Brant’s Volunteers were a ragtag group of soldier organized by Joseph Brant who fought for the British in the American Revolution. Joesph Brant, or Thayendanegea, was a military leader of the Mohawk tribe at the time of the Revolution. At the outbreak of the war in 1775, Brant traveled to England and met personally with King George III in order to negotiate Mohawk military support in exchange for protection of Native American land. Upon returning home, he tried to make good on his promise by convincing native tribes to join the fight against the patriots. He was largely unsuccessful, as the Six Nations at the time wished to remain neutral in the conflict. As a result, he began recruiting individuals rather than tribes and ended up with a group of about 100 men in 1777, with only about one-fifth being Native American. The remainder were made up of loyalists who were not yet fighting against the patriots. As an irregular corps, the men were not paid for their service but instead were compensated by the fruits of their plunder, and later by provisions from the British, although still not money. As such, historians are not really sure why loyalists chose to join Brant’s group rather than signing up for more traditional British military positions. The group saw quite a few battles, including the Battle of Oriskany, Battle of Cobleskill, and Battle of Minisink. As enemies of the newly formed United States, Brant resettled on land granted to the Six Nations at the end of the war. A few of his non-native soldiers remained with him and settled among natives at the end of the war.
