USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 3 > Part 18
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The time afforded by this delay, had been employed by Schuyler to the utmost advantage. Some reinforcements of continentals had been received from Peekskill ; and though the critical season of the year, it being harvest time, together with the dislike to him prevailing in New England, prevented the militia from turning out in considerable numbers, they appeared in sufficient force to make a respectable addition to the re- gular army. But the loss of all the salt provisions was severe- ly felt. Unaccustomed to the use of fresh meat ouly, the Ameri- can soldiers when confined to it, became very sickly ; and this cause tended still more to diminish a force already too inconsi- derable to afford a reasonable prospect of success, in a contest with the enemy opposed to them. On this account, as Bur- goyne approached Fort Edward, General Schuyler retired over the Hudson to Saratoga, a few miles below that place.
From thence General Lincoln ,was dispatched to take the command of the militia, which were then assembling at Man- chester, under Colonel Warner.
From Saratoga, General Schuyler retired to Stillwater, and thence to Watervliet, and took a position, which he cansed to be strongly fortified.
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Meanwhile be ordered General Lincoln to join him. Very soon after, being informed that Burgoyne bad evacuated Cas- tleton, so that there was no longer any communication kept , up with Ticonderoga, but through Lake George, and that the , garrison of that important place consisted of only three hundred men, he countermanded the orders which he had given to General Lincoln, and directed him to march, with the New England militia under his command, amounting to between two and three thousand men, and, if possible, take that place, and destroy the enemy's communication with Lake Champlain. This movement he supposed would compel General Burgoyne to weaken his army, by sending detachments either to reinforce the posts in his rear, or to attack General Lincoln.
About the same time too he was informed that Colonel St. Leger, with a large detachment of regulars, tories, and Indians, had penetrated from Fort Oswego, on Lake Ontario, by the way of Oswego and Oneida Rivers, Oneida Lake, and Wood Creek, to the upper part of the Mohawk, and had began to besiege Fort Stanwix. The fort was too weak to hold out any considerable time against a regular siege, and it therefore became necessary to attempt an immediate relief. General Schuyler ordered General Herkimer to assemble the militia of Tryon county, and proceed without delay to its relief. This officer, who seems to have had little. experience in military af- fairs, set out with eight hundred men. St. Leger, on being informed of his approach, detached Sir John Johnson, with a regiment of tories, and all the Indians then in his service, to oppose him. The whole country, for eight miles east of Utica, and so westwardly to Fort Stanwix, except a small space around a block-house, at the place where Utica now stands, was cover- · ed with thick woods, and traversed by only a single road. Sir John Johnson, finding that General Herkimer. marched without taking those precautions so necessary to the safety of an army advancing through woods, laid an ambuscade for this general and his militia, a httle west of Oriskinny, into which the Ame- . rieans were unfortunately drawn, and totally defeated, on the sixth day of August. The loss, besides the general and seve-
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ral committee-men, and leading political characters, amounted to four hundred men, most of whom were killed. The slaugh- ter was prevented from being rendered still more terrible, by the very timely sortie made by the brave Lieutenant-colonel Willet, which checked the pursuit, and recalled the enemy to the de- fence of their own camp.
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Fort Stanwix was garrisoned by about six hundred conti- nental troops, from New-York and Massachusetts, under the command of Colonel Gansevoort. The besieging army, under St. Leger, consisted of sixteen or eighteen hundred men, com- posed of British, tories, Canadians, and Indians. On his first appearance, Colonel St. Leger demanded 'an immediate sur- render, but Colonel Gansevoort answered, that he intended to defend the fort to the last extremity. In this sortie Colonel ¿Villet led only two hundred men, yet it was so unexpected, and the movements of this gallant officer were so rapid and vigorous, that the enemy fled from his lines, and sought refuge in the woods ; and the party returned into the fort with many muskets, blankets, kettles, and other things, which they took. A party of regulars endeavoured to form an ambuscade in the woods, which, in a measure, at this time, environed the camp, · in order to cut off his retreat ; but he discovered and defeated the attempt. With a field-piece, which accompanied him, he played on them with grape-shot, in addition to which he at- tacked them with musketry, and entirely dispersed them ; after which he returned into the fort, without the loss of a man, hav- ing killed several of the enemy, among whoin were some Indian chiefs.
