Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York;, Part 5

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co.
Number of Pages: 1612

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After St. Leger left Oswego the expedition was " shadowed " all the way to Wood Creek by friendly runners from the Oneidas, who kept the garrison daily and almost hourly advised of the progress of the ad- vancing foe. When Wood Creek was reached the enemy found the channel completely blocked by trees fallen into it by orders of Colonel Gansevoort. A hundred and fifty of the garrison were fourteen days in cutting down those trees, thus forcing St. Leger's troops to travel through the forest by an Indian path. In his report of the expedition

1777-SIEGE OF FORT STANWIX-BATTLE OF ORISKANY.

St. Leger says that it took 110 of his men nine days to clear Wood Creek of the trees, and that before he could get his cannon and muni- tions, with seven days' provisions, from Oneida Lake to the fort, he had to cut a road through the woods sixteen miles long, and that it took two days to do this.

On Saturday, August 2d, the fort was formally invested by Colonel Bird and by Brant, who had been sent in advance 'of the main body. On Sunday forenoon following. St. Leger and the remainder of the forces reached the site of Fort Bull at the lower landing of Wood Creek. At that point the troops formed in line and marched to the upper landing, the site of the old U. S. Arsenal. From that point to the fort was an open plain in full view of the soldiers on the rampart. The first heard by the garrison was martial music and then the columns appeared in sight. The garrison was paraded on the ramparts to watch the com- ing of the enemy. Onward they marched, deploying as they approached, while the Indians spread themselves out on the flanks, with feathers fluttering in their head-gear and tomahawks glistening in their hands, their yells at times drowning the sound of the bugle and the drum. The bright scarlet uniforms of the regulars, taken out fresh that morn- ing, the banners and flags waving in the air as the march proceeded, the shimmer of the rifles in the sun and the precision of the military tread of the trained soldiery, were all calculated to strike terror to the hearts of the garrison. But the spectacle had a contrary effect. They knew they need not expect mercy at the hands of the invaders, and that they must defend to the last extremity the fort entrusted to their charge. The garrison watched in silence the oncoming of the foe. Not a gun was fired, not a shout of defiance was heard, and stillness reigned. It was Sabbath, and the silence of the garrison compared with the so- lemnity of the day. The men on the ramparts were intent upon count- ing the number of the besiegers. A flag of truce was sent into the fort by St. Leger demanding surrender, which was promptly refused. The 4th and 5th of August were occupied by St. Leger in cutting out a road and getting his cannon from Oneida Lake. On Monday, the 4th, active hostilities began. During that day and the next Indians concealed themselves behind stumps and trees to pick off those who were on the ramparts making repairs. Both evenings were passed by the Indians in

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

spreading themselves through the woods, crossing the river and encir- cling the fort, making the nights hideous with their yells. It was un- certain what would be attempted in the dead of night by the savages in their greed for scalps, and hence the garrison took no rest. St. Leger established his headquarters on the eminence now occupied by St. Peter's church, 600 yards northeast of the fort, and there he planted his cannon, with which he intended to drive out the garrison or batter down the walls of the fortification. 1

Over the brow of the hill, where the batteries were placed, the camps and tents of St. Leger were located, within easy distance of the cool spring of water which then and for half a century thereafter gushed forth from the hill side and formed the small stream that flowed past and near the fort ; this stream has passed into history as "Spring brook." Following down the Mo- hawk and near the bend in the river below where the railroad bridge crosses it, Sir John Johnson with his tories and chasseurs was posted, while between that en - campment and the fort, and on both sides of the river, Brant and his Indians were located with license to roam at will through the - woods surrounding the fort. A part of St. Ledger's troops were encamped on Wood Creek near JOSEPH BRANI. the site of the United States arse- nal. It will thus be seen how effect- ually the garrison was surrounded by the implacable and savage enemy.

On the evening of Tuesday, August 1, the sentinels on the ramparts observed that a large body of the Indians and some of Sir John's forces were moving in the direction of Oriskany along the edge of the woods,

' On the 27th of August, after the siege was abandoned, St. Leger wrote in a letter from Os- wego to General Burgoyne as follows : " It was found our cannon had not the least effect upon the sod work of the fort, and that our royals had only the power of teasing, as a six-inch plank was a sufficient security for their powder magazine, as we learned from the deserters."

