Beadle's New Dime Novels, No. 9

About this issue

This Beadle and Adams dime novel, authored by W. J. Hamilton, presents a Revolutionary War narrative set in the Mohawk Valley. The story opens with Roland Wingate, a Tory ranger of mixed heritage, coercing the trader Alpheus Diggs into betraying Gray Hair—an Onondaga chief fighting for the American cause—by threatening to burn him alive. Diggs refuses the betrayal and escapes, triggering pursuit by Mohawk warriors allied with the Tories. Gray Hair himself appears, killing three Mohawk braves in combat with his tomahawk. The narrative continues with introduction of Edda Sinclair, apparently a captive of the Tories. The tale combines frontier action with political conflict between Royalists and Whigs during the American Revolution, emphasizing themes of loyalty, betrayal, and martial prowess among both Indigenous fighters and colonial combatants.