History of Oneida County, New York, 1667-1878, Part 30

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 932

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" I am your obedient servant, " GEORGE CLINTON."

Arnold pushed on with the advance of the force as far as Fort Dayton, where he eneamped to await the arrival of General Larned with the baggage and heavy stores. Colonel Willett accompanied him.

From the German Flatts, on the 21st, Arnold wrote to General Gates, stating that from the best information he could obtain, St. Leger's foree was much superior to his, and also inelosed the minutes of a council of war, and de- sired the general to send him a reinforcement of 1000 light troops. On the 22d he wrote to Colonel Gansevoort a letter, from which the following is an extract :

"I have been retarded by the badness of the roads, waiting for some baggage and ammunition, and for the militia, who did not turn out with that spirit which I expected. They are now joining me in great numbers. A few days will relieve you."#

As a counterblast to the address of Colonels Johnson, Claus, and Butler, General Arnold, on his arrival at Fort Dayton, issued the following characteristic proclamation :

" By the Hon. BENEDICT ARNOLD, Esq., Major-General and commander- in-chief of the army of the United States of America on the Mohawk Rirer.

" WHEREAS, a certain Barry St. Leger, a Brigadier-General in the service of George of Great Britain, at the head of a banditti of rob- bers, murderers, and traitors, composed of savages of America aud more savage Britons (among whom are the noted Sir John Johnson,

John Butler, and Daniel Claus), have lately appeared on the frontiers of this State, and have threatened ruin and destruction to all the in- habitants of the United States. They have also, by artifice and mis- representation, induced many of the ignorant and unwary subjects of these States to forfeit their allegiance to the same, and join with them in their atrocious crimes and parties of treachery and parricide.

"Humanity to those poor deluded wretches, who are hastening blindfold to destruction, induces me to offer them and all others con- cerned (whether Savages, Germans, Americans, or Britons) PARDON, provided they do, within ten days from the date hereof, come in and lay down their arms, suc for protection, and swear allegiance to the United States of America.

" But if, still blind to their own interest and safety, they obstinately persist in their wicked courses, determined to draw on themselves the just vengeance of heaven and of this exasperated country, they must expect no mercy from either.

" B. ARNOLD, M .- G. " Given under my hand, Headquarters, German Flats, 20th August, 1777."

During these operations St. Leger was pushing the siege with all the means at his command; but he soon found that his battering train was wholly inadequate to the task, as all the effect it had upon the works was merely to throw up now and then a little dust. He annoyed the garrison somewhat by throwing shells; but the utmost he could do gave no promise of an early surrender of the place. De- termined to succeed, however, he now began a series of regular approaches on the plain to the north of the works, and by the 20th had made such progress that it seemed probable he would accomplish his purpose ; but the nearer he eame the closer and more troublesome grew the fire of the garrison from the covered way. When his parallels had advanced within one hundred and fifty yards of the northwest bastion, it is said that a spirit of discontent began to be apparent among certain officers of the garrison.

Ignorant of the fate of Colonel Willett and his com- panion, and knowing nothing of reinforcements gathering for their relief, it is not to be wondered at that, with the prospeet of possible starvation or death at the hands of the savage horde yelling around their beleaguered fortress, the more timid should have at length begun to consider what was best to be done, and even to whisper of a capitulation upon St. Leger's terms. But whatever may have been the thoughts of his subordinates, the brave commander had no intention of surrendering his eommand to the bloodthirsty enemy.

Indeed, he had made up his mind fully that, if redueed to extremities, he would head his men in a desperate assault upon the besiegers' lines and cut his way through, or perish in the attempt. But the gallant offieer was saved from making this desperate move ; for suddenly on the 22d of August, without a sign or word indieating a disposition to abandon the siege, the whole of St. Leger's force broke up their camps, and departed with such precipitation that they left their tents standing and a considerable amount of bag- gage and eamp-equipage seattered over the ground, together with the larger portion of their artillery. The joy of the garrison was great, though they knew nothing of the causes which brought about the welcome denouement.

On the 22d, Arnold, learning that St. Leger had pushed his parallels very near the garrison, and fearing the place might fall before General Larned eould come up, deter- mined to move rapidly forward and hazard a battle rather than see the garrison sacrificed. He accordingly put his

# Stone's Life of Brant.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

column in motion on the morning of the 23d, and had proceeded about ten miles, when he was met by an express from Colonel Gansevoort with the welcome intelligence that the siege was raised.

