History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 33

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 33


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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" KINGSTON, 30th May, 1780.


"By order of the Senate,


" PIERRE VAN CORTLANDT, President. "By order of the Assembly,


" EVERT BANCKER, Speaker.


" To ZACCHEUS NEWCOMB, ISAAC BLOOME, and MATTHIAS B. MILLER, ESQUIRES, Charlotte Precinct."


"HOW THE SUSPECTED WERE TREATED.


"IN COUNCIL OF SAFETY FOR THE STATE OF NEW YORK, "MARBLE TOWN, Nov. 25, 1777.


"Ordered that Cadwallader Colden, Esq., and Roeloff Ettinge be forth- with conveyed by a sergeant to be appointed by Colonel Snyder to the Nine Partners, in Dutchess County, and there delivered to the ears of Messrs. Enos Thompson, Ezra Thompson, and Matthias B. Miller, or any two of them, who are hereby requested to place them in the house' of some well-known friend to the American canse, and to see that they' respectively comply with the terms of the parole, a copy whereof is herewith sent, until the forther order of this council or of the Legisla -; ture of this State, and that the said three gentlemen, or one of them, take such parola from the said prisoners respectively. .


"Extract from the minutes.


"ROB. BENSON, Secretary."


" LETTER TO CERTAIN PARTIES MENTIONED IN THE ABOVE ORDER.


"MARBLE TOWN, Nov. 6, 1777.


"GENTLEMEN,-This will be delivered to you by the person having charge of Messrs. Coldlen and Ettinge, conveyed as prisoners to your place and put under your direction hy order of the Council of Safety." In consequence of the destruction of Kingston, the bonses in this part of the country are so filled with the families of that distressed place as not to have room for the accommodation of prisoners. We are there- fore onder the necessity of removing them, and among others Messrs. Colden und Ettinge. These persons are confined upon a general. charge of disaffection to our eanse. We conceive, however, they may safely be indulged with the liberty granted them by our resolution, provided they are confined in a wall-affected neighborhood, and a wutchiful eye kept over them. You will be careful to fix them in the house of a true Whig, and observe that they adhere to their parole. I have pledged myself to the council that you will take charge of these prisoners, and from your known zeal in the cause, I have no doubt of your faithfully executing the commission.


"I remain your most obedient servant,


"EGB'T. BENSON.


"To MESSRS. ENOS THOMPSON, EZRA THOMPSON, AND MATTHIAS MILLER, Nine Partners."


A RELIC OF ST. LEGER'S EXPEDITION.


Among the articles captured during Colonel Willett's sortie from Fort Stanwix was a military field-desk, contain- ing, among other things, an " Orderly Book of Lieutenant- Colonel Sir John Johnson's Company," from which we make a few extracts. The book was kindly loaned us by Rev. Marinus Willett, of West Chester County, a relative: of the colonel. It bears all the evidences of age and hard . usage, and is a remarkable relie of the war.


The first entry was made at La Prairie, near Montreal, on the 5th of November, 1776. The armies of Burgoyne and St. Leger were then collecting for their respective expeditions, and were cantoned in the neighborhood of Montreal, at La Prairie, La Chine, and other points. Major-General Phillips was in cominand of the British, and Major-General Reidesel of the German troops. St. Leger's headquarters were soon after removed to La Chine, ou the


It is intended that no subscriptions shall be taken for a less sum than five hundred dollars.


126


HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.


island of Montreal, for we find an entry dated at that place on the 8th of November. The following general order was issued at Montreal on the 12th of Deceniber :


" MONTREAL, 12th December, 1776.


" A bounty having been granted by the London Monks to such sol- diera or sailors as may have been wounded, and to the widows of such of either as may have been killed in the service in America, the Pay- master of regiments and Captain Shanks are desired to transmit to Mr. Dunn, Receiver-General of the Province, a list of the soldiers and sailors who have been killed or wounded in the course of the campaign. Ten dollars will he paid to the latter, not having already received it, and Five pounds to the widows of the former producing certificates from the officer under whose command their husbands respectively served. (Signed) . " E. For,


"Deputy Adjutant-General.


" By order of MAJOR-GENERAL PHILLIPS.


(Signed) " AR'R. JAMES POMEROY, "Aid-de-Camp."


