History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 31

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

USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 31

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" Captain Heyes was immediately detached to cut in upon their rear, while they engaged the lieutenant. Immediately upon the de- parture of Captain Hoyes, having learned that Lieutenant Baird, misled by the information of a cowardly Indinn that Sir John was pressed,# had quitted bis post to march to bis assistance, I marched the detachment of the king's regiment, in support of Captain Hoyes, by a road in sight of the garrison, which, with exceutive fire from his party, immediately drove the enemy into the fort, without any further advantage than frightening seme squaws, and pilfering the packs of the warriors which they left behind them. After this affair

# Brant.

+ Supposed to have been a brother of General Nicholas Herkimer.

# This may have reference either to the battle of Oriskany or the sortie of Culenel Willett.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

was over, orders were immediately given to complete a two-gun battery and mortar-beds, with three strong redoubts in their rear, to enable me, in case of snother attempt to relieve the garrison by their regimental troops, to march out a larger body of the king's troops.

" Captain Lernoult was sent with 110 men to the lower landiog- place, where he established himself with great judgment and strength, having an enclosed battery of a three-pounder opposed to any sally from the fort, and another to the side of the country, where a relief must approach, and the body of his camp deeply intrenched and abbatised.

" When, by the unabating labor of officers and men (the smalluess of our numbers never admitting of a relief, or above three hours' cessation for sleep or cooking), the batteries and redoubts were finished, and new cheeks and axle trees made for the six-pounders, those that were sent being rotten and unserviceable, it was found that our cannon bad not the least effect upon the sod-work of the fort, and that our royals bad only the power of teasiog, as a six- inch plank was a sufficient security for their powder-magazine, as we learnt from the deserters. At this time Lieutenant Glenie, of the artillery, whom I appointed to act as assistant engineer, proposed a conversion of the royals (if I may use the expression) into howitzers. The ingenuity and feasibility of this measure striking me very strongly, the business was set ahont immediately, aod soon executed, when it was found that nothing prevented their operating with the desired effect but the distance, their chambers beiog too small to hold a sufficiency of powder. There was nothing now to be done but to approach the work, hy sap, to such a distance that the ramparts might be brought within their practice, at the same time all materials were preparing to run a mine under their most formidable bastion.

" In the midst of these operations intelligence was brought io by our scouts of a second corps of 1000 men being on their march. The same zeal no longer animated the Indians. They complained of our thinness of troops and their former losses. I immediately called a council of the chiefs, encouraged them as much as I could, promised to lead them on myself, and bring into the field 300 of the best troops. They listened to this, and promised to follow me, and agreed that I should reconnoitre the ground properest for the field of battle the next morning, accompanied by some of their chief warriors, to settle the plun of operations. When upon the ground appointed for the field of battle, scouts came in with the account of the first nutober swelled to 2000. Immediately after a third, that General Burgoyne's army was cut to pieces, and that Arnold was advancing, by rapid and forced marches, with 3000 men. It was at this moment I began to suspect cowardice in some and treason in others. However, I returned to camp not without hopes, with the assistance of my gal- lant coadjutor, Sir John Johnson, and the influence of the superin- tending Colonels, Claus and Butler, of indocing them to meet the enemy. A conacil, according to their enstom, was called, to know their resolutions, before the breaking up of which I learned that 200 were already decamped. In about an hour they insisted that I should retreat, or they would be obliged to abandon me. I had no other part to take, and a hard part it was to troops who could do nothing without them, to yield to their resolves, and therefore pro- posed to retire at oight, sending on before my sick, wounded, artil- Icry, etc., down the Wood Creek, covering them by our line of march.

" This did not fall in with their views, which were no less than treacherously committing ravage upon their friends, as they had lost the opportunity of doing it upon their enemies. To effect this they art- fully cansed messengers to come in, one after the other, with accounts of the near approaches of the rebels; one and the last affirmed that they were within two miles of Captain Lernoult's post. Not giving entire credit to this, and keeping to my resulution of retiring by night, they grew furious aod abandoned, seized upon the officers' liquors and cloaths in spite of the efforts of their servants, and became more furmidable than the enemy we had to expect. I now thought it time to call in Captain Lernonlt's post, retiring with the troops in camp to the ruined fort called William," in the front of the garrison, not only to wait the enemy if they thought proper to sally, but to protect the boats from the fury of the savages. having sent forward Captain Hoyes, with his detachment, with one piece uf cannon, to the place where Bull Fort stood, to receive the troops, who waited