The cause and account of this sudden flight upon the part of St. Leger are thus given in Colonel Stone's " Life of Brant" :

"Among the party of Tories and Indians captured at Shoemaker's under Lieutenant Butler was a singular being named Hon-Yost Schuyler. His place of residence was near the Little Falls, where his mother and a brother named Nicholas were then residing. Hon-Yost Schuyler was one of the coarsest and most ignorant men in the valley, appearing scarce half removed from idiocy; and yet there was no small share of shrewdness in his character. Living upon the extreme border of civilization, his asso- ciations had been more with the Indians than the whites ; and tradition avers that they regarded him with that mys- terious reverenee and awe with which they are inspired by fools and lunatics.

" Thus situated and thus constituted, Hon-Yost had par- tially attached himself to the royalist cause, though, prob- ably, like the 'cow-boys' of Westchester, he really cared little which party he served or plundered, and had he been the eaptor of the unfortunate Andre would have balanced probabilities as to the best way of turning the prize to ac- count. Be these things, however, as they may, Hon-Yost was captured, with Walter Butler, and, like him, was tried for his life, adjudged guilty, and condemned to death. His mother and brother, hearing of his situation, hastened to Fort Dayton and implored General Arnold to spare his life. The old woman strongly resembled the gypsy in her char- acter, and the eloquenee and pathos with which she pleaded for the life of her son were long remembered in the un- written history of the Mohawk Valley.

" Arnold was for a time inexorable, and the woman be- eame almost frantic with grief and passion on account of her wayward son. Nicholas, likewise, exerted himself to the utmost in behalf of his brother. At length General Arnold proposed terms upon which his life should be spared. The conditions were that Hon-Yost should hasten to Fort Schuyler, and so alarm the camp of St. Leger as to induce him to raise the siege and fly. The conviet-traitor accepted the proposition, and his mother offered herself as a hostage for the faithful performance of his commission. Arnold, however, declined receiving the woman as a hostage, pre- ferring and insisting that Nicholas should be retained for that purpose. To this the latter readily assented, declaring that he was perfectly willing to pledge his life that Hon- Yost would fulfill his engagement to the utmost. Nicholas was, therefore, placed in confinement, while Hon- Yost de- parted for the camp of St. Leger, having made arrange- ments with one of the Oneida Indians, friendly to the Americans, to aid him in the enterprise. Before his de- parture several shots were fired through Schuyler's clothes, that he might appear to have had a narrow cscape, and the Oneida Indian, by taking a circuitous route to Fort Schuyler, was to fall into the enemy's camp from another direction and aid Hon-Yost in creating the panie desired.

" The emissary first presented himself among the In-

dians, who were in a very suitable state of mind to be wrought upon by exactly such a personage. They had been moody and dissatisfied ever since the battle of Oriskany, -- neither the success nor the plunder promised them had been won, and they had previously received some vague and in- definite intelligence respecting the approach of Arnold. They had likewise just been holding a pow-wow, or were actually convened in one, for the purpose of consulting the Manitto touching the dubious enterprise in which they were engaged, when Hon-Yost arrived. Knowing their character well, he communicated his intelligence to them in the most mysterious and imposing manner. Pointing to his riddled garments, he proved to them how narrow had been his escape from the approaching army of the rebels. When asked the number of troops that Arnold was leading against them, he shook his head mysteriously and pointed upward to the leaves of the trees. The reports spread rap- idly through the camps, and, reaching the ears of the com- mander, IIon-Yost was sent for to the tent of St. Leger himself. Here he was interrogated, and gave information that General Arnold, with 2000 men, was so near that he would be. upon them within twenty-four hours. He gave St. Leger a pitiable narrative of his captivity, trial, and condemnation to the gallows. It was while on his way to execution, as he alleged, that, finding himself not very closely guarded, he took an opportunity to effect his escape, thinking, at the worst, that he could only die, and it would be as well to be shot as hanged. A shower of bullets had indeed been let fly at him, but fortunately had only wounded his clothes, as the general might scc.

Meantime the Oneida messenger arrived with a belt, and confirmed to the Indians all that Schuyler had affirmed, adding that the Americans had no desire to injure the In- dians, and were intent only upon attacking the British troops and rangers. While making his way to the camp of the besiegers, the ingenious Oneida had fallen in with some two or three straggling Indians of his acquaintance, to whom he communicated his business, and whose assistance in furthering the design he engaged. These sagacious fel- lows dropped into the Indian camp at various points, and threw out alarming suggestions, shaking their heads mys- teriously, and insinuating that a bird had brought them in- telligenee of great moment. They spoke of warriors in great numbers advancing rapidly upon them, and used every indirect method of infusing a panic into the minds of the listeners who gathered around them.

