1777: The Oneidas and the Birth of the American Nation

Oriskany, Fort Stanwix, Saratoga

The first to encounter the British force approaching Fort Stanwix on Aug. 2, 1777 was an Oneida named Te-ga-swe-an-ga-lo-lus (the Saw Mill), Christian name Paulus. In later years, he would become a sachem of the Bear clan and his would be one of the Oneida signatures on the treaty with the United States at Canandaigua in 1794. But that day he was a young boy, a teenager from a small Oneida village Oriska or Oriskany. His story was remembered and related years later like this:

Brant [Tayendanegea-- Joseph Brant] hailed him-- begged him to stop as he was in the act of retreating, pledging his honor that he should neither be hurt nor detained. So Paulus raised his gun & invited Brant to approach alone for an interview-- as they then would be on an equality. But he ordered Brant as he neared him to halt a few steps off-- still presenting his gun, with his finger on the trigger-- and bade Brant deliver whatever message he had to offer.

Brant insinuatingly offered him a large reward & aplenty as long as he should live, if he would only join the King's side & induce other Oneidas to do so, & help the British to take Fort Stanwix. Paulus firmly rejected any such blandishments, saying he and his brother Oneidas had joined their fortunes with those of the Americans, & would share with them whatever good or ill might come. Brant portrayed the great & resistless power of the King, and professed to deplore the ruin of the Oneidas if they should foolishly and recklessly persist in their determination.

Paulus replied that he & the Oneidas would persevere, if need be, till all were annihilated; and that was all he had to say when each retired his own way. As Paulus hastened to the fort & reached his fellow Oneida pickets, the enemy had run with equal speed, and had commenced firing on the opposite side of the fort while Paulus and his companions were entering on the other-- & had even to fight their way in. The British then began to dig to undermine the fort, to blow it up. Oneidas used to say, if they had not been there to aid in its defense, the fort might not have been saved."

A number of Oneidas were in the fort during the siege and, according to testimony given in 1877, "aided in driving off the British and Indians trying to undermine and blow up Fort Stanwix; Jacob Doxtator (son of Tehawengaragwen, see below) fought at the fort as did Clanis Kahiktoton who rendered "extraordinary service in going express from Fort Stanwix.

In the meantime, American volunteers of the Mohawk Valley (Tyron County Militia) were finally galvanized into action.ix to German Flatts ."  A tremendous slaughter of Americans occurred during the opening minutes of the Battle of Oriskany on Aug. 6, 1777. Those who remained alive gathered into a circle around the commander Herkimer where they fought heroically the rest of the day. That is were Oneidas were. That day they joined the war, fighting beside Herkimer's band.

Perhaps the most famous was Te-haw-en-ga-rag-wen (Man with Snow Shoes)-- another leader of the Oneida village at Oriskany usually called by English speakers Hanyerry or John Jury . Tehawengaragwen was remembered as a gentleman and fearless leader even though he was regarded as too old for military service. A contemporaneous newspaper reference to this battle describes:  

That this was Tehawengaragwen and his wife, Tyonajanegen, is confirmed by an account which originated with that lady:

Tehawengaragwen's half-brother, Tonyentagoyon (also called Platkopf and Henry Trathroop) also was another who fought heroically at Oriskany. In later years, Oneidas testified how this "very able warrior" had "particularly distinguished himself there -- went three times through the fight, fighting with his tomahawk in a hand-to-hand fight, knocking right and left -- a very famous warrior... Much hard hand-to-hand fighting -- Indians using spears and tomahawks."

Other Oneidas of the Oriska village known to have been present at this battle were Suggeyonetau and a man named Towauahnoet (called John Jonson). Another man named Songhowaut (Henry Smith) may have been there and the remarkable woman Tyonajanegen fought beside her husband Teharengaragwen. Later that day or the next, she rode east to the German Flatts spreading the sad news of the battle.

Meanwhile, another American force, a small one, was coming to the aid of the fort. Its commander, Benedict Arnold, was able to spread a rumor in the British camp to the effect that Americans were far closer and more numerous than they were. This rumor was spread with Oneida help and it was effective because the Loyalist Indians were disgruntled. They disliked and distrusted the English commander St. Leger who had come unprepared for a major siege. And the Senecas, especially, were dispirited from losses suffered in the Oriskany battle. The British force evaporated in a sudden and disorderly retreat.

General Arnold requested the "faithful Oneidas" to harry and hurry the British which they did, "adding to the panic and speed" of their withdrawal ." According to Samuel Kirkland, two other Oneidas named Shonoghlego and Thaahnyongo performed "an important piece ofservice" at this time.

The British drew off from Fort Stanwix on August 21. A month later, Oneida warriors gathered in Albany to take up the hatchet in the American cause; that is, to formally declare war. Immediately, they were asked to join the American army battling Burgoyne around Saratoga.

They did this, according to an American account, "with great alacrity, and with such dispatch as to reach General Gates before noon next day, and by night the remainder arrived at the camp, making in all near one hundred and fifty. They have already taken about 30 prisoners and intercepted some dispatches from Gen. Powel, commander at Ticonderoga."

After Oriskany and Fort Stanwix, the State of New York expressed its appreciation of the Oneidas: "Resolved that the Oneida Nation are the allies of this State and that we shall consider any attack upon them as an attack upon our own People." In December, the American Congress gratefully addressed the Oneidas in these terms:

That portion of the Oneida Nation which proffered its help to the United States during these crucial battles was not large -- perhaps 1,000 or fewer, counting everybody. It would be difficult to identify a group of comparable size anywhere who contributed more to American victory in 1777.