Prudence married David Wright of Pepperell, Massachusetts, on December 28, 1761 and settled in Pepperell. For the next fourteen years, Prudence helped her husband, cared for her children, and was a leader among the young matrons of the town.

Patriots and Tories
There were two parties in the colonies: Whigs and Tories. The Whigs (Patriots) were in sympathy with democratic ideals and insisted upon representation for the colonies. The Tories included those whose sympathies were with the king, the clergy of the established church and others associated with the English government. Some supported the king simply because he was king, while disapproving of his methods.

The town of Pepperell was loyal to the democratic ideals of the Patriots. There was not a Tory within its borders, more than could be said of most towns. When the women of Pepperell heard of the Boston Tea Party in December 1773, they burned their tea in front of the meetinghouse.

In the spring of 1775, David Wright was in the prime of life, forty years old. Prudence was thirty-five, and they had seven children. All of Pepperell's able-bodied men were enrolled in the militia and ready to respond to the first call. The women were no less ready, the anxious heart of the wife and mother knew what it would mean if fathers and husbands left the homes and farms.

Revolution!
In the American Revolution, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was considered by the British government to be the most rebellious of the thirteen colonies. It was unique in having Minutemen that were part of a network of committees, signals, messengers and volunteer soldiers that the Massachusetts towns used to communicate with each other after the British occupied Boston and closed town meetings.

When the time came, Patriot women would meet the crisis with a selflessness that matched the heroism of the men. Women molded bullets and tied cartridges around them; they filled powder horns; they sent their men off to fight; and faced many new duties at home. It must have been difficult for Prudence Wright to realize that two of her brothers were Tories.

When word came that the Redcoats were coming, towns near Boston were arming to meet them. About 9 o'clock on the morning of April 19, 1775, a messenger arrived in Pepperell with news of the fighting at Lexington and the advance of the Redcoats toward Concord. The colonel of the local militia rode out, leaving orders for the Pepperell men to meet him at Groton.

The men quickly bid their wives and children goodbye, and were gone. So well prepared were the Pepperell Minutemen that they arrived at Groton, five miles away, before the company there was ready to march. The women knew that their townsmen had helped chase the British, and were now with other Minutemen near Boston, and that more serious action was imminent.

The Prudence Wright Guard
Prudence Cummings Wright was a Patriot inside and out. While visiting her mother in Hollis, Prudence had overheard Samuel and Leonard Whiting making plans to pass messages between the British to the north and those in Boston. The direct road from the north to Boston ran through the town of Pepperell.

In a short time, Prudence was back in Pepperell sending an alert out to other women. She had decided to stop the Tories if at all possible. Word was sent from house to house for the women to meet at Jewett's Bridge over the Nashua River - between the towns of Pepperell and Groton - where a person coming from the north would have to cross. they were the women of this immediate neighborhood, between thirty and forty in number.

With the conflicting rumors rife in April, 1775, it is difficult to appreciate the uncertainty that would result from the chance reports of horsemen who gathered their information as they rode. It was this uncertainty that led the women to disguise themselves as men, wearing the clothing of their absent husbands and brothers. Their weapons were old muskets, pitchforks and tools - anything that could be used as a weapon.

The women elected Prudence Wright as commander of their company of Minutewomen. Prudence, a 35-year-old mother of six, chose Sarah Hartwell Shattuck of Groton as her lieutenant. Elizabeth Hobart was only a girl of seventeen at that time. Prudence hoped that if a large body of Redcoats appeared, the women would be able to scare them off before it was discovered that they were women.

This company of women came to be known as the Prudence Wright Guard. They guarded the bridge and patrolled the road, determined that no enemy should pass that way. There were pine trees on one side of the river near the bridge, but no houses very near. The road curved around high land on the north side, so the bridge was not visible to a person coming from the north until it was nearly reached.

The Minutewomenwaited at the bridge into the night, shielding their lantern, remaining totally silent so as not to give their presence away. At last, two horsemen approached the bridge from the north. Taking advantage of the element of surprise, Prudence burst upon them with her lantern shining brightly in their faces, demanding to know their identity and business.

The men tried to flee on horseback, but the women surrounded them and seized the reins of their horses. Captain Leonard Whiting, a known Tory, drew his revolver and was about to use it when the other rider, Prudence's brother Samuel Cummings, made him lower it, saying: "I recognize Pru's voice, and she would wade through blood for the rebel cause."

The men were dismounted and searched, and dispatches from the British forces in the field to the British General in Boston were found on them. The women marched their prisoners to the house of Solomon Rogers in the neighborhood, and there they were detained, securely guarded by the women overnight.

In the morning, the prisoners were marched to Groton and delivered into custody of the Committee of Safety. The papers found on the men were sent to Charlestown. The next day, the two men were given their liberty on condition that they would leave the colony. They departed in the direction of New York, and Samuel Cummings never returned. Samuel was Prudence's favorite brother, and his loss was a life-long grief to her.

Afterward, the Prudence Wright Guard disbanded.

A Granite Tablet Near Jewett's Bridgebears the following inscription:

Near this spot a party of patriotic women, under the leadership of Mrs. David Wright, of Pepperell, in April, 1775, captured Leonard Whiting, a Tory who was carrying treasonable dispatches to the enemy at Boston. He was taken prisoner to Groton, and the dispatches were sent to the Committee of Safety at Cambridge.

The Guards' husbands returned from the fighting at Lexington and Concord, and repeated the words of Captain Parker on Lexington Green: "Don't fire unless you are fired on; but if they want war, let it begin here!" The women told how they had guarded the bridge. After doing some work at home, the men returned to camp, and those too old to shoulder muskets counseled the boys, and put their own strength into the care of their sons' families.

In March, 1776, four men - Leonard and Benjamin Whiting, Thomas and Samuel Cummings - were summoned to appear before the Committee of Safety of the towns of Hollis, Dunstable, Merrimack and Litchfield. On their petition, the case was transferred to the General Court then sitting in Exeter. The accused appeared by their counsel. The complaint was not sustained and they were discharged.

Events, however, soon proved the charges to have been well grounded. In June, Thomas Cummings was indicted before the Supreme Court, and gave bail for his appearance in September. In the meantime, he left his family, a wife and three children under five years of age, and his country and never returned.

Leonard Whiting was put in jail at Amherst on a charge of "being inimical to the Rights and Liberties of the United Colonies." He took no active part in the war after the Declaration of Independence. It was judged that his treason came from a soldier's loyalty to the government whose commissioned officer he was. He went to Cavendish, Vermont, where he spent the remainder of his life as a respected and influential citizen.

David and Prudence Wright had eleven children in all. David, the oldest, was in the Revolutionary army near the close of the war. Some of the closing years of their lives they spent in Groton in the home of Samuel Hartwell, who had married their daughter.

According to church records they spent their last days in Pepperell. This entry of their deaths appears in the records:

1819 May 22 David Wright age 93 years 9 months.

1823 Dec 2 Widow Prudence Wright, age 84.

Image: Prudence Cummings Wright Grave Marker
Bears the following inscription:
'In Memory of The Captain of the Bridge Guard,
April 1775, Prudence Cummings,
Wife of David Wright
Born November 26, 1740
Died December 2, 1823′

This is a testament to the courage of these women - their husbands and brothers far away, their children asleep at home - who stood alone on the bridge in the silence and darkness, awaiting they knew not what.

SOURCE
Who Were the Minutemen and Minutewomen?

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Image: Battle of Lexington First battle of the Revolutionary War Prudence Cummings was born November 26, 1740, at Dunstable, Massachusetts, the daughter of Samuel and Prudence Lawrence Cummings. She was raised in a household that freely discussed politics, and not all shared the same opinions.

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"Prudence Cummings Wright was a Patriot inside and out. While visiting her mother in Hollis, Prudence had overheard Samuel and Leonard Whiting making plans to pass messages between the British to the north and those in Boston."

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American Patriot and Minutewoman

Image: Battle of Lexington
First battle of the Revolutionary War

Prudence Cummings was born November 26, 1740, at Dunstable, Massachusetts, the daughter of Samuel and Prudence Lawrence Cummings. She was raised in a household that freely discussed politics, and not all shared the same opinions. Prudence married David Wright of Pepperell, Massachusetts, on December 28, 1761 and settled in Pepperell. For the next fourteen years, Prudence helped her husband, cared for her children, and was a leader among the young matrons of the town.

Patriots and Tories
There were two parties in the colonies: Whigs and Tories. The Whigs (Patriots) were in sympathy with democratic ideals and insisted upon representation for the colonies. The Tories included those whose sympathies were with the king, the clergy of the established church and others associated with the English government. Some supported the king simply because he was king, while disapproving of his methods.

The town of Pepperell was loyal to the democratic ideals of the Patriots. There was not a Tory within its borders, more than could be said of most towns. When the women of Pepperell heard of the Boston Tea Party in December 1773, they burned their tea in front of the meetinghouse.

In the spring of 1775, David Wright was in the prime of life, forty years old. Prudence was thirty-five, and they had seven children. All of Pepperell's able-bodied men were enrolled in the militia and ready to respond to the first call. The women were no less ready, the anxious heart of the wife and mother knew what it would mean if fathers and husbands left the homes and farms.

Revolution!
In the American Revolution, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was considered by the British government to be the most rebellious of the thirteen colonies. It was unique in having Minutemen that were part of a network of committees, signals, messengers and volunteer soldiers that the Massachusetts towns used to communicate with each other after the British occupied Boston and closed town meetings.

When the time came, Patriot women would meet the crisis with a selflessness that matched the heroism of the men. Women molded bullets and tied cartridges around them; they filled powder horns; they sent their men off to fight; and faced many new duties at home. It must have been difficult for Prudence Wright to realize that two of her brothers were Tories.

When word came that the Redcoats were coming, towns near Boston were arming to meet them. About 9 o'clock on the morning of April 19, 1775, a messenger arrived in Pepperell with news of the fighting at Lexington and the advance of the Redcoats toward Concord. The colonel of the local militia rode out, leaving orders for the Pepperell men to meet him at Groton.

The men quickly bid their wives and children goodbye, and were gone. So well prepared were the Pepperell Minutemen that they arrived at Groton, five miles away, before the company there was ready to march. The women knew that their townsmen had helped chase the British, and were now with other Minutemen near Boston, and that more serious action was imminent.

The Prudence Wright Guard
Prudence Cummings Wright was a Patriot inside and out. While visiting her mother in Hollis, Prudence had overheard Samuel and Leonard Whiting making plans to pass messages between the British to the north and those in Boston. The direct road from the north to Boston ran through the town of Pepperell.

In a short time, Prudence was back in Pepperell sending an alert out to other women. She had decided to stop the Tories if at all possible. Word was sent from house to house for the women to meet at Jewett's Bridge over the Nashua River - between the towns of Pepperell and Groton - where a person coming from the north would have to cross. they were the women of this immediate neighborhood, between thirty and forty in number.

With the conflicting rumors rife in April, 1775, it is difficult to appreciate the uncertainty that would result from the chance reports of horsemen who gathered their information as they rode. It was this uncertainty that led the women to disguise themselves as men, wearing the clothing of their absent husbands and brothers. Their weapons were old muskets, pitchforks and tools - anything that could be used as a weapon.

The women elected Prudence Wright as commander of their company of Minutewomen. Prudence, a 35-year-old mother of six, chose Sarah Hartwell Shattuck of Groton as her lieutenant. Elizabeth Hobart was only a girl of seventeen at that time. Prudence hoped that if a large body of Redcoats appeared, the women would be able to scare them off before it was discovered that they were women.