" The Indians presently began to give signs of decamping, and St. Leger essayed in vain to reassure them. He con- vened a council of their chiefs, hoping that by the influence of Sir John Johnson and Colonels Claus and Butler, he should still be able to retain them. Other reports, of a yet more terrifying tendency, getting afloat, not only among the Indians but in the other camps, the former declared that ' the pow-wow said they must go,' and a portion of them took their departure before the council broke up. The re- sult was a general and precipitate flight. It has been stated that in the commencement of the retreat the Indians made themselves merry at the expense of their white allies, by raising a shout that the Americans were upon them, and then laughing at the groundless terror thus created.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

" According to the account derived by Gordon from the Rev. Mr. Kirkland, an altercation took place between Col- onel St. Leger and Sir John Johnson, the former reproach- ing the latter with the defection of the Indians, while the baronet charged his commander with but an indifferent prosecution of the siege.

" It was in the gray of twilight, when a couple of saehems, standing upon a little eminence not far in the rear, and over- hearing the interchange of sharp words between them, put an end to the unpleasant eolloquy by raising the shout, ' They are coming ! they are coming!' Both St. Leger and Sir John re-commenced their retreat with all possible expe- dition upon hearing such an alarm. Their troops were equally nimble of foot on the occasion, throwing away their knapsacks and arms, and disencumbering themselves of every hindrance to the quickstep, while the Indians, enjoy- ing the panic and confusion, repeated the joke by the way until they arrived at Oneida Lake. It is believed, however, that it was not the Americans alone of whom St. Leger began to stand in fear, being quite as apprehensive of dan- ger from his own dusky allies as he was of the approaching army of Arnold. There is British authority for stating that the Indians actually plundered several of the boats belonging to their own army, robbing the officers of what- soever they liked. Within a few miles of the camp, they first stripped off the arms, and afterwards murdered, with their own bayonets, all those British, German, and Ameri- ean soldiers who were separated from the main body.

"Thus were the threats of savage vengeance sent by Colonel St. Leger to the garrison in some degree wreaked upon his own army. Hon-Yost Schuyler accompanied the flying host to the estuary of Wood Creek, where he deserted, threading his way back to Fort Schuyler the same evening, imparting to Colonel Gansevoort his first information of the advanee of Arnold. From Fort Schuyler Hon-Yost pro- ceeded back to the German Flatts. On presenting himself at Fort Dayton, his brother was discharged, to the inex- pressible joy of his mother and their relatives. But he proved a Tory in grain, and cuibraeed the first opportunity subsequently presented, which was in October, of running away to the enemy, with several of his neighbors, and at- taching himself to the forces of Sir John Johnson."*

Upon receipt of Colonel Gansevoort's dispatch announeing the retreat of the enemy, Arnold sent forward a detachment of 900 men to make a rapid pursuit of the enemy, but Colonel Gansevoort had anticipated him, and the column from the fort returned with a number of prisoners and great quantities of spoil.+

General Arnold arrived at the fort in person on the 24th of August, and was received with a salute from its guns and a royal welcome at the hands of its brave defenders.

St. Leger had received orders from General Burgoyne to join him by a forced march through the country to the north of the Mohawk, but this was found wholly impracti- cable, and he hastened with his shattered forces to Oswego, and thence to Montreal. From the latter place he pro- -

ceeded up Lake Champlain to Ticonderoga, with the view of joining General Burgoyne, but that commander was al- ready involved in impenetrable toils, and he proceeded no farther, and probably soon after returned to Canada. Gen- eral Arnold marehed his army to Stillwater, where it took part in the operations against Burgoyne.

Shortly after the retreat of St. Leger, finding there was no enemy between the fort and Oswego, and knowing that a second expedition was not likely to penetrate the country for some time to come, Colonel Gansevoort improved the opportunity to visit his friends at Albany and Kingston, where the State government had recently been organized. His reception was exceedingly cordial and flattering, as the following address, made to the soldiers of the garrison of Fort Stanwix after his return, indicates. It is from Stone's " Life of Brant," and was copied from the original among the colonel's papers. It bore the indorsement,-" A la- eonic address to my fellow-offieers and soldiers after our success at Fort Stanwix."