the arrival of Captain Lernoult. Most of the boats were escorted that night beyond Canada Creek, where no danger was to be appre- hended from the enemy. The creek at this place, beading from the road, has a deep cedar swamp between. Every attention was now turned to the month of the creek, which the enemy might bave pos- sessed themselves of by a rapid march by the Oneyda Castle. At this place the whole of the little army arrived by twelve o'clock at night, aod took post in such maoner as to have no fears'of anything the enemy could do. Here we remained until three o'clock next morning, when the boats which could come up the creek arrived, or rather that the rascally part of all nations of the Indians would suffer to come up ; and proceeded across Lake Oneyda to the ruined fort Brewerton, where I learnt that some boats were still laboring down the creek, after being lightened of the best part of their freight by the Massasagoes. Captain Lernoult proposed, with a boutful of armed men, to repass the lake that night to relieve them from their labor, and supply them with provision. This transaction does as much honor to the humanity as the gallantry of this valuable officer.

"On my arrival at the Onondago Falls, I received an answer to my letter from Your Excellency, which showed, in the clearest light, the scenes of treachery that had been practiced upon me. The mes- senger had heard, indeed, on his way that they were collecting the same kind of rabble as before, but that there was not an enemy within forty miles of Fort Stanwix.

"Soon after my arrival here I was joined by Captain Lernoult, with the men and boats he had been in search of. I mean immediately to send off, for the use of the upper garrison, all the overplus pro- visions I shall have, after keeping a sufficiency to carry my detach- ment down, which I mean to do with every expedition in my power the moment this business is effected, for which purpose I have ordered here the scow. The sloop is already gone from this with her full lading.

" Officers from each corps are sent to Montreal to procure necessa- ries for the men, who are in the most deplorable situation from the plunder of the savages, that no time may be lost to join your army.

" I have the honor to be, with the greatest respect, sir, Your Excel- leney's most obedient and most faithful servant,

" BARNY ST. LEGER.

"OSWEGO, August 27, 1777. " Ilis Excellency GENEnAL BURGOYNE."

The following letter from Colonel Daniel Claus, written at Montreal, Oct. 16, 1777, to Secretary Knox in London, gives another view of the campaign, and, though not so strictly military nor so scholarly as St. Leger's report, is valuable as a contemporaneous document. It may be found in the eighth volume of the " Documentary History of New York":

"Sın,-I take the liberty to give you such an account of the expe- dition I was appointed to this campaign as my capacity will permit me, and which, though tedious, I used all the conciseness in my power.

"On my arrival at Quebec, the first of June, Sir Guy Carleton being at Montreal, my letter from Lord George Germaine was for- warded to him by Lieutenant-Governor Cramabe that day, and my- self arrived there a few days after. I waited upon Sir Guy, who acknowledged the receipt of the letter, but said nothing fortber upon it, than addressing himself to Captain Tice, who was in Eogland with Joseph (Brant), and there at Levyt that I had now the com- mand of him and those Indian officers and Indians that were dos- tinad for Brigadier St. Leger's expedition. A day or two after I waited on him again for bis urders and instructions, and asked what rank I was to have oo the expedition. He replied on the lutter that it could not be settled here. . . .

"Some time before our march I informed myself af Sir Guy Carle- ton, of the state Fort Stanwix was in. Ile told me that hy the latest accounts from Colonel Butler there were sixty men in a picketed place. Determined to bo sure, I dispatched one Joha Hare, ao active Indian officer, with the Mohaick chief, John Odiscrucey, to collect a sinall party of Indians at Sweguchy, ; and reconnoitre Fort Stanwix as well as possible, and bring of some prisoners if they could.

# St. Leger here evidently refers to the work called Furt Newport, situated on Fish Creek, as he had no boats in the Mohawk, and Furt Williams was upon the latter stream. See map.

t The old French Furt Levis, on Oraconeaton Island.

