The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-04
THE GERMAN-AMG R1cANs.

THE (SIERNlAN .
II connection with the recent Ger
man Day celebration at the jamestown
Il1xposition,' 1t is interesting to note
that monument to General Nicholas
l1crkimcr German spelling, 11erch-
hcimeD, the hero Of OrisltanS. Will be
unveiled at 1lcrltimcr, N. y, on the
9th instant. A shaft to his memory
had already been erected Jointly by
oneida Historical Society, presided
over by the late Horatio Seymour, but
there was no statue. The statue to be
unveiled on the 9th instant is n bronze
figure about eight feet in height, and
represents General 'Hcrfimer sitting
ut tile foot of n large beech tree light
ing his clay pipe and directing the
battle after he had received a mortal
wound. 1t is the work OF Burr G.
Miller, son of ex-senator Warner.
Miller, Il young artist whose work re-
ceived honorable mention in the Paris
Salon of 1907
General l1erlimer was one of the
many soldiers who took part i'll the
War Of the Revolution, and who aided
so Loyalty in achieving American indie
pendencc. Although American born, lie
knew more German than English, and
spoke a picturesque dialect of his own,
military order in his own writing:
Ser yu will orter your bodellyen do
merchs Immiedietlih do ford edward
weld for das bronesen and amonirschen
fed for on betcll. Dis YOU will disben
yur berrell from frind Nicolas hcrch
heimer. To CARMEL pieder bellinger,
ad de plats, ochdobcr is, 1916"
(Sir: You will order your battalion to
march Immediately to Fort Edward,
with four days provisions and amlnu-
milton tit for one Cor ~ battle. This
you wifi dsobcy at your peril. From
your friend, Nicholas Herchheimer To
Colonel Peter Bcllinger, at the Flats,
October is. 1776D
General Hcrkimer was born about
1915 in New York He is described as
a man of energy, and one of the most
prominent and widely respected OF the
German citizens of the province. At
the age of thirty he was made lieu
French and Indian War In the Revo-
llutionary War he distinguished himself
by leading an expedition gninst Sir
John Johnson's force of Tories and
deroga and the retreat of General
Schuyler, Burgoyno threatened to cap
ture Albany, and joined his forces with
Howe's in the East When the CO.
operating force led by Colonel ST. Leger
had invested, Fort schuyler, Herkimer
marched to the relief of the latter
place at the head OF 500 militia OF
Tryon county. In the course OF his
march he feared ambush, and warned
his men. He wished to wait until he
fknew hat the way was clear, but two
4 OF his colonies denounced him as a
! coward. Stung by these reproaches,
/ he sprang into the saddle and gave the
! order: "Vorwarts!" The men had not
advanced very far, however. when
they were completely surprised by the
/ Indians who poured in their fire from
] both sides of a ravine, with the Brit
jish firing from the farther end. Many
of the men were killed or taken pris-
toner's but Eerkimer extricated the rest
| of his force and charged the hill oc-
Icupied by Johnson's rangers with such
effect that he and his German follow
| -. 4
/ During the engagement his horse
was shot from under him, and he him
self was wounded in the leg He di-
Irected his man to carry him to tho
pipe and continued to direct the bat
i tie. The Americans regained their
Itomposure fought the Indians in from
tier style, and finally drove them dowr
the sides Of the hill. The British
4 commander pushed forward his Tory
forces, and tho patriots We're aroused
TO greater fury. The garrison Of For
Schuyler coming up, the Indians broke
and fed in every direction, and til,
: British troops retreated leaving TIL
> Americans. master Of the field. Gen
4 eral Ilerkimer had received a woun,
In the leg, which necessitated ampu
tation, but the operation was rudel
: DONE Hemorrhage set In on the tent
> day, and, feeling the end approaching
: the old Christian warrior called 70
: his Bible, and read to his family gath
: cred by his bedside the pathetic pGti
lions OF the thirty eighth Psalm, til
: book falling from his hands as II
: breathed his last
!, This rough sketch was taken in tn
: main from Lcsie's. Weekly OF Angus
y .A1907, which also contains illustra
= tons of the old and the new monl
ments and buildings associated wit
Herkimer's career.
Our German citizens have a right
: be proud of the part which their fore
= fathers took in the war for indepeI
7 dence. and again in the part which a
German-Americans have played in e