It would appear from the following order that when the weather became warmn in the spring the men were lodged in the outbuildings of the people, and that it was necessary to keep a sharp lookout upon them to prevent damage to property.


" MOUNT CLAIR, 26th May, 1777.


" The officers will give particular orders to their men to de no damage to the barns where they are lodged, and be very careful of fire, and par- ticularly not to smoke in the barns. Any soldier found guilty with meddling with any of the inhabitants' effects may depend upon being punished according to the martial law."


" LA CHINE, 6th June, 1777.


"Colonel St. Leger thinks proper to observe to the King's Royal Regiment of New York : That the surest method of making the noble and honorable zeal they have lately manifested to their king and country's interest take the cffcet they ardently wish for, as well as to possess themselves of the peace and prosperity which have been mnost illegally wrested from them, is to give a constant and unwenried atten- tion to the learning of military discipline, which will give them supe- riority over the confused and ungovernable rabble they have to deal with."


PROMOTIONS.


" Jane 8, 1777.


" His Excelleney the Commander-in-Chief has been pleased to make the following promotions in the army under his command :


" Royal Regiment of New York,


" Alexander McDonald to be captain in the room of Lieutenant Brown, who returned to the Fifty-first Regiment, 6th June, 1777."


" Ensign McDonald to he captain-lientenant in the room of Captain Lieutenant Hewitson, June 19, 1777."#


" Ensign Wm. Byrne to be lieutenant in the room of Lieutenant Grant, Jane 6, 1777."


"Volanteer Lipscomb to be Ensign, vice Byrne.


" WILLIAM DUNDAR, " Major of Brigade.


" To SIR JOHN JOHNSON, or officer commanding the Royal Regiment of New York."


The " Buck Island" named in the following order may have been the present Carlton Island, three miles below Cape Vincent, in the St. Lawrence River, or Grenadier Island, in Lake Ontario,-most probably the former.


"BUCK ISLAND, 17 Jaly, 1777.


" The Brigadier has the satisfaction of informing the corps in this expedition that Fort Ticonderoga and a large quantity of provisious, artillery, and stores, with their whole stoek of live eattle, were abin- doned by the rebels to the Grand Army on the 6th instant. That many of the rebels were taken, and many killed, and that ut the mo- ment the advance corps and the Indians were in hot pursuit."


# One of these McDonalds was killed at Oriskany.


According to this orderly book the ordnance officer at Buck Island was ordered to issue fifty rounds of ammuni- tion cach to 500 men, which would seem to have been the actual number of muskets carried by white soldiers in the command of St. Leger when it left Canada. Provisions were also issued for the same number for twenty days. The expedition left Buck Island on the 20th of July. Cap- tain Ancrom (or Ankrum) was St. Leger's adjutant-general.


Ensign Phillips, one sergeant, one corporal, and thirty- two men of the King's Royal Regiment, of New York, were left at La Chine, upon the departure of St. Leger's force, about June 20, to guard the baggage and follow Bur- goyne's army up Lake Champlain. .


There was at least one French Canadian company at- tached to St. Leger's army, for mention is made of Captain A. Buvilie, and Lieutenant the Chevalier St. Oaris, as commanding the same.


ROSTER OF ORISKANY.


The following list of names of those who are known to have belonged to Herkimer's command at the time of the battle of Oriskany was collected by the Utica Ilerald in June and July, 1877, and published in the Oriskany Cen- tennial volume, from which we copy it as the most com- plete and reliable one now extant. We omit the names of the descendants :