This company of women came to be known as the Prudence Wright Guard. They guarded the bridge and patrolled the road, determined that no enemy should pass that way. There were pine trees on one side of the river near the bridge, but no houses very near. The road curved around high land on the north side, so the bridge was not visible to a person coming from the north until it was nearly reached.

The Minutewomenwaited at the bridge into the night, shielding their lantern, remaining totally silent so as not to give their presence away. At last, two horsemen approached the bridge from the north. Taking advantage of the element of surprise, Prudence burst upon them with her lantern shining brightly in their faces, demanding to know their identity and business.

The men tried to flee on horseback, but the women surrounded them and seized the reins of their horses. Captain Leonard Whiting, a known Tory, drew his revolver and was about to use it when the other rider, Prudence's brother Samuel Cummings, made him lower it, saying: "I recognize Pru's voice, and she would wade through blood for the rebel cause."

The men were dismounted and searched, and dispatches from the British forces in the field to the British General in Boston were found on them. The women marched their prisoners to the house of Solomon Rogers in the neighborhood, and there they were detained, securely guarded by the women overnight.

In the morning, the prisoners were marched to Groton and delivered into custody of the Committee of Safety. The papers found on the men were sent to Charlestown. The next day, the two men were given their liberty on condition that they would leave the colony. They departed in the direction of New York, and Samuel Cummings never returned. Samuel was Prudence's favorite brother, and his loss was a life-long grief to her.

Afterward, the Prudence Wright Guard disbanded.

A Granite Tablet Near Jewett's Bridgebears the following inscription:

Near this spot a party of patriotic women, under the leadership of Mrs. David Wright, of Pepperell, in April, 1775, captured Leonard Whiting, a Tory who was carrying treasonable dispatches to the enemy at Boston. He was taken prisoner to Groton, and the dispatches were sent to the Committee of Safety at Cambridge.

The Guards' husbands returned from the fighting at Lexington and Concord, and repeated the words of Captain Parker on Lexington Green: "Don't fire unless you are fired on; but if they want war, let it begin here!" The women told how they had guarded the bridge. After doing some work at home, the men returned to camp, and those too old to shoulder muskets counseled the boys, and put their own strength into the care of their sons' families.

In March, 1776, four men - Leonard and Benjamin Whiting, Thomas and Samuel Cummings - were summoned to appear before the Committee of Safety of the towns of Hollis, Dunstable, Merrimack and Litchfield. On their petition, the case was transferred to the General Court then sitting in Exeter. The accused appeared by their counsel. The complaint was not sustained and they were discharged.

Events, however, soon proved the charges to have been well grounded. In June, Thomas Cummings was indicted before the Supreme Court, and gave bail for his appearance in September. In the meantime, he left his family, a wife and three children under five years of age, and his country and never returned.

Leonard Whiting was put in jail at Amherst on a charge of "being inimical to the Rights and Liberties of the United Colonies." He took no active part in the war after the Declaration of Independence. It was judged that his treason came from a soldier's loyalty to the government whose commissioned officer he was. He went to Cavendish, Vermont, where he spent the remainder of his life as a respected and influential citizen.

David and Prudence Wright had eleven children in all. David, the oldest, was in the Revolutionary army near the close of the war. Some of the closing years of their lives they spent in Groton in the home of Samuel Hartwell, who had married their daughter.

According to church records they spent their last days in Pepperell. This entry of their deaths appears in the records:

1819 May 22 David Wright age 93 years 9 months.

1823 Dec 2 Widow Prudence Wright, age 84.

Image: Prudence Cummings Wright Grave Marker
Bears the following inscription:
'In Memory of The Captain of the Bridge Guard,
April 1775, Prudence Cummings,
Wife of David Wright
Born November 26, 1740
Died December 2, 1823′

This is a testament to the courage of these women - their husbands and brothers far away, their children asleep at home - who stood alone on the bridge in the silence and darkness, awaiting they knew not what.

SOURCE
Who Were the Minutemen and Minutewomen?

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Image: Battle of Lexington First battle of the Revolutionary War Prudence Cummings was born November 26, 1740, at Dunstable, Massachusetts, the daughter of Samuel and Prudence Lawrence Cummings. She was raised in a household that freely discussed politics, and not all shared the same opinions.

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His perspective was that he wants to help his country with the war and would do anything to help his country.

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"After being led to the gallows, legend holds that Hale was asked if he had any last words and that he replied with these now-famous words, “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” "

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General George Washington asks for a volunteer for an extremely dangerous mission: to gather intelligence behind enemy lines before the coming Battle of Harlem Heights. Captain Nathan Hale of the 19th Regiment of the Continental Army stepped forward and subsequently become one of the first known American spies of the Revolutionary War.

Disguised as a Dutch schoolmaster, the Yale University-educated Hale slipped behind British lines on Long Island and then successfully gathered information about British troop movements for the next several weeks. While Hale was behind enemy lines, the British invaded the island of Manhattan; they took control of the city on September 15, 1776. When the city was set on fire on September 20, 1776, British soldiers were put on high alert for sympathizers to the Patriot cause. The following evening, on September 21, 1776, Hale was captured while sailing Long Island Sound, trying to cross back into American-controlled territory.

Hale was interrogated by British General William Howe and, when it was discovered that he was carrying incriminating documents, General Howe ordered his execution for spying, which was set for the following morning. After being led to the gallows, legend holds that Hale was asked if he had any last words and that he replied with these now-famous words, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." There is no historical record to prove that Hale actually made this statement, but, if he did, he may have been inspired by these lines in English author Joseph Addison's 1713 play Cato: "What a pity it is/That we can die but once to serve our country."

Patriot spy Nathan Hale was hanged by the British on the morning of September 22, 1776. He was just 21 years old. Although rumors later surfaced that Hale's capture was the result of a betrayal by his first cousin and British Loyalist Samuel Hale, the exact circumstances leading to Hale's arrest have never been discovered.