1777-SIEGE OF FORT STANWIX-BATTLE OF ORISKANY.

and early the next morning other men from Brant's and Sir John's camps were seen hurrying eastward. The cause of these movements was involved in mystery to the garrison. It had been known for a couple of weeks down the valley that St. Leger was on his way to in - vest Fort Stanwix, via Oswego and Wood Creek. In July General Herkimer issued a proclamation stating that the enemy was at Oswego 2,000 strong and calling upon all healthy able-bodied males between sixteen and sixty years, to assemble at Fort Dayton (now Herkimer vil- lage), with a view to march and meet the enemy when they approached. On the 4th of August about Soo had assembled at Fort Dayton and on that day began their march, keeping on the north side of the Mohawk and that night camping on that side of the river. The next day the troops forded the river at Genesee street, Utica, and proceeded to a point between Whitesboro and Oriskany, where they camped for the night. As soon as General Herkimer started from Fort Dayton, Molly Brant, a former housekeeper and mistress of Sir William Johnson, sent a swift Indian runner to her brother Joseph at Fort Stanwix with the news of Herkimer's advance. This act explains the cause of the move- ments of the Indians and Sir John toward Oriskany on the evening of the 5th and early in the morning of the 6th. On the evening of the 5th General Herkimer sent three messengers (Adam Helmer, John Da- muth or Demoot) and a third person (name not known) to General Gansevoort with intelligence of Herkimer's approach and that he was already at or near Oriskany. It was expected that the three men would reach the fort early the next morning and their arrival was to be an- nounced from the fort by three successive discharges of cannon, which it was believed would be heard at Herkimer's encampment, upon which the latter would move on and, acting in co-operation with the garrison, scatter the besiegers and enter the fort.

At break of day on the morning of August 6, Herkimer and his men were astir ready for the march and anxiously waiting for the signal guns, but none was heard as early as was expected. The woods on the route were infested with unfriendly Indians and scouting parties and the messengers were obliged to be extremely cautious. They had to make a detour to the south and reach the fort through the dense cedar swamp described in a former chapter, so that they were greatly delayed and did

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

not arrive at the fort until between 10 and II o'clock in the forenoon. 1 The concerted signals were promptly fired, but at that time matters of fearful import were taking place between Herkimer's forces and those under Brant and Sir John Johnson. General Herkimer and his officers waited for hours for the signal guns. Some of the latter urged a for- ward movement without waiting longer. General Herkimer doubted the wisdom of such a course and opposed it. Colonels Cox, Paris, and others grew clamorous and manifested great impatience, while Herki- mer urged them to remain until the signal guns were heard. A con- sultation was held, high words ensued, and General Herkimer was ac- cused of being a coward, and charged with being a tory, like one of his brothers in the tory army, and with having brothers-in-law who sym- pathized with the side of the crown. Stung by these accusations the phlegmatic temper of the Mohawk Dutchman was quickened beyond control and the brave general gave the order, " march on." The troops gave a shout when the order came and on they pushed in files of two, in great haste, preceded by an advance guard, and with a guard on their flanks, but not with that order and care requisite in marching in the woods when liable to meet hostile Indians at every step. The march continued until about ten o'clock. Two miles west of Oriskany was a deep ravine, which is still plainly visible, marshy at the bottom and a dozen rods in width, extending from the south northerly toward the Mohawk, directly across the route by which Herkimer and his men were advancing. Over this ravine was a narrow causeway or corduroy road, to keep the men out of the mud and water; the advancing line of the hurrying troops had descended the eastern hill, crossed this causeway, and was ascending the western hill; the baggage wagons were crossing the ravine, followed closely by Colonel Visscher's regiment, which brought up the rear, when the guards on both the flanks and in front were sud- denly shot down by an unseen foc and the forest rang with the war whoop from the throats of more than a thousand savages. The greater part of Herkimer's forces now found themselves in the midst of a formidable ambuscade. Sir John Johnson's troops were in front and the Indians on each side of the advancing line, so arranged as to encircle

' St. Ledger in his letter to Burgoyne of August & says, "the garrison being apprised of Herki- mer's march by four men who were seen to enter the fort in the morning through what was thought an impenetrable swamp, I did not wait for the advance."