Elated as highly with the defeat of Herkimer, as the French had been with the defeat of Braddock, between whose defeats there seems to have been a strong analogy, Colonel St. Leger made a second demand upon Colonel Gansevoort, requiring him to surrender the fort, and manifesting the danger to which both the garrison and country would be exposed from the ro+ sentment of the Indians, his allies, in case of further resistance; a resentment which he had with infinite difficulty repressed for the moment ; but which be should be unable longer to restrain, VOL. III. 25
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if the opposition should be continued. This message, which was at first verbal, and sent by Colonel. Butler, Colonel Gan- sevoort refused to receive ; and the demand was the next day made in writing. Colonel Gansevoort with firmness replied, that being intrusted by the United States to defend the place, he should do it to the last.
On receiving this answer, the firing on the fort was resumed, and St. Leger addressed a letter to General Burgoyne, inform- ing him of the utter defeat of the militia of the Mohawk coun- try. The militia, he said, and very truly, could not rally again to molest him, and his only apprehensions were from continen- tal troops, who might come up the Mohawk to the relief of the fort. He, therefore, suggested a rapid movement on the Ame- rican army below him.
In order, if possible, to rouse the militia, who had become considerably depressed by the recent bad conducted expedition, Colonel Willet and Lieutenant Stockwill undertook a very dan- gerous affair. They passed by night through the besiegers' camp and works, crawling on their hands and knees for nearly half a mile, till they reached the river : in despite of every dan- ger and the watchfulness of the enemy, they arrived safely at Germanflats, where they succeeded in collecting a few militia.
General Schuyler, as soon as he heard of the defeat of the militia of the Mohawk country, and the imminent danger of the garrison at Fort Stanwix, and the exposed situation of the frontiers in that quarter, detached General Arnold, with three continental regiments, to raise the siege. This general set out from Stillwater about the fifteenth of August, and proceeded up the Mohawk, as far as Fort Dayton, near the confluence of the Mohawk and West Canada Creek.
Meanwhile Colonel St. Leger detached Captain Butler with a' party of men to Germanflats, then in the country of Tryon, . to summon the inhabitants to surrender and submit to his Bri -. tannic Majesty's government. On the arrival of Butler in the upper part of the present town of Germantiats, he sent out Hon Yost Schuyler, a refugee, with twelve men, to reconnoitre and gain intelligence. Schuyler and his companions were
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made prisoners and carried to Fort Dayton. Here Schuyler was tried by a court-martial, and sentenced to death. His mother, Elizabeth Schuyler, on hearing of the trial and condem- nation of her son, repaired immediately from Fall Hill to Fort Dayton, in order to intercede with the general to spare him. General Arnold, being deeply affected with the entreaties and . tears of the mother, told her that he would pardon her son, Hon Yost, provided he would go forthwith to the camp of St. Leger, at Fort Stanwix, and circulate a report, that he, General Arnold, was advancing by forced marches with two thousand men, to the relief of the garrison, and that he would be there in twenty- four hours. To this, the mother and Hon Yost, her son, agreed, but the general required a hostage. This increased the mo- ther's anxiety for the fate of her son. She did not know what to do. The general would not take her, although she solicited him so to do with many tears. In this dilemma, her son Nicho- las offered himself as a hostage for his brother, and for the faithful performance of what the general required, declaring that he was willing to suffer death in lieu of his brother, in case his 'brother did not do every thing required. The gallant general, . struck with the proposition of Nicholas, accepted of it .- Hon Yost was sent forthwith to the camp of St. Leger, while- Nicholas was taken into custody, and kept under a guard. In the mean time, Hon Yost proceeded with all possible dispatch to Fort Stanwix, and arrived there very early the next morning. His companions, who knew of his captivity, and who never expec- ted to see him again, were overjoyed at his return. They inquir- ed ot him how he had escaped, and'asked him many questions; to all of which he replied with promptness. He told them that Arnold was on his march for that place, with two thousand men, and would be there in a few hours. These tidings were instantly carried to Colonel St. Leger, who sent and had Hon Yost brought to his tent. Here he was interrogated, and gave the same information which he had to his companions. St. Leger, thereupon, called a council, in which it was resolv- ed to raise the siege without delay, and retreat down Wood Creek. No time was lost in carrying this resolution into effect,
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a's the Colonel gave implicit credit to every thing that Hos Yost told himn. The retreat was made in such haste, that the tents were left standing, and every thing abandoned, except what the men could carry on their backs. The retreat was on the twenty-second day of August. Hon Yost accompanied the army of St. Ledger to the mouth of Wood Creek, where he deserted and returned to Fort Stanwix, and thence to Fort Dayton, when his brother was released from confinement, to the no small joy of his mother and relations. Such was the result of the siege of Fort Stanwix. Good sometimes grows out of evil. Hon Yost Schuyler had taken up arms against his coun- try ; had been made a prisoner and condemned to death ; but owing to his mother, and the policy of General Arnold, was made the instrument of inducing the enemy to raise the siege of Fort Stanwix, whose brave garrison was reduced to great straits.