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Nathan Hale volunteers to spy behind British lines | September 10, 1776 | HISTORY

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General George Washington asks for a volunteer for an extremely dangerous mission: to gather intelligence behind enemy lines before the coming Battle of Harlem Heights. Captain Nathan Hale of the 19th Regiment of the Continental Army stepped forward and subsequently become one of the first known American spies of the Revolutionary War.

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"In late September 1776 he volunteered to cross the British lines and travel to Long Island in order to gather intelligence."

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In the early summer of 1776, the British evacuated Boston leaving the city and New England to the rebelling colonialists. Where would the British strike next? The mystery was solved when a British naval force appeared off the coast of Staten Island in late June - New York would be their target. The city had great strategic value. Its deep harbor could shelter the British fleet and its capture would pave the way for the Red Coats to battle northward up the Hudson and link with a force moving south from Canada. This would separate New England from the rest of the colonies.

In late June, the British occupied Staten Island in a landing unopposed by the Colonials. In late August a combined force of British and Hessian troops crossed Lower New York Bay and invaded Long Island. The British attacked the Americans from two sides forcing the Colonials to cross over to Manhattan Island. In early September, General Washington retreated again, this time across the Harlem River leaving New York City to the British.

Nathan Hale was a lieutenant in the Continental Army. In his early twenties, Hale had worked as a schoolteacher before the Revolution. In late September 1776 he volunteered to cross the British lines and travel to Long Island in order to gather intelligence. Unfortunately, his mission was soon discovered and he was captured by the British. Taken to General Howe's headquarters (commander of the British forces) in New York, the young spy was interrogated and executed on September 22. Word of the execution was brought to General Washington's headquarters shortly after by a British officer carrying a flag of truce. Captain William Hull of the Continental Army was present and recalled the event:

"In a few days an officer came to our camp, under a flag of truce, and informed Hamilton, then a captain of artillery, but afterwards the aid of General Washington, that Captain Hale had been arrested within the British lines condemned as a spy, and executed that morning.

I learned the melancholy particulars from this officer, who was present at his execution and seemed touched by the circumstances attending it.

He said that Captain Hale had passed through their army, both of Long Island and York Island. That he had procured sketches of the fortifications, and made memoranda of their number and different positions. When apprehended, he was taken before Sir William Howe, and these papers, found concealed about his person, betrayed his intentions. He at once declared his name, rank in the American army, and his object in coming within the British lines.

Sir William Howe, without the form of a trial, gave orders for his execution the following morning. He was placed in the custody of the Provost Marshal, who was a refugee and hardened to human suffering and every softening sentiment of the heart. Captain Hale, alone, without sympathy or support, save that from above, on the near approach of death asked for a clergyman to attend him. It was refused. He then requested a Bible; that too was refused by his inhuman jailer.
'On the morning of his execution,' continued the officer, 'my station was near the fatal spot, and I requested the Provost Marshal to permit the prisoner to sit in my marquee, while he was making the necessary preparations. Captain Hale entered: he was calm, and bore himself with gentle dignity, in the consciousness of rectitude and high intentions. He asked for writing materials, which I furnished him: he wrote two letters, one to his mother and one to a brother officer.' He was shortly after summoned to the gallows. But a few persons were around him, yet his, characteristic dying words were remembered. He said, 'I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.'"

References:
Campbell, Maria Hall, Revolutionary Services and Civil Life of General William Hull; Prepared from his Manuscripts... (1848) (Reprinted in Commager, Henry Steele and Richard Morris, The Spirit of 'Seventy-Six, 1958).

How To Cite This Article:
"The Execution of Nathan Hale, 1776," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2000).

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Curzons perspective is an undercover slave that joins the army.He wishes that there would be   freedom for all,including slaves.

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In an argument with his friend about freedom he said"How is it then that the british offer freedom to escaped slaves ,but the patriots dont".He also asked"If you were that fellow back there,wouldent you want to be free and live your own life"

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Their perspective was that they wanted to fight with the Patriots because Samuel Kirkland helped them.

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"Kirkland arranged for the Oneida to receive schooling and provided them with modern carpentry and agricultural tools"

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An Oneida living historian gives a talk to visitors near the fort walls.
National Park Service

Compiled by Park Ranger William Sawyer

The Oneida were one of the individual Nations of the powerful Six Nations Confederacy. The "Oneida Carry," where Ft. Stanwix was built, was located in traditional Oneida lands. The modern village of Oneida Castle now occupies the area of one of the principal Oneida villages. As Ft. Stanwix was situated near the Oneida villages, the presence of Oneida in and about the fort became a common part of the garrison's life, both during the British and American occupations. Oneida would have been coming and going on business of trade, council, and providing information to the garrison.

Overall, the Six Nations were able to maintain their neutrality during most of the French and Indian War. As that conflict neared its end, the Confederacy formalized relations with the British to become allies. The American Revolution however, would exert pressures that the Six Nations could not survive. While the majority of the Confederacy ultimately chose to continue their support of England, most of the Oneida and some of their dependents, the Tuscaroras, chose to support the American cause. The alliance between the Six Nations and England had been largely due to the work of one man, Sir William Johnson. On the other hand, the alliance between the Oneidas and the Americans was due in part to one man, Rev. Samuel Kirkland.

