Polly Cooper was an

Oneida Oneida may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Oneida people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy * Oneida language * Oneida Indian Nation, based in New York * Oneida Na ...

woman from the New York colony who took part in an expedition in 1777 to aid the

Continental army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

. Troops were camped at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in winter quarters during 1777–78.

Contributions to the American Revolution

Cooper and other

natives walked hundreds of miles to carry hundreds of bushels of white corn to the starving

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

. She stayed with the

for a period to teach the soldiers how to prepare the white corn, which needed a different cooking technique for digestion. In addition, she aided with herbal supplements and medical care.

Alliance

The

Oneida Indian Nation The Oneida Indian Nation (OIN) or Oneida Nation 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 its historic territory long before Europea ...

had a friendly relationship with George Washington and his army which important information in order to understand Polly Cooper’s story. The

supported the American cause due to the leadership of the Congregational preacher,

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

and their disdain for the British appointed native superintendents,

Sir William Johnson Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet of New York ( – 11 July 1774), was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Ireland. As a young man, Johnson moved to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Royal Na ...

and his son in law Guy Johnson. On April 25th, a group of forty-seven Indian men and 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 to assist Washington at Valley Forge.

After the War

After the war, the

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. Cooper was gifted a black shawl that she saw on display in a store window. Congress appropriated money for the shawl and it was given to her for her services as a cook for the officers of the army. The shawl is still in the care of the Cooper descendants and is in nearly perfect condition. It has been loaned for display at the Shako:wi, The Oneida Nation Cultural Center.

Legacy

The Polly Cooper Chapter of the

National Society Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promot ...

is located in Chappaqua,

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

. In 2004, the

commissioned a bronze statue by sculptor, Edward Hlavka in order to share the oral tradition of Polly Cooper. The twenty-two foot tall, 2,200 pound monument was gifted to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian and is displayed on the Oneida floor. In 2005, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Oneida County Historical Society.
Polly Cooper: Oneida Heroine", Oneida Indian Nation

References

*Glatthaar, Joseph T. and James Kirby Martin. ''Forgotten Allies: The Oneida Indians and the American Revolution''. New York: Hill and Wang, 2006. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Polly Oneida people Native Americans 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