The Morning herald., 1877-08-20
10 .s.. 5t..sss
The Battle Of Oriskany.
GEN. HERKIMER, THE HERO OF THAT
DAuvrr

instant surpassed the hopes of the most
sanguine projectors. The day was fine,
and the assem- blage the largest ever seen
in the Mohawk valley. The lowest esti-
mate of the number present is 30, 600;
it is more commonly put at from 80, 600
to 70, 600. Addresses we're delivered by
Ex-Governor Horatio Seymour, Lieuten-
ant Governor Dorsheimer, and others.
The battle of Oriskany was really mo
re important affair than many battles in
wich much larger forces were engaged,
and that have made much louder noise
in history. That summer of 1777 was
critical season with the revolted colon
lists. The British plan of campaign
had been carefully matured, and the
men to execute it with equal care. The
object was to crush out the rebellion in
New York, and thus isolate New Engl.
and from the other States-in the phrase
wich more recent war made familiar,
to "cut the rebellion in two." Bur.
goyne was marching down from the
north, having captured Fort Tidonder-
oga General Clinton was to move up
the Hudson with ships and troops to
meet him. To st. Leger, with mixed
force of regulars, Hesians, tories, and
Indians, was assigned the task of capt
turing Fort Stanwix; after wich he was
to Join Burgoygne at Albany that was
the plan. that it miscarried was due to
the sturdy patriotsism OF the Mohawk
Valley Dutchman. Col. Gansevoort with
a small force held the invested fort;
Gen. Herkheimer with some 800 hastily
levied militia marched to his assistance.
The little column was ambusched in the
ravine at Oriskany, and one man in
every four was killed. But they held
there ground for five hours, and they
spoiled the British plan of campaign.
st. Leger, having sent the greater part
of his troops to meet Herkheimer, was
in turn surprised by Gansevoort's forces,
who made we'll timed and successful
sortie. The fighting blood OF the New
York yeomary was now thoroughly up.
There was no tory rising in Mohawk val
ley. St. Leger, though maintaining the
siege, became more and more nervous.
Finnally, on August %, q rumor that
Arnold was close at hand fairly put him
to fight, and the game was up. Bu the
eny though disappointed and dishergo-
ned. went ahead, and was captured. art
In regard to the hero Of Oriskany
Mohawk Valley Register says: "Ihe
first Herkhein.er er who came to America
was from the Rhein Pfalz, or the Palat-
mate of tho Rhine. His name was
spelled Herchmer, and there is branch
Of the family now in Canada which con-
tinues the old orthography. The Eng
lish people could not pronounce Herch-
mer. but pronounced it Harkmer; the
Mohawk Dutch gave it another twist
and pronounced it Harkimer. and at
last it became established as Herkimer.
He was strong and powerful man. He
and his wife carried all their goods and
effects from Schenectady, including
three pecks of wheat and their eldest
child, on their backs to the German
Flats, where there was settlement OF
Mohawk Indians. OF couse, he could
speak no Indian, but showed the In
dams some bread and the wheat, and by
signs gave them to understand that he
wanted to clear off piece of ground
and SOW his wheat. But the Indians
shook their heads in the negative,
vhereupon Herk mer became much
cast down. s
At lengnt the Indians told him to
build hut against the roots OF an up
turned tree, and they assisted him in
building it. A few days after his arr ival.
the Indians invited him to 60 and help
them bring o dug out canoe from the
highland down to the river. When ne
came to the canoe, he took hold OF one
end of it to see how heavy it was. When
he raised it up, the indians looked at
each other in astonishment at his
strength. He motioned to them all to
90 to one end of the canoe, and he
would take the other. They did so, and
when he came to the river they came to
h,m aud patted him on the shoulders,
and called him bear. From that time
Herkimer was at home with the Mo-
hawks. They assisted him in building a
good cabin. He cleared off piece of
prou id and sowed his wheat, and shared
With them in hunting and fishing.
From time to time he cleared more land
and ,xtpnted his cultivrtion of wheat.
He usea to take his wheat to Schenec-
tady IN a canoe, carving it around the
Little Falls on his back. He succeeded
we'll. and in few years the British took
his place for an outpost garrison, and
fortified it with a ditch and palisades,
and moved the three companies OF
troops that had been stationed for three
veurs at the Frey place, which was also
? 'u~r u Aaed with pickets, and fortified.
Herkimer had little store and was
sutler to the garrison, and also traded
with the Indians, and ultimately acquir-
"A ,.,I+h and nositiOn. He was without