Kirkland became the Oneida's missionary in 1766, and spent much of the rest of his life with them. Kirkland quickly immersed himself in the Oneida's lifestyle, making his religious duties an important part of their daily routine. Along with tending to his religious work, Kirkland also became a counselor and mediator in their local disputes. Kirkland arranged for the Oneida to receive schooling and provided them with modern carpentry and agricultural tools. Whenever possible, he provided the needy with food and clothing. In 1770, Kirkland aligned his ministry with a Boston based religious commission. This was to have a profound influence on the Oneida, as their attention was drawn closer to Boston and the political views and influence of the "Rebels" there. When England began warning the Six Nations not to listen to the words of the radical "Bostonians" (a term the British used to refer to anyone with patriot beliefs), it was difficult for the Oneida to comply. They simply could not believe that Kirkland and the others who brought so much good to them could truly be as evil as the British claimed. These beliefs helped lead the Oneida to support the American cause in the war.

Another factor that played into the Oneida's choice of allies was a loss of sovereignty under the British. In negotiations for the Boundary Line Treaty of 1768 (held at Ft. Stanwix), Sir William Johnson had overstepped his authority, finally wearing the Oneida down and gaining their assent to push the boundary line deep into Oneida land. Johnson also curtailed the Oneida's ability to become more self sufficient, such as refusing their request to have a blacksmith available at their villages to do on-site repairs.

With the lines now drawn and fighting begun, the Oneida became a valuable asset to the garrison at Ft. Stanwix. In fact, it was the Oneida themselves who were among the first to urge that the ruinous Ft. Stanwix be reoccupied. During the period that the Americans garrisoned the fort, the Oneida provided them with information, warriors, scouts, spies, and aided the troops in catching deserters.

From 1777 into early 1778, the Oneida were able to give the largest amount of physical support to the war. On August 6 th, a party of Oneida acting as scouts for Gen. Herkimer's militia force fought against American Loyalists and British allied Six Nations League members at the Battle of Oriskany. An Oneida War Chief, Han Yerry Tewahangarahken, his wife, Two Kettles Together, (Tyonajanegen) and son Cornelius particularly distinguished themselves. By the end of the battle, Han Yerry had killed nine of the enemy. During the latter stages of the Burgoyne Campaign, the Oneida provided 150 men to Gen. Horatio Gates' army. This group was successful in harassing British sentry posts and foraging parties. During the winter of 1777-78, the Oneida sent 50 men to serve with Washington's army at Valley Forge. An Oneida woman who accompanied them, known as Polly Cooper, became a cook for Gen. Washington for the winter. Along with providing service as scouts, these Oneida fought under Gen. Lafayette at the Battle of Barren Hill in May of 1778 before returning to their homes.

The Fort Stanwix Treaty of 1784
The National Archives

Due to the constant danger of reprisals against them by Six Nations members supporting the British, the Oneidas main contribution for the remainder of the war consisted of providing small numbers of men to act as guides, scouts, and couriers. At Ft. Stanwix, the Oneida were employed continuously at this work, as a record of receipts from Col. Gansevoort's papers bear out. Among other expenses recorded for 1778 are sums of money paid to the Oneida and Tuscarora for delivering messages and mail to various locations, including Albany. Also recorded is money paid to the Oneida and Tuscarora for scouting expeditions out to Oswego[i]. The Oneida were also engaged in raiding against their former Nation brethren, as the excerpts from the following letter will show:

From a letter to Gov. George Clinton dated Fort Schuyler, Sept. 28, 1778:
Gentlemen, on Fryday last arrived here the sachems & Warriors of the Oneida & Tuscarora Nations, their number upwards of One hunrd. After the usual formalities, they delivered themselves nearly as follows:
Brothers, we have now Taken the hatchet and burnt Unendello & a place called the Butter Nuts; we have brought five Prisoners from each of the above places. Our warriors were Particular that no hurt should be done to Women & Children; we Left four old men Behind who were no more able to go to War.... Last year we took up the Hatchet at Stillwater and we will now continue it in our hands.... Brothers, we deliver you six Prisoners, with whom you are to act as you Please. Brothers, you had a man scalped here sometime agoe. The Oneidas & Tuscaroras have taken revenge & have brought you some Slaves. We do not take Scalps. We hope you are now convinced of our Friendship towards you & your great Cause[ii].

It was as reluctant scouts that they served on the Clinton-Sullivan Expedition against the British-allied Six Nations in 1779. They also provided scouts and guides for the various militia forces countering the Indian/loyalist raids into the Mohawk Valley. Some accounts state that an Oneida warrior killed the infamous Tory, Walter Butler, at the Battle of West Canada Creek in November of 1781.

By the 1780's however, the Oneidas' support of the Americans had cost them a great deal. One of the principal Oneida villages was destroyed in 1780 and numerous Oneida moved to the area of Ft. Stanwix, or farther down to Schenectady for safety and subsistence. Some of this number, unable to withstand the continued persecution from the loyalists and other Six Nations groups, were forced to return their allegiance to England in order to save themselves and their families. The 13 States however, continued to consider the Oneida Nation as a whole their allies to the end of the war. In fact, the American force that attempted to capture Oswego in February of 1783 employed an Oneida warrior as their guide.

The end of the war came none too soon for the Oneida Nation. Their homes, fortunes and way of life had been completely destroyed by the fighting, and they had few resources to fall back on. It was not until 1794 that the U.S. Government provided any restitution to their former allies. A total of five thousand dollars was paid to those Oneida and Tuscarora who had lost homes and property due to their support of the American cause. Two examples of these claims are as follows[iii]:

Widow of Jacob Anenghrateni Cornelius Sug-go-yone-tau

4 Cows - 2 Horses 1 saddle horse, common size

1 Sett Horse tackling 4 brass sugar kettles

1 Sleigh, not shod 1 sleigh & harness, shod & 1 horse

3 Large Trunks 1 gun

1 Chest 2 trammels

12 pewter plates 1 large breeding sow(with small pigs)

1 Hand-Saw 1 Large English axe

2 Large brass kettles 1 small house of hewed logs

1 small ditto

6 painted Chairs

1 Unfinished framed house with

Two Chimneys

1 finished ditto one fire-place

Money however, could not replace a culture and a way of life that was now totally lost to the Oneida and their dependents. Those that survived the war not only had to rebuild their lives; but also had to do it according to the concepts and desires of their white neighbors. The effects of the war on the once proud Oneida Nation can be seen in remarks made by Joseph Brant and Samuel Kirkland. On visiting an Oneida village in 1784, Brant commented that "They are continually drunk with stinking rum." [iv] Kirkland noted in 1785 that the Oneidas had become "filthy, dirty, nasty creatures - a few families excepted" [v].