Brigadier-General Nicholas Herkimer,* Colonel Freder- ick Visscher, Mohawk; Colonel Ebenezer Cox,* Canajo- haric ; Colonel Jacob G. Klock, Palatine; Colouel Peter Bellinger, German Flats ; Frederick Ayer* (Oyer), Schuy- ler ; Major Blauvelt,t Mohawk ; Captain George Henry Bell,t Fall Hill ; Joseph Bell,* Fall Hill ; Nicholas Bell, Fall Hill; Captain John Breadbeg,t Palatine; John Henry Adam Becker, Little Falls; Adam Bellinger ; Colonel John Bellinger, Utica; William P. Bellinger, Utica; Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Bellinger,} German Flats; Samuel Billington,* Palatine, Committee of Safety ; Billington ; Major John Blevin *; Captain Jacob Bowman, t Canajoharie; John Boyer ; Lieutenant-Colonel Samnel Campbell, Cherry Valley ; Lieutenant Robert Campbell,* Cherry Valley ; Major Samuel Clyde, Cherry Valley ; Jacob Castler, John Castler, Adam Cassler, Jacob Clemens, Schuyler ; Captain A. Copeman, Minden ; Rich- ard Coppernoll, Robert Crouse,* Canajoharie; Benjamin Davis,* Captain John Davis,* Mohawk ; Martinus Davis, Mohawk (a brother of Captain John Davis); Nicholas De Graff, Amsterdam ; Captain John Marx Demuth, Deer- field ; Captain Andrew Dillenback,* Palatine; John Dox- tader, German Flats; Captain Henry Diefendorf, Canajo- harie; Hon. (John) Peter Dunckel, Freysbush ; Hon. Garrett Dunckel, Freysbush ; Hon. Nicholas Dunckel, Freysbush ; Francis Dunckel, Freysbush ; John Dygert,* Committee of Safety ; Captain William Dygert, German Flats ; Major John Eisenlord, Stone Arabia; Peter Ehle, Palatine ; Ja- cob Empie, Palatine; William Cox, St. Johnsville; Henry Failing, Canajoharie ; Jelles Fonda, Captain Adam Fonda, Valentine Fralick, Palatine; Major John Frey, tt Palatine ; Captain Christopher P. Fox," Palatine; Christopher W.


# Killed. t Wounded.


Į Taken prisoner.


127


HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.


Fox, Palatine; Charles Fox, Palatine ; Peter Fox, Pala- tine ; Christopher Fox, Palatine; Peter Folts, Fort Herki- mer ; George Geortner, Canajoharie; Captain Lawrence Gros, Minden; Nicholas Gray,* Palatine; Lieutenant Samuel Gray, Herkimer ; Captain - Graves, Captain Jacob Gardenier, ; Mohawk ; Lieutenant Samuel Gardenier, Mohawk ; Lieutenant Petrus Groat,* Amsterdam ; Henry Harter, German Flats ; John Adam Helmer, German Flats; Captain Frederick Helmer,* German Flats; John Heyck, Palatine ; Nicholas Hill, Lieutenant Yost House, Minden ; John Hoover, Little Falls; Lieutenant-Colonel Abel Hunt,* Canajoharie ; Andrew Keller, Palatine; Christian Huff- nail, Minden; Jacob Keller, Palatine ; Solomon Keller, Palatine; Major Dennis Klapsattle,* German Flats; Ja- cob Klapsattle, German Flats; Peter Kilts, Palatine ; George Lintner, Minden; George Lighthall, Minden ; Henry Lonus, Minden ; Solomon Longshore, Canajoharie ; Lieutenant Peter Loucks, Little Falls; Peter Loucks, Lit- tle Falls; Jacob Markell,* Springfield ; William Merckley,* Palatine; John P. Miller, Minden; Jacob Moyer (now Myers), German Flats; Lieutenant David McMaster, Florida; Adam Miller, Minden; Henry Miller, Minden ; David Murray, Fonda; Christian Nelles ; John D. Nellis, Palatine; Peter Nestle, Palatine; Hon. Isaae Paris,* and his son,* who was also killed, Palatine ; John Marx Petri, Little Falls ; Lieutenant Dederich Marx Petrie, Herkimer ; Dr. William Petry, f Herkimer, Committee of Safety ; Jo- seph Petry,t Dayton; Captain Samuel Pettingill,* Mo- hawk ; Adam Price,t Minden ; Nicholas Piekard, Minden ; Richard Putnam, Mohawk ; Abraham D. Quackenboss, Mo- hawk ; Jacob Rachiour,f Minden ; George Raynor, Min- den ; Captain Nicholas Rector, Garoga; John Rother (Roth), Minden ; John Adam Hartman, Herkimer; Colo- nel Joba Roof, Fort Stanwix; Marx Raspach, Kingsland; Henry Sanders, Minden; Samson Sammons, Fonda, Com -. mittee of Safety; Lieutenant Jacob Sammons, Fonda ; William Schaver ;* Ensign John Jacob School, Palatine ; Colonel Saffreness Seeber,* Canajoharie ; Captain Jacob Seeber,f Canajoharie; Lieutenant William Seeber, t Cana- joharie; Henry Seeber,t. Canajoharie ; James Seeber,* Canajoharie ; Lieutenant John Seeber, Minden ; Andolpb Seeber,* Minden ; Peter Sitz, Palatine; Rudolph Siebert ; Thomas Spencer, Indian interpreter ; Christian Schell, Lit- tle Falls; George Smith, Palatine; Naomi Brooks, Boon- ville; Nicholas Smith ; Colonel Henry Starin, Schuyler ; Captain Rudolph Shoemaker, Canajoharie ; Thomas Shoe- maker, German Flats ; Joseph Suell,* Snellbush, now Man- heim; Jacob Suell,* ditto; Peter Snell, ditto; George Snell, ditto; John Snell, Stone Arabia (the above were brothers); John Snell, Jr.,* Stone Arabia (a son of . George, and a fiter) ; Frederick Snell,* Snellbush. (Of the Snells, Mr. Simons writes : " It has been said for many years that nine Snells went into the battle, and that seven of the number remained there. We have made an effort to trace them out, and here is the result thus far : five brothers and a relative, perhaps a cousin, and a son of one of the brothers.) Lieutenant Jeremiah Swarts, Mohawk ; John G. Sillenbeck ; John Shults, Palatine; George Shults,


