"Oneida" Topic

"The Oneida are one of the Six Nations Iroquois (Haudenosaunee), and the only one that openly declared its support for the American Revolution. In describing the group's support of the revolution, George Washington explained that, "The Oneidas have manifested the strongest Attachment to us throughout this Dispute."1 The Oneida provided American forces with troops and spies throughout the Revolution, beginning at the Battle of Oriskany in New York's Mohawk Valley August 1777.

Initially, the Oneida remained neutral, though they were sympathetic to the American cause, partly because of their friendship with the patriot missionary Samuel Kirkland described by Washington as having "an uncommon Ascendency over them."2 The sympathy Kirkland evoked turned into outright support when the British told the Oneida that General Barry St. Leger would march a combined force of British and American loyalist soldiers through the Oneida lands to attack Fort Schuyler, where he hoped to join forces with General John Burgoyne. The Oneida did not believe themselves to be subservient to either the British or their Mohawk allies, and so the Oneida saw St. Leger's action as an offence they were honor-bound to oppose…"
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Amicalement
Armand

"The Battle of Oriskany, named after the nearby river, was one of the bloodiest battles in the Revolution."

Discuss.

My understanding was that the Oneida attended Washington's camp at Valley Forge because of a personal bond of friendship with Lafayette, formed when he visited them early in 1778. In May a party of 50 arrived in the American camp, acted as scouts under McLane in Lafayette's Barren Hill manoeuvre and by mid-June were heading back north to defend having got word of an imminent attack on their territory.

As the article indicates, the Oneida suffered because of their choice of alliance. Aa did the rest of the Iroquois, however.

Thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand