His Majesty's Fifth Regiment of Foot

An 18th Century Historical Reenactment Unit

Iroquois Nation:

A powerful confederacy of six related tribes, the Mohawk, Oneida, Tuscarora, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca, the Iroquois Nation consisted of about 10,000 members at the outbreak of war. The Iroquois were mostly located in what is now upstate New York. Due to resentment over Colonial encroachment on their lands, most, but by no means all, of the Iroquois allied themselves with the British. Both the Oneida and the newest tribe to the Nation, the Tuscarora, for the most part sided with the Patriots.

According to one estimate, the different tribes supplied about 1,580 warriors to the British war effort: The Mohawk 300, Oneida 150, Tuscarora 200, Onondaga 300, the Cayuga 230, and the Seneca 400. These warriors were excellent as scouts, excellent at setting ambushes, and were extremely difficult to beat deep in the forest. But the Iroquois warriors were not trained to fight in a European manner of open, linear combat, and because of this could be unpredictable in a large action. Large scale use of Indians by the British alienated many of the distrustful colonials.

Quick, decisive attacks, ambushes, and raids of villages and towns were the preferred way to fight. Not very good at fighting large, pitched battles. But used correctly, could be absolutely devastating to an opponent.

Musket, tomahawk, or a war club, and not much else were what were brought to battle. The Iroquois wore very little that would slow mobility in the forest.