West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-11-20
oRlSKANY MONUMENT.
An Historic battlefield About which Llt-
tie HAS ncen Said.

An Historic battlefield About which lit
tie HAS ncen said.
Gliding swiftly eastward on tho New
York Central Railroad and nearing tho
little villnRe Of Oriskany. in Oneida Coun-
ty. n tall shaft ON a ncighboring hilltop
to the right flashed 10y. The monument
is To General herkimcr aud the brave
patriots Of l16G, and il marks the
Oriskany battlefield ~ we'll The whole
region Is Storicd ground We cot out
of the train at the little station of
Oriskany, and walked back along the
tow path OF the canal for the first milo.
thence across the latter hy bridge and
along a rural lane to the highway which
skirts the brow of the hill on which the
monument stands ln his cottage over
looking tho battlefield. we found Mn.
Rolln Nj. Lewis, the custodian OF the
grounds who added much To the inter.
est of our visit by personally guiding us
TO the scenes of greatest interest aud.
which bcing unmarked. we would have
found 10y ourselves difficult TO deter
mine,
The monument stands whore the bat
tie was fought. ON the edge OF sharp
blum rearing itself above the Mohawk
Nahcy, on plot OF five acres of meadow
purchased 10y tho association for the
purpose. IL is of Maine granite. EIGHTY
five feet high above the base. which is
of the valley limestone. On each side
of the die OF the pedestal is "A tablet of
bronze six feet wide and flur aud n half
high. Two of the bronzcs are pictorial.
and represent ono General Horkimcr
directing the fight after receiving hi.
mortal wound, the Other pioneer aud
Ind an engaged in deadly struggle On
one of the remaining tablets Is the dcdi-
cation, and ON the other n roster con
tanning the names of those patriots on
gagged In the fight as far as thoy could
he learned but two hundred and fifty
out of eight hundred The dedication
was written 10y Prof. Edward North. If
Hamilton College, aud Is in excellent
taste. 1t is as follows:
Here was fought tho huttlc of Orlsknny on
the 9th day OF August Ia ilorU HrIti,h ia.
vason wns checked and thwiutcd Hcro Gen.
oral Nicholas HCrlNmCT tutrDpid leader of
tho american forces. though mortully wound
ed, Kept cominnnd of tho fight. TIN the cnCmy
had fled. The lfo.bioud of more than sUO
patrio, heroes made this battle ground sacred
forever.
This Monument was built A. - 1883 i'm tho
year of lndcpcndcnCc l01 by grateful dwell.
ers IA tho Mohawk Valley, uudcr tho direction
National Government ana the Stntc of Ncw
York"
The first mover in the matter of
erecting this monument was the Cont
mental Congress of VIZ, which passed
the following resolutions
That the Governor aud Council of New
York DO desired 20 crCct monument mt Con.
buontnl expense OF the value at 500 to the
memory OF the late Brigidinr General IIcrilI-
lncr, VINO commanded tho militia OF Tryou
County In the state of New York aud was
Killed nghting galluntly I'm defence OF tho lib.
critics OF these states"
But the people were too poor TO give
effect to this praiseworthy resolution.
and 1T slumbcrcd until in 1876 the
Oneida Historical Society was formed
at Utica, when it actively began the
work so long delayed. Public mcct
ings were held, the press enlisted. Con
grcss was appealed to and at length
induced to vote the original sum OF
5000, with interest amounting To ~, 100.
to which the Legislature OF New York
added $1,000 conditional to like sum
being raised by private subscription.
The monument was erected in 1888,
and dedicated with appropriate Ccrc-
monies, in the presence Of a large au-
diencc, on the 9Th of August 1881. the
one hundred and seventh anniversary
OF tho battle Ltica On ~ cor. ~ T.
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