General Burgoyne, who had been incessantly employed from the thirtieth of July, in bringing forward batteaux, pro- visions and ammunition from Fort George, to the nearest navig- able part of the Hudson, a distance of fifteen miles, was already informed of the arrival of Colonel St. Leger, before Fort Stanwix. But the obstacles to his further progress, now mul- tiplied every day, and each step produced new embarrass- ments.
Not more than one-third of the draught horses contracted for in Canada, had arrived. This was not imputable to any neg- lect in those to whom the agency of that business had been confided, but to the natural accidents attending so long and in- tricate land and water carriage. General Schuyler had taken · the precaution to remove as much as possible, out of his reach, the draught horses and cattle of the country, so that from this ser.ice, his supplies were by no means such as some of his friends had induced him to expect, and altogether inadequate · to liis wants. He had, indeed, secured fifty ox teams, but · buch was the badness of the roads, rendered much worse by the great quantities of rain which had fallen, that it was often tiecessary to employ five or six yoke of oxen in the transporta-
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ton of a single batteaux. Even with these aids and onremit- . ting labour, he had only brought over twelve batteaux into the Hudson, and provisions for the army for four days, in advance, by the fifteenth of August.
An immediate and rapid movement down the Hudson, bad suggested itself to the British general, as a measure of the ut- most importance. In that event the American army would not, he conceived, march up the Mohawk country, because such a movement would place it between his army and that of St. Leger, and would leave Albany totally uncovered. It must, therefore, either hazard a general action, retreat before him, or cross the Hudson and fall back upon New England. Either of these events he considered as opening the whole Mohawk country to St. Leger, and securing a junction of the two armies. -
The great difficulty attending the execution of his plan, and which alone embarrassed him, was how to provision his army until it should reach the fertile country below him. The diffi- culty of drawing supplies from Lake George, would every day increase with the distance and additional portage ; and the communication already endangered by a large body of militia assembling at White creek, could only be secured by larger detachments from his army, than he was in a condition to make. . The proposed movement, therefore, must either be abandoned, or some other mode of supply attempted. The latter part of the alternative was embraced.
It was well known, that the principal part of the live cattle, with which the American army was supplied, was 'drawn from New England, and passed through Manchester, Arlington, and other parts of the Hampshire Grants, to Bennington, from whence they were occasionally conveyed to the American camp. A large depot of corn and carriages had been collected and made at the same place, which was generally guarded by some militia. The possession of these magazines would enable him to prosecute his further plans, without a reliance on supplies from Lake George, and he determined, if practicable, to sur prise and seize them.
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Lieutenant-colonel Baum, with five hundred Gerinans, some provincials and Canadians, and more than one hundred In- dians, was sent on this service. To facilitate the operations of Colonel Baum, and to be ready to take advantage of the suc- cess which it was supposed would attend his arms, General Burgoyne moved along the east bank of the Hudson, and en- camped nearly opposite Saratoga ; having, at the same time, thrown a bridge of rafts over the river, by which the army passed to that place. With a view to support Colonel Baum, if it should be found necessary, Lieutenant-colonel Breyman's corps, consisting of the Brunswick grenadiers, light infantry and chasseurs, were posted at Battenkill.
