Brothertown Warriors Who Fought For Freedom – American Revolution

A history of our ancestors….

While the Patriots had relatively little success in counteracting these British alliances with many of the Indian nations, most notably the Iroquois and Cherokee, they were successful in attaining their own allies.

The first official commitment to employing Native Americans by Congress was on May 25, 1776, when it resolved “That the Commander in Chief be authorized and instructed to employ in the Continental Armies a number of Indians not exceeding _______” (the number to be employed was agreed upon in June 1776 when Congress set the number “not exceeding two thousand men”). Following the call for allies, Congress relied upon the “New England Indians, [who] supported their colonial neighbors,” such as the Penobscot, Nova Scotia, Mashantucket, Pequot, Brotherton, and St. Johns.  On July 8, 1776, Congress resolved that Washington had permission “to call to our Aid so many of…” these New England Indians. (Passage taken from “‘Rebels and Indians’: The Participation of and Relationship between Native Americans and the American Patriots during the Revolutionary War 1775-1783 – by Bryan Rindfleisch, 2007)

An Important occurrence of Brothertown history happened in February of 1776 in a letter from George Washington to Joseph Johnson.  Taken from the National Archives, the letter begins:

“Sir,

I am very much pleased to find by the Strong recommendations you produce, that we have amongst our Brothers of the Six Nations a person who can explain to them, the Sense of their Brothers, on the dispute between us and the Ministers of Great Britain; you have seen a part of our Strength, and can inform our Brothers, that we can withstand all the force, which those who want to rob us of our Lands and our Houses, can send against us… You can read the entire correspondence here…

Take a moment this 4th of July to remember our Brothertown ancestors who helped create and forge this new nation with their sacrifice,

The known names of our ancestors include (Their names have been proudly placed on our Veteran Memorial Wall (view here…):

The Revolutionary War (1775-1783):

1. John Adams
2. Samuel Adams
3. Solomon Adams
4. Timothy Brushel
5. Andrew Currycomb
6. Christopher Harry
7. Joseph Johnson
8. Daniel Mossuck
9. James Niles
10. Thomas Occom
11. David Occom
12. Thomas Patchauker
13. John Paul
14. Abraham Simons
15. Emanuel Simons
16. James Simons
17. John Skeesuck
18. Benjamin Toucee
19. Roger Wauby

“We Keep a Fire For the Dead”

“Nuwacônumumun yoht wáci napukak”

We keep a fire for the dead whose spirits walk before us

Who, shoes exchanged for eagle’s wings, now sing angelic chorus

Though they no longer walk the land in Brothertown today

Our hearts remain forevermore where’er our brethren lay

~Brothertown Citizen