The worst was yet to come for the Oneida people. The end of the revolution allowed old divisions between the Matrons, Sachems and Warrior classes to resurface. These divisions made it difficult for the nation to stand united in the face of land hungry New York State. A provision of the 1784 Treaty of Fort Stanwix secured the Oneida and Tuscarora their traditional lands as America's allies; but the new government never enforced this part of the treaty. Starting in 1785, the State of New York entered into various treaty negotiations with the Oneidas in order to purchase land from them. The ruins of Ft. Stanwix served as the meeting place for one of these negotiations in 1788. This process eventually reduced the Oneidas' land holdings down to a small reservation of 32 acres near the modern City of Sherrill, NY.

By 1820, a large number of Oneida had migrated west to the Wisconsin area. In 1840 and 1845, two more groups of Oneida moved on to land they had purchased in Ontario, Canada. Due to these migrations, an additional rift developed within the Oneida nation between those that remained in New York and those that left. This break caused animosities between the groups that are still being felt to this day. The healing process is often a slow and painful road to travel for the survivors of any war. For the Oneida it is a journey that they are still undertaking, and one that may never come to a complete end.

Top of Page

Footnotes:

[i] Typed excerpts of the Gansevoort Military Papers located at Ft. Stanwix N.M., Rome, N.Y. Pg. 16.

[ii] Public Papers of George Clinton, vol. IV (Published by the State of New York) Pg. 131.

[iii] Anthony Wonderley transcriber, typed transcription of the Account of Losses Substained by the Oneidas &Tuscaroras, in consequence of their Attachment to the United States in the late Warlocated at Ft. StanwixN. M., Rome, N.Y. PP. 7 & 21.

[iv] Barbara Graymont, The Iroquois in the American Revolution (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1972, Pg. 286

[v] Ibid., Pg. 286.

Sources:

Gansevoort Military Papers. Typed excerpts of the original manuscript from the files of Fort Stanwix NM, Rome, NY. (Original in the collection of the New York Public Library)

Glatthaar, Joseph T. and Martin, James Kirby. Forgotten Allies: Oneida Indians and the American Revolution. New York: Hill and Wang. 2006.

Graymont, Barbara. The Iroquois in the American Revolution. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press. 1972.

"Indians at Fort Stanwix." Research for the NPS, Fort Stanwix NM Garrison Training Manual.

Public Papers of George Clinton, First Governor of New York 1777-95--1801-94 Vol IV. Albany: State of New York. 1900.

Wonderly, Anthony, transcriber. Account of Losses Sustained by the Oneidas & Tuscaroras, in consequence of Their Attachment to the United States in the Late War. From the files of Fort Stanwix NM, Rome, NY (original in the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society).

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The Oneida Nation in the American Revolution - Fort Stanwix National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Compiled by Park Ranger William Sawyer The Oneida were one of the individual Nations of the powerful Six Nations Confederacy. The "Oneida Carry," where Ft. Stanwix was built, was located in traditional Oneida lands. The modern village of Oneida Castle now occupies the area of one of the principal Oneida villages.

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"This was to have a profound influence on the Oneida, as their attention was drawn closer to Boston and the political views and influence of the "Rebels" there. When England began warning the Six Nations not to listen to the words of the radical "Bostonians" (a term the British used to refer to anyone with patriot beliefs), it was difficult for the Oneida to comply. They simply could not believe that Kirkland and the others who brought so much good to them could truly be as evil as the British claimed. These beliefs helped lead the Oneida to support the American cause in the war."

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An Oneida living historian gives a talk to visitors near the fort walls.
National Park Service

Compiled by Park Ranger William Sawyer

The Oneida were one of the individual Nations of the powerful Six Nations Confederacy. The "Oneida Carry," where Ft. Stanwix was built, was located in traditional Oneida lands. The modern village of Oneida Castle now occupies the area of one of the principal Oneida villages. As Ft. Stanwix was situated near the Oneida villages, the presence of Oneida in and about the fort became a common part of the garrison's life, both during the British and American occupations. Oneida would have been coming and going on business of trade, council, and providing information to the garrison.

Overall, the Six Nations were able to maintain their neutrality during most of the French and Indian War. As that conflict neared its end, the Confederacy formalized relations with the British to become allies. The American Revolution however, would exert pressures that the Six Nations could not survive. While the majority of the Confederacy ultimately chose to continue their support of England, most of the Oneida and some of their dependents, the Tuscaroras, chose to support the American cause. The alliance between the Six Nations and England had been largely due to the work of one man, Sir William Johnson. On the other hand, the alliance between the Oneidas and the Americans was due in part to one man, Rev. Samuel Kirkland.

Kirkland became the Oneida's missionary in 1766, and spent much of the rest of his life with them. Kirkland quickly immersed himself in the Oneida's lifestyle, making his religious duties an important part of their daily routine. Along with tending to his religious work, Kirkland also became a counselor and mediator in their local disputes. Kirkland arranged for the Oneida to receive schooling and provided them with modern carpentry and agricultural tools. Whenever possible, he provided the needy with food and clothing. In 1770, Kirkland aligned his ministry with a Boston based religious commission. This was to have a profound influence on the Oneida, as their attention was drawn closer to Boston and the political views and influence of the "Rebels" there. When England began warning the Six Nations not to listen to the words of the radical "Bostonians" (a term the British used to refer to anyone with patriot beliefs), it was difficult for the Oneida to comply. They simply could not believe that Kirkland and the others who brought so much good to them could truly be as evil as the British claimed. These beliefs helped lead the Oneida to support the American cause in the war.