On approaching Bennington, it was discovered that a much more considerable force was collected there than had been sus- pected. . The New Hampshire militia, under General Stark, had fortunately reached that place on their way to camp.
·Perceiving the danger of his situation, Colonel Baum halt- ed in the towns of Hoosic and Bennington, some where on the borders, and about four miles from the village of Bennington, and dispatched an express for a reinforcement. Meanwhile he strengthened himself as well as was in his power, by intrench- inents.
Lieutenant-colonel Breymen was immediately ordered to his assistance ; but such was the state of the roads, that althoughi the distance was only twenty-four miles, and he continued his march unremittingly from eight o'clock in the morning, of the fifteenth of August, he did not reach the ground where Colonel Baum had been encamped until four in the afternoon of the next day.
. General Stark having received information that a party of Indians were at Cambridge, sent Lieutenant colonel Grey, on August thirteenth, with two hundred men to stop their progress. Towards night he was informed by express, that a large body of regulars was in the rear of the Indians, and advancing to- wards Bennington. On this intelligence, General Stark drew together his brigade and the militia that were at hand, and sent on to Manchester, to Colonel Warner, to bring on his regi-
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ment ; he also sent expresses to the neighbouring militia, to join him with the utmost speed. On the morning of the four- teenth, he marched with his troops, and at the distance of seven miles he met Colonel ,Grey on the retreat, and the enemy with- in a mile of him. General Stark drew up his men in order of battle ; but the enemy coming in sight, halted upon a very advantageous piece of ground. Colonel Baum perceived the Americans were too strong to be attacked with his present force, seut an express to General Burgoyne, with an account of bis situation, and to have Colonel Breyman march immedi- ately to support him. .
In the mean time, the small parties of the Americans kept up a skirmish with the enemy, and killed and wounded thirty of thein, with two of their Indian chiefs, without any loss to them- selves. The ground which General Stark had taken, being un- favourable for a general action, he fell back about half a mile and eucamped. He called a council of war, in which it was de- termined to send two detachments upon the enemy's rear, while the rest of the troops should make an attack upon their front. The next day the weather was rainy, and though it prevented a. general action, there were several skirmishes between small par- ties which proved favourable to the Americans.
On August the sixteenth, in the morning, General Stark was joined by Colonel Symond, and a body of militia, from Berk. shire in Massachusetts, and proceeded to attack the enemy. agreeably to the plan which had been concerted. Colonel Baum, had, as we have already mentioned, intrenched himself en an advantageous piece of ground, near St. Coic's mills, on a branch of Hoosic River, and rendered his post as strong as his circumstances and situation would admit. Colonel Nichols was detached with two hundred men, to the rear of his left, and Colonel Herrick, with three hundred men, to the rear of his right; both were to join, and then make the attack. Colonels Hubbard and Stickney, with two hundred more, were ordered on the right, and one hundred were advanced towards the front, to draw the attention of the enemy that way. About three
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o'clock in the afternoon, the enemy had taken their station, and were ready to commence the action. While Colonels Nichols and Herrick were bringing their troops together, the Indians were alarmed at the prospect, and pushed off between the two . corps-but received a fire as they were passing, by which three of them were killed and two wounded. Nichols then began the attack, and was followed by all the other divisions; those in the front, immediately advanced, and in a few minutes, the ac- tion became general. It lasted about two hours, and was like one continued peal of thunder. Colonel Baum made a brave defence, and the German dragoons, after they had expended their ammunition, led by their Colonel, charged with their swords, but were soon overpowered. Their works were carried on all sides, their two pieces of cannon were taken, Colonel . Baum himself was mortally wounded and taken prisoner, and all his men, except a few who had escaped into the woods, were either killed or taken prisoners.