# Ogdensburgh.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

" On the 23d of June I set ont from La Chine, near Mentrenl,- the Brigadier, who was getting the artillery-boats ready to take in two sixes, two threes, and four cohorns (being our artillery for the expedition), wns to follow the day after,-and procceded for an island destined for our rendezvous, in the entrance of Lake Ontario, called Buck Islaad, in company with Sir John Jehoson and his regi- ment. In my way thither I collected n body of 150 Mi.isngey and Six Nation Indiaus. All the Indians of the inhabited parts of Cunada, whom I had under my care for fifteen years, nad was best acquainted with, were destined for General Burgoyne's army. The Mixisayey und Six Nations the Brigadier intended should accompany him in an alert to Fort Stanwix, by i short cut through the woods from a place called Salmon Creek, on Lake Ontario, about twenty miles from Os- wego, in order to surprise the garrison and take it with small arıns.

...

" Between sixty and seventy leagues from Montreal my recon- loitering party returned and met me, with five prisoners (one lien- tenant) and four scalps, having defeated a working party of sixteen rebels as they were cutting sod towards repairing and finishing the old fort, which is a regular square, and garrisened by upwards of 600 inen, the repairs far advanced, und the rebels expecting as, and were ne- qauinted with our strength and reute. I immediately forwarded the prisoners to the Brigadier, whe wns about fifteen leagnes in our rear. On his arrival within a few lengues of Buck Island he sent for me, and, talking over the intelligence which the rebel prisoners gave, he owned that if they intended to defend themselves in that fort our artillery was not sufficient to take it. However, he said he had de- termined to get the truth of these fellows. I told him that, having examined them separately, they agreed in their story. Aad here the Brigadier hud still nn opportunity and time for sending for a better train of artillery and wait for the junction of the Chasseurs, which must have secured us soccess, as every one will allow. However, he was still full of his alert," making little of the prisoners' intelligence.

"On his arrival at Buck Island the 8th of July, he put me iu orders as superintendent of the expedition, and empowered me to act for the best of my judgment for His Majesty's service, in the mannge- ment of the Indians oo the expedition, ns well as what regarded their equipinent, presents, etc., he being nu entire stranger thereto. There was then n vessel at the island which hnd soine Indian gouds oa board, which. Colonel Batler hud procured fer the expedition, but, npon examination, I found that almost every one of the above articles I demanded at Montreal were deficient, and a mere impossibility to procure them at Buek Island, bad I not luckily provided some of those articles before I left Montreal nt my own risk, and with diffi- calty Brigadier St. Leger found out thirty stund of arins in the artil- lery stores at Swegachy, und I added all my eloquence te satisfy the Indians abont the rest.t

" The Brigadier set out from the island npon his alert the 19th of July, I having been ordered to proceed to Oswege with Sir Joha Johnson's regiment und a company of Chasseurs lately arrived, there to convene and prepare the Indians to join the Brigadier nt Fort Stanwix. On my arrival at Oswego, 23d July, I found Joseph Brant there, who acquainted me that his party, consisting of about 300 Indinas, would be in that day, and having been more than two months upon service, and were destitute of necessaries, ammunition, and some arms. Joseph at the same time cemplnincd of having been very scantily supplied by Colonel Butler with ninmunition when at Niagara in the spring, although he acquainted Colonel Barler of his being threatened with a visit from the rebel General Herkimer, of Tryen County, and actually was afterwards visited by him, with 300 men with bim, und 500 nt some distance, when Joseph had not 200 Indians together ; but resolutely declaring to the rebel general that be was determined to act against them for the king, be obliged them to retreat with mere mennces, not baving twenty pounds of powder among his party. .

"The 24th of July I received an express from Brigadier St. Leger, at Salmon Creek, about twenty miles from Oswego, to repair thither with what arms and vermilion I had, and that he wished I would come prepared for a march through the woods. As to arms and vermilion I bud none, but prepared myself to go upon the march, and was ready to set off, when Joseph came into my tent und told me that as no person was on the spot to take care of the number of

Indians with bim, he apprehended in case I should leave them they would become disgusted, and disperse, which might prevent the rest of the Six Nations to ussemble, and be hurtful to the expedition, and begged I would first represent these circumstances to the Brigadier by letter. Brigadier St. Leger mentioned, indeed, ty going wns chiefly intended to quiet the ladians with him, who were very druuk and rioteus, and Captuin Tice, whe was the messenger, informed me tbat the Brigadier ordered the Indians a quart of rum apiece, which made them all beastly drunk, and in which case it is not in the power of inan to quiet them. Accordingly, I mentioned to the Brigadier, by letter, the consequences that might affect his Majesty's Indian interests in case I was to leave so large' n 'number of Indianis that were come already and still expected. Upon which representation, and finding the Indians disapproved of the plan, aad were unwilling te proceed, the Brigadier came nwny from Salmon Creck, and arrived the next day ut Oswego with the companies of the 8th and 34th Regiments, and about 250 Indians.

