Polly Cooper was an Oneida woman from the New York colony who took part in an expedition to aid the starving

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. She was among 47 Oneida and Seneca people who carried bushels of corn to

Valley Forge Valley Forge was the winter encampment of the Continental Army, under the command of George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. The Valley Forge encampment lasted six months, from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778. It was the t ...

from late April into May 1778. She taught them how to make a soup with the corn, nuts, and fruits to increase its nutritional value. Not wanting to be paid for her service, she was presented with a black shawl, which has been esteemed by Cooper and the Oneida people. It has been loaned to the Oneida Nation Cultural Center. Cooper is depicted in a bronze statue, "Allies in War, Partners in Peace", made by Edward Hlavka. It is on display at the

National Museum of the American Indian The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers. The museum has three ...

of the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

American Revolution

The Oneida had a friendly relationship with

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

and his army. They supported the American cause due to the leadership of the

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

preacher,

Samuel Kirkland Samuel Kirkland (December 1, 1741 – February 28, 1808) was a Presbyterian minister and missionary among the Oneida and Tuscarora peoples of central New York State. He was a long-time friend of the Oneida chief Skenandoa. Kirkland graduated ...

and their disdain for the British appointed native superintendents, Sir William Johnson and his son-in-law Guy Johnson. The Oneida and Tuscarora people played a significant role in the

. They fought and died with the

, they were scouts, and they provided intelligence of British troop movements during the war. Doing so meant that they fought against the other nations of the

Iroquois Confederacy The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...

who sided with the British. In 1777, the Seneca, some Mohawk, and Cuyoga officially chose to fight with the British.

Valley Forge

On April 25, a group of forty-seven Oneida and Seneca men, along with Polly Cooper, left with

Louis de Tousard Louis de Tousard (1749–1817) was a French artillerist who served in the American Continental Army under La Fayette, and later was given a US commission. Tousard wrote two very influential books: one was a proposal for a school for officers that ...

, carrying bushels of corn and supplies to assist Washington at

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. They walked through cold weather and deep snow to reach the soldiers who were starving and dying of exposure. They arrived in May 1778. Cooper taught the

soldiers how to make the native's hulled corn soup, mixed with nuts and fruits to improve its nutritional quality. Cooper stayed to care for ill soldiers. She also became Washington's cook.

The shawl

The Continental Army tried to pay Polly Cooper for her valiant service, but she refused any recompense, stating that it was her duty to help her friends in their time of need. According to Oneida oral tradition, Cooper was given a bonnet and a dark shawl by

Martha Washington Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 2, 1731 Old Style, O.S. – May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, who was the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, she served as the ...

, who was at the encampment until June. The shawl is still in the care of the Cooper descendants and is in nearly perfect condition. It has been loaned for display on special occasions at the Shako:wi, The Oneida Nation Cultural Center.

After the war

After the war, the Oneida clans lost most of their land. The Oneida people's role in American history has been understated or forgotten for two centuries. According to Carlton E. Spitzer, modern television documentaries generally exclude the roles that Native Americans and Black Americans played in the colonial war. In 2001, Valley Forge was replacing the film it shows visitors with one that reflects the role Native Americans and black soldiers played in America's history.

Legacy

* The Polly Cooper Chapter of the

National Society Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a Genealogy, lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a Patriot (American Revolution), patriot of t ...

is located in

Chappaqua Chappaqua ( ) is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place in the administrative divisions of New York#Town, town of New Castle, New York, New Castle, in Northern Westchester, northern Westchester County, New York, Westchester Cou ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. * In 2004, the

Oneida Indian Nation The Oneida Indian Nation (OIN) ( ) is a federally recognized tribe of Oneida people in the United States. The tribe is headquartered in Verona, New York, where the tribe originated and held territory prior to European colonialism, and continues ...

commissioned a bronze statue by sculptor, Edward Hlavka to share the oral tradition of Polly Cooper. The twenty-two foot tall, 2,200 pound monument "Allies in War, Partners in Peace" was gifted to the

and is displayed on the Oneida floor. It depicts Polly Cooper carrying a basket of corn with Chief Skenandoa, General

, and two Oneidas at

. Skenandoa represents the warriors who fought with the patriots during the Revolutionary War. * In 2005, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Oneida County Historical Society.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Polly Oneida people Iroquois women Native American people in the American Revolution Women in the American Revolution Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown Native American women in warfare People of New York (state) in the American Revolution 18th-century Native American women 18th-century American women 18th-century Native American people