"I should be wanting in justice to yon if I did not give some tes- timony of your good conduct during the time you have been in this garrison, and especially while we were besieged by the enemy. Be- lieve me, that I am impressed with a proper sense of the behavior by which you have done essential service to your country, and acquired immortal honor to yourselves. Nothing can equal the pleasure I have experienced siuce my absence in hearing and receiving the publie approbation of our country for our services, which is, and must be, to every soldier a full, ample compensation for the same. Permit me to congratulate you upon the success of the American arms, both to the Southward and Northward.

" Every day terminates with victory to America, and I make not the least doubt but in this campaign we shall effectually establish the Independence of the United States, and thereby secure to ourselves the rights and liberties for which we have so nobly stood forth."

The services of Colonel Gansevoort were not forgotten either by Congress or his own State, for he was shortly after promoted to the rank of brigadier-general in the State line, and Congress rewarded his gallantry with a colonel's commission in the United States army.

These, of course, took him from his regiment, and on the occasion of his leaving his officers drew up and presented him with the following address, signed by twenty-six of the field and line officers :

" HONORED SIR,-From a just sense of that conduct which has hitherto been so conspicuously shown to advance the Third New York Regiment to honor and public notice, we congratulate you that those characteristics which so eminently point out the gentleman and soldier have by your personal bravery been deservedly noticed by our bleeding country. Although we rejoice at your promotion, yet we cannot but regret the loss of so worthy a patron. That the pros- perity which has crowned your conduct with victory may still be continued, is the siucere wish and prayer of, honored sir, your most obedient and very humble servants."

The eolonel made the following reply :

"GENTLEMEN,-Your polite address on my promotion merits my sincerest thanks. Gratitude, I hope, shall uever be wanting in me to the Third New York Regiment, who have, by their firmness and discipline, been the chief authors of my promotion. Therefore, gen- tlemen, please to accept my warmest wishes for the prosperity of the corps, that all their virtuous endeavors in the defense of their bleed- ing country may be crowned with honor and success, which will always be the earnest prayer of, gentlemen, your most obliged, humble servant."

Upon receipt of the commission in the regular army, Colonel Gansevoort, who was uneertain as to his rauk, pay,

# At the close of the war Hon-Yost returned to the Mohawk Val- ley, and resided there until his death, about 1818-20.

¡ Among other articles captured was the desk of St. Leger, contain- ing many of his private papers.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

and emoluments, addressed a letter to Messrs. William Duer and Gouverneur Morris, from which we make the following extraet :

" Congress have done me the honor of appointing mne colonel eom- mandant of Fort Schuyler. I should esteem it as a favor if you would inform me whether I am to receive any pay for that commis- sion, other than as colonel of the Third Regiment of New Yorkers ; and if not, I should be glad if you would endeavor to get something allowed me, as my present pay will not reimburse my table liquors, which you may well conceive to be something considerable as com- manding officer. I am not solieitous to make money by my eommis- sion ; but I could wish not to sink by it, as I am obliged to do now. The commission which Congress has sent me as commandant of Fort Schuyler, subjeets me as much to the commands of my superior officers as any former one. If that was the intention of Congress, the appoint- ment is nugatory. If not, I wish Congress to alter the commission."

In the following October, when Sir Henry Clinton was forcing his way up the Hudson with the view of co-operat- ing with General Burgoyne, or of suecoring him in ease of need, Colonel Gansevoort was ordered to Albany by General Gates to take command of the large force then assembling there. But the return of Sir Henry to New York left no occasion to test his gallantry or ability in a new command. That he would have maintained his brilliant reputation and gained fresh laurels, had the opportunity been given, there is no room to doubt.

The following correspondenee illustrates the good feeling which existed throughout the country when the result of the affairs at Oriskany, Fort Stanwix, and Bennington be- eame known :

" COUNCIL OF SAFETY TO JOHN HANCOCK, PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS. " KINGSTON, August 26, 1777.

"SIR,-I have the honor of transmitting to you the letters of Gen- eral Sehuyler and Governor Clinton, giving us the agreeable intelli- genee of the raising of the siege of Fort Schuyler. The gallantry of the commander of that fort, and the distinguished bravery of Gen- eral Herkimer and his militia, have already been productive of the most desirable consequences. The brave and more fortunate General Stark with his spirited countrymen hath, as you know, given the enemy a signal coup at Bennington. The joint result of these provi- dential instances of success hath revived the drooping hopes of tho desponding, and given new vigor to the firm and determined. We have, therefore, the pleasing expectation of compelling General Bur- goyno in his turn to retire.