# Killed.


t Wounded.


# Taken prisoner.


Stone Arabia; Frederick Stevens,* German Flats; Peter Summer ; Adam Thumb, Palatine; Jacob Timmerman, St. Johnsville ; Lieutenant Henry Timmerman, St. Johnsville ; Henry Thompson, Fultonville; Lieutenant Martin C. Van Alstine, Canajoharie ; John Van Antwerp ;* George Van Deusen, Canajoharie; Peter Van Alstine, Root; Evert Van Epps, Fultonville; Thomas Van Horn, Van Horns- ville; Henry Vedder ; Conrad Volst (now Foltz), German Flats; Lieutenant Jacob Vols, German Flats; Major Har- manus Van Slyck,* Palatine ; Major Nicholas Van Slyck ;* Captain John Visscher, Mohawk ; Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Walradt, German Flats; George Walter, Palatine; Major George E. Watts; Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Waggoner, Pal- atine; Lieutenant Peter Waggoner, Jr., Palatine; George Waggoner, Palatine; John Waggoner, Palatine ; Jacob Wagner, Canajoharie; John Wagner, Canajoharie ; Garrett Walrath ; Lieutenant Henry Walrath ; Peter Westerman, Canajoharie ; John Wollover,* Fort Herkimer; Abraham Wollover, Fort Herkimer; Peter Wollover, t Fort Herki- mer ; Richard Wollover,* Fort Herkimer ; Jacob Wever, German Flats; Peter James Weaver, German Flats; Mi- chael Widrick, Schuyler; Lawrence Wrenkle,* Fort Her- kimer; Dr. Moses Younglove, t surgeon ; Captain Robert Yates; Nicholas Yerdon, t. Minden.


We will close the account of Oriskany with the following beautiful poem, written by the Rev. C. D. Helmer, of Chicago, and read at the centennial celebration on the field :


" PEAN TO ORISKANY. " Belcagured men of Stanwix, brave as those Who faced a million of their foes At old Thermopylæ ; Good cheer to you upon the wild frontier ! For citizens in arms draw near, Across Oriskany.


" But hark ! amidst the forest shades the crash Of arms, the savage yell,-with flash Of gory tomabawk ; For Johnson's Royal Greens, St. Leger's men, And Brant's Red Fiends are in that glen Of dark Oriskany.


" From down the valley where the Mohawk flows, Were hurrying on to meet their foes, The patriot yoemanry ;


For Gansevoort within his fortress lay, In peril, and besieged that day, Beyond Oriskany.


" As men who fight for home, and child, and wife, As men oblivious of life In holy martyrdom,


The ycomen in the valley fought that day, Throughout thy fierce and bloody fray,- Blood-red Oriskany.


" From rock, and tree, and clump of twisted bush The bissing gusts of battle rush,- Het-breath'd and horrible !


The roar and smoke, like mist on stormy scas, Sweep through thy splintered trees,- Hard-fought Oriskany.


" IIeroes are born in such a chosen honr, From common men they rise and tower, Like thee, hrave Herkimer !


