Dartmouth, the city in England that is often credited with starting the Industrial Revolution. And then there's Dartmouth
College, founded in New England. It’s purpose was to educate and
Christianize Indians. “The Royal
Governor of New Hampshire, John Wentworth, provided the land upon which
Dartmouth would be built and on December 13, 1769, conveyed the charter from King
George III establishing the College. That charter created a college “for the
education and instruction of Youth of the Indian Tribes in this Land … Named
for William Legge, the Second Earl of Dartmouth – an important supporter of
Eleazar Wheelock’s mission efforts – Dartmouth is the nation’s ninth oldest
college” (official history of Dartmouth College). Hamilton-Oneida
Academy, now Hamilton College had the same mission. So did numerous Bible Societies throughout
the colonies. And what did they get? 600 bushels of corn. Let me explain.
In the fall of 1776, Washington was
on the run. As winter set in, what was left of his army settled in Valley
Forge, Pa., across the Delaware River from British forces in New Jersey. A man by the name of John Honeyman, Irish by birth, distinguished in the French and
Indian War for his valour, lived there as cattleman and butcher. Honeyman would
have been the perfect English sympathizer.
Indeed he had a recommendation from General Wolfe to be his
bodyguard. But he became secretly
committed to the cause of Independence. So Gen. George Washington, a master of
espionage, had him slip across the river, re-establish his butchering business
while widely proclaiming his support of the Brits. It was so convincing that
some patriots even burned his house in Griggstown. John watched the Hessians settle in for the
winter in Trenton, fed them lots of beef and saw them party hard and get drunk before
Christmas. Christmas was a big celebration for German Hessians. Slipping back
across the river he told Washington, now was his chance to catch them
off-guard. And so, Washington planned
his attack. But as the Continentals were
landing stealthily near Trenton, a British sentry discovered them and sent a
note to British Colonel Rall that attack was coming. Rall just stuck the note in his pocket
without looking at it. Why? Because
Honeyman had told them that Washington’s rebellion was dying, soldiers
deserting, and starving. No danger. Washington’s surprise at Trenton was a
stunning victory and kept his army from disbanding.
But his troops still had to survive
the winter. The hardship is
legendary. How did it turn out? Late in
the winter, Han Yerry Teewahangarahken
(whew! I thought my last name was long!), an Oneida chieftain of tremendous
gallantry during the war, had influenced his nation early-on to become the
first allies of the colonists. Though he
saw the Oneida way of life irretrievably changing with the coming of the
settlers, he had been to Dartmouth, taken classes, and become a Puritan
(Congregationalist) Christian. While England
demanded Christian loyalty to a far-off archbishop, Congregationalists were
home-governed, and Han Yerry wanted all his fellow tribesmen to become Congregationalist
Christians, because then they could still rule themselves and pursue an Oneida
version of the True Faith. So when Han
Yerry heard that Washington was in trouble in Valley Forge, he organized about
100 Oneidas to rescue the effort by bringing 600 bushels of corn. They snuck in
through the mountains that Indians knew well.
At this point, the Continental Congress didn’t have any suppliers other
than what Washington could find for himself.
Han Yerry’s corn saved the day.
Honeyman and Han Yerry had been for
a long time, disputed and undisclosed heroes.
Honeyman left no records, like a keen spy. But a letter and payment, after the war from
George Washington, in recognition of his effort, has now been found. Han Yerry was well-known and celebrated, but
only in Oneida circles. Historians were
slow to recognize his historic role, both in rescue of Valley Forge and his
valour in later battles.
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