Having completed the business, the militia began to disperse, and look out for plunder. Fortunately, Colonel Warner came . up with some continentals and militia, and instantly led them on against Colonel Breyman, and began the second engagement. General Stark re-assembled the militia as soon as possible, and pushed on to his assistance. The action became general, and was continued with obstinacy till sunset, when the Germans gave way, and were pursued till dark. They left their two field-pieces behind, and a considerable number were made prisoners. They retreated in the best manner they could, im- proving the advantages of the night, to which alone.their escape was ascribed.
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In these actions, the Americans took four brass field-pieces, twelve brass drums, two hundred and fifty swords, four ammu- nition wagons, and about seven hundred prisoners, with their arms and accoutrements. Two hundred and seven men were found dead upon the spot-the number of wounded were un- known. The loss of the Americans was about thirty slain, and forty wounded.
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General Stark, on the fourth of October, received the thanks of Congress, for the signal victory which he had gained over the enemy, and also the appointment of Brigadier-general in the army of the United States.
General Stark had been an officer of much reputation in the French war -- he had commanded one of the ranging companies, and had been so active and useful, that Lord Loudon had put him upon the British establishment and pay. In the campaign of 1775, he had the command of one of the New-Hampshire regiments ; and few, or no officer, had displayed more know- ledge or bravery in the battle of Bunker Hill. Viewing him- self as neglected and dishonoured by Congress, in not being promoted to the rank of Brigadier-general, he had left the conti- nental service. Such was the situation of Stark when made Brigadier-general, in 1777, by the legislature of New-Ilamp- shire.
On what small events does popular opinion and military suc- cess depend ! The defeat and capture of about one thousand Hessians, by Washington, at Trenton, had roused the people and saved the Fredish States. The victory of General Stark now served to ronse the people of the north, and stimulate them to those great exertions which resulted in the defeat and capture of Burgoyne. This was the first victory that had proved any . way encouraging to the Americans, in the north, since the de- feat of General Montgomery. Defeat had succeeded defeat, and misfortune had followed misfortune, till now. This success raised the drooping spirits of the people, while it depressed those of the invaders.
St. Leger, after having raised the siege of Fort Stanwix, re- turned to Montreal, from whence he proceeded to Ticondero- ga, with the intention of joining General Burgoyne by that route.
The victory obtained by General Stark at Bennington, over Colonei Baum, and the retreat of Colonel St. Leger from Fort Stanwix, were very important in their consequences. The re- duction from the force of the enemy by these events, amounted to nearly or quite three thousand men. By the first, the north. VOL. IN. 26
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western part of New England was freed from invasion; and by the second, the Mohawk country was rescued from a like calamity. By these events the Americans were enabled to unite all their forces in the north against Burgoyne, and bring the campaign to a speedy and happy issue.
The militia and continentals had recovered that confidence in themselves, which a long series of misfortunes had greatly diminished. The enemy's army which had heretofore spread terror and dismay, was considered as already vanquished ; and the opinion now became common, that it was only necessary for the militia to be called out in mass, in order to conquer the enemy, and emancipate the country. The disaffected had be- come timid, and the wavering, who would have furnished aids, had the enemy been successful, withheld them.
The barbarities too, which had been perpetrated by the Indians belonging to the army of Burgoyne, as well as by those belong- ing to that of St. Leger, excited more resentment than terror. As the prospect of revenge began to open, the effect of those horrid barbarities became the more apparent; and their influ- ence on the royal cause was the more sensibly felt, because they were indiscriminate. The murder of Miss M.Crea, an accom- plished young lady, engaged to a British officer, passed through all the public papers, and the narrative in itself sufficiently af- fecting, being smoothed and enlarged by the hands of several masters, excited every where an extraordinary degree of interest and sensibility.
The murder of Miss M.Crea was perpetrated one mile north of Fort Edward, on the west side of the highway, at a spring near the foot of a pine tree. The following are the circum- stances which attended the murder :- From these it is manifest that General Burgoyne had no agency in it. Miss M.Crea was betrothed to a Mr. Jones, an American refugee, who was in the army of Burgoyne. Solicitous for a union with his intended spouse, he dispatched a party of Indians, belong- ing to the British army, to call on her and escort her to the British camp. Against the remonstrances of her friends, this lady committed herself to their charge. She was placed on
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