Oneida nation aids patriots at Barren Hill

Jim Bayne / Culpeper Star Exponent
Published: May 9, 2007

We have been struggling for our independence from British rule for more than two years now and formally declared our war of independence nearly 23 months ago.

During this struggle we have been fighting not only the British and their Hessian mercenaries but have also been set upon by most of the Indian nations who allied themselves with the British. A singular exception among the Seven Indian Nations has been our friends of the Oneida Nation.

From our declaration of independence on July 4, 1776 throughout 1777 and to the present the Oneida have provided warriors, scouts, spies and supplies to the cause. In August of 1777, the Oneida provided men to assist Gen. Herkimer's militia at the Battle of Oriskany in that engagement against the British and the Iroquois. Chief Han Yerry Tewahangarahken and his wife, Tyonajanegen, and his son served honorably in that engagement by dispatching several of the enemy personally. In the engagements against Gen. Burgoyne the Oneida provided many warriors to assist Gen. Gates. The Oneida had 50 warriors with us at Valley Forge.

Here in mid-May of 1778, we have recently learned from our network of spies that the British are about to debark Philadelphia and return to New York. General Washington has detached a force of some 2,100 men including the Oneida and Daniel Morgan's Virginia riflemen from the Valley Forge encampment and placed us under the command of Major Gen. de Lafayette.

Our orders are to gather information regarding the British intentions; to disrupt foraging parties they send forth and to remain mobile. We left Valley Forge on May 18; crossed the Schuykill River and then turned towards the south and proceeded to Barren Hill where Lafayette decided to establish a camp. We were about halfway between Philadelphia and Valley Forge. LaFayette placed our cannon facing south on the high ground and posted a strong force here. He sent another force south to Ridge Road and the Pennsylvania militia to hold the road leading west from White Marsh. These actions seemed to contradict Gen. Washington's instructions to remain mobile.

The following day we detected that the British were moving toward us with a force of some 5,000 men under Gen. James Grant. Unknown to us at the time the morning of May 20 found Grant splitting his forces with a strong force proceeding toward Ridge Road and another on the road leading from White Marsh. They were attempting to encircle us and force our backs against the Schuykill River.

LaFayette had assigned the responsibility for picket duty on Ridge Road to Captain McLane and McLane had Morgan's Virginia riflemen and the Oneida with him. Early on the morning of May 20 our pickets encountered the lead elements of the British forces moving against us. McLane was away from our position when the encounter commenced and command had fallen to Captain Parr. Parr advanced with the Oneida and Morgan's men and attacked the British not realizing at the time that this was the lead element of a major force.

The British formed their battle line and commenced a deadly fire. We fought furiously for a short time and then hearing gun fire from a distance, Parr realized that the main body of British was nearing us so he ordered us to retreat quickly. We retreated across Matson's Ford with our rear being protected by the Oneida. No sooner had we safely crossed than the Oneida went to Parr and volunteered to cross back over Matson's Ford and engage the British again.

The time bought for LaFayette by the action of this small force of Oneida and Morgan's riflemen enabled LaFayette, who now realized that the British were about to encircle his forces, to move the rest of his force away from Barren Hill via a road (unknown to the British) to Matson's Ford and across the Schuykill River and thus escape the encirclement the British attempted.

We escaped what could have been an utter disaster had the British plans not been thwarted by this small group of Oneida warriors, the Virginia riflemen, and those other patriots who stood against the British at Barren Hill.

Jim Bayne is immediate past president of the Virginia Society, Sons of the American Revolution. He can be reached at .