1777-SIEGE OF FORT STANWIX- BATTLE OF ORISKANY.

sides and rear, as soon as the attack was begun in front. But the In- dians were so excited and impetuous that they would not wait for the whole force to cross the ravine, nor for the attack to commence in front. 1 The position for the ambuscade was exceedingly well chosen. The ravine was deep and narrow, crooked somewhat like the letter S, in a dense forest, difficult to cross, and the ambuscade laid on the high ground west of the ravine. Had the Indians waited for an attack, the whole of Herkimer's forces would have been encompassed within the enemy's lines like a victim within the folds of an anaconda. As it was, the In- dians closed the gap in the rear (at the east), which shut out from the circle the baggage and ammunition wagons, just descending into the ravine from the east, and also shut out Colonel Visscher's regiment, still further in the rear. Thus separated the regiment turned and fled towards and down the river, 2 and were pursued and many of them killed by the Indians, though not unlikely they fought well. The troops surrounded fought bravely and desperately ; they neither asked for nor gave quarter. They were thrown into disorder and confusion and threatened with annihilation. The savages were concealed behind trees whence they fired and darted forward to make certain death by the use of the tomahawk to those whom the bullet or the arrow had not killed. The many hand to-hand conflicts cannot be recorded here. General Herkimer was wounded below the knee early in the engagement and his horse was killed under him. His saddle was placed against a beech tree (the location of which is still pointed out, a rod or so from the present highway, on a rise of ground), and there with steel and tinder he lit his pipe, and smoked calmly through the tumult of the battle while giving orders to his men. The men were falling like leaves about him. He saw the Indians shooting from behind trees and then rushing for- ward with the tomahawk; this bloody work was stopped by orders of General Herkimer to place two of his men behind a tree, one to load while the other fired. For nearly an hour the battle raged with fury

1 St. Ledger in his letter says, "the impetuosity of the Indians is not to be described. On the sight of the enemy, forgetting the judicious disposition formed by Sir John and agreed to by themselves, which was to suffer the attack to begin with the troops in front, while they should be on both flank and rear, they rushed, hatchet in hand, and thereby gave the enemy's rear an op- portunity to escape."

2 See Irving's Life of Washington; Stone's Life of Brant ; Simm's Frontiersman.

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

and fierceness, the forest resounding with the yells of the savages, the roar of guns, and the shrieks and groans of the dying. Then came on a terrific rain storm, the sky was blackened with clouds, the wind blew a gale, the thunder roared, lightning flashed and rain fell in torrents. The storm separated the combatants and for an hour there was a lull in the struggle. In the mean time each side made a new disposition for the conflict to be renewed at the end of the storm. The provincials took possession of an advantageous position, formed themselves into circles back to back and thus awaited for the coming of the foe. The strife was renewed and again the fighting was terrific. Men seized each other by the throat or hair, stabbing with knife or bayonet and dying in each other's grasp. Some parts of the conflict could hardly be called a battle ; it was more like a butchery in a slaughter-pen.

During the battle guns from Fort Stanwix were heard (probably those of Colonel Willett, when he made the sortie at 3 P. M.). The Provincials took courage, the Indians were alarmed and withdrew from the field, leaving Herkimer and his men in possession. During the thunder storm the enemy had taken some of their wounded and the papers captured from General Herkimer, to the camp at Fort Stanwix. Sir John, by a ruse, attempted to deceive Herkimer's men. After the firing at the fort some of Johnson's Greens put American hats on their heads and approached from the direction of Fort Stanwix as if they were friends. The ruse was well nigh successful for the capture of some of our men, but it was detected in time to be exposed and thwarted. The firing at the fort conveyed to Sir John and the Indians at Oriskany intelligence that their presence was needed by St. Leger, and they ac- cordingly retraced their steps to Fort Stanwix. Indian runners from the fort had also apprised Sir John of Col Willett's sortie.

