Polly Cooper

Polly Cooper as an Oneida woman who took part in an expedition to aid the Continental army during the American Revolution at Valley Forge in the winter campaign of 1777-78.

At Valley Forge

The harvest for the previous year among the Oneida's had produced an abudant amount of corn and knowing that George Washington and his army at Valley Forge were low on supplies, Chief Shenendoah send an expedition to help with the food shortage. [Joseph T. Glatthaar and James Kirby Martin, "Forgotten Allies: The Oneida and the American Revolution" (New York: Hill and Wang, 2006), 203.] Among them was one woman by the name of Polly Cooper. Cooper would also be among a group of people who would chose to stay behind and continue to help the American Army. ["Polly Cooper"]

She aided not only in caring for the many sickly soldiers but also taught them the nutritional and medicinal purposes of various foods. Most importantly, she showed them how to use hulled corn to make a soup that was an essential part of the Iroquois diet. [Glatthaar and Martin, "Forgotten Allies", 205.] Cooper was even known to walk among the soldiers during battle to provide water to the soldiers. Polly Cooper and the generous gift of the Oneida certainly helped lead to a victory by George Washington and his troops in leading the British out of Valley Forge and Pennsylvania. ["The Shawl of Polly Cooper."]

The Shawl of Polly Cooper

Despite her hard work, Cooper refused to be paid for her service. According to legend, one day the officer's wives took Cooper shopping in nearby Philadelphia. Though she had little interest in the items for sale and purchased nothing, the women took notice of a particular black shawl that Cooper admired. After informing their husbands, funds were appropriated by Congress for the shawl to be purchased and given to Cooper as a token of their gratitude. [Oneida Nation News] Another legend states that the shawl was given to Polly Cooper by Martha Washington herself. [Glatthaar and Martin, "Forgotten Allies," 208.]

Among the Iroquois tribes it was common to give gifts during an official agreement. The story of the shawl of Polly Cooper is an important one among the Oneida people as it symbolizes their relationship and loyalty to the development of the United States. Today, the shawl is a treasured artifact that remains with the descendants of Polly Cooper.

Polly Cooper continued to show her loyalty to the young United States when she served again as a cook during the War of 1812.

References

External links

* [http://oneida-nation.net/polly-cooper.html “Biography Polly Cooper”]
* [http://members.aol.com/jroache/fact076.html "Shawl of Polly Cooper"]
* [http://oneidanation.net/pressroom/epkamericanrevolution.cfm?key=2 "Oneida Nation News"]

Bibliography

Glatthaar, Joseph T. and James Kirby Martin. "Forgotten Allies: The Oneida Indians and the American Revolution". New York: Hill and Wang, 2006.