Compiled by Park Ranger William Sawyer
https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-oneida-nation-in-the-american-revolution.htm
About the Author
KAREN KAY/GEN BAILEY/GENNY COTHERN
Bestselling author of Native American Historical Romance, KAREN KAY is a multi-published author of romance and adventure in the Old West. She has been praised by reviewers and fans alike for bringing insights into the everyday life of the American Indian culture of the past.
As Reviewer, Suzanne Tucker, once wrote, “Ms. Kay never fails to capture the pride, the passion and the spirit of the American Indian…"
KAREN KAY's great grandmother was Choctaw, and she is adopted Blackfeet. Ms. Kay is honored to be able to write about the rich culture of a people who gave this country so much.
“With the power of romance, I hope to bring about an awareness of the American Indian’s concept of honor, and whatit meant to live as free men and free women. There are some things that should never be forgotten.”
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Find Karen Kay online at: https://www.novels-by-karenkay.com
GLOSSARY
Because there are a few words I use in this story which might be unfamiliar, I am including this glossary for your ease in reading.
Fort Stanwix:This is a fort that was established during the French and Indian War. It was abandoned after the war, and because of its strategic position on what was known as the Oneida Carry, it was quickly rebuilt in 1777 to secure the Patriots’ position. Here, the Patriots could keep the enemy from going farther west. For a very good history of the fort, please see this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKLwR3Y1EBAIt is a short video of nine minutes and fifty-one seconds by Local NY History.
Nyoh:An Iroquois word meaning “yes.”
Nyuh—weh: An Iroquois word meaning “thank you.”
The Iroquois:A confederation of originally five tribes of Indians—the Mohawks, the Oneida, the Seneca, the Onondaga and the Cayuga. But, in 1722, the Tuscarora joined the confederation under the protection and guidance of the Oneidas, making the confederation six tribes. The Iroquois called their confederation the Haundenosaunee (HO-din-o-SHO-nee). Its land included most of upstate New York and extended west into the Ohio Valley and north to what is known in the present day as Ontario and Quebec, and it extended south to Virginia and Kentucky. Their confederation was established probably around 1142 by a celestial event; there are some whosay it was formed later in the 1600’s or even the 1400’s. However, at the time the first settlers met the Iroquois in the 1600’s, their confederation was known to be ages old—a time so old, it was “time out of mind,” making this confederacy most likely the longest living republic in our known history. Under their laws, no man could tell another man what to do, and, in addition, the power of the confederacy was held by the elder women of the tribe, who could remove any man from power if he misbehaved or started using his position to bring gain to himself or his family. The confederacy is known to have greatly influenced Benjamin Franklin and others of the Founding Fathers when they were putting pen to their own constitution after the American Revolution.
Who’s Who and the Author’s Inspirations for this Story
I hope you enjoyed the story,Freeing Miss Abagail,and, here at the end of the story, I thought I’d tell a little bit about a few of the main characters and what inspired me to write about them.
Mr. Wilson: The character of Mr. Wilson is inspired by the real -life, James Wilson, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. It was he, after all, who, when the vote for independence needed one more vote, decided to part from his other Pennsylvania colleagues and vote, to everyone’s surprise, for the side of freedom.
Skenandoah: Now, the next character I would like to tell you about is the hero of this story, Skenan, a short version of Skenandoah, sometimes written as Shenandoah. Skenantakes his name from the real-life Skenandoah, who helped and fought alongside the Patriots during the Revolutionary War. It was Chief Skenandoah and his many followers, including Polly Cooper, who joined Skenandoah and his men to help bring food to George Washington’s starving troops at Valley Forge. Polly Cooper came along because she was fearful the soldiers would not know how to cook the corn so that it was nourishing. The corn, you see, was dry, and if not cooked properly would have brought about stomach problems because it would have expanded in the stomach and intestines.
Now, it was quite a journey that Skenandoah made. It was over a hundred miles to Valley Forge where George Washington’s troops were near to starving during a particularly harsh winter. And, Skenandoah and his men accomplished the trip on foot, bringing aid to George Washington and his troops when it was sorely needed.
I wanted the hero of this story to be named after a Patriot, and, to me, the real-life Skenandoah was a man of empathy and integrity who did what he could to help the Patriots to throw off the chains of the English king.
Abagail: Next is my heroine, Abagail. For this patriotic heroine, I chose Abigail Adams, deliberately misspelling the name for what I consider to be a good reason. In most of my books, I usually name the heroine of the story after a friend whom I admire greatly. And, I almost always misspell the name so my friend can remain private if she so chooses.
I came to know Abigail Adams from her letters of encouragement to John Adams during the American War for Independence. Her letters were insightful and intelligent, and were written so as to aid her husband in his endeavors to free the country from tyranny. Her part in the War for Independence is legendary.
And, here at the last, let me tell you about the inspiration of using trees as a means of escape for the hero and heroine when Abagail was being chased after by hounds. When I was growing up, we had a very large willow tree in our yard with an extremely strong limb that jutted out well into our yard. My friends and I often played in this tree that was very much like the tree I describe in the book.
And, yes, there was also a maple tree in a neighbor’s yard, where we neighborhood kids would climb, and sometimes we would sit in the tree for hours as we talked and dreamed of our futures.
Again, I hope you enjoyed the story, and I hope you’ll read each and every one of these novellas written by our own authors at the Petticoats and Pistols blog (https://petticoatsandpistols.com).
Karen Kay
Look for all these titles in our new Petticoats & Patriots, A Locket’s Legacy.
