The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1853-10-04
THE BATTLE OF oRIsKANY---GEN. HERKI-
nI1 MER. U

a MER
Seventy-six years ago to-day was fought the
grea. battle, Ofiskany AS | stood to day
where those brave men'fought and fell, as re-
membered hnow that now quiet place resoun-
ded with a booming of guns and clash of knives,
the war-hoop of the Indian, and the blows OF
his tomahawk--how neighbor fought against
neig Dor, and yielded as ho died--the spirits
of those men seemed TO rise around me, and
ask if | duly appreciated the liberty which they
so dearly bought. | traversed the ground a.
/ gain and again, in the vain hope 10 find somc
I relic of the battle. But why look for relics!-
! If tho man who fought thoro cannot be rcmem-
bered without relics, let their memory DO for
gotten. If, in tho peace and prosperity. hap
pincss and freencss of our lives, We do not rec
ognize their claims to our gratitude, and rever-
entially bless their memories, lot their names
rot and pass from the earth, never to be repeat
cd by q generation so unworthy OF such sires.
The battle ground is two miles west OF the
/ VILLAGE. which is at the confluence of the Oris-
kany Creek with tho Mohawk. When tho
British forces under Col st. Leger, laid scigc
TO Fort Schuyler (now Romo) Gen. Herkimer
put himself at the head of the militia of Tryon
County, and marched to the roscuo.
He halted on the evening of the 9th, with
his 500 men near Orskany, determining to a
wait reinforcements, or at all events not make
attack until he received tho signal OF sorhe
from tho fort His officers, eager for the fray,
upbraided him with cowardce, to whom no re-
piled, that "he intended to guard them as n
! father aud would not lead them into any place
from which he could not get them OUT How
ever. when, in addition to this, they charged
I him with aching the part of traitor, no became
! irritated and gave the word 10 'marcb!' Tho
. excited troops rushed forward in confusion,
and only repcnted for their error when il was
{ too late Their road lay across marshy ra-
4 vine, e,crossed by cansoway. Just before they
: reached this they crossed an elevated, woody
plain. on which st. Legar had laid an ambus-
: cade. drawing up his men in form of circle
!, leaving opon only segment, by which Her
!. kimer and his mon entered This was immedi
: ately closed, and murderous fire opened OF
: all sides of tho unsuspecting militia All was
: disorder Gen. Herkimer was soon wounded
: but being placed on hissaddle against the trunk
y of tree, he continued to order his men to
q fight in circles. By this means their resis
tance was made muchmore effective.
o The firing ceased and they fought will
) bavone,s. After an hours deadly conflict
J. violent shower separated tho combatonts
o Herkmers men now formed themselves int'
v a circle. by his direction two being placed be
! hind tree. In the early part Of the figh
., whenever man fired from behind tre
d an Indian would run up and tomahawk hin
?. before ho would have time TO reload. Now
d when the battle was renewed, one fired and tn
q other reserved his for tho Indian. By thes
means the Indians suffered so severely tha
y they began to Yield.
e Az his time. a reinforcement Of Tories, most
y ly natives of rryon county. came up. Many
5. OF there pere wersonally known to tho militia
ID and all theiy vindictive feelings were AZ one
= aroused They Tough like tigers in singl
- L.. iI,.ia coH 10
q with knive or throttled with neighbors ham
n they died i'm oach others embrace. The Ind
s. ans weuld hold out no longer and fled preclp
ly tatedly. The Greens ann Rangers under >
Logger, hearing firing at some distance
n Thought they were needed elsewhere, and re
to tired. leaving the Tryon militia victors. Th
,e American account is that they lost two hur
N dred exclusive OF wounded and prisoners
The British loss was little inferior. Gen. Her
I'd kimer, wounded as he was, issued orders dc
a. ring the whole six hours. with tho most ur
ia flinching GOODNESS and fortitudc. In the cours
I of the battle, he even took out his tinder boz
q. lit his pipe and smoked composcdly. Alter I'll
battle he was carried to his residence,two mile
o. east of Little Falls The old house is sti
IN standing and in good repair: the port hole
O. still remain. and the bricks seem to be almo:
Ia as durable as the day they were first prougi
a, from England The,Geneaals leg having bee
n shattered, il was unskilfully amputated, an
nv tho attendants wore unable to stop tho bloot
m His good spirits did not forsake him new. u
y smoked and conversed cheerfully utter the oI
j. Grafton. though no died that night Feelin
es that death was near, he called for Bible, reo
rs the 3Sth Psalm--most singularly appropriate
% and died soon after with the utmost calmnes
ilc lie was buried in the grave yard at lierkimt
- and Congress passed a resolution appropriate
s. $500 for monument to be placed above h
tn remains provided certain other sum wa
n raised from other sources The other sum WI
mt not raiscd-the monument was not erected
the original appropriation was diverted to SON
nv other object and there is now no token wha
ID over of the gratitude of the Republic for Il
OF services of Nicholas Herkimer. The folowlr
year, the village of Herkimcr, four miles !
ee The Mohawk, was burned by tho notoiio'
of Brant, tho inhabitants barely escaping vii
es their lives. II does one good to stand whe
m such scenes have been enacted. 1t remin'
as one of his privileges and fits him for his d.
ID ties.-[Correspondcn y. y, Daily Times Au
o. I1tb.
es.
ed CAPITAL FOR THE YoUSe.--It is consol
*. ton for E II right-minded young men in til
mt country, that though they may not be able