" Having equipped Joseph's party with what necessaries and am- munition I had, I appointed the rest of the Six Nation's to assemble at the Three Rivers,t a convenient place of rendezvous, and in the way te Fort Stanwix, and desired Colenel Butler to follow me with the Indians he brought with him from Niagara, and equip them all at Three Rivers.

"The 26th of July, left Oswego, and 2d of August arrived with the Brigadier and the greatest part of the tronps before Fort Stanwix, which was invested the same evening. The enemy having stopped np a narrow river, called Wood Creek, by cutting of trees across it for about twenty miles, along which our artillery, provisions, and baggage were to pass, which passage to cat npen required a num- ber of men, as well as cutting a road through the woods for twenty -. five miles to bring up the artillery, stores, etc., that were immediately wanted, which weakened oar small arms greatly. -

" The 3d, 4th, and 5th, the Indians surrounded the fort, and fired from behind logs and rising grounds at the garrison wherever they had an object, which prevented them frem working on the fortifica- tions in the day. The 5th, in the afternoon, accounts were brought by Indians, sent by Joseph's sister from Canajoharic, that a body of rebels were on their march, and would be within ten or twelve miles of our camp by night. A detachment of about 400 Indians was ordered to reconnoitre the enemy. Sir Joba Johnson asked leave to join his company of light infantry und head the whole, which was granted. Colonel Butler and other Inding officers were ordered with the Indians.

"The rebels having an imperfect account of the number of Indians that joined ns (being upward of 800), not thinking them by one- fourth as many, and being sure as to our strength and artillery (which we learned by priseners), that they knew it from their emis- saries before we left Canada. They therefore, on the 6th, marched on, to the number of upwards of 800, with security and carelessness.

"When within six miles of the fort, they were waylaid by our party, surprised, briskly attacked, and, after n little resistance, repulsed and defeated, leaving upwards of 500 killed on the spot, among which were their principal offers and ringlenders ; their general was shot through the knee, and a few days afterward died of an amputation.

" We lost Cuptnins Hure and Wilson of the Indians, Lieutenant McDonald of Sir John's regiment, two or three privatee; and. thirty- two Indians, among which were several 'Seneka chiefs, killed." Cap- tain Watts, Lieutenant Singleten, of Sir John's regiment, and thirty- three Tudians wounded.

"During the netion, when the garrison found the Indians camp (who went out against their reinforcement) empty; they boldly sallied ont, with three bundred meo and twe field-pieces, and took away the Indians' pucks, with their clothes, wampum, und silver wurk, 'they having gone in their shirts as naked to action ;' and when they found a party advancing from our camp they returned with their spoil, taking with them Lieutenant Singleton and a private of Sir John's regiment, who lay wounded in the Indian camp.

" The disappointment was rather greater to the Indians thao their Joss, for they had nothing to cover themselves at night, or ngaiost the weather, and nothing in our comp to supply them till I got to Oswego.

" After this defeat, and having got part of our artillery ap, some

# The colonel is disposed to be sarcastic apon St. Leger.

t Whatever else may be said ngninst Colonel Clans, it is evident he was not afraid to marder the King's Englisb.

# The junction of the Oswego; Oacida, and Seneca Rivers.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

cohorn shells were thrown into the fort, and a few shots fired. A Ang then was sent with an account of the disaster of their intended relief, and the garrison was summoned to surrender prisoners of war, to be marched down the country, leaving baggage, &c., behind, to satisfy the Indians for their losses.

" The rebels, knowing their strength in garrison as well as fortifi- ention, and the insufficiency of our field-pieces to hurt them, and apprehensive of being massacred by the Indians for the losses sus- tained in the nction, they rejected the summons, and said they were determined to hold out to the Inst extremity.