Another factor that played into the Oneida's choice of allies was a loss of sovereignty under the British. In negotiations for the Boundary Line Treaty of 1768 (held at Ft. Stanwix), Sir William Johnson had overstepped his authority, finally wearing the Oneida down and gaining their assent to push the boundary line deep into Oneida land. Johnson also curtailed the Oneida's ability to become more self sufficient, such as refusing their request to have a blacksmith available at their villages to do on-site repairs.

With the lines now drawn and fighting begun, the Oneida became a valuable asset to the garrison at Ft. Stanwix. In fact, it was the Oneida themselves who were among the first to urge that the ruinous Ft. Stanwix be reoccupied. During the period that the Americans garrisoned the fort, the Oneida provided them with information, warriors, scouts, spies, and aided the troops in catching deserters.

From 1777 into early 1778, the Oneida were able to give the largest amount of physical support to the war. On August 6 th, a party of Oneida acting as scouts for Gen. Herkimer's militia force fought against American Loyalists and British allied Six Nations League members at the Battle of Oriskany. An Oneida War Chief, Han Yerry Tewahangarahken, his wife, Two Kettles Together, (Tyonajanegen) and son Cornelius particularly distinguished themselves. By the end of the battle, Han Yerry had killed nine of the enemy. During the latter stages of the Burgoyne Campaign, the Oneida provided 150 men to Gen. Horatio Gates' army. This group was successful in harassing British sentry posts and foraging parties. During the winter of 1777-78, the Oneida sent 50 men to serve with Washington's army at Valley Forge. An Oneida woman who accompanied them, known as Polly Cooper, became a cook for Gen. Washington for the winter. Along with providing service as scouts, these Oneida fought under Gen. Lafayette at the Battle of Barren Hill in May of 1778 before returning to their homes.

The Fort Stanwix Treaty of 1784
The National Archives

Due to the constant danger of reprisals against them by Six Nations members supporting the British, the Oneidas main contribution for the remainder of the war consisted of providing small numbers of men to act as guides, scouts, and couriers. At Ft. Stanwix, the Oneida were employed continuously at this work, as a record of receipts from Col. Gansevoort's papers bear out. Among other expenses recorded for 1778 are sums of money paid to the Oneida and Tuscarora for delivering messages and mail to various locations, including Albany. Also recorded is money paid to the Oneida and Tuscarora for scouting expeditions out to Oswego[i]. The Oneida were also engaged in raiding against their former Nation brethren, as the excerpts from the following letter will show:

From a letter to Gov. George Clinton dated Fort Schuyler, Sept. 28, 1778:
Gentlemen, on Fryday last arrived here the sachems & Warriors of the Oneida & Tuscarora Nations, their number upwards of One hunrd. After the usual formalities, they delivered themselves nearly as follows:
Brothers, we have now Taken the hatchet and burnt Unendello & a place called the Butter Nuts; we have brought five Prisoners from each of the above places. Our warriors were Particular that no hurt should be done to Women & Children; we Left four old men Behind who were no more able to go to War.... Last year we took up the Hatchet at Stillwater and we will now continue it in our hands.... Brothers, we deliver you six Prisoners, with whom you are to act as you Please. Brothers, you had a man scalped here sometime agoe. The Oneidas & Tuscaroras have taken revenge & have brought you some Slaves. We do not take Scalps. We hope you are now convinced of our Friendship towards you & your great Cause[ii].

It was as reluctant scouts that they served on the Clinton-Sullivan Expedition against the British-allied Six Nations in 1779. They also provided scouts and guides for the various militia forces countering the Indian/loyalist raids into the Mohawk Valley. Some accounts state that an Oneida warrior killed the infamous Tory, Walter Butler, at the Battle of West Canada Creek in November of 1781.

By the 1780's however, the Oneidas' support of the Americans had cost them a great deal. One of the principal Oneida villages was destroyed in 1780 and numerous Oneida moved to the area of Ft. Stanwix, or farther down to Schenectady for safety and subsistence. Some of this number, unable to withstand the continued persecution from the loyalists and other Six Nations groups, were forced to return their allegiance to England in order to save themselves and their families. The 13 States however, continued to consider the Oneida Nation as a whole their allies to the end of the war. In fact, the American force that attempted to capture Oswego in February of 1783 employed an Oneida warrior as their guide.

The end of the war came none too soon for the Oneida Nation. Their homes, fortunes and way of life had been completely destroyed by the fighting, and they had few resources to fall back on. It was not until 1794 that the U.S. Government provided any restitution to their former allies. A total of five thousand dollars was paid to those Oneida and Tuscarora who had lost homes and property due to their support of the American cause. Two examples of these claims are as follows[iii]:

Widow of Jacob Anenghrateni Cornelius Sug-go-yone-tau

4 Cows - 2 Horses 1 saddle horse, common size

1 Sett Horse tackling 4 brass sugar kettles

1 Sleigh, not shod 1 sleigh & harness, shod & 1 horse

3 Large Trunks 1 gun

1 Chest 2 trammels

12 pewter plates 1 large breeding sow(with small pigs)

1 Hand-Saw 1 Large English axe

2 Large brass kettles 1 small house of hewed logs

1 small ditto

6 painted Chairs

1 Unfinished framed house with

Two Chimneys

1 finished ditto one fire-place

Money however, could not replace a culture and a way of life that was now totally lost to the Oneida and their dependents. Those that survived the war not only had to rebuild their lives; but also had to do it according to the concepts and desires of their white neighbors. The effects of the war on the once proud Oneida Nation can be seen in remarks made by Joseph Brant and Samuel Kirkland. On visiting an Oneida village in 1784, Brant commented that "They are continually drunk with stinking rum." [iv] Kirkland noted in 1785 that the Oneidas had become "filthy, dirty, nasty creatures - a few families excepted" [v].