Sad and mournful indeed was the return down the valley of those who survived the bloody battle of Oriskany-among the hardest fought and bloodiest on record, considering the number engaged. It is calculated that about 2,000 were engaged, and that each side lost from 160 to 200 men. The Provincials constructed litters on which they conveyed their wounded ; some forty or fifty were borne away in this manner, among whom was the brave Herkimer. The Indians were in the foremost of the fight, where they were placed to shield the tory troops, and they

1777-SIEGE OF FORT STANWIX-BATTLE OF ORISKANY.

suffered accordingly. General Herkimer was taken to his own dwelling two miles east of Little Falls, then occupied by John Roof's family, the first settler at Fort Stanwix in 1760, but who had to drop down the valley when the fort was besieged. When General Herkimer was shot at Oriskany the wound was dressed by Dr. William Petrie,1 of Herki- mer, grandfather of Judge Robert Earl, late of the Court of Appeals.

After General Herkimer's removal to his home he was attended by another physician and his leg unskillfully amputated above the knee by a French surgeon. He died August 16, just ten days after the battle.

And thus ended the ever- to be- remembered battle of Oriskany. Harold Frederic, in his impressive story, " In the Valley," has painted in vivid colors the true significance of that conflict. He says :

It was not until much later-until definite news came not only of St. Leger's flight back to Canada, but the capture of the whole British army at Saratoga-that the men of the Mohawk began to comprehend what they had really done. To my way of thinking they have ever since been unduly modest about this truly historic achievement. Thus it happens that the great decisive struggle of the whole long war for independence-the conflict which, in fact, made America free-is suffered to pass into the records as a mere frontier skirmish. Yet, if one will but think, it is as clear as daylight that Oriskany was the turning point of the war. The essential feature of Burgoyne's plan had been that this force (which we so roughly stopped and turned back in the forest defile) should victoriously sweep down our valley, raising the tory gentry as they progressed and join him at Albany. If that had been done, he would have held the whole Hudson, separating the rest of the colonies from New England, and having it in his power to punish and subdue first the Yankees, then the others at his leisure. Oriskany prevented this! Coming as it did at the darkest hour of Washington's trials, and the colonies' despondency, it al- tered the face of things as gloriously as does the southern sun rising swiftly upon the heels of night. Burgoyne's expected allies never reached him; he was compelled in consequence to surrender, and from that day there was no doubt who would in the long run triumph. Therefore, I say, all honor and glory to the rude, unlettered, great-souled yeomen of the Mohawk valley, who braved death in the wildwood gulch at Oriskany that Congress and the free colonies might live.

The same storm that separated the combatants on the Oriskany battlefield delayed Colonel Willett in making his sortie from Fort Stanwix to attack the enemy's camps. At 3 P. M. the storm subsided and Colonel Willett prepared to make the sally. The account of this sortie was furnished by Willett himself to the Connecticut Courant and

1 Dr. Petrie was himself wounded in that battle and could not attend the general down the valley. Skenandoah, the Oneida chief, fought in the battle on the side of Herkimer; he lived until 1516 and died at the age of 110 years.

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

was published in that paper August 25, 1777 ; it is also embodied in " Willett's Narrative," prepared by Colonel Willett and published in 1831. The account says :

The men within the fort were paraded in a square and the intelligence of Herkimer's coming was communicated to them. Colonel Willett, who was to lead them, went down into the esplanade and addressed the men substantially as follows: "Soldiers, you have heard that General Herkimer is on the march to our relief. The commanding officer feels satisfied that the tories and Queen's rangers have stolen off in the night with Brant and his Mohawks to meet him. The camp of Sir John is therefore weakened. As many of you as feel willing to follow me in an attack upon it, and are not afraid to die for liberty, will shoulder your arms and step out one pace in front." Two hundred men obeyed the impulse, almost at the same moment; fifty or more with a three-pounder were soon added. As soon as the storm was over the men issued from the sally port at a brisk pace and rushing down on Sir John's camp, carried it at the point of the bayonet, drove the enemy into and across the river, and captured a large amount of army stores, destroyed all the provisions, brought off fifty brass kettles, more than 100 blankets, a quantity of muskets, toma- hawks1, spears, ammunition, deer skins, and five colors.