Who, wounded, steedless, still beside the beech Cheered on thy men with sword and speech, In grim Oriskany.


128


HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.


"Now burst the clouds above the battle's roar, . And from the pitying skies down pour Swift fleeds, tumultuous; Then fires of strife unquenched flame out again Drenching with het and bloody rain Thy soil, Oriskany.


" But øre the sun went towards the tardy night, The valley then beheld the light Of Freedom's vietory ; .


And wooded Tryon snatched from British arms The empire of a million farms On hright Oriskany. -


" The guns of Stanwix thunder to the skies; The rescued wilderness replies ; Forth dash the garrison !


And routed Tories, with their savage aids, Sink, reddening, through the sullied shades, From lost Oriskany.


" Behold, Burgoyne, with hot and hating eyes!


. The New World's flag at last o'er flies . Your ancient heraldry ; For over Stanwix floats, triumphantly; The rising Banner of the Free,- Beyond Oriskany.


" A hundred years have passed since then,. And hest's now rally there again Te crown the centery ; The proud posterity of noble men Who conquered in the bloody glen Of famed Oriskany."


AN INTERESTING DOCUMENT.


Since concluding the history of Oriskany we have been favored with the perusal of a fragmentary document found among the papers of Colonel Henry Livingston, of the Rev- olutionary army, which throws a little additional light on the battle of Oriskany. The fragment includes a resume of the total losses in the British army during the campaigns of Burgoyne and St. Leger. It reads as follows :


" British prisoners by capitulation .... 2442


Foreigners Sent to Canada. 1100


2198


General Burgoyne and staff, among whom are six mem- hers of Parliament 12 Siek and wounded 589


Prisoners of war before the surrender. 400


Deserters. 300


Lost at Bennington ... 1200


Killed between 17th Sept. and 18th October. 600


Taken at Tieenderoga. 413


Killed at Harkeman's battle *.. 300


Total 9554


" 37 Brass Cannon, Royals, and Mortars, Implements, and stores complete.


" 5000 Stand of arms, 400 Sett of Harness, a number of ammunition wagons, 6 field-pieces at Bennington. Taken at Fert Sehuyler, 2 field- pieces and 4 Royals. Indians, Drawers, Sutlers, ete., excepted."


It will be seen that St. Leger's loss at Oriskany is placed at 300 killed. This probably covers his total during the campaign.


ORISKANY CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.


The subject of a grand celebration of the centennial anniversary of the battle of Oriskany, on the memorable field, began to be discussed, many months in advance, in the columns of every journal in the Mohawk Valley, and


many others throughout the country. Other sections had been celebrating the various centennials of 1875 and 1876, and there was a general feeling that one of the most im- portant events of the Revolution, but which so few people in the nation seemed to understand, should be duly honored with appropriate civic and military ceremonies.


The Oneida Historical Society, located at Utica, was designated, by common consent, as the most proper organi- zation to take charge of the matter, and a special meeting was held in Utica, on the 8th of June, 1877, at which the following preamble and resolutions were adopted :


"One hundred years from August 6, 1877, there occurred, near the junetion of the Oriskany and Mohawk streams, the most desperate and sanguinary, and one of the most important battles of the Revolution. On that spot the whole military force of the Mohawk Valley, proceed- ing to the relief of besieged Fort Stanwix, encountered the invading army, and nearly one-half laid down their lives in defense of home and country. This conflict prevented the union of the invaders with Bur- goyne at the Hudson, and contributed to his surrender.


" It is eminently proper, in this era of centennial celebrations of the Revolution, that this event should be suitably commemorated. The battle of Oriskany is the prominent feature of Revolutionary history in this section. It seems to devolve upen the Oneida Historical Society, as nearest to the locality, to take the initiatory steps, and to invite the co-operation of other organizations and individuals, throughout the Mohawk . Valley, in an appropriate and worthy celebration of this memorable confliet, upon its hundredth anniversary ; therefore,


" Resolved, That a meeting be held on the 19th day of June, at 2 P.M., at the Common Council Chamher, in Utica, to make arrangements for the centennial celebration of the battle of Oriskany on the battle- ground.


".Resolved, That all organizations desirous ef participating are eor- dially invited to send representatives to said meeting.


" Resolved, That the chair appoint, a committee of arrangements to represent this seciety, and that it shall be the duty of this committee to issue all proper. invitations, and make all necessary arrangements for such meeting."