The worst was yet to come for the Oneida people. The end of the revolution allowed old divisions between the Matrons, Sachems and Warrior classes to resurface. These divisions made it difficult for the nation to stand united in the face of land hungry New York State. A provision of the 1784 Treaty of Fort Stanwix secured the Oneida and Tuscarora their traditional lands as America's allies; but the new government never enforced this part of the treaty. Starting in 1785, the State of New York entered into various treaty negotiations with the Oneidas in order to purchase land from them. The ruins of Ft. Stanwix served as the meeting place for one of these negotiations in 1788. This process eventually reduced the Oneidas' land holdings down to a small reservation of 32 acres near the modern City of Sherrill, NY.

By 1820, a large number of Oneida had migrated west to the Wisconsin area. In 1840 and 1845, two more groups of Oneida moved on to land they had purchased in Ontario, Canada. Due to these migrations, an additional rift developed within the Oneida nation between those that remained in New York and those that left. This break caused animosities between the groups that are still being felt to this day. The healing process is often a slow and painful road to travel for the survivors of any war. For the Oneida it is a journey that they are still undertaking, and one that may never come to a complete end.

Top of Page

Footnotes:

[i] Typed excerpts of the Gansevoort Military Papers located at Ft. Stanwix N.M., Rome, N.Y. Pg. 16.

[ii] Public Papers of George Clinton, vol. IV (Published by the State of New York) Pg. 131.

[iii] Anthony Wonderley transcriber, typed transcription of the Account of Losses Substained by the Oneidas &Tuscaroras, in consequence of their Attachment to the United States in the late Warlocated at Ft. StanwixN. M., Rome, N.Y. PP. 7 & 21.

[iv] Barbara Graymont, The Iroquois in the American Revolution (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1972, Pg. 286

[v] Ibid., Pg. 286.

Sources:

Gansevoort Military Papers. Typed excerpts of the original manuscript from the files of Fort Stanwix NM, Rome, NY. (Original in the collection of the New York Public Library)

Glatthaar, Joseph T. and Martin, James Kirby. Forgotten Allies: Oneida Indians and the American Revolution. New York: Hill and Wang. 2006.

Graymont, Barbara. The Iroquois in the American Revolution. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press. 1972.

"Indians at Fort Stanwix." Research for the NPS, Fort Stanwix NM Garrison Training Manual.

Public Papers of George Clinton, First Governor of New York 1777-95--1801-94 Vol IV. Albany: State of New York. 1900.

Wonderly, Anthony, transcriber. Account of Losses Sustained by the Oneidas & Tuscaroras, in consequence of Their Attachment to the United States in the Late War. From the files of Fort Stanwix NM, Rome, NY (original in the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society).

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The Oneida Nation in the American Revolution - Fort Stanwix National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Compiled by Park Ranger William Sawyer The Oneida were one of the individual Nations of the powerful Six Nations Confederacy. The "Oneida Carry," where Ft. Stanwix was built, was located in traditional Oneida lands. The modern village of Oneida Castle now occupies the area of one of the principal Oneida villages.

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His perspective was that he thought everyone should have freedom except slaves.

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"If you were that tall fellow back there, " I asked, "wouldn't you want to be free to live your own life?" "I don't like talking about this," he said. "But since you ask, no. If I were that fellow, I'd be happy for the food and clothes and good care my master gave me. I would know that God wanted me to be in bondage and I would not question His will."

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His perspective was helping the american army,win some land and weaken the english.

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He sent the supplies to drag out the war between England and america. He sent merica 4000 tents  30000 uniforms and 200 cannons he also sent hundreds of thousand of dollars in ¨secret loans¨ floridablanca also was careful not to give too much so mericans wouldnt get too powerful.

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his perspective was a soldier who enlisted in the war at 12 years old.
In ww1 he fought somme at 13.

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it was said that he fought at 13 and that was his last battle while he was in the war. His mom went to the war office to tell them about sidney. He returned even after he worked for bomb disposal service.
¨Private Sidney Lewis joined the East Surreys at Kingston in August 1915, aged 12, and fought on the Somme front for six weeks at the age of 13.¨

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A schoolboy who fought on the Somme after lying about his age has been declared the youngest authenticated combatant of the First World War.

Private Sidney Lewis joined the East Surreys at Kingston in August 1915, aged 12, and fought on the Somme front for six weeks at the age of 13. He was sent home in August 1916 after his mother contacted the War Office in London.

A letter addressed to Mrs Lewis on 23 August read: "I am directed to inform you that telegraphic instructions have been issued that he is to be at once withdrawn from the firing line and sent home for discharge.

"On his arrival in this country he will be discharged from the Army forwith."

Private Lewis appeared in newspapers at the time, but only now has his story been authenticated. After examining family papers donated last month by the soldier's only son, the Imperial War Museum (IWM) has declared Private Lewis the youngest First World War soldier.

The papers also show Private Lewis, of the Machine Gun Corps, was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.

Anthony Richards, head of documents and sound at the IWM, said: "This is certainly the youngest First World War soldier that we hold documents for in IWM's archives.

"His story is quite phenomenal - not only did he enlist at the age of 12 and fight on the Somme at the age of 13, but he returned to service at the end of the First World War and worked in bomb disposal during the Second World War.

"He was obviously a very tenacious man, and undeterred by his early experiences."
All images © Imperial War Museum

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Britain's youngest WW1 soldier was a boy aged 12

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A schoolboy who fought on the Somme after lying about his age has been declared the youngest authenticated combatant of the First World War. Private Sidney Lewis joined the East Surreys at Kingston in August 1915, aged 12, and fought on the Somme front for six weeks at the age of 13.

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The french perspective is that a weak Britain is the best and america can have their independence