Revolutionary War Native American
Native Americans Serving the Colonials
in the American Revolution
Many Native Americans participated in the American
Revolution. However, the vast majority of these warriors
sided with the British. There are several reasons for this.
Two of the central reasons native Americans fought on
behalf of the British were the British ability to supply
the Indians with trade goods, including silver and
weapons, and a shared goal of defeating the colonist
who the natives viewed as invaders.
There is evidence of a handful of tribes who sided with
the colonist. One of the outstanding examples is the
Stockbridge Indians. The Stockbridge Indians were of
Mohican heritage. They had moved to northern New
York State from Stockbridge, Massachusetts before
the French and Indian War. They fought for the British
in the French and Indian war. In particular, they had
worked with Rodger’s Rangers, forming a company
in that unit. In the conflict they were known as skilled
scouts, warriors, and light infantry.
When conflict erupted between the British and the
colonials the Stockbridge Indians sided with the
Americans. They were the first tribe to pledge loyalty
to the American cause.
They declared: “Wherever your armies go, there will
we go. You shall always find us by your side. And, if
providence calls us to sacrifice our lives in the field of
battle, we will fall where you fall, and lay our bones
by yours. Nor shall peace ever be made between our
nation and the Redcoats until our brothers the white
people lead the way.”
The Stockbridge Indians served the Americans loyally.
And their service was noted for skill and gallantry.
Illustrations
This page offers two illustrations of a Stockbridge
Indian based upon the first-hand account of a
German Hessian Jager Captain serving with the
British during the American Revolution. Captain
Johann Ewald noted that the Stockbridge Indian was
wearing a straw hat made of woven basswood bark,
with a ribbon as a hatband. The moccasins were
made of deerskin. The trousers and shirt were both
of natural colored rough linen. The shirt was worn
almost to the knees. The belt held pouches for shot
and powder, as well as knives and hatchets.
Weapons
There are no contemporary accounts of the muskets
carried by the Stockbridge Indians. However, the
weapon pictured in the modern interpretation of
Captain Ewald’s sketch is likely accurate. I base this
upon the tribe’s participation in the French and
Indian War. The musket pictured is a French weapon,
likely a 1728 or 1746 service musket. It is plausible
that the tribe captured these muskets during the
conflict and still had them in their possession at the
start of the American Revolution.
Visually the 1728 and 1746 muskets are virtually the
same. The main difference is manufacturing changes
that the French made in 1746.
1728 French Infantry Musket
On January 25, 1717, the French issued regulations that set forth production on the first
standardized French military longarm. Approximately 48,000 of these muskets were
produced before production ceased in favor of the model 1728 musket. The stock, lock, and
barrel of the 1728 musket are basically the same as the 1717. The major cosmetic change was
the replacement of stock retaining pins in favor of three stock bands. Nearly 400,000 model
1728 muskets were produced. Many of these weapons were sent to North America to be
used in the French and Indian War. There is also strong documentation to support the fact
that many of these weapons continued to be used by colonials and their allies through the
American Revolution.