Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1889-04-25
THE BATTLE or ORISKANT.


ML nAA AAG W WMA5AANAe
Ono OF the Most Obstinate and AIurderous
of the Revolution.
About two miles west Of Oriskany the
road was crossed by a deep semi-circu-
lar ravine, concave toward the east.
The bottom Of this ravine was swamp,
across which the road was carried by q
causeway of logs, and the steep banks
on either side were thickly covered with
trees and underbrush. The practiced
eye OF Thayendanegea at once perceived
the rare advantage Of such position,
and an ambuscade was soon prepared
with skill as deadly as that which
once had wrecked the proud army OF
Braddock. But this time it was meet
ing of Greek with Greek, and the Wiles
of the savage chief were foiled by des-
perate valor which nothing could over
come. By 10 o'clock the main body of
Herkimer's army had descended into
the ravine followed by the wagons,
while the rear-guard was still on the
rising ground behind. At this moment
they were greeted by murderous
volley from either side, while Johnson's
Greens came charging down upon them
in front, and the Indians, with frightful
yells, swarmed in behind and cut off the
rear-guard, which was thus obliged to
retreat to save itself. For moment
the main body was thrown into con-
fusion, but it soon rallied and formed it.
self in q circle, which neither bayonet
charges nor musket fire could break or
penetrate. The scene which ensued
was one of the most internal that the
history of savage warfare has ever wit
messed. The dark ravine was filed
with mass of fifteen hundred human
beings, screaming and cursing, slipping
in the mire, pushing and struggling,
Selling each others Threats, stabbing,
shooting, and dashing out brains.
Bodies of neighbors were afterwards
found lying in the bog, where they had
gone down in death grapple, their
cold hands still grasping the knives
plunged in each others hearts.
Early in the fight musket-ball slew
Herkimer's horse, and shattered his own
leg just below the knee; but the old
hero, nothing daunted, and batting moth
ing of his GOODNESS in the midst of the
horrid struggle, had the saddle taken
from his dead horse and placed at the
foot of great beech tree, where, taking
his seat and lighting his pipe, he con-
tinued shouting his orders in stem
torian voice and directing the progress
of the battle. Nature presently en-
HANGED the lurid horror of the scene.
The heat of the August morning had
been intolerable, and black thunder
clouds, over hanging the deep ravine at
the beginning of the action, had en-
veloped it in darkness like that of
night. Now the rain came pouring in
torrents, while gusts of wind howled
through the tree-tops, and sheets of
lightning flashed in quick succession,
with continuous roar of thunder that
drowned the noise of the fray. The
wet rifles could no longer be fired, but
Ratchet, knife, and bayonet carried on
the work Of butchery, until, after more
than five hundred men had been killed
or wounded, the Indians gave way and
fed in all directions, and the Tory
soldiers, disconnected, began to retreat
up the western road, while the patriot
army, remaining in possession of the
hard-won field, felt itself too week to
pursue them.
At this moment, as the storm cleared
away, and long rays of sunshine began
Pickering through the wet leaves, the
sound Of three signal-guns came boom
ing through the air, and presently a
sharp cracking of musketry was heard
from the direction of Fort Stanwix.
Startled by this ominous sound, the
Tories made all possible haste to Join
their own army, while the patriots,
bearing their wounded on litters of
green boughs, returned in sad procession
to Oriskany. With their commander
helpless, and more than one-third of
their number slain or disabled, they
were in no condition to engage in a
fresh conflict, and unwillingly confessed
that the garrison of Fort Stanwix must
be left to do it's part of the work alone.
Upon the arrival of the messengers,
Col. Gansevoort had at once taken in
the whole situation. He understood
the mysterious firing in the forest, saw
that Herkimer must have been prema-
turely attacked, and ordered his sortie
instantly, to serve as diversion. The
sortie was brilliant success. Sir John
johnson, with his Tories and Indians,
was completely routed and driven across
the river. Col. Marinus Willet took
possession of his camp, and held it
while seven wagons were three times
loaded with spoil and sent to be I'M
loaded in the fort.
Of all the battles of the Revolution,
this was perhaps the most obstinate and
murderous. Each side seems to have
lost not less than one-third of its whole
number; and of those lost, nearly all
were killed, as it was largely hand-to-
hand struggle, like the battles of
ancient times, and no quarter was
given on either side.-Johaa Fiske, I'M
atlantic Monthly.
The Future OF Canada.