From the earliest days of the Revolutionary War, the Stockbridge Militia Company, formed by the Mohicans of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, fought with distinction in George Washington’s Continental Army. Hear about the Stockbridge Militia, their role in the War of Independence, and their subsequent forced removal from western Massachusetts by the early 1780s.

Seeing action from the 1775 Siege of Boston (Breeds Hill aka Bunker Hill), Battle of Valcour Island with Benedict Arnold, the American Victory at the Battle of Saratoga, Battle of Monmouth, Washington’s encampment at Valley Forge, and the disastrous 1778 Battle of Kingsbridge, the Stockbridge Militia were stalwart supporters of American independence and an elite and effective light infantry unit. We are pleased to offer this talk by Dr. Jeffrey Bendremer, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, as part of our America 250 programming.

Jeffrey Bendremer, Ph.D, RPA received his doctorate in Anthropology from the University of Connecticut and is currently the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. Jeff was founder and director of Salish Kootenai College’s Tribal Historic Preservation Program, the only 4-year degree in THP in America, and held professorships at Mercy College, Indiana University, College of New Rochelle, Eastern Connecticut State University, and Connecticut College, teaching courses in Native American studies, anthropology, sociology, and history. Dr. Bendremer also worked in tribal archaeology and cultural resource management archaeology, including 10 years as Manager of the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut’s historic preservation program and NAGPRA Coordinator for the Connecticut Museum of Natural History and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. He has presented and published numerous academic papers on Indigenous history and culture in the Northeast. He advocates for better ethics in archaeology, improved partnerships with Indian tribes, and cutting-edge methods in historic preservation.

Image: Statue of Stockbridge Militia Captain Daniel Nimham, located in Fishkill, New York.