Seneca Indians Sell 400 Boys, Girls and Infant Scalps To the British

Seneca Indians Sell 400 Boys, Girls and Infant Scalps To the British During the Revolutionary War

The British purchased 1000's of women, men, children and infant scalps from Native Americans during the American Revolution.

"Some Delawares are this day arrived who are desirous of showing their intention of joining their brethren

[in warring against the Americans] and have presented me with two pieces of dried meat [scalps], one of   

which I have given the Chippeways, another to the Miami, that they may show in their villages the  disposition 

of the Delawares." wrote Hamilton to Haldimand

June 18, 1778. They called Hamilton "the scalp buyer." Whether or not this title was merited may  be Judged 
from the  of an Intercepted message directed to Hamilton by one of his officers operating along the Ohio river: 
"I hereby send To your excellency.
    George Rogers Clacy under the care of James Hoyd, eight packages of scalps, cured,  dried, hooped and   
painted with all the triumphal marks, and of which consignment this is an invoice and explanation:              
Package No. 1. 43 scalps of Congress soldiers, inside painted red with a small black dot to show they 
were killed by  bullets; those painted brown and marked with a hoe denote that the soldiers were killed    
while at their farms; those marked with a black ring denote that the     persons were surprised by night;    
 those marked with a black hatchet denote that the persons   were killed with a tomahawk. Package No. 2, 
98 farmers' scalps; a white circle   denotes that they were surprised In the daytime; those with a red  foot  
denote that the men stood their ground and fought in defense of their wives and families. Package No. 3, 97 
farmers' scalps; the green hoops denote that they were killed in the fields. Package No. 4, 102 farmers'         
scalps; eighteen are marked with a yellow flame to show that they died by torture; the one with the
black band attached belonged to a clergyman. No. 5. 88 scalps of women; those  with the braided hair      
were mothers. No. 6, 193 boys' scalps. No. 7. 211 girls  scalps. No. 8, 122 scalps of   all sorts; among 
them  are twenty-nine Infant scalps, and those marked with the small white hooks denote that the 
child was   unborn at the time the mother was killed. The chief of the Senecas sends this message: 
'Father, we send   you here these many scalps that you may see that we are  not idle friends. We want you to send 
these   scalps to the Great King that he may regard them and be   refreshed.' " (This letter was carried to France by 
Benjamin Franklin and presented as a part of his appeal   to France to help America in her  protest against  the 
British attacks on non-combatants.) 


                                                             57 Gruesome tales of Indian capture and torture