[techteach]

Brenda:

I have been reading Alan Eckert’s books. I just finished one that features Joseph Brant as a main character. I am fairly certain that I remember a Thomas Spencer being mentioned as an Oneida who was making a living as a blacksmith and warned of the attack on Cherry Valley. I will try to check which one it is. My kids are home this weekend and I am doing grades, but I will check which it is as soon as I can.

Cindy

PS: These oral histories, if shared, may help others. I keep looking for my William Sinkey as a 6 nation Ranger and I see Spencers on lists in the same area. I will have to check the names with yours.

[techteach]

Brenda:

I found the book while cleaning for company. It is Wilderness War by Alan Eckert. It discusses Thomas Spencer several times. In essence, he spied for the Americans and was killed at Oriskany, if Eckert is correct. According to the book, he was an Oneida chief who lived among the whites and earned a living as a blacksmith.

Cindy

[Brenda Collins Dillon]

Cindy,

Yes, I have not read all of Erckert’s books but have been sent some of the passages out of them. The Thomas Spencer you are talking about is the son of Elihu Spencer and his Onieda wife. He also had a brother named Henry Spencer. They did grow to adulthood and marry so it is possible they left descendants. I have tried to find out what if any thse descendants were.

http://www.angelfire.com/on3/oneida/page8.html

This Thomas was born 1749 at Onoquaga; died

August 6, 1777 at Battle of Oriskany I but not on list of those killed; I don’t know if it was because Henry and Thomas were Indians or what????

Elihu Spencer was a missionary among the Onieda for several years before he married his English white wife. He was the son of Issac Spencer who was the son of Samuel Spencer who was son of Gerard Spencer ( of four brothers )Elihu was also a chaplin at the time of the French and Indian War.

My #1 oral history says that James father was a Thomas and that he came over the mountain to settle along the Greenbrier. Glenn Spencer is the eldest living Spencer I know and he says that all the Spencers of Nicholas and Greenbrier County, West Virginia can trace their line back to Gerard Spencer, one of the four brothers that came to New England and settled in Conn. Glenn is in his 90’s but is as sharp as a tack. I really thought I had the mystery solved but then a distant cousin from another branch threw this #3 oral history in and said he has the roll numbers to prove it. I have my doubts they are the same family of Spencers but I could be wrong. I still say I am 100% hillbilly. 🙂

[wvaram]

Brenda, I went to the Historical Society today here in Greenbrier county. I found a book titled the Spencer Family. It talked about James Spencer. I well send you some information that I had copied from it. Also while I was there I looked at the Daughters of the American Revelution Book. I looked up James McDaniel. There were about 4 of them. There was only 1 listed B.1755/6 in Virginia. D.1847 in Ohio. He was married to Rebecca Lewis. His rank was listed as OrDl Sgt.

[Author]

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