The only Iroquois tribe to side with Washington and saved them from starving at Valley Forge

The Oneida Indian Nation

Valley Forge nearly broke the Continental Army. Soldiers ate bark and left bloody footprints in the snow.

Then the Oneida arrived with 600 baskets of white corn and a woman named Polly Cooper who knew how to cook it. She stayed the entire winter, feeding and healing Washington’s men while refusing any payment.

Here’s the story of how one tribe’s loyalty helped save the Revolution, told today at Valley Forge National Historical Park.

Washington’s army limped into Valley Forge

Washington’s exhausted army reached Valley Forge on December 19, 1777, after losing battles at Brandywine and Germantown. The 12,000 men faced winter with only one-third having shoes, leaving bloody footprints in the snow as they marched.

Washington chose this spot eighteen miles from British-occupied Philadelphia because his men could watch enemy movements while holding defensible high ground.

Soldiers immediately began cutting trees to build log huts that would house twelve men each in cramped, cold conditions.

December snow buried the starving troops

The season’s worst snowstorm hit eight days after arrival, followed by freezing temperatures that dropped to six degrees. Supply lines had collapsed completely when Quartermaster General Thomas Mifflin resigned and Congress failed to replace him.

Soldiers huddled in drafty huts without adequate clothing, food, or medicine while Washington sent desperate letters describing men “without clothes to cover their nakedness.”

More than 2,000 would die from disease, exposure, and starvation before spring arrived.

Chief Skenandoah heard about the crisis

Word of Washington’s desperate situation reached Chief Skenandoah through missionary Samuel Kirkland, who had deep influence with the Oneidas. The tribe had enjoyed an abundant 1777 harvest, leaving surplus white corn in their villages while American soldiers starved.

As the only Iroquois nation supporting the Americans, the Oneidas felt obligated to help despite needing warriors at home to defend against pro-British tribal raids. Skenandoah arranged for 600 bushels of precious white corn to make the dangerous journey south.

Forty-seven warriors left for Pennsylvania

Polly Cooper joined forty-seven Oneida warriors departing their homeland on April 25, 1778, as cold April snow fell around them.

The expedition included fighters like Han Yerry, Sachem Thomas Sinavis, and Deacon Thomas as they loaded 600 baskets of white corn onto horses and wagons.

Their route would cover over 400 miles through territory controlled by hostile Mohawk, Seneca, and Cayuga warriors who had sided with the British. Every mile posed the risk of attack from former allies now turned enemies.

The dangerous trip took several weeks

Spring weather created additional challenges as snow gave way to muddy conditions that slowed the heavily loaded wagons. The Oneidas had to move carefully through regions where British-allied tribes regularly raided, making speed impossible but caution essential.

White corn required gentle handling because it provided superior nutrition compared to regular varieties, representing months of careful cultivation and storage. The journey tested both the warriors’ endurance and their commitment to America’s struggling cause.

Six hundred baskets reached the camp

The Oneida delegation arrived at Valley Forge in May 1778 just as Washington’s food shortages continued despite the approaching spring.

Artillery commander Henry Knox ordered a thirteen-gun salute while Washington personally welcomed the Native allies who had risked so much to help.

The timing proved critical because soldiers were still going hungry after months of inadequate supplies.

Washington immediately assigned the warriors as scouts for intelligence missions while Polly Cooper focused on the urgent task of feeding starving troops.

Soldiers almost poisoned themselves eating corn

Desperate soldiers grabbed handfuls of raw white corn when the Oneidas arrived, ready to eat anything that might fill their empty stomachs. Polly Cooper quickly intervened, explaining that uncooked white corn would swell in their stomachs and kill them.

Unlike familiar yellow corn, this white variety required extensive hulling, thorough rinsing, and lengthy cooking times before becoming safe to eat.

Cooper immediately set up a cooking area and began demonstrating the proper preparation techniques that would transform deadly kernels into life-sustaining nutrition.

Polly taught everyone how to cook

Cooper showed Continental soldiers and their wives the complex process needed to prepare white corn safely for consumption.

She demonstrated making nutritious corn soup mixed with nuts and fruits to enhance both flavor and nutritional value while teaching them to prepare corn bread and mush.

Sometimes she added wild strawberries found around Valley Forge to improve taste and boost morale among the weakened troops.

Her knowledge provided immediate relief while teaching essential skills that would sustain the army through the remaining weeks of winter.

Warriors joined Lafayette’s scouting mission

While Polly remained at Valley Forge perfecting her cooking instruction, the Oneida warriors received combat assignments with the Marquis de Lafayette’s reconnaissance force. Washington desperately needed intelligence about British movements around Philadelphia, particularly whether they planned to evacuate or launch spring attacks.

The Oneidas’ reputation as skilled scouts made them perfect for advance work, moving ahead of Lafayette’s 2,200-man force to detect enemy positions. Their experience in wilderness warfare would soon prove invaluable in preventing disaster.

Oneida scouts saved Lafayette’s entire force

Oneida scouts detected 5,000 British troops attempting to surround Lafayette’s smaller force at Barren Hill on May 20, 1778. The warriors immediately engaged advancing British cavalry with musket fire and arrows, creating enough confusion to buy precious time for American retreat.

Six Oneidas died in the fierce fighting, including respected Sachem Thomas Sinavis, and were later buried at St. Peter’s Church. Their sacrifice allowed Lafayette to escape with minimal casualties, preventing the loss of nearly one-fifth of Washington’s army in what could have been a devastating defeat.

Martha Washington gave Polly a shawl

Officers tried to pay Polly Cooper for her services, but she refused, saying it was simply her duty to help friends in need.

Martha Washington and other officers’ wives had noticed Cooper admiring a black shawl in a Philadelphia shop window during a visit to the city.

They quietly purchased the shawl and presented it to Cooper as a gesture of gratitude before her departure with the returning warriors.

The shawl remains with Polly Cooper’s descendants today, treasured as a symbol of the enduring alliance between the Oneida Nation and America.

Visiting Valley Forge National Historical Park

You’ll find the main museum exhibit in the visitor center, which includes hundreds of Revolutionary War artifacts and tells the winter encampment story.

Walk through reconstructed soldier huts that show where troops like those helped by Polly Cooper lived during the harsh winter.

Visit Washington’s preserved headquarters where he would have met with the Oneida delegation. The park has earthwork fortifications you can still see from when the army prepared defenses.

No special access procedures needed for these areas.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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