" The siege then was carried on with as much vigor as possible for nineteen days, but te no purpose, Sir John Johnson proposed to follow the blow given to the reinforcements (who were chicfly Mohawk River people), to march down the country with nhout two hundred men, and I intended joining him with a sufficient body of Indians; but the Brigadier snid he could not spare the men, and disapproved of it. The inhabitants in general were reudy (as we afterwards learned) to submit and come in. A flag then was sent to invite the inhabitants to submit and be forgiven, and assurance given to pre- vent the Indians from being ontrngeons; but the commanding officer of the German Flats hearing of it, seized the fing, consisting of Eo- sign Butler, of the Eighth Regiment, ten soldiers, and three Indians, and took them np as spies. A few days after General Arnold, com- ing with some canuon and n reinforcement, made the inhabitants return to their obedience. The Indians, finding that our besieging the fort wns of no effect, our troops but few, a reinforcement, as was reported, of fifteen hundred or two thousand meu, with field-picces, by the way, began to be dispirited, and fell off hy degrees, The chiefs advised the Brigadier to retreat to Oswege, sod get better artillery from Niagara, and more men, and so return and renew the siege; to which the Brigadier agreed, and necordingly retreated on the twenty-second of August.#

"On our arrival nt Oswego, the twenty-sixth, und examining into the state of the troops' necessaries, the men were without shoes and other things, which only could he got nt Mentrenl, the Brigadier at the same time having received n letter from General Burgoyne to join him, either by a march through the woods back of Tryon County (which was impracticable) or the way he came, He adopted the Intter on account of procuring necessaries for the men. The Indians were as much as possible reconciled to this resolution, with a promise that they should he convened as soon ns Col. Butler could return from Montreal with some necessaries for them. There being Indian traders nt Oswego, I saw myself under a necessity to clothie these Indians that lost their packs by the rebels nt Fort Stanwix, which made them return home contented.

" Thus has nn expedition miscarried merely for want of timely und goed intelligence. For it is impossible to believe that, had the Brigndier St. Leger known the renl state of the fort and garrisun of Fort Stanwix, he could possibly have procceded froid Montreal with- out a sufficient train of artillery and his full complement ef troops. And yet, by what I find, very large sums have been expended on account of government nt Niagarn upon the Indians these two years past, and they at the same time kept innctive ; wherens, had these presents been properly applied, the Six Nations might not only pre- vent Fort Stanwix from beiog re-established, but even let not a rebel come ner it or keep it up,-it being almost in the heart of their country, and they with reluotanes anw the Crown erect u fort there last war. All the geod done by the expedition was, the ringlenders and principal men of the rebels of Tryon Cuuuty were put out of the way ; but had we succeeded, it must be of vast good offect to the northern operations, and its miscarrying, I apprehend, to my deep concern, to be the reverse."

The following interesting account of St. Leger's expedi- tion was published in the "British Annual Register" for 1777, and is copied from the Oriskany Centennial volume. It gives a view of the subject taken from another stand- point;

" St. Leger's attempt upon Fort Stanwix (new named by the Amer- jeans Fort Schuyler) was, soon after its commencement, favored by

a success so signal as would, in other cases and a more fortunate senson, have been decisive as to the fate of n stronger and more impor- tant fortress. General Herkimer, n leading man of that country, was marching at the hend of eight or nine hundred of the Tryon County militia, with a convoy of provisions, to the relief of the fort. St. Leger, well nwnre of the danger of being attacked in his trenches, and of withstanding the whole weight of the garrison in some par- ticular and probably weak point at the same instant, judiciousty de- tnched Sir John Johnson, with some regulars, the whole or part of his ewo regiment, and the savages, to lia ic ambush in the woods and interrupt the enemy upon their march.

"It should seem, by the conduct of the militia and their leader, that they were not only totally ignorant of military duties, but that they had never heard by report of the nature of an Indian war, or of that peculiar service in the woods to which, from its nature and situ- atien, this country was nt all times liable. Without examination of their ground, without a reconnoiteriog or flanking party, they plunged blindly into the trap that was laid for their destruction. Being thrown into a sudden nod inevitable disorder by a near and heavy fire un almost all sides, it was completed by the Indians, who, instantly pursuing their fire, rushed in upon their broken ranks and made a most dreadful slaughter amongst them with their spears und hatchets. Notwithstanding their want of conduct the militin showed no want of courage in their deplorable situation. In the midst of such ex- treme danger and so bloody un execution, rendered still more terri- ble by the berrid appearance and demeanor of the principal actors, they re-collected themselves so far as to recover an advantageous ground, which eonbled them after to maintain a sort of running fight, by which about one-third of their number was preserved.

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 31

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