" I have the honor to be, &e., " PIERRE VAN CORTLANDT."

SUPPLEMENTARY.

The following interesting documents are from various sourees : " Oriskany Centennial Volume," " Documentary History," " Annals of Tryon County," " Willett's Narra- tive," Sir John Johnson's orderly-book, captured by Colo- nel Willett at Fort Stanwix, ete., ete. While not absolutely necessary to make a readable history, they form a valuable eolleetion pertaining to the most interesting period of our national existenee ; and covering, as they do, the stand- points of various actors in the grand drama, will not fail to be read with interest.

We will begin with Colonel St. Leger's own aeeount of his expedition against Fort Stanwix, which is from the Ap- pendix to General Burgoyne's " State of the Expedition," published in London, 1780 :

" A minute detail of every operation sinee my leaving La Chine with the detachment entrusted to my eare, your exeelleney will per- mit me to reserve to a time of less hurry and mortification than the present, while I enter into the interesting seene before Fort Stanwix,

which I invested the third of August, having previously pushed forward Lieutenant Bird of the King's regiment, with 30 of the King's troops and 200 Indians, under the direction of Captains Ilare and Wilson, and the Chiefs Joseph" and Bull, to seize fast hold of the lower landing-place, and thereby cut off the enemy's communications with the lower country. This was done with great address by the lieutenant, though not attended with the effect I had promised myself, occasioned by the slackness of the Messeangoes. The brigade of provisions and ammunition boats I had intelligence of, being arrived and disembarked before this party had taken post.

" The fourth and fifth were employed in making arrangements for opening Wood Creek (which the enemy, with indefatigable labor of 150 men, for fourteen days, had most effectually choked up), and the making a temporary road from Pine Ridges, upon Fish Creek, six- teen miles from the fort, for a present supply of provision and the transport of our artillery ; the first was effected by the diligence and zeal of Captain Bouville, assisted by Captain Harkimer, t of the In- dian department, with 110 men in nine days; while Lieutenant Lundy, acting as assistant quartermaster-general, had rendered the road in the worst of weather sufficiently practicable to pass the whole artillery and stores, with seven days' provisions, in two days.

" On the 5th, in the evening, intelligence arrived by my discovering parties on the Mohawk River that a reinforcement of 800 militia, conducted by General Herkimer, were on their march to relieve the garrison, and were actually at that instant at Oriska, an Indian settlement twelve miles from the fort. The garrison being apprised of their march by four men, who were seen to enter the fort in the morning, through what was thought an impenetrable swamp, I did not think it prudent to wait for them, and thereby subjeet myself to be attacked by a sally from the garrison in the rear, while the re- inforcement employed me in front. I therefore determined to attack them on the march, either openly or eovertly, as eireumstances should offer. At this time I had not two hundred and fifty of the King's troops in eamp, the various and extensive operations I was under an absolute necessity of entering into having employed the rest, and therefore could not send above eighty white men,-rangers and troops included,-with the whole corps of Indians. Sir John Johnson put himself at the head of this party, and began his march that evening at five o'clock, and met the rebel eorps at the same hour the next morning. The impetuosity of the Indians is not to be deseribed ; on the sight of the enemy (forgetting the judicious disposition formed by Sir John, and agreed to by themselves, which was to suffer the attaek to begin with the troops in front, while they should be on both flanks and rear), they rushed in, hatehet in hand, and thereby gave the enemy's rear an opportunity to escape. In relation to the vie- fory, it was equally complete as if the whole had fallen : nay, more so, as the two hundred who eseaped only served to spread the panie wider ; but it was not so with the Indians ; their loss was great (I must be understood Iudian computation, being only about thirty killed and the like number wounded, and in that number some of their favorite chiefs and confidential warriors were slain). On the enemy's side almost all their principal leaders were slain. General Herkimer has sinee died of his wounds. It is proper to mention that the four men detached with intelligence of the march of the reinforcements, set out the evening before the action, and consequently the enemy could have no account of the defeat, and were in possession only of the time of their arrival, at which, as I suspected, they made a sally with two hundred and fifty men toward Lieutenant Bird's post, to facilitate the entrance of the relieving corps, or bring on a general engagement, with every advantage they could wish.

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History of Oneida County, New York, 1667-1878, Part 30

Author: Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Fariss Number of Pages: 932

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 932