History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 30

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920

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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 encamped 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 force was much superior to his, and also iuclosed 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 hagyage 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 dayswill 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, ERq., Major-General and commander- in-chief of the army of the United States of America on the Mohawk Ricer.

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

John Butler, and Daniol Clans), 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 olso, 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 erimes and parties of treachery and parricide.

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

" 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 expcet no merey from either.

" B. ARNOLD, M .- G.

" Given uoder 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 came 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 garrisun.

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 prospect 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 tu whisper of a capitulation upon St. Leger's terms. But whatever may have been the thoughts of his suburdinates, the brave commander had no intention of surrendering his command to the bloodthirsty enemy.

Indeed, he had made up his mind fully that, if reduced 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 officer was saved from making this desperate move ; for suddenly on the 22d of August, without a sign or word indicating 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 camp-equipage scattered 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 could come up, deter- mined to move rapidly forward and hazard a battle rather than see the garrison sacrificed. He accordingly put his

# Stene'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 procceded about ten miles, when he was met by an express from Colonel Gansevoort with the welcome intelligence that the siege was raised.

The canse 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 scaree 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 reverence 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 canse, though, prob- ably, like the ' cow-boys' of Westchester, he really cared little which party he served or plundered, and had he been the captor 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-Yoxt 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 eloquence and pathos with which she pleaded for the life of her son were long remembered in the un- written history of the Mohawk Valley.

" Aroold was for a time inexorable, and the woman be- came 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 aların the eatup of St. Leger as to induce him to raise the siege and fly. The convict-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 escape, and the Oneida Indian, by taking a circuitons route to Fort Schuyler, was to fall into the enemy's camp from another direction and aid Hon-Yost in creating the panic 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 mysterions 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, Hon-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 see.

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- telligence 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 altereation 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 sachems, 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 colloquy 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- can 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 advance 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 embraced 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 announcing 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.t

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- eable, 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 marched 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, indieates. 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- eonie address to my fellow-officers and soldiers after our success at Fort Stanwix."

" I should be wanting io 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 bave experienced sinec my absence in hearing and reeciving the public 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 Dot 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 :

" IIONOREO SIR,-From a just sense of that conduct which has hitberto 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 sincere wish and prayer of, honored sir, your most obedient and very humble servants."

The colonel made the following reply :

"GENTLEMEN, -Your polite address on my promotion merits my sincerest thanks. Gratitude, I bope, shall never 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 defenso 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 uncertain as to his rank, 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 extract :

"Congress bave doce me the boner of appointing me colonel com- mandant ef Fort Sebuyler. 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 allewed 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 nin not solicitous to make money by my commis- sion : but I could wish not to sink by it, as I am obliged to de now. The commission which Congress bas sent me as commandant of Fort Schuyler, subjects me as much to the commands of my superior officers as any former one. If that was ibe 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 succoring him in case 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 lanrels, had the opportunity been given, there is no room to doubt.

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

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

"Sin,-I have the hover of transmitting to you the letters of Gen- eral Schuyler and Governor Clinton, giving us the agrecable intelli- gence of the raising of the siege of Fort Schuyler. The gallantry of the commander of that fort, and the distinguished bravery of Gen- eral Ilerkimer and his militia, have already been productive of the mest desirable consequences. The brave and more fortunate General Stark with his spirited countrymen hath, ns you knew, given the enemy a signal coup at Bennington. The joint result of these previ- dential instances of sneeess hath revived the drooping hopes of the despending, and given new vigor te the firm and determined. We have, therefore, the pleasing expectation of compelling General Bur- goyne in his turn to retire.

" I have the hener to be, &c., " PIERRE VAN CORTLANDT."

SUPPLEMENTARY.

The following interesting documents are from various sources : "Oriskany Centennial Volume," " Doenmentary History," " Annals of Tryon County," " Willett's Narra- tive," Sir John Johnson's orderly-book, captured by Colo- nel Willett at Fort Stanwix, etc., etc. While not absolutely necessary to make a readable history, they form a valuable collection pertaining to the most interesting period of our national existence ; 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 account 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 since my leaving La Chine with the detachment entrusted to my care, your excellency will per- suit me to reserve to n time of less hurry and mortification than the present, while I enter into the interesting scene before Fort Stanwix,

which I invested the third of Angust, 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 Hare and Wilson, und the Chiefs Joseph# and Bull, to seize fast beld 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 bad promised myself, occasioned by the slackness of the Messasagoes. The brigade of provisions and aminunitien 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 fenrteen days, had most effectually choked up), and the making a temporary road from Pine Ridges, upon Fish Creek, six- teco miles from the fort, for a present supply of provision and the traosport of our artillery ; the first was effected by the diligence and zeal of Captain Bonville, assisted by Captain Harkimer,t of the In- dian department, with 110 men in nine days; while Lieutenant Londy, acting ns assistant quartermaster-general, had rendered the read 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 en their march to relieve the garrison, and were actually nt 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 te enter the fort in the morning, through what was thenght an impenetrable swamp, I did net think it prudent to wait for them, and thereby subject 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 mareb, either openly er covertly, as circumstances should effer. At this time I had not two hundred and fifty of the King's troops in camp, the various and extensive eperatinns I was under an absolute necessity of entering into having employed the rest, and therefore ceold net send nbeve eighty white men, -rangers and troops included,-with the whele corps of Indians. Sir John Johnson put himself at the hend of this party, and begao bis march that evening at five o'clock, and met the rebel corps at the same bour the next meroing. The impetuesity of the Indians is not to be described ; en the sight of the enemy (forgetting the judicious disposition formed by Sir Jeho, and agreed to by themselves, which was to suffer the nttack te begin with the troops in front, while they should be en beth flanks and rear), they rushed in, hatchet in band, and thereby gave the enemy's rear an opportunity to escape. In relation to the vie- tory, it was equally complete as if the whole had fallen ; nay, more so, as the two hundred who escaped only served to spread the panic wider; but it was not se with the Indians; their less was great (I must be understeed Indian computatien, being only about thirty killed and the like number wounded, and in that number some of their favorite ebiefs and confidential warriors were slain). On the enemy's side almost all their principal leaders were slain. General Herkimer bas since died of his wounds. It is preper 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 bave 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 pest, to facilitate the entrance of the relieving corps, or bring on s general engagement, with every advantage they could wish.

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 30

Author: Durant, Samuel W Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss Number of Pages: 920

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920