, 1877-07-01
BATTLE OF ORISKANY,
The Patriot Wings Against the Tories
aud Indians Of the Mohawk
Valley.
The Investment OF Fort Schuyler, and
How the Siege Was Raised.

a1hcrcn:s, having been driven out Of tL
Mohawk Valley by the Wings in 1776, fed t
Montreal, where Sir John was commissioned
Colonel in the British service, and raised q con,
mand Of two battalions, recruited for tho mos
part from those who ha.i accompanied him I,
his flight, or subsequently followed his exam
pie, which, under the name OF the Royal Greens
did most bloody service in the very valley the,
oncc delighted to call their home.
Rumors soon after got atioat that Sir John
with his associates, Brant and the Buffers, wa!
contemplating
AN tNvA8IoN OF THE VALLEY
at the head OF Indians and Tories, and TINT they
! had sworn to sweep through the valley like ayenc
ing demons, e1terminating the settlements.
So strong became the impression that The
little cluster OF communities, which Law, totally
delcnscless, almost within the grasp Of the hos.
tile sayages, hnd not seen the last of these
yeugeance-vowing Torics that Congress direct
! cd Gen. Schuyler to strengthen the defenses o1
| the exposed valley with all possible apeed. Ac-
/ coTdfugIy, Col. Dayton was sent up to Fort
| Stauwix, With orders to push forward the work
| OF rebuilding that antiluatcd fortress with the
! utmost energy, as in case of an invasion it
| would he most harassing obstacle to the enc
! my's progress.
| Notwithstanding the Iabors Of Col. DAYTON
! upon the lilapidated works, Col. Peter Ganse-
wort, OF the State line, when he assumed con,-
! 1na1ld of the fort in April, TIT, found It not
Only indcfcnsible, but absolutely untcnablc :;
the only improvement accomplished BY Dayton
being change in tho name to Fort Schuvcr
But Ganscvoort set to work with q brave heart
to better, il possible, his condition; and, being
soon after Joined by Col. Marinus N'illctt aud
his regiment, ucceedcd-haupcred as hc was by
sickness, bad roads, lack OF food. and wofnlly
incompetent angineer-n so renovatng and
strengthening the ruiuousEy-lfapfdated old
fortress as to be able to hold 1t, d few months
later, deaantly and successfully through tAc
progress OF long and rigorous siege.
DuriR. the summer OF 1871, Col. Barry St.
Leger, contcn1 pt,raheously With the descent OF
Burgoyne upon Northern New York, sailed from
Montreal TO Oswego, where hc formed a juno
lead Of Sir John johnson and Joseph Brant
{now Captain1iu the British army, had coz
qregatcd In tho vicinity of that place to the
number Of 1850 fighting men. FROM Oswego
he started. Ut the head Of a. force Of 1,70o men,
tor the Mohawk Valley, BY the water route with
the intention of
CRUSHING TIRE REBELIIoUs ELEMENT THERE,
aud thence marching down to meet Burgoync ut
Albany.
On The morning of Aug. ,, Lieut.. Col. Mellon,
,
Schuyler with two bateaux Of provisions and
ammunition, guarded by detachment Of 200
men. Both the soldiers aud their addition to
the forts scanty stock Of stores were heartily
welcomed The boats were unloaded, and their
contents hastily conveyed to the tort; dclag. in-
deed, would have been dangerous, for, at tho In
stant the last load reached the door Of tue stock
ade, the van OF the approaching army broke
through the edge OF the forest, and so near to
the bateaux that the Captain in charge OF them
+ot-n urrfsn In f1f1n Wi
messed the arrival of Col St. Lcger with the re-
lpaiuder OF his forces; and, after a ponlpous
summons tn surrender, which was indignantly
rejected, Fors Schuyler, short Of ammunition,
with 950 men and six weeks provisions, Wis
formally invested. .-
The Intelligence Of st. Legcr's advance spread
rapfdlv down the valley, and created everywhere
among the Wings
TAH UTMOST CONSIDERATION
and excitement, supplemented almost Instantly
by general resolve to protect to the sttermost
their homes and families from the horrible re-
suits Of an Indian conquest. Something akin
to desperation Was to be found In the eager re-
sponsc that met Gen. Hcrkimcr's prou7pt still
doubts, fears, and sluggish apathcs were for
gotten at the approach Of the invader.
TN the morning Of the 4th, nearly 1,00O men
had assembled about Fort Dayton,-a little
s'ockadc fort hnt the year before By Col.
Dayton upon slight en,inence some fs0 yaris
from the site OF the present courthouse al
licrkimrr, and which had becn selected by
llerki1ner as place of rendezvous. Never
had
MORE HETEROGENEOUS MASS or MEN
been gathered together In Valley Of the Mo-
hawk; for the most part sturdy, resolt1tc,
faTrrs, clad, some few III uniform,
the majority in h6,nespun or leather, with
tanned, rough faces, aud alert, Keen, sparktiug
little groups, with trustY fnt-1ocks untcr their
arms, and pipes Ia mouths conyersing cxcttedIy
in jar.on OF villanouk German and worse |
English. Scattered here and there through |
thcsc knots of sta|wart, bir!y bordercrs might |
be seen figures arra5ed in blue and buff, with |
powdered hair, and thin, clear-cut features.
white hands frinecd with whtcr rutllcs, and |
and clankfng with each stride as with
long straight swords and, inyliftg spurs |
they Tit about uttsring 1,,nat s,ail-"t,ls 1ns,
are gentlemen OF the county, and, as such, ot
yast t1.porta,,ce--in their own minds. On the
whole, there is small regard for discipline or
existing III this u,otfey, eagcf-tafkig
each OF lis own individual prowcss anti sagacity.
But differ as they might in torEn OF dress, III
shape Of weapons, ia sense Of slbsrdinGtaon, !
these Thousand SETTLERS possessed in common
SAVAGE, uALfFIESD1su ITCHING
for the meeting face to face with their
foe, for q glimpse Of thu whlso1n
Ferry ncighhor over the sight Of their old |
familiar aint-locks; ior these ancoslth men,
short time since peaceful, phicEusatsc farmers,
iwciiing content upon the little uascs they had
wrought out OF the wilderness, arc now trans
ormel into little else than sayagcs, and arc
onging with all their souls ioz the approaching
ray.
Words Of caution, OF sober advice, arc not
Tanted here; arc received at first in stoiid,
'uIky silence, then with loun-rising muir
nurs OF disapprobation. which reach the
,ars Of those in chief command. Within
he inc4osure Of the little fort are gathered
round n rude table some dozen ot1cers, bus
ly discussing the task that lies before them.
Behind them, pacing up and down with steady
read, is an elderly man, also In bu1 and blue,
#; tall stature and commanding mien, with
ocked hat pulled down tight over his eyes,
sith lfps firmly pressed together, thittk-
low and then to settle, with q quiet,
lccisiyc word, some ycxed question, and again
csuming his march, with q look Of troubled re-
possibility upon his brave face that intensitics
S the morning wears on, and which all his sell
ontidencc and intrepid courage cannot over
ONE or hide. This is
GEN. NICHOLAS HERKIMER,
brave man aud true, who for many years has !
erved the cause OF humanity faithfully; has
or many years been man Of might tn the val
ey settlements; has held inuumerable councils
7jth the Indians, and led many expeditions !
trough forest deflcs and dismal swarnps after
hem when, in the Judgment of the colonies, !
hey stood In need OF correction or chastise- |
lcnt; and now has, unwittinglv, reached near
v the goal Of his earthly labors. Through no |
Ieasaut means did the brave, bluff old patriot |