Last time we shared the story of Molly Brant, participant in the War for Independence on the side of the British. This time we will share the stories of two women who fought with the Americans.
For many, our stories of indigenous women who fought for the Americans may seem contradictory. We have explained in previous posts how the Native Americans were so mistreated by the US government. The Americans began taking the land from the tribal peoples as soon as they began colonizing. Sometimes they purchased the land; many times, they took it dishonestly or illegally. Why would a Native American woman want to fight for a government that defrauded their tribe and changed the lives of her people forever?
Through the years however some indigenous women have chosen to “carry an American flag” even though their lands were taken from them. Natalie Holt Breen (Abenaki) says that the flag now “represents the people. We proudly serve to support the strength of our people. And that goes beyond just the people in our own tribes.”[1]
Natalie emphasizes something that we have demonstrated with our last few posts – the highest honor in Native American culture is to be a warrior. We think of warriors dressed up with skins and war paint and riding on horses to defend their tribe. Some of today’s warriors fight for the US military. They are also protecting their cultures, their traditions, their families, their youth, and their communities.
Inez Sanchezolmos (Northern Arapaho) explains that “It’s not just one thing you’re protecting. It may be an idea. It may be people. It may be the future.” Inez decided to enlist in the military after the September 11 attacks. “It was because of patriotism. It was much bigger than the idea of us versus them. It became all of us, Americans, versus them.”[2]
For these women the key is service. It’s more than the flag: it’s knowing that they performed their duties alongside many others to protect society. Each woman must decide for herself where she wants to serve. We honor the ones like Molly who remained loyal to the king, we honor the women like Sarah and Polly who wanted to fight with the Americans, and we honor the women who have divided loyalties.
Sarah Martin -Tyonajanegen— “Two Kettles Together” (Oneida, c. 1738-1833?)
The majority in the Oneida nation decided to side with the Americans during the War for Independence. As we learned in our last post, the tribes had a tough decision to make about which side to help – the Americans (also called rebels or patriots depending on whose side you were on) or the British (also called the Loyalists or Patriots if you believed in staying committed to the king). The Six Nations had had a confederacy for centuries and the war caused dissention. [3]
Nothing was recorded about Sarah Martin’s early life. She married Han Yerry Tewahangarahken or “He Who Takes Up the Snow Shoe” in the 1750/s. They had three sons and a daughter. When the war started they were living in the Oneida village of Oriska. They had a prosperous farm, raising hogs, horses, and chickens. The Europeans called her Two Kettles Together.
After the British Siege of Fort Schuyler in 1777, the Oneida began to actively aid the Americans. During the siege Han Yerry and Two Kettles escaped and made their way through the British lines to warn the other tribes that the British troops were preparing for battle. They joined with American General Herkimer’s militia.
On August 6, General Herkimer marched to Ft. Schuyler. During the battle Two Kettles fought at her husband’s side. She fired her own pistols until Han Yerry was shot in the wrist. After that she loaded his pistols for him. The result of the battle was inconclusive. Known as an excellent rider, Two Kettles was tasked with riding her horse into the valley after the battle to warn the tribes to be prepared to take care of the wounded who would be returning.
Later in the fall, Han Yerry and Two Kettles and a group of Oneidas joined the Americans in the battle at Saratoga. Han Yerry’s wound was not healed so Two Kettles again assisted him. Taking advantage of her horsemanship, the general used her to act as a messenger. She was rewarded by Colonel Gansevoort at Ft. Schuyler with three gallons of rum for her winter’s supply for her family.
Her last recorded service was on August 14, 1781. Two Kettles and some other women were protecting a homestead at Fort Timmerman. The Oneida warriors were away pursuing a group of raiders. A force of about 150 Loyalists and British attacked the homestead. Two Kettles and the women drove them off.
Han Yerry accompanied Lafayette to Valley Forge to join up with General George Washington in 1778. Washington had asked for their assistance. They brought arms, horses, and corn.
There is little more recorded about Two Kettles. Some say that she lost her eyesight. One source says she died in 1824; others say around 1833. Either way, she would have lived a long life. Han Yerry may have passed in the 1790’s, still actively running their farm. She is remembered as a loyal patriot by Americans and the Oneida.
Polly Cooper, Oneida Nation
I can’t help wondering if Polly Cooper and Sarah Martin knew each other. They were in the same tribe and Polly accompanied Oneida warriors, including Sarah’s husband Han Yerry, to Valley Forge. Sarah apparently stayed at home to care for their four children. Polly went with the men to aid General Washington and the suffering soldiers at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78.
We don’t have many more details about her life. The soldiers did not mention Polly in their memoirs. Maybe they just overlooked her. But she was very important to the survival of the starving men. They had received some corn but did not know how to cook it properly. The Indian white corn had thick hulls, unlike sweet corn. It could not be digested unless rinsed and cleaned properly before cooking.
Once properly prepared, many sorts of meals can be cooked- mush, corn bread, and corn soup. Polly would have added berries and nuts for more flavor and nutrition. These hearty hot meals would have been a real morale booster for the men living on short rations.
The Oneida’s aided Washinton in one battle. Several important men died and two were captured and stripped of their belongings. General Washington changed his mind about using the Oneida in combat and gave the rest of the Oneida’s leave to return home where they were needed to protect their families. They returned home in July.
Though we don’t know anything more about Polly, there remains an artifact that is proven to have belonged to her. Polly had refused to take payment for her service in the war. The Americans gave her a gift instead.
The story goes that some soldiers’ wives took her shopping in Philadelphia after returning home. They noticed her looking at a beautiful shawl in a window. One account says that Martha Washington purchased the shawl for Polly out of gratitude for what she did for the American soldiers.[4] A few weeks later a package arrived for Polly with the shawl and a bonnet. The bonnet has disappeared but the shawl remains in the possession of Polly’s descendants.
The material of the shawl is very unique. Various conjectures have included horse hair, silk, and very fine wool. The Oneida people protect the shawl because it symbolizes the importance of the pact between the Oneida’s and the Americans. It is a memorial to the sacrifices that the Oneida made in the war.
In 2004 a sculpture was completed of Polly Cooper standing with General George Washington and Chief Shenandoah.
[1] From “Native American Women Warriors: A Sisterhood Bonded through Service”. Naomi Skiles, August 6, 2024. https://festival.si.edu/blog/native-american-women-warriors
[2] Ibid.
[3] The Six Nations, also called the Iroquois Confederacy, are made up of Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora. They are known as the oldest participatory democracy. Some consider their Great Law of Peace to have influenced the US Constitution. Like many tribes they were matrilineal with many women exercising power even as chiefs.
[4] This story from: “The Polly Cooper Shawl: Testimony to a Pact of the Revolutionary War”, February 5, 2023. https://www.oneidaindiannation.com/the-polly-cooper-shawl-testimony-to-a-pact-of-the-revolutionary-war