Colonel Willett then attacked and scattered the Indian camp, and on his return to the fort along the west side of the river, St. Leger pro- ceeded from his headquarters across the Mohawk [into "Factory Vil- lage "] to fire from an ambush into Colonel Willett's men; but they were soon dispersed. Colonel Willett brought in twenty-one wagon loads of captured articles, and as to the five captured flags, they were run up on the flagstaff, underneath the United States flag, then and there improvised for the occasion, accompanied by cheers from the garrison that might have been heard at Oriskany.

On the 4th of June, 1777, Congress resolved, " That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternated red and white ; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." This resolution was not officially promulgated until September 3, 1777, although it was published in the newspapers a month before. The news of the adoption by Congress of this regula- tion flag had doubtless reached the fort in this far-off wilderness, and the garrison hastily improvised a flag from such materials as were at hand-the white from the shirts of soldiers ; the blue field from a cam-

2 Colonel Claus writes as follows of this capture : "They took away the Indians' packs with their clothes, they having gone in their shirts, as naked to action, and when they returned they had nothing to cover themselves with at night against the weather, and nothing in our camp Io supply them, until we got to Oswego, three weeks later.

1777-SIEGE OF FORT STANWIX-BATTLE OF ORISKANY.

let cloak which Colonel Willett captured at Peekskill in the preceding March, and the red, as stated, from a red petticoat captured at the same time. This was the first flag, the emblem of the nation- to- be, unfurled to the breeze on this continent. This flag should not be confounded with the State flag which accompanied the 3d regiment of General Gansevoort at Fort Stanwix, and which was present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown four years later.

There were, as has thus been shown, two great events which took place in this locality on the 6th of August, 1777,-the battle of Oris- kany, in a large measure the turning point in the Revolutionary strug- gle, and the raising of the first flag of the embryo republic.

In the afternoon of August 7 a white flag from the enemy approached the fort, escorted by three officers, with a request that they might enter with a message from St. Leger. Permission was granted and accord- ing to the custom they were first blindfolded and then conducted into the dining room of the officers, where the windows were darkened and candles lighted, the table spread with some light refreshments, the bandages removed from the messengers' eyes, and they were then re- ceived by General Gansevoort. The principal officer made known his errand, the purport of which was, a demand for the surrender of the fort, accompanied by intimations that if surrendered the prisoners would be treated humanely ; but if taken by force, St. Leger would not hold himself responsible for the cruelty of the Indians Colonel Willett was deputed to reply, and no one was better qualified. He said in sub- stance :

This garrison is committed to our charge and we will take care of it. After you get out of this fort, you may turn around and look at its outside, but never expect to come in again, unless you come as prisoners. I consider the message you have brought a degrading one for a British officer to send, and by no means reputable for a British officer to carry. For my own part, I declare that before I would consent to deliver this garrison to such a murdering set as your army, by your own account, consists of, I would suffer my body to be filled with splinters and set on fire, as you know has at times been practiced by such hordes of women and children killers as belong to your army.

These sentiments were re echoed with applause by all officers present and by the garrison. A cessation of hostilities for three days was then agreed upon. As nothing was heard from down the valley since the

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

battle of Oriskany, the garrison began to be uneasy. They needed more ammunition and might soon need provisions. Sir John Johnson proposed to St. Leger to march down the valley with about 200 men, Colonel Claus to join him with a body of Indians ; but St. Leger could not spare the men and disapproved. As it was, the tory, Walter N. Butler, went down the valley to rally his tory friends and was captured, as hereafter narrated. A consultation was held in the fort as to sending Colonel Willett down the valley for assistance. The siege was mean - while progressing and measures were taken by St. Leger to approach the fort by sapping ; two parallels were formed, the second of which brought him near the edge of the glacis, but the fire from the fort ren- dered further progress difficult, although he had reached within 150 feet of the works. On the 9th of August St. Leger sent a written message again demanding the surrender of the fort, to which General Gansevoort replied that "It is my determined resolution, with the forces under my command, to defend this fort to the last extremity, in behalf of the united American States, who have place me here to defend it against all enemies."

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Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York;, Part 5

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896 Publication date: 1896 Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co. Number of Pages: 1612

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co.
Number of Pages: 1612