The committee appointed consisted of the following- named gentlemen : S. Dering, R. S. Williams, C. W. Hutchinson, T. P. Ballou, M. M. Jones, Utica; George Graham, Oriskany ; D. E. Wager, S. G. Visscher, Rome; E. North, Clinton ; E. Graves, Herkimer; Webster Wag- ner, Palatine Bridge.


The invitation was warmly responded to throughout the Mohawk Valley. Meetings of citizens and organizations werc at once held, and delegates appointed to represent them on the 19th of June. At that meeting a programme of the necessary committees for the celebration was adopted.


Ex-Governor Horatio Seymour was chosen by acclama- tion president of the day, and the following general com- mittee of arrangements was appointed : .


Utica .- Charles W. Hutchinson, S. S. Lowery, H. D. Talcott, Sylvester Dering, P. F. Bulger.


Rome .- Joseph Porter, S. G. Visscher, D. E. Wager, D. L. Stevens.


Whitestown .- Philo White.


Oriskany .- George Graham, David S. Landfear, Alonzo


I. King, Isaac Fonda.


Clinton .- O. S. Williams.


Lewis County .- Garrett L. Roof.


Herkimer County .- Samuel Earl, A. M. McK'ce, C. A. Moon, Peter F. Bellinger, Eli Fox, George Timmerman, W. H. H. Parkhurst.


Madison County .- C. A. Walrath.


# Oriskany.


129


!


HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.


Montgomery County .- Simeon Sammons, John H. Sta- rin; Webster Wagner, Dow A. Fonda, Jeptha R. Simms, Alfred Wagner, Stephen Sandford.


Fulton County .- Mcintyre Fraser, John A. Wells. Schenectady .- William Wells.


"Sub-committees on invitations, monument, military, firemen, grounds, transportation, reporters, etc., were also named. At a subsequent meeting of the general commit- tee of arrangements, Alfred J. Wagner, of Fort Plain, was unanimously chosen grand marshal, and Daniel T. Everts, of Utica, was made chief of staff."


The celebration was a grand success. The day was all that could be desired, and the people flocked by uncounted thousands to the historic ground. They came from all parts of the State, and those of the Mohawk Valley in par- ticular turned out en masse. Good judges estimated the total number upon the ground at from 60,000 to 75,000. It was probably the largest gathering ever seen in the State, outside one or two of the larger cities.


All the civic and military organizations, societies, and orders of Oneida, Herkimer, Montgomery, and Fulton counties, and perhaps others were represented, and the dis- play was exceedingly fine.


We present a few extracts from the Centennial volume, descriptive of the scene as the vast procession came upon the grounds :


" As the head of the column reached the military organizations located along the route, salutes were fired and the troops came to a ' present.' Both sides of the road were lined with people, who cheered enthusiastically the carriage containing Governor Seymour, Mrs. Lan- sing, and the old flag of Fort Stanwix.


"The location of the 21st Brigade, the Utica Citizens' Corps, and Adjutant Bacon Cadets was an admirable one,-on the north hill-side. General Dering and the Rome cavalry troops came riding over the hill as the column approached. The 26th Battalion remained back on the hill, white the corps stood at 'present' in the front and centre of the field, the Adjutant Bacon Cadets on the left, and the Rome division on the north side of the road. Ao elevation in the road gave all a mag- nificent view of the grand panoramie beauty of the Mohawk Valley and the hills beyond, brilliant with emerald hues. Salutes, cheers, and waving handkerchiefs greeted the column from all directions. . . . In passing the ravine where so many of General Herkimer's brave men fell one hundred years ago, all the troops honored the spot by coming to a carry, and the colors were dipped. These honors were the occasion of still more enthusiastic cheering.


" The head of the column reached the entrance to the battle-field, west of the ravine, at 12.20 P.M., or one hour and ten minutes after leaving Oriskany. It led on over the route taken by General Herkimer, in 1777, to the west of the field, wheeled to the north, and moved on to the line of the grand marshal's field-quarters; then to the east, past the grand stand, where Governor Seymour and Mrs. Lansing, with the old flag, the orators, and distinguished guests, alighted,-the column moving around the amphitheatre to the south and west again, until a hollow square was formed around the amphitheatre and grand stand. The column occupied just an hour in